Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Spring is here!


Hello again.

I just wanted to share with you my Sunflower plant. I got some free seeds from the flower farm and a free pot from the owner and now can grow sunflower seeds.

Good thing they're edible cause this being unemployed thing makes me hungry. And with my sunflower seeds maybe I can find sunflower recipes and post them on the recipe site.

In U.S. Navy news, I was supposed to leave for OCS this weekend, but I've been delayed until August. Hopefully the U.S. Census Bureau will hire me to be an enumerator and walk about ym neighborhood counting the citizens.

Nice job if you can get it: serving the country, getting some exercise, and making some extra income (or just income at all).

I hope to upload photos of the plant as it continues to grow.

Thanks for reading and best regards,

Alya

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Phonetic Alphabet

Hello everyone. Sorry I haven't posted in a while I've been preparing to go to OCS.

In my studying before leaving I have to learn the Phonetic Alphabet. You know, A-Alpha, B-Bravo, C-Charlie, etc. In doing so I discovered that in the phonetic alphabet only Q and X are not phonetically represented by their own letter. The words begin with that letter (Quebec, X-ray), but the pronunciation does not (kay-bek, ecks-ray). Does this mean these letters are completely superfluous seeing as how other letters or letter combinations could replace them? Many languages remove the letters they find useless. Or, as in French, reserve letters for special sounds (the C replaces the hard K sound or is used with H for a CH sound, and the K is almost never used).

Your thoughts are welcome, which is what makes this blog so interactive.

Thanks for reading and best regards,
Alya

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Snow



Third snowstorm of the year, just wanted to share how beautiful it is here with all of you.

Isn't it just lovely.

Thanks for reading and best regards,
Alya

Friday, February 12, 2010

U. S. Navy


I have FINALLY heard a reply from the U.S. Navy, and have been professionally recommended to attend Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island. Luckily I reran my fitness test and did it in 13 minutes! That is so exciting for me you really have no idea. In high school I did a mile in 14:30 and NOW I can run a mile and a half in 13 minutes.

YAY! Serious sense of accomplishment there.

More photos from my trip to the beach. This one is what I've had as my desktop background for a while.

Also, I'm going to NYC this weekend, and hopefully going to find some time to visit the U.S.S. Intrepid Air Sea and Space Museum. I know, you're all super jealous.

;)

Thanks for reading and best regards,
Alya

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

The Waiting Game


Sorry! Haven't updated in a while. I've been busy looking for jobs and learning how to drive and writing and making up recipes. And taking photographs. This photograph is of ICE!

Additionally, for all those who wonder, I still haven't heard from the U.S. Navy in regards to my officer candidate status. This is not a big deal because I was told it would take some time.

HOWEVER, I did apply to be a U.S. Census Enumerator in the off chance that either #1 I don't get into the Navy, or #2 There's more waiting in between now and OCS. It's a great way to serve my country and carry out the constitution, really. Article 1, Section 2 clearly defines the rules of the U.S. Census and I would be honored to be a part of that. Wouldn't you?

For anyone who wants some extra cash, the U.S. Census and the Department of Commerce are hiring people from all neighborhoods at $16-24 an hour, to help track down those people who haven't filled out their census cards. Don't worry if you haven't because they haven't been sent out yet. The job would be mostly evening hours and weekends when people are at home. All you have to do is complete a test (get 10/28 questions correct and you pass... for some reason).

So wish me luck in all these job ventures!

Thanks for reading and best regards,
Alya

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Food, WHAT?

My friend let me watch his netflix. This was a mistake for two reasons. #1 because I got to see all the movies he likes and now have a crush on him. And #2 I watched Food, Inc.

Now, I tried to stop watching after I saw the part about the chickens... but I figured the worst was over cause we already saw the chickens, right? And then we learned about how all the ingredients you can't pronounce on ingredient labels are probably corn byproducts. Asorbic acid and Xanthan gum and D-glycerine... Yeah all corn! Cool, and fatty. You enjoy your processed food, I'm out. The politics behind corn is a little too ridiculous for me to explain here, but the summary is: D.C. paid people to make wayyyyyy more corn than we needed and then they had to find uses for it. And that is why we are fat.

About 2 minutes later I was looking at something I didn't understand really... And you should click that link to see what I'm talking about.

And if after clicking on that link, you and I are still friends, you can read that I won't ever eat a pig again... or a cow... or a chicken that isn't raised on an organic farm with little happy rainbows. I mean I probably will, but it will be a while. A long while.

I can't even type my normal goodbye because that movie made me feel so sick about going food shopping later.

Wow... so sick. I feel so sick.

Alya

Friday, January 22, 2010

More List Making


I was recently asked what things I would spend excess income on if I had any, and I've come up with a few things:

1. A series of antique maps of East and Central Africa from the 1600-1800s.

2. Zoe Keating's CDs. All of them. Yesss quantum cello.

3. New clothes, because I have lost a lot of weight and now I'm wearing my sister's clothes and I want my own clothes, kthanks.

4. Stock in Apple. Because everyone should own stock in Apple.

I think that's it. Nothing outrageous. Nothing extravagant like a wii or a car or anything.

And now I just need to the income to pay my Sallie Mae and rent so I can have the aforementioned items. Still waiting to hear from the Navy. I don't know what is taking to long. Maybe they actually read the essays...

Thanks for reading and best regards,
Alya

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

More from my Beach Day

Since I had such a lovely day at the beach on Saturday I thought I would post about that again. Mostly because there isn't much else going on with me. Just some reading and writing and exercising. The other stuff that is going on is not at all interesting. I'm waiting for my Navy application results, which should be in by the first week in February. I'm thinking about a possible job in CA. A little cooking... Oh, I'm going night running tomorrow with FERP, which should be fun. And that's really it.

So, the beach was just a wonderful break from mundane for me. I thought I would share a moment with you all from when I was looking at the waves. It reminded me of a recent Radio Lab episode called Numbers.


In this episode the last story (beginning at 43:55) is about a student and his math teacher. They discuss that the calculation of waves is done by using infinity. But to calculate the creation of waves that don't repeat, that die out or that grow, you need a kind of infinity that sits in the space between two numbers; a kind of infinity that isn't just the adding and adding of numbers, but a higher kind of infinity. And when I look at the ocean and I look at waves and the seeming forever-ness that is the sea, I really enjoy the thought that there isn't just infinitesimal space, but that there are infinities which I haven't even imagined yet. Infinities that are so advanced and complex that my mind cannot image them.

ANYWAY, I took a few of the photos from Saturday and entered them in National Geographic's Your Shot contest, which they have every month. They may not win because my camera isn't good enough and because i refuse to digitally enhance my photos, but you never know.

Oh and today I learned something excellent. Platypuses have venom. True story.

Stay safe, don't touch platypuses. And be one with your own infinity.

Thanks for reading and best regards,
Alya

Sunday, January 17, 2010

BEACH!


Yesterday I got to go to the Connecticut beach.

I also learned about this phenomenon where on the solstices the tides are extreme. Who else knew about that?

Apparently, and this is how I imagine it, the world tilts a little bit more on the solstices than the rest of the year and it's the biggest high tide and lowest low tide of the year. SO in California in some places you can walk all the way out to the edge of the continental shelf!

Anyone who lives in CA who wants to send me a photo of this, if they've seen it, you know what to do.

Thanks for reading and best regards,
Alya

Thursday, January 14, 2010

About A Boy


I was looking for inspiration and searched for "Lamu" on Flickr hoping to find some inspiring photographs and found this photo.

In 2006 I took the following photo. Do you think it's the same child? There's about three years difference between when i was there and when the second photograph was taken. Maybe since the baby fat is gone... I don't know. thoughts? It would be an amazing coincidence.

Thanks for reading and best regards,
Alya

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Serious Post

This is a new serious post because I did not want the first thing people read when they come to my website to be about... well.. the next post's topic. SO, what could be more serious than the goals I set for myself? (Answer= the goals my employers set for me! yay I'm so funny and would make such a great employee!) ((wow I am such a loser!))

ANYWAY, in my spare time this month I now have three goals:

#1. Finish learning how to drive.

Even though I don't like it and inviting death into my life is a stupid plan... I would do this for a good job.

#2. Finish at least three of the books I have started.

I have started... *drumroll* 17 books. And I got bored of every last one of them, usually within the first 3 chapters. This is because I am intelligent and therefore hypothesize about where these books are going and don't read to the end! Also, because I then spent my time quilting or writing my own book instead, because I am creative.

#3. PAY SALLIE MAE

HAHA noooo that's not it. I'm not gonna pay her until someone pays ME.

#3. (the real one) Find a good time to sell my DRYS shares so I can have "liquid" money to pay Sallie Mae. Current value of those holdings is about $1800, SO ANYTIME NOW. :) Then when I have liquid money I can MOVE to some place where someone will hire me!

And that's all I have as far as lists go. Maybe I'll have more hopes and dreams in future months. OR you can all tell me YOUR hopes and dreams and this can be a fancy interactive blog again!

Thanks for reading and best regards,
Alya

Monday, January 11, 2010

A Bra? For ME!

This post has been removed because I'm tired of people commenting about it.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Get your calcium!

Today I discovered little ways to increase your calcium intake without knowing it. I needed to think of these things because my doctor told me to take 1000 mg of calcium a day and I hate tums. TUMS: I hate you.

Oh yeah and I also don't like milk to much cause it tastes like chalk/the inside of a cow's tummy.

1. Order a cafe latte instead of a cappuccino. A cappuccino is made with equal parts espresso and milk with yummy foam on top. nom nom. A latte is made with three times as much milk as espresso. Drink your milk without noticing the difference. Same caffeine intake!

2. Like cream sauces in your pasta? make them with milk not cream and REDUCE it! then you concentrate the vitamin D ANDDDD decrease your calories too.

3. Eat more cookies! Eating more cookies means you will WANT milk. Cookies are nummy. Milk and cookies is extra nummy.

4. Loads of recipes call for milk like cooked spinach (which I have just discovered I LOVE, so don't be all judgey-face at me), and lots of chicken a la "stuff" things. They give you calcium and you don't even know it. Plus, Spinach has secret Calcium, like other leafy greens.

5. Other things with calcium: CHEESE, salmon, kale, broccoli, sesame seeds, peanuts, peas, black beans, yogurt, almonds, brown sugar and milk byproducts... like oh right we covered CHEESE. Can I have cheese? I LOVE CHEESE! Mmmm.

So these are my tips for eating more calcium so you can be healthy and strong and not get osteoporosis/ have bone loss without eating yucky tums! ENJOY!

Thanks for reading and best regards,
Alya

Thursday, January 7, 2010

I isolated the DNA of a strawberry today


I learned how to isolated the DNA of things from this website. It was possibly the coolest thing EVER. The DNA was slightly pinkish and awesome and I want to have a special microscope to see them!

The Photo is of me with my DNA!!

Thanks for reading and best regards,
Alya

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

CUTE!

This morning I was meandering around the world wide web today and came across this website featuring "cute food."

I know, you're wondering what hell I'm talking about. Cute food like people who eat kittens? NO.

This is a perfect example: the edible Eiffel Tower with do-it-yourself instructions. The website links in the photo so you can see what the components are made out of. With some fancy knife work, you can make your own fancy French meal. As a side note, you see the fabric on the table under the box the food is in? Yeah... the pajama pants I'm wearing right now, which I made myself, they're made from the exact same fabric. No joke. That Eiffel Tower meal is basically being eaten off my pants.

Enjoy that disturbing or amusing or appealing (depending on who you are) thought as we nonchalantly transition over to the topic of me being out of Radio Lab episodes. Why was I looking at cute food? Because for the past two weeks I have spent all of my waking moments listening to a podcast called Radio Lab. Yes, I admit, this is procrastination from looking for real work to some extent, but some how I still manage to write cover letters and send out resumes so I dunno what the deal is.

ANYWAY, Radio Lab is like... science for dummies. But REALLY COMPLICATED SCIENCE for dummies. And by dummies I mean people like me, and I'm not so dumb I just don't understand quantum mechanics and the intricacies of string theory because I'm not at an IQ of 174. YET. I will increase my brain power. The cute Bento Box Bunnies told me it would happen. I only have like 20 points to go. And when I get there I plan to build the particle accelerator to your left. ;)

Now if you want to know what the hell I'm talking about with this whole Radio Lab nonsense, listen to THIS PODCAST on MORALITY. It's probably the one that has been the most re-broadcasted in different forms, in clips in bits and pieces as parts of NPR or other shows on the radio, so it may sound familiar.

Why I like radio lab is how they edit the sound.

The other part I like is that they take very complex ideas and scientific experiments and make them accessible.

Please take the time to enjoy.

Thanks for reading and best regards,
Alya

Monday, January 4, 2010

New Novel


Yesterday I listened to a podcast called "(so-called) life" from the WNYC radio show Radio Lab.

What I heard on this show blew my freaking mind into tiny little pieces and then as I got up off the floor of the living room and put the pieces back together I decided two things: #1 I was tired of not writing, and #2 I was going to write a new novel about the DNA factory.

While my initial reaction to the episode was "they've found the gene strand that makes things glow in the dark??? I WANT TO GLOW IN THE DARK!! I want to glow in the dark and fly and HAVE SONAR!!! And I will be the GLOWING WOMBAT!"

My SECOND thought was more along lines of "well everyone is going to want sonar... people are going to want to customize themselves and their children to be superheroes..."

And if I don't have the expertise to make the Gene Factory myself, similar to my Black Hole necklace idea... maybe you guys don't know about that... it's another Radio Lab spawned idea of mine... Srsly, don't ask people, I have too much free time.

ANYWAY, if I can't profit off of the ACTUAL gene factory at MIT, then I'm gonna profit off of the novel.

Because, as I see it, someone should because we live in a capitalistic world.

YAY!

Thanks for reading and best regards,
Alya

P.S. Look at the time stamp, ooooooh sad for you my idea is copyrighted. *sadface*

Friday, January 1, 2010

Tin Foil Hat

So clearly this is a photo of my cat Stanley in a tin foil hat. The hat is to block aliens and the government from reading his thoughts.

The origins of the tin foil hat is something I recently wondered about after my friend Phillip watched Signs and wondered about it. Apparently it was featured in a number of movies and tv shows from Lovesick to the the X-files, and originates from a 1904 Scientific American article discussing radio waves.

Just thought you'd all like to know.

Thanks for reading and best regards,
Alya

P.S. after joking around with another friend we created this Icanhascheezburger Stanley with the tin foil hat. Stanley is hiding behind me as I post it online. I would not dare go so far as to humiliate Stanley and post it on the actual icanhacheezburger site.

Dear Stanley, Please still love me! Sincerely, Alya