Sarah's Bloglet

Today I got into a discussion with one of my...

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 01:11:39 -0600

Today I got into a discussion with one of my coworkers about the idea of humans becoming immortal (a la Aubrey de Grey). I realized, not for the first time, that I am instinctively horrified by the idea of immortality and by the more general proposition that man can and should become perfect.

Later he sent me a link to The Venus Project, oriented to the perfection of man and society. Just looking at the drawings on the front page made me feel queasy, but here's something from the FAQ to muse on:

The Venus Project presents an alternative vision for a sustainable world civilization unlike any political, economic or social system that has gone before. It envisions a time in the near future when money, politics, self and national-interest have been phased out.

What is strange for me is that I simultaneously reject this kind of utopian ideal and cling to the ideals of American democracy and social progress. I do believe the world can be a better place; I've been working my ass off to that end for almost three years now and plan at it. Not to mention my love of fantastical and utopian science fiction. So why do these sorts of projects rile me up so much that I immediately dismiss them? What am I clinging to that is so offended by this kind of idea? Is it just that this kind of utopia would undermind the one that I believe in?
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I just taught my mom how to attach a document to...

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 22:46:46 -0600

I just taught my mom how to attach a document to an email, and like always wondered whether my children will be any more patient when I call them up complaining about problems with my neural implants. Then Sumana pointed me to this strip from Penny Arcade.
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So I have this new job where I stand on the...

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 01:30:05 -0600

So I have this new job where I stand on the street and ask people for money. (I have a clipboard. That means I'm official.) Anyway, sometimes when we're doing this in a neighborhood I get to see amazing little moments in people's lives. Today I saw a boy in an elephant costume playing with a girl dressed like a leprechaun outside a cafe. They chased each other around with rolled-up newspaper "swords" for about an hour.
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I just googled the name of a friend and saw...

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 23:58:40 -0600

I just googled the name of a friend and saw blog entries from other people who have met and appreciated her. Seeing this somehow compounds my own gratitude for her friendship. Sometimes the world is a wonderful place.
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Not long ago I realized that I must be having some...

Sun, 22 Feb 2009 18:00:39 -0600

Not long ago I realized that I must be having some difficulties with cultural readjustment, because my relationship with the iGoogle Teahouse Fox had taken on an unusually deep (and presumably one-sided) emotional aspect.

We're cool now, by the way.
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Five Years by David Bowie. Check it out.

Sun, 22 Feb 2009 15:09:06 -0600

Five Years by David Bowie. Check it out.
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Overheard: A woman in the street outside, yelling,...

Sat, 21 Feb 2009 00:27:55 -0600

Overheard: A woman in the street outside, yelling, "See! Veganism did this to you!"
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From last year (hey, I was in Africa!): Steven...

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:18:32 -0600

From last year (hey, I was in Africa!): Steven Stoll on the ecological limits of economic growth. Anybody remember what Adam Smith said about the economy in, what was it, Calcutta? With the New Great Depression we have a forcible reprieve, but it seems to me like we should be prodding the economy in a more sustainable direction. Sadly, we're not.
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Thinking about financial matters (who isn't...

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 04:35:48 -0600

Thinking about financial matters (who isn't these days) reminded me of something I heard recently. I was unlocking my bike outside the post office when a pandhandler asked me for some change. I apologized, saying I didn't have any, and we got into a brief conversation. "When I was your age," he said, "I never thought things would turn out this way. I went to college, you know. You wouldn't think it..." He complained about the people who ignored him as they passed by, and continued, "They just work and work and all they care about is money. They don't know that no matter how much you have, it's never enough. It's never enough."

"I disagree," I said. "I think we can have enough."

What do you think?
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The Mormon church reported $190,000 in expenses...

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 16:47:44 -0600

The Mormon church reported $190,000 in expenses for promoting Prop. 8, the narrowly-passed ballot intiative that amended the California State Constitution to invalidate gay marriage. Do you think this invalidates their tax-exempt status?

My inclination is to say yes, but then I'm biased for gay marriage (and against the Mormon church, although considerably less so). So I'm trying to think of a parallel situation where my sympathies would support the church. Quaker abolitionists?
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The Mormon church reported $190,000 in expenses...

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 16:47:42 -0600

A break in the frivolity: The Big...

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 14:55:17 -0600

A break in the frivolity: The Big Fix, by David Leonhardt in the Times. An in-depth article on using the current financial crisis to remake the US economy, looking at green jobs, energy, health care and education.

Leonhardt argues that we've caused this mess through years of consumption over investment; he makes some interesting observations about the power of social norms in economic decision-making. I've noticed the popular media encouraging frugality lately: the three free weeklies in the SF/East Bay area have all published special issues on dealing with unemployment, budgeting, etc. I'd always thought of myself as a frugal person --- I've been lucky enough to never have to live beyond my means -- but now I'm wondering how much our consumption-oriented culture influenced me. I certainly ate out regularly and bought things I didn't need, and even now that I'm unemployed and living off my savings I find it hard to socialize without spending money.
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-I wanna do great things, you know...

Sat, 31 Jan 2009 02:42:40 -0600

-I wanna do great things, you know? I want to be an achiever. Like Bad Horse.

-The Thoroughbred of Sin?

-I meant Gandhi.

(I'm behind everyone on this, but hey, I was in Africa.)
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I just made a spreadsheet for free...

Sat, 31 Jan 2009 01:43:39 -0600

I just made a spreadsheet for free. And decided to spend most of the weekend adding data to it.

I need a job.
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My brother's advice for avoiding romantic...

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:57:42 -0600

My brother's advice for avoiding romantic entanglements: "Just tell them you can only love kitty cats."
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The thing I missed most while I lived in Mali was...

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 03:08:49 -0600

The thing I missed most while I lived in Mali was data. Not just the succulent nectar of the Infoteat, but my own personal data that I'd painstakingly amassed over the years, most notably music. Now that I have my hard drives back I'm consolidating my music collection and discovering all sorts of bands I forgot (Fannypack!) and answering lingering, trivial questions (which album was "Clementine" on?). My time of deprivation wasn't all bad, though. I once got to translate this video for a guy who was watching it on his phone.
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And last night I dreamt that I found a...

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 01:34:30 -0600

And last night I dreamt that I found a secret unfinished basement where delicious plants like kale were growing. There was no explanation for how they achieved photosynthesis in the dark. Also, cannot stop listening to "Under Pressure". David Bowie and Queen? Outta sight!
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Just last week I was saying to someone how I...

Sat, 24 Jan 2009 21:54:46 -0600

Just last week I was saying to someone how I don't care about this blog, have nothing to say, etc. etc. At the moment, however, I do have something to say: Nothing is funnier than a white guy in his 30's painting D&D miniatures while singing along to "Fuck tha Police."
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Me: [Summary of Karen Finley's piece, Vaginal...

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 13:20:24 -0600

Me: [Summary of Karen Finley's piece, Vaginal Scroll]
My teammate Walt: Wouldn't she get a paper cut?

Thanks to Cassie for reminding me to blog, and Walt for providing the impetus. Don't expect much, guys, but it's nice to be talking out loud again. So say hi if you want and nobody mention the name of my employer until I can stick a disclaimer in the sidebar, ok? Rad.
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I haven't had much to say for the past, uh, month...

Wed, 19 Jul 2006 14:33:56 -0600

I haven't had much to say for the past, uh, month or so -- but anyway, I'm heading off to staging on Sunday and am all excited but in a tizzy trying to organize my crap and get the last few things I need. Any advice would be well-appreciated, and if you want to receive my PCV spam emails you should email me at sarahvirginiapeters at gmail dot com.
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I've done it before but it's hard to resist...

Wed, 21 Jun 2006 17:43:02 -0600

I've done it before but it's hard to resist posting the best verse from "Mirrorshades":

She was so absolutely digital,
To jack in now was wrong.
But Cupid punches deck with chemicals
While Dark Madonna sings her song.
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The other night I was trying to remember the big...

Wed, 21 Jun 2006 17:20:54 -0600

The other night I was trying to remember the big hit from Hack by Information Society and started singing a Humans League song instead. Fortuitously I've just come across the video for "Think". (And did everyone in the late '80s sound like a Pet Shop Boys cover band?)

And I know I've posted this before, but the song "Mirrorshades" on the same album is up there with Billy Idol's Cyberpunk as a reason why the cyberpunk aesthetic is nowadays something of a joke. (Well, "Shock to the System" is a pretty catchy tune.)
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THE MAN IS SO OLD SCHOOL HE DRIVES A YELLOW BUS...

Wed, 21 Jun 2006 15:50:52 -0600

THE MAN IS SO OLD SCHOOL HE DRIVES A YELLOW BUS WITH GOTHIC ARCH WINDOWS!
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Moved out of apartment, visited people on Long...

Wed, 21 Jun 2006 15:45:38 -0600

Moved out of apartment, visited people on Long Island and in Queens, Philadelphia, Baltimore and College Park and was very kindly hosted by several friends and their relations. It turns out almost everyone I know has really good taste in animation. Now recovering back in Oaktown.

Incidentally, this headline didn't surprise me at all. New Yorkers are so considerate! (This sounds facetious, but I'm serious. I only have one tone of voice!)
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DIY household-use wind turbine-slash-junior lab...

Mon, 05 Jun 2006 02:57:54 -0600

DIY household-use wind turbine-slash-junior lab flashback generator.

Can't type r iight. Sleep now. Books=in storage!
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Damn I'm uptight. ...

Mon, 05 Jun 2006 01:04:33 -0600

Damn I'm uptight.

Your results:
You are Dr. Simon Tam (Ship Medic)

Dr. Simon Tam (Ship Medic)		85%
Kaylee Frye (Ship Mechanic)		75%
Derrial Book (Shepherd)		70%
Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command)		65%
Wash (Ship Pilot)		65%
Malcolm Reynolds (Captain)		60%
Inara Serra (Companion)		55%
River (Stowaway)		55%
Jayne Cobb (Mercenary)		25%
Alliance		25%
A Reaver (Cannibal)		15%

Medicine and physical healing are your game,
but wooing women isn't a strong suit.

Click here to take the Serenity Personality Quiz

Thanks for the link, Cassie.
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So tired. Soooo tired. ...

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 19:34:09 -0600

So tired. Soooo tired.

Just one more day of this, though, and then I can sleep in however long I want on weekdays. Until I go to Mali, where the workday starts at 7. Someday my circadian rhythms will have been beaten into submission, but I'm not looking forward to the beatening.
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This is very shallow, but I just can't decide...

Thu, 25 May 2006 22:32:30 -0600

This is very shallow, but I just can't decide. Should I get the one-piece swimsuit in:

pink with cherries
leopard print
or black?

I am personally somewhat disinclined towards the black, but I suppose it's a classy look or something. Anyway, I'm buying it today or tomorrow, so hurry up and give me your opinion y'all.

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Hooray for collage funtimes!

Sat, 20 May 2006 20:36:17 -0600

Hooray for collage funtimes!
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And now that I've blogged something potentially...

Wed, 17 May 2006 14:04:29 -0600

And now that I've blogged something potentially critical of the PC I'm all freaked out that they'll rescind my invitation. Oh well.
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