Two for the Reading List

Just so I don't forget... I heard about these books on NPR today.

Window Garden

The newest living additions to the apartment are our cute lil plants! They've been around for awhile now, but this is their online debut, ta-da. We're growing chamomile, basil, and mint, but the more engaging specimens are our bonsai. Since this is a new hobby, the plan is to keep the trees alive before shaping and sculpting -- so far so good. Mine is even sprouting new leaves, after some conservative pruning that I've been doing over the past couple of weeks. Incidentally John is the unofficial pest control dude. Blah blah blah check out the pics.

Basil!

Mint!

Droopy chamomile: recent victim of bug infestation

Close-up of my succulents - those aren't spines; they're super-soft fuzzy hairs!

My growing bonsai: Chinese elm

John's robust juniper, with neighbors

Final Map Project

This map is the result of an awesome team effort. Unfortunately the rendering is rough, but I will attempt to fix that this summer. Our main objective was to find out the best Oakland city park for a hypothetical environmental education center targeted at middle and high school students. The criteria were based on transportation access and park amenities. I think it looks pretty cool, but the best part is that it can be used for real-world analysis, and it also has the potential to inform public leaders about the possibilities of developing more community resources. A successful project, it's a nice way to (almost) end the semester.

Summer Laundry List

School is almost over and I can't stop planning for the summer! I'm unbearably excited about the prospects of not having homework waiting for me at the end of the day like a storm of mental anguish on the horizon. Blah!

1. Plan a long trip with John and friends
2. Get a new computer set-up
3. Read awesome books
4. Watch a fajillion movies
5. Hunt down new music every week
6. Bicycle
7. Camp camp camp
8. Learn new recipes
9. See more of friends and family
10. Sleep
11. Keep bonsai from dying untimely death
12. Make ice cream
13. Picnics and bbq's
14. Online GIS training :)

Neither here nor there

First, a song: Memories of Places We've Never Been by The Faunts. Is it the most amazing thing ever? Ummm no. Not really. But, it is 100% likable and relaxing. Sweet n simple beats. Atmospheric and dance-y in the right places. Hits ya like a nerf drum kit. Spicier than straight shoegazer. Vocals are pretty emo but not offensively so. You get the picture.



So one night last week, in the semi-delirious state of near sleep, I was unexpectedly struck with the notion that we as human creatures are born to need. We are not self-sufficient at all. Not even a little bit. In order to survive and thrive we absolutely require outside assistance from people, animals, plants, and the earth. It seems like such a basic concept, but for reasons I have yet to identify, my mind is blown. Maybe because I'm so used to distraction and double-meanings that a simple naked fact seems out of this world. But I guess what it boils down to is my realization that none of us are alone and isolated, and we never will be. Even when we die, we are still connected to this world, this existence, this hugely complex system of inputs and outputs and endless cycles and changes.

And that just seems crazy. Overwhelming. To be part of the biggest, most unfathomable picture is a worthwhile thought to grasp and embrace, even though it's hard to wrap a brain around that. We're just tiny dots, bumping around, hardly thinking about how much we need each other and the ground we're standing on to exist. How can understanding that not change the way you see your place in the universe?

I feel like the notion of the individual is perpetuated so much it's hardwired into our modern brains, but there is so much more than that. I'm not talking about feel-good, love-your-neighbor stuff. I'm just headed toward a different way of seeing, a way that finds truth and cuts through the everyday drama in pursuit of clear-headed comprehension of the actual principles of life. Interdependence, union, cohabitation, fluidity - these are the strings holding us. Isolation is impossible; I was fooled into thinking otherwise. Realizing that everything we see and experience make us who we are, and these components are all different sides of the same breathing entity that has no beginning or end, has opened my eyes, but this is just the beginning of a journey and my thoughts are wildly nascent and uncollected, if you haven't already noticed.

In any case I've learned that bed is the birthplace of mind-benders, so...

I better get going. Enjoy (the) music.

Link of the Week

Before starting on the evening's laundry list of homework, I like to relax my brain by catching up on random news stories on the internets. And today during my regularly scheduled browsing, I discovered the site for GOOD Magazine. The best thing I've found on it so far is their collection of Infographics, which are graphic representations of some new and interesting data for current pop topics. The style is super easy on the eyes, thus giving the reader an enjoyable way to learn some shit, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate that. Facts and figures don't have to be so damn cold and lifeless! While they are all pretty and colorful, some of the Infographics fall into the seriously awesome category. I'm amazed by how creative folks can be. Keep up the good work, GOOD!

Go now: http://www.good.is/departments/transparency

Map by Kristal

One of my first maps! San Francisco, defined by:
--parks (green),
--schools (black dots),
--neighborhoods (blues),
--MUNI lines (yellow),
--and streets (orange, which isn't showing up well here).

It's not perfect and I had nothing to do with the data, but hey, it's on my homework sheet. Which has my name on it. So yeah. Mine! And there will be plenty more to come, I'm sure. Today I'm living the dream...