Last Thursday (19 August), I had my second ortho checkup. My arm and left leg are healing well, but the plate in my right leg has shifted a half an inch because my bones are so weak. The orthopedist ordered a cessation of physical therapy on that leg and is trying to get me a bone stimulator to help with the healing on my legs. I'm also making a point of drinking a packet of Carnation Instant Breakfast every day for the extra vitamins and minerals -- maybe they will help the healing as well. I will remain in rehab until my bones are able to handle me using the two-piece sling I use for transfers at home (minimum another month).
Furthermore, we discovered earlier this week that my left foot has been sweating in its brace, and so I have a couple of spots in the beginning stages of skin breakdown (skin red but not broken open). I will be getting my ankle x-rayed at some point to see if I even need the brace or if the tib-fib fracture is healing as slowly as the breaks.
I actually got girly on Wednesday and bought a couple of skirts. ::shiver:: I don't think I've bought a skirt or a dress in almost 20 years. It's just that even shorts are a pain (literally AND figuratively) to put on over these leg braces.
OK, I think I may get back in bed soon and get to work on my manuscript revisions . . . IF I can keep my eyes open.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Monday, August 09, 2010
Yes, I'm alive
For those who didn't know, I was in a car accident on June 7th in which a 20-year-old failed to pay attention to the large red stop sign in front of him, causing us (my parents, Reba, and myself) to hit him at 50-55 mph. Mom bruised her right hand and knee, Dad had a concussion, Reba's sutures from a surgery that morning tore open, and I broke my right humerus and both femurs and cracked my left tibia and fibula. I underwent a six-hour surgery on June 9th to attach plates and screws to my humerus and right femur and a rod along my left femur. Basically, I now have more hardware in me than a Home Depot.
I was in the hospital for three weeks, then I was transferred to a rehab facility where I still am. I get therapy on my arm five days a week and on my legs six days a week. I'm not healing as quickly as *I* would like, but I am healing. Moby (my van) was totaled, which upset me a lot. She was a good van, and she didn't deserve to go out like that. My folks quickly found me a new ride, though -- a maroon-colored 1993 Ford with a working AC. I have christened her the Red Baron.
Isn't life grand?
I was in the hospital for three weeks, then I was transferred to a rehab facility where I still am. I get therapy on my arm five days a week and on my legs six days a week. I'm not healing as quickly as *I* would like, but I am healing. Moby (my van) was totaled, which upset me a lot. She was a good van, and she didn't deserve to go out like that. My folks quickly found me a new ride, though -- a maroon-colored 1993 Ford with a working AC. I have christened her the Red Baron.
Isn't life grand?
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Grrrrr!
Once again, I've completely worn out a mouse by typing using the onscreen keyboard. The left button gets all double-clicky, so without going back and editing what I type via the onscreen keyboard, this is what comes out on screen:
Once again, I've complettely worn ouut a mouse by typing using the oonscreeen keyboard. The lleeft button getss all doublee-clicky, so without going back and editing what Ii type via the onscreenn keyboarrd, thiis is what comes outt on screenn:
Sometimes it's worse than that. I'm trying to write a poster proposal for a toxicology meeting in November, so the double-clicky gets really annoying really quickly. So, I've decided to read until my PT appointment this afternoon, then go buy YET ANOTHER mouse so I can get some work done.
Speaking of getting work done, I need about another six hours in the day until further notice.
Once again, I've complettely worn ouut a mouse by typing using the oonscreeen keyboard. The lleeft button getss all doublee-clicky, so without going back and editing what Ii type via the onscreenn keyboarrd, thiis is what comes outt on screenn:
Sometimes it's worse than that. I'm trying to write a poster proposal for a toxicology meeting in November, so the double-clicky gets really annoying really quickly. So, I've decided to read until my PT appointment this afternoon, then go buy YET ANOTHER mouse so I can get some work done.
Speaking of getting work done, I need about another six hours in the day until further notice.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
. . . a homeopathic remedy you could apply when you came down with a bad case of the devil
27. Horns by Joe Hill
What can happen to a man when the woman he loves is brutally raped and murdered and everyone -- including his own parents -- thinks he did it despite there being no evidence to justify the theory? What does happen one year later when that man wakes up after a bender and discovers he has horns growing out of his temples?
These questions are the basis of Joe Hill's (the pseudonym adopted by Stephen King's son) newest novel. When Ignatius Perrish wakes up with a horrendous headache after he gets his drunk on at the one year anniversary of his girlfriend Merrin Williams's murder, he thinks it's a simple hangover until he sees the horns growing from his temples. Just as disturbing is that not only are people not terribly bothered by the horns but that they start confessing their darkest secrets to him. Then he learns his brother's worst secret -- he knows who really killed Merrin -- and sets out for revenge.
The format of the book is a bit disconcerting and almost put me off. It seemed strange for Ig to learn who killed Merrin within the first 50 pages of a 300+ page novel. This is because much of the book is flashback. At first, this format was annoying, but I got used to it. The flashbacks turned out to be illuminating -- about Ig, about the murderer, and about how each of them viewed Merrin and their respective relationships with her. I was all set to give it four stars out of five until I read the climax. My reaction put simply = BOO! My reaction put more intelligently = it was not nearly as climactic as it could have been. The level of betrayal Merrin and Ig experience deserves a much stronger resolution than it got. The denoument, however, was very good.
For his sophomore novel, Hill didn't do too badly, but I was not as impressed with Horns as I was with his debut, Heart-Shaped Box. Still, I won't cut him from my "To Read" list when his next novel comes out.
What can happen to a man when the woman he loves is brutally raped and murdered and everyone -- including his own parents -- thinks he did it despite there being no evidence to justify the theory? What does happen one year later when that man wakes up after a bender and discovers he has horns growing out of his temples?
These questions are the basis of Joe Hill's (the pseudonym adopted by Stephen King's son) newest novel. When Ignatius Perrish wakes up with a horrendous headache after he gets his drunk on at the one year anniversary of his girlfriend Merrin Williams's murder, he thinks it's a simple hangover until he sees the horns growing from his temples. Just as disturbing is that not only are people not terribly bothered by the horns but that they start confessing their darkest secrets to him. Then he learns his brother's worst secret -- he knows who really killed Merrin -- and sets out for revenge.
The format of the book is a bit disconcerting and almost put me off. It seemed strange for Ig to learn who killed Merrin within the first 50 pages of a 300+ page novel. This is because much of the book is flashback. At first, this format was annoying, but I got used to it. The flashbacks turned out to be illuminating -- about Ig, about the murderer, and about how each of them viewed Merrin and their respective relationships with her. I was all set to give it four stars out of five until I read the climax. My reaction put simply = BOO! My reaction put more intelligently = it was not nearly as climactic as it could have been. The level of betrayal Merrin and Ig experience deserves a much stronger resolution than it got. The denoument, however, was very good.
For his sophomore novel, Hill didn't do too badly, but I was not as impressed with Horns as I was with his debut, Heart-Shaped Box. Still, I won't cut him from my "To Read" list when his next novel comes out.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Received an email this morning
Dear Dawn M. Allenbach,
We have received the reports from our advisors on your manuscript, "Improving Fluctuating Asymmetry Studies Using Recommendations From a Fish Literature Review", which you submitted to Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries.
Based on the advice received, I feel that your manuscript could be reconsidered for publication should you be prepared to incorporate major revisions. When preparing your revised manuscript, you are asked to carefully consider the reviewer comments which are attached, and submit a list of responses to the comments.
. . .
Your revision is due on: 29 Jul 2010
We look forward to receiving your revised manuscript within eight weeks.
With kind regards,
J.N.
Editor in Chief
It's gonna be a lot of work, but . . .
::happy Dawn dance::
Mom was right. Third time was the charm!
We have received the reports from our advisors on your manuscript, "Improving Fluctuating Asymmetry Studies Using Recommendations From a Fish Literature Review", which you submitted to Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries.
Based on the advice received, I feel that your manuscript could be reconsidered for publication should you be prepared to incorporate major revisions. When preparing your revised manuscript, you are asked to carefully consider the reviewer comments which are attached, and submit a list of responses to the comments.
. . .
Your revision is due on: 29 Jul 2010
We look forward to receiving your revised manuscript within eight weeks.
With kind regards,
J.N.
Editor in Chief
It's gonna be a lot of work, but . . .
::happy Dawn dance::
Mom was right. Third time was the charm!
Friday, April 30, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
An eye for an eye and the whole world goes blind
26. My Brothers' Eyes: How My Blind Brothers Taught Me to See by Daniel R. Brooks
In October 2006, I met Dr. Dan Brooks, a colleague of one of my fellow Ph.D. students and best friends Sarah, who had come to New Orleans to make a presentation in our department's seminar series. I don't remember much about his talk (sorry, Dr. Brooks), but I have great memories of going out to dinner with him one evening at Deanie's. Over drinks and scads of seafood, I got a glimpse into the psyche of a giant in biology. I noted mostly that he didn't act strangely around me like some people do. When Sarah told me a few months ago about his new book, I understood why my disability didn't phase him.
This book isn't your typical memoir or biography. There's no precise chronology. It is a collection of reminiscences of a man's childhood and adolescence told through modern images. But it even goes beyond that. It is a collection of photographs taken from interesting perspectives -- perspectives which tell the stories of Dr. Brooks's relationship to his two blind brothers. Through being his brothers' eyes, he learns that the world around us is more than just visual. When he talks about a place, Dr. Brooks uses terms for ALL the senses. For example, while hiking a towpath in Seneca, Maryland, he writes of the smell of decay, the sliminess of the birches, of being able to feel that he is shaded by leaves from above while warmed by sunshine from the side.
One picture captioned "Morning Light, Cacapon State Park, West Virginia" shows early sun rays filtering through an autumn forest canopy. As I looked at it, I noticed that where the sun hit the ground, it transformed those spots into little campfires. Whether it was the quality of light, the color of the leaves being spotlighted, or some combination of the two, I don't know. What I DO know is that as I studied the photo with my eyes, I could feel a fire's warmth, hear its crackling, and smell that pungent smell of burning leaves. Then I read the text above the photo:
People hearing about Dr. Brooks and his three other brothers being Lucien and Duncan's eyes growing up might just stop there and think they were great kids for taking care of their poor, crippled brothers. Reading this book, though, changes your perspective because it is about change in perspective. Because Lucien and Duncan wanted detailed descriptions of everything around them, Dr. Brooks tells us that he learned to look at things and situations more carefully than he might have otherwise.
The love Dr. Brooks has for his brothers, and even his guilt at not being present in the most difficult parts of their lives, is evident with every turn of the page. Thus, his life's work has evolved as a sort of homage to them:
The most interesting lines of the book for me came at the very end in the short epilogue. Dr. Brooks clearly and succinctly states about his brothers what I've been trying to tell people about myself for years:
Get this book, but take your time with it. The words and pictures are visual, certainly, but if you go slowly, I think you'll find a treat for your other senses, too.
In October 2006, I met Dr. Dan Brooks, a colleague of one of my fellow Ph.D. students and best friends Sarah, who had come to New Orleans to make a presentation in our department's seminar series. I don't remember much about his talk (sorry, Dr. Brooks), but I have great memories of going out to dinner with him one evening at Deanie's. Over drinks and scads of seafood, I got a glimpse into the psyche of a giant in biology. I noted mostly that he didn't act strangely around me like some people do. When Sarah told me a few months ago about his new book, I understood why my disability didn't phase him.
This book isn't your typical memoir or biography. There's no precise chronology. It is a collection of reminiscences of a man's childhood and adolescence told through modern images. But it even goes beyond that. It is a collection of photographs taken from interesting perspectives -- perspectives which tell the stories of Dr. Brooks's relationship to his two blind brothers. Through being his brothers' eyes, he learns that the world around us is more than just visual. When he talks about a place, Dr. Brooks uses terms for ALL the senses. For example, while hiking a towpath in Seneca, Maryland, he writes of the smell of decay, the sliminess of the birches, of being able to feel that he is shaded by leaves from above while warmed by sunshine from the side.
One picture captioned "Morning Light, Cacapon State Park, West Virginia" shows early sun rays filtering through an autumn forest canopy. As I looked at it, I noticed that where the sun hit the ground, it transformed those spots into little campfires. Whether it was the quality of light, the color of the leaves being spotlighted, or some combination of the two, I don't know. What I DO know is that as I studied the photo with my eyes, I could feel a fire's warmth, hear its crackling, and smell that pungent smell of burning leaves. Then I read the text above the photo:
The light seems to ignite little fires where it touches rocks or old fallen trees. I'd have taken Lucien and Duncan to the spots where the sunbeams struck so they could feel the warm spots. In some places, they could have felt the sun on their hands or their faces, and turned towards it, using their bodies as compasses.
People hearing about Dr. Brooks and his three other brothers being Lucien and Duncan's eyes growing up might just stop there and think they were great kids for taking care of their poor, crippled brothers. Reading this book, though, changes your perspective because it is about change in perspective. Because Lucien and Duncan wanted detailed descriptions of everything around them, Dr. Brooks tells us that he learned to look at things and situations more carefully than he might have otherwise.
The love Dr. Brooks has for his brothers, and even his guilt at not being present in the most difficult parts of their lives, is evident with every turn of the page. Thus, his life's work has evolved as a sort of homage to them:
In 1977, I named new species of parasites I'd discovered after Lucien and Duncan. This might seem macabre, even disrespectful. But for a taxonomist, finding a new species is a big deal; putting my brothers' names on species that no one could see with the naked eye, made me feel like I was still my brothers' eyes.
The most interesting lines of the book for me came at the very end in the short epilogue. Dr. Brooks clearly and succinctly states about his brothers what I've been trying to tell people about myself for years:
When you know the right thing to do, you have no options. People looking at you might think you have options, but you don't feel it. It's a psychological constraint. It might seem like Lucien and Duncan had no option but to deal with their lives. But that's not true -- they had the option of being miserable and bitter. They just didn't take that path.
Get this book, but take your time with it. The words and pictures are visual, certainly, but if you go slowly, I think you'll find a treat for your other senses, too.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
ADAPT Blogswarm
Check out my contribution to ADAPT's blogswarm about budget cuts and PWDs living in their own homes over at Road Hog. Then follow the blogswarm link at the end of the piece to read other 'swarmers.
Writer's Block: Book based
On another journaling site, they have a daily "Writer's Block" question, and today's was interesting, so I present the questions and my answers.
Is there a book you really loved that was subsequently turned into a movie? Did it live up to your expectations? Why or why not?
For the most part, movie adaptations of my favorite books have been EXTREMELY disappointing, e.g., Misery or Pet Sematary by Stephen King, The Lost World or Congo by Michael Crichton. There are, however, a couple of notable exceptions.
The Stand by Stephen King. First, they didn't try to cram a 1000+ page book into a two hour movie. Second, the actors they picked were amazing as their characters, with the exception of Molly Ringwald as Frannie Goldsmith. ::shiver:: I've never liked MR, and she did not fail to disappoint. However, Gary Sinise (Stu Redman), Rob Lowe (Nick Andros), Corin Nemec (Harold Lauder), Laura San Giacomo (Nadine Cross), Jamey Sheridan (Randall Flagg), Miguel Ferrer (Lloyd Henreid), Ruby Dee (Mother Abigail Freemantle), and of course Bill Fagerbakke as Tom Cullen ("M-O-O-N. That spells Tom Cullen.") were fantastic. I could watch this mini-series over and over.
The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. I've heard a lot of people complain about stuff being left out, but I would disagree. I think the screenwriters did a great job of putting all the important bits in. With that said, I do wish the film makers would have gone with their original plan to make Half-Blood Prince in two parts so as to focus a bit more on the topic of the HBP.
The Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien. I don't care what anyone says -- these three movies were BRILLIANT. Enough said.
Some books I have read/plan to read whose movies I also want to check out -- Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind, The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.
Is there a book you really loved that was subsequently turned into a movie? Did it live up to your expectations? Why or why not?
For the most part, movie adaptations of my favorite books have been EXTREMELY disappointing, e.g., Misery or Pet Sematary by Stephen King, The Lost World or Congo by Michael Crichton. There are, however, a couple of notable exceptions.
The Stand by Stephen King. First, they didn't try to cram a 1000+ page book into a two hour movie. Second, the actors they picked were amazing as their characters, with the exception of Molly Ringwald as Frannie Goldsmith. ::shiver:: I've never liked MR, and she did not fail to disappoint. However, Gary Sinise (Stu Redman), Rob Lowe (Nick Andros), Corin Nemec (Harold Lauder), Laura San Giacomo (Nadine Cross), Jamey Sheridan (Randall Flagg), Miguel Ferrer (Lloyd Henreid), Ruby Dee (Mother Abigail Freemantle), and of course Bill Fagerbakke as Tom Cullen ("M-O-O-N. That spells Tom Cullen.") were fantastic. I could watch this mini-series over and over.
The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. I've heard a lot of people complain about stuff being left out, but I would disagree. I think the screenwriters did a great job of putting all the important bits in. With that said, I do wish the film makers would have gone with their original plan to make Half-Blood Prince in two parts so as to focus a bit more on the topic of the HBP.
The Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien. I don't care what anyone says -- these three movies were BRILLIANT. Enough said.
Some books I have read/plan to read whose movies I also want to check out -- Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind, The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Thoughts for the day, and a geek girl squee
"We all come from the same root, but the leaves are all different."
--John Fire Lame Deer, LAKOTA
"A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but
rather a person with a certain set of attitudes."
--Scottish Proverb
See this groovy necklace?
I now have one like it, except the eyes on mine are little clear crystals, the finish is more like antiqued pewter, and the chain goes through a loop on the back. As soon as I paid for the pendant, its chain, and my other Hobby Lobby purchases, I went out to the van and put him on.
--John Fire Lame Deer, LAKOTA
"A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but
rather a person with a certain set of attitudes."
--Scottish Proverb
See this groovy necklace?
I now have one like it, except the eyes on mine are little clear crystals, the finish is more like antiqued pewter, and the chain goes through a loop on the back. As soon as I paid for the pendant, its chain, and my other Hobby Lobby purchases, I went out to the van and put him on.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship
Back in November, you may remember that I applied for a Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship. This award is described on their website as follows:
Awards are made to individuals who, in the judgment of the review panels, have demonstrated superior academic achievement, are committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level, show promise of future achievement as scholars and teachers, and are well prepared to use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students.
Hundreds of Ph.D./Sc.D. students apply every year. Only 20 are awarded. I only just learned how astronomical my chances were.
I GOT ONE!!!
*happy dance*
I was awarded support for one year ($21,000), plus I am expected to attend a Ford Foundation leadership meeting. *falls out of wheelchair* I can't believe I got it.
Awards are made to individuals who, in the judgment of the review panels, have demonstrated superior academic achievement, are committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level, show promise of future achievement as scholars and teachers, and are well prepared to use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students.
Hundreds of Ph.D./Sc.D. students apply every year. Only 20 are awarded. I only just learned how astronomical my chances were.
I GOT ONE!!!
*happy dance*
I was awarded support for one year ($21,000), plus I am expected to attend a Ford Foundation leadership meeting. *falls out of wheelchair* I can't believe I got it.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Am I a troubled kid? Yeah. You could say that.
25. The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1) by Rick Riordan
This was a fun read. A bit simpler in form and plot than HP, but still good. Percy, our narrator, is engrossing because he "talks" like any kid his age -- and he's a funny kid, even if he does have about the worst luck ever for a 12-year-old. I even liked the chapter titles -- funny and descriptive. Like "I accidentally vaporize my pre-algebra teacher," or "I become supreme lord of the bathroom," or my favorite, "I battle my jerk relative" (that would be Ares). It's worth the three or so hours it takes to read it.
Aside: If I had joined that 50 books in a year club, I'd be on the downhill slide now.
This was a fun read. A bit simpler in form and plot than HP, but still good. Percy, our narrator, is engrossing because he "talks" like any kid his age -- and he's a funny kid, even if he does have about the worst luck ever for a 12-year-old. I even liked the chapter titles -- funny and descriptive. Like "I accidentally vaporize my pre-algebra teacher," or "I become supreme lord of the bathroom," or my favorite, "I battle my jerk relative" (that would be Ares). It's worth the three or so hours it takes to read it.
Aside: If I had joined that 50 books in a year club, I'd be on the downhill slide now.
Friday, April 09, 2010
Funny thing . . .
. . . how your brain takes things you've seen/heard/read and condenses them down into a wacky dream. The fuel:
1. We watched "Van Helsing" night before last
2. Yesterday evening, I saw a commercial for "NCIS"
3. Before going to bed last night, I read around 50 pages of The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians book #1)
The dream:
Gibbs and Tony walk into autopsy to get a report from Ducky. Who should be standing behind Ducky but Frankenstein in a suit and tie of Tony's style, threatening them all. Tony goes in for the fight with Gibbs right behind him when there's a noise behind Gibbs. He turns, looks right into the eyes of Medusa, and turns to stone.
I told you it was a wacky dream.
1. We watched "Van Helsing" night before last
2. Yesterday evening, I saw a commercial for "NCIS"
3. Before going to bed last night, I read around 50 pages of The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians book #1)
The dream:
Gibbs and Tony walk into autopsy to get a report from Ducky. Who should be standing behind Ducky but Frankenstein in a suit and tie of Tony's style, threatening them all. Tony goes in for the fight with Gibbs right behind him when there's a noise behind Gibbs. He turns, looks right into the eyes of Medusa, and turns to stone.
I told you it was a wacky dream.
Monday, April 05, 2010
One more time!
I just submitted my manuscript to Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries. This is the THIRD journal to whom I've submitted this tome, so here's hoping that "third time's a charm."
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
When all else fails -- MEME
Inspired by the mighty Nate, a.k.a. Ceiling Cat.
::giggle::
Your result for The Which Lolcat Are You? Test...
Lion Warning Cat
53% Affectionate, 52% Excitable, 44% Hungry
You are the good Samaritan of the lolcat world. Protecting others from danger by shouting observations and guidance in cases of imminent threat, you believe in the well-being of everyone.
To see all possible results, checka dis.
To see all possible results, checka dis.
Take The Which Lolcat Are You? Test at OkCupid
::giggle::
Thursday, March 25, 2010
He popped the bill in his mouth and ate it
24. The Octopus and the Orangutan: More True Tales of Animal Intrigue, Intelligence, and Ingenuity by Eugene Linden
This was a bit of an older book (published in '02 or '03), so it is very interesting and leaves me wanting to look for studies published in journals. Always careful to point out that most of these accounts are anecdotal (some unverifiable because they are third- or fourth-hand retellings) and not scientifically substantiated, Linden provides examples of seeming intelligence in a variety of species, including octopuses, dolphins, orangutans, chimps, elephants, starlings, and even household cats. A Pacific giant octopus pointedly refuses some spoiled shrimp by catching the eye of her keeper, then shoving the unsavory morsel into her aquarium's drain pipe. There's also the tale of Fu Manchu, an orang who picked the lock on his nighttime cage at least three times and kept his wire pick hidden in his mouth. An elephant, seeing her keeper struggling to push a wheelbarrow up a hill in her enclosure, gives unbidden assistance by pushing the barrow herself. An alpha male chimp comforts his zookeepers after the escape and tragic death of one of his colony's young females. A wild alpha male chimp in Uganda uses a stick to beat one of his females who is protecting her infant from him. All these stories are compelling, yet most would be rejected as intelligence by many reductionist scientists. Linden points out that intelligence is not clearly defined, which leads to the many arguments about whether animals are actually demonstrating the phenomenon. Reading the anecdotes made me feel that there is more going on in some species than just copying what they see humans do and more than just operant conditioning.
This was a bit of an older book (published in '02 or '03), so it is very interesting and leaves me wanting to look for studies published in journals. Always careful to point out that most of these accounts are anecdotal (some unverifiable because they are third- or fourth-hand retellings) and not scientifically substantiated, Linden provides examples of seeming intelligence in a variety of species, including octopuses, dolphins, orangutans, chimps, elephants, starlings, and even household cats. A Pacific giant octopus pointedly refuses some spoiled shrimp by catching the eye of her keeper, then shoving the unsavory morsel into her aquarium's drain pipe. There's also the tale of Fu Manchu, an orang who picked the lock on his nighttime cage at least three times and kept his wire pick hidden in his mouth. An elephant, seeing her keeper struggling to push a wheelbarrow up a hill in her enclosure, gives unbidden assistance by pushing the barrow herself. An alpha male chimp comforts his zookeepers after the escape and tragic death of one of his colony's young females. A wild alpha male chimp in Uganda uses a stick to beat one of his females who is protecting her infant from him. All these stories are compelling, yet most would be rejected as intelligence by many reductionist scientists. Linden points out that intelligence is not clearly defined, which leads to the many arguments about whether animals are actually demonstrating the phenomenon. Reading the anecdotes made me feel that there is more going on in some species than just copying what they see humans do and more than just operant conditioning.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
I woke up too early = SILLINESS
::Dawn singing along with the CD::
Her hair was green as seaweed
Her skin was blue and pale
Her face it was a work of art
I loved that girl with all my heart
But I only liked the upper part
I did not like the tail
--"The Mermaid Song"
And if the devil would take her
I'd thank him for his pain
I swear to God I'll hang meself
If I get married again
--"The Scolding Wife"
Oh me! Oh my! I heard me ol' wife cry
Oh me! Oh my! I think I'm gonna die!
Oh me! Oh my! I heard me ol' wife say
I wish I'd never taken this excursion around the bay!
--"Excursion Around the Bay"
Her hair was green as seaweed
Her skin was blue and pale
Her face it was a work of art
I loved that girl with all my heart
But I only liked the upper part
I did not like the tail
--"The Mermaid Song"
And if the devil would take her
I'd thank him for his pain
I swear to God I'll hang meself
If I get married again
--"The Scolding Wife"
Oh me! Oh my! I heard me ol' wife cry
Oh me! Oh my! I think I'm gonna die!
Oh me! Oh my! I heard me ol' wife say
I wish I'd never taken this excursion around the bay!
--"Excursion Around the Bay"
Thursday, March 18, 2010
I break no bones. I am a healer.
23. Break No Bones by Kathy Reichs
I've definitely developed a taste for Kathy Reichs's series, though I never can seem to read them in order. Reichs is a forensic anthropologist who writes novels about a forensic anthropologist. In book #9, our heroine Temperence "Tempe" (as in Arizona) Brennan has been wrangled into teaching a two week field anthropology course at a barrier island off the coast of South Carolina. On their next to last day digging, one of Tempe's students finds skeletal remains that are not like the rest -- not deeply buried, not jumbled, not prehistoric. This single find sends her down a rabbit hole of missing street people with her estranged husband Pete and lover Ryan along for the ride. As usual, Reichs keeps you guessing until the end.
LOVE this series!
I've definitely developed a taste for Kathy Reichs's series, though I never can seem to read them in order. Reichs is a forensic anthropologist who writes novels about a forensic anthropologist. In book #9, our heroine Temperence "Tempe" (as in Arizona) Brennan has been wrangled into teaching a two week field anthropology course at a barrier island off the coast of South Carolina. On their next to last day digging, one of Tempe's students finds skeletal remains that are not like the rest -- not deeply buried, not jumbled, not prehistoric. This single find sends her down a rabbit hole of missing street people with her estranged husband Pete and lover Ryan along for the ride. As usual, Reichs keeps you guessing until the end.
LOVE this series!
Monday, March 15, 2010
It is wakan
22. The Medicine Men: Oglala Sioux Ceremony and Healing by Thomas H. Lewis
I probably should have looked at the publication date of this book before checking it out. I was looking for a more contemporary read in an attempt to learn more about current Oglala ritual and healing, but what I got were field notes of a psychiatrist/anthropologist taken from 1967ish through early 1973. Most of the book was transcribed field notes of a white outsider with a heavy dose of skepticism for some things he supposedly wanted to understand while promoting a white-Sioux synthesis of medicine. About the only thing he gave me a bit of insight into were the heyoka, specifically the complexity of the role they play in Native society. I didn't even read all of the last chapter because his analysis wasn't telling me anything I didn't already know.
Note to self: In the future, check the publication date!
I probably should have looked at the publication date of this book before checking it out. I was looking for a more contemporary read in an attempt to learn more about current Oglala ritual and healing, but what I got were field notes of a psychiatrist/anthropologist taken from 1967ish through early 1973. Most of the book was transcribed field notes of a white outsider with a heavy dose of skepticism for some things he supposedly wanted to understand while promoting a white-Sioux synthesis of medicine. About the only thing he gave me a bit of insight into were the heyoka, specifically the complexity of the role they play in Native society. I didn't even read all of the last chapter because his analysis wasn't telling me anything I didn't already know.
Note to self: In the future, check the publication date!
Finding Your Joy
March 15, 2010
Finding Your Joy
Be Happy Every Single Day
Being happy doesn't come naturally to everybody. It is your birthright to be happy, choose happiness everyday.
Our lives are rich with potential sources of happiness, but sometimes we become victims of negative thinking because we believe that focusing on all that has gone wrong will provide us with the motivation we need to face the challenges of survival. When we choose to focus on what makes us happy, however, a shift occurs in the fabric of our existence. Finding something to be happy about every single day can help this shift take place. The vantage points from which we view the world are brought into balance, and we can see that being alive truly is a gift to be savored. There is always something we can be happy about —- it is simply up to us to identify it.
On one day, we may find happiness in a momentous, life-changing event such as a marriage or the birth of a child. On another day, the happiness we experience may be a product of our appreciation of a particularly well-brewed cup of a tea or the way the sun shines on a leaf. If we discover that we literally cannot call to mind a single joyful element of existence, we should examine the cause of the blockage standing between us and experiencing happiness. Keeping a happiness journal is a wonderful way to catalog the happiness unfolding all around us so that joy has myriad opportunities to manifest itself in our lives. Writing about the emotions we experience while contemplating joy may give us insight into the factors compelling us to resist it.
Happiness may not always come easily into your life. You have likely been conditioned to believe that the proper response to unmet expectations is one of sadness, anger, guilt, or fear. To make joy a fixture in your existence, you must first accept that it is within your power to choose happiness over unhappiness every single day. Then, each time you discover some new source of happiness, the notion that the world is a happy place will find its way more deeply into your heart. On this day, find one thing to be happy about and let it fill your heart.
© 2004-08 DailyOM - All Rights Reserved
From dailyom.com
Finding Your Joy
Be Happy Every Single Day
Being happy doesn't come naturally to everybody. It is your birthright to be happy, choose happiness everyday.
Our lives are rich with potential sources of happiness, but sometimes we become victims of negative thinking because we believe that focusing on all that has gone wrong will provide us with the motivation we need to face the challenges of survival. When we choose to focus on what makes us happy, however, a shift occurs in the fabric of our existence. Finding something to be happy about every single day can help this shift take place. The vantage points from which we view the world are brought into balance, and we can see that being alive truly is a gift to be savored. There is always something we can be happy about —- it is simply up to us to identify it.
On one day, we may find happiness in a momentous, life-changing event such as a marriage or the birth of a child. On another day, the happiness we experience may be a product of our appreciation of a particularly well-brewed cup of a tea or the way the sun shines on a leaf. If we discover that we literally cannot call to mind a single joyful element of existence, we should examine the cause of the blockage standing between us and experiencing happiness. Keeping a happiness journal is a wonderful way to catalog the happiness unfolding all around us so that joy has myriad opportunities to manifest itself in our lives. Writing about the emotions we experience while contemplating joy may give us insight into the factors compelling us to resist it.
Happiness may not always come easily into your life. You have likely been conditioned to believe that the proper response to unmet expectations is one of sadness, anger, guilt, or fear. To make joy a fixture in your existence, you must first accept that it is within your power to choose happiness over unhappiness every single day. Then, each time you discover some new source of happiness, the notion that the world is a happy place will find its way more deeply into your heart. On this day, find one thing to be happy about and let it fill your heart.
© 2004-08 DailyOM - All Rights Reserved
From dailyom.com