Pictures speak for me

K, I haven't updated PHOTOGS in a while, and it's not because nothing has happened in the past month, thankfully. So while finishing off the last half of a Green and Black's Maya Gold chocolate bar, I finally did it today. Stuff's bound to happen in between the times you study, right? [Albums 17 - 22] Today I officially babysat for the first time and also changed a diaper for the first time. It was poopy. [22] Also, today was also the first time I got sick of Texas heat and then vowed to live elsewhere after I grew up. All I did was walk my laundry to and fro the coin-op and the clothes off my back were wet like I had been plowing a plot of land. Can't take it no more. In the words of roommate Mary, "I'm tired of sweating!"

ACL wasn't all that neat to me. They say that if you work for something, you will value it more. Well I worked for it: buying the ticket, sweating profusely, wondering whether or not to pass out, sunburned shoulders, dirty lungs filled with dust and smoke, lugging a gallon of water, smashing myself in between hot bodies, waiting.. Roommate KK suffered more than I, as she was not familiar with most of the songs of the bands we decided to see (I think Tortoise's discordant noise finally did it for her. We left then, 15 min before Coldplay came on. Come on, light show.). Perhaps I have outgrown abusing my body in the name of live music, and looking back, I would have enjoyed a nice day hike more. [21]

Have also been Rasterbating a few images, and a poster made of 8 sheets of computer paper of the Sufjan "NY Shitty" photo is currently hanging up in our living room. Now I can put stuff on my walls!

Devendra Banhart makes good music for studying. I like how he sings in Spanish sometimes. You can stream his album here, it's the one I've been listening to (click on Luisterpaal and scroll down). And I mean, is he really living in 2005? Just look at the man.

Help Animals!

Hey, I'm not really known for animal advocacy, but this is just too easy and free to pass up. Click on the button and it will help a shelter feed its starving animals.

Good deed for the day (you can do it every day!)

Now this is my kind of shirt.
Detail:

Illusions of Opportunity

Went recreational biking today, this time East of 35 and then North of where I live. Neat little neighborhoods all around! I am going to start mentoring at an elementary school on East Cesar Chavez and it makes me want to get the know the "Eastside" better; I tended to avoid it for the most part (especially for living) these past two years- directionism? I found the elusive 2nd Quack's Bakery, rode on the dangerously car-ridden Airport Blvd., and cycled around the entire IM fields at least twice looking for my friend's ultimate frisbee game. Then I chomped on some of the awesome cranberry/almond/walnut granola I made last night, and some of Mary's equally excellent vegan chocolate chip cookies, looked up scholarships, volunteered for an hour selling Cielo water bottles for hurricane relief to people going to the game (surprising enough, the "scalpers" donated significantly, probably because they were so hot standing out there in the heat and yelling tickets at cars and passerbys. They were pretty amiable as well.), watched three straight episodes of "Freaks and Geeks." Then the ears drank in some Feist ("Inside and Out"!!), the Lucksmiths, and now the Iron and Wine/ Calexico collaboration album (it's ok). They are coming at the end of October to Austin, perhaps I will go. And I think I want to get the latest Gorillaz album to rock future parties/empty house evenings. (I know, I'm way behind.) It's totally conducive to another set of late night workout roommate dance session videos, costumes and all. So this was my Saturday; fun to do, nothing much to type a story about.

One thing though, my computer keeps freezing like once a day, and I'm not sure what to blame: iTunes 5, Tiger, or updates on Real Player, Adobe Acrobat, and Norton Antivirus. Is it possible to un-update an application? Getting bit all over in this house. The feverish feeling in your affected areas are like no other- you feel like hot poison. At least it makes me remember that I have a body to take care of, I guess.

Shoe alert!
Merrell Ewetopia Cinch
Man, tell me this isn't sweet looking. The main thing preventing me from owning these someday is that the complete inner shoe is lined with fleece. Eech, that sort of thing is only good for sweaty feet.

The shoes in European line all have neat artsy soles as well.


OK, the motivational phrase "you can do anything you set your mind to" is simply not true. That bothers me that it is still being preached, even in '99! ("F&G" episode #6) The poor people who hang everything on it.

I'm pretty bad how I don't question what is being presented to me. I don't think critically or even bother to doubt new information, rather I drink it all in. This was once again reinstated in my class, "Sociocultural Influences on Learning," where I thought the book we had just finished about social class affecting family life and success in varying ways was great; everyone else attacked its weaknesses through very narrowed eyes. Gee. It's probably not a very good skill for a learner to be lacking in. Just don't let me write any books, and I think it'll be OK.

Spoon song of the month, I have to say. "Everything Hits At Once (For Discos)."

Roommate Mary's sister is here this weekend, this evening she started watching "Saved,"and when that finished, she immediately popped in the 3-hour long "Pride & Prejudice." Wow.

Got new shoes, material/sneaker girl that I am. Because the deal was too hard to resist.


The fact that there is only Urban Outfitters to be found nationwide as the decidedly hip/alternative/bohemian/streety/non-Gap-style/whatever chain clothing store kills most of its cred, in my opinion. I guess NY has H&M and whatnot, but isn't the real point of fashion elitism, and elitism to be exclusionary? Not to be a terrible prick, but can the store maintain its appeal even after legions of sorority girls and self-proclaimed high school preppies are replacing large parts of their wardrobes with Urban apparel? I'd like to hear more about it, the trickling down of "higher" fashion to the masses and what it does to the industry. And, another question we all have asked, what humans actually buy and wear the fantastical and non-functional clothes donned by models parading around in high fashion shows?

Time to hit the books once again, later, since this time I didn't really mean to write an entry. My roommate probably thinks I'm crazy that I've been on the computer for so long, and on a Saturday night for crying out loud.


Currently Listening:
Demon Days
Gorillaz
"Feel Good Inc."

Blackberry Pancakes

I've been mulling over the hurricane and its effects over the past few days and all that is too much for my mind to handle. We can bicker and argue about the details, but in reality those displaced people still need lots of aid and help. They're going to be rebuilding their lives from scratch, for crying out loud. My ALD professor last night spend half the class talking about his experiences volunteering 12 hours straight for the past week at the convention center. Near the beginning, when he was talking about the setup, like cots everywhere, shower centers, piles of sorted foods, database entry and "Bourbon Street" (the part of the building where there's always live music playing), I was getting pretty pumped up about getting involved in this process. But then after hearing about all the unecessary top-level bureaucracy, racial tensions, lack of organization, wondering about their future, and simply just thinking about all those people having to start anew a life and the trauma of losing loved ones just like that- I, a selfish being, didn't want to have to deal with all that heaviness. Wtf? I want to just have to focus on finishing today's readings, decide whether or not I'm going to buy deck shoes, plan a dinner with a friend and go bike riding this weekend. But if everyone turned a blind eye, how heartless would that be. I've already donated a bit, but I'm definitely going to continue to keep the whole situation in my thoughts and keep my eyes open for more opportunities to help.

Like this! This is pretty good, ya'll, buy a shirt printed on American Apparel (that means it's good, folks) for $10 and the company will donate $10 to Red Cross. It's like getting a free shirt for donating to a great cause. Check it out. P.S. Sizes run small.

Even though iPod came out with the Nano recently and it really is slick, I don't particularly want one anymore. I actually have been listening to very little music since our house still doesn't have (wireless) internet and I normally play iTunes while dawdling online; and it's been really good. Less distraction. My life doesn't need a soundtrack. I could do without music, really, there's just so much else to focus on, stuff that matters. And what is the worth is knowing a lot about music? It's relatively worthless, compared to other subject matters, unless that's how you connect with others or maybe it's your career. But I think it'd be fun to go to a Mars Volta concert (for its intensity level) and the Iron & Wine/Calexico show in October, for kicks only.

Events: On Monday night, roommate Mary is having a veggie burger cookout in our trashed up backyard, so anyone who reads this is invited. And I'm planning on going on a leisurely Commuting/Grocery stop bike ride Sunday morning with the recreational cycling club, ACA. That should be good. OK, I also hope to learn how to use Photoshop sometime.. sounds hard. And I am looking for a charity bike ride to go on for my KIN class. Seems like you can't do too much long distance/scenic riding without a road bike. :( Happy Friday!

Half The Weekend

.. is almost over. Way to ease us into school with a 3-day, a 4-day and then a 5-day week, UT. I like that. Ooh, I'm tired! Today at 8:45 I went on a exploration bike ride with Rachel Self (my neighbor across the street) and her friend Emily. Being the novices that we are, we rode a bit aimlessly around Hyde Park for a while and then decided to go to Barton Springs. A bit offroad, a bit sidewalk and a lot of street. It was a gorg day outside and many many people were taking advantage of the Hike and Bike trail around Town Lake, which I have yet to explore. I really want to go on the Greenbelt sometime with someone more experienced. (Actually a guy who works at the next mentioned bike shop said he'd be willing to take me around town and get acquainted with all the routes, cause I had expressed a desire to do so. Hm, still trying to figure out if the offer comes with strings attached.. Oh yeah, and I'd like to do some sort of a ride this semester and it will count for credit for a health project in my KIN class.) After asking a runner for directions, riding around Zilker, gazing jealously at the swimmers at Barton, and going to the nearby Bike Shop for a quick adjustment, we started to head back and stopped at the Tea Embassy on Rio Grande on the way back. It's in a cute house with cases of fine tea and really classy rooms suitable for real tea parties. I purchased 2 oz. of Almond Cookie Green Tea and chatted with the lady behind the counter about how to prepare certain types. She probably thought I looked pretty ridic all sweaty with helmet hair and heat radiating from my body talking about tea distinctions. Other places to visit: the really delish snocone place on 51st and Duval, cute little juice bar on Barton Springs Road, and the 100 year old grocery/sandwich shop on Avenue B.

At the house I showered my sticky boddess and then took on the challenge of moving our roommate's heavy-duty foosball table upstairs with Kristi. It was pretty killer, with only two people doing it, and we ended up having to take off all the legs and dragging the top upstairs. We'll see what Mary thinks about that. Last night the girls and I viewed The Big Lebowski, funny stuff. Walter: "Shut the f*ck up, Donny!!" and "I'm calmer than you, I'm calmer than you.."

Come visit my house if you are in the area. It looks great and things are now starting to get fixed, i.e. dishwasher, blinds getting put up, smoke detectors installed. We really thought that they would never put the latter up, until maybe the house burned down or something. Anyway, the lesson is to be assertive towards your landlords because you are paying them lots of cash. Mm, ok nothing else exciting really. I'd better get crankin' on the schoolwork and give my body a rest.