Up the Down Road

Remember the muffin

Have I worked. Not enough, apparently. Capitalism sucks.

slit of sky

window

The good:

• Beautiful day.
• I received my package--the last open order. One of the items is a replacement of a lost item I ordered around the New Year. These photos were taken on the New Year's Eve. (I just finished the roll two weeks ago.) The New Year is cycling back, it seems.
• Finished The Lost City of Z (audio). A little let down at the end, when the answer is revealed by an American archeologist. Granted, to meet the archeologist you need to go to the jungle.   
• Now I'm going to eat a raspberry muffin and go to bed. Or maybe read a book with chicken pictures on the cover. 
  

Remember the muffin

Have I worked. Not enough, apparently. Capitalism sucks.

slit of sky

window

The good:

• Beautiful day.
• I received my package--the last open order. One of the items is a replacement of a lost item I ordered around the New Year. These photos were taken on the New Year's Eve. (I just finished the roll two weeks ago.) The New Year is cycling back, it seems.
• Finished The Lost City of Z (audio). A little let down at the end, when the answer is revealed by an American archeologist. Granted, to meet the archeologist you need to go to the jungle.   
• Now I'm going to eat a raspberry muffin and go to bed. Or maybe read a book with chicken pictures on the cover. 
  

odds and ends

a leaf

Because of all the problems I've had with packages, I've signed up for delivery notification at Amazon. So far I received two messages notifying me about packages I had already received. As it turns out, the messages were sent out at the end of the day, after the carrier had made all the rounds. A lot of sense this makes. But at least I'd know if I'm missing something.

I'm having a lot of pain on my lower back. I don't know what it is. Did I pull a muscle doing yoga? Is it because I sit all day? But I've been doing this for years, why does this happen to me now? I am wondering if I should see a doctor. I definitely need to see a dentist. But when do I have time for these things??

I love my hair stylist. If I have to leave this town, she will be on the top of the list of things I'll miss.

Another cold and gray day.

odds and ends

a leaf

Because of all the problems I've had with packages, I've signed up for delivery notification at Amazon. So far I received two messages notifying me about packages I had already received. As it turns out, the messages were sent out at the end of the day, after the carrier had made all the rounds. A lot of sense this makes. But at least I'd know if I'm missing something.

I'm having a lot of pain on my lower back. I don't know what it is. Did I pull a muscle doing yoga? Is it because I sit all day? But I've been doing this for years, why does this happen to me now? I am wondering if I should see a doctor. I definitely need to see a dentist. But when do I have time for these things??

I love my hair stylist. If I have to leave this town, she will be on the top of the list of things I'll miss.

Another cold and gray day.

QotD: DST

Daylight Savings began last night at 2 a.m. What's your favorite part about gaining an extra hour in your day? Least favorite?

Wait a second (or an hour, whatever). Did you say gaining an hour, Vox? Oh, you have no idea what it's like. Do we live on the same planet? Do you call y0urs the "earth"?

QotD: DST

Daylight Savings began last night at 2 a.m. What's your favorite part about gaining an extra hour in your day? Least favorite?

Wait a second (or an hour, whatever). Did you say gaining an hour, Vox? Oh, you have no idea what it's like. Do we live on the same planet? Do you call y0urs the "earth"?

Can't think of a title

chair & its shadow

orchid, orchid, orchid

The day is cold and wet. Not much daylight to save. Unhappy that at the end of the week I still have so much to do. And the next week? Doesn't look good. But the good news is, things will be better in two weeks. Or so I hope. 

Break=Days of Major Campaign.

Can't think of a title

chair & its shadow

orchid, orchid, orchid

The day is cold and wet. Not much daylight to save. Unhappy that at the end of the week I still have so much to do. And the next week? Doesn't look good. But the good news is, things will be better in two weeks. Or so I hope. 

Break=Days of Major Campaign.

Black and white

Daylight Saving Time? Do I really need that now?

Black and white

Daylight Saving Time? Do I really need that now?

some weird some beautiful

clipped from www.telegraph.co.uk A 101-year-old woman named Zhang Duifang is pictured with a tumour on her forehead in the shape of a horn, in Lushan Country, Henan Province, China clipped from www.telegraph.co.uk Guo Lianzhi, 93, performs the splits at her home in Changzhi, Shanxi province of China clipped from www.telegraph.co.uk Toby Elles from Lancaster displays a frying pan with an image of Jesus Christ on it, which he claims appeared after he fell asleep with a pan of bacon on the stove clipped from www.telegraph.co.uk A photo montage captured during a solar eclipse over the Marshall Islands in July 2009. The beautiful image shows the solar corona that makes up the sun's atmosphere in amazing detail as the sun passes behind the moon... clipped from www.telegraph.co.uk 2010 clipped from www.telegraph.co.uk A six-metre-high key sculpture by artist Jiri David on Franz Kafka Square in Prague, Czech Republic... clipped from www.telegraph.co.uk ...The sculpture is made from more than 85,000 keys, and commemorates the 20th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution clipped from www.telegraph.co.uk Car tyre-tracks make the shape of love-hearts in the snow at a car park in the western German city of Recklinghausen

some weird some beautiful

clipped from www.telegraph.co.uk A 101-year-old woman named Zhang Duifang is pictured with a tumour on her forehead in the shape of a horn, in Lushan Country, Henan Province, China clipped from www.telegraph.co.uk Guo Lianzhi, 93, performs the splits at her home in Changzhi, Shanxi province of China clipped from www.telegraph.co.uk Toby Elles from Lancaster displays a frying pan with an image of Jesus Christ on it, which he claims appeared after he fell asleep with a pan of bacon on the stove clipped from www.telegraph.co.uk A photo montage captured during a solar eclipse over the Marshall Islands in July 2009. The beautiful image shows the solar corona that makes up the sun's atmosphere in amazing detail as the sun passes behind the moon... clipped from www.telegraph.co.uk 2010 clipped from www.telegraph.co.uk A six-metre-high key sculpture by artist Jiri David on Franz Kafka Square in Prague, Czech Republic... clipped from www.telegraph.co.uk ...The sculpture is made from more than 85,000 keys, and commemorates the 20th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution clipped from www.telegraph.co.uk Car tyre-tracks make the shape of love-hearts in the snow at a car park in the western German city of Recklinghausen

Friday's sillies: Medvedev's photo vs. Putin's Painting, and more

clipped from news.xinhuanet.com clipped from en.hdhod.com SAINT PETERSBURG - A photograph taken by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev sold on Saturday for 1.2 million euros -- even more than the amount a painting by his predecessor Vladimir Putin fetched last year. The black-and-white photo of the Tobolsk Kremlin, or fortress, in western Siberia taken by Medvedev from a helicopter sold at auction for 51 million rubles (1.2 million euros, 1.7 million dollars). clipped from www.telegraph.co.uk Notice the confidence with which those curtains are drawn – how with each long stroke Putin never loses contact with the canvas until the of his loaded brush is dry. There isn't a wasted or unnecessary brushstroke and nothing childish or naïve about this picture.

What a talented bunch, world leaders. It's not enough that they are leading the world, they also take pictures from a helicopter and stare at the kitchen window and dream--and inadvertently make a shitload of money.

robot shopping assistant

Meet "Robovie-II" developed by Japanese robotics research institution ATR. It follows you (after greeting you first, of course), carries your basket for you, and reminds you of what you want to buy. So that the grocery store is twice as crowded.

This one I have no picture of because I can't imagine what kind of babies football (by which I mean soccer) stars and super models make together, and what they (the babies) would do when they grow up. I keep seeing someone with two flickering heads, the hair is long and straight on one of them and thick and curly on the other. The reason I see this slightly monstrous image is because, think of it, wouldn't it be a shame to have just one head when there are two perfect specimens to choose from? Which one would you leave out? (You can't have both straight and curly hair.) That's how unimaginable these lives are.

Friday's sillies: Medvedev's photo vs. Putin's Painting, and more

clipped from news.xinhuanet.com clipped from en.hdhod.com SAINT PETERSBURG - A photograph taken by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev sold on Saturday for 1.2 million euros -- even more than the amount a painting by his predecessor Vladimir Putin fetched last year. The black-and-white photo of the Tobolsk Kremlin, or fortress, in western Siberia taken by Medvedev from a helicopter sold at auction for 51 million rubles (1.2 million euros, 1.7 million dollars). clipped from www.telegraph.co.uk Notice the confidence with which those curtains are drawn – how with each long stroke Putin never loses contact with the canvas until the of his loaded brush is dry. There isn't a wasted or unnecessary brushstroke and nothing childish or naïve about this picture.

What a talented bunch, world leaders. It's not enough that they are leading the world, they also take pictures from a helicopter and stare at the kitchen window and dream--and inadvertently make a shitload of money.

robot shopping assistant

Meet "Robovie-II" developed by Japanese robotics research institution ATR. It follows you (after greeting you first, of course), carries your basket for you, and reminds you of what you want to buy. So that the grocery store is twice as crowded.

This one I have no picture of because I can't imagine what kind of babies football (by which I mean soccer) stars and super models make together, and what they (the babies) would do when they grow up. I keep seeing someone with two flickering heads, the hair is long and straight on one of them and thick and curly on the other. The reason I see this slightly monstrous image is because, think of it, wouldn't it be a shame to have just one head when there are two perfect specimens to choose from? Which one would you leave out? (You can't have both straight and curly hair.) That's how unimaginable these lives are.

Zhu Naizheng 朱乃正

草原长云

another 青海

寂静的湖

portrait

Zhu Naizheng 朱乃正

草原长云

another 青海

寂静的湖

portrait

Mail theft?

I did talk to the mail delivery woman and a neighbor. (No, my second package did not arrive.) Theft looks like a strong possibility. What should I do? A surveillance camera? Call the landlord and see if he has ideas? Any suggestions?

Gorgeous day. I have my window open! I wish I didn't have to work (and worry about my mail).

p.s. A little digging around on the net tells me that mail theft seems to be a real issue in this town. I had no idea. Now I remember that one day two letters came in with the envelopes open. I thought maybe they weren't  sealed properly. But it is a bit strange that this happened to two letters coming from two different places on the same day. Nothing is taken, as far as I can tell, but it could well be because they contained nothing that could be useful to anyone else. Now I feel paranoid.  

Mail theft?

I did talk to the mail delivery woman and a neighbor. (No, my second package did not arrive.) Theft looks like a strong possibility. What should I do? A surveillance camera? Call the landlord and see if he has ideas? Any suggestions?

Gorgeous day. I have my window open! I wish I didn't have to work (and worry about my mail).

p.s. A little digging around on the net tells me that mail theft seems to be a real issue in this town. I had no idea. Now I remember that one day two letters came in with the envelopes open. I thought maybe they weren't  sealed properly. But it is a bit strange that this happened to two letters coming from two different places on the same day. Nothing is taken, as far as I can tell, but it could well be because they contained nothing that could be useful to anyone else. Now I feel paranoid.  

Suspicion

I've been having trouble receiving packages lately. Either the post office here is incompetent or someone is stealing my mails. This is not a good situation. I hope my package (#2, the seller said she shipped it on Feb 17) arrive tomorrow. Because, really, do I have time to call postal inspection and file police report etc (options suggested to me when I called the post office)? The idea of the police scares me. More to the point: what can they do? I can't imagine they'd take something like this seriously. Maybe I should ask the neighbors to see if any of them has noticed anything or if this has ever happened to them.

But you know what? I still suspect the downstairs neighbor.

it's true i would not have seen it if i had headphone on

.

Suspicion

I've been having trouble receiving packages lately. Either the post office here is incompetent or someone is stealing my mails. This is not a good situation. I hope my package (#2, the seller said she shipped it on Feb 17) arrive tomorrow. Because, really, do I have time to call postal inspection and file police report etc (options suggested to me when I called the post office)? The idea of the police scares me. More to the point: what can they do? I can't imagine they'd take something like this seriously. Maybe I should ask the neighbors to see if any of them has noticed anything or if this has ever happened to them.

But you know what? I still suspect the downstairs neighbor.

it's true i would not have seen it if i had headphone on

.

Points

1. Backed up my computer. Last time I didn't do it in quite the right way. It took hours, but this time it went faster than I thought.
   
2. Try to find the missing package, but didn't get very far. I don't like the feeling that my mail could go missing. I hope this is an isolated incident. 
3. Started to work on my paper. Didn't go very far on that. The problem is always the same: how to fit a lot into a few pages. Streamlining is not my strong suit.
   
4. Yoga class makes me feel good and large.
   
5. But I am in a cranky mood anyway.
6. I need to go to bed earlier--that's the root of my crankiness: my schedule is too insane.
   
7. It's a nice day out there. But did I venture outside for even one minute? No. Well, I still can and may.
   
8. But I did start on some of the things I had been avoiding, such as the package and the computer. I hate spending precious day time (point 6) calling people, but if I don't I can never get hold of anyone.
9. Unless that is an outsourced someone.
   
10. Maybe the airline?
    
11. I am naturally in sync with outsourced times.
    
12. I feel worse when I'm on a short break: too much to do, at the same time, it's supposed to be a BREAK.
    
13. Maybe work makes a person happy?
14. I think not.  

one petal at a time

p.s.
Watched this. A little gem.

Bubble

Points

1. Backed up my computer. Last time I didn't do it in quite the right way. It took hours, but this time it went faster than I thought.
   
2. Try to find the missing package, but didn't get very far. I don't like the feeling that my mail could go missing. I hope this is an isolated incident. 
3. Started to work on my paper. Didn't go very far on that. The problem is always the same: how to fit a lot into a few pages. Streamlining is not my strong suit.
   
4. Yoga class makes me feel good and large.
   
5. But I am in a cranky mood anyway.
6. I need to go to bed earlier--that's the root of my crankiness: my schedule is too insane.
   
7. It's a nice day out there. But did I venture outside for even one minute? No. Well, I still can and may.
   
8. But I did start on some of the things I had been avoiding, such as the package and the computer. I hate spending precious day time (point 6) calling people, but if I don't I can never get hold of anyone.
9. Unless that is an outsourced someone.
   
10. Maybe the airline?
    
11. I am naturally in sync with outsourced times.
    
12. I feel worse when I'm on a short break: too much to do, at the same time, it's supposed to be a BREAK.
    
13. Maybe work makes a person happy?
14. I think not.  

one petal at a time

p.s.
Watched this. A little gem.

Bubble

Yesterday's flower

1.

2.

Yesterday's flower

1.

2.

Balancing acts

balancing act i

balancing act ii

Grading is always hard no matter what, even though this batch is excellent and I'm really pleased with them. It takes so much time. And the thought that it takes so much time makes me want to avoid it. The trick is to do it in small doses, which is not always possible.

This is a Sunday in the true sense of the word, but I didn't really take advantage of it. On weekends I become nocturnal. But I did move the orchid to the window and took two Polaroids. Then I moved the orchid back to the table, away from the window. Such a great feat of intentional arrangement. I tend to take pictures of things where they happen to be. Where they happen to be is usually where they first landed when they fell from the heaven. In my mind, there is something inviolable about the arbitrariness of life, a haphazardness that perhaps means more than I can comprehend and should therefore be left undisturbed.

I need to make some big decisions such as planning for maybe a trip back to China in the summer. I don't like to make those decisions. I don't like to book tickets. Things lurking in the back of my mind include:

• make summer plan;
• write a paper (this is actually at the forefront of my mind. I need to get this done this week);
• prepare tax documents;
• book a ticket for short trip in March (I'm avoiding this because I have to talk to an airline agent. I don't like to talk to airline agents);
• book another ticket for possibly June or July.

Almost all these things involve a) money; b) dates; c) people--all things I dread. I am not really cut out for modern life, that's for sure.

Finally, Sunday is for posting old songs:

�

Balancing acts

balancing act i

balancing act ii

Grading is always hard no matter what, even though this batch is excellent and I'm really pleased with them. It takes so much time. And the thought that it takes so much time makes me want to avoid it. The trick is to do it in small doses, which is not always possible.

This is a Sunday in the true sense of the word, but I didn't really take advantage of it. On weekends I become nocturnal. But I did move the orchid to the window and took two Polaroids. Then I moved the orchid back to the table, away from the window. Such a great feat of intentional arrangement. I tend to take pictures of things where they happen to be. Where they happen to be is usually where they first landed when they fell from the heaven. In my mind, there is something inviolable about the arbitrariness of life, a haphazardness that perhaps means more than I can comprehend and should therefore be left undisturbed.

I need to make some big decisions such as planning for maybe a trip back to China in the summer. I don't like to make those decisions. I don't like to book tickets. Things lurking in the back of my mind include:

• make summer plan;
• write a paper (this is actually at the forefront of my mind. I need to get this done this week);
• prepare tax documents;
• book a ticket for short trip in March (I'm avoiding this because I have to talk to an airline agent. I don't like to talk to airline agents);
• book another ticket for possibly June or July.

Almost all these things involve a) money; b) dates; c) people--all things I dread. I am not really cut out for modern life, that's for sure.

Finally, Sunday is for posting old songs:

�

Distraction

Sat down to work, thinking, "I'd like to have some of that chocolate we bought today."-->
Walked into the other room to get chocolate. Saw the orchid on the table, thinking, "That orchid looks interesting in that weird light (one light bulb burned out). I'll take some pictures."-->
Started taking pictures. Many pictures later, completely forgot why I came here. "Maybe I'll upload these and see how they turn out." -->
Walked back to the computer. Remembered chocolate. Remembered work. "Okay, maybe I shouldn't upload the photos now. I should work."-->
Sat down to work, thinking, "Why don't I blog about this? Very interesting phenomenon, isn't it?"

Okay, now I'm going to work, for real.      

Distraction

Sat down to work, thinking, "I'd like to have some of that chocolate we bought today."-->
Walked into the other room to get chocolate. Saw the orchid on the table, thinking, "That orchid looks interesting in that weird light (one light bulb burned out). I'll take some pictures."-->
Started taking pictures. Many pictures later, completely forgot why I came here. "Maybe I'll upload these and see how they turn out." -->
Walked back to the computer. Remembered chocolate. Remembered work. "Okay, maybe I shouldn't upload the photos now. I should work."-->
Sat down to work, thinking, "Why don't I blog about this? Very interesting phenomenon, isn't it?"

Okay, now I'm going to work, for real.      

Werner Herzog reads Madeline and others

Werner Herzog reads Madeline and others

More ambiguous than innocent

orchid innocent

orchid ambiguous

The sun finally came out today, even though I spent most of the day inside.

Here are some things I thought about while listening to audio books and podcasts etc on bus:

1. Emma Bovary was buried in three coffins in a manner known in the 19th century as resurrectionist proof. Resurrectionists are professional grave diggers who sell corpses to medical students. Flaubert decided to leave Emma no chance whatsoever.    

2. When Mr Ramsey thought about Z, and how, even though he would have no hope of ever reaching Z, he might still be able to make it to Q, he (no, Woolf) may have in mind the city thought to be lost in the Amazon jungle, named Z by Percy Fawcett. Fawcett disappeared in 1925. Woolf's book was published in 1927. WWI intervened in both cases.  

More ambiguous than innocent

orchid innocent

orchid ambiguous

The sun finally came out today, even though I spent most of the day inside.

Here are some things I thought about while listening to audio books and podcasts etc on bus:

1. Emma Bovary was buried in three coffins in a manner known in the 19th century as resurrectionist proof. Resurrectionists are professional grave diggers who sell corpses to medical students. Flaubert decided to leave Emma no chance whatsoever.    

2. When Mr Ramsey thought about Z, and how, even though he would have no hope of ever reaching Z, he might still be able to make it to Q, he (no, Woolf) may have in mind the city thought to be lost in the Amazon jungle, named Z by Percy Fawcett. Fawcett disappeared in 1925. Woolf's book was published in 1927. WWI intervened in both cases.  

Ah...

dead tired but persisted and watched 6 episodes of This American Life and lengthened my Netflix queue by several inches. there is no photo of this unusually eventful day.  

Ah...

dead tired but persisted and watched 6 episodes of This American Life and lengthened my Netflix queue by several inches. there is no photo of this unusually eventful day.  

postcard

postcard from the street

That was a while ago. The weather is much warmer, though still frigid. The snow is almost all gone, unless it's still coming. I'm not sure. March has a lot unknowns. And I tend to hold on to the past a bit too fast.

postcard

postcard from the street

That was a while ago. The weather is much warmer, though still frigid. The snow is almost all gone, unless it's still coming. I'm not sure. March has a lot unknowns. And I tend to hold on to the past a bit too fast.

Lucy

Lucy from Radiolab on Vimeo.

Radiolab.

The haunting epic of Lucy the chimpanzee. When Lucy was only two days old, she was adopted by psychologist Dr. Maurice K. Temerlin and his wife Jane. The Temerlins wondered, if given the right environment, how human could Lucy become? We hear from Lucy's language tutor, Dr. Roger Fouts, Lucy's caretaker and eventual friend, Dr. Sue Savage-Rumbaugh, and Mr. Temerlin himself... or his words anyway, read by radio host David Garland. And writer Charles Siebert helps us to make sense of Lucy's story. Check out this slideshow of Lucy's life, including the photo snapped as Janis and Lucy hugged in Gambia.

Lucy

Lucy

Lucy from Radiolab on Vimeo.

Radiolab.

The haunting epic of Lucy the chimpanzee. When Lucy was only two days old, she was adopted by psychologist Dr. Maurice K. Temerlin and his wife Jane. The Temerlins wondered, if given the right environment, how human could Lucy become? We hear from Lucy's language tutor, Dr. Roger Fouts, Lucy's caretaker and eventual friend, Dr. Sue Savage-Rumbaugh, and Mr. Temerlin himself... or his words anyway, read by radio host David Garland. And writer Charles Siebert helps us to make sense of Lucy's story. Check out this slideshow of Lucy's life, including the photo snapped as Janis and Lucy hugged in Gambia.

Lucy

in the dark

.

I don't really have anything to say. 

in the dark

.

I don't really have anything to say.