I'm at my dad's place in MN, and just now my step-brother walked by and said, "there goes Amy, looking at hard core porn again." LOL - hilarious.
But it turns out he was half-right. I'm looking at vacation homes.... this is basically like porn for me. I stare and drool at beautiful homes on beautiful beaches that are way out of my league. At the airport the other day I let myself buy a magazine called "Vacation Homes" which was amazing. Right now I'm looking at home listings and learning all the zip codes in La Jolla.
With all this home-gazing, I was reminded of that movie "The Holiday" where Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz do a home swap, and I have now found my new favorite porn site.
Home Exchange.
Check out these sweet babies:
Hot
Hot!
HOT!!
The internet just makes me so happy sometimes.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Pure Joy - Merry Christmas
For Christmas, I thought I'd post a nice YouTube video that brings joy and happiness to all who watch it! Merry Christmas to all - I'm enjoying a beautiful white Christmas Eve here in Minnesota.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Amtrak - Empire Builder
Bad news!!! My train trip to Minnesota got canceled. I was supposed to leave today, in about an hour. But due to weather, there is no service between Seattle and Spokane, WA.
I am really sad, because I was looking forward to spending 36 hours on the train - reading magazines, looking at all the beautiful snow in Montana, and curling up with my fuzzy green blanket. I was also excited because I had already started wrapping gifts, and now I have to live in fear that the TSA will open them. (Oh yeah and I have to spend $15 to check a bag, not to mention the $325 for the plane ticket itself.)
I guess for all the awesomeness of train rides, this is one downside. An automated voice message just called to tell me it was canceled, with no explanation other than "weather", and no idea of when I could reschedule.
I am really sad, because I was looking forward to spending 36 hours on the train - reading magazines, looking at all the beautiful snow in Montana, and curling up with my fuzzy green blanket. I was also excited because I had already started wrapping gifts, and now I have to live in fear that the TSA will open them. (Oh yeah and I have to spend $15 to check a bag, not to mention the $325 for the plane ticket itself.)
I guess for all the awesomeness of train rides, this is one downside. An automated voice message just called to tell me it was canceled, with no explanation other than "weather", and no idea of when I could reschedule.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Bus Peril!!
I had to do another post today because from Sean's window I could see this bus, which had crashed through the railing and is hanging over the freeway. Bill Bryson likes to talk about "bus plunges" occuring in 3rd world countries, and we came dangerously close to having our own 1st world bus plunge today! I really hope everyone is ok!
Top 10 Places to Study in Seattle
I have gone through the various stages.... denial, bargaining, anger, depression, and finally I am arriving at acceptance. I am accepting that my thesis will never be done. Things could be much worse. I mean, at least I have my health, right? (Minus the headaches and carpal tunnel but hey.)
So, since my life pretty much revolves around working on the Thing, I figured I'd do a post about my favorite places to work/study. (Note that the lab did not make it onto the list!)
10. Parnassus - This is the coffee shop inside the Art building. You don't have to be an art student or even a UW student to go in though. It closes really early (4pm!) - but a good place to go during the day between classes.
Key Asset It's in a basement. If you don't see why this makes it cool, then you clearly do not like basements as much as I do.
9. Suzzallo - This is the "Harry Potter" library at UW. The reading room is filled with books from floor to ceiling, and there is no talking aloud. So when you really need to focus, this is the best place to be. Unfortunately I don't think coffee is allowed in there. However this is Seattle so there is a coffee shop on the 1st floor of the library.
Key Asset It's beautiful. This building is so pretty that people take wedding photos in front of it.
8. Victrola - If your emphasis is more on the coffee than the studying, Victrola is a good place to go. It's a bright, fresh space and has a decent amount of outlets. I personally love the location (capitol hill - on Pike) because it's right down the street from Sean's place.
Key Asset The internet is not flaky there. This is actually somewhat rare for a coffee shop - they tend not to invest so much in their internet, so routers get really bogged down if places are crowded.
7. Wannabe - It's north of all the craziness on the ave, around 52nd. This little place is adorable, the people who work there are super friendly, and some of the tables are covered with sweet mosaics.
Key Asset It feels somewhat undiscovered. The times I've been there it has been pretty quiet.
6. Cafe on the Ave - This place is in the thick of the ave stuff - just across the street from Starbucks on 42nd. It has good internet, with a WEP key that they provide on your receipt. Also has decent food, so this is a great place to go for a long haul study session. (I like the turkey, egg, and cheese muffins.)
Key Asset The food. Also has a ton of tables. Despite all the space it can still get pretty crowded when school is in session.
5. Trabant - Another one on the ave. I know, I'm biased towards U District stuff. Still there are probably 20 coffee shops within 1 block of the ave. Trabant has late hours which is nice, and their internet is fairly decent.
Key Asset The Chais. They make lots of different flavors of chai - my favorite is the hazelnut cream. Mmm good. Also you can give them your name when you order and they'll give you a free drink after (10?) purchased drinks.
4. Bauhuas - Another capitol hill place, really near Victrola. The internet here isn't quite as good, but it has a really cool ambiance, with a wall full of books, and an upstairs loft area with lots of tables. They serve Top Pot doughnuts here, which are like the Sub-Zero of doughnuts. Mmmmmm good.
Key Asset The hours! This place is open till 1am, it's the latest coffee shop that I know of.
3. Zoka - Zoka just has a special place in my heart, even though it is a pain in the a** sometimes. It's super crowded, hard to find outlets, and their internet is often really slow. But it's a fun place to have study groups with friends, and used to be open till midnight (I've heard that they moved it up to 11pm.) The poor people who work there are always struggling to kick people out at midnight, because no one wants to leave that place.
Key Asset Cozy latte! I don't even like plain lattes, but the cozy latte is like drinking liquid Christmas. If you try this drink and you don't like it, you are probably a dictator of a developing nation.
2. Mosaic - I love this place, and I'm sure I've mentioned it before on the blog. It's tucked away behind Dick's in Wallingford, in the basement of a church. Mosaic is a free coffee shop - they just ask for donations to keep it going, and apparently they do pretty well. While there are occasionally 1 or 2 homeless people in there (usually ladies from what I've seen), it's not overrun as you might expect. There's always tons of space to spread out and work, and it's usually really quiet. Sean hates studying in coffee shops and he'll go to this place because it's quiet (and he's not obligated to buy a drink.)
Key Asset - free coffee. Ok of course I donate when I get a coffee, so it's not really free, but I like the idea. Also, despite being inside a church, there's never any churchiness, which is nice.
1. Downtown library - The main library is a tourist attraction to which I take almost all of my out-of-town visitors. It is an architectural wonder, and of course being a library has lots of places to study. And of course being Seattle, there is a coffee shop inside the library. One downside to the supreme coolness of the building is that it's kind of like a maze, so it's a little hard to find the bathroom at first. Also there can sometimes be some pretty serious B.O. coming from the bums. But the library is gianormous so you can always find a new spot away from the bums.
Key Asset - really good/fast internet, and plenty of outlets.
So, since my life pretty much revolves around working on the Thing, I figured I'd do a post about my favorite places to work/study. (Note that the lab did not make it onto the list!)
10. Parnassus - This is the coffee shop inside the Art building. You don't have to be an art student or even a UW student to go in though. It closes really early (4pm!) - but a good place to go during the day between classes.
Key Asset It's in a basement. If you don't see why this makes it cool, then you clearly do not like basements as much as I do.
9. Suzzallo - This is the "Harry Potter" library at UW. The reading room is filled with books from floor to ceiling, and there is no talking aloud. So when you really need to focus, this is the best place to be. Unfortunately I don't think coffee is allowed in there. However this is Seattle so there is a coffee shop on the 1st floor of the library.
Key Asset It's beautiful. This building is so pretty that people take wedding photos in front of it.
8. Victrola - If your emphasis is more on the coffee than the studying, Victrola is a good place to go. It's a bright, fresh space and has a decent amount of outlets. I personally love the location (capitol hill - on Pike) because it's right down the street from Sean's place.
Key Asset The internet is not flaky there. This is actually somewhat rare for a coffee shop - they tend not to invest so much in their internet, so routers get really bogged down if places are crowded.
7. Wannabe - It's north of all the craziness on the ave, around 52nd. This little place is adorable, the people who work there are super friendly, and some of the tables are covered with sweet mosaics.
Key Asset It feels somewhat undiscovered. The times I've been there it has been pretty quiet.
6. Cafe on the Ave - This place is in the thick of the ave stuff - just across the street from Starbucks on 42nd. It has good internet, with a WEP key that they provide on your receipt. Also has decent food, so this is a great place to go for a long haul study session. (I like the turkey, egg, and cheese muffins.)
Key Asset The food. Also has a ton of tables. Despite all the space it can still get pretty crowded when school is in session.
5. Trabant - Another one on the ave. I know, I'm biased towards U District stuff. Still there are probably 20 coffee shops within 1 block of the ave. Trabant has late hours which is nice, and their internet is fairly decent.
Key Asset The Chais. They make lots of different flavors of chai - my favorite is the hazelnut cream. Mmm good. Also you can give them your name when you order and they'll give you a free drink after (10?) purchased drinks.
4. Bauhuas - Another capitol hill place, really near Victrola. The internet here isn't quite as good, but it has a really cool ambiance, with a wall full of books, and an upstairs loft area with lots of tables. They serve Top Pot doughnuts here, which are like the Sub-Zero of doughnuts. Mmmmmm good.
Key Asset The hours! This place is open till 1am, it's the latest coffee shop that I know of.
3. Zoka - Zoka just has a special place in my heart, even though it is a pain in the a** sometimes. It's super crowded, hard to find outlets, and their internet is often really slow. But it's a fun place to have study groups with friends, and used to be open till midnight (I've heard that they moved it up to 11pm.) The poor people who work there are always struggling to kick people out at midnight, because no one wants to leave that place.
Key Asset Cozy latte! I don't even like plain lattes, but the cozy latte is like drinking liquid Christmas. If you try this drink and you don't like it, you are probably a dictator of a developing nation.
2. Mosaic - I love this place, and I'm sure I've mentioned it before on the blog. It's tucked away behind Dick's in Wallingford, in the basement of a church. Mosaic is a free coffee shop - they just ask for donations to keep it going, and apparently they do pretty well. While there are occasionally 1 or 2 homeless people in there (usually ladies from what I've seen), it's not overrun as you might expect. There's always tons of space to spread out and work, and it's usually really quiet. Sean hates studying in coffee shops and he'll go to this place because it's quiet (and he's not obligated to buy a drink.)
Key Asset - free coffee. Ok of course I donate when I get a coffee, so it's not really free, but I like the idea. Also, despite being inside a church, there's never any churchiness, which is nice.
1. Downtown library - The main library is a tourist attraction to which I take almost all of my out-of-town visitors. It is an architectural wonder, and of course being a library has lots of places to study. And of course being Seattle, there is a coffee shop inside the library. One downside to the supreme coolness of the building is that it's kind of like a maze, so it's a little hard to find the bathroom at first. Also there can sometimes be some pretty serious B.O. coming from the bums. But the library is gianormous so you can always find a new spot away from the bums.
Key Asset - really good/fast internet, and plenty of outlets.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
I'm Starting a Website
For awhile now, I have had this idea to start a website. I haven't had much time to work on it, since I'm still dealing with the thesis.
Last night I told one of my friends about the idea and he laughed and said it was the whitest idea ever. He may be right.... it does involve saving the environment and non-profits . If only I could find a way to incorporate pea coats, hummus, and black music that black people don't listen to anymore, it would be perfect!! (Um, black people do still listen to Sir Mix-a-lot, right?)
Meanwhile, my thesis has been rapidly gaining strength and evolving into a sentient being. I believe that it is already a multi-celled organism, and could soon start growing appendages and learning how to use tools. It's terrifying.
Last night I told one of my friends about the idea and he laughed and said it was the whitest idea ever. He may be right.... it does involve saving the environment and non-profits . If only I could find a way to incorporate pea coats, hummus, and black music that black people don't listen to anymore, it would be perfect!! (Um, black people do still listen to Sir Mix-a-lot, right?)
Meanwhile, my thesis has been rapidly gaining strength and evolving into a sentient being. I believe that it is already a multi-celled organism, and could soon start growing appendages and learning how to use tools. It's terrifying.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Stuff Engineers Like #6 - Trade-offs
Saying that engineers like trade-offs is kind of like saying that chefs like cooking, or that bus drivers like driving buses. For you non-engineers out there, you might have thought that engineers build bridges or make circuits (or if you read my blog, that we use/complain about unix.) But really what an engineer does is analyze trade-offs. If you're a civil engineer, you might look at how to build the strongest bridge with the least amount of material. Or for example, in a radar system there is a trade-off between being able to detect range vs. velocity of targets. In any kind of detection system there is a precision/recall trade-off (or another way to frame that is missed detections vs. false alarms.)
The reason this particular joy of engineers makes the list is because many engineers continue to use this skill when they leave the work place. For example, an engineer might assign a numerical value to "enjoyment of having extra money" and then do a quality-of-life vs. early-retirement analysis. I do this, in a qualitative way, all the time. For example, here's a graph I came up with that shows a free-time vs. money trade-off, where each point on the curve represents a hypothetical job. As a grad student, in a way you have the best of both worlds - you've optimized for both time and money. Yet as you can see, it's still not very good. You don't really have that much of either one. This is why I think it's probably better to alternate between working full-time and being unemployed.
The reason this particular joy of engineers makes the list is because many engineers continue to use this skill when they leave the work place. For example, an engineer might assign a numerical value to "enjoyment of having extra money" and then do a quality-of-life vs. early-retirement analysis. I do this, in a qualitative way, all the time. For example, here's a graph I came up with that shows a free-time vs. money trade-off, where each point on the curve represents a hypothetical job. As a grad student, in a way you have the best of both worlds - you've optimized for both time and money. Yet as you can see, it's still not very good. You don't really have that much of either one. This is why I think it's probably better to alternate between working full-time and being unemployed.
Friday, December 5, 2008
I've developed a new music problem
I feel like this is a major problem, although I'm not exactly sure why. Perhaps someone can help me shed some light on this issue......
In the past few weeks I have seen 2 commercials and really liked the music on them, so I've tried to look them up and find out what song it is. In general I don't think this is a horrible thing. I have discovered many great artists, such as Gypsy Kings (Burger King, waaay back in the day), Jose Gonzales, and Telepopmusik from tv ads.
But here's the thing. It turns out that both of these recent commercials did not use a "real" song for their ads. They had little jingles written specifically for the commercial. So, what is my issue here? Did my taste in music get really bad? Is the music on commercials getting really good? Am I just watching too much tv?
Here are both the ads in case you're curious:
In the past few weeks I have seen 2 commercials and really liked the music on them, so I've tried to look them up and find out what song it is. In general I don't think this is a horrible thing. I have discovered many great artists, such as Gypsy Kings (Burger King, waaay back in the day), Jose Gonzales, and Telepopmusik from tv ads.
But here's the thing. It turns out that both of these recent commercials did not use a "real" song for their ads. They had little jingles written specifically for the commercial. So, what is my issue here? Did my taste in music get really bad? Is the music on commercials getting really good? Am I just watching too much tv?
Here are both the ads in case you're curious:
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