ruthless compassion

I have a bunch of things I want to do for the first time this year. One of them, a trip to Walden at night, was accomplished last night with the assistance and company of moominmolly. We ran into loads of people we knew, but I wasn't feeling broadly social, so we swam out a little further from the main clump of people. It was great.

The best part: floating on my back, ears under the water, listening to the clickings of rocks in the water, my breath, the little flutters of water moving while looking up at the stars and the trees.

FairerScience.org, one of the projects I'm working on, is considering having some swag made to give out to people at conferences where we'll be presenting or networking or that sort of thing. We don't want to spend loads of money, but we also want it to be nifty swag. One of our partners suggested mouse pads, but since none of the people in my office uses mouse pads, we nixed that. Another person suggested laser pointers, and I have no idea how much those run, but... what makes for good swag these days, anyway? Ideas?

Dos Palabras por Alfonsina Storni

Esta noche al oído me has dicho dos palabras
Comunes. Dos palabras cansadas
De ser dichas. Palabras
Que de viejas son nuevas.

Dos palabras tan dulces que la luna que andaba
Filtrando entre las ramas
Se detuvo en mi boca. Tan dulces dos palabras
Que una hormiga pasea por mi cuello y no intento
Moverme para echarla.

Tan dulces dos palabras
—Que digo sin quererlo— ¡oh, qué bella, la vida!—
Tan dulces y tan mansas
Que aceites olorosos sobre el cuerpo derraman.

Tan dulces y tan bellas
Que nerviosos, mis dedos,
Se mueven hacia el cielo imitando tijeras.
Oh, mis dedos quisieran
Cortar estrellas.

Apparently, I need more vices.