New Beginnings

I am nearing the end of my first year in grad school, and while I have much work and stress to deal with in the coming weeks, I also have a lot of exciting things in my future to look forward to. First off, I'm planning on moving back to the west side of Washington State (where the people are) for my internship portion of my degree in the fall. I am so excited to be close to my friends and family again, and normal weather (none of this wind nonsense). 

I want to go to there.

Secondly, I've finally subscribed to Hi-Fructose magazine, and should be getting my fist copy in about 2 weeks! I will definitely be making a post about this because I blog about the online version of Hi-Fructose constantly.

Issue 19 in the mail!

Third, my girlfriend and I are working on becoming vegan. I am super excited about this, because I've heard that it's much easier to lose weight when you're vegan as opposed to being a vegetarian. We are both overweight, and I have been since I was very young. I've tried all kinds of diets from Atkins to vegetarianism to a 500 calories per day diet. Nothing I tried stuck for long; I was on Atkins for about 6 months before I went vegetarian for 2 years. The counting calories lasted about a week. I really hope this sticks. I'm remaining optimistic as going vegan seems like something I could stick to because it's a lifestyle, not a diet. 

Meat is Murder

Greg "Craola" Simkins

 I am such a fan of Greg Simkins' whimsical, dark, and surrealist paintings. He, along with Brian Viveros, Audrey Kawasaki, Sylvia Ji, Mark Ryden, and Banksy are my favorite modern artists. I first saw Simkins' art in the 14th Volume of Hi-Fructose when they featured Greg Simkins in the cover.

Here is a little more information on his background.

Subscriptions

My girlfriend and I are going through a tight time financially right now, so, in an effort to keep my spirits up, I'm playing games with myself and planning on what I'll spend my imaginary future monies. I've decided that when I do have some extra cash, I'm going to subscribe to several magazines/journals. I love getting good stuff in the mail, and lately all I've been getting are bills and care packages from my mom.  I've narrowed my journal "wish list" down to these three: Hi-Fructose, Martha Stuart Living, and the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis.

Hi-Fructose

Hi-Fructose is a magazine filled with amazing art work. Each issue features up and coming artists and their work, along with articles, and interviews. I really can't wait to get my hands on my own copy. 

Martha Stewart Living

I know a lot of people have a not-so-kind opinion of Martha, because, let's face it, she most likely is not the one coming up with the majority of the ideas and projects in her articles. I still love the magazine, and admire her for her entrepreneurial skillz. I always look forward to the Halloween issue, it's the only magazine issue I consistently buy at the grocery store.

The Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis (JABA)

Applied behavior analysis is basically phrenology to people even in the field of psychology in that many psychologists consider behaviorism to be "dead". I wasn't aware it even existed 2 years ago, and now I'm getting my masters degree in it. I think it would be helpful to me to stay abreast of current research by subscribing to this journal, given I will be working in the field as a professional in a few short years.