Ask FYN: Volume One
I was just reminded about my Formspring account.
Click on ASK FYN to see what I mean.
Today I logged in and there are a few unanswered questions. Here goes, in no particular order. Identifying details might have been asterisked.
I am a professor at a University north of ***** and would like to include your “about” text and a link to your blog in a program for a theatrical program in my department. What cha think?
Sure! I’m all for theatrics, er, theatrical departments. Thanks for the question, that one was a surprise!
Why me?
Why not? You’re here, aren’t you? By that, I mean, regardless of whatever you believe about one’s existence on whatever plane, no matter what your religion, lack thereof, particular belief system, etc., you’re here on this planet with the rest of us. For better and worse. Let’s make the most of it. Some of us might be better suited to making the “least” of it, but I don’t beat myself up about that.
Take a sphere and shrink it to such a degree that finally the sphere has no exterior at all. Now, turn it inside-out. What does that look like to you?
Even though math was never my highest graded subject, I did make it to a little bit of geometry. If I go back to school, math is going to be the first subject that I return to.
To answer your question immediately, the result, in my humble opinion, looks like a cross between a pinwheel and at least several logos of some corporations.
Since I do my best to be as informed as possible, I’ll tell you that I was one of those nerdy bordering on know-it-all kids that carried a dictionary around to look up meanings and spellings of words that I didn’t understand. Of course, I’m going to utilize the resources at my clicking disposal right now.
I believe that what my asker is asking refers to Smale’s paradox.
Here’s a video called ‘Outside In’ and I’m watching it again now. Where was THIS when I was in high school? I feel robbed!
Ch-ch-ch-Changes
Time may change me, I can’t change time.
Happy birthdays, Melanie and Heather. You share this day with Andy Roddick, Cameron Diaz, Frederique, Peggy Lipton, Warren Buffett, and John Peel!
We were so young. Circa 1994 in Los Angeles, Magic Wednesdays.
Fleas suck. Literally and figuratively. They’re awful creatures. Penny, Roxy, Jack and I have been battling them for quite some time. The drastic heat a few weeks ago made it nearly impossible to keep up with them. Dirty rotten scoundrels.
Did you know that they’ve been around for millions of years and can jump as high as four feet? Gross. A female flea can lay 2,000 eggs in her lifetime and also live 100 (!) days without a meal. Really gross.
I’m MOVING. Yes, it’s true. Bye-bye SE, hello NE. I did it mainly for my kitties, even though they haven’t been good at paying rent for quite some time.
I love to hoop!
The above video was taken in front of Mobile ‘Etta, a mobile version of Violetta PDX.
A friend works there. The food is delicious and made with sustainable and organic ingredients whenever possible. I’m not being paid nor coerced for my endorsement. This place will definitely give Foster Burger a run for its money and doesn’t have the weird and limited hours of FB.
Shame on you, Amtrak and Chase. I’ve been out of love with you for some time, Chase, but Amtrak, I’m surprised. The jist of this tale is that I booked my ticket online, to Seattle for this coming weekend, having done so many, MANY times without a glitch.
According to Amtrak, Chase has my funds “on hold”. Chase says that it’s a “pending” charge and that Amtrak needs to call them to release it. Amtrak says that they won’t do so and that the “authorization” should fall off within 24 hours. This hasn’t happened yet and I am dissatisfied to say the least. Chase says that Amtrak needs to call them. Amtrak says that they won’t do so and that I need to take it up with Chase. Rinse, lather, repeat.
Meanwhile, I do not have those held funds and I have no reservation. Ok, fellas. I will vote with my dollars and not patronize your businesses. I’m not “going Greyhound”, either. Booo.
Speaking of, it’s so last minute, but if anyone is looking to carpool on Friday AM to Seattle, let me know asap. I’ve got a CraigsList ad up, but no responses yet. Don’t be a psycho, and I won’t be one, either.
Tony will be working the Starcraft Board Demo at PAX on Friday.
It’s SO on now.
And what have *you* been up to lately?
Shine on,
Lisa
Summer in Portland 2010
I have been taking a lot of pictures here and there. This entry seems very dog themed, you’ll see why.
This summer in Portland has featured blistering and humid heat, rain, and of course, overcast skies. I do my best to try and capture moments that will be gone very fast, whether it’s a person or a pet, an art exhibit that won’t be seen again, the moment before a blind drops in front of a window. Maybe it’s my own way of forcing subtext into the visual somehow.
Here are some recent pics of what I’ve seen and how others have seen me. How I’ve seen myself in one instance.
This was taken on Hawthorne in front of the Fred Meyer at the corner of 39th Ave. I’ll let Monique weigh in on this picture:
Face-down on the sidewalk, still passed out from the night before. Cracks in the sidewalk are the first thing she sees as she wakes, in a puddle of drool. Clumsily, she backs into the pole behind her, which she only now becomes aware of. The feeling that she has been discarded overwhelms her, as she tries to recall how she got here.
If pets could talk, I wonder what this cutie would say. His owner was panhandling on the sidewalk and this dog seemed to be pretty happy and well taken care of. I’m unsure about how I feel with the homeless owning pets.
A ridiculous window display at one of the wanna-be hoity toity bland stores. I don’t think it was Banana Republic, but I could be wrong. I admit that I do have some black sweaters from Banana, but they were acquired for a pittance while thrifting.
A moment with a blind man and woman and their seeing eye dog. What a beautiful German Shepherd. Even though we were at a distance, I was acutely aware of the dog studying my every moment.
This is the mascot for G & H Cycles, easily Portland’s 11th best motorcycle shop. Hey, their words, not mine!
A very busy day, except no one was on the escalators that moment, which was peculiar.
Jack, my Russian blue, enjoying the fineries of Alpine Stars. Stuff on my cat candidate for sure.
I should really get stock in Wyder’s Pear Cider.
A unique glass sculpture, complete with lights, spanning nearly 6 floors. The Nines hotel in downtown Portland is something else.
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?
I’m in the midst of a unique situation that’s going to cost a lot of money and I know that everyone is tired of hearing me discuss it, so I’ll wait until all is resolved before mentioning it here. Lest I be too cryptic, it’s going to involve moving. Us vs. THEM. They live. In abundance.
Many of my days in the future will be taken up with talking to myself and PowerPoint. Ooh la la.
Shine on,
Lisa
Ignite Seattle
I’m updating this from my iPhone. Wheeeeeeee!
Ok, Lisa. Now you’ve gotten yourself into a fine mess.
You submitted what you thought might be a good idea for an Ignite talk, for the Seattle branch, where you used to live. Weeks went by and you didn’t think anything of it.
Yesterday, you receive the following email:
Howdy!
Thank-you for submitting a talk to Ignite Seattle 11. If you are still interested in speaking we would love to have you on stage. Please confirm your participation by August 23rd.
As a reminder, the event is the evening of 9/14 at the King Cat Theatre. We’ll send out more speaking details soon, but the general speaker info page is here – (web address)
Cheers,
(Ignite Seattle organizer)
Quick, choose your own adventure.
Do you:
- a) freak out
b) freak out and decline the invitation
c) freak out and rise to the challenge
d) freak out and do lots and lots of preparation for Sept. 14th?
So far I’m going with c) and d), since that means twice the freak out and the chance to do something awesome.
Seriously, though, my life just gets even more interesting! The topic started out as an abstract idea, but here’s a hint. It’s related to this site.
There’s going to be a lot of travel in the horizon and I’ll be in Seattle a few times next month. Funny how things work out.
Have a great weekend.
Shine on,
Lisa
Wanderlust
Where do I start with this one? I was not very eloquent last week.
“If you don’t have anything nice to say…”
Although I am getting acclimated to Portland now, I’m realizing a few things. One is that I’m not getting any younger. Two, I don’t ever feel completely settled anywhere.
Maybe it’s time for some personal stories about where I’ve lived.
How about the years during childhood and puberty?
I grew up in L.A. during the 1980′s. Some say that it was a more adventurous existence than most. My dad owned a shop on Melrose Avenue. We were east of La Brea, not quite near Heaven, Flip, Cowboys and Poodles, and the other stores that were further west near one of my old alma maters, Fairfax High School.
I met all manner of musicians, actors, creative types, neighbors and the like. This time really shaped me in a positive way but unfortunately, due to my mother’s passing, I had to leave Hollywood for Culver City when I was 11.
From the pulse of the City of Angels to a veritable suburb! In so many ways, I felt stunted. The middle school and high school cliques back in the day are alive and well. Thank you for reminding me, Facebook. A link of a link from a friend’s profile tells me all that I need to know.
The social roles at the first high school I attended were already established before I moved to their town. You know what? Even though it feels as if I swam upstream the entire time, I do believe that I am now a better person for it! I was a late bloomer and it’s weird to see how *ahem* different they look today.
Yes, that’s a picture that I’m in. Some of you weren’t even born yet! I was on the tennis team and eventually achieved “number one” in Varsity doubles. I never ranked as a singlet, though. It’s so weird to look at that picture as I don’t have very many of me from that time, although I do know that some old school chums are holding out on me. Hehe.
WEAR YOUR SUNBLOCK AND RETAINER is the moral of the story with THAT pic. I blurred out the name that they called me on the team. Another girl had my chosen name and when they made those t-shirts with the puffy paint, they christened me with another moniker. I really do suspect now that I lost some matches because I wouldn’t and couldn’t respond to what they called me.
As for an arch nemesis, no one is to be found on Facebook, yet I did learn of the untimely death of a girl in my class. She was in the popular group, and yet actually inspired me to be the best version of myself. R., you won’t be forgotten. I still remember and appreciate you taking the time out at the confusing “Leadership Camp” to extend unconditional kindness to me.
I haven’t thought about that in about 15 years. A really odd memory just now was of a game that was played. Coed and it involved two people. There speaker and then someone was the subject. The focus, as it were. The subject was alone in a room while the speaker sat behind a curtain. (Like their VOICE would be cloaked, yeah right.)
I believe that the purpose of this “exercise” was to help the subject feel better about themselves and also receive constructive criticism? Each speaker would depart after they were done, within 5 minutes or so, until everyone had their turn. I can’t remember exactly and quote verbatim what they said about me, but I do remember feeling further ostracized from my peers.
Enough about the past for this entry.
The wanderlust that I’ve been afflicted with as of late shows no signs of abating. I’m scared, as I’m not in the most practical financial position to make something truly *major* a reality, at least for the time being. I’m still recovering on all fronts, especially the $$ one from “the Seattle debacle,” which is also known as the lost years? Wait, I’ll rescind that comment and say that all who wander aren’t necessarily lost. We might stumble into a trap or two though, if we’re not careful.
My feelings on the time that I served there go back and forth. In one corner, I wouldn’t have some special people in my life that are truly very dear to me, if I hadn’t taken the plunge and moved. In the other corner, there are situations and people that leave me feeling very bewildered at best and truly hardened at worst. It’s too bad that certain Facebook features don’t extend to the rest of my life.
Fill in your preferred cliche as needed.
So I’ve been in Portland for a few months and I’ll admit for the record that I appreciate Seattle much more now. It gives me a good excuse to visit some really cool people and also attend this year’s Decibel Festival.
Some acts that I’m excited to see are Modeselektor, Fennesz, Monolake, Mary Anne Hobbs, L’usine, Emancipator, Kid Hops and more.
Today begins anew for me and I know that I’ll feel better due to some positive changes that I’ve made over the weekend. A few weeks isn’t a long time, yet there are some definite points that are coming to fruition. I’ve got some time to wait for the changes and that makes me smile.
Shine on,
Lisa
We’re Not Gonna Take It
No, we ain’t gonna take it!
WHAT DO YOU WANNA DO WITH YOUR LIFE!?
How to Lose Time and Money by Paul Graham
Employers shouldn’t be surprised that Americans won’t take their crummy, low-wage jobs from Slate Magazine
Caffeine Dependency is Easier to Develop Than You Think from Lifehacker
Healthy Profits, Few Jobs from The Economist
Angry JetBlue Attendant Exits Plane on Emergency Slide from CBS News
Hopes and dreams made out of real lottery tickets from MAKE
Pay Practices in Health Care Investigated from NY Times
How to Recover from 10 Types of Demotivation by Productive Flourishing
Thanks, Toothpaste for Dinner and PostSecret.
Speaking in Tomes
This might be the last post of RELATIONSHIP WEEK here at FYN.
I’ll compose a Part Two to Your Cheating Heart at some point, perhaps not this week, though!
So I can’t remember the last time that I have READ so much. Seriously. The last year has been full of growth, setbacks, belligerence and challenges. Just short of committing myself to some kind of facility, I’ve been picking up and reading nearly anything that I can in my quest for meaning and sanity in relationships. I wonder what my life would be like if I hadn’t been the serial relationship-ist that I am.
The following entry contains all sorts of reads pertaining to relationships in one way or another. Commentary below each one.
Let’s just get this one out of the way first. I really do not like this book. At all. Sorry, Amazon. I know that 90 people reviewed it and it has an average rating of 4.5 stars. While the author brings up a lot of salient points, I treat this book as a memoir and not a scientific treatise on dating. “Settling” and “good enough” works for the air that you get at the gas station for your tires, not relationships that might not be right for you.
In my opinion, the author comes across as self-righteous with a dash of smugness. I really didn’t care for her tone. Someone asked me to read this and I truly think that our differing perspectives on this material soured our acquaintanceship. I take issue with there being virtually zero hard evidence in this book. Don’t even get me started on her inane sweaters vs. relationships comparisons.
From the author of Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia
Ah, The Way of Transition. This book will made you sad and yet triumphant, shortly after you finish it. The author is an expert on transitions. After his wife passes away from cancer, he re-examines his own take on the subject. It doesn’t get more nitty gritty and painful than this.
Although this book has marriage in the title, it’s really about committed relationships. There is a wealth of information here about differentiation. It’s a wonderful book to peruse, especially with one’s partner, provided both of you are sincere and willing to work on yourselves and actually *care* about your relationship. Compassion is integral to growth.
Perhaps one of Anais Nin’s finest works, in my opinion. Short and sweet, this one is about a protagonist named Sabina. She’s married, yet suffers from a roving libido that leads her on some strange paths indeed.
If you think that you’re logical and rational, think again. Sway examines the myriad of reasons why we behave irrationally. Why do we place higher values on the opinions of people with positions of higher authority and status than ours? Find this out and much more. It was an eye-opening read.
I think that this book can help you in relationships merely because it will help you to better understand yourself. This one is filled with anecdotes and observational accounts of the lives of a variety of different individuals. From the arts to business and beyond, this book examines talent, passion, and achievement. Definitely a near future re-read for me.
Song of the day: A Sunday Smile by Beirut (Live on Jools Holland)
All I want is the best for our lives my dear,
and you know my wishes are sincere.
Whats to say for the days I cannot bare.
Shine on,
Lisa
