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Feb 8, 2011
Feb 7, 2011
Feb 6, 2011
Feb 5, 2011
The Return of Wikipedia Friday (Saturday Edition)
Back in 2005, I started the tradition of Wikipedia Friday, wherein I would go to a random Wikipedia Article, and write about it.
I know it isn't Friday, but I've decided to bring Wikipedia Friday back. But now, in the spirit of my resolution to post a picture every day this year, I've decided that Wikipedia Friday (Saturday Edition) will come complete with illustrations!!
Today's topic: Great Float
What I learned: Though The Great Float may sound like a local news stations description of a big boat rally, or water based "sit-in" style protest, this The Great Float is actually referring to a body of water in England. The body of water is formed by the natural tidal inlet, the Wallasey Pool, and is split into two docks - the East Float and the West Float. By their powers combined: The Great Float! Apparently, this involved a lot of excavating, and filling in of areas, and the project was started in 1844.
Personal anecdote involving "The Great Float": When I took swimming lessons, in addition to learning the crawl, the back stroke and diving, we also learned how to do "Dead Man's Float" which basically consisted of, you know, floating. It was what we were suppsed to do if we were ever stranded in a large body of water. SO. Assuming I ever got stranded on The Great Float, I would do the Dead Man's Float to survive. That, or just swim to one of the docks.
Picture of Me and The Great Float:
This is me, by the Central Hydraulic Tower of The Great Float. In my scrubs. Because that is how I roll.
I know it isn't Friday, but I've decided to bring Wikipedia Friday back. But now, in the spirit of my resolution to post a picture every day this year, I've decided that Wikipedia Friday (Saturday Edition) will come complete with illustrations!!
Today's topic: Great Float
What I learned: Though The Great Float may sound like a local news stations description of a big boat rally, or water based "sit-in" style protest, this The Great Float is actually referring to a body of water in England. The body of water is formed by the natural tidal inlet, the Wallasey Pool, and is split into two docks - the East Float and the West Float. By their powers combined: The Great Float! Apparently, this involved a lot of excavating, and filling in of areas, and the project was started in 1844.
Personal anecdote involving "The Great Float": When I took swimming lessons, in addition to learning the crawl, the back stroke and diving, we also learned how to do "Dead Man's Float" which basically consisted of, you know, floating. It was what we were suppsed to do if we were ever stranded in a large body of water. SO. Assuming I ever got stranded on The Great Float, I would do the Dead Man's Float to survive. That, or just swim to one of the docks.
Picture of Me and The Great Float:
This is me, by the Central Hydraulic Tower of The Great Float. In my scrubs. Because that is how I roll.
Feb 4, 2011
More Stuff I Don't Need
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Feb 3, 2011
Coffee Mug Art
I call this piece: Energy.
('Cause it is my coffee mug. Which holds caffeine. AKA liquid energy. And it looks all neon-y. AKA... neon-y energy.)
('Cause it is my coffee mug. Which holds caffeine. AKA liquid energy. And it looks all neon-y. AKA... neon-y energy.)
Feb 2, 2011
Citizen Scientist and The Milky Way
A few weeks ago on NPR, I heard a program about Citizen Scientists. The host was talking to the Technical Lead of Zooniverse, a program at the University of Oxford. I was intrigued. Intrigued enough, that today, when I was supposed to be cleaning my office, I remembered said program from a few weeks ago, and decided to look up this Zooniverse thing.
What is it, you ask? Ahh, let me enlighten you.
So, basically, these scientists in England have all this data, as scientists tend to do. Generally they have computers to analyze the data (or lab grunts, aka students). But it turns out that for some data types, humans are better at the data analysis (take that machines!). Specifically, for data that involves looking at pictures and finding shapes. Something we all learn by kindergarten, I might add (ahem, computers). And the lab grunts aren't prolific enough to go through all the data.
So, some brilliant chap (they're British, so it had to have been a chap. or... chapette? chappess?) decided to put the data online to let us become the lab grunts... er, to become Citizen Scientists!
Kind of like getting tricked into doing homework without the reward of a hot fudge sundae if you get an A on your report card.
But really, it is so cool!
They have multiple different projects, from identifying solar storms to mapping craters on the surface of the moon to looking for specific shapes in the Milky Way.
I chose to do the Milky Way project, because it looked really cool. Check it out:
Awesome, no?
Want to see some more? Here are some of my favorite screen shots. I should mention, of course, that these are all pictures from the Milky Way Project at Zooniverse, and I do not own them or the rights to them.
My office is no cleaner, but I have added to the wealth of Human Knowledge today. Gooooo Citizen Scientist Brenna!
What is it, you ask? Ahh, let me enlighten you.
So, basically, these scientists in England have all this data, as scientists tend to do. Generally they have computers to analyze the data (or lab grunts, aka students). But it turns out that for some data types, humans are better at the data analysis (take that machines!). Specifically, for data that involves looking at pictures and finding shapes. Something we all learn by kindergarten, I might add (ahem, computers). And the lab grunts aren't prolific enough to go through all the data.
So, some brilliant chap (they're British, so it had to have been a chap. or... chapette? chappess?) decided to put the data online to let us become the lab grunts... er, to become Citizen Scientists!
Kind of like getting tricked into doing homework without the reward of a hot fudge sundae if you get an A on your report card.
But really, it is so cool!
They have multiple different projects, from identifying solar storms to mapping craters on the surface of the moon to looking for specific shapes in the Milky Way.
I chose to do the Milky Way project, because it looked really cool. Check it out:
Awesome, no? Want to see some more? Here are some of my favorite screen shots. I should mention, of course, that these are all pictures from the Milky Way Project at Zooniverse, and I do not own them or the rights to them.
My office is no cleaner, but I have added to the wealth of Human Knowledge today. Gooooo Citizen Scientist Brenna!
Feb 1, 2011
Things I Don't Like, #1,476:
Heart Shaped Jewelry.
For about as long as I can remember, I haven't liked heart-shaped things. I take that back. When I was a little girl, I loved heart shaped things. Give me anything with a heart on it, and I was sold. Heart-shaped candy? Why yes! T-shirt with a giant heart on the front? Absolutely! Nasty tasting medicine, served in a glass with a heart shaped handle? Don't mind if I do!
But somewhere along the way, I 'grew up' and decided that I don't like hearts so much*.
I think heart shaped jewelry is particularly heinous. It takes what could be a lovely piece, like this:
Ooooh, sparkly!
And makes it look juvenile:
Does your daddy know you're out this late?
I don't mind the more abstract heart shapes, like Jane Seymour's Open Haaahht (you have to say it with the accent) Collection.
I do mind just sticking more hearts on there, like that will make it less child-like:
Three hearts is better than one...
Unless the heart shaped jewelry comes from an actual child, I don't believe wearing a heart around your finger, or neck, or wrist actually makes you feel more loved. Sorry to anyone out there who loves their heart-shaped jewels. I don't judge you, I just judge the jewelry.
Unfortunately, with the Valentine holiday rapidly approaching, there is upswing of heart shaped jewelry advertising. Just today, we got an advertisement from a jewelry store featuring this beauty:
Can you see the full necklace? Go ahead, blow it up if you need to. I can wait.
Did you see it? It is a heart. With metal bars. With the word "Love" trapped behind those bars. On a heart. Something is wrong with this necklace. It is like telling the world "I'm caging my love" or, alternately, "I have trapped my partner in this relationship." I don't get it.
But then, I don't get any heart shaped jewelry.
*I still do like heart shaped candy.
For about as long as I can remember, I haven't liked heart-shaped things. I take that back. When I was a little girl, I loved heart shaped things. Give me anything with a heart on it, and I was sold. Heart-shaped candy? Why yes! T-shirt with a giant heart on the front? Absolutely! Nasty tasting medicine, served in a glass with a heart shaped handle? Don't mind if I do!
But somewhere along the way, I 'grew up' and decided that I don't like hearts so much*.
I think heart shaped jewelry is particularly heinous. It takes what could be a lovely piece, like this:
Ooooh, sparkly!And makes it look juvenile:
Does your daddy know you're out this late?I don't mind the more abstract heart shapes, like Jane Seymour's Open Haaahht (you have to say it with the accent) Collection.
I do mind just sticking more hearts on there, like that will make it less child-like:
Three hearts is better than one...Unless the heart shaped jewelry comes from an actual child, I don't believe wearing a heart around your finger, or neck, or wrist actually makes you feel more loved. Sorry to anyone out there who loves their heart-shaped jewels. I don't judge you, I just judge the jewelry.
Unfortunately, with the Valentine holiday rapidly approaching, there is upswing of heart shaped jewelry advertising. Just today, we got an advertisement from a jewelry store featuring this beauty:
Can you see the full necklace? Go ahead, blow it up if you need to. I can wait.Did you see it? It is a heart. With metal bars. With the word "Love" trapped behind those bars. On a heart. Something is wrong with this necklace. It is like telling the world "I'm caging my love" or, alternately, "I have trapped my partner in this relationship." I don't get it.
But then, I don't get any heart shaped jewelry.
*I still do like heart shaped candy.
Jan 31, 2011
True Grit
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Marc and I went to see True Grit this evening. So did a couple with their toddler. Who, it turns out, doesn't like Jeff Bridges, but does like screaming.Our review of the movie: Not for toddlers. Otherwise, very well acted, and engaging, though it seemed to lack a real climax. Or a real point. I'm sure there was a lot of symbolism going on in there (it is a Coen Bros movie), but I was too distracted by the screaming toddler to get it.
Oh, and the picture is Marc taking out some Terminators in the arcade before the movie. He's a gun slinger, too, just like Jeff Bridges.
Jan 30, 2011
Hangin With a 4 Year Old
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Jan 28, 2011
Tapered Ankle? Really?
Incidentally, auto-correct changed "scrubs" to "activate" and "pig out" to "put out." Which really changed the whole feel of this post!
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Jan 27, 2011
Theoretical Baby Mash-Ups
You know how Jay Leno will combine two celebrity's faces into a baby? Usually a really ugly one?
Well, technology has now advanced so much, that you can make your own baby Mash-Ups! The websites that do this generally take themselves pretty seriously though, and actually make babies that resemble real humans.
Anyway. Here are our hypothetical babies:
Clearly the oldest, and most loved baby, as it has its own frame, and the two of us hanging out in the bottom corner.
I think this child has ADHD. You can tell it just by looking at him.
And finally, the scary child that we don't tell anyone about, and keep locked in the basement. Because, dude. This baby is scary. You can try to make it less creepy, by dressing it in a fuzzy duck suit, but it is still going to haunt your nightmares.
And, no, this is not an announcement of impending baby-hood. I just found the baby mashup site, and thought it was funny.
Well, technology has now advanced so much, that you can make your own baby Mash-Ups! The websites that do this generally take themselves pretty seriously though, and actually make babies that resemble real humans.
Anyway. Here are our hypothetical babies:
Clearly the oldest, and most loved baby, as it has its own frame, and the two of us hanging out in the bottom corner.
I think this child has ADHD. You can tell it just by looking at him.
And finally, the scary child that we don't tell anyone about, and keep locked in the basement. Because, dude. This baby is scary. You can try to make it less creepy, by dressing it in a fuzzy duck suit, but it is still going to haunt your nightmares.And, no, this is not an announcement of impending baby-hood. I just found the baby mashup site, and thought it was funny.
Jan 26, 2011
Yummy Cupcakes!
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Jan 25, 2011
Surprise Package
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Jan 23, 2011
Jan 22, 2011
So Nice, I'm Doin' It Twice!
It was such a beautiful drive home from work today, through Sonoma County, that I decided I should go back to work tomorrow! Seems like a fantastic idea, and not at all too much work for pediatrics. In January.Sigh.
(Thankfully, we only have to do weekends like this once every 1-2 months, and we get our other weekends off! Mostly)
I had some Fun With Editing in the pic above. Below, the original - still not bad for a phone picture! I love how far technology has come.
Jan 21, 2011
Too Many Sick Kids
Busy day at work so far, and it doesn't look like it will lighten up anytime soon. So, instead of a picture that I took, I'm putting up a picture of the T-shirt on sale over at Shirt.woot today. Because it is HILARIOUS!!!!
The title of the design is "No One Left to Play With"
The title of the design is "No One Left to Play With"
Jan 20, 2011
Coffee Table Book
Does anyone else remember that episode of Seinfeld where Kramer came up with the idea for the coffee table book about coffee tables? Well, I've had an idea for a coffee book table for some time now.
A coffee book table with vanity license plates!
Sounds fascinating, right? Yeah, not so much. But isn't that the point of coffee table books? Most seem to be large books full of pictures about some almost interesting, but not quite fascinating, topic. Like... pictures of flowers, or landmarks or cute kids. Fun to flip through, but nothing you'd curl up with on a rainy day.
Anyhow, I saw two great potential plates for my CTB (That's my new acronym for "coffee table book." Because there are not enough acronyms in the world). And VLP will, obviously, be "vanity license plate."
Behold:
The owner of the car on the left is clearly an anesthesiologist, as the "EN2BATE" plate suggests and the "MD" sticker confirms. The owner also has a son who is an Eagle Scout (of whom they are proud), a child who goes/went to Country Day, is a Christian, was in a branch of the armed forces and went to some school that starts with an "S." You can tell a lot about a person from the back of their car!
The owner of the car on the right appears to be crazy. I cannot for the life of me figure out what "INJYGLF" means. "In Joy, Gleefully?" or "Injury Go Left?" I think what it might be (but this is a conclusion I've come to after literally 10 minutes pondering it? is "Enjoy Golf." Nothing else on the car helps guide me to an answer on this one.
And thus the flaw in my VLPCTB: half the time you can't figure out what the message is supposed to be!
Incidentally, my favorite VLP in the doctor's parking lot at work is "BYBYBUN" owned by a nephrologist. Get it?
A coffee book table with vanity license plates!
Sounds fascinating, right? Yeah, not so much. But isn't that the point of coffee table books? Most seem to be large books full of pictures about some almost interesting, but not quite fascinating, topic. Like... pictures of flowers, or landmarks or cute kids. Fun to flip through, but nothing you'd curl up with on a rainy day.
Anyhow, I saw two great potential plates for my CTB (That's my new acronym for "coffee table book." Because there are not enough acronyms in the world). And VLP will, obviously, be "vanity license plate."
Behold:
The owner of the car on the left is clearly an anesthesiologist, as the "EN2BATE" plate suggests and the "MD" sticker confirms. The owner also has a son who is an Eagle Scout (of whom they are proud), a child who goes/went to Country Day, is a Christian, was in a branch of the armed forces and went to some school that starts with an "S." You can tell a lot about a person from the back of their car!
The owner of the car on the right appears to be crazy. I cannot for the life of me figure out what "INJYGLF" means. "In Joy, Gleefully?" or "Injury Go Left?" I think what it might be (but this is a conclusion I've come to after literally 10 minutes pondering it? is "Enjoy Golf." Nothing else on the car helps guide me to an answer on this one.
And thus the flaw in my VLPCTB: half the time you can't figure out what the message is supposed to be!
Incidentally, my favorite VLP in the doctor's parking lot at work is "BYBYBUN" owned by a nephrologist. Get it?
Jan 19, 2011
Jan 18, 2011
Making Noodles
It's so much fun! Once you get past the initial kneading part, which is really just a pain.
Start with the ball of dough
Stretch it out real thin with the noodle-making-machine-thing
Then cut it into noodles. Voila!
I really enjoy making noodles. I think there may be some secret Italian heritage in me somewhere.
Start with the ball of dough
Stretch it out real thin with the noodle-making-machine-thing
Then cut it into noodles. Voila!
I really enjoy making noodles. I think there may be some secret Italian heritage in me somewhere.
Jan 17, 2011
One Year Later: A Little Imagination Goes a Long Way
Exactly one year ago today, Marc and I made our second trip in two weeks up to Lake Tahoe from Sacramento to check out wedding venues. Tahoe was on the top of our (aka my) list for possible wedding locations, so despite the reports of a large snow storm rolling in, we braved the drive. We drove up to Heavenly Ski Resort to meet with Adriann, the catering director up there.
I fell in love with the whole place immediately! Despite some obvious drawbacks on that cold, stormy January day I was able to imagine the whole thing.
I saw this:
I fell in love with the whole place immediately! Despite some obvious drawbacks on that cold, stormy January day I was able to imagine the whole thing.
I saw this:
And imagined this*:
I saw myself transform from ragamuffin:
To bride:
This, I just knew:
Would become this:
I replaced the bundled up skiers:
With my fancied up loved ones:
And replaced these tables and chairs:
With celebration...:
...and dancing:
Seriously, looking back at the pictures I took one year ago today, I canNOT believe how insistent I ended up being that we have our wedding at Heavenly. I just trusted that there would be a view, and a fantastic one at that. I trusted that the almost mid-October weather would cooperate. And that the skiers hang-out could be suitably altered to resemble a proper wedding location. Crazy.
But it all worked out perfectly! I seriously could not have been more happy. Or lucky!
Because this engaged couple:
Became this married couple!
* It needs to be said again, that all of the good pictures here were taken by David Shirk The rest are from me or Marc.
Jan 16, 2011
Marc, Bored
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Jan 15, 2011
Jan 14, 2011
Spotted at the Grocery Store: Keeping Things Running
I have a confession to make: I am a voyeur.
Every time I go to the grocery store, I surreptitiously take stock of what the person in front of me puts on the belt. And I judge. But, c'mon, it is hard to not look at what the people in front of you are laying out on the belt! It is like a small window into their real life. And I find it fascinating.
I'll see things like... Peas! Corn! Mashed potato mix! And then think to myself... Perhaps they are making Shepard's Pie. How odd.
Or... Two six packs of beer! Tortilla chips! Ice cream! And... Sounds like a party! I wish I could go!
Or even... Light bulb! Batteries! Cookies! Rice! And... Hmmm. That's a random assortment of objects. Someone is doing some impulse shopping.
I apologize to all of the people out there who I have violated with my Grocery Voyeurism. But I also fully expect others to be judging my own purchases. Which is why if I go to the store to just get ice cream (an unfortunately common experience in the summer), I will also pick up some fruit or veggies as well. Just to make my selection seem less indulgent...
All that leads me to today's picture. (finally) Last night, at the grocery store, I spotted this:
Can't tell what I'm amused about? I wanted to be subtle, so I didn't use my zoom. Which is really just me moving closer and extending my arms, you know, so a bit too obvious.
Close up!
Prune juice and motor oil. They just seem so perfectly matched!
Every time I go to the grocery store, I surreptitiously take stock of what the person in front of me puts on the belt. And I judge. But, c'mon, it is hard to not look at what the people in front of you are laying out on the belt! It is like a small window into their real life. And I find it fascinating.
I'll see things like... Peas! Corn! Mashed potato mix! And then think to myself... Perhaps they are making Shepard's Pie. How odd.
Or... Two six packs of beer! Tortilla chips! Ice cream! And... Sounds like a party! I wish I could go!
Or even... Light bulb! Batteries! Cookies! Rice! And... Hmmm. That's a random assortment of objects. Someone is doing some impulse shopping.
I apologize to all of the people out there who I have violated with my Grocery Voyeurism. But I also fully expect others to be judging my own purchases. Which is why if I go to the store to just get ice cream (an unfortunately common experience in the summer), I will also pick up some fruit or veggies as well. Just to make my selection seem less indulgent...
All that leads me to today's picture. (finally) Last night, at the grocery store, I spotted this:
Can't tell what I'm amused about? I wanted to be subtle, so I didn't use my zoom. Which is really just me moving closer and extending my arms, you know, so a bit too obvious.
Close up! Prune juice and motor oil. They just seem so perfectly matched!
Jan 13, 2011
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