Fido Puzzle
How, oh how does this work? The
Fido Puzzle. I feel like I have enough math to figure this one out, but not the time/patience.
ikea
Ok, we all know now that I have a car. What I didn't realize is that there is an Ikea really really close by. This changes my whole Ikea shopping experience.
Previously, it was get in a friend's car, or on the Ikea bus, and truck out to Elizabeth, NJ, and go crazy because who knew when you'd next be there. I went this morning and actually exercised restraint in Ikea. As in, hmmm, well, maybe I want that, but let me just wait - I can always drop by next week if I think I need it.
It also made me realize that Ikeas really are made for more of the crazy shopping experience I'd previously engaged in. When you're shopping with a specific task/item in mind, the Ikea on a Sunday afternoon is one of the more frustrating experiences you can have.
making friends with the roommates
Last night I worked pretty late at the Loft (getting nothing accomplished, of course), and then returned home at around 10:30 or 11. My roommates were there, and we actually ended up socializing, splitting a bottle of wine out on our patio (furnished now with a table, but chairs from inside).
First of all, Liz, the computer scientist, is from Nebraska. Now, she's been on the upper west side for the past 3 years, but I have a lot of trouble relating to her as a New Yorker. She's one of those midwesterners that remains a midwesterner. Not that I have anything against that, but it does in some ways help to define her.
In NY we used to wonder where all the people were who supported the war and President Bush. Who were these people and where did they live? Surely they weren't in NYC. Nope - we were wrong, 'cause Liz was in NY, and she's a super right-winger. We've agreed to disagree.
It was interesting talking about politics, though, since our other roommate is Serbian. She's got a lot of thoughts about the US's involvements in other countries, as you might imagine.
Good to finally have had a real conversation with my roommmates. So far, so good, but I think Isadora and I won't be around much, and Liz will, but will be locked up in her room doing the computer science thing.
pig roast
Every year, for maybe 5 or 6 years, one of the graduate residences has a pig roast. This year, due to the overwhelming popularity of last year's roast, they did not one but two pigs. 24 hours of slow cooking, for delicious pulled pork.
After eating, a couple of us went down to check out the carcasses. In some ways, I'm glad I saw them after eating. But totally interesting - a mini, rudimentary anatomy course. These pigs were pretty gross.
One pig was pretty much done when we got there, but there was a little bit of meat hanging out, and after watching for several minutes, Rachel (a 2nd year PD-er) made the bold move of stepping in and picking up a piece. Soon there were 5 or 6 people hovering around the carcass, picking meat off and placing it directly in our mouths. Oh yeah, I was a participant, not an observer. It was a brief devolution back to the days of the Flintstones, and let me tell you, that pork right off the carcass was damn good.
Sadly, I forgot my digital camera, but a fellow first year shared
his lovely image of a carcass.
early early stress
I have pretty much no social life right now, which is ok - i'm actually trying to get some work done. Of course, I'm not actually getting anything done, and am instead hitting my head against the wall. Art 60 is already kicking my ass, and it's 3 days into the quarter. I'm letting it stress me out more than I should this early in the game. I just really want to have something on Thursday - word is that (the professor) Matt is pretty nice to people who work up the nerve to bring something into the first crit, and also, less people bring stuff in, so you're going to get more time dedicated to your work.
It's a good theory, to do a project for Thursday. It's still just a theory, though.
self-censoring
I confess, I've been bad about updates the past couple of days. It's my fault - I made the decision (mistake?) to share this address with my fellow PD students, and now I've stopped posting about school, 'cause well, they could be reading.
classes
I've now attended each of my classes one time. Today was ME 203, which looks challenging and fun. We get to make one product of our choosing during the semester. It should be on the small side - 2 to 6 parts, of metal and/or plastic, and ideally be very close (but better, of course) to something that's already out there. Anyone have any ideas? I'm currently leaning towards some kitchen tongs... I've been meaning to buy some, wouldn't it be cool to have some that I made?
In the afternoon was Art 60, and I'm feeling overwhelmed. We got a list of 20 projects, no deadlines, no order to the projects, we just need to do 15 or so by the end of the quarter. And class is just one big crit. 15 projects! That's like, to be safe, 2 a week.
I've decided that I'm really excited for my classes individually, but don't understand how it is I'm supposed to take all three at one time. And to think, at Yale I took four at a time! The corporate world has ruined me for multi-tasking.
Also, I have no idea where to get the materials, how one goes about buying a sheet of colored plastic/acrylic (is that even what it is?), etc. As for the machine shop, I'm even more clueless. I mean, until I came here, I thought that the lathe was pronounced as if it rhymed with bath.
history of the PD program
Today in class David gave us a brief history of the program. I took notes so I could share it with y'all:
It all started in 1958. John Arnold was an ME professor at MIT (practicer, not researcher). He had an interesting approach to ME, that was a bit user-centered before the term existed. Legend has it that one of his things was to have his students pretend that they were designing for a world that was completely under water. This resulted in the kids spending a lot of time at the bottom of the pool at MIT, testing things out...
Anyway, Stanford managed to hire him away from MIT, without really realizing what they were getting themselves into. They then hired Bob McKim (author of
Experiences in Visual Thinking), an industrial designer rebelling against the “styling illness” he saw as common in his field. He wanted a more Bauhaus approach that combined form and function. He decided to make it a joint program with Art, and roped Matt Kahn into the rogue program. (According to David, it's really just a joint program with Matt...)
And the programs been about the same since then. As I mentioned before, there is movement in the university to evolve it, and it seems to be going in the direction of adding business to the mix. David drew the ubiquitous Sapient-IA Venn diagram showing the intersection of technology, business, and (in David's terms) human values. Supposedly this is the last year the program will be referred to as Product Design, too, since it really encompasses designing much more than products (also environments, experiences, processes, etc).
Oh, a random tidbit:
Apparently John Arnold one day just instructed his secretary to answer his phone "Design Division", and the ME Design Division was born. There doesn't seem to be a lot of rule following around here...
loft space
First of all, another apology for the absence of pictures. For some reason, my charger doesn't seem to be working -- I can charge enough to take pictures, but not enough to upload them to my computer.
PICTURES ARE NOW HERE... Scroll to find.
In order: big loft, the loft library, and my virgin loft space
We chose loft spaces last night - surprisingly stressful, considering that when it comes down to it I'd be happy in any space. I did manage to get my first choice, a corner window spot in the small loft. (The loft is divided into two spaces - larger and smaller. Supposedly they have different feels and the smaller one tends to be quieter.
Forbidden Fruit
The New York Times has an article today about
Mangosteens. Not only do they look interesting, supposedly they taste amazing. Yet another reason to visit the far east.
Classes
I forgot to mention what classes I'm taking. It's quarterly here, so we take 10 credits/quarter (roughly 3 classes). The first two quarters of the PD program are a core which pretty much everyone shares. I'm taking:
ME 313 with David Kelley:
Human Values and Innovation in Design
ME 203 with David Beach:
Manufacturing and Design
Basically intruduction to shop
Art Studion 60 with Matt Kahn:
Design I : Fundamental Visual Language
And I'm hoping to take viola lessons for 1 credit. Apparently you have to petition to take it for less than 1 credit, so we'll see. However, if I take more than 10 credits I have to pay a lot more tuition, so I'm not too interested in that.
Orientation
Sunday night began the product design (PD) orientation. My class met up for dinner together, and then had drinks with some 2nd and 3rd years.
For the most part, my class seems really cool - everyone has done interesting stuff, and is really smart. I was amazed at how easy it was to get along with everyone, and how much I liked people. So different from the corporate world where you have to hunt out your friends.
Yestereday we had mechanical engineering dept orientation. (yawn) Amazing how many men there are. The numbers for the ME department incoming graduate class is: 98 men, 26 women. 116 ME, 8 product design. Oh, and there are 4 women in the PD numbers.
Speaking of numbers, there are 11 people my year in my program (officially called the "Joint Program in Design"). 6 males, 5 females. We range in age from 23 to 30, with most falling in around the 25 mark. 2 of the students are getting MFAs (from backgrounds in Archictecture, and a double major in Art and Physics), the rest are getting MSEs. There is one guy who was a grad student in normal ME last year who switched over into our program.
Ok, back to yesterday. We had a series of meetings with faculty (David Kelley and Matt Kahn, and then 2 other former PD students who are faculty - George and... someone else. The someone else used to work at IDEO and was in the famous ABC video, I know that much.), and students, and then faculty and alumns.
Basically, I'm really excited about the program. I had a lot of anxiety over my choice (between here and Institute of Design at IIT). David mentioned yesterday that the only similar programs were at RCA, and IIT, and that the IIT program was kind of a "thinking persons" version of this program. The question is - am I a thinker or a do-er?? I hope a do-er.
Also, the former co-head of the program from the ME side, Rolf Faste, passed away last spring, and change is in the air. David apparently has been making the university more aware of the program, and is starting some fund raising campaigns for us. According to him, we went from being the very last program on the university's list, to being the number one program.
We're getting a new building in in 2007, and we're looking at starting a design management track with the business school, which should be sooo exciting. I'm sad that I won't be around for all the new stuff, but also excited about the old program. I think next year my class with start being exposed to the new curriculum, but not so much this year.
The PD students kind of have it good anyway. There are a total of about 25 students any year, and we have an entire building for our own (called "The Loft"), where we each get a space and store our materials. Conveniently, it's located right next to the various shops, and most of the shop TAs are second years in our program.
I've got to head out to the loft and try to see if anyone has tools to help me finish putting my bike back together (the handlebars and front brakes). Later today Orientation continues with safety training part 1 (we also have shop training tomorrow and all day CPR/First Aid training on Saturday). Oh, and we have to clean out the loft this afternoon, and then the first years pick their spaces.
no pictures yet
Just a short apology for the absence of pictures. Technical difficulties.
Seats of genuine leather.
For the first time in my life, I am the proud owner of a car.
The history of the car is that when my sister moved to Houston straight out of college, it roughly coincided with my mom purchasing a new car, a Mazda miata. So my sister was given the mitsubishi gallant. Now, when I got out of school, I didn't need or want a car. However, when I decided to go to grad school out west, the issue of the car came up again.
My mother loves her current car, but usually she gets a new car every 6 years, and she's had hers for 7 going on 8. She offered me the miata way back in April, but then kind of renegged... She loves the car, she doesn't like the new Miatas or else she'd just get a new one, blah blah blah.
When I thought I was taking her car, of course I was excited and told all my friends how'd I'd be driving California style with a convertible. And then not. Certain friends (hmmm.... Phil? Michael?) felt that I was backing down too easy, and I should take the Miata.
So... About 4 days before I left for California (flying), my mom brings up the Miata again. "Well... You know you can have it if you really want it. Maybe I'll just get a gently used one - without the new curves... But how would we get it cross country..." etc etc. Clearly she was still not sold on giving it to me, but my enthusiasm about it made it seem like we were going to ship the car to me a couple of weeks after I got here.
So, I get here. I decide, what the heck, lets just look at some used car listings to see if there's anything nice in my price range. Maybe a convertible - that would still be great. And what do you know, there is my mom's car. A 1996 dark green Mazda Miata with a tan top, leather interiors etc. Exactly the same as my mother's (same color, same year), except it's a manual (hers is a lame automatic), and it has a 6-CD changer in the back (hers is just a single CD). Oh, and it has almost twice as many miles, and there is definitely a little more wear and tear. But still! It was a little more than I wanted to pay... But I paid it anyway.
So the saga all worked out. I got almost my mom's car, in California, and she got hers, in New Jersey. Win-win. I'm loving my first car.
Gaylords
Getting my stuff cross-country was a dilemma that stressed me out for most of the months of August and September. Finally, my dad and I decided to ship it through his company's freight carrier. We called up some friends of my parents for help on this side, and they offered to store it in their back yard if it came early.
Well, it came early. And all of my boxes and my bike managed to fit into 2 very large boxes called
gaylords. I think 4'x4'x4'? Well, this is all fine and dandy, my stuff is now a couple of blocks from school. But how do I get it to my apartment?
The kindness of friends. I will always be in debt to Cynthia and Ben (musician friends from Yale). They came with their 1986 Volvo station wagon, and hauled my stuff out of the boxes, and over to my apartment. Since
I could barely lift a couple of books, it shames me to say that I hardly did anything. The Freivogels are my heros. Not to mention the family that allowed their back yard to be taken over by the gaylords.
So, two days later, I'm just finishing unpacking everything and putting my room together. I'm still waiting on a shipment of books from the US postal service, but besides that, I'm ready to go.
Tomorrow night there is a dinner for the new Product Design students. And so it begins. Pictures to follow.
the apartment
I reached Stanford, got the key to my apartment, found it, and walked inside. The first disappointment - it's only one floor. I was *so* hoping for a duplex. Additionally, the bathroom is total nastiness, and there is wall-to-wall carpeting. Not a surprise, but still sad.
One of my roommates had already arrived and chosen a room, so I looked at the remaining two; one was the same size as the taken room, and one was much bigger. I took the big room, and I'm not ashamed to admit it.
I eventually met my two roommates, named Liz and Isadora. Really! Someone in housing had fun putting us together. Liz is getting her MS in computer science, and Isadora is starting her PhD in Math.
What else?? Oh, the common area is quite large, but I think it will be rather neglected. And the kitchen is definitely the high point - HUGE (by new york standards), nice stove, nice counters. If only it were a gas stove, not electric.
We'll have to invest in some cheap outdoor furniture for our patio, and I think I'll have to take my parents up on their offer of their old little Weber. All in all, it could be worse.
Ow.
I've reached California. But I need to back up.
Moving boxes around a week or so ago, I hurt my lower back a little. Fine, it hurt when I sat too long, whatever. Late Monday night, I leaned over and wham. Something bad happened. I'd call it more of a tear than a snap, but pain works too.
So, after not sleeping at all, I asked my mom for some of her more serious drugs, and passed out for most of the day on my back. All of Tuesday and Wednesday were spent like this, since I could barely endure sitting or standing. I did brave a car ride to the chiropractor on Wednesday morning, where I was prodded (ow!) and then electrically stimulated (yay), and it was determined I almost slipped a disk, and that the tissue around it was inflamed. (This is my interpretation of what I think he said.) He gave me a brace to wear, and told me to take lots of anti-inflammatories (aka advil).
Next comes Thursday. The trick with this day is that it was the day I flew to California. 6 hours sitting - the most painful position of all. Plus I had to lug around my viola and 2 rather large suitcases to boot. Somehow, I survived. I brought two of my mom's back cushions to sit on, which helped TONS, and also some more of the magical knock yourself out pills. Thank goodness for drugs.
mix tapes
I'm currently painting my bedroom in my parents' house (light blue, with white trim. it's very nice.), and I can't listen to CDs, because I only have an old boombox up there. So, I pulled out all of my tapes that I haven't looked at since college graduation, if not before. Going through them I found the first mix tape I ever made. Wow.
Now, I'm a fan of the mix tape. I don't have a CD burner, so I'm technologically biased, but mix CDs really can't beat mix tapes. They're too easy, and clean. You need the occasional false starts, the handwritten labels, and the optional artwork to really get a sense of the tape, and the sweat that went into it, especially if someone else made the tape for you.
When I created this mix, I was a freshman in high school (91-92), aged 13 or 14. I'm not sure exactly where in the school year this falls, but I can certainly say that my musical influences were my older sister, my sister's friends (who were in turn influenced by their older siblings), my friends (older siblings), and of course, the boys on whom I had crushes. For your amusement, I give you -
Miximillion:
Side A
Drown (Smashing Pumpkins)
Me and Bobby McGee ([Janis Joplin and the] Full tilt Boogie Band)
In the mouth a desert (Pavement)
? (Fugazi) [unclear if that's the title, or if I didn't know the title.]
Fingertips (They Might Be Giants)
Some song off the radio that I like (89.1 WNYU) [Why was I taping the radio?]
I would for you (Jane's Addiction)
Black (Pearl Jam)
Sowing Seeds (the Jesus and Mary Chain)
Sit Down (James)
Is Wresting Fixed? (Carter USM)
May the be Love (Jimi Hendrix)
Side B
Beer Barrel (the Sauerkrauts) [Polka. How very strange.]
Crown of Thorns (Mother Love Bone)
Song for my Sugar Spun Sister (the Stone Roses)
Bandwagon (R.E.M.)
Bleach Boys (the Dead Milkmen)
Touch me I'm Sick (Mudhoney)
Everybody Knows (Concrete Blonde)
Do what you're gonna do (Smashing Pumpkins)
Then she did (Jane's Addiction)
Man of La Mancha's Impossible Dream (Carter USM)
The Lady is a Tramp (They Might Be Giants)
