A BBC Special states that this one scientist commited suicide because he wanted a lasting moment of peace. I want to explore this hypothesis. The special can be found here, below the Abstruse Goose cartoon it inspired: http://abstrusegoose.com/65
( This is what happens when my brain gets bored )
- Mood:
contemplative
Wow, it has been a while since I've posted anything here!
General update, am almost done with classes at the GIA, only about 4 more months left, then I am free! I'd like to move back to Connecticut, but we will see where I find a job. I have been in the same place long enough and my feet are starting to itch to tread new terrain.
I have discovered it is very hard to type while a cat is resting his head on your hand.
And if I ever become like my mother's bad points and decide that I can't do things because they are too scary (as in, leave the screen door open because a robber will come and break in, not as in jump off a bridge with a rubbery string attached to keep from dying) someone should tell me, and if I don't listen, shoot me and put me out of my misery. This would also be a 'can't', not a 'don't wanna' or 'don't feel like it'.
Oh, and my mother has come up with an amusing plan. She has decided that I will find my dream job in Irvine (which is amusing as there is jewelry industry south and north of Irvine, but none actually in Irvine), that I can (and will) easily trade in my jeep and get a 'practical' vehicle, and stay with her and just pay part of the utilities. I giggled.
I went to a gem and jewelry show over the weekend that mostly had gem beads and pearls, and once again, could not become enthused by them. I prefer cut gems to beads, much as I try to love beads. After all, beads can be made into jewelry with a minimum of fuss. But cut gems are lovely, and one can really put oneself into the design. I was bad and bought a white and green jadeite bangle for $20. I am trying to figure out if it is B or C grade (bleached or bleached and dyed. The bleach makes the jade brittle, and the dye is not colorfast), as the cheapest for A grade should be at least $100-200 for a bangle. (A quality A grade bangle of desirable color, texture, opacity and pattern can easily be a couple million. Eventually, I'd love one between the $500 and $1000 range. But that is when I have money to just throw around!)
I wrote my first Gemological Abstract for Gems and Gemology. I only barely made deadline, which is sad as it is only 300some-odd words. I hope I did it well enough to get to write more. Sadly, this is unpaid, just fun and informative.
- Mood:
cheerful
Your result for The 3 Variable Funny Test...
the Cutting Edge
CLEAN | SPONTANEOUS | DARK
Your humor's mostly innocent and off-the-cuff, but somehow there's something slightly menacing about you. Part of your humor is making people a little uncomfortable, even if the things you say aren't themselves confrontational. You probably have a very dry delivery, or are seriously over-the-top.
Your type is the most likely to appreciate a good insult and/or broken bone and/or very very fat person dancing.
PEOPLE LIKE YOU: David Letterman - John Belushi
The 3-Variable Funny Test!
- it rules -
In celebration, I picked up two used books: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury because I haven't read any of his books yet, and, since the store was named after this book, it seemed like a good recommendation. And
The Prehistory of Sex, four million years of human sexual culture by Timothy Taylor which, according to reviews I've read, is very good, but has a strong political agenda. But then again, so did The History of Sex.
- Mood:
accomplished
I've had more fun.
- Mood:
stressed
No pictures of my fun foray into LA from last week, but it was, well, fun.
We went to see the exhibition by Cartier, in their Beverly Hills store. It was absolutely stunning, not only because everything Cartier makes is stunning, but they had some very special pieces on display as well. Specifically, La Peregrina was being displayed. It is a large drop shaped natural pearl that one of the Spanish Kings gave to his queen. It was later given by one of the Spanish princes to his fiance, Mary, Queen of Scots. When Queen Elizabeth offed her cousin, she in turn claimed the pearl as her own, if I remember correctly. It is presently owned by Elizabeth Taylor and is displayed as part of a necklace designed and created by Cartier, specifically for this pearl and Elizabeth Taylor.
There was also a, I think it was gold, copy of the lunar lander that was given to each of the three astronauts that first landed on the moon, Opera glasses created for the present Queen of England, a clock that ran on gravity. And I got to see tooty fruity items in person! I love those designs.
And then we went to the beach in Laguna. Which is a beautiful spot, with a healthy ecosystem that is a joy to see, meaning tide pools! I had a lovely time, but the guy who went with us had a less lovely time. He somehow managed to break a sandal he just bought and tear his swim trunks in a rather inconvenient spot. I tried not to laugh at him. I may have failed.
Anyhow, back to homework. I am supposed to be painting and drawing a bracelet as we speak, but made it too complicated, and therefore don't want to!
- Mood: artistic
But, really! If you are looking for a writer, you should look at more than just the first line of the cover letter!
I'd think you'd want to have some idea of her writing style and might glance at the enclosed portfolio, though I can see how the resume is useless.
But to read only the first line of the cover letter, and not even well, and then get annoyed, seems insanely stupid.
- Mood: aggravated
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/03/magazi
Going Dutch - How I learned to Love the European Welfare State
- Mood: interested
Turns out, everything is a risk in the jewelry business.
Anyone in the jewelry business is a target. Insurance companies insist that traveling salespeople at least try to risk their lives for their jewelry before insurance will pay out (Thanks, insurance companies. So much for it not being worth your life. If you don't risk your life, you're risking being in debt in the millions. Great.)
And these type of burglaries, robberies, etc, are low on the priority list of most police departments because they happen less often than, say, car theft. Yeah, each hit is in the millions, but they aren't that many in number. So usually, it is very inexperienced police that handle these cases, meaning that if there is still a robbery in progress, there is more likely to be a death. Awesome!
And one of the more dangerous groups that are robbing jewelry businesses and salespeople are using this to fund a revolution in their home country. The FBI know who they are but can't get them yet. Our guest speaker even knew them by name, showed some video of actual robberies, and told us the names of the people who were doing the robbing. And, of course, told us the names of the people who had been knifed, or shot, or killed.
He then told us that we are entering the most dangerous profession we could choose.
All in all, it was not at all comforting. He gave each of us a dvd with a documentary they give to police they are training to react to jewelry robberies. My mother is never going to see this video.
He also told us who to contact, later on, after the police, after we've been robbed. It didn't even seem to be an if.
*sigh*
- Mood:
worried
I am somewhat behind on my posts. I never gave a discription of my trip to the Refinery and Fabricating company. Yes, I am such a strange monkey, but it was so much fun!
Probably the best part was when the person doing the demonstrating melted down gold scrap so that the chunks were small enough for the Aqua Regia to break down quickly: He put out a 3 step ladder, and placed a bucket of water at the bottom of the ladder. He then heated the gold in a crusible with a nice long handle until it glowed and was molten. Then, while still heating the crusible with a two foot flame, he stepped to the top of the ladder, and let the gold flow through the flame and drip into the bucket. I wish I had photos of that particular manuever, but was too facinated to remember.
While we watched the Aqua Regia boil and eat the gold, swirling like a witch's brew, the other man giving the tour, told us about safety features, osha regulations, guidelines that his company and the other gold refineries had come up with and then taught to Osha, who then made these guidelines for everyone across the board.
He also told us that in ancient times, all sorts of metalworking was done while prayers and songs were sung. And these prayers and songs were very important because they worked to time each step. And because everything was so very closely timed, the ancient metalworking was often better than modern is.
He also told us that most gold comes from refineries, as there is only so much that has been found through out time. And that these processes are considered 'green' as all the materials are reused, very little to none lost or wasted. That his factory is zero emmission. And everything that he and his company doesn't refine from the aqua regia is sent to other refineries where the copper and nickle, and other metals are recovered.
( Photos and more discriptions )The guy doing the talking gave us all catalogues and said he only sold to companies and GIA students for their projects, and sent us on our way.
Besides it being tremendously cold there, we all had fun watching where our metals come from.
- Mood:
awake
- Mood: sleepy
You are The Moon
Hope, expectation, Bright promises.
The Moon is a card of magic and mystery - when prominent you know that nothing is as it seems, particularly when it concerns relationships. All logic is thrown out the window.
The Moon is all about visions and illusions, madness, genius and poetry. This is a card that has to do with sleep, and so with both dreams and nightmares. It is a scary card in that it warns that there might be hidden enemies, tricks and falsehoods. But it should also be remembered that this is a card of great creativity, of powerful magic, primal feelings and intuition. You may be going through a time of emotional and mental trial; if you have any past mental problems, you must be vigilant in taking your medication but avoid drugs or alcohol, as abuse of either will cause them irreparable damage. This time however, can also result in great creativity, psychic powers, visions and insight. You can and should trust your intuition.
What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.
Finally wasn't being rushed when I woke up and could remember my dream. It was all silliness; but it'd make such a wonderfully silly comic book, that I really want to read!:
Super Heroes have to start somewhere, right?
Well, these wannabees are starting from a shoe store.
George Adams is the most admired of the bunch. He started out at the retail shoe store, but has made it to the big-time. He now sells top of the line shoes to customers that need to make appointments to meet with him. He loves and dreams of shoes, specifically all the shoes he has for his superhero wardrobe: 9 different types for stalking quietly, 8 for traction while attacking; but most of all he loves the ones with seaming on the outer edge. He doesn’t realize it, but the imprint of the seaming is a calling card that the bad guys have recognized and are starting to follow. They’ll find him soon.
Kelly admires him deeply. She hasn’t been in the shoe or the superhero business for long, but she’s certain that if she could manage to break out into the shoe big-time like him, she’d be sure to be brave enough to break out in the superhero business as well.
Alexis (Alex) doesn’t admire George so very much. And doesn’t sell shoes! She goes to his business once a week to look at the same magazine for specialty shoes. And every time she tells him she sees nothing she likes. And every time he tells her he will be getting a new catalogue next week for her to thumb through if she wants. But it’s always the same catalogue. She knows this because she’s marking the same page with the same little flyer every time she comes in to look. She loves gadgets, but doesn’t necessarily love the good side. She does love the manager of the retail shoe store, though she broke up with him almost a month ago. For a while there, every time she left her light on, he would come looking for her, and she wouldn’t have the chance to work on her gadgets. Now she needs to explain to him that she misses him but he can’t visit whenever he wants. Will she lose him and fall to the dark side, or find a way to become closer to this good guy? And will they both discover they’re trying to be Super?
And who is this good guy she’s so very much attached to? He’s the manager of the retail shoe store. He thinks well of George, but knows his head is in the clouds. He thinks Kelly’s admiration for George is just puppy love that can come to no harm, and even, kinda cute. Really, he’s an all around good guy who doesn’t see the darker side of people’s souls. He doesn’t understand why people might want to be Super Villains, but he also isn’t yet introspective enough to ask the question. If he screws up with Alexis, he might just have to learn a thing or two.
- Mood: happy
| You Are a Lynx |
 You've always been extra sensitive and aware. And it's made it difficult for you to fit in. You see past people's outward personas. You are able to penetrate a stranger's soul. What you've learned about people is both beautiful and ugly. And you keep these secrets to yourself. |
- Mood: sleepy
Went to the Getty Villa last, (oh dear was it that long ago?), thursday, and had a lovely time. My classmate Nicole and I went for a lecture that was being presented by a gentleman introduced as the foremost authority on Hellenistic Carved gemstones. He talked about how the gems were carved, who wore them, how they were generally worn, general ways to tell later period carvings, how they'd changed over time, and the part he spent the most time on: He detailed one particular mythos dating back to Troy, how the Greeks viewed this story, and how it was changed by the Romans. And then he showed many images detailing this same myth, and how it had and had not changed with time and how the generations of carvers were related to eachother. I found it very interesting, but the auditorium was cold, and cold makes me sleepy, so I didn't pay as much attention as I wanted to.
The Getty Villa is a smaller museum than the Getty museum. The villa is dedicated to Greek and Roman history, art, gods, goods, gardens, etc. It is beautiful and detailed. The road leading in is paved as though it were a Roman road, the Herb garden is wonderful, the main garden is sumptuous, and the treasures inside the building are amazing.
Here's some of my favorites:
( Photo heavy of Roman Era items )
- Mood: sleepy
Though I'm sure I'll still be using LJ for useful posts.
Mom is home, and exhausted. She travels very poorly and hasn't adjusted to the time change at all, is headachy and lightheaded, and has slept nearly constantly since probably about 4pm yesterday (it now being around 10pm). But she did wake up long enough to tell me snippets of her trip.
Mostly she told me about the strange funerary customs that she didn't know anything about until now. I'd love to know how they got started, as they are kinda odd, especially when taken together: At the wake, the family of the deceased must not say thank you to anyone (for them coming to give their last respects, for any food brought, etc) and must not walk anyone to the door, but must remain in their seats.
On the way to the burial, everyone must take everything they need because no-one can re-enter the home until the deceased is laid to rest.
The family cannot leave the cemetery until the tomb is sealed and the cement too hard to break easily. (This one makes sense, as the Philippines is rather corrupt, and everyone fears theft, even of their dead. They also have some of the scariest vampires.)
Upon returning to the home, everyone must wash their hands, one person at a time, in a large basin filled with water and leaves before entering. (Mom was sad to be towards the back of the line when she found out about this tradition, as the water was kinda dirty by the time she had to dip her hands into it, and she was a little skeeved.)
And, this one makes no sense to me, whatsoever: The children of the deceased have a plateful of spaghetti together. This one takes a little explaining. There is only one plate and one fork. A forkful of spaghetti is eaten by each child, from eldest to youngest. It is the eldest's duty to feed this forkful of spaghetti to each one. So Aunt ManayEmma (I've probably misspelled her name) held the fork, and Aunt Daisy steadied Aunt ManayEmma's hand as she fed each in turn. This is because Aunt ManayEmma is the eldest of the children, but from my grandmother's first marriage, and not my grandfather's daughter at all. (Her first husband died young.) Aunt Daisy is the eldest of my grandfather's children, but Grampa never differentiated between them, so neither do they. Aunt Fely was sad to be the youngest and have to eat from the same fork as her 5 elder siblings. Ick.
( Funeral and splitting of property details )
Mom brought me back one of Grandpa's old books. It's the Japanese /Tagalog/ English dictionary that Grandpa used to use to write letters to us when we were kids. It makes me happy to have it.
- Mood: aggravated
I went to the tide pools in Newport beach, CA yesterday and had much fun. I am amazed as to how much oceanic life there is so close to such a civilized area.
Anyhow, I have photos to share. They are a little dark as low tide was at 6:11am, dawn was closer to 6:20 am, and the morning fog hadn't burned off yet when these pictures were taken.
And, in case you're wondering, I fumbled my cell phone/camera once and almost dropped it into one of the pools. Ooops.
( Pretty Photos )
- Mood: cheerful
"Sieraad Symbool Signaal The Jewel-sign and Symbol" Description: 287 pages. A exhibition held June9-October 15, 1995 on the symbolism and significance of jewelry. Text in English and Dutch.
I'll also probably want to pick up "The Curious Lore of Precious Stones, An Illustrated Guide to the History and Powers of Gemstones, With information on birthstones, gemstone properties and therapy, crystal and crystal gazing, and the protective and preventative functions of amulets and talismans" by George Frederick Kunz. from the end of the 19th c/ beginning of the 20th c. I'm not very far into it yet, but already it is a great read.
- Mood: sleepy
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