100

I just realized that my previous post about surrogates was my post number one hundred. How cool is that!? 100 posts of meaningless blabber...Im actually a little impressed with myself. No wonder Ive written 10 pages of my discussion chapter (of my master thesis) without actually saying anything...

I guess this also means Ive waisted about 50 hours of my life writing down nonsense. -If I spend an average of 30 minutes on each post...which is probably not far from the truth. Ah well, even meaningless yack is a skill...some people even make a living of it. They're called reporters. The specialists within this field are called gossip reporters. Perhaps thats what I should have become then...a reporter. -Not the gossip kind...I need my sleep at night.

Time will tell. Either way Im about to finish the science part of my life...unless a wickedly cool job falls into my lap that is...So there will be plenty of time to write the next 100.

Just a warning...or a heads-up if you will.

Future-fantasies.

I love movies, most of you already know this so it is no big surprise...and as a lover of movies I tend to look forward to some of them...perhaps before a release date is set...and the wait can be seriously long...like the wait for Die Hard 4.0 for instance which took about 2-3 years since I first heard about it until I had the chance to see it…Fortunately it didn’t disappoint…which I have to admit, usually happens when you wait 2 or 3 years for a movie. Its hard not to build up an enormous amount of expectations when you wait that long…even though I do try not to…Anyways, this wasn’t what I wanted to talk about…Im already a little tired and almost put myself to sleep there for a second.

I have been waiting for a movie called ‘Surrogates’ (which by coincidence, -only coincidence, I promise!*cough* is another Bruce Willis movie) for about a year now. I believe it is a sci-fi, I Robot, A-I kinda film which I have to admit is not a good starting point for me. I did enjoy AI…although it made me kinda depressed…but what fascinates me with the prospect of this film is the idea of surrogates. Apparently people in the future are going to be seriously anti-social, spending most of their time alone in their homes. And to make up for this behavior, they have surrogates, or robot versions of themselves doing all the work and shopping and partying for them. Now, I personally cant for the life of me figure out why anyone would want to spend all their time at home when they could send their robot version to work and go party themselves. Personally I would love a surrogate. I’d make it perfect. It would have great hair every day, as well as makeup and clothes. It probably wouldn’t sweat or eat or use the bathroom, so I wouldn’t have to bathe it…expect for an annual touchup. No exercise would be necessary as it wouldn’t gain or lose any weight. It would be nice and toned with perfect complexion. Not a single zit…

If I did have one, I would set it to write my master thesis, which is taking up all my f’ing time these days, and go travel. Once it has finished my thesis, it can go to work and make money which I can spend on more traveling…and shopping. Of course, with my luck my surrogate would probably develop a strong personality and refuse to go to work for me…and insist on coming with me on whatever trip I was planning…And as I have a pretty strong mind of my own, we would end up spending the entire trip arguing on what to see and do…Either that or fighting non-stop on who gets to see and do everything first (ever been to Disneyland with a sibling?). And of course non of us would give in to the other…Why give in when you know there is no way it will lead to sex?-Which by the way opens up for a whole new concept; the end of single-hood. No one has to be unwillingly single anymore…you can just create an opposite sex version of yourself (unless you’re gay of course) and date that instead. According to various scientific studies people tend to fall for someone who looks like themselves…Although, you would probably come back to the previous issue of two minds which are way too similar…and end up fighting non-stop. And who wants that? I’d rather stay single.

Anyhow, in light of the release of ‘Surrogates’, Touchstone Pictures have released a so-called viral-site for the movie (No worries, it has nothing to do with virus or computer destruction) where you can read up on the (fake) company which builds these surrogates, and where you can make your own one…Which of course I had to try.

You can upload a picture of yourself and change age and ethnicity, as well as facial features…which I did. I built a version of myself with a skin complexion slightly darker than my natural (who wants to stay pale as a Scandinavian if you can be tanned all year around?), green eyes with a touch of yellow just for fun, purple hair (because I love purple) and slightly longer hair…mostly because I couldn’t find my own hair-do among the choices...a do I like. But anyways, I dressed ‘me’ in a black dress and waited for the final result to come up. The new, better version of myself. The one which was going to improve my life and free me from my responsibilities.

She turned out to be an old lady. An old slightly bloated lady with purple hair and a black granny dress. It was terrifying seeing my own face on such an old woman. I am not going to be an attractive woman of age…if life hands me that many years, that is.

My surrogate is an old lady, who I bet would boss me around and tell me what to do. Who would make me finish my thesis and earn my own money…And in turn would spend my money on cake and coffee at the local bakery.

No thanks…I’ll do without.

http://www.chooseyoursurrogate.com/

My little pony

Most of you who actually know me...and I assume you are the only ones reading this, know that I had the good fortune of going to Africa this past summer...more specifically Tanzania, which was simply a trip of a lifetime. As this was the golden opportunity to take pictures of a lifetime as well, I spent the entire time there with a camera attached to my right eyeball (come to think of it; no wonder my eyesight has gotten worse on that eye...)...and believe it or not, I managed to take some decent pictures...or lets face it, my camera managed to take some decent pictures...I pretty much kept it on automatic all the way through, letting my camera read the surroundings...Anyways, Ive used some of my favorite pics as desktop backgrounds on my computer, as I like to look at pretty things whenever I use it (and Ive come to realize that David Hasselhoff is not as well liked among the other students around me as I first thought...delicious Hoff *cough* sorry...I almost swallowed my tongue). The past 6 months, the photo of choice has been the following one:














I really like this picture as it shows several species in one frame, all species which we dont have in Norway, so I find it exotic. Besides, I love pink and flamingoes rock! This picture is shot in the Ngorongoro crater by the way. Ive come to love this picture...It makes me relax. I feel a sense of calmness and I can smell the dry dirt and feel the wind on my face when I look at it. I really can. Honest.

So Im sure you can imagine the shock and horror I felt today when I noticed a small detail in this picture for the first time...After having looked at it and loved it for 6 months...I noticed the zebra in the background:
















My first thought was; whoa! That is one exceptionally well-hung pony...But it made me sad. It made me sad because exceptionally-well-hung-pony is standing all alone...Not feeling the love. And no one should be that well equipped without attention. I wonder where all the baby-fevered Zebrettes are...And I wonder if he finally met a lady or if he is still standing there all lonely and sad. Perhaps the wilderbeast in the front of the frame gave him some love...

I can only hope.

Either way I think I may have to change my desktop background. To something happier...laughable...
-like the Hoff.

4 weeks to go

I realized when I woke up yesterday morning that I have essentially been burning my candle in both ends the past couple of months…Spending all day at uni trying to get my work done and then going to work at night trying to earn enough money to pay the bills…I don’t understand how some people manage to hold 2 jobs for years…I am exhausted after 2.5 months. I am happy yet stressed out by the fact that I have only 4 weeks left. Happy because I will be done and can finally get some rest…not to forget spend some time with my friends…be social again…Yet I am stressed out by the thought of having to finish perhaps 2 months of work in 1 month of time. But it will happen. I will be done in time and life can get back to normal…perhaps better than normal.

Either way I decided to take the day off today…and it has been good. Giving my body enough sleep for a change and having a long breakfast with my man. Soon we will go out to dinner and then off to the movies…good days go by so quickly. It is at times like these when you are really stressed out that it is important to notice the little things…and so I am going to do a little high/low from the past month…inspired by my friend wawa…who btw seems to have given up on her blog (shame on you).

January low: Definitely working on my thesis…stress has gained a new definition
for me.

January high: My guy at home who has been doing all the laundry and cleaning and
cooking…and still has enough energy to rub my stiff shoulders.

I will try to continue with the high/low for the next month…whether I post it here or not I will at least try to do it mentally…It will be good for me.