The Blog of Alisa

Moved.

2008-04-05T08:55:00.001-07:00

Please go to http://alisawilhelm.com/blog for the latest updates. Thanks!

Cliché

2007-04-16T22:18:00.000-07:00

California Dreaming

2007-04-10T11:11:00.001-07:00

Twitterized Myspace

2007-04-09T19:35:00.000-07:00

view large

Today I made a Myspace layout that looks like the standard Twitter profile. I felt quite accomplished.

To compare:
Myspace.com/alisarae
Twitter.com/alisa

F.A.Q.'s (okay, so they're just normal Q's)

Q. How did you integrate the twitter updates into your myspace page?
A. I didn't. Myspace is anti-javascript, and I don't like the standard Twitter flash badges, so I decided that I can manually update the status as needed. Too bad it won't be as up-to-date as my twitter page.

Q. Are those Flickr images I see? I thought you said that mysapce is anti-javascript?
A. You're right! I did say that! But, lucky for me, someone has made some javascript-free flickr badges. Visit http://flickrbadge.theducky.com/ for more info.

Q. Did you get permission to steal those Twitter images?
A. No... I hope they don't mind. I linked back to their site, and I'm a big promoter, so.....

Q. Can I have your code?
A. Right now, no. I haven't decided if I'm going to release it or not. But I probably will. So keep checking back.

Spring?

2007-04-02T18:46:00.000-07:00

Call Back Ads

2007-03-20T08:40:00.000-07:00

You know how sometimes when you call a person's cell phone, they have paid for call-back music (a song that you hear instead listening to the ring tone)? How come no one has created call-back advertisements? The company pays you a half a penny every time someone calls--therefor listening to their ad.

It would be optional, and your sales rep asks you to take a quick "personality assessment" quiz when you buy a new phone. Then, you would get ads based on your results. If you were the healthy type, you would get ads from fitness clubs. Business oriented? Frequent flyer deals. How about age 13? McDonald's theme song.

See where I'm going? Then these companies would pay your cell phone service too (i.e. Sprint [worst coverage ever]). They would pay millions of dollars just to have the Sales Reps ask if the customers wanted to take a "personality assessment" quiz.

And you know what else? The people who would most likely have call-back ads would be in the younger age group. The ones who need all the cash they can get. Isn't that one of the most important age groups in marketing?

Lake Tahoe

2007-02-28T21:41:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I went to Lake Tahoe to ski. It snowed a lot. It never stopped snowing the whole time I was there.

This is I-80.

If I lived in Lake Tahoe I think I would be a ski bum and work at this ski shop.

To see some more of my photos that I took on the trip, click here.

From the top of a mountain

2007-02-05T20:27:00.000-07:00

See the rest here.

Sadie Sadie Bobadie

2007-01-28T19:10:00.000-07:00

She was outside of the pool fence, trying to taunt me to come play with her prized squeeky crab.

5 Reasons I Don't Want an iPhone

2007-01-26T11:02:00.000-07:00

1. Battery life (or lack there of)

2. Touch screen. Because, oh yeah, I wanna watch a movie that has a fingerprint in the place of Tom Cruise's head.

3. Lack of buttons. Sure it's slick and nice, but when you wanna type an A and you type SDF instead....

4. Zero removeable memory. Every other phone on the market has some type of removeable memory. What happened to Apple?

5. Cingular only. A ~~little bird~~ flock of birds told me that Cingular sucks.

He probably keeps a Sancho, tambien

2007-01-18T19:54:00.000-07:00

School has started up again, and in my Spanish 102 class we are reviewing things from last semester.

Today we were going back over numbers, family, descriptions, and dates.

Our professor asked us to describe (in Spanish) our mothers and fathers, aunts, uncles, cousins, brother, sisters, and etc. He then asked us to describe our novios if we were a girl, or our novias if we were a boy. Novio = boyfriend.

The boy who sits behind me shouted out, "Boys can have novios too! I have one. His name is Charlie."

Our professor shrugged and rolled his eyes a little bit. The baseball player sitting next to the boy scooted his chair as far away as he could, without wanting to be extremely rude. We moved on to describing our sanchos (sancho = 2nd boyfriend, boyfriend on the side).

Twenty minutes later the boy shouted out again. "Ohh! Novio means boyfriend?! I thought it meant cousin! I am not gay, just to clarify things. Ladies, I am open!"

Sara and Alisa Play With Photo Booth

2007-01-08T20:40:00.000-07:00

Here's a larger size.

Tower Shoot

2007-01-04T17:17:00.000-07:00

So the other day my dad took me on a tour of the new air traffic control tower at Sky Harbor Airport.

This is a picture of the room my dad will work in, when everything is finished. Ryan, one of my crazy cousins, is breaking lots of FAA dress code rules. As you can see, he is wearing cargo pants with pockets on the side, a t-shirt, and a ball cap. Tch, tch.

This photo is taken 19 stories up, at the top of the tower. Down town Phoenix is in the background, and a work station is in the foreground. Each one of those dots on the computer screen represents an airplane in flight.

I suppose the funniest part was the braille labels on everything. I guess it's good that the government cares about all of its blind air traffic controllers.

Fiesta Bowl

2007-01-02T12:40:00.000-07:00

My crazy cousins (and aunt and uncle and dad) took me to the Fiesta Bowl last night. (Those people in the pictures aren't my cousins.) I pretended to be a Boise State fan, and they pretended that I really was a Boise State fan. They painted my face orange and blue, and I wore orange and blue clothes. We drove in a vehicle that had orange and blue flags attached to the windows and a Bronco logo magnet stuck on the door. It was a little ridiculous, but it was fun.

Related: Fiesta Bowl Parade, Flickr-tag: fiestabowl

Fiesta Bowl Parade Photoset

2007-01-01T11:07:00.000-07:00

The Budweiser Clydesdales!

This lady is on a pom squad from Sun City. Sun City is a retirement community, so everyone on the squad was over 50.

These are three of the astronauts from Mission STS-121. I think the photo is best viewed large.

Christmas Presents

2006-12-26T22:13:00.000-07:00

For Christmas my parents gave me two new camera lenses (and some filters and some other things)! It was very exciting.

These new Tokina lenses are:

AF 28-80mm f/3.5~5.6 macro
AF 100-300mm f/5.6~6.7 macro

I haven't taken a whole lot of pictures with the new lenses, but I have taken some.

This photo was taken with an FL-D filter on the lens. The filter muted the colors, giving it a softer glow.

Here's the most boring photo you ever saw (besides new-born baby photos). It looks old and faded because of the FL-D filter. The bougainvillea is becoming dormant for the winter, adding to the all around dead look.

I Was an Odd Child

2006-12-13T20:18:00.000-07:00

When I was little, about 5 years old or so, I lived in a house in Missouri. The house had a living room with a big window that faced west. On Sunday afternoons, after church, my mom and brother would take a nap and I would be left to play quietly by myself.

I would always wonder if turning on the t.v. would be quiet enough. And eventually I reasoned out that if I turned on the t.v. and turned the sound off it would be alright. The only thing on the t.v. on a Sunday afternoon was cooking shows.

Some Sundays I wouldn't want to watch cooking shows. On those Sundays I would sit on the big chair next to the big window and play with the dust that floated around. Because the sun hit the window at just the right angle, the dust was very easy to see. The dust floated calmly upwards because of a vent that was beneath the big chair. I always pretended that each speck of dust was a person going up the stairs to board a plane. There were business men, women with tired little children, people that were about to miss their flight. Little did they know that they would never get the chance to take off. I would blow the dust people, sending them flying off in all directions. Then I would give the dust people a chance to settle down and resume what they were doing.

But little did they know that their airport repairs were in vain....

100 Things

2006-12-13T00:28:00.000-07:00

I was born in St. Louis, Missouri.
I prefer wearing flip flops over any other type of foot wear.
I have a stamp collection.
I've been to Mexico, but only because it's a few hours away.
I rarely call people on my cell phone; I use it mostly for the internet.
I'm good at producing essays on demand.
I have perfectionist traits.
I'll read whatever is set in front of me.
I can speak Spanish.
I love pens and unlined notebooks.
I am an Apple fan~~boy~~ girl.
I think that pajama pants are one of the best inventions.
I have strict rules for myself about what clothes I can wear to certain classes on certain days (i.e. I only wear jeans on Fridays, after a minimum of 1 month into the semester).
I've been able to play the piano since I was eight.
I pretend that I can play the guitar.
I swam in many swim meets in my day.
I collect dolls.
I am left handed.
I have not seen London, I have not seen France, but I have seen someone's underpants.
I only eat cooked tomatoes.
I like being outside.
I don't like artificial light.
Current obsession: World of Warcraft
I like reading classic books.
If I see a vinyl record by any band that I have even remotely heard of, I'll buy it.
I work pretty well under pressure.
I can run fairly fast if needed (read: almost late to class).
I know just enough about HTML/CSS to get me by. I wish I knew more.
Six hours of sleep is all I need, but I usually take seven for good measure.
I've had braces.
I have never broken a bone.
I have never had stitches.
I've been a Christian since I was five.
A blanket and a book is all the hibernation preparation I need.
I am a grammar snob.
I believe what goes around comes around.
Skinny jeans? Most retarded idea ever.
I love jackets.
I have a Boston Terrier named Bella.
I was raised on Mary Poppins, 101 Dalmations, and The Sound of Music.
I participated in the discovery that setting off a dry ice bomb, underwater, during swimming lessons, is not the best idea.
If I got a nickle everytime someone mispronounced my name, I could pay for my college education.
I have a gimpy, magnetic Spiderman who guards over my magnet board on my bedroom wall. I'm not sure why he's missing an arm, but I think it has something to do with the Green Goblin.
I can't sleep in bed if I have socks on.
If I am sitting down in a car, my femur is long enough to lay down and rest my head on.
I don't like needles.
I have been stung by bees so many times that, as far as I can tell, I'm becoming imune to them.
Believe it or not, but one of my favorite photographers is Heather Armstrong.
Painted nails just don't work with me.
I can't work if I'm not multi-tasking.
I was home schooled from first through twelfth grade.
I like baking but I don't like cooking.
Out of all the American cities I've been to, San Diego is my favorite.
I'm not really worried about terrorists.
I am a political moderate.
I like rock concerts.
One of the only t.v. shows I watch is Seinfeld.
Math makes my head hurt.
I like wearing the color brown.
I'm a lot taller than your average girl, and I like that.
I guess I'm a Yankee because I like oatmeal but not grits.
I'm lactose intolerant.
I'm a first-born child.
My favorite newspaper comic strip is Get Fuzzy.
I could live on pasta.
I take pictures everyday.
I'm a nerd.
I never got over Pokemon.
I like watching Indie and Foreign Films.
I keep my finger nails short.
I think dark chocolate is real chocolate.
I dislike people who talk during movies.
Previews count as part of the movie.
On my list of detestable creatures, snakes are less detestable than crickets.
I wish Americans played rugby instead of football.
Soccer and water polo are the best games to play.
Knick-Knacks are not cute.
I am sarcastic.
I like rain on Sundays.
I am goal oriented.
Someday I would like to fly a helicoptor.
I like mixing sweet and salty together, such as chocolate and pretzels.
I like puns, inside jokes, and sarcasm.
I love scarf weather.
I will spend more time and energy figuring out how to make a chore easier than the time and energy I will need to spend on the chore.
I respect art in all of its forms.
Cotton Polos are my favorite kind of shirts.
I like school.
Maalox tastes better than a lot of candies.
I only pretend to understand British humor.
I like asking, "If...would...?" questions.
I have five birthmarks.
I love eating.
I use a knife as much as I use a fork.
I am an expert present guesser.
I think that drinking hot tea is more about looking classy than drinking it for its flavor.
I like reading things about my personality.
I like watching cartoons on Saturdays.
I almost always finish what I start.
Lazy days, warm afternoons, and cozy nights are what make the world go 'round.

Testing, One, Two, Three

2006-12-11T18:44:00.000-07:00

This past couple weeks has been spent dealing with tests. I had college exams, final projects, and the ACT* to deal with.

The ACT was easy, breezy, beautiful...Covergirl. Okay, so the math part was like Covergirl's ugly younger sister, but other than that it went well. I really didn't study for it. I figured that years of CAT testing was the best preparation for this sort of thing. In the Science section of the ACT, one set of questions was on genetic inheritance and probability. It asked questions about the classic white eye vs. red eye fruit fly examples. The great thing about the set was that just a couple weeks ago I answered those same questions in a biology lab.

Now I'm just waiting on results.

* "College exams and ACT testing....what?" I know. It's a mess. It's because I'm taking college classes as a high school kid, but I'll still need standardized testing scores to complete university applications.

Tired of School

2006-11-27T21:11:00.000-07:00

Tryptophan

2006-11-25T00:27:00.000-07:00

Note to self: Do not take a leftover turkey sandwich for lunch in between classes on Monday.

Brownie Points

2006-11-20T23:37:00.001-07:00

I collect a few things. For a long time I collected stamps. I still do sometimes. I collect dolls. Antique, unique, foreign, and ones that have memories behind them.

I also collect brownie points. I am an avid collector of brownie points. Last spring semester, the only reason I got an A in my math class was because I racked up so many brownie points. My professor even told me that. Basically.

With only 3 weeks left in the semester, I decided that today was the day that I needed to gain bonus points.

I told my Spanish professor that the way he grades is "smart thinking". Actually, it's not. From a student's perspective it is, but from a teacher's perspective it's not. Tests are worth almost nothing, and there isn't a final exam. If you come to every class every time class meets, and if you do your homework, but you still get C's on tests, it is still possible to end up with an A in the class.

My biology professor is much different. He grades more traditionally, with a curve. I believe I'm at the top of the curve, but a few extra brownie points never hurt anyone.

Today I showed him this website. I ran across it when I was researching genetic mutations. It's an interactive map of the human genome. There are genome maps for other species also. I really didn't understand a whole lot of it, but what I did understand was very helpful. I typed the gene I needed information on into the search engine, and the results showed me everything about the gene and its neighbors. Very useful. To the right of the map there is a table that gives information on the genes. The table tells what the genes are used for, and will sometimes list syndromes or disorders that are associated with that particular gene. Also very useful.

Needless to say, my professor was very excited. Probably because he understood what more than 1/180 of what the map was talking about. When he ran to show another professor, I knew my brownie point count doubled.

A Bug on My Concert Shoes

2006-11-16T22:44:00.000-07:00

I let my mantis go today. I hadn't been able to catch a moth the past couple days. I think all of the moths died because it's been so cold at night recently. Also, I think she is getting ready to lay her eggs pretty soon. Aww poor little mantis...

It's November

2006-11-14T15:26:00.000-07:00

Mantis Hierarchy

2006-11-09T23:45:00.000-07:00

Last night I slept outside on the balcony. When I woke up there was a praying mantis by my head, just watching me. I brought her inside and searched around for an adequate cage. Everything was either way to big or way to small, so I just decided to put her on my bamboo plant.

"Poor mantis. You should let her be free."

"Be free? She is free! She's loose in the house."

"She wants to be in the wild."

"Are you kidding me? She's having the time of her life. Bamboo to a mantis is like a luxury suite to humans."

"How do you know?"

"Because all the normal looking manteses want to look like their Asain cousins. The Asain cousin lives in the mantis version of Beverly Hills."

"Sure."

"There are perks to living with me. Not only does she have a house that is the perfect shade of green, has the perfect amount of moisture (it's water bamboo), and allows her to be like a mantis movie star, but she also gets food hand delivered to her."

"I guess that is pretty good."

"I think she's expecting. So basically she's one of those movie stars that rents out 7 private suites just to have a baby (or two, or three hundred)."

She must really like it on that bamboo because the only time she's moved is to eat a moth.