10.13.09

• Researchers are developing a new screening system for airports ...

The Homeland Security-funded project is Future Attribute Screening Technology, or FAST. Instead of focusing on whether you have hidden explosives or whether you're carrying a weapon, sensors and cameras located at security checkpoints would measure the natural signals coming from your body -- your heart rate, breathing, eye movement, body temperature and fidgeting. (Read the full story at cnn.com.)

Interesting stuff. But, really? Who ISN'T stressed getting onto a plane?

• Evidently, Mrs. Butterworth's first name is Joy.

• Admittedly, I stole the following from Facebook, and this list was compiled by someone who isn't me. But at 23, I've checked off half of these things with a couple left unchecked that I'm about half sure on. Count me extraordinarily lucky.

"Bucket List"
(Place an X by all the things you've done and remove the X from the ones you have not.)

Things you have done during your lifetime:
1. () Gone on a blind date
2. () Donated blood
3. (x) Skipped school
4. () Watched someone die
5. () Been to Canada
6. (x) Been to Mexico
7. (x) Been to Florida
8. () Been to Hawaii
9. (x) Been on a plane
10. (x) Been on a helicopter
11. (x) Been lost
12. (x) Gone to Washington, D.C.
13. () Hugged a homeless person
14. (x) Swam in the ocean ("swam" is a relative term)
15. () Swam with stingrays
16. () Been sailing in the ocean
17. (x) Cried yourself to sleep
18. (x) Played cops and robbers
19. (x) Recently colored with crayons/colored pens
20. () Ran a marathon
21. (x) Sang karaoke
22. () Volunteered at a soup kitchen
23. (x) Paid for a meal with coins only
24. (x) Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch
25. () Seen the Northern Lights
26. () Been parasailing
27. () Been on TV
28. (x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't
29. (x) Made prank phone calls
30. () Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
31. (x) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
32. () Fed an elephant
33. (x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
34. (x) Fired a gun
35. (x) Danced in the rain
36. () Been to the opera
37. (x) Written a letter to Santa Claus
38. (x) Serenaded someone
39. (x) Seen a U.S. president in person. (I guess he wasn't technically president at the time.)
40. (x) Been kissed under the mistletoe
41. (x) Watched the sunrise with someone
42. () Driven a race car
43. (x) Been to a national museum
44. (x) Been to a wax museum
45. (x) Eaten caviar
46. (x) Blown bubbles
47. (x) Gone ice skating
48. (x) Gone to the movies
49. () Been deep sea fishing
50. (x) Driven across the U.S.
51. () Been in a hot air balloon
52. () Been sky diving
53. () Gone snowmobiling
54. () Lived in more than one country
55. (x) Lay down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets
56. (x) Seen a falling star and made a wish
57. () Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser
58. (x) Seen the Grand Canyon
59. () Seen the Statue of Liberty
60. () Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle
61. () Been on a cruise
62. (x) Traveled by train
63. (x) Traveled by motorcycle
64. (x) Been horse back riding
65. () Ridden on a San Francisco cable car
66. (x) Been to Disneyland or Disney World
67. (x) Have at any time truly believed in the power of prayer
68. () Been in a rain forest
69. (x) Seen whales in the ocean
70. () Been to Niagara Falls
71. () Been to an active volcano
72. (x) Ridden on an elephant
73. () Swam with dolphins
74. () Been to the Olympics
75. () Walked on the Great Wall of China
76. () Been inside a pyramid/Buddha
77. () Saw and heard a glacier calf
78. () Been spinnaker flying
79. () Been water-skiing
80. () Been snow-skiing
81. () Been to Westminster Abbey
82. (x) Been to the Louvre
83. () Been to Israel
84. () Swam in the Mediterranean
85. (x) Been to a Major League Baseball game
86. () Been to a National Football League game
87. () Swam with sharks
88. (x) Been white water rafting
89. () Written a book or screenplay

That's 45/89. Let's see if I can't knock out a few more by the quarter-century mark ...

• I only want to be taller when I take out the trash. I'd like to be able to carry the bag(s) with my arm(s) straight without it dragging on the concrete. Never mind tall cabinets or shelves; I've never had any troubles getting to those. Just ask my parents. But for those three or so minutes to the Dumpster (proper noun), I could use a few more inches.

• I'm fascinated with the subcultures of our society. This must have started a couple of summers ago when I realized that there are groups of people who might judge you based on which grocery store you frequent and make entire meals based on hummus. Much love to those people, but it took me by surprise.

Along the lines of subcultures I never knew existed are communities that strive to be completely self-sustaining. People who live without the things that most of us take for granted in an effort to support themselves should said things disappear or become unavailable. I still don't know too much about it. Here are some links that explain it better. Even if it's not necessarily something you agree with or are interested in doing, it's so fun to see what people are into.

Possibility Alliance in La Plata, Mo., is once such community. Ethan Hughes, who is associated with the Possibility Alliance, was part of the Haul of Justice in 2000, during which "regular folks dress up as superheroes and hit the roads on their bicycles for a monthlong journey, providing service to the public with no agenda, and no pre-established course or plans." If that sounds interesting, check out another interview with Hughes where he talks about some kids who took his bike and other craziness that ensues on a trip such as this. Similar communities include Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage and Sandhill Farm, an egalitarian intentional community. Interesting stuff, no?

• It's a great feeling to realize that the friends you chose in your childhood and teen years turned out to be equally awesome and interesting adults. Especially if it's been awhile since you've had a chance to catch up.

• Baby shampoo works as well as any eye make-up remover I've found.

• Friends, we've officially passed breezy, jacket weather and rushed right into space heater and fingerless-gloves season. Yay for scarves, nay for the cold.

• Confidence gets you lots of places. Literally. The key, a wise friend says, is looking/acting like you belong; people usually won't ask questions.

• As far as hair dye goes, it's divided into darkness/lightness levels numbered 1-10 with 1 being black and 10 being ultralight blond(e).

• When you have adequate time to process (Ha! Get it? Process? Dye? ... Never mind.), read this commencement speech by David Foster Wallace. Read it twice if you have to. It's good stuff. So much of life is what you choose to see and how you choose to see it.

Happy Tuesday.