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GeekGirlCollisions Posts
New car.
Originally uploaded by minjungkim.
Et Voila.
My new baby.
It’s the 2006 Saturn Ion Coupe
Nothing bad happened to my old car, just couldn’t resist the trade-in option that I was given.
I shall call this car Black Betty.
Most delightful feature so far?
The stereo.
6 CD Disc loader in dash included which will play regular and MP3 CDs with a randomizing option between all songs on a disc or over all disks.
Auxilliary sound jack add in for my IPOD.
20 Options for favorite stations which automatically can toggle between AM, FM, and XM.
How is it that I’ve never had XM radio before. The meta data (artist/title) displays for stuff off the RADIO.
My car is nerd-core.
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You know…
You know your day isn’t going so well when you’re thinking all morning that there just HAS to be a
Ctrl-Alt-Del function for your life.
Then again, this is coming from a girl who’s actually screamed out “Control-Z!!!” in the middle of a heated debate.
I am so. gawddamn.pathetic. sometimes.
Hmmm….
So I’ve been thinking a lot about center pieces.
For no particular reason, really other than the fact that I’d gone to an HBO Rome Miniseries launch event and the centerpieces were particularly huge and I was unable to steal any of them.
At previous events, i’ve been known to carry off a floral arrangement or two. Last night I only managed an apple and persimmon on a stick with a calla lilly tossed in my hair. I don’t know why I do these things.
Anyway, It got me thinking about times/situations when you would *WANT* people to steal your centerpiece.
And that might, perhaps be a wedding or similar celebratory adventure.
If you had a small wedding with time between the ceremony and the reception, wouldn’t it be cool to have your centerpiece have the photos from the ceremony as the party favor? I mean, it’s not like the technology isn’t available to download digital pix from the wedding, adjust them quickly, and then print them out on a photoprinter and then stick them in some sort of centerpiece like arrangement?
…
I have no reason to be thinking about these things.
Geek Girl Collision
The modern single girl in SF does the following on chilly summer evenings.
She plugs in her powerbook to charge and places it in her bed under the covers to warm it up before trying to go to sleep.
…
Man, I’m pathetic.
Confession Time
When asked who my very first pop culture/icon crush was over lunch the other day, I stammered for a bit.
And then my brain went blank.
And then an image of stoic character, full of leadership, noble values, self-sacrifice, and a pretty sexy voice.
I couldn’t think of anyone else other than *Him*
Yes. It’s true.
My very first crush was on Optimus Prime.
Explains an awful lot now, doesn’t it?
Geek Girl Collision
So I was having burgers with Jackson the other day when the fabulously geeky gal-in-the-know Nicole walked past the joint we were at.
I of course, immediately swung out to grab her to come join us.
I made her eat my fries until her order was going to be ready.
Moi: “Nicole, hurry, eat my fries.”
Nicole: “No, no, I have food coming now.”
Moi: ” No sweat, I’ll eat some of yours later but you can eat some of mine now while you wait.”
Nicole: “Ok.then, they’re pretty good…”
Moi: “Indeed. .. you know…it’s kinda like bit torrent, this peer to peer fry sharing network…”
Nicole: “Oh my god. I don’t know what’s funnier. The fact that I know what that means”
Moi: “Or the fact that I would use an analogy like that for deep-fried potato products.”
Flashback Pix from SXSW
IMG_1398
Originally uploaded by Nicole Lee.
I’ve been pulling the adult thing at work.
Coming in on time. Addressing and escalating projects, putting out the professional communications, and wearing the adultlike shoes and avoiding wearing my hoodies in the workplace. I even brought a plant in to the office.
But inside, I still really feel like a kid. A total young’n dork. With a penchant for whimsy.
One of the better compliments I’ve heard in a while was from Mr. Andy who stated,
“Hey, but you’re a really cute drunk”
Yeah.
This pic reminds me that I’m sometimes pretty damn mischievous and dorky still.
*********
Last night watched Sin City.
Gorgeous film. Pulp dialogue. Interesting thunks spinning out of it associated with identity and the cruxes that everyone carries as a result of identity, a world of black & white, morality that falls painfully beyond the black and white, and how sometimes pain is the only reality that people know and can respond to.
Followed up by reading this book that a friend loaned me recently. Mysticism in the dessert. Mages & trying to summon the presence of angels. Pulp in it’s own fashion. Followed by reading a chapter of “The God Who Won’t Let Go” by Peter G. Van Breemen which guides me through some meditations on personal faith and acceptance in a multi-hued and pixilated universe of myriad depths and textures. Follow that on with starting through the introduction of Moral Maxims by Francois LA Rochefoucauld, – originally published in French during the 1600s.
From Francois LA Rochefoucauld:
103.–Those who know their minds do not necessarily know their hearts.
109.–Youth changes its tastes by the warmth of its blood, age retains its tastes by habit.
114.–We are inconsolable at being deceived by our enemies and betrayed by our friends, yet still we are often content to be thus served by ourselves.
118.–The intention of never deceiving often exposes us to deception.
119.–We become so accustomed to disguise ourselves to others that at last we are disguised to ourselves.
One considers those that are sins against God and sins against one another. Everyday circumstances and the analogies that trickle out like blood and breath from the seams of our daily life.
Not everything is sin.
And certainly very little is Black or White.
And yeah, inside my head today, I’m a little pink.
Because I still owe you a final writeup on my mischief at SXSW
I’m deluged with guilt for not having completed the last writeup of my mischievous events at SXSW so perhaps that’s a good thing.
I’m just not properlly diligent to go over the list of all the great folks that I met, kissed, rawked out wtih, and enjoyed the immense pleasure of getting to know over Shiners.
I beg you, forgive me. In the interim, my blogroll is growing as are my bloglines subscriptions. I’m getting caught up – yo. One thing at a time.
In the interim, I’d like to share my column piece that will be in the April issue of KoreAm journal re: my experience having spoken on the panel there. (Which for those who want to take note, April is the same month that I’ll be turning a very sexy 31) KoreAm Journal is the magazine that I’ve had the pleasure of writing for over the last four years. My editor, Jimmy, totally rocks.
Here goes:
Additional thoughts on Work Styles & Leadership by Women
I’ve been meditating more re: my most recent DISC profile analysis and some thoughts that popped out over the Where are the Women in Web design panel during SXSW.
Just some personal thoughts.
Being a professional navel gazer with regards to self actualization and personal development as a blogger, writer, shit talker, amateur sociologist, and pop culture synesthesziast do help with this:
I display the following characteristics in these appropriate environments:
D: Dominance:
Recognized by: High Self-Confidence
Pace: Faster
Gains Security: Being in Control
Measures Progress by: Results
Major Fear: Being taken advantage of, loss of control.
Irritated by: Inefficiency, indecision, slowness
Major Limitations: Selective Listening and Impatience
When planning trips or events, I can be particularly aggressive.
I am more likely to display an aggressive/efficiency focused behavior when I’m under pressure to create a good time/good experience for my friends. My value system directs me to ensure optimal results in terms of mischief; personal documentation; and timeliness. I’m not a dragon lady, per se, but I’m really driven to get things done so that all can have a great time. It’s not that the environment is unfavorable so much as the parameters or constraints by which I work under these circumstances. Examples: Planning the Coachella Trip. Or my most recent planning forays and organization insanity for SXSW.
Rawk.
I: Influence
Recognized by: Talkativeness, enthusiasm, optimism, energy
Pace: Fast
Gains Security: Flexibility/Variety
Measures Progress by: Applause,praise
Major Fear: Social Rejection
Irritated by: Routine, formality
Major Limitations: Lack of follow through
This is an area where I definitely consider my environment to be “favorable.” It’s safe, comforting, and amenable to both my communication style and my penchant for whimsy. This is definitely a behavior pattern I exhibit on my blog or frequently in blogging circles. Any other reason why I have over a dozen different types of post categories out there? And confession: I check my referrer stats and technorati tracks far more than I really should. I’ve often referred to myself as being both lazy and vain. I think this blog probably exemplifies both characteristics to some degree. I’ve refrained more now than in the past from total “persona projection” cam girl-esque behaviors.
But then again, I also flaunt kissing bloggers. Go figure.
S: Steadiness
Recognized by: Friendliness, co-operation, persistence, patience
Pace: Slower
Gains Security: Close relationships
Measures Progress by: Appreciation
Major Fear: Personal rejection, loss of stability, sudden change.
Irritated by: Insensitivity, impatience
Major Limitations: Overly modest, resist change.
Uh. Favorable environment but frequently feeling less powerful than the environment.
That pretty much covers mylack oflove life there, now wouldn’t it.
This is why I generally consider myself a safe distance crushaholic but have a general sense of terror when it comes to real commitments and potential changes in my life. Plus I’ve been burned badly in the past. But then again, haven’t we all? I feel most stable when I’m single and not as emotionally invested. Toeing the brink of something as huge as love with a capital L that could really change who I am, how I am, and how I live my life is a very scary situation. I say too often that I’m a fabulous flirt but lousy at dating. This pretty much punches the noggin on why.
C: Conscientiousness
Recognized by: Accuracy, may be cautious, concern for high standards.
Pace: Slower
Gains Security: Preparation
Measures Progress by: Getting it right
Major Fear: Criticism of what they do
Irritated by: Surprises, unpredictability
Major Limitations: Overly critical of self and others
This would definitely be how I approach my writing and art. With regards to my humor pieces, poetry, attempts and chap books, and photography projects. I get so overwhelmed in the minutia of things that I wind my procrastinating my way into failure. I get easily psyched out. I automatically fail by putting unreasonable standards on my ideal product vs my skill set and knowledge to get there. Same goes for anything technical having to do with the web. At this point, I’m terrified of the notion of learning HTML and CSS on my own because I’d want to get it absolutely right and I don’t have the confidence to do this myself. Complete fear of failure or substandard deployment.
Things to note for myself:
The environments are only favorable/unfavorable based on my perception of them.
So I can work on a) modifying or adjusting my perception of them and b) if they are in fact unfavorable; pull together the resources or cajones to make them less so.
Also: I have more control over my environment than I give myself credit for.
Yo.
Hanging with the gorgeous and brilliant Ms Molly tonight and am personally inspired and reminded of a number of important things.
#1. I am not the dumbest person in the room. Neither are you. One should never feel like that and one should never EVER project that one feels like that. That’s perhaps is the most futile self-fulfilling prophecy that no person needs. Get over it. Everyone’s an idiot. And everyone is capable of brilliance.
#2. Real women drink scotch. Oban 14 year single malt.
Biyaaaaaatch.
#3. In retrospect re: sxsw this year; I’ve never had a more rewarding and exhausting experience. The opportunity to speak on a panel about leadership and women in technology; my personal experiences as a minority growing up in the midwest etc etc… I’ll post in detail my story re: what I had to say. My points in summary?:
Everyone has the opportunity to feel leverage and influence over others.
Everyone has the opportunity and responsibility to stretch beyond our immediate comfort zones.
Everyone has fear but fear is a lame excuse for not moving forward and not bringing communities; redolence and beauty to light.
Everyone has something important to say. Listen. Be accessible to listen. And try to speak new languages. Speak geekery. Speak designery. Speak honestly. Speak direclty.
FEAR NOT AUTHENTICITY AND GENUINE EMOTION.
When do we stop feeling like we have to put on a polite personal stylesheet because we might upset or shake up other folks. Maybe the want to be shaken up. Shake that shit up. Shake it like a poloroid pictcha. Yo.
Everyone has a personal stylesheet for various social circumstances. Stay authentic; but don’t fear putting yourself out there.
Everyone deserves to be kissed. Lots. With red lipstick.
#4. There should not be any compromise in perception of myself as an Asian American, or as a Woman, or as a Leader.
So what if i’m the chick running around with lipstick kissing folks? I’m also the one speaking from personal experience on a panel and I also write my experience in a magazine on a regular basisw so I must know something; right? ok. Maybe. I’m also the one who’ll give you the best feedback regarding real world usability and social constructs and application than you will *EVER* get. Talk to me. I love things geekery and will bring it down to the gritty reality mode level to tell you what makes sense and what doesn’t. I do NOT work or live in a vacuum and neither should you. Think about it. Invite me to talk to you about a different total end user-s perspective or feedback on something. I will give it to you unfiltered and that may be something that you will need to bridge the gap between the esoteric geekery and the realworld application. I am a real authentic person who doesn’t hold punches about anything. Fear me not. I am your ally.
#5. People do smile the best after they’ve been kissed. I can now say I’m an authority on this subject.
Kiss someone today. On the cheek, hand, or lips. People need to feel beloved more often. It warms up the bellly in great ways that makes facing the next morn extraordinarily easier.
#6. Rawk out with your Glock Out.
Life is short.
Make it memorable.
Smooches from ms. Molly’s hotel room where we’re drinking scotch and talking shit.
MJ
Wow.
I’m definitely my own social networking application and tracking tool at SXSW this year.
People know exactly where I’ve been and who I’ve met in TOTAL transparency which seems to be an ongoing theme for this week.
My smooches are everywhere.
And the pix are proof.
Because the OCD in Trip Planning is Kicking In
The geek and socialite in me is beginning to have mad sex with each other.
Yeah that sounds dirty but you know what I mean.
I’m getting ready for my upcoming trip to SXSW. where I’ll be sitting on a panel moderated by Ms. Molly.
In process for this I’ve done the following:
#1. Purchased a new toy
#2. I’ve updated and groomed my contacts list via Plaxo and my work PC.
#3. I’ve updated my Calendar including the feed from Upcoming.org onto my personal Ical.
#4. I’ve updated my new toy with all my contacts and calender by successfully exporting and syncing the data on my pretty little mac. and the new toy.
#5. I’m including among my notes my flight and car rental reservations.
So the reason why I’m telling you all this is so that you’ll buy me a beer in Texas we can coordinate good times while I’m there.
So.
If a) you have updated contact information that I should be privy to, then please update me of this.
b) If you happen to be getting in to Austin around the same time as I am and would like to share a ride in from the airport to Austin proper then please email me.
Arrive in AUSTIN TX(AUS) at 01:50PM on 3/11/05
Car rental and picking up of Ms. Glenda to occur by 2:30. I will also be doing another nightime airpport run at ~ 10:30 PM to pick up the lovely Ms. Nicole .
Could squeeze two more peeps in my renta-hoopty if you like. Feel free to hit me up for a ride. Save the cab fare for beer. That’s my motto, babykins.
OK: So have I convinced you yet that this whole notion of Geek Girl Collisions is ever so true for yours trully?