Saturday, January 28, 2006

Measuring Implicit Bias

Interesting website. Article in slate talks about it. Measures your implicit bias towards various groups based on ethnicity, weight, age, sexualtiy, and whether or not they are abraham linocln or president bush. Worth going to.

test at

https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/demo/selectatest.jsp

slate article is at

http://www.slate.com/id/2134921/?nav=tap3

Went to hothouse last night for first time, saw senegal hip hop group Daar J. I enjoyed the show. Was funny because pauline showed up, she plays ultimate, and I also bumped into dan benjamin there, was startled by the seemingly positive correlation between ultimate players and senegal hip hop groups.

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

"Someone else's fingerprints are all over this science fair project!" Joe breathlessly shouted over the bored children at the award ceremony.

So another spam post on the comments (how few and far between are genuine comments, however as good writing no doubt stirs up interesting discourse, perhaps I am to blame) which remarked that my blog was "inquisitive" and that I should check out his on penny investments. Jerk doesn't seem to know that I don't have pennies to invest or that inquisitive is probably the wrong adjective to use in describing this blog. Half-thought out almost-licentious story telling is closer to the truth I'd say.

Last night listened to the album "Courier" by Richard Schindell which I've grown quite fond of since getting it a month ago. This morning I went and helped judge the 3-4 grade science fair at the school where Rob Walsh is a teacher. Was sort of fun getting the kids to explain their projects which varied from the quite lame to a few that they actually got into. My favorite investigated the relative clarity of fingerprints on cold versus room temperature glasses.

On the job searching front some decent news. Apparently the US government or some section thereof is slightly intrigued at the prospect of hiring me so I've got to fax my transcripts to the man or something. Also got an interview type thing monday for various non-academic lab positions in the chicago area.

Bumped into Peggy on my ingress of the library and she informed me that the chinese new year is sunday. Apparently this is a big deal in china as I almost reported in yesterday's post. (something like 120 million people travel that weekend in china, most apparently in so-crowded-its-difficult-to-reach-the-bathroom trains, hence a direct effect on adult diaper sales. Now that's love of family.) She then informed me that its the year of the dog. To which I happily exclaimed, "I'm a dog!" (this amused an elderly woman standing behind peggy) But then peggy warned me that being a dog isn't necessarily lucky. I don't know what that's about, once every 12 years its my year and its supposed to bring me bad luck? What's up with that. Though I have a certain abstract cultural respect for the idea that someone's "special" year isn't necessarily a good thing. Oh well, I'm not surprised, its just my luck that I'd happen to be born in a year that brings bad luck to you later in life. How is that for the prophecy shaping future events for you? Peggy also clued me in to this senegalese hip-hop group that will be performing at the hothouse on friday. In that moment I realized that I love hip-hop groups from senegal so I may just go to that.

Two real posts in as many days, I hope I don't spoil y'all.

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

potpourri

Last night Ethan came over and we played some settlers of catan. Its a delightful board game, involving a fair amount of negotiation and strategy, I reccomend people try it. I ate a quick meal at cedar's of lebanon in hyde park. I think they have one of the best deals around with their falafel sandwich, served with a salad and potatoes. only 4.50, how can you go wrong? The answer though appeared to be the slight tinge of green around the edges of the potato slices that indicate sprouting and badness. Still though, excellent sandwich. I may be catching the beginnings of a cold as I feel a little off in the chest, a bit of the old respiratory tract infection or some such might be in my near future, but it will pass in time, just like the popular amazement surrounding the virgin mary cheese sandwich. Speaking of the mother of jesus, I've recently started reading "Naked before God" which Tazo reccomended on his blog some time ago. About someone with cystic fibrosis and diabetes trying to reconcile the daily suffering they endure and his christian beliefs. Maybe its a bit jarring to segue into the book after discussing the sandwich but that's how the old mind works I suppose.

I like living with rachael, we constantly scheme as to what we're going to make to eat. Also, I see us constructing our own version of settler's the next time a slow saturday morning rolls around.

Saturday, January 21, 2006

What is about a man in a loincloth?

I feel like I've started off most of these apologetic, well f__k that! I'm going for needlessly confrontational this morning, or at least for that sentence. I was at the library yesterday then went to see Grizzly Man. The movie was about a man who coming out of alcohol abuse and a nonrewarding life decided to live amongst the grizzly bears in Alaska. I'm not really ruining anything by saying the bears eventually kill him and a young woman in his 13th summer there as the movie states that fact in the opening lines. It contains some of the most incredible footage of dangerous animals that you will ever see. He literally lived amongst them, would touch them, at times challenge them, and genuinely had no fear of them. He was though, a bit of a weird dude, I'd venture in my nonprofessional opinion that he suffered from paranoia (of the park service) and perhaps a little bipolar. He definitely constructed a bizarre identity for himself. He affected the world's worst Australian accent, pretended to be an orphan, and imagined himself a romantic beleaguered hero who was responsible for protecting the bears from poachers and modern man. For all that though a compelling movie at times, very funny in some points, (though at times I thought the audience was laughing at rather than with, typical cynical UofC crowd) and in the end a story about someone who aspired to do great deeds but failed along the way. Probably worth netflixing.

After the movie I went to jason's where I partook in alcohol, food, and good company. In talking to colin he mentioned a restaurant he really likes called victory's banner that intrigued me. Its apparently run by a cult. The money quote was colin saying, "If I were to join a cult, that's definitely the type of cult I'd join. They're into meditation, vegetarianism, and really good french toast." After that we went over to the pepperland. Here's where the night took on a surreal edge, for perhaps everyone but me. Not having a costume, not caring at the moment about PC, being drunk, and having seen it done before I decided to walk around the party in a loincloth, thinking I'd do it for 10 minutes, then change and enjoy the party in civilian clothing. Well after the reaction I got in that first ten minutes, it wasn't coming off. It definitely elicited a great deal of response from almost anyone who saw it. Their looks as they took it in were interesting: eyes growing wider, disbelief, not knowing whether to feel angry or not, acceptance, and finally the desire to touch my ass. I should be fair though and analyze myself if I'm going to analyze others. I'd say I definitely have a touch of exhibitionism in me, without looking it up I'd say that deriving a thrill from the confused and startled faces of others through your appearance, deeds, or words is exhibitionism to some extent. At the same time though, I felt like if I was going to a pepperland party, the only crime would be to half-ass it. Something it turns out that I both did and didn't do.

Friday, January 20, 2006

Just to put something funny up here.

From the NYT book review of "beyond coincidence"

The award for the most painful coincidence in recorded history must go to the poet Simon Armitage, who chanced upon a used copy of a book of his poems in a trash bin outside a thrift store. On the title page was the following inscription, in his own handwriting: "To Mum and Dad."

Monday, January 16, 2006

MLK day

In a bitter irony today I was walking with rachael from our south shore apartment to Hyde Park when we were accosted from across 67th street by some teenage boys who erroneously assumed that our relationship was more intimate than it is, and informed me that I should stay with my own kind. The irony of course being that they had the day off from school to honor a man who said

I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama...will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers.


It should be noted this is the first time I've been made to feel uncomfortable since living where I presently do. Incidentally the NYT has a very good Op-Ed today on the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. by Taylor Branch.

Monday, January 09, 2006

Fun playing ultimate again

So I just went to webwalking.com/googlemap where you can use google maps to plot out how far various runs are and found out that my long run last week was 8.5 miles. Its a pretty cool program and anyone who runs and is curious about how far their distances are should check it out.

On saturday I went and finally got a cellphone. The number is 773 633 6441 for anyone who might feel disposed to call me. After getting it I walked to millenium park and met up with my family, who were ice skating. I walked around the park with them afterwards and had lunch. It was a fun little visit. After that went back to hyde park and watched the football with george, allison, ethan, rose and rachael. We also played some settlers of catan and I won the first game quite handedly but gave a less stirring showing in the second game. After that went over to the pepperland for some dancing at a communal birthday party. Sunday I had brunch with LYRICA HAMMANN, jason, and rob. Was fun, and afterwards we went to a ultimate pickup game on the northside. The pickup was probably among the most fun times I've ever had, not at a tournament, playing ultimate. The fields were slightly uneven and muddy but it was warm enough that playing without gloves wasn't a problem, and eventually something like 35 people were there so we split into two games for an hour or so. The level of play was fairly high, about that of a really good spring league game, and it didn't descend into a boring huck fest. Was cool to play with and against Raz and Lyrica again for the first time in several years. Afterwards Raz and I went to Bryan Kings for cincinnati style chili, a lot of asshole at which in the first round of games I was president for all but 1 turn, and good conversation. Crashed there and watched venckman, stantz, and egan thwart Gozor's bid to destroy New York by becoming a 200 ft marshmellow. Good movie.

Thursday, January 05, 2006

new years, football and such

So I finally feel like I'm back in chicago, when I was here before it always had a bit of the setting up then leaving for a week feel, which is unsurprising as indeed, that's what it was. For whatever reason my posting here has lapsed. This might be due to several factors, I don't feel as irreverant and whimsical, much of my time is spent walking, perhaps a touch of the doldrums from a never-ending gray sky, and maybe its simply laziness. Oh well, I'll try to deal with a few things that have happened.

On Christmas morning I opened a Christmas Card, as promised, from the woman I gave the book to on the bus. I was emotionally touched that she carried through and olfactorily (word?, oed confirms that it is) touched by a heady perfume that permanently wafts from the letter. I'm still debating whether or not to reply but I think that I may just leave the experience as is rather than carrying it onto the next episode.

New Year's: I started in Hyde Park but migrated northwards to akira's place, arriving 5 minutes ere the passing of the year. Notable events included Jaeger shots with jason, seeing a number of people that I haven't in some time, giving kevin cho a beer he failed to remember, and coming back to win a great victory in beer pong with thor. Limited dancing, but a good time, was glad I went up there and was touched by Akira's kind words for me at the onset of the new year.

Yesterday I ran downtown to the Verizon store, was a bit of a hike as I'm not in tip-top shape but slow and steady got me there fortunately. My quadriceps are a bit sore and I have a vaguely uncomfortable feeling on the outside of my right foot when I undergo bipedal locomotion.

College Football National Championship was watched at Eric's after spending most of the day cooking with bryan and watching Firefly episodes. Firefly was an good show, which was cancelled by the same people who are discontinuing Arrested Development, I don't think they realize how close this is making me to giving up TV aside from Bear football games and any future impending messages of doom from our (un)duly elected commander and chief. Saw Raz there, was amused that Kevin didn't remember me from New Years and mistakenly called Kevin by Raz's name. Raz then kindly informed me that Kevin was from East Asia and he was from Southeast Asia, after receiving this easy reference point I had no trouble. Watching the game was entertaining not only because it was an excellent athletic contest, but also due to the fact that we drank any time a phrase was uttered by the announcers that could be taken for sexual innuendo (tautology?).

One of my new year's resolutions was to write more, along with that I've been thinking about posting more thought out pieces here, generally apolitical (as no further addition need be made to the current political shoutspace on the internet). I don't know why I feel the need to warn anyone but there it is, it probably won't come to pass. In short I will be the boy who cried sheep.