tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001977241455671282024-03-12T20:49:28.113-07:00Periodic CupcakesA Family BlogPolitessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17298237825414836825noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-100197724145567128.post-25641545711530209392013-05-29T16:16:00.000-07:002013-05-29T16:16:57.934-07:00June Excursions and End-of-Semester ReflectionsWell, I almost never update this blog. But I'm going to update it today. No special reason, though things have been pretty busy around here. I've ended my first year of teaching, and I am more than pleased about how it all turned out. I got a very positive teaching evaluation in December, and was teaching two sections this time around, with a bit more room to breathe now that I wasn't writing and teaching the class at the same time quite as much! I also just finished writing a chapter for a guidebook my father is preparing, on the geological history of the Grand Canyon-Zion region; I contributed some anthropological insight on those pesky little archaeostratigraphic deposits that seem to clutter up all of the Holocene layers. The research was a lot of fun, and I've stumbled across quite a lot of holes in the data set as I go, which makes me think that I know where I'd like to devote further research and maybe even publication to in the future. We were down in Tucson visiting family last week, a good trip all around, and I took worthwhile advantage of UA's vast southwest studies library one of the days we were there.<br />
<br />
The guidebook is tied to a professional tour we are running out to those locations this coming week. It will be cutting a circular path through the familiar stomping grounds of the Grand Canyon, Zion, and Bryce Canyon, closing the circle at Las Vegas. I'm coming along as a driver and guest lecturer. The participants are mostly oil geologists and their kin, so hopefully they will tolerate my nattering on about anthropology. :) It makes for a busy June. A week after we get back from that we'll be leaving again, on the school's annual geology field trip. It is focusing on the northern Colorado Plateau this year, and I'm looking forward to seeing some places I have never been (Coral Pink Sand Dunes, Goblin Valley) and some that I have spent much time in but miss dearly (Ouray-Durango). No official archaeology component this year, so I guess I'll provide my own entertainment in that respect :)<br />
<br />
Otherwise, things are okay. The Central California summer is never especially fun, but we're on the road so much that it hasn't had a chance to get too monotonous so far. In January our dear friend Meaghan moved to a nearby town along with her little guy, who recently learned how to crawl; being able to spend time with my "nephew", and pestering everyone with photos and videos of his continuing development, has been a consistent source of joy in the last few months.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2013/078/1/b/keeping_watch_by_dailyb-d5ymazl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2013/078/1/b/keeping_watch_by_dailyb-d5ymazl.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo I took at the San Joaquin Wildlife Refuge last month</span></i></div>
<br />
Not <i>all</i> news is unstressful. There's a rather troubling (literal) hole in the roof, and I am effectively unemployed until August, so if we ever stop traveling around my "backyard" there may be some slim months ahead. To say nothing of moving into our own place again. I'm keen to do, but with the job I have occupying a tenuous place to begin with and no nibbles yet on additional applications, it's hard to guess at when I'll be in the market again. I got turned down for a job at Yosemite that I was really hoping for and was moping around for a while about that, though there are still plenty of jobs out there to try for. Meanwhile, the loans eat up most of my current salary, and the "deals" offered by the loan agencies to make them easier to pay are inevitably predatory in character. Oh well! If I'm going to be underemployed, I'm glad I'm employed doing a job I actually like! And if May was any indication, unemployment certainly isn't dull, I feel like I've barely had a moment to catch my breath! I'm sure I will be updating again after the trips, hopefully with pictures.Politessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17298237825414836825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-100197724145567128.post-19566291989129661782013-01-01T14:42:00.001-08:002013-01-01T14:44:45.861-08:00By the WayI got a job! Teaching anthropology at MJC, of all places. Er, several months ago. Sorry, we're not very good bloggers. It's going pretty well, though.<br />
<br />
Uh, Christmas was pretty fun. Very rainy. Here's a nice picture I took at Clear Lake. I have a Dr Who scarf now. It rocks.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOSAUoAiEI-2Z4MQR6ojnTt06n4-xXRcqXHbskk732D7PVYZOQ4ukFRjLwqpQs1gILZKj1fI_xrOkt6rC-4HOH6jlhiaRiSed6_1gFvQ6vhR6hWUTX3U6iihE5N-QeiCrSteSTxGLXIfk7/s1600/100_6754+Sacred.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOSAUoAiEI-2Z4MQR6ojnTt06n4-xXRcqXHbskk732D7PVYZOQ4ukFRjLwqpQs1gILZKj1fI_xrOkt6rC-4HOH6jlhiaRiSed6_1gFvQ6vhR6hWUTX3U6iihE5N-QeiCrSteSTxGLXIfk7/s320/100_6754+Sacred.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Politessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17298237825414836825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-100197724145567128.post-58360118030847335132012-07-18T12:41:00.001-07:002012-07-18T12:44:20.399-07:00I'm a Master now!I am proud and relieved to announce that I have graduated with an Master of Arts, Anthropology. This is as of June 16th, actually, but I didn't officially confirm that I'd graduated until yesterday, so I'm celebrating now. If by "celebrating", you mean looking for a job. Ha! Anyhow, good to have a milestone behind me and a new Very Important Piece of Paper attached to my name.<br />
<br />
Yes, you may call me "master".<br />
<br />
In other news, I recently tagged along as a guest lecturer on MJC's sort of annual combined geology/anthropology field course, which took an expansive tour of the Colorado Plateau and the Chaco cultural region this year. Pictures below, and more on my <a href="http://dailyb.deviantart.com/">DA account</a> if you are interested. Zeo and I are hoping to go back out to Arizona just for personal visits before the end of the month.<br />
<br />
I have a number of job applications out for various teaching positions, and I'm constantly on the lookout for new opportunities. I may have an opportunity to teach at my own dear alma mater, so that would certainly be fun. For now, I'm helping one of my former professors collect materials for an introductory textbook on anthropology, which is an enjoyable if expansive project, and also planning to write a guidebook to the cultures (past and present) of the American Southwest. I am also planning to launch a new blog soon, to discuss contemporary issues in public anthropology and religion. I'll let everyone know when it is up. The weather has taken a blessedly cool streak lately, so we've spent more time out and about. Hope you all are having a good summer as well. Cheers!<br />
<br />
<b><i>Sandia Mountains</i></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0zhbf7lTXbb6ZoCZqXCX4Bc_zx4fIj3bLQOxTUW-MWduX19wn95NcmEyqCTAMdsEChVqSqnMdD1p8opDBSbqHeZapexYNgM93zcDy2NxeD7G4fQnABe7qxQ-k3ij_rQsA1hM9bnNq_vHg/s1600/100_5878+Sandia+glow.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0zhbf7lTXbb6ZoCZqXCX4Bc_zx4fIj3bLQOxTUW-MWduX19wn95NcmEyqCTAMdsEChVqSqnMdD1p8opDBSbqHeZapexYNgM93zcDy2NxeD7G4fQnABe7qxQ-k3ij_rQsA1hM9bnNq_vHg/s320/100_5878+Sandia+glow.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><i>Las Vegas, NM </i></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ljLdXyM04Ax9FiAfccM1g7CjdZDt6RsgnNQfziW5Yqc2XjdLhGNMWnJGsMlWdEmFbYzoI0eAy47RDB03AqIomcDT1mOPlJc4ba28uPs_vWSUXJzf_cS3J0fQn_R-Ay4StJAVfyNMuRxF/s1600/100_5885+Forgot+the+damn+pavement+again.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ljLdXyM04Ax9FiAfccM1g7CjdZDt6RsgnNQfziW5Yqc2XjdLhGNMWnJGsMlWdEmFbYzoI0eAy47RDB03AqIomcDT1mOPlJc4ba28uPs_vWSUXJzf_cS3J0fQn_R-Ay4StJAVfyNMuRxF/s320/100_5885+Forgot+the+damn+pavement+again.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<i><b>Kasha-Katuwe, NM</b></i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqXo4Dzw8LRCJpw9Xot3dLHLhx_hjjd6Ukzl_VHzyaJDCm6BP4858HjQLa_Nu_K2nyp6dM835HEISMwRQloowMCO6VR505JQl_bEfwNy3xRUMsd80VlRYEI5hr7xx2PY61-GssJtWkFkI/s1600/100_5984+Pup+Tent.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqXo4Dzw8LRCJpw9Xot3dLHLhx_hjjd6Ukzl_VHzyaJDCm6BP4858HjQLa_Nu_K2nyp6dM835HEISMwRQloowMCO6VR505JQl_bEfwNy3xRUMsd80VlRYEI5hr7xx2PY61-GssJtWkFkI/s320/100_5984+Pup+Tent.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLnOGVuQgwMQeMg6uPPmK3-PHT30YnuHY6VAz9L8yJHvjhyphenhyphenqsONy40Ah9irR9MePeDhAe8UscLaVWMSPBkv0Hft_pugee0FjXZOYT2okcHfPW1w8UYduL7MfwkfAMEZ1RNGyUN94hI6AXL/s1600/100_6017+Filing+By.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLnOGVuQgwMQeMg6uPPmK3-PHT30YnuHY6VAz9L8yJHvjhyphenhyphenqsONy40Ah9irR9MePeDhAe8UscLaVWMSPBkv0Hft_pugee0FjXZOYT2okcHfPW1w8UYduL7MfwkfAMEZ1RNGyUN94hI6AXL/s320/100_6017+Filing+By.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<i><b> Pecos Pueblo</b></i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgks6SofoqgAYx5VMFmxi-N9j2T62hjbLWQloHDu53yvqPLy8bG9P6QAV8oyYrlxmsZDF13eoLVWB6HGaAywzsq9MS284-BoucV6JCoaADn9fBfmIDMDKV5YB6AW7YCutUJ-yWTTpjKYj3k/s1600/100_6041+Leaving+This+World.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgks6SofoqgAYx5VMFmxi-N9j2T62hjbLWQloHDu53yvqPLy8bG9P6QAV8oyYrlxmsZDF13eoLVWB6HGaAywzsq9MS284-BoucV6JCoaADn9fBfmIDMDKV5YB6AW7YCutUJ-yWTTpjKYj3k/s320/100_6041+Leaving+This+World.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><i> Bandelier National Monument</i></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcg5QlEtHieDXixyMWp0QLLCqv8M37jPEWYq447v6G83K3kr0v9vZbIO_u1RHDGTwZUkAlCnj3svK8wP7PYDKFvblQQ3viYzbecibKKilf_TVx0T70AmpqBH8k-pTQQqEtTtNWNN80kFaY/s1600/100_6103+Raided+Pantries.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcg5QlEtHieDXixyMWp0QLLCqv8M37jPEWYq447v6G83K3kr0v9vZbIO_u1RHDGTwZUkAlCnj3svK8wP7PYDKFvblQQ3viYzbecibKKilf_TVx0T70AmpqBH8k-pTQQqEtTtNWNN80kFaY/s320/100_6103+Raided+Pantries.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3fmcBIG15XcpSw4__lomXR6jGNsRJnn14KHOZ1YVqMx9f_Y9z11JPHJC9PCSZe8UOGI1Ue_hNpitu26TaNXGqIoUR5AxUUJ0IVsBSdkXqVkuk6_KV-104MSijtNYEqUb2Ysv0o0NJcQV7/s1600/100_6108+Overhang.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3fmcBIG15XcpSw4__lomXR6jGNsRJnn14KHOZ1YVqMx9f_Y9z11JPHJC9PCSZe8UOGI1Ue_hNpitu26TaNXGqIoUR5AxUUJ0IVsBSdkXqVkuk6_KV-104MSijtNYEqUb2Ysv0o0NJcQV7/s320/100_6108+Overhang.JPG" width="267" /></a></div>
<br />
<i><b>Chaco Canyon</b></i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj61IFLcK9b8iURPeWFA0fJeCLn65F_K7slwlWdLRsXTk96ipbjwVQzl6nVf7zJpaSpD6kgrqnAwW9XiITHzvJ_vtzmEnC-1evV36zLsbSfQer-i0_FnpMuCZtAvDjYvB1OtZAtEjB5LnR/s1600/(16)+Calendar+Wall.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj61IFLcK9b8iURPeWFA0fJeCLn65F_K7slwlWdLRsXTk96ipbjwVQzl6nVf7zJpaSpD6kgrqnAwW9XiITHzvJ_vtzmEnC-1evV36zLsbSfQer-i0_FnpMuCZtAvDjYvB1OtZAtEjB5LnR/s320/(16)+Calendar+Wall.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_XYsEDbdEa09NzSBl6dZhpIsWNiWkiU1gHVaTWtOpuP0pEzSiraLhMix8IwlFhyXlr7tB3W0on6k8mAn_0nOreBQHY25Wb9G0YJiSQ_6EheF_KgKZqHpATsJM6U9HyKQ_i35KQTpSXciw/s1600/(52)+Still+Life+with+Ladder.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_XYsEDbdEa09NzSBl6dZhpIsWNiWkiU1gHVaTWtOpuP0pEzSiraLhMix8IwlFhyXlr7tB3W0on6k8mAn_0nOreBQHY25Wb9G0YJiSQ_6EheF_KgKZqHpATsJM6U9HyKQ_i35KQTpSXciw/s320/(52)+Still+Life+with+Ladder.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxs8Ia3nKxSpuKA3fVTgTsO66FSw3bq9rUv1rfSMGXKAXP8DOmv6sZdXCg8FyQwg_TaCFMeWRqa87hnQjJwBxZLGa_L8GZL2ce2msKOHAjGi6JRZuiurrcoF4ykna2yTTaKnxxeO0HvZl0/s1600/(23)+Doorways+are+Frames.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxs8Ia3nKxSpuKA3fVTgTsO66FSw3bq9rUv1rfSMGXKAXP8DOmv6sZdXCg8FyQwg_TaCFMeWRqa87hnQjJwBxZLGa_L8GZL2ce2msKOHAjGi6JRZuiurrcoF4ykna2yTTaKnxxeO0HvZl0/s320/(23)+Doorways+are+Frames.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><i>Clear Creek Canyon, UT</i></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtnNJp7zisTWpbsbCIdbSO3TibpdCywkVOU1Rwjepxq_rG5D7uHtPeSyGUSWYUfOVvI_-XmFuAwx0uj4uKSyoXlxHOnhaTSZVzR-mAFqi2x8rG4l-pDiolXjqV9-foItSb_pN7IzAgkPci/s1600/(133)+Wandering+off+the+wall.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtnNJp7zisTWpbsbCIdbSO3TibpdCywkVOU1Rwjepxq_rG5D7uHtPeSyGUSWYUfOVvI_-XmFuAwx0uj4uKSyoXlxHOnhaTSZVzR-mAFqi2x8rG4l-pDiolXjqV9-foItSb_pN7IzAgkPci/s320/(133)+Wandering+off+the+wall.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXzE58wsk5jkAhmExIlAE4PruIq4c5E4vVKVK7nmI6WEia7onxYQ_3pfWnu0E-THePZFy7L-IV-rvUoKiMOSgG1plOElz-oDAKDLz033eu4pHAz8WmEpvyGXjySyLPSXI73qh7Lr-yB5ay/s1600/(137)+Man+in+the+Mist.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXzE58wsk5jkAhmExIlAE4PruIq4c5E4vVKVK7nmI6WEia7onxYQ_3pfWnu0E-THePZFy7L-IV-rvUoKiMOSgG1plOElz-oDAKDLz033eu4pHAz8WmEpvyGXjySyLPSXI73qh7Lr-yB5ay/s320/(137)+Man+in+the+Mist.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><i>Bryce Canyon </i></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhitCbP63-Zr8EeyphI2VT27YWYWN4YgO3DujnSMBcNhnETvaG6ox26z00thX8GWiTHxVZUEl-XPGJa4ySzNNRjMyiLS4eWmfEp5st4Y7L2AK2DEUQy5g094SQHZCwZOXoOmZ1FWnzSm8Gj/s1600/(160)+Many+Staircases.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhitCbP63-Zr8EeyphI2VT27YWYWN4YgO3DujnSMBcNhnETvaG6ox26z00thX8GWiTHxVZUEl-XPGJa4ySzNNRjMyiLS4eWmfEp5st4Y7L2AK2DEUQy5g094SQHZCwZOXoOmZ1FWnzSm8Gj/s320/(160)+Many+Staircases.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVDmqlRsoHBe8duBs1pX0SwcnjbdKsaAQrklEGABag507Lm906EnylaYacBWBWjKhAA-0ifzQcLmEr4aw2q4nGDT6D3UefkBJEfFBeCEOZQH5SSQbUluifMdQ7hhAaYQCKj7r15_-g2ihc/s1600/(186)+Bryce+Cauldron.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVDmqlRsoHBe8duBs1pX0SwcnjbdKsaAQrklEGABag507Lm906EnylaYacBWBWjKhAA-0ifzQcLmEr4aw2q4nGDT6D3UefkBJEfFBeCEOZQH5SSQbUluifMdQ7hhAaYQCKj7r15_-g2ihc/s320/(186)+Bryce+Cauldron.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
Zion<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzcpPfiI19LiqrbLuOJ7_4ESsBEZ0vHwFm-1x0qw7yXjAbTZU_rJdoOew4L8VsjMKEFtAA0GZfrpaaExk7kA19jMdDJ9kd9HFSsgiPommucPo9feKXx4oOzr0nIeRYub60BR2gSdJoOuiT/s1600/(243)+Crunchy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzcpPfiI19LiqrbLuOJ7_4ESsBEZ0vHwFm-1x0qw7yXjAbTZU_rJdoOew4L8VsjMKEFtAA0GZfrpaaExk7kA19jMdDJ9kd9HFSsgiPommucPo9feKXx4oOzr0nIeRYub60BR2gSdJoOuiT/s320/(243)+Crunchy.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Politessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17298237825414836825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-100197724145567128.post-452711525616186882012-04-21T15:35:00.000-07:002012-04-21T15:35:32.515-07:00Moving OnHello everyone!<br />
<br />
Those of you who follow my website have probably found out that I've deleted my archives and canceled my service (this includes my comics and my crochet blog). The reason for this is because I had never managed to find the time or motivation to keep the projects I had started going. They were just sitting there collecting dust, to the tune of several dollars per month. So I let it go in hopes that something better will present itself.<br />
<br />
Thanks for following me and supporting me in my projects! I promise this is not the end of my productivity, just a means to make way for something new!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-100197724145567128.post-86280218297202399692012-04-14T18:42:00.001-07:002012-04-14T18:42:56.898-07:00Hey everybody!We are too often out of touch, so I thought it was well worth taking the time to do a newsy post despite nothing particularly world-shaking going on at the moment. Things <i>are</i> going pretty well, though. I finished the income taxes two weeks ago, and the government was kind to us in the form of a sizeable EITC refund. Not often that being poor is a good thing, but we had a bit of much needed extra funding this month, and, like good little Millarian economic agents, of course went out and spent it all immediately. We needed a new vacuum ( been without a working one for almost a year) and got a good deal on Amazon, Z's glasses needed a new prescription, and in general we've been badly in need of groceries, so Wednesday was a fun if wallet-depleting much needed shopping day.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, I started going through our many bookcases and selecting volumes to sell to Half-Price Books. I let myself be a bit more extreme than usual and got rid of a large number of books from the seminary era, figuring it's past time to accept that my interests then and my interests now are not necessarily synonymous. Z joined the party and selected out a lot of her college textbooks and the like that have been following us since Colorado. Altogether, we filled two boxes and two bags, and drove them up to Concord where we got a whopping almost $60 for the whole collection, more than twice what I had been expecting. We must have had good books, too, because they accepted almost all of them. Makes me happy to think they are going to other homes instead of the recycling center.<br />
<br />
Between the bookselling activities and the new vacuum, our house is looking much trimmer and neater. It feels like the first stages of preparing to move; an event that, after all, is now only a month and a half distant. I have mixed feelings about it; I'm going to miss the Treehouse, the town it's in, and the mountain we live on. I'm going to very much miss the intellectual stimulation of grad school in general and in particular the weekly seminars with my most excellent and brilliant cohort of fellow students. And it would be nice to know in much more specific terms what I am doing next. On the other hand, I am always excited to try new things, and presuming I land a real job, it will be very exciting to start my career properly in whatever town we end up in. I have applications out all over the country now, from Shasta to Monterrey to Ontario CA to Phoenix. Hopefully one of them will play out into a job. In the meanwhile, Tucson is lovely, and it will be nice to get to know my father-in-law better. My parents are running a field trip through the Southwest in late Summer, and there's talk of my going along perhaps, even possibly as a consultant, if I 'm still free.<br />
<br />
Speaking of schooling, it continues apace. I'm taking two classes, a surprisingly intensive course on statistics in the social sciences and a seminar in sociocultural anthropology. The latter is focusing on ethnographies past and present, and the estimable Dr Nelson has us on a book-a-week reading binge at present. Between that and the preparation for my comprehensive exams (first week of June), I spend most of my unscheduled hours reading and taking notes on reading. It's <i>interesting</i> reading, though, so I am not unhappy about it. I'm getting to be fairly well-informed on theoretical issues in my field, which is nice to be able to say honestly as I go job hunting. I've been considering starting a new blog, separate from this one, to publish on topics in public anthropology. So far this hypothetical blog is in the form of a handful of outlines and a few written posts hastily converted from class notes, but if all else goes as planned will probably make its internet debut sometime in early summer. <br />
<br />
Hmmm, what else? The last few days we've had a humdinger of a rainstorm. I'm told an airplane got struck by lightning over the Bay on Tuesday and had to return to SFO. No one hurt, thankfully. The same day, I had to postpone my commute due to atrocious conditions and ended up waiting out the storm in a Peet's cafe, reading about Benedictine configurationalism and watching the world float by, in the end not the worst way to spend one's evening. The day before, I saw a water main or something fail spectacularly in San Ramon, which was rather unsettling considering I was in a car at the time and not that far away. Easter was very nice; I'd discovered a new church just before and caught the good friday and sunrise Easter services. Then we met up with my folks and spent a pleasant day driving around Marin county, from Muir Woods out to Tomales Bay and back. Geological details on my dad's blog, naturally. :)<br />
<br />
Guess that's good for now. We hope all of our faithful readers (yes, all three of you) are well and happy, and wish me luck on my Stats quiz Tuesday.Politessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17298237825414836825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-100197724145567128.post-10757442720885125962012-03-17T13:28:00.001-07:002012-03-17T13:29:56.356-07:00Application is Out Again!<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
Hi! Sorry we are such bad blog-updaters! It has been a crazily busy quarter for various several reasons. Anyone who has been through a graduate program or known someone who did will NOT be surprised to hear that I hit a maze of distressing bureaucratic paper-filing, hair-pulling madness about midway through January. All of it, of course, threatening graduation. Luckily, I had enough warning and a lot of much appreciated help from the faculty, and that (as far as I know!) is settled. One of the things that came up was that I apparently needed to take a Graduate Writing Skills Test. Which I did. You may be shocked to learn that I passed. Apparently, I did not make it through 20 years of school (and get, I must say, a pretty good score on that portion of the GRE) without learning to write a simple essay. Inconceivable, I say. </div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
Otherwise, have been keeping busy with classwork. I took a French course for review, which has been an interestingly different challenge; the professor is from Marseilles and the class focuses heavily on conversation. Never my best talent, even in English, and in this case it had me desperately trying to reacquaint myself with all manner of forgotten vocabulary. The only French I'd read in years was in journal abstracts, and they tend to skip past the "how do you do"s.
My anth class for the quarter was a seminar in biological anthropology, which has been a lot of work and a lot of fun. It's not my normal focus, but I wanted to get a bit deeper into it just on the off chance that someone wants me to teach an intro phsy anth lab at some point, and I think it is fair to say that I have a much more comprehensive view of human biology and evolution at this point. The class was run by Dr William Gilbert, a not-undistinguished researcher in that field, who is one of the excavators of the Homo erectus site at Hadar in Ethiopia. He organized the class around a massive collaborative project, experimentally organized through facebook (yes, facebook, which I left! had to create an account again to do the class, but their spammy attitudes toward my school e-mail have done nothing to woo me back). </div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
I'd say the experiment was reasonably successful, though. Sometime this weekend I'll be finishing the results: a comprehensive alpha taxonomy of the human race, from <i>A ramidus</i> onward. We tried to include more or less all of the species that have ever been named to our clade, which may be more than you are thinking; we had 46 designations to research at the start of the project, and the list more than doubled as we dug into to the publication history. Some are pretty obscure and no longer used- <i>Homo modjokertensis</i>? <i>Homo louisleakeyi</i>? Others are well-known but the subject of much popular debate; the status of Neanderthal Man, whether <i>Homo ergaster</i> should be used at all despite making it into all the textbooks. One thing the project has taught me is that very little is certainly agreed upon when it comes to human taxonomy. The only certain things in this field are the fossils themselves, the sites, and the general trajectory through time that they reveal. The second you try to assign a species name to something, confusion and debate and academic politics reign supreme. </div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cache2.artprintimages.com/lrg/26/2696/14SUD00Z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://cache2.artprintimages.com/lrg/26/2696/14SUD00Z.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
It's been fun though, and I now know a lot more about a previously neglected subfield in my discipline. The final paper has passed thirty pages, though luckily I did not have to write all of them myself. Still quite a ways from done, so good thing it's a rainy weekend. (It has not, indeed, <i>stopped</i> raining since Tuesday night).</div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
Okay, so if you made it this far through all the science talk, you may be wondering by this point: but what about the post title? What about the application? Alas, that is a reference to my <i>bad</i> news... The University of Arizona, Tucson, sent me a not-exactly politely worded form letter this week informing me in a thousand words or less that my application to the doctoral program has been turned down. Well, their loss, innit? I won't say I'm happy about it. In fact, I'm distinctly unhappy about it. But there's nothing for it except to move forward. That was the only school I applied to this year, but I've got some job applications out there and I'm considering applying for a seat at the University of Victoria in Wellington, which is looking for someone with experience in anthropology and political ecology. I'll keep you all apprised of further developments. Pending other diversions, we still plan to move to Tucson in June.
</div>Politessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17298237825414836825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-100197724145567128.post-1569467015007615182011-12-15T20:56:00.000-08:002011-12-15T21:01:42.262-08:00Application is in!I've submitted my application to begin a PhD program a the <a href="http://www.arizona.edu/">University of Arizona, Tucson</a>. Last minute, true to form, but it is all in, thank goodness. Now I can maybe enjoy Christmas even more properly! Looking forward to seeing everyone, both at Christmas and on my parent's customary whirlwind tour of Arizona in the days following. Is there a Bay Area resident on this blog who rather misses the snow? Yes, yes there is. Grand Canyon, here we come!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.arizona.edu/sites/arizona.edu/files/header/images/header_home_0.jpg?1245266169"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 610px; height: 145px;" src="http://www.arizona.edu/sites/arizona.edu/files/header/images/header_home_0.jpg?1245266169" border="0" alt="" /></a>Politessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17298237825414836825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-100197724145567128.post-57457952841964954822011-12-07T15:17:00.000-08:002011-12-07T15:29:44.638-08:00Merry Christmas everyone!Good cheer to you all! We are getting our holiday spirit going this week, as I try to wrap everything up with work and finals. We got a lovely Christmas tree for not too much money, and got it decorated and whatnot on one of my cramped Thursday afternoons, which always seem to be good days anyway. The cat is being pretty chill about the tree thing this year, though I did catch her imitating a present this morning:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1T-MK0l8gHvnYaZueSGTYP8rjj3uWDHMd8ql4I62E-GwTUC9wYcq2ecz-CXyz8pa7EN-WCL5zpi60vJMoL-tFpFcmIJ0yMbZe1u13zak6mfk4skqttFlM0NGZCNQdq9beK3XBjwd30an1/s1600/100_5462.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1T-MK0l8gHvnYaZueSGTYP8rjj3uWDHMd8ql4I62E-GwTUC9wYcq2ecz-CXyz8pa7EN-WCL5zpi60vJMoL-tFpFcmIJ0yMbZe1u13zak6mfk4skqttFlM0NGZCNQdq9beK3XBjwd30an1/s200/100_5462.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683532590894703538" /></a><br />(yes, that is totally the real reason for this update). Helped the folks decorate too, over the weekend, and we are starting to think about holiday plans. I for sure have the few days off, so I'm definitely looking forward to seeing everyone. The Bay Area is turning to a gorgeous late Fall, and the Treehouse always smells like pine and woodsmoke when I go out. The store and library are unspeakably busy and Kita is restless as always, but seemingly pleased (as am I!) that I will get to spend more time at home for a little while. Took (and aced) a final this morning, now only have one more assignment to finish this quarter. <br /><br />Well, and my PhD application....<br /><br />Good fortune everyone!Politessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17298237825414836825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-100197724145567128.post-1599289320380860852011-09-16T08:24:00.000-07:002011-09-16T08:30:15.930-07:00A paycheck!Haven't gotten one of those in a while! And bigger than the ones from the museum too.<br />Now we can buy groceries and other such luxuries. "I realize, of course, that it's no shame to be poor. But it's no great honor either!"<br /><br />It makes me think of all the people who are still months or years away from the same thing. Please say a prayer today for the many, many unemployed. I find the argument that people would choose unemployment voluntarily for the questionable privilege of a miniscule TANF check about as credible as the argument that gay people choose to be gay for the "popularity".Politessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17298237825414836825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-100197724145567128.post-12209368108925060842011-09-15T22:17:00.000-07:002011-09-15T22:17:00.871-07:00Birthday presentSooo...a present came for me in the mail recently. Well, maybe I should say a present for <i>Nikita</i>:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aN-fMLA1nsM/TnLZjcoAfoI/AAAAAAAAABU/ia25C5p6nYs/s1600/cat3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aN-fMLA1nsM/TnLZjcoAfoI/AAAAAAAAABU/ia25C5p6nYs/s320/cat3.JPG" width="255" /></a></div><br />
<br />
A kitty buggy! We were anxious to see how she'd respond to it, to which we got a cold stare from her new hiding place:<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NM4TWVMIf0o/TnLaCybEdnI/AAAAAAAAABY/-8-y0O54ibU/s1600/cat1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NM4TWVMIf0o/TnLaCybEdnI/AAAAAAAAABY/-8-y0O54ibU/s320/cat1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I don't know what she must have thought at first. But she came down eventually and sniffed at it. She was even willing to look inside and seemed receptive enough to try it out for a minute. Despite her initial protests she let me take a photo of her in it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KxF5JtF9W1c/TnLaGXeRZ9I/AAAAAAAAABc/IRfZ_BJZrSA/s1600/cat2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KxF5JtF9W1c/TnLaGXeRZ9I/AAAAAAAAABc/IRfZ_BJZrSA/s320/cat2.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<br />
We did manage to test it out and took her for a ride around the apartment (no pictures for that sadly). There was much yowling and a few odd glances from maintenance as we passed, but other than that she seemed...almost amenable to the idea of maybe being taken out this way. Figured it might be good on long car trips where she needs to come along, too.<br />
<br />
Anyway, somewhere along the ride she evacuated her bladder and I spent more time cleaning out the buggy then we did actually using it! I guess that'll show us!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-100197724145567128.post-11795703289578977622011-09-09T23:39:00.000-07:002011-09-10T00:08:24.239-07:00I have a new job!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://outoftheboxteaching.com/Forum/uploads/c70fa6b5445fa6aaf9cd2076e5176ed3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 288px;" src="http://outoftheboxteaching.com/Forum/uploads/c70fa6b5445fa6aaf9cd2076e5176ed3.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br />Selling periodic popcorn, not periodic cupcakes, at the local mall. Do I at least get extra credit for the fact that the store occupies a lot formerly <span style="font-style:italic;">owned</span> by a cupcake store? Like seriously. When I worked at <s>Purgatory</s> Petsmart, the most common customer question was "Where are your restrooms?". On my new job, it's "What happened to the cupcake store?" If they are male, they then attempt to explain small business economics to me, whihttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif<a href="http://www.garrettpopcorn.com/"></a>ch I guess is fine.! I think the new place has a pretty okay chance, though, if anything does. Everyone likes popcorn, yeah? People constantly mention as well, so I figure if they can make a cool fortune off gourmet popcorn, so can my employers. I hope so, anyway, since I only have a job if they do! <br /><br />They're pretty nice, the owners. It's a family business, so the owner and a lot of the employees are related. They are all white guys with wildly unruly Scottish hair and a comfortable amount put away for the winter, so I could easily pass for one of them. I like my new job. I've been meeting lots of people, standing out on the sidewalk handing out free samples. Customers of course, but also the other shopkeepers and employees, and the support staff for the mall. It's kind of fun to feel more a part of my community. As I wrote in my journal today, I think everyone in town is going to know about my new job pretty soon, since it isn't a <span style="font-style:italic;">huge</span> city and a new store at the mall is big news by local standards, shopping being a favorite pastime of most.<br /><br />But seriously, I'm really glad to be pulling in something again. Even if it is minimum wage for minimum hours, the few months without a salary were wearing on me, more than I liked to admit. I have no love for money, but I don't like being poor either, and I really do not like being a mooch or a drain on my family's finances. So to not only be employed but to be employed at doing something I find actually tolerable? Somewhere I don't have to check my soul in at the door, and my dignity at the cloakroom? Somewhere where I don't have to lie and <span style="font-style:italic;">lie</span> and <span style="font-style:italic;">LIE</span> to customers just to keep my job, and hurt dogs in the process?<br /><br />I'm really happy, and really relieved. The fact that I got hired to this job on labor day is worth it for the humor/irony value alone. Not gonna post the particulars on this blog, but if you know who I am anyway, drop by if you are ever at the mall. Zeo stopped by today and got the whole spiel; she got to try all the popcorn, and I got a good mood out of the deal. I'll admit though that after five hours of sample handing out today, I was a <span style="font-style:italic;">little</span> hot and tired. Where's that rainstorm they keep promising us?Politessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17298237825414836825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-100197724145567128.post-60967211251631770202011-08-30T23:59:00.000-07:002011-08-31T15:28:29.508-07:00BirthdayI am now 25. Yay! (Insert quarter life crisis here.)<br />
<br />
We started off looking for one of the many, many gourmet cupcake places around town I've been wanting to try. The cupcake I ended up getting was one I hadn't heard of before, fleur de sel, and it sounded good. It was, however, salted (I can't read french apparently) and was pretty weird, haha. Salted caramel filling with chocolate frosting topped with rock salt. Ummm...not what I would have gone for had I known better.<br />
<br />
After that we walked around town some more before going out to one of my favorite crystal stores. I got a piece of selenite and a garnet. It was fun, and we went for a nice drive through the hills to another local town we like to hang out at sometimes. Coming back into our town we ate at a very nice place that we've been wanting to try for awhile, and it was really awesome. Followed by gelato and then more walking around town.<br />
<br />
<br />
It was a great birthday. I am very excited to try out the lovely things I got as well. :)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-100197724145567128.post-85347812949462028172011-07-29T11:31:00.000-07:002011-07-29T12:07:47.968-07:00Notes on our tripWe had such a fun time! Many thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for letting us stay at their house, as well as to everyone who helped keep us fed and fueled along the way. It was great to see everyone, including some faces we didn't know ahead of time we'd be seeing. We had a great time in Westwood and Santa Monica with my sister and a friend of Zeo's, but decided we're happier living where we are than in a Beverly Hills mansion- there's such a thing as <span style="font-style:italic;">too </span>posh. Arizona was just wonderful. Our poor air conditioner might disagree, but for the most part the weather was actually pretty decent. There were dozens of dust devils to watch as we drove, and we were treated to a small monsoon upon arriving in Tucson. I think we had both been missing the sight of a desert storm something awful, and we definitely got what we were looking for. Our visits with the Tucson contingent were also a lot of fun. I have a pretty cool father-in-law. If you're ever in town and looking for a good biker bar, I can do no better than to recommend the <a href="http://www.insiderpages.com/b/15237902826/bashful-bandit-tucson">Bashful Bandit</a> on Speedway and Alvernon. Sunday is karaoke night, and if you bring an extra bra to donate to the ceiling, they might even give you a free can of Coors. Another, perhaps more relevant recommendation for you rockhounds out there, is <a href="http://www.city-data.com/businesses/168808780-dah-rock-shop-tucson-az.html">Dah Rock Shop</a> on Dodge Blvd near River Road. They have a huge collection of rocks and beads, worthy of the town that hosts the biggest rock & mineral show in the country. I got a handsome angular piece of calcite for the car, and Zeo picked up a huge tektite tendril for a very decent price. We met up with my folks on the way back into the Bay, and I have a new computer now, which is also fantastic, I'm having a great deal of fun with it.<br /><br />Our thoughts and prayers are with various people, as applies: Grandpa Jim, who got stuck in the hospital; my cousin, who'll be starting college pretty soon; everyone else who is still out on the road. Cheers, and enjoy what remains of the summer!Politessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17298237825414836825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-100197724145567128.post-10464195295793367682011-07-28T10:32:00.000-07:002011-07-28T10:32:20.177-07:00Trip to the SouthwestOriginally we were just going to go down to southern California for a day or so to visit a friend of mine who was in town, but when we got down there, we decided to take a side trip to Tucson for a day or so. <br />
<br />
Spent a lot of time there with my dad and it was awesome. We got some beautiful crystals (prehnite, tektite, peridot, and clear calcite) and I got a few new skirts, a backpack, and a CD/bookcase. It was hard to leave the area and we hope it won't be so long before we're back out there!<br />
<br />
Anyway, we're home now and Politesse is setting up his new computer he received from a class action lawsuit to replace his old crappy laptops. Yay! Nikita is very happy we are home and is crawling all over us.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-100197724145567128.post-85356186335230630502011-07-20T13:19:00.000-07:002011-07-20T13:23:12.676-07:00Thoughts on Google PlusI should start off by saying that I am not a user of Google Plus and only heard of it recently when Politesse said he got an invite and thought he'd check it out. As you know, we initially left Facebook for a number of reasons: the top ones being privacy concerns, callous business practices, and the fact that in the end, it took a lot of time without adding any real depth or value to our relationships with people. That said, would a replacement Facebook be better? I'm not a marketing or trend analyst or anything, but I wanted to share a few thoughts about this new service that could actually offer a real threat to the current empire of social networking.<br />
<br />
Part of the problem of THE social networking site (SNS) is that, as it is the only one of its kind, it sets the rules on what we can and can't experience. And that's just it, there has to be only one for this format to really work. The whole idea is that ALL your friends are using the same service; otherwise everyone will all be spread out and no one will really be connecting with each other in a vast sense (as Facebook et al. caters to being connected to friends by simply knowing them and not through shared limited interests as other sites may be). So in order for G+ to really work, it has to BE the next Facebook, it has to dominate it and replace it. <br />
<br />
I'd rather see a <i>new</i> social networking model than a repeated Facebook model, and it seems as though things could possibly go in that direction with what G+ is promising. I am a huge internet user; I spend hours a day online doing all sorts of various things (networking over shared interests, for instance) but I am not comfortable sharing one identity across the board. I am also not comfortable with people in real life that I do not want contact with tracking me down and then associating me with things I'd rather them not know. So right off the bat the standard SNS model does not appeal to me. I'd be more interested in checking it out if it were something a little more flexible. When Facebook was created it was intended to be a networking site for just one college, and then for colleges in general, so the whole "real face real name" thing made sense as that was who you were trying to connect to. A lot of people know me as having XYZ interest, but an old college acquaintance is not going to know anything about me but the name my professor called out during roll. But that's not who I am online, so social networking sites that work by getting me to offer sensitive, personal information in the interest of connecting to bosses and professors is mostly irrelevant to me. What it really comes down to is this: because I am a part of so many separate interest communities online, will the social networking sites of the future offer something to me? Or will they force me to just choose one identity and forge my relationships around that?<br />
<br />
And what about the other concerns? Google Plus starts off by creating a SNS that essentially caters to user complaints about Facebook, meaning that some of the issues we all know and hate are improved in G+. That sounds great, but would it be likely to last? I don't think so. If G+ dies in obscurity just like other attempts have, Facebook will still be the one setting the rules and they have already made clear these issues are not issues to them. If G+ does manage to take over, that means they will be setting all the rules. What rules will they set? Will they value user concerns, like privacy and convenience? Or will they value the bottom line at all costs, until some other company comes along and tries to do the exact same thing? Again, I have stated that I do not care for the standard model already available, and copying Facebook means copying that model. I’d hope to see it improved somehow, but it is unlikely to improve in any way that would interest me. Sure, you can group your friends easier and control who sees what content better. Sure, everything is streamlined and you can see your soccer buddies right along with your drinking buddies. Sure, you can keep tabs on all your forums at once. But doing so still requires me to give up exactly what I gained by leaving Facebook.<br />
<br />
Again, this is all speculation. I really don't know where things will end up. But at the moment, I have no plans to join Google Plus as it stands, unless as one article suggested Blogger gets cut off and integrated with it, forcing me to use it anyway. And the irony of using a Google service to blog about another Google service unfavorably is not lost on me. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-100197724145567128.post-60624963708383899872011-07-12T16:39:00.000-07:002011-07-12T16:41:44.517-07:00Crocheted Meatwad Hat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TtLXYHnw25c/ThzYh7qX6bI/AAAAAAAAABQ/WfTEIfNE2Fw/s1600/meatwad.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TtLXYHnw25c/ThzYh7qX6bI/AAAAAAAAABQ/WfTEIfNE2Fw/s320/meatwad.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Finished Meatwad hat! (From Aqua Teen Hunger Force)<br />
<br />
The picture quality is low (taken with my ipod) but: I crocheted the hat and sewed the felt eyes and mouth on. The white parts are embroidery over felt and the spots around him were made with cream colored embroidery floss. I love how it turned out!<br />
<br />
I've also been learning to sew on a sewing machine and considering that I have never used one in my life, it is going pretty well! I also *gasp* bought an iron to smooth out my materials, and.... <br />
<br />
many more crafts to come, I hope!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-100197724145567128.post-334417033864295612011-07-04T17:12:00.000-07:002011-07-04T17:12:48.756-07:00Happy 4th of JulyHope it's fun for everyone!<br />
<br />
Politesse and I had pancakes at IHOP, and then went to one of the neighboring towns to see their events. I bought a book I was really excited to see at our beloved used book store, and then we went out to Berkeley to see if they had set up for their event yet. They were packed with tents and vendors and we had a lot of fun walking around the marina. We decided not to stay until the fireworks show at 9pm, though, and chose instead to get a few nice things to make for dinner. After that we will have some good wine and probably play Monopoly to celebrate our country's leading principle, domination through capitalism!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-100197724145567128.post-80147291408869219362011-07-03T21:56:00.000-07:002011-07-03T21:56:15.442-07:00Blueberry pie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZE7yWeUP81s/ThFHFtGCfuI/AAAAAAAAABI/8BU7D1AZm2M/s1600/pie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZE7yWeUP81s/ThFHFtGCfuI/AAAAAAAAABI/8BU7D1AZm2M/s320/pie.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div><br />
<br />
Pie!<br />
<br />
I don't like eating pie but have started a tradition to make a blueberry pie every year when the blueberries are cheap and widely available (they weren't so at the particular store I went to, for some reason, so I had to make due with what little they had).<br />
<br />
So here it was when it came out of the oven. I even had some and it was pretty good and well received. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-100197724145567128.post-90103939364744698942011-06-28T13:15:00.000-07:002011-06-28T13:19:15.076-07:00Rain!What an implausible summer we're having! First a rainstorm, than triple digit heat, and now I wake up and find it raining again. It's beautiful, though. It's been keeping up all morning, and there was a peal of thunder just now. Kita does not approve. We're even starting to get our "moat", the persistent puddle that forms at the base of our stairway making it inconvenient to get to our car. We were thinking of going out on a breakfast date, too, but that got canceled, so instead we're staying in, and talking to friends on the internet, and so far it is a pretty nice rainy day.Politessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17298237825414836825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-100197724145567128.post-82706592023388585052011-06-21T12:19:00.001-07:002011-06-21T12:41:15.422-07:00Back to School!After a <span style="font-style:italic;">rather</span> short break, my summer quarter classes begin this week. I'm just taking two classes; one is an elective, a literature course on minority ethnic writers. The other will be a sociology course, the first I've ever taken in that discipline, on the causes of social inequality. So, a summer filled with a lot of reading and socioeconomic injustice. I'm looking forward to it! And since the one class is online and the other meets at the satellite campus nearer to my house, I won't have to be commuting nearly as much for the next few months. It's looking like a golden summer, and the first summer I've ever spent the majority of somewhere other than my hometown. It's good to be here, and good to be busy. As I commented to Zeo earlier, I really am happiest when I am in a class or two; undirected relaxation just makes me listless.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.aboutromania.com/WalnutCreek.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 265px;" src="http://www.aboutromania.com/WalnutCreek.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Meanwhile, still trying to make things happen on my thesis. I have a professor who has expressed willingness to consider my topic, but we've had trouble actually getting the ball rolling, which concerns me a bit since I'm still hoping to graduate next Spring, but also really want to go for the thesis option if I can. If I cannot, there is plenty of time to throw the comprehensive exam side of things together if necessary, so I'm not concerned about that. I'm more worried that the thesis topic will be approved, but not in time to graduate on schedule. In debt up to my ears, and looking to sign on for several years of a PhD program, that would not be an optimal situation.<br /><br />But hopefully all that will work out. Meanwhile, I've been plunging into the primary research, and boy is it fun! Stumbled across the <a href="http://www.sssrweb.org/">Society for the Scientific Study of Religion</a>, which has a mostly sociological focus but is topically right up my alley and publishes what looks like a fantastic academic journal. They were offering a two-year student membership for less than thirty dollars, so I signed up. Would not mind going to their annual conference in October, and it would be a good way to network with some of the people I might need to know to make the PhD thing fly, but I'm not seeing a trip to Milwaukee in my future. Old story!<br /><br />That's all for today! Happy Midsummer everyone!Politessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17298237825414836825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-100197724145567128.post-29553268283761880222011-06-20T13:17:00.000-07:002011-06-20T13:17:51.846-07:00Crochet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p4aUjd704dA/Tf-n8wUolGI/AAAAAAAAAA4/xPhKUkOncLg/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p4aUjd704dA/Tf-n8wUolGI/AAAAAAAAAA4/xPhKUkOncLg/s320/photo.JPG" width="263" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(Sorry for the meh quality)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've been getting really big into crochet. It was something I've always wanted to learn how to do since I love colors and I love afghans. Well, I finally sat down and learned the basics, and now I'm going kind of crazy with it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I made this lovely scarf which most of you have seen by now. I made Politesse a matching scarf and hat (pictures coming soon!). I've been making loads of bags and little things as well. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I love doing it because the activity itself is gratifying, and when you are done you have something you can use! Everything a Virgo likes. :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'll keep you posted on further projects, and if you'd like a scarf or something made let me know!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-100197724145567128.post-56588175294664504322011-06-18T22:33:00.001-07:002011-06-18T22:45:15.119-07:00Food!I love to cook, and so does Zeo, though she didn't realize it yet when we first got married; it takes having someone to cook <span style="font-style:italic;">for</span> to really make cooking fun. These days, we split the kitchen duties about evenly, which works out really well! And we're eating well, even through the recession. There's always enough for the things you really want. Especially if the things you want are really want are mushrooms and weird new animal species, and you're lucky enough to live in a town with cheap Asian supermarkets.<br /><br />I'll cook with or without a recipe, and I'm not sure which I enjoy more. I love to try a new dish, especially one with a fancy pedigree and a back story. But I like making things up, too. We're near the end of our fresh vegetable cycle, so dinner tonight was more on the improvisational side. I started by sauteing oil, chopped onions and garlic, which became the base for a soup. Cubed daikon root and chicken bouillon followed, then a cup of button mushrooms. Finally, <span style="font-style:italic;">duo yuo lang</span> noodles to bulk it up a bit. Pretty simple set-up, but for a experiment with limited materials, it came out really good! Wasn't sure whether to eat it with a fork or a spoon, and settled on both. But it tasted fine.Politessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17298237825414836825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-100197724145567128.post-91565116722762247002011-06-18T21:22:00.000-07:002011-06-18T21:22:51.186-07:00Hello from ZeoPolitesse and I have discussed this quite a bit and decided that leaving facebook is for the best, though we have to admit we were hesitant to leave a number of people we only have contact with through there. Truthfully, I am a reserved person and facebook's ethos never suited me. I've loved the chance to find old friends and hope they will continue to keep in touch, though, so welcome to our family blog!<br />
<br />
The focus of this blog is to keep our family, friends, and those who are interested connected to our life in our small tree house in the bay area. We have our cat who we will be posting loads of pictures of, our crafts and various artistic works, our projects, jobs, studies, and so on to talk about. We have more mundane things to share, like awesome dinners and hikes and trips. We both like photography (although Politesse is actually good at it!) so there will be loads of photos.<br />
<br />
In the interest of keeping this blog accessible to all, we will not be using a lot of personally identifying information as it is technically public. If you know us, though, this should be no problem since you already know these things. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-100197724145567128.post-63209718462881811612011-06-18T20:33:00.000-07:002011-06-18T20:54:40.787-07:00Quitting FacebookI've decided I'm going to close out my Facebook account, due to the company's ongoing culture war against privacy. If you've been watching the news, you've probably noticed the trend; Facebook seems to be determined to destroy the concept of privacy in America, something Zuckerberg (the CEO) is apparently unashamed of. He seems to think he has the right to invade anyone's privacy just because they dare to want the service he provides. Well, I'm not happy about that, and I think it's time to stop giving Facebook that tacit permission, even if it turns out to be a futile gesture in the broader scope of the decision they are pushing us to make as a culture.<br /><br />I'm not happy about possibly losing contact with some people there, but I'm even more unhappy about being asked to willingly sign on to the sale and distribution of my personal information, and if Facebook continues as it has been doing, there's not amount of "opting out" that will prevent that from happening. Not even leaving the site, of course, but hopefully it will at least stem the tide a little, and I can sleep easier knowing I'm not actively contributing.<br /><br />And really... though I hate to admit it... is someone who is only a friend through a click of a button really that close of a friend? But I will miss the folks who regularly posted on my Wall and whatnot. Sorry guys! Nevertheless, I feel this decision was overdue. Maybe its an echo of our primeval Pongidian past rooted in a corner of my psyche, or perhaps just my oft-neglected Scorpio side, but when someone tells me "Submit to my uncontested dominance or I'll stop giving you x", my natural inclination is to toss x out the window, and walk away.Politessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17298237825414836825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-100197724145567128.post-43947589648659075112011-06-18T20:28:00.001-07:002011-06-18T21:55:02.223-07:00Intro<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu0fdJk8NloA8qA1LnTD8tsSTBZ3V2q4Xb6MA8uaGobFKxr3-LRj1nXWxbNzgbNAjw4xL1DWMj3o9awC2oMAld-iYFhvRQralq3NKGyJoxpi1APr26cAK5701P0U38T5Juu4omDroDQPtd/s1600/100_5246.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu0fdJk8NloA8qA1LnTD8tsSTBZ3V2q4Xb6MA8uaGobFKxr3-LRj1nXWxbNzgbNAjw4xL1DWMj3o9awC2oMAld-iYFhvRQralq3NKGyJoxpi1APr26cAK5701P0U38T5Juu4omDroDQPtd/s200/100_5246.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5619789348833938066" /></a><br />Hello, I started this blog basically as a replacement for Facebook, which I just quit with fervor. Zeo caught on to what I was doing and we decided to make it kind of a family affair, which I am a lot more excited about than I was about the original idea. I'm envisioning occasional posts updating whoever happens to be interested on what's going on in our life, perhaps with occasional essays/rants on things that are on my mind. You know, like a blog. With pictures. Of Nikita. Who is precious.Politessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17298237825414836825noreply@blogger.com0