The Quibley Corner

Congratulations! I'm Sane.

2012-01-09T06:26:00.000-05:00

Well, kind of. I took "The Sanity Quiz" on Psych Central, apparently it's an extremely accurate quiz for diagnosis of mental health. I'm sane, for the most part, since I successfully answered each question. I suffer from PTSD and Bulimia, however.

Based upon your answers, you appear to be in good mental health. Congratulations! You may experience specific mentalhealth concerns, relationship issues, or other issues that come up from time to time in your life, butyour overall mental health score suggests that you deal with these well. People with similar scores aremore resilient than most people, handle stress appropriately, have good relationships with others, and areable to cope with the in's and out's of everyday life with grace and ease.

General Coping	11
Life Events	19
Depression	19
Anxiety	8
Phobias	0
Self-Esteem	17
Eating Disorders	25
Schizophrenia	0
Dissociation	0
Mania	10
Sexual Issues	0
Relationship Issues	19
Alcohol	0
Drugs	0
Physical Issues	17
Smoking Issues	0
Gambling Issues	0
Technology Issues	19
Obsessions/Compulsions	19
Posttraumatic Stress	33
Borderline Traits	4

Gratitude Journal

2012-01-07T13:19:00.003-05:00

One of the recommendations of the "Authentic Happiness" website for cultivating happiness is to keep a gratitude journal. It is best to write everyday, (you can see by the cover that was my original intention) but my daily gratitude journal became the 10x a year gratitude journal. Better than nothing.

The idea is that everyone can find something to be grateful for, even the most pessimistic and sardonic among us. For example, around Thanksgiving my sister said she was grateful that (among other things) she didn't have a six inch leech lodged in her windpipe. According to "Odd News" this was apparently the fate of some young boy in rural China. (He's okay).

I'm glad I don't have any six inch leeches lodged anywhere either. But other than that, what have I been grateful about over the years? I started my journal on March 20th, 2004, and have written numerous entries up to the present. Here are a few selections from the recent past. To protect the innocent, I will just put the initials of parties unknown.

I grateful for my two kitties (H.K. and W.K.)
I'm grateful I'm going to Zion National Park.
I'm grateful ER is making me dessert this Sunday.

I'm grateful for my friends.
I'm grateful for chocolate.
I'm grateful for the surprise send-off my friends threw me today.
I am grateful I'm making some extra money working at BJ's.
I'm grateful I got some chores done.
I'm grateful that I traveled and hiked in safety, and so didn't my teammates.
I'm grateful the sun is out.
I'm grateful I started writing on my blog again.
I am grateful for GoodReads.
I am grateful that I seem to be doing better with my thinking.
I'm grateful for good Indian food and dinner tonight with MK.
I am grateful that I have a job that's secure and uses my skills.

Good Olde Boy Tells Off Mitt

2012-01-04T19:44:00.000-05:00

Here's an interview between Romney and a Vietnam veteran in New Hampshire. After Romney's win in Iowa last night, I want to be reminded of what 'the former governor' truly stands for. (( How did this man get elected governor of Massachusetts???))

When Romney first sits down, he clearly thinks he's talking to a like-minded 'good olde boy' ---Christian, conservative, and Republican. Turns out the good olde boy in the dirty cap and lumberjack shirt is indeed a tough-minded Yankee, but he's a GAY man too.

I think the best part is the end, when the man sounds off after Romney leaves. If my father were gay, that's what he'd say, and that's how he'd say it.

I'm so sick of that argument: Marriage is between a man and a women. (((Ha. Ha. I typed 'women' instead of 'woman.' I think I won't edit it, as it seems approprie)))

Oh My God, like Totally....

2011-12-29T10:41:00.002-05:00

Subconsciously I've been noticing what I thought sounded like a pronounced 'nasality' in young women's voices for awhile. All I know is that I was 'wicked' annoyed by the way some young women spoke. Now a study has been published in the "Journal of Voice," finding that many young women use 'vocal fry' at the end of their utterances. To the listener it's like a drop in the voice at the end of sentences, that sounds gravelly and gutteral. To me it's a subconscious way of saying: "I've got nothing important to say, cause I'm a girl, but I'm going to do something weird with my voice to get your attention." Like, wow.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

1940 Federal Census

2011-12-27T11:33:00.000-05:00

On April 2, 2012, the 1940 Federal Census of the United States will be released. For amateur genealogists like me, this is exciting news. I was very interested when the 1930 census was released ten years ago. My parents and grandparents will be on the 1940 census, living in Cambridge and Somerville, Massachusetts. Actually my mom might have still been living in Chelsea at the time. We will see. The census is released after 72 years.

Aren't They Cute?

2011-12-21T23:15:00.001-05:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Phrases I Loathe

2011-12-18T12:07:00.000-05:00

Several of My Friends Are in This Video

2011-12-17T18:10:00.003-05:00

Charlotte Bronte's Juvenilia

2011-12-17T09:37:00.004-05:00

I am gratified and interested when I hear about literary treasures selling for millions. In an e-book infested, computer dominated world, it reinforces that perhaps printed books are still valuable and worthwhile. A while back I wrote about a first edition Edgar Allen Poe selling for a whopping 662,500. Poor Edgar didn't have a penny when he died, and would be shocked.              

The book in question is a work written by Charlotte Bronte when she was just 14 in 1830, entitled "The Young Men's Magazine, Number Two." When I read and studied English literature in college,including "Jane Eyre" and "Wuthering Heights," I remember discussing juvenilia. Juvenilia is a work written by a subsequently famous author, while still a child or teenager. Charlotte and her sisters Emily and Anne wrote many such works. 

A museum in Paris ended up outbidding the Bronte Parsonage Museum in Haworth, Yorkshire England for 1.07 million. Too bad, it seems the little book certainly does belong in a dark parsonage on the windy moors, but at least it is well preserved in Paris. The book contains some precursors to Bronte's later "Jane Eyre."

Three Women of Color Receive the Nobel Peace Prize- 2011

2011-12-10T09:55:00.001-05:00

Tawakkul Karman; Ellen Johnson Sirleaf; Laymah Gbowee

I require a little uplifting, so this news is nothing but good. Three women of color have received the Nobel Peace Prize this year--- Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia, Leymah Gbowee, a social worker and peace campaigner from Liberia, and Tawakkul Karman, a journalist and activist from Yemen, are the recipients.

Here's what the Norwegian Nobel Peace Prize committee said about the three women:

"You give concrete meaning to the Chinese proverb which says that 'women hold up half the sky.. We cannot achieve democracy and lasting peace in the world unless women acquire the same opportunities as men to influence developments at all levels of society. We thank you for the hope you awaken in us all."

Johnson Sirleaf, a graduate of Harvard, is called the 'Iron Lady' because of her strong leadership in Liberia. She has been president since 2006, and is the first democratically elected woman in Africa.

Leymah Gbowee, age 39, organized Liberian women to protest in 2003 for the end to the Liberia civil war, and the use of rape and child soldiers. At one point she suggested a 'sex strike," in order to get the treaty signed. She said to men: "You can't go and kill mothers and daughters and then come home to expect sex." Unfortunately her idea was never carried out.

I've often thought of this tactic as a method to change the world overnight. I've never heard of any feminist actually suggesting it or doing it.

Tawakkul Karman is the first Arab woman, and one of the youngest women ever, to receive the Nobel Prize. She founded the organization "Women Journalists Without Chains."

50 Words For Snow

2011-11-25T09:25:00.001-05:00

There is a widespread linguistic myth that the Eskimo have 50 plus words for snow. That would make sense, but it depends on how you define a word, and what Eskimo tribe you single out. In the meantime, to satisfy one's linguistic yearnings, there are hundreds of documented Sami words for snow. Who are the Sami? The Sami are the indigenous people of Arctic Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. Not surprisingly, they also have hundreds of words for reindeer.

These are some of the terms that describe the condition and layers of snow:

1. čahki “hard lump of snow... hard snowball”

2. geardni “thin crust of snow”

3. gaska-geardi “layer of crust”

4. gaska-skárta “hard layer of crust”

5. goahpálat “the kind of snow-storm in which the snow falls thickly and sticks to things”

6. guoldu “cloud of snow which blows up from the ground when there is a hard frost without very much wind”

7. luotkku “loose snow”

8. moarri “brittle crust of snow, thin frozen surface of snow

9. njáhcu “thaw”

10. ruokŋa “thin hard crust of ice on snow”

11. seaŋaš “granular snow at the bottom of the layer of snow”

12. skárta “thin (more or less ice-like) layer of snow frozen on to the ground”

13. skáva “very thin layer of frozen snow”

14. skávvi “crust of ice on snow, formed in the evening after the sun has thawed the top of

the snow during the day”

15. soavli “very wet, slushy snow, snow-slush”

16. skoavdi “empty space between snow and the ground”

17. vahca “loose snow (especially new snow on the top of a layer of older snow or on a road

with snow on it)”

The following describe conditions of travel through snow:

18. bearta “heavy going because the ground is bare (without snow) in many places”

19. bohkolat “deep snow of varying depth; small (steep) snow-drift on road

20. časttas “hard snowdrift (smaller than skálvi)”

21. čearga “snowdrift which is so hard that it bears”

22. činus “firm, even snow (but not firm enough to bear)”

23. dobádat “sticky snow, heavy wet snow”

24. fáska “snow blown together by the wind

25. gálja “very slippery going, frozen, slippery surface”

26. girrat “heavy (of the going in frosty weather)

27. joavggahat “place where the snow lies particularly deep after a fall of snow”

28. lavki “slippery going: ice covered with loose, dry snow with no foothold”

29. moarri “the kind of going, surface, when the frozen snow or crust of ice breaks and cuts

the legs of horses or reindeer”

30. muovllahat “place where people or animals have ploughed through or plunged along in

deep snow or a soft bog”

31. njeađgga “’ground drift’ (drifting snow which gets blown up from the ground)

which covers roads or tracks.”

32. oavlluš “depression, hollow, with slushy snow in it, on land or on ice”

33. oppas “untouched, untrodden, covering of snow

34. rodda “hard going (too little snow)”

35. sievlla “the state of things when the spring snow is so soft that one sinks in it”

36. skálvi “big (high, steep and usually hard) snow-drift”

37. skoarádat “the kind of going in which one hears a grating noise as the

kjerris, sleigh, ski passes over a rough surface”

38. spoatna “hard, firm, snow to drive on (when there is little snow)”

39. veađahat “place where snow has been blown away; (nearly) bare patch

Words for Tracks in Snow

40. čiegar “snow-field which has been trampled and dug up by reindeer (or sheep in
autumn) feeding there”
41. čilvi “ice-covered area where reindeer have been grazing in mild weather”
42. doalli “winter road or track covered by snow but still distinguishable”
43. doavdnji “snow of such a depth that skis or a sleigh will not come in contact with the ground

44. fieski “area where a grazing herd of reindeer has been

45. jođáhat “tracks in the snow left by a migrating reindeer herd”
46. jolas “tracks made in the snow by reindeer, dogs or wolves which have gone in a row”
47. láhttu “ski-track”
48. loanjis “tracks of the whole herd of reindeer”
49. márahat “large, beaten winter-track”
50. rádnu “tracks of a hare (where the hare has gone frequently to and fro)”

Politics Mixes With Fine Art

2011-11-21T20:35:00.001-05:00

I was intrigued by some of the meme images circling around the blogosphere lately of the pepper spray wielding police officer. What bizarreness can be created with PhotoShop! Some of my most beloved paintings!

Signature Strengths

2011-11-11T09:31:00.001-05:00

I took this survey on the Authentic Happiness website.The pink areas are my signature strengths. Areas of weakness for me are spirituality, leadership skills, optimism, and self-control and self-regulation. I think lately I have improved in some weak areas, namely the capacity to love and be loved, expressing gratitude, cultivating kindness and generosity, and self-control and regulation. I'm not sure what one is to do with this survey. Do you mainly engage in activities that capitalize your strengths? Or do you also work on your weaknesses?

VIA Survey of Character Strengths

Here are your scores on the VIA Survey of Character Strengths. For how to interpret and use your scores, see the book Authentic Happiness. The ranking of the strengths reflects your overall ratings of yourself on the 24 strengths in the survey, how much of each strength you possess. Your top five, especially those marked as Signature Strengths, are the ones to pay attention to and find ways to use more often.

Your Top Strength

Love of learning
You love learning new things, whether in a class or on your own. You have always loved school, reading, and museums-anywhere and everywhere there is an opportunity to learn.

Your Second Strength

Fairness, equity, and justice
Treating all people fairly is one of your abiding principles. You do not let your personal feelings bias your decisions about other people. You give everyone a chance.

Your Third Strength

Honesty, authenticity, and genuineness
You are an honest person, not only by speaking the truth but by living your life in a genuine and authentic way. You are down to earth and without pretense; you are a "real" person.

Your Fourth Strength

Curiosity and interest in the world
You are curious about everything. You are always asking questions, and you find all subjects and topics fascinating. You like exploration and discovery.

Your Fifth Strength

Appreciation of beauty and excellence
You notice and appreciate beauty, excellence, and/or skilled performance in all domains of life, from nature to art to mathematics to science to everyday experience.

Strength#6

Creativity, ingenuity, and originality
Thinking of new ways to do things is a crucial part of who you are. You are never content with doing something the conventional way if a better way is possible.

Strength#7

Humor and playfulness
You like to laugh and tease. Bringing smiles to other people is important to you. You try to see the light side of all situations.

Strength#8

Industry, diligence, and perseverance
You work hard to finish what you start. No matter the project, you "get it out the door" in timely fashion. You do not get distracted when you work, and you take satisfaction in completing tasks.

Strength#9

Judgment, critical thinking, and open-mindedness
Thinking things through and examining them from all sides are important aspects of who you are. You do not jump to conclusions, and you rely only on solid evidence to make your decisions. You are able to change your mind.

Strength#10

Social intelligence
You are aware of the motives and feelings of other people. You know what to do to fit in to different social situations, and you know what to do to put others at ease.

Strength#11

Capacity to love and be loved
You value close relations with others, in particular those in which sharing and caring are reciprocated. The people to whom you feel most close are the same people who feel most close to you.

Strength#12

Perspective (wisdom)
Although you may not think of yourself as wise, your friends hold this view of you. They value your perspective on matters and turn to you for advice. You have a way of looking at the world that makes sense to others and to yourself.

Strength#13

Caution, prudence, and discretion
You are a careful person, and your choices are consistently prudent ones. You do not say or do things that you might later regret.

Strength#14

Citizenship, teamwork, and loyalty
You excel as a member of a group. You are a loyal and dedicated teammate, you always do your share, and you work hard for the success of your group.

Strength#15

Forgiveness and mercy
You forgive those who have done you wrong. You always give people a second chance. Your guiding principle is mercy and not revenge.

Strength#16

Kindness and generosity
You are kind and generous to others, and you are never too busy to do a favor. You enjoy doing good deeds for others, even if you do not know them well.

Strength#17

Modesty and humility
You do not seek the spotlight, preferring to let your accomplishments speak for themselves. You do not regard yourself as special, and others recognize and value your modesty.

Strength#18

Gratitude
You are aware of the good things that happen to you, and you never take them for granted. Your friends and family members know that you are a grateful person because you always take the time to express your thanks.

Strength#19

Leadership
You excel at the tasks of leadership: encouraging a group to get things done and preserving harmony within the group by making everyone feel included. You do a good job organizing activities and seeing that they happen.

Strength#20

Zest, enthusiasm, and energy
Regardless of what you do, you approach it with excitement and energy. You never do anything halfway or halfheartedly. For you, life is an adventure.

Strength#21

Bravery and valor
You are a courageous person who does not shrink from threat, challenge, difficulty, or pain. You speak up for what is right even if there is opposition. You act on your convictions.

Strength#22

Self-control and self-regulation
You self-consciously regulate what you feel and what you do. You are a disciplined person. You are in control of your appetites and your emotions, not vice versa.

Strength#23

Hope, optimism, and future-mindedness
You expect the best in the future, and you work to achieve it. You believe that the future is something that you can control.

Strength#24

Spirituality, sense of purpose, and faith
You have strong and coherent beliefs about the higher purpose and meaning of the universe. You know where you fit in the larger scheme. Your beliefs shape your actions and are a source of comfort to you.

Long Lost Da Vinci?

2011-11-08T07:12:00.004-05:00

A portrait of Jesus Christ entitled "Salvador Mundi," or "Savior of the World" will be on display at the National Gallery in London from November 2011 until February 2012. Most art scholars have agreed that the portrait is a restored and rediscovered Da Vinci. The painting does have a provenance which can be documented. I do find the history somewhat confusing, though, since there were also many copies of the masterpiece by others throughout history. Also the painting changed hands many times in 500 years.

Scholars have long known that Da Vinci was commissioned by Louis XII of France in 1506 to paint a portrait of Jesus. The painting was believed to be completed in 1513. For most of the years "Salvador Mundi" has been in the hands of royals, most notably Charles I of England, in 1649. Eventually, an American in New York acquired the painting in the 20th century. The last time the painting sold was in 1958, and it sold for 100 dollars. At the time it was attributed to Da Vinci's student Giovanni Boltraffio, and was quite damaged.

After restoration and authentication, the value is now estimated as 200 million.

To me, it is a very haunting portrait, typical of Da Vinci. It reminds me of the Mona Lisa, and seems to bear the stamp of the master's style. Yet many others would have wanted to copy Da Vinci.

How exciting if it is a Da Vinci! I'd see it in London if I had the chance.

Zion National Park, Day Two

2011-11-05T11:38:00.000-05:00

The second day at Zion was our big hike to Angel's Landing. Ashley, Laurie and I got up at 5:30 for an early breakfast with our hiking team and guide Charles. Everybody had met the night before, but I had retired early so I was new to everyone except Ashley and Laurie. We gathered our gear, retrieved our sandwiches and delicious snacks, and then took the shuttle to the park.

When we first got out at the base of the trail, it was still dark, and rather cold. I had on a winter hat, and fleece gloves. We set out at a quick pace on fairly flat ground. Charles was an excellent guide, though, in my opinion, and moved along but stopped frequently enough for me. Pretty soon we started climbing a series of switchbacks. We got a good view of the valley below, as the sun began to rise. Awesome.

The Angel's Landing trail is similar to the Observation trail, in that you end up after climbing a bit in a chasm or canyon, that's flat but cooler and rocky. At the Angel's trail, it's called Refrigerator Canyon. I'm sure in the summer it's a welcome reprieve.

The next part of the trail involves climbing a series of short but steep switchbacks called the wiggles to Scout's Lookout. Before you get to Scout's Lookout, you have to 'squiggle the wiggles." Scout's Lookout is a large flat area at the base of Angel's Landing. We rested here and hung some of our packs and gear in the trees. We left our trusted hiking poles behind, because Angel's Landing is so steep they're useless. Also, you frequently have to use both feet and both hands to hold on.

Our Team of Fearless Hikers

I was nervous but excited. The adrenaline was definitely pumping, which helped a lot to pay attention. You have to become somewhat Zen as you're climbing Angel's Landing, and watch every step carefully. I found it helpful to not look around as I was climbing. It's disorienting and scary, as the drop on both sides is thousands of feet. When there was the opportunity to rest at a landing, that's when you realized how high up you were. The views were simply spectacular.

It's a steep and long climb, but we took our time. Several times I thought we had made it to the top, only to discover in the distance another enormous jutting rock cliff waiting to be scaled. When you look at what you are about to climb, you can't believe you can do it.

High on Life

At the top we rested and ate. The air was so clean, the view so stunningly beautiful, and my body felt so good, I'm pretty sure I was high on being alive.

I was appropriately worried about the descent. Going down Angel's Landing can be more treacherous than going up. As my coach said: "Ascending is optional, descending is required." But it was easier than I expected, and seemed quick. When I got back to Scout's Lookout, I couldn't believe I had done it!

Evolution Quiz

2011-11-04T05:39:00.003-05:00

Origin of Species quiz

I found this quiz on http://www.abc.net.au/science/games/quizzes/2009/originofspecies/ I got 80%. Try your hand or paw at it mates.

It's 150 years since Charles Darwin first published On the Origin of Species. But can your evolutionary knowledge survive our quiz?

1. A more complete title of Darwin's book was On the Origin of Species by Means of…

a) Natural Selection
b) Native Selection
c) Naive Selection
d) Natural Seduction

2. Darwin wasn't the first scientist to come up with a theory of evolution. Which scientific predecessor of Darwin argued that an organism can pass on beneficial characteristics it acquires during its lifetime to its offspring?

a) Charles Lyell
b) Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
c) Georges Cuvier
d) Joseph Dalton Hooker

3. While studying variation among related species on different islands in the Galapagos, Darwin struck the core of what would become his theory of evolution. Which of the following animals was crucial to Darwin's discovery?

a) Beagle
b) Turtle
c) Finch
d) Porpoise

4. Which of the following Australian cities did Darwin NOT visit when he came to Australia in 1836 during his voyage on the HMS Beagle?

a) Sydney
b) Hobart
c) Albany
d) Darwin

5. Which iconic Australian animal did Darwin describe as being like a European water rat?

a) Koala
b) Kangaroo rat
c) Platypus
d) Australian water rat

6. In a scientific context what does the term 'survival of the fittest' mean?

a) The organisms which are best adapted to their environment will survive the longest
b) The organisms which are best adapted to their environment will survive the longest and have a greater number of offspring who are likely to inherit their advantageous traits
c) The organisms which can procreate the earliest have the best chance of survival
d) Good-looking organisms live longer than ugly organisms

7. After 20 years of research, why did Darwin rush to publicise his theory of natural selection in 1858?

a) He had heard another scientist had independently developed a very similar theory and was about to publish it
b) His wife threatened to divorce him if he didn't get it finished
c) He was leaving science to join his family's Wedgwood pottery business
d) He was in bad health and wanted to publish his theory before his health deteriorated further

8. Which missing part of Darwin's theory of evolution did Gregor Mendel explain with his experiments crossbreeding pea plants?

a) How variations within species occur
b) How to breed fitter organisms
c) The process by which animals and plants pass down traits to their offspring
d) How an organism develops traits to make them better suited to their environment

9. On the Origin of the Species includes a drawing of Darwin's 'tree of life', a metaphor to explain the evolutionary relationships between different species. What do scientists now say Darwin got wrong in his tree of life?

a) All life did not descend from a simple common ancestor
b) Evolution occurs in far fewer generations than Darwin originally suspected
c) Swapping traits or crossbreeding between different species is far more common than Darwin thought
d) All of the above

10. Which of the following could NOT be considered an example of evolution?

a) The fossil record suggests that the ancestors of whales once walked on land
b) The common garter snake has developed a very high level of resistance to a toxin produced by one of its favourite prey, the rough-skinned newt
c) Galapagos finches have different shaped beaks depending on what island they're from
d) Pregnant women who survived the Dutch famine of 1944 gave birth to smaller than normal babies

Zion National Park, Day One

2011-10-31T15:55:00.002-05:00

On the Plateau

I just returned from my trip to Zion National Park in Utah. It was a whirlwind mini vacation with lots to see! Where do I begin? On the flight to Phoenix we saw the Grand Canyon from the air, landed in Phoenix, and flew on to Las Vegas. We ended up in Springdale, Utah after a long drive through Nevada, Arizona, and Utah. Springdale is a lovely little town just outside the entrance to the Zion park.

Lauren hiking through the Canyon

On Friday Gilda, Lauren, and I decided to hike the Observation Trial. This trial offers spectacular views, and very varied terrain. At the beginning of the trail you immediately start at an incline and make your way up dozens of long switchbacks. What's interesting for a New Englander is that there's sand on the trail, which can be hazardous, and yet much of the trail is semi-paved with cement. Also, since the altitude is high, the air is thin and you feel it. It took some gasping and getting used to, we admit.

A view of Angel's Landing, which I hiked the next day

After a series of switchbacks you come to a large canyon which you wind your way through. It is a lot cooler and therefore the vegetation is similar to New England. At a couple of points you make your way through tunnels of sandstone rock and arches. There are crevices and holes you can climb into, which Lauren attempted to do.

Then comes the most difficult part, a series of grueling switchbacks that seem to go on and on. At this point you hike through a canyon of amazing sheer cliffs all around you as you climb and climb. Then you reach a plateau, finally, which I think was my favorite part of the hike. It's flat for about a mile, with a rocky terrain similar to hikes in New England, and there's actually many sand dunes that reminded us a lot of Cape Cod. The views from this angle are spectacular.

From the summit of Observation Point

Finally you come to the last bit of trail, and you are out on a jutting rock cliff surrounded by 360 degrees of mountains and cliffs, with the Virgin River below. It's simply amazing!

By the way, watch out for the ground squirrels. They are very cute but will steal your lunch and burrow into your pack!

Two's Company, Three's a Crowd

2011-10-26T05:22:00.004-05:00

Yes, you did it. You are guilty

If you want to have a bit of linguistic amusement, check out the vocabulary associated with groups of animals. Some words are just downright funny, and the visuals are priceless. How would you like to face a parliament of owls? How about a mob of emus? Now that's a bad day.....

1.   A gaggle of geese
2.   A congregation of alligators
3.   A sloth of bears
4.   A clowder of cats

Are emus aggressive, or is that ostriches?

5.   A coalition of cheetahs
6.   A rout of coyotes
7.   A murder of crows
8.   A mob of emus
9.   A siege of herons
10. A cackle of hyenas
11. A prowl of leopards
12. A parliament of owls
13. A muster of peafowls
14. A rookery of penguins
15. A nursery of raccoons
16. A harem of seals

Mt. Monadnock, Jaffery, NH

2011-10-19T17:20:00.003-05:00

Moving on up

My Zion Leukemia/Lymphoma Team had our last hike of the season this past Saturday at Mt. Monadnock in New Hampshire! It's hard to believe we've been hiking together since May, and next week we leave for Zion! Some of the team will be leaving this week.

Monadnock is a very popular mountain in New Hampshire, and climbed by many, but I wouldn't call it an easy hike. With the wet leaves and flowing streams of water covering all the boulders, we had to be extremely careful. For our ascent we began on the White Dot trail, then crossed over to the Cascade Link trail. We then took the Red Spot trail and finally ended on the Pumpbelly trail. The final quarter of a mile was very steep with large boulders, but the view was magical. Monadnock is known for its open slabs of rock at the summit.

At the summit we did not stay long, as it was very windy and somewhat cold. We had a little snack, snapped some pictures, then began our descent. The descent was crowded with people and somewhat treacherous. It was very steep and very wet and mossy. I took the White Dot trial but I think my companions took the White Cross trail. In any case I was separated from my fellow hikers, and reached the headquarters 45 minutes in advance of everyone else. I waited for a bit and had some hot cocoa. Physically I felt good, but on Sunday and Monday I was very sore, especially in my hamstrings! Thank goddess for trekking poles!

Joey, Laurie, Me, and Gilda

Suddenly it's Fall!

The Happiness Trap

2011-10-19T05:17:00.000-05:00

Upon recommendation from a friend, I'm reading The Happiness Trap, by Russ Harris. ACT therapy, or Acceptance and Commitment therapy, is new to me, and it's exciting to check it out. Here's one of the first quizzes in the book. Naturally I answered b for every question....

Control of Thoughts and Feelings Questionnaire
© Russ Harris 2008 www.thehappinesstrap.com

This questionnaire has been adapted from similar ones developed by Steven Hayes, Frank Bond, and others. For each pair of statements, please circle the one that most accurately fits how you feel. The answer you choose doesn’t have to be absolutely 100 percent true for you all the time; just pick the answer which seems to be more representative of your general attitude.

1a. I must have good control of my feelings in order to be successful in life.
1b. It is unnecessary for me to control my feelings in order to be successful in life.

2a. Anxiety is bad.
2b. Anxiety is neither good nor bad. It is merely an uncomfortable feeling.

3a. Negative thoughts and feelings will harm you if you don’t control or get rid
of them.
3b. Negative thoughts and feelings won’t harm you even if they feel unpleasant.

4a. I’m afraid of some of my strong feelings.
4b. I’m not afraid of any feelings, no matter how strong.

5a. In order for me to do something important, I have to get rid of all my doubts.
5b. I can do something important, even when doubts are present.

6a. When negative thoughts and feelings arise, it’s important to reduce or get rid of them as quickly as possible.
6b. Trying to reduce or get rid of negative thoughts and feelings frequently causes problems. If I simply allow them to be, then they will change as a natural part of living.

7a. The best method of managing negative thoughts and feelings is to analyze them; then utilize that knowledge to get rid of them.
7b. The best method of managing negative thoughts and feelings is to acknowledge their presence and let them be, without having to analyze or judge them.

8a. I will become “happy” and “healthy” by improving my ability to avoid, reduce, or get rid of negative thoughts and feelings.
8b. I will become “happy” and “healthy” by allowing negative thoughts and feelings to come and go of their own accord and learning to live effectively when they are present.

9a. If I can’t suppress or get rid of a negative emotional reaction, it’s a sign of personal failure or weakness.
9b. The need to control or get rid of a negative emotional reaction is a problem in itself.

10a. Having negative thoughts and feelings is an indication that I’m psychologically unhealthy or I’ve got problems.
10b. Having negative thoughts and feelings means I’m a normal human being.

11a. People who are in control of their lives can generally control how they feel.
11b. People who are in control of their lives do not need to control their feelings.

12a. It is not okay to feel anxious and I try hard to avoid it.
12b. I don’t like anxiety, but it’s okay to feel it.

13a. Negative thoughts and feelings are a sign that there is something wrong with my life.
13b. Negative thoughts and feelings are an inevitable part of life for everyone.

14a. I have to feel good before I can do something that’s important and challenging.
14b. I can do something that’s important and challenging even if I’m feeling anxious or depressed.

15a. I try to suppress thoughts and feelings that I don’t like by just not thinking about them.
15b. I don’t try to suppress thoughts and feelings that I don’t like. I just let them come and go of their own accord.

To score your test, count the number of times you selected option “a” or “b.”
You may like to repeat this test and see how your ideas have changed, after you have finished reading The Happiness Trap, or completed several sessions of ACT.

And Now Let Us Once Again Turn to the Buddha

2011-10-17T04:51:00.001-05:00

Sharon Salzberg's excellent book, "Loving Kindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness," has provided me with solace and guidance many times over the years.. It is now that I am turning once again to some of the wisdom in this book. A few years ago I wrote down several meditation mantras from the book, in a notebook entitled: Metta Book. Keep in mind that all of these mantras are directly from her book. I am writing them out as a kind of self-therapy. Some of the metta loving-kindness meditation I am not ready for yet. Please see Salzberg's book for more details..

Exercise #1 Metta Towards Self

"May I be free of danger."

"May I have mental happiness."

"May I have physical happiness."

"May I have ease of well-being."

Exercise #2 Metta Towards Self

"May I be happy; may all beings be happy."

Exercise #4 Metta Towards a Beloved Friend

"May you be free from danger."

"May you have mental happiness."

"May you have physical happiness."

"May you have ease of well being."

"May you be happy; may all beings be happy."

Exercise #6 Asking Forgiveness for harm you have done

"If I have hurt or harmed anyone, knowingly or unknowingly, I ask their forgiveness."

Exercise #8 Offering of Forgiveness to Yourself

"For all the ways I have hurt or harmed myself, knowingly or unknowingly, I offer forgiveness. I forgive myself."

Exercise #10 Direct Metta towards difficult aspects of yourself

"May I accept this."

"May I be filled with loving-kindness towards this."

"My I feel compassion towards this."

Exercise #13 Compassion toward the self

"May I be free of pain and sorrow."

"May I find peace."

"May I find a loving acceptance of pain and sorrow."

"May I find peace with things as they are."

Exercise #18 Equanimity for the Self

"May I accept things as they are."

"May I be undisturbed by the comings and goings of events."

"I am the owner of my own karma. I can choose my intentions and actions."

The Precepts

1. Refrain from killing and physical violence.

2. Refrain from stealing, taking that which is not given.

3. Refrain from sexual misconduct, using sexual energy in a way that causes harm.

4. Refrain from lying, harsh speech, idle gossip, and slander.

5. Refrain from taking intoxicants that cloud the mind from clear thinking.

Phippsburg, Maine

2011-10-12T19:13:00.002-05:00

Ellyn scouting for Vikings

Got to spend part of the weekend in Phippsburg, Maine, located not far from Bath and Brunswick, with a bunch of good friends. This area of Maine, with its endless coastline, jutting peninsulas, and numerous islands, is gorgeous, quintessential, Maine. To top it off, we had summer like weather throughout. We enjoyed hiking near Popham Beach, and spent the day on the beach at Hermit Island. I didn't get to spend the whole weekend, so my friends enjoyed more. We also shared a delectable dinner Sunday night, with lobster, pasta, and salad. It was quiet and beautiful at the house, and it was situated right on the water. We played games, sat around relaxing, and drank copious amounts of coffee.

Me on the dock

Man With Autism Sings At Fenway

2011-09-25T13:41:00.002-05:00

He sings the National Anthem in the exact way every little kid, and every little kid inside every big adult has ever wanted to sing it...

Angel's Landing Zion National Park, Utah

2011-09-24T12:21:00.000-05:00

Incredibly, this is where I'll be hiking at the end of October. Hopefully the weather will be cooperative, and the hike very pleasant. I'm also going to be fording through the Virgin River for part of the hike, something I've never done.

Don't Ask Don't Tell For Real

2011-09-20T18:54:00.001-05:00

As many of you know, today the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy regarding gays, lesbians, and bisexuals serving openly in the military was repealed. Well, the repeal took action today. In the meantime, here's the story of a young soldier serving in the Middle East directly affected by the policy. Beginning in May of this year he films a series of YouTube videos, in which he's very discreet and doesn't show his face or reveal his name. It's kind of amusing because he's the headless man throughout most of the videos. Today he filmed himself live coming out to this Dad in Alabama. Very poignant.
September 20th, 2011
First Video

Affirmations I Can LIve With

2011-09-19T05:28:00.002-05:00

My friend referred me to a website with a long list of affirmations. In general I usually find affirmations too 'polly-annaish,' and absolute, such as: "I will feel good about myself always." Such a statement just doesn't gel with reality in my book. So I took a few affirmations and edited them, because I think it is valuable to think positively whenever you can manage.

I feel worthy.
I strive to create positive mental pictures.
I embrace positive self-esteem.
I have inner resources.
I am valuable.
I am intelligent.
I take actions to improve my life.
I am worthy of love and friendship.
I strive to accept myself as I am.
I strive to say positive things about myself to myself.
I am an interesting person.
I am proud of my accomplishments.
My self worth comes from inside me.
I love and approve of myself.
I strive to improve myself.
I strive to help and appreciate others.
I strive to appreciate the positive.
I strive to maintain my health.

Marriage is Between One Man & One Woman, Unless She Has Alzheimer's

2011-09-17T22:11:00.001-05:00

Pat Robertson is such a gargantuan ass! If you haven't seen this clip already, check out Robertson's advice to a caller who asks about the behavior of a friend whose wife has Alzheimer's disease. Pat, what about the sanctity of marriage? Right wingers are worried about a couple of lesbians tying the knot? I think people like Pat Robertson shouldn't be able to get married!

Rescue Me

2011-09-16T20:11:00.000-05:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I'm sure most of you have heard of or seen this incredible story. While I would agree that these rescuers can call themselves heroes, I wonder about why people will sometimes risk their lives for others, and at other times not. It's an interesting query about human nature.

In most cases, despite our best wishes, people do not risk their lives for others.

Perhaps you're heard of the famous case in 1964, in which a woman named Kitty Genovese was murdered in a parking lot in Queens within hearing range of dozens of people. Despite her screams during the crime no one intervened or called for help. Psychologists later coined this phenomenon 'bystander apathy.' There are many other cases of bystander apathy known, including the beating of Reginald Denny during the L.A. riots.

People may not help for a host of reasons, but social perception and fear play a role. Psychologists have noted, for example, that witnesses will assess the situation by gauging others' reactions. If other witnesses to a crime are doing nothing, then most people will also do nothing. They'll assume that someone is handling the situation, or there is some reason why no one is acting.

Of course some people will not interfere in a crime or accident due to fear of injury to themselves. This goes without saying. Unfortunately for as many celebrated cases of successful heroic acts, scores of good Samaritans are killed attempting to help. If you notice on the Salt Lake City video, even though many folks are helping, some witnesses are standing by, including the driver of the vehicle involved in the crash.

Then why do some people still intervene even at peril to themselves? One reason I think is strength in numbers. I think the young motorcyclist in the Salt Lake City accident was lucky, because he crashed near a construction site with several workers present. 'As a group' I think the construction workers felt safer intervening together. Danger seems neutralized when faced with others.

A second reason is the opposite of bystander apathy, perhaps call it 'bystander sympathy'. When other bystanders observe people taking action, they join in too. A couple of active people serve as a catalyst to others.

Another reason I think people intervene despite danger is that they have the capacity to go 'into the moment,' and act without thinking. The more dire and shocking situation, the more likely they'll just act. Many people will say this after a rescue: "I'm not a hero. I just did it."I think if people perceive they can act in the moment, they will.

Finally, I think some people intervene and risk their lives because that is their personality, and outlook on life. Otherwise we wouldn't have people willing to work as EMTs, soldiers, or firefighters.

Hopefully a group of these folks is milling around during the next human tragedy.

Humpback Whale Freed

2011-09-16T05:08:00.002-05:00

I heard about this video, but couldn't find it when I looked for it. Then I saw it on a friend's post. This story demonstrates how incredibly perceptive children are, and whales too.

Living With You

2011-09-15T20:49:00.002-05:00

My friend Molly singing, and my friend Doug playing guitar for Chris' 50th birthday.

Where Were You?

2011-09-11T11:59:00.000-05:00

Where were you on the morning of 9/11/2001? Click on to add yourself to an interactive map, and leave your comments. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/09/08/us/sept-11-reckoning/where-were-you-september-11-map.html?hp#!/40425

Well, I was nowhere near ground zero, but New York didn't seem that very far away that day, as I knew the planes had left from Boston and Portland, Maine. I was at work in an elementary school. When I first heard about the attacks, I thought it was the World Trade Center in Boston. I felt panicky and scared, but also felt a sense of resolve. I had a responsibility for the safety of the children, and was prepared to act .

I remember being concerned about my maternal Aunt, who was still working in Government Center in Boston at the time. The FBI was one floor below her, so I thought her building might be a target, and I heard they were evacuating buildings.

I was prepared that administrators might decide to evacuate our building and send the children home from school, but we stayed. For the most part, I was shielded from the events of that day. The principal decided not to have T.V.s or computers on, except for the older children. He rightly considered that the news would just frighten and confuse the younger children. Since I mostly worked with younger children, I went about my business mostly unaware.

When I got home from school that day, I was more shocked than I ever have been in my life when I finally saw the image of the planes hitting the towers. It was an utter sense of disbelief and horror that this could happen.

That weekend my friends and I had a get together, a vigil of sorts. We gathered together and talked about our feelings about that day. Our friend Rosalie was in NYC that day, only blocks from the towers. She took the subway every morning to school. Later on we also found out that my friend Julie's brother took his life that Saturday night. He suffered from multiple sclerosis and depression.

It was a memorable time for all.

Misophonia

2011-09-07T16:33:00.002-05:00

I came across an article in the New York Times recently about misophonia. I didn't know what it was, except by experience, until I read the article. Basically misophonia is a hypersensitivity to certain sounds that can greatly distress a person, or even provoke rage or irrational thoughts. Though I do not think I have an extreme case, I have always been hypersensitive to certain sounds like gum chewing, traffic noise, or music/T.V. noise.

In my first year of college living in a dorm was like torture to me. I also can remember a time when I kicked a sofa across a room because my sister was playing pool and listening to music on the floor below me. When she refused to turn down the music and made some snide comment, I basically freaked out and started screaming. Another time when I worked in an office, and a woman kept snapping her gum "very loudly," it nearly drove me crazy. I was puzzled that no one else in the office seemed to notice her annoying habit.

Growing up my family members gave me a hard time about my sensitivities, especially my father. His attitude was: "What's wrong with you? Get over it!" My sisters and my Mom usually just teased me. Many times, though, I've felt extreme hatred towards people that make noise and seemingly have no consideration for others.

We all have to get along and live in a very noisy, abrasive world. Personally I am distressed by noise frequently. I've even considered buying sound-blocking double pane windows to install in my condo.(They are very expensive) I can't imagine why every dwelling is not equipped already with double pane windows and well insulated walls. Who wants to hear the conversations of neighbors, traffic outside, or people thumping about?

Here is a list of coping mechanisms I've developed over the years.

1. Earplugs

2. Fans/ Aquariums/ Water Blubbers/ Air Circulator

3. Classical Music

In a related topic psychologist Dr. Elaine Aron has developed the theory of the Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), and has written many books.Years ago I took her quiz and scored very high. Not surprisingly I am a HSP. HSPs have hypersensitivity to noise and other experiences. It seems that 'people like me,' or HSP's, have highly tuned nervous systems. Very little outside stimulation is required to arouse my senses, as I am already highly tuned. Hence, the environment can potentially frequently over-stimulate me and overwhelm me.

Dr. Aron emphasizes both the good and the bad about being an HSP, and she gives lots of tips. The bad news is that the world is a very noisy, uncontrollable place for an HSP. The good news is that having a highly tuned nervous system can alert to danger more quickly. Also HSPs can appreciate the arts richly, and HSPs make good therapists and artists. (We certainly need plenty of those.) Indeed, perhaps our species might not have survived if it weren't for those one or two neurotic HSPs in the tribe, eyes wide open at night, alert to the dangers of attack.

Eat Your Veggies

2011-09-05T09:00:00.001-05:00

Because of the long, hot summer days and the short, cool nights in Alaska, apparently farmers can grow gigantic vegetables and fruits there. Every year the competition is keen at the Alaska State Fair in August. Since 1993 the Alaskans have achieved eight world records. I just saw an article about an enormous 126 pound cabbage. I guess it was just a pound shy of the world record.

Of course everyone's heard about the enormous pumpkin, but a cabbage? There was also a 35 pound broccoli, and a 64.8 pound cantaloupe. Hopefully these colossal vegetables and fruits made very large stews, smoothies, pies or salads eventually.

How High Is Your Bookstack?

2011-09-04T12:13:00.003-05:00

How high is your bookstack? Well, that's a rather personal question. ;)

Turns out mine is slightly shorter than a giraffe.

LibraryThing is always devising nifty gadgets, widgets, and stats about books. The latest meme that caught my eye is: How high is your bookstack? This library thing application actually calculates the thickness of all my books, then tells me what the height would be if I stacked all the books in a pile.

(Apparently this is something bibliophiles spend time thinking about)

I was disappointed at first, thinking: "My stack has to be higher than that!" Then I remembered I haven't cataloged all my books yet, only a mere 175! The giraffe is just the beginning.

It certainly gives me incentive to catalog the rest of my library. How high will I go? The Empire State Building?

The Problem We All Live With

2011-09-04T10:04:00.001-05:00

Obama with the 'real' Rudy Bridges

Recently President Obama has had Norman Rockwell's painting, "The Problem We All Live With," hung right outside the Oval office. The painting is a depiction of the actual events of Nov. 14, 1960, in New Orleans. Rudy Bridges, now 56 and still living in New Orleans, was escorted by four U.S. Marshals to her elementary school first grade class. She was six years old at the time, and as she walked she faced ugly slurs and taunts from an enraged crowd. When she finally got to her class that day, she was alone, as most of the parents had removed their children from the school that day.

Rudy was the first black child to be integrated into the New Orleans public schools due to a court ordered desegregation of the schools.

Rudy in 1960

There is some controversy over Obama's choice to hang this painting in the White House. After all, the 'N' word is clearly depicted right in the middle of the illustration, as well as references to the K.K.K.

In my mind this painting is not an ugly reminder, intended to shame people, but a rendition of the true reality of the times. That is exactly the word that was no doubt hurled at a six year old girl as she walked to school, the picture of innocence. That's how warped the thinking of some Americans was in 1960, and perhaps still today. The K.K.K. was alive and well in the early 1960's, and murdering people outright.We must all recall and take responsibility for this history.

Why not hang the picture (albeit Rockwell's artistic vision) of a brave little girl caught amidst a momentous moment in American history?

Woods Hole

2011-08-31T20:04:00.003-05:00

MK scouting the trail

I got to spend the last two days in Woods Hole, Cape Cod. Woods hole itself is a small town with not much but a ferry, yet the whole surrounding area of Woods Hole is divine, quintessential Cape Cod. After a hurricane and no power for two days, I arrived just in time for electricity on Monday.

I guess people really just go to Woods Hole so they can go to Martha's Vineyard. I've lived in Massachusetts my whole life and I've never been to 'the Vineyard!" Shame on me.

Anyway, MK and I stayed at a friend's beautiful house near the beach. I walked at least 5 miles on Tuesday, from Woods Hole to Falmouth and back. We also got two jigsaw puzzles completed, read, went to the beach, hiked to a peninsula, and ate lots of ice cream. Sounds like an ideal stay.

Ah, the last glorious days of summer dwindling away...

Quisset Harbour

Perfect Day

2011-08-27T08:59:00.002-05:00

With the rain pelting down so steadily, and with the heavy heart and abject loneliness and depression I'm feeling right now, it's hard to imagine yesterday.

Yesterday it was sunny and warm and I rode my scooter to Walden Pond in Concord.

I rode along route 2A the whole way, one of my favorite rides. For almost the entire way I barely stopped, rode at least 35 -40 mph, and the temperature was perfect. I stopped and bought an Italian sub, something I always seem to crave when I go to the beach. I had some scrumptious chocolate, reading material, fruit, and cream soda. Life was good.

Walden Pond is one of my favorite places to spend a day. Especially a non-work, humid summer day in August.

To my surprise, the pond was not crowded and the parking lot was open. To top it off, because I had my bike I got in free! (I felt guilty that maybe I should pay anyway, but I then I thought: I choose to ride a scooter, not some huge SUV monstrosity that takes a lot of space!)

First I stopped at Thoreau's cabin and got a picture after some tourists shuffled out. They were very annoying and slow: "Is this Thoreau's cabin? I don't think it's the original one." Duh.

I walked about a-quarter-the-ways around the lake and found a spot to share. I sat uncomfortably on a big rock and ate my sub, for I was very hungry, drank my soda, and read for about 2 1/2 hours "The Stranger Beside Me," by Ann Rule.(This is a true crime book about Ted Bundy. A real page turner)

After awhile I got up and proceeded to walk around the pond three times. (It was part of my training efforts.) I took a few pictures along the way.

Walden Pond is a great place to walk.

Feminist Rant

2011-08-26T11:28:00.000-05:00

Here's my feminist reading list that I created on Amazon. It's fun; you can make a list of 'must reads' on any topic (or product) in Listamania!

1. No Small Courage: A History of Women in the United States by Nancy F. Cott

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2. The Seven Daughters of Eve: The Science That Reveals Our Genetic Ancestry by Bryan Sykes

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3. To Believe in Women: What Lesbians Have Done For America - A History by Lillian Faderman

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4. Not for Ourselves Alone : The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony by Geoffrey C. Ward

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5. Ladies of Liberty: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation by Cokie Roberts

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6. A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812 by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

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7. The Chalice and the Blade: Our History, Our Future by Riane Tennenhaus Eisler

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8. A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf

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9. Women of the Left Bank by Shari Benstock

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10. Passionate Minds: Women Rewriting the World by Claudia Roth Pierpont

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11. Dearest Friend: A Life of Abigail Adams by Lynne Withey

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12. In Her Own Words: Women's Memoirs from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States by Jill Ker Conway

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13. In a Different Voice: Psychological Theory and Women's Development by Carol Gilligan

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Amazon Wish List

2011-08-26T11:22:00.000-05:00

1.		The Colors of Courage: Gettysburg's Hidden History by Margaret S. Creighton

2.		Who Cooked the Last Supper: The Women's History of the World by Rosalind Miles

3.		Within the Plantation Household: Black and White Women of the Old South (Gender and American Culture) by Elizabeth Fox-Genovese

4.		White Women, Black Men: Illicit Sex in the Nineteenth-Century South by Martha Elizabeth Hodes

5.		Ar'n't I a Woman?: Female Slaves in the Plantation South by Deborah G. White

6.		Good Wives, Nasty Wenches, and Anxious Patriarchs: Gender, Race, and Power in Colonial Virginia (Published for the Omohundro Institute of Early American Hist) by Kathleen M. Brown

7.		Bones, Boats, and Bison: Archeology and the First Colonization of Western North America by E. James Dixon

8.		The Lady Elizabeth: A Novel by Alison Weir

9.		Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt by David G. McCullough

10.		When God Was a Woman by Merlin Stone

11.		Flapper: A Madcap Story of Sex, Style, Celebrity, and the Women Who Made America Modern by Joshua Zeitz

12.		Stealing Secrets: How a Few Daring Women Deceived Generals, Impacted Battles, and Altered the Course of the Civil War by H. Donald Winkler

13.		The First Ladies: From Martha Washington to Mamie Eisenhower, An Intimate Portrait of the Women Who Shaped America by Feather Schwartz Foster

14.		The Girls Who Went Away: The Hidden History of Women Who Surrendered Children for Adoption in the Decades Before Roe v. Wade by Ann Fessler

15.		Betty Boop Mini Tea Set Vandor

16.		Death's Acre: Inside the Legendary Forensic Lab the Body Farm Where the Dead Do Tell Tales by William M. Bass

17.		Beyond the Body Farm: A Legendary Bone Detective Explores Murders, Mysteries, and the Revolution in Forensic Science by William M. Bass

18.		The Sims Medieval by Electronic Arts

19.		The Power of Babel: A Natural History of Language by John H. McWhorter

20.		Europe Between the Oceans: 9000 BC-AD 1000 by Barry W. Cunliffe

21.		The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World by Anthony David, David W. Anthony

22.		The 10,000 Year Explosion: How Civilization Accelerated Human Evolution by Gregory Cochran, Henry Harpending

23.		Demonic Males: Apes and the Origins of Human Violence by Richard W. Wrangham

24.		Stone Age Present: How Evolution Has Shaped Modern Life -- From Sex, Violence and Language to Emotions, Morals and Communities by William F. Allman

25.		Bodies We've Buried : Inside the National Forensic Academy, the World's Top CSI Training School by Jarrett Hallcox

26.		A History of Newfoundland by D. W. Prowse

27.		Dead Men Do Tell Tales: The Strange and Fascinating Cases of a Forensic Anthropologist by William R. Maples

28.		Hermaphrodites and the Medical Invention of Sex by Alice Domurat Dreger

29.		Lives and Landscapes: A Photographic Memoir of Outport Newfoundland and Labrador, 1949-1963 by Elmer Harp

30.		Raise The Red Lantern: Original Soundtrack Album ~ Zhao Jiping

Carnival!

2011-08-23T10:03:00.002-05:00

Disco shoes with goldfish. I want them.

Ellyn and I took a day trip down to P-town to see Carnival. This was my virginal experience with Carnival, but, as always, the 'boys' graciously led me through my first time. What an escapade! The Drag Queens do not disappoint, but deliver everything that is outstandingly outrageous and more at Carnival.

((There were more than a few bemused and confused straight families wandering around.))

I thought: Here it is a Thursday afternoon, most people are working.... Most vacationers are just out for a day of shopping. And then suddenly the world fills up with decadent, drunk, half naked drag queens. What a show!

Let's just say I saw more 'packages' than a urologist does in a week, in two hours! Lol.

By the way, the theme this year was music. Next year it is 'space odyssey.' I'm getting my costume ready.....

One sexy Mozart

Charo! Every year a 'has been' celebrity shows up

100 Proverbs/ Sayings

2011-08-22T21:11:00.000-05:00

ugly as buckley's goat
it takes two to tango
out of the frying pan, into the fire
it's raining cats and dogs
flat as a pancake
crazy as a lark
behind every great man there's a woman
a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
where there's smoke, there's fire
neither a borrower nor lender be
to err is human
frailty thy name is woman
I came, I saw, I conquered
that's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind
kick the bucket
disco inferno
are you a man, or a mouse?
she loves me, she loves me not
cry me a river
leaping lizards
ain't nothing but a g thang
hold your horses
well behaved women seldom make history
an apple a day keeps the doctor away
what's your sign; come here often?
don't look a gift horse in the mouth
Mama Mia!
boys will be boys
it's a dog eat dog world
you can't teach an old dog new tricks
don't make a mountain out of a molehill
like a rolling stone
a woman's work is never done
a friend in need is a friend indeed
the rich get richer, the poor get poorer
curiosity killed the cat
a rolling stone gathers no moss
father knows best
you can't get blood out of a stone
put one foot in front of the other
every dog has his day
let sleeping dogs lie
happy as a pig in shit
when in Rome, do as the Romans do
home is where the heart is
you can't put the cart before the horse
you can't put all your eggs in one basket
grow your own dope; plant a man!
wait til the cows come home
you can't see the forest through the trees
mind your p's and q's
I wouldn't want to walk a mile in your shoes
when the going gets tough, the tough get going
return to sender; address unknown
when in doubt throw it out
mamas don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys
honesty is the best policy
the pen is mightier than the sword
you can't judge a book by its cover
read between the lines
nightie night don't let the bed bugs bite
let your fingers do the walking it's a snap
six feet under
don't worry; be happy
absence makes the heart grow fonder
when you care enough to send the very best
one day at a time
it was a dark and stormy night
now is the winter of our discontent
once upon a time
put it on the back burner
back to square one
beggars can't be choosers
with bells on
been there, done that
put your money where your mouth is
I got to blow this clambake
get a grip
knee high to a grasshopper
back to the drawing board
don't get your undies in a bunch
that's water under the bridge
mad as a hatter
what's your m.o.?
go to hell in a handbasket
smack dab in the middle
every Tom, Dick, and Harry
ebb and flow
a face only a mother could love
when it rains, it pours
Murphy's law
let the cat out of the bag
cat on a hot tin roof
far be it from me
face the music
few and far between
have your cake and eat it too
wouldn't want to meet you in a dark alley
keeping up with the Joneses
through thick and thin

Sold!

2011-08-20T14:40:00.008-05:00

During the past two weeks I've been selling books on Amazon.com., and so far I've sold 10 books. Profit wise I've barely broke even. I don't know if I will make any profit, but I'm trying to rationalize it all by saying it's fun and I'm getting rid of clutter. Also I'm putting any profits towards my fundraising. It's too bad books aren't worth much money.

Diaries of Anne Lisier 1791- 1840

Gone Fishing

2011-08-17T15:37:00.002-05:00

My girl scream when I thought I caught something. 

Welch Dickey Trail

2011-08-16T15:30:00.005-05:00

On Saturday I hiked the famous Welch-Dickey trail in the White Mountains, NH. I have never hiked this trail before, but heard much about it. It is a very well maintained trail, and very unique. It deserves its accolades for not only the spectacular views it offers for a moderate effort, but the wide, granite slab trials you traverse for most of the way are unlike any other. The only other trail I remember hiking that is similar is Mt. Cardigan, and Mt Monadnock. Both have the wide open alpine trails, but on Welch-Dickey there is more openness. It is NOT a trail to try on a very windy or rainy day. Here are some pictures, including me with my Team in Training (TNT) pals.

Fearless

Cat Woman- Meow

2011-08-11T20:32:00.003-05:00

Eartha Kitt 1968

Here is a review of Catwoman throughout T.V. and film history. My only complaint is: why was there such a long lull between Eartha Kitt and Michelle Pfeiffer?

In my humble Baron opinion, the world could have seen more of catwoman, not less.....

In the 1990's I had the comic book collection of "Catwoman" when they issued it. I had the first edition too.

That's one possession I regret getting rid of......

Julie Newmar 1966

Lee Meriweather 1966

Michelle Pfeiffer 1992

Halle Berry 2004

Anne Hathaway 2012

T.V. Guide March 1967

2011-08-05T15:05:00.005-05:00

For some reason I have a T.V. guide from March 18-24 1967 that belonged to my Uncle Dave. I leafed through it and found some fun advertisements and scheduled television shows, including a LIVE and IN COLOR fight between Cassius Clay and Zora Folley. I wonder who won? I'd guess Ali, since I've never heard of the other guy, but I'm sure my friend Jonathan can shed some light on that......

Wait no more! Here it is!

The Locks of Hair

2011-08-03T15:18:00.003-05:00

I suppose all mothers do this, though it seems somewhat morbid--- I don't know why. I read a book by Edward Ball called "The Genetic Strand: Exploring a Family History through DNA." Edward Ball is the same author that wrote: "Slaves in the Family," a fantastic book about genealogy and American history. The "Genetic Strand" is all about how Ball inherited an old desk from a distant cousin, only to find several hair strands of his ancestors in a hidden drawer. He was able to analyze the DNA and get a clearer picture of his ancestry.

Here is my hair from a tender age, that my mother lopped off and kept. I guess I was a little more blonde back then.
My Braid June 3, 1970 age 6:11
Lock of Hair age 1 1/2 1965

I Wasn't Very Good At Math

2011-08-03T14:49:00.002-05:00

     When I was a youngster I did not perceive myself as being very good at Math. It was a struggle for me. Here is a paper from my first grade class at the John F. Kennedy Elementary School in Somerville, MA. The year is 1969.

    No doubt there were momentous events going on in the country in 1969, like men landing on the moon, riots, hippie gatherings, and political assassinations, but apparently I was busily concerned with mastering subtraction. Not a bad thing.

     This was one of my favorite papers, which I was proud of.
A later 4th grade attempt at fractions

New England Circa 1940

2011-08-02T08:49:00.002-05:00

Farm Auction Derby, Conn by Jack Delano

Children gathering potatoes, Maine by J. Delano
Brockton, MA by J. Delano
In honor of the 1940 census, soon to be released in April, 2011, I am posting these selected pictures from a Library of Congress photographic collection. All are taken between 1939- 1942, and they were part of a Farm Security Administration Office of War Project. Given that my relatives were all living in the East, I'm going to select pictures from the New England area.It's really worth looking at all the pictures, though, to get a snapshot of America at the time.See the whole collection at this Library of Congress link.
New Hampshire by John Collier
Bethel Vt by John Collier

Waiting for Bus
Lowell, MA by Jack Delano

Mt. Wachusett Hike

2011-08-01T11:56:00.005-05:00

Saturday I went hiking with my TNT group at Wachusett Mountain. Though humid, it was a beautiful, breezy summer day. We had a very long, leisurely. moderate hike. The only troublesome aspect was the last 1/2 mile or so, which we had to walk on the road. It was very hot in the direct sun, and uphill, but we all made it.

We began our journey on the Bicentennial trail, which was relatively flat, but very rocky. It was difficult not to slip on moss or get your boot lodged in a crevice. We then proceeded up the High Meadow trail, and then the Jack Frost trail. We made jokes about the Jack Frost trail being cooler, but it wasn't. Next, we connected to the Link trail, then made our way to the summit via the Harrington trail. The summit offered hazy views of Boston in the distance, and Mt. Manadnock in New Hampshire.

We also crossed the Midstate trail, which is a 92 mile hike beginning in Rhode Island, passing through Massachusetts, and then ending in New Hampshire.

After a little snack break we proceeded down the Pine Hill trail, making it back to the visitor center by mid-afternoon. We stopped and took pictures at Balance Rock about half-way down. Afterwards we all met for lunch at the Old Mill Pub in Westminster, MA, built in 1761.

By the way, "Wachusett" means "near the mountain" or "mountain place" in the Natick Indian language.

The Vain Brain-- by Jennifer Taylor

2011-07-28T09:51:00.001-05:00

Introduction:
      You are about to read that which comes from a self-educated and self-trained mind that considers all life on earth (including modern humans) through a prism of evolutionary thought, reason and logic. Sort of like philosophy without the boner for human ego. I am also a lifelong student of free thought, which means you are urged to debate, question or utterly dismiss the belief system regarding the human brain I have gleaned from 20+ years of geeky armchair neuroscience. Lastly, I have been drawn to conclude an absolute: we are by the very nature of our working brain hopelessly, horribly biased. Therefore, my sources of information are pro science-based methodology and peer-reviewed literature. Onward to the brain behind the "self" and reality as we do not even close to know it..

     Your three-ish pounds of energy-vampire silken tofu-like control center of a staggeringly complex one hundred billion brain cells is quite probably the most cognitively rich in the history of our planet.It is the only known brain to have the cognitive ability to understand our own eventual mortality, both a gift and a curse. I am always a whore for knowing. Do not confuse this with the natural world's faulty-recipe strive toward an evolutionary pinnacle: hello horseshoe crabs, sharks, cockroaches...we may have guns and steel but after the microbial world, the lowly mosquito is arguably the most historically deadly creature to our species, aside from ourselves, of course.

     Currently a hot topic amongst the nuerogeeks is how we begin to grasp that what we experience as waking, conscious individuals is filtered, altered and distorted by the brain behind the curtain. The why is easy: protection from an uncertain and unknown existence. The How? There lies the paradox of trying to understand the brain with the brain. Your brain is the key master of the reality the "self" perceives through its senses. Your very concept of "self" is a brain construct.

The following are some of my notes of research-based generalities common to the vast majority of us:
-our memory is faulty to a degree that it becomes one of the ego's greatest allies.

-we think our weaknesses are very common while our strengths are unique.
-we overwhelmingly prefer explanations that cast us in the best light and memory will alter facts to fit our version of events in a matter of days.
-our self-serving bias works well below conscious thought.

That is a small taste of our very vain brain. Chaw on that for a while...

Jonathan's Great Adventure

2011-07-25T13:44:00.003-05:00

More of that crazy JD out there in LA!

The Quantified Self

2011-07-25T10:13:00.006-05:00
     I've come across a blog lately... The Quantified Self. Basically it's about the new science of self-tracking, using technology like computers and smart phones to use tools and apps to meticulously record data about one's self. All kinds of data about all kinds of activities! Like sleeping, eating, mood, exercise, and goals.
     In my opinion some of the self-tracking tools border on obsessive-compulsive, but others can be quick and useful. Three tools that I have tried recently are Moodscope, 750 words, and I Done This. In all three applications you are prompted everyday by an email to respond. I find that using a daily email as a taskmaster motivates me and helps me to complete the activity promptly. I also like the fact that each tool includes some kind of analysis-- the number of words used, percentage of tasks completed, or average of quantified mood per day. The analysis includes plots, graphs, and statistics.
     Conceivably the analytical tools help you to self-monitor and self-improve over time. Moodscope for example lets you share your daily results with a buddy. (I haven't tried this yet). This way your buddy can cheer you on, or sympathize with your plight. Studies show that mood improves with frequent monitoring. I Done This simply makes you feel accomplished because you've completed a task each day, even if a small one. Also, you anticipate the prompting, so you are more likely to plan to get something done each day!
     In contrast I have found 750 words interesting but a bit challenging to complete each day.

1930 Census

2011-07-21T09:48:00.000-05:00

In April, 2011, the 1940 American Census will be available for research. For amateur genealogists like me, that's very exciting news. Although the census will (perhaps) not reveal any information I don't already know, just seeing it will be interesting. Here is my great-grandmother, Margaret Downing, in Chelsea on the 1930 Census. My grandmother is Gwendolyn.
United States Census, 1930 for Margaret Downing

Name: Margaret Downing
Event: Census
Event Date: 1930
Event Place: Chelsea, Suffolk, Massachusetts
Gender: Female
Age: 41
Marital Status: Widowed
Race: White
Birthplace: Ireland
Estimated Birth Year: 1889
Immigration Year: 1925
Relationship to Head of Household: Head
Father's Birthplace: England
Mother's Birthplace: Ireland

Household Gender Age
Margaret Downing F 41
Child Henry R Downing M 23
Child Cyril Downing M 19
Child Cecil Downing M 18
Child Gwendolyn Downing F 16
Child Leslie Downing M 9
Child Mildred Downing F 4

Martin Wonson M 40
Child Isabelle Wonson F 22

Grandmother at time of census

Artifacts

2011-07-21T08:49:00.000-05:00

There's an exhibit at the National Museum of American History, called "Lincoln: An Extraordinary Life." You can view the exhibition online by clicking the above link. I was struck by all the everyday artifacts that were preserved, from the day of Lincoln's assassination. Normally these everyday items would have been long ago lost to obscurity had they not been associated with the events of April14, 1865.

Laura Keene, an actress starring in "Our American Cousin" that night at Ford's Theatre, ran upstairs with water to assist the president after he was shot. As she held his head in her arms, she transferred the blood spots you see on the cuff she was wearing that night. Her niece, Virginia Adler Thompson, kept her aunt's cuff for decades, then bequeathed the artifact to the National Museum of American History in 1962.
Laura Keene 1826- 1873

Man Ray and Lee Miller

2011-07-20T13:51:00.000-05:00

Lee Miller by Man Ray 1930
Lee Miller
Recently I visited the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, and saw the current exhibit featuring May Ray and Lee Miller. Previously I knew of both photographers, and had my favorites from each, but did not know of their ongoing relationship and collaboration throughout the years (from 1929 to 1976). The exhibit covers the different phases of their friendship, corresponding with the art created during the time by both artists, as well as other artists like Picasso and Dali. My two favorites of Man Ray and Lee Miller are included here, as well as some of my favorites from the exhibit. Well worth seeing.

Click here for a fantastic review from NPR.

Iceman's Stomach Sampled—Filled With Goat Meat

2011-07-20T12:27:00.027-05:00

     In 1991 scientists found the frozen corpse of a 5,300 year old Copper Age man (dubbed 'Otzi) in the Alps between Italy and Austria. Over the years more and more information about him has been analyzed, some of it controversial. The latest article I guess is not all that surprising, that the Ice Man's last meal was a mixture of grains (barley and einkorn) and ibex goat meat. Another interesting tidbit is that scientists found ashes in the Ice Man's intestines, meaning that he cooked at least some of his meals. Also discovered is animal hair and insects, so we can expect that ancient people were not as concerned with the hygiene of meats as modern day. Experts believe Otzi was a alpine herder, and seemed to be murdered, (he had an arrow head lodged in his back, and blunt force trauma to his head) though the circumstances of his death can only be speculated. What I find most interesting is that the Ice Man was an older fellow for the time--- at least in his mid-forties.
Iceman's Stomach Sampled—Filled With Goat Meat

Walking and Hiking

2011-07-18T16:28:00.001-05:00

     Since I have to get into shape for my fundraising hike in October at Zion, I've been making a conscious effort to increase my exercise. On Friday I went camping in Western Massachusetts near Savoy Mountain. On Saturday Jennifer and I did an 8 mile hike with the boys. We began at the summit of Mt. Greylock then hiked down the Hopper Trail to Stonyledge Overlook. Then we hiked up the Hopper trail, with a diversion to see a waterfall, then back on the Hopper trail, which we actually ended up losing. We ended up on the main road for awhile, but eventually got back into the woods. Overall it was a challenging yet very nice hike.

     Today Jennifer and I completed another walk. We walked about 4.2 miles, from one end of the Arboretum to the other. It's a very lovely walk, even with the humidity.

View Larger Map

Old Burying Point

2011-07-14T13:42:00.000-05:00

     Yesterday Ellyn and I walked around Salem, Massachusetts, somehow avoiding all the tacky witch related tourist traps and only touring the Peabody Essex Museum for about two hours. We also went and explored the Old Burying Point Charter Street Cemetery. Ellyn said that this cemetery of 347 recorded souls is the second oldest in the country. It was established in 1637. Some famous people are buried there, including Simon Bradstreet, a royal governor of Massachusetts. Also buried there is the notorious Judge John Hathorne, the man responsible for hanging 19 people during the Salem witch trials. Ellyn explained how Nathaniel Hawthorne, the famous writer of "The House of Seven Gables," changed the spelling of his name to dis-associate himself from his distant Hathorne relatives. Other frequently found surnames in the cemetery include Bowditch, Gardiner, Crownsfield, Pickman, and Peele. Ellyn and I also noted that common female names were Elizabeth, Abigal, and Sarah. Most fascinating was the varied decor on some of the gravestones--- grip reapers, skeletons, willow trees, angels, cherubs, and urns.

Walkie Walkie Gromit

2011-07-10T13:49:00.007-05:00

hot socks

    The GF and I went for a little jaunt today in the urban oasis also known as the Arnold Arboretum. We walked from one end of the Arboretum to the other, and back, with some side tracks. If you want to see our every step, check out the map. The GF has a way cool application on her iPhone that records our every step and distance. We actually went a bit further, as we forgot to turn on the device from the beginning. It was a good walk--- we saw robins, cat birds, chipmunks, squirrels, dogs, people, fruit trees, and a hawk's nest..... Plus, I sampled my new compression socks. (see photo). With me in the socks and the GF with the fishing hat, nobody bothered us.

Smoking the Bard's Bones?

2011-07-08T15:46:00.000-05:00

A gentleman named Francis Thackeray, a palaeontologist from South Africa, has petitioned the Church of England to exhume Shakespeare's bones, and that of his wife and sister. It's very unlikely he'll get his way, but he wants to submit the bard's skeleton to a laser technology that will shed light on the cause of death. When Shakespeare died in 1616 at the age of 52, the cause of death was not listed. Thackeray also wants to prove that Shakespeare smoked pot, by analyzing his teeth, hair, or fingernail samples. In 2001 Mr. Thackeray analyzed several clay pipes excavated from Shakespeare's garden, that contained traces of cannabis and cocaine. Interestingly enough, several of Shakespeare's plays and poems mention the "noted weed." Pot was grown in England at the time, and used for rope and textiles, and presumably smoking.

Please Call Stella

2011-07-08T14:47:00.000-05:00

I discovered a website called The Speech Accent Archive, developed by the linguistics department of George Mason University in Virginia. The site has a collection of transcripts from speakers all over the world, rehearsing the same paragraph in English. You can submit your own, if you like. Below are some samples of American speakers, then some other English speakers, then some foreign speakers:

Please call Stella. Ask her to bring these things with her from the store: Six spoons of fresh snow peas, five thick slabs of blue cheese, and maybe a snack for her brother Bob. We also need a small plastic snake and a big toy frog for the kids. She can scoop these things into three red bags, and we will go meet her Wednesday at the train station.

I tried to get a cross-section of the country.

Boston, MA
http://accent.gmu.edu/searchsaa.php?function=detail&speakerid=79

Atlanta, GA
http://accent.gmu.edu/searchsaa.php?function=detail&speakerid=83

Australia
http://accent.gmu.edu/browse_language.php?function=detail&speakerid=148

Norway:
http://accent.gmu.edu/browse_language.php?function=detail&speakerid=562

El Salvador:
http://accent.gmu.edu/browse_language.php?function=detail&speakerid=349

The World's Most Typical Person

2011-07-06T09:13:00.003-05:00

The world's most typical person, out of the 7 billion of us, is a 28 year old Chinese man. Here he is:

My first thought: If China didn't have it's birth limitation policies, I wonder if the world's most typical person would be a Chinese woman?
My second thought: I am far from the world's most typical human being....

Musket At Bat

2011-07-05T12:59:00.002-05:00

Here's an old video of me hitting the ball in 2007.

Johnathan in the Hollywood Hills

2011-06-30T07:53:00.000-05:00

Tall Tree Lady

2011-06-26T11:11:00.000-05:00

my sister's awesome photos from Maine....

The Kids Are Out of School-Here They Come

2011-06-26T11:06:00.000-05:00

Photos by Janet M. Taylor 2011

The Ordinary People Behind Landmark Supreme Court Cases

2011-06-17T15:59:00.001-05:00

On every Law & Order episode, we hear the "Miranda Warning" recited as the suspect is being dragged away. Today marks 45 years since the Miranda v. Arizona case went to the Supreme Court. This landmark court decision gives citizens the right to counsel prior to being questioned by police.

The ordinary bloke responsible for the Miranda Rights case-- Ernesto Miranda-- was no stranger to crime. In 1963 he was accused of rape, kidnapping, and armed robbery in Arizona. The police secured a confession, and Ernesto was brought to trial and convicted. In 1966 upon appeal Ernesto's conviction was overturned by a Supreme Court ruling. Lawyers argued that Miranda's 5th amendment right against self-incrimination had been violated. Miranda was not informed he could seek counsel.

Though Ernesto's charges were overturned, Arizona retried him without the confession being admissible. Ironically, despite having the confession squelched, Ernesto was still convicted of the kidnapping/assault charge and served 11 years. After his release in 1973 Miranda worked odd jobs, drifted, and was involved in other petty crimes. In 1976 Ernesto was involved in a bar fight and was stabbed to death. He was only 34. The suspect involved in the incident was never arrested and fled to Mexico. The suspect asserted his Miranda Rights when the police questioned. him.

Perhaps one of the most controversial landmark case is Roe v. Wade. The ordinary citizen behind this case is Norma L. McCorvey, a.k.a. "Jane Roe" for the purposes of the case. In 1969 Norma became pregnant with her third child. She was only 21. Norma sought a legal abortion by claiming she had been raped, which was untrue. In Texas at the time a woman could only legally get an abortion in cases of rape or incest. There was no police evidence a rape occur ed, so she was denied access to a legal abortion. Norma tried the illegal route but was unsuccessful.

Two ambitious lawyers, Linda Coffee and Sarah Weddington, used Norma's story to challenge the policies of the state of Texas regarding a woman's access to abortion. Eventually, after some years of haggling, the Supreme Court cited the 14th Amendment in favor of Roe, arguing that a woman's right to privacy was violated, and that it is a woman's personal decision to choose an abortion. Miraculously, despite many challenges and much controversy, Roe v. Wade has stood since 1973.

Ironically, Norma McCorvey has since converted to the Pro-Life movement. In 1995 she sought to overturn her case, Roe v. Wade, claiming that she was a unwitting pawn of two feminists lawyers. Apparently her case was dismissed as moot.

Lilac Sunday

2011-06-09T20:45:00.004-05:00

This year I went over to the Arboretum for Lilac Sunday with the gf and my Aunt Norma. Despite the cloudy weather, it was a good outing. Just seeing lilacs, and the some signs of spring, was enough for me. My gf got a few of these pictures, and sent them to me.

Dykie Dolls

2010-10-18T16:32:00.031-05:00
My Rosie the Riveter action figure arrived in the mail today. I already have a smaller Rosie, equipped with a lunch box and drill. But the Rosie I received today is a 9" action figure with blue overalls, a red bandanna, and gloves!

For those of you who may not know, Rosie the Riveter is an icon of the WWII era. She represents the thousands of women who went to work in shipyards, aircraft assembly lines, and weapons facilities while 'the boys' were away at war.

The icon of Rosie the Riveter and the "We Can Do It" posters of the time helped spur the women's movement decades later. After the war, the women were removed from their jobs so the men could return to work. Not surprisingly women received lesser pay for the same jobs and skills as men. These injustices precipitated the first stirrings of the Women's Rights Movement in the 60's and 70's.

The Rosie I received today is part of a series of dolls made by the Minnesota Historical Society called "Eleanor's Girls," to pay tribute to the valor of women who served in varied capacities during WWII. I also bought a WASPS (Women's Air Force Service Pilots) doll. Eleanor Roosevelt, of course, was a champion of the rights of many, including women. She also was a model herself of women serving in nontraditional roles for the time.

Despite all the history and honor, I bought the dolls mainly because they are truly unique. I have never seen such dykie dolls in all my life! They even beat the bastardized scooter barbie dolls I made last year! Look at the pilot's boots!

New Art

2010-10-03T19:12:00.009-05:00
I went to JP Open Studios last weekend, and bought 2 pieces from an artist named Amy Hitchcock. In January I will be taking a class with her called "Assemblages With Found Objects" at the Eliot School of Arts & Crafts in Jamaica Plain.

Tamara Lempicka

2010-10-03T13:39:00.026-05:00

Apparently there is a goddess in heaven, because this woman Tamara Lempicka existed. I can't fathom how incredibly gorgeous her work is, yet she is relatively unknown. If I were to conjure up sleek, Art Deco era images of women in my mind, her paintings would be my dream come true.

Briefly, she was born in Poland and emigrated to Paris in the 1920's, later escaping the Nazi regime. She settled in the United States in her later years. Tamara lived to be an old lady, heartily disapproving of the Sixties generation, because she thought the hippies weren't radical enough. There's nothing like the Roaring Twenties and early Thirties in Paris. What an era!

Tamara Lempicka was bisexual, hence she painted alluring images of mostly women, though she was married to several men. To add to her decadence, she became a Baroness through one of her marriages! Lempicka was influenced by the Cubists and Surrealists. Naturally she hobnobbed with the likes of Vita Sacksville West, Djuna Barnes, Picasso, Gide, Cocteau and others.

Artist friends: is she one of the few female artists in history to paint naked, sexy, and in some cases very masculine women?

Don't You Know The Law in Massachusetts, Masshole?

2010-10-02T08:14:00.015-05:00
Here's my catz LOL. Click on for website:
http://icanhascheezburger.com/

Trash Talk

2010-10-01T19:00:00.008-05:00
Here's my friend Jonathan acting in a short movie he also wrote. It's called "Trash Talk." He's the handsome devil with dark hair.

The Best of Ghost Hunters?

2010-09-26T18:46:00.004-05:00
I admit that I watch the series "Ghost Hunters," and "Ghost Hunters International," and I love these shows.

The lure of the paranormal sucks me in every time.

Though I do watch the shows because of my love of history and historical sites, I also watch it because of course I'm hoping that I'll see something very convincing and believable.

For the most part the shows disappoint and fall short repeatedly. There's lots of flying orbs, indistinct voices, and blurry images. However, I keep coming back because on both shows there have been some very eerie and convincing footage at times.

1. This EVP, as they call it, kind of freaked me out. The following are two clips of the same event, at a prison in Poland from Season One, episode 23. The two ghost hunters hear a fairly clear and loud female voice, speaking in what sounds like Russian or Polish. There's also emotion in her voice. It's either outright trickery, or can't be explained by me.
Go to 3:59 on tape....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJagUmTwRWc&feature=related
Go to beginning of tape.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yxRFJo82Yk

2. The following clip is from a hotel in Brazil, from Season 1, Episode 16. When I watched it again, I was not as impressed as the first time. I don't know why it made such an impression on me. Here you can see a figure walking through the kitchen hallway. Go to 4:13 on the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-6GB2hWu_4&feature=related

3. Lastly, here is a long and very audible EVP from "Ghost Hunters," Season 4 , Episode 7 Interestingly, it was captured at the Mt. Washington Resort in NH. Watch the beginning of the clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCF1yv_59vs&feature=related

Telekinesis Debunking

2010-09-25T13:52:00.017-05:00

My sister enjoys reading the skeptic blogs and such. She sent me this link of James Randi very convincingly debunking a so-called psychic named James Hydrick on "That's My Line," in 1981. James Randi, who is now 82 years old, is offering 1 million dollars to anyone who can demonstrate proof of the paranormal. He has challenged many famous psychics to tests, and they have avoided him. He's even been sued for libel by Uri Geller.

I believe there are realities beyond the human mind or understanding, and that humans may be able to experience or perceive these realities at times. These realities, though, are probably more profound than some guy moving a pencil or bending a spoon. As James Randi shows, the paranormal has never been proven to exist whatsoever with any sound scientific means.

A Room of One's Own

2010-09-19T15:52:00.011-05:00
Yesterday I spent time at my new studio space! Recent developments have allowed my friend MK to rent out a small yet inspiring and sunny corner of her studio! I'm not calling myself an "artist," (too much pressure) but a person who likes to look at and create images I like. So there.

I'm at the Atlantic Works Galleries on Border St. in East Boston.

The Foreign Accent Syndrome

2010-09-16T18:52:00.036-05:00

In my mind (pardon the pun) there's no subject more fascinating than neuroscience. Whenever I see articles about recent discoveries, I'm glued to the article. Especially interesting to me is how speech and language are manifested (for most people) in the left hemisphere. Having some knowledge of speech/language development and anatomy, I'm quite aware of the damage that occurs ---like Broca's Aphasia, apraxia of speech, and Wernicke's Aphasia-- in the adult brain due to TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury).

One kind of brain damage effect I had not heard of before is called "Foreign Accent Syndrome." The article I read was about an English woman named Kay Russell who suffered a severe migraine, and subsequently developed a French accent. (see below)

Most people with the Foreign Accent Syndrome have no prior skill or experience with the foreign language they develop an accent for. In fact, English speakers can develop accents that sound Russian or Chinese, or a variation of English such as Australian or Jamaican. Some subjects will also have odd changes in reading or writing ability. For example, Kay Russell writes English prose as a native speaker of French would, with the grammar and syntax differences expected.

Subjects who are bilingual or trilingual will suffer very odd effects. For example, a bilingual Korean women lost her ability to speak Korean, but could read it. She could only speak English, which was her acquired language! I was especially intrigued to find she lost her native language ability! Years ago when I was working in a nursing home as a teenager, I remember an elderly woman who suddenly began speaking fluent Sicilian Italian after 45 years of not speaking Italian! She had lost her acquired English completely.

From a speech/language anatomy standpoint, people do not actually develop pure foreign accents, as a native speaker of a certain language would. Instead, damage to the brain causes changes in the speaker's intonation, stressing, patterns, and pitch. Vowels may be longer, or altered. As listeners try their best to understand what they are hearing, it is natural for them to assign a known accent. Some listeners, for example, think Kay Russell sounds Russian or Eastern European. In any case, Foreign Accent Syndrome, though it may seem alluring or sexy at first thought, is very distressing to people. Our voices, indeed, are very much a part of our identity and personality.

The DNA of Chocolate Has Been Sequenced

2010-09-16T16:48:00.009-05:00
Forget about humans and sheep, now the genome of chocolate has nearly been sequenced by scientists. News like this makes chocolate lovers very happy. Apparently botanists hope the DNA information will help devise 'super' cacao trees, capable of producing more cocoa beans, and resisting disease better. Seventy percent of the world's chocolate is grown in West Africa, by small farmers! Here's an article from the Washington Post below, with more detail.

Scientists have painstakingly mapped the DNA of human beings, corn, turkeys - and now chocolate.
A group of researchers led by McLean candy company Mars is nearly done sequencing the genome of the cacao tree, which produces the seeds used to make cocoa. The information will speed up the process for creating a stronger tree that is more resistant to disease and easier to grow for millions of farmers.

And a better tree, they hope, means more chocolate for everyone for years to come.

Rather than keep the delicious secrets to itself, the company behind M&M's and Snickers has decided to share the information with the world.
"The information is so rich and so accurate we felt there was no reason to hold back," said Howard-Yana Shapiro, a Santa-bearded chocolate scientist whose technical title is global staff officer of plant science and research at Mars.

The goal of the genome project is not to genetically engineer chocolate. Rather it's to improve the traditional method of breeding trees, a laborious, trial-and-error process in which researchers try to isolate the sweetest traits and replicate them. That can take as long as 15 years to complete.

With a map of the cacao tree's genetic makeup, scientists could cut that process down to two or three years. For instance, they could extract the DNA of a young tree and see whether it has the right genes for resisting diseases instead of waiting years for the tree to mature.

But enough about the science. Bottom line: Will the new information result in better-tasting chocolate?
Perhaps, Shapiro said. He noted that some discerning eaters have complained that the quality of cocoa has fallen in recent years, but no one knows whether that is because of soil, weather or genetics. At least one of the keys to flavor is the fatty acid content of the cocoa. "Now finally, we have insight on how to stabilize it and raise it over time," Shapiro said.

The world's cocoa supply is grown mostly by small farmers because the process is so laborious.
It begins with picking a pod off a cacao tree. The farmer then splits open the pod and scrapes the seeds out. Then the beans are fermented for a number of days, which is when they get their tasty chocolate flavor. Lastly the beans have to be dried. The cacao plant is especially hard to grow because it is highly vulnerable to pests and disease. According to Mars, farmers suffer $700 million to $800 million worth of damage every year.

More than 70 percent of the world's cocoa supply comes from West Africa, where the biggest source is Cote d'Ivoire, followed by Ghana. Indonesia is the world's third-largest producer.
Brazil used to be one of the top producers of cacao, until a fungus called witches'-broom struck the crop in the late 1980s and devastated the country's industry. "It was a wake-up call," Shapiro said. "Imagine what would happen if something hit Africa."

The United States does not produce much cocoa, only a small amount in Hawaii and Puerto Rico. But because domestic companies such as Mars and Hershey's rely so much on the ingredient, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has been trying to breed a better cacao tree since 1999.
In 2008, Mars, in partnership with IBM and the USDA, began sequencing the cacao genome. Mars committed $10 million to the project and decided to share preliminary results with the public three years ahead of schedule. During their work sequencing the cocoa genome, researchers learned a few things about the raw makeup of chocolate. Its DNA is much easier to read compared with other crops, allowing scientists to yield more information about the cacao tree's characteristics, said David Kuhn, a USDA research molecular biologist based in Miami.
So eating too much chocolate may be an indulgence that expands the waist. But, as it turns out, Kuhn said, "it's a very well-behaved genome."

© 2010 The Washington Post. All rights reserved.

Temporarily Suspended

2010-05-12T16:02:00.001-05:00
This blog is temporarily suspended. I'm not ready to give it up completely, but I haven't been writing regularly. Let's see what comes of the near future.

The X-Woman of Siberia

2010-03-28T13:19:00.035-05:00
There have been many articles lately about a humanoid 'pinky finger' anthropologists have recently analyzed. The bone was unearthed in 2008 in a cave in Denisova, Siberia. Scientists are dubbing her X-woman, and it seems she is a genetically distinct hominin from modern humans and Neanderthals. This would mean that at about 48,000 to 30,000 years ago Modern Humans, Neanderthals, and another human creature co-existed in Central Asia.

At first, I thought: "How can scientists say it's a distinct hominin with only a pinky bone?"Of course I wasn't thinking immediately of the marvel of DNA. No doubt paleoanthropologists like Leaky would be dumbfounded to imagine a new species could ever be identified from a pinky bone. But mitochondrial DNA tells the tale, if we are interpreting it properly.

Scientists are aware of several migrations of human creatures out of Africa. The Denisova cave creature may represent a previously unknown and distinct species, that left Africa 1 million years ago. To give some perspective, modern humans and Neantherthals share a common ancestor from 466,000 years ago. (Neanderthals still remain our nearest and dearest human cousins). Earlier migrations included Homoheidelbergensis from 650,000 years ago, and Homo Erectus from 2 million years ago.

What this discovery and others will yield in the future is hard to say. One thing remains certain, though, that DNA analysis will skyrocket our understanding and knowledge of human evolution. No longer do we have to unearth whole skulls and knees and hands to find the 'missing link'. Perhaps a finger bone or tooth may do.

Will we find other lines of humans in Asia and Europe, or evidence of interbreeding?

If several human creatures co-existed in various parts of the earth, it is hard to imagine a lack of interaction and interbreeding. The question remains, though, if this interbreeding left any genetic effects. Do all modern humans descend from one group that dominated and extinguished all other humanoid groups? Or are there genetic remainders in some of us from some of these other creatures? It's an interesting and sexy question which will require further discoveries and further analysis to answer.