Ranked in descending order from toughest to easiest:
3. Logon and check (e:strip) only once a day!
4. Complete one page of academic writing every day.
5. Draft tasklists and try and complete 75% -> 100% of the list every day.
6. Finish writing and propose before this month is out.
7. Take notes on worthwhile articles and keep up the running notes diary.
8. Will finally gather my wits together and start discussion sessions with future collaborators and draft grant ideas @rate of 1/month.
9. Cut down on non-productive interaction. Reply to relevant emails promptly.
10. Erase hate-like emotions and cultivate indifference instead because really, sometimes I couldn't care less.
Here's to a more streamlined 2009!!
TP
Tinypliny's Journal
My Podcast Link
01/03/2009 10:20 #47261
More New Year Resolutions...Category: the odes
01/02/2009 07:28 #47248
Hope as a construct.Category: the odes
This is going to be a rather boring abstract stream of thoughts from some of yesterday's conversations. Thus, feel free to skip this journal. I am writing it because really, the construct of hope continues to fascinate me. I am not sure whether its this particular holiday season - the only one I have spent away from immediate family or because I am at this crazy unsure point in my school. Every step seems to take an eternity because a thousand thoughts flow and ebb before I complete it.
At the last minute I see patterns in the waves and that changes the place where my step is finally going to take root. I am almost about to place my foot down but I look down and I see its not solid ground.
Its a wild desolate marsh full of exotic colours - they are so exciting and pretty but they are also so foreign I can't name them even if I try really hard! I look up and there is a lighthouse but its lights are too distant and fog shrouds its outlines. Its a hint of hope. Every little thing I see is tinged with hope when what I really want is for them to be fully coloured with bold broad firm strokes.
I think hope is very contextual in its distribution. Its in tune with what we do for a living and what our particular situation in life is. Why does this nonuniform distribution even exist? Why is it that our professional lives are, more often than not, tempered with a heavier dose of hopes and convictions than our perspective of the professional fields that others work in? Does this unequal hope temperance only happen when we have invested a high level of effort and deliberation in choosing and pursuing our professions? It surely does not stand a chance when we hate our jobs, but it thrives when we feel even a tenuous and remote connection to what we do for our living.
Are we merely justifying the work that went into being qualified for a living when we cultivate dreams for its future and believe in them? Or do we think that somehow our "expert insight" into our professions extend to also detecting shiny and hopeful visions of this field in the crystal ball? Does all this also stunt our visions for other professional fields? Is it some psychological one-bird-in-hand grapes-are-sour phenomenon?
New Year Resolution 2. Write down craziness when it occurs. Use writing as a weapon for thought resolution. Check.
Photos:
At the last minute I see patterns in the waves and that changes the place where my step is finally going to take root. I am almost about to place my foot down but I look down and I see its not solid ground.
Its a wild desolate marsh full of exotic colours - they are so exciting and pretty but they are also so foreign I can't name them even if I try really hard! I look up and there is a lighthouse but its lights are too distant and fog shrouds its outlines. Its a hint of hope. Every little thing I see is tinged with hope when what I really want is for them to be fully coloured with bold broad firm strokes.
I think hope is very contextual in its distribution. Its in tune with what we do for a living and what our particular situation in life is. Why does this nonuniform distribution even exist? Why is it that our professional lives are, more often than not, tempered with a heavier dose of hopes and convictions than our perspective of the professional fields that others work in? Does this unequal hope temperance only happen when we have invested a high level of effort and deliberation in choosing and pursuing our professions? It surely does not stand a chance when we hate our jobs, but it thrives when we feel even a tenuous and remote connection to what we do for our living.
Are we merely justifying the work that went into being qualified for a living when we cultivate dreams for its future and believe in them? Or do we think that somehow our "expert insight" into our professions extend to also detecting shiny and hopeful visions of this field in the crystal ball? Does all this also stunt our visions for other professional fields? Is it some psychological one-bird-in-hand grapes-are-sour phenomenon?
New Year Resolution 2. Write down craziness when it occurs. Use writing as a weapon for thought resolution. Check.
Photos:
metalpeter - 01/03/09 12:47
Ah ok that clears things up a little bit, thanks. That being said I love the light house picture in this post.
Ah ok that clears things up a little bit, thanks. That being said I love the light house picture in this post.
tinypliny - 01/03/09 10:29
Hey metalpeter - sorry for the confusion. I was specifically writing about hope as it relates to the future of one's professional field versus hope when you think about the future of someone's else professional field (not related to your own).
I agree with everything you said. Hope is extremely important in all circumstances! :)
Hey metalpeter - sorry for the confusion. I was specifically writing about hope as it relates to the future of one's professional field versus hope when you think about the future of someone's else professional field (not related to your own).
I agree with everything you said. Hope is extremely important in all circumstances! :)
metalpeter - 01/02/09 19:39
To me it sounds like you think Hope is something that is made up, if that is what you mean then I kinda disagree. Hope is an emotion and some people don't have it, some people think of everything and dark and all ways think the worst result of anything they do will happen. The fact is that many things in life are uncertain and having hope that something will turn out good is better then being afraid that all hell will break and everyone will die.
Every time I watch sports as an example, I want my team to win. I route for them and I hope that they win or I hope the other team loses.
But a better example is in humans. For example if someone is sick or even has something deadly like cancer often hope is all people really have. Some people have cancer and it is caught and they have chemo and stuff cut out of them and they live and the Cancer never comes back. But see some peoples body that doesn't happen with the same thing happens they think they are clean and they hope that they will be healthy just like the other person and then years later the cancer comes back. Hope can be a very important feeling.
To me it sounds like you think Hope is something that is made up, if that is what you mean then I kinda disagree. Hope is an emotion and some people don't have it, some people think of everything and dark and all ways think the worst result of anything they do will happen. The fact is that many things in life are uncertain and having hope that something will turn out good is better then being afraid that all hell will break and everyone will die.
Every time I watch sports as an example, I want my team to win. I route for them and I hope that they win or I hope the other team loses.
But a better example is in humans. For example if someone is sick or even has something deadly like cancer often hope is all people really have. Some people have cancer and it is caught and they have chemo and stuff cut out of them and they live and the Cancer never comes back. But see some peoples body that doesn't happen with the same thing happens they think they are clean and they hope that they will be healthy just like the other person and then years later the cancer comes back. Hope can be a very important feeling.
01/01/2009 14:16 #47240
The New Year Brunch 2009Category: eating in
Resolution No. 1: Cook more interesting stuff. Check.
tinypliny - 01/03/09 20:18
I think they turned out pretty well but they become soggy on reheating. Not the case with "real" samosas that become crisper and crisper. I am thinking of making the dough myself with a tonload of butter next time I make this. I realized very late that the pastry sheet have hydrogenated oil (margarine) and palm oil. Butter is WAAAAY butter. :)
I think they turned out pretty well but they become soggy on reheating. Not the case with "real" samosas that become crisper and crisper. I am thinking of making the dough myself with a tonload of butter next time I make this. I realized very late that the pastry sheet have hydrogenated oil (margarine) and palm oil. Butter is WAAAAY butter. :)
heidi - 01/03/09 18:07
Were the puff pastry sheets an adequate substitute for samosa dough?
Were the puff pastry sheets an adequate substitute for samosa dough?
tinypliny - 01/01/09 19:42
They are samosas. :) Puff Pastry sheets stuffed with potatoes and baked to a crisp. The sauce is a tamarind-tomato chutney garnished with peas.
HIGHLY fat-ridden and completely unhealthy. I made them at home today morning because I felt like some constructive cooking. I hope to perfect my technique and bring them to the next potluck though! :)
They are samosas. :) Puff Pastry sheets stuffed with potatoes and baked to a crisp. The sauce is a tamarind-tomato chutney garnished with peas.
HIGHLY fat-ridden and completely unhealthy. I made them at home today morning because I felt like some constructive cooking. I hope to perfect my technique and bring them to the next potluck though! :)
metalpeter - 01/01/09 17:18
What is that? Did you eat alone or with others?
What is that? Did you eat alone or with others?
theli - 01/01/09 14:30
Nice!
Nice!
01/01/2009 12:06 #47239
The party and some thoughts...Category: e:strip
I had a wonderful time at the party yesterday. Thanks (e:Paul), (e:Matthew) and (e:Terry) for hosting it! It was a very fun way to start a new year. Yes, I missed the ball drop and on hindsight, it was for a very fashionably late reason - I was "building" a proper and fitting thanks to (e:mike) for his really thoughful handmade card. I think it was completely worth missing the ball drop for. :)
I got to meet and talk to a number of familiar (e:peeps) I have only known virtually. (e:leetee), (e:theli), (e:Maureen), (e:iriesara), (e:ladycroft), Rory (not an official (e:) yet!) and (e:lilho), I was delighted to meet you all! Hope to see you all sometime soon - hopefully before this year flies by. I also loved meeting and "gracing-the-staircase" with Malibu! You are awesomely gorgeous and the best part is, I think you know it. :^D
I was thinking back to something (e:iriesara) said to me yesterday night. I think you were right in saying that there is always time for a nookie, but what if there is no inclination at all? What if, its not just a (really quite non-existent) excuse for lack of time but a total lack of interest in virtually all "available" people I meet? After all, we do know pretty well my rather unhealthy obsession with 70s moustaches and how rare they usually are. ;-) Somehow, I think "nookies" stopped being a priority for me after I turned 22. Associated and complete disinterest in boyfriends followed soon after. It might be hard to comprehend but I really love my uncomplicated, lazy, easy and unfettered single life. I have no one to be guilty for, no one to please, no one to be worried about, no one to fret about, no wasted mindspace of annoyance and no drama. Things are incredibily straightforward and I have no regrets. So don't feel sad for me because I really love it -- nookie-absence and all.
(e:terry), I just emailed (e:paul). I am including (e:paul) as an immediate poking associate. Please follow-up if you are interested. Time is fast running out and deadlines are closing as I write this. It's time to make a decision and very soon.
(e:theli), I had fun thinking about the way we communicate and I think you had some excellent points about the evolution of communication. It is surely possible that at some point in the future, the most efficient forms of communication may not necessarily be the ones that immediately stand out as tomes of erudition and deliberation. I was just being reactionary and defending emails against cellphones - mainly because I hate toting a cellphone around.
(e:james), we need some more ghoul talk around here! This is all getting a bit too animated and alive for comfort. Dissenters need to be punished. :)
I got to meet and talk to a number of familiar (e:peeps) I have only known virtually. (e:leetee), (e:theli), (e:Maureen), (e:iriesara), (e:ladycroft), Rory (not an official (e:) yet!) and (e:lilho), I was delighted to meet you all! Hope to see you all sometime soon - hopefully before this year flies by. I also loved meeting and "gracing-the-staircase" with Malibu! You are awesomely gorgeous and the best part is, I think you know it. :^D
I was thinking back to something (e:iriesara) said to me yesterday night. I think you were right in saying that there is always time for a nookie, but what if there is no inclination at all? What if, its not just a (really quite non-existent) excuse for lack of time but a total lack of interest in virtually all "available" people I meet? After all, we do know pretty well my rather unhealthy obsession with 70s moustaches and how rare they usually are. ;-) Somehow, I think "nookies" stopped being a priority for me after I turned 22. Associated and complete disinterest in boyfriends followed soon after. It might be hard to comprehend but I really love my uncomplicated, lazy, easy and unfettered single life. I have no one to be guilty for, no one to please, no one to be worried about, no one to fret about, no wasted mindspace of annoyance and no drama. Things are incredibily straightforward and I have no regrets. So don't feel sad for me because I really love it -- nookie-absence and all.
(e:terry), I just emailed (e:paul). I am including (e:paul) as an immediate poking associate. Please follow-up if you are interested. Time is fast running out and deadlines are closing as I write this. It's time to make a decision and very soon.
(e:theli), I had fun thinking about the way we communicate and I think you had some excellent points about the evolution of communication. It is surely possible that at some point in the future, the most efficient forms of communication may not necessarily be the ones that immediately stand out as tomes of erudition and deliberation. I was just being reactionary and defending emails against cellphones - mainly because I hate toting a cellphone around.
(e:james), we need some more ghoul talk around here! This is all getting a bit too animated and alive for comfort. Dissenters need to be punished. :)
metalpeter - 01/01/09 17:23
Glad you had a good time. I was wondering if you got to see (e:leetee) and (e:lilho) try to depants (e:mike) that was pretty interesting.
Glad you had a good time. I was wondering if you got to see (e:leetee) and (e:lilho) try to depants (e:mike) that was pretty interesting.
12/31/2008 16:27 #47234
Waste your time no more...Category: art
Life is short. Who wants to waste so much time, energy and money watching two-parter humongous movies? No one. How else do you get yourself up to snuff on hollywood effluents? The answer is here! The bunnies are here to save those precious 30 seconds!!
Get with the program. Start saving time this new year.
More time saving strategies here:
Get with the program. Start saving time this new year.
More time saving strategies here:
It's more of a self-hate for lack of goal-achievement (under authority-expectations) than anything else, unfortunately. :(
wait a minute??? when did you develop hate like emotions? i didn't think that was possible? i don't believe it.
The first (cook more interesting stuff) and second (write more thoughts out for better resolution - more general writing) are in the last two posts. :)
Hey (e:tinypliny) I admit I'm a little bit confused, your journal says more Resolutions..... But where are the first ones? My second part of that question is why do you start at #3? On a side note I wonder how long #3 will last my guess is about a week but I could be wrong, HA. I wish you luck with them.
Yay, indifference!
My New Years resolution is to desist from smoking cigars. I only do it a couple of times a year. Usually with (e:Drew) or my father (who purchases high quality cigars). This NYE I had one with my dad and pretty much from the first puff I felt the sinus infection setting in.
No fair.