Tuesday, September 28, 2004
It's All About the Benji's
My landlord (well, 2 landlords ago) made me get rid of him, stating that no pets were allowed in the apartment complex. Chewie was a great pet (when he wasn’t chewing on things, which is how he got his name): He was litter trained, he was quiet, and he ate his vegetables (grin). One of my greatest incentives to buy a house someday is so that I can have a pet. I would love to have a beagle, and I already have a name for it (if it’s a boy); Darwin.
What is it about pets that make us want and adore them so much? The easy answer is companionship. Being another species, it is a spurious companionship at best, but it is still fulfilling. Another popular response is that we have an instinct to nurture something, anything that is dependant on us for survival. This is closer to the truth, I think, but as far as I know, most pets did just fine in the wild before domestication. As pointed out in Philip K. Dick’s novel “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep” (and the movie based on it, Blade Runner), humanity is often defined by the degree of empathy and compassion we exhibit. So this empathy, this need to reach out and maintain the life of another creature may be a feature of our very humanity.
To find the true reason, we need to step back and consider what we know about biology. If we are to believe that our psychological functions have a root in physiological and chemical processes, then we have to also assume that these functions have a root in evolution (or, as a nod to my Creationist friends, a root in intelligent design). What sort of events would select in favor of wanting to live with pets? What purpose would this relationship with animals serve?
At first, it seems to go counter to the rule of energetics. The rule is this: do what you must in the most energy efficient way possible. (This is the short answer for why there aren’t mammals bigger than elephants, and why humans only have one knee on each leg). Energetics would say that nurturing and supporting an animal as a surrogate family member is bad. You are spending precious time, ATP, and resources on another being not directly involved in the transmittance of your genetic material.
But there is an upside to having pets. If you have a big enough dog, it can serve as protection. In a more subtle way, pets also help us maintain a sense of responsibility. There are many documented cases of tribal rituals that function in this same way. Many North American Natives had festivals that required a great deal of productivity. This served to keep the common man working hard and with purpose. Likewise, in ancient Japan, the Emperor expected members of the ruling class to travel regularly to the capital. This was put into place to be a financial burden on the shoguns so that they may not amass too much wealth (traveling in a large “van,” or party, was very costly. For this reason, Japan established a system of public houses/inns). This forced redistribution of wealth not only helped the economy, but it assured that no family would gather power to oppose the Emperor.
Pets may work in this way too. They keep our minds sharp and keep us busy. We can’t ignore their needs, or they will get sick, maybe even die. We have to make sure that there are safe quarters for our pets, and that there is always food and clean water. And it is this set of responsibilities that researchers laud. You see, as it turns out, owning a pet is very good for your emotional health, even into your golden years. Many studies on the elderly population show that there is a small correlation in spryness and pet ownership. Morale in nursing homes is likewise bolstered by being visited by pets (trained to be on their best behavior, of course).
So whether it is for unconditional love, a need to nurture (sort of like practicing parenthood), or if just to keep us on our toes, pets seem to be a feature favored by our evolved mind (or at least not selected against), even if at first it seems to go contrary to energetic norms. It could even be that, as the book of Genesis hints, that we are to be stewards of animals because we need to have responsibility, and realize how precious the companionship of fellow humans really is (God used the fact that Adam could not find solace in animals as an object lesson to appreciate and love Eve, and to realize that man truly is a creature apart and above the rest of creation). The reason why we love pets may remain a mystery, or it may be revealed to be a learnt behavior and not biochemical at all.
Regardless of the reason why, nothing beats a playful kitty, a cuddly lap dog, or even the reassuring bubbling and fluid motion of a pet fish. So to all of you out there who “flaunt” your animals in front of me, I am soooo jealous!
See ya!
Sunday, September 26, 2004
Shaolin Snow Monkey Style
Boy do I hate winters in Iowa. They are miserably cold, icy, and we get a lot of snow (which I hate). The leaves are gone, leaving skeletal looking trees, stretching like bony hands into the grey sky. The sun gets up late, and goes to bed early. Snow makes it hard to walk, hard to drive, and hard to wear your shoes without ruining them. Winter means I have to get up an hour early so I can scrape off my car, and maybe even dig it out of a snow drift. Then I have to start the engine and let it warm up for about 15-30 minutes. And pray that the heater holds out (at least well enough to defrost the windows). No flowers, no cook-outs, and no outdoor exercise. Did I mention that I hate winter?
As I thought about winter, I thought about when I was a child and loved snow. Every day that we got a substantial snow, all of the neighborhood kids would rush out to play in it. We would build forts, play football, build snowmen, and have snowball fights. And of course, cold days playing in the snow meant a treat of hot chocolate and homemade sugar cookies.
(By the way, I bought a sugar cookie yesterday and when I ate it, I realized I was happy. It wasn't that I was enjoying the cookie, it was that it was making me happy. It was a very nice feeling, sort of like being 6 years old and getting candy or a new toy! Sugar cookies only mean good things: they make me wistful.)
For me the snow meant two more things: pretending that I was on Hoth (the snowy planet in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back), and practicing to be a ninja. Ninja? Even back then, I loved kung fu movies and stories about samurai and ninja. A common theme in martial arts movies (both Chinese and Japanese) are that the practitioner can often train himself to achieve superhuman powers.
As anyone who has seen the mainstream movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon can recognize, most kung fu experts can fly. This is done because they can internalize a great deal of air. They fill their lungs like bellows, and use their focused chi (or Qi) to leap about as if there was no gravity. I would spend hours trying to master this in my yard.
After a good snow, when the ground was still virgin and undisturbed, I would try to walk ever so carefully without sinking in the snow. I would try everything. Slow, agonizing steps. Fast running. Widening my base. Lowering my dan tien (center of gravity). meditating (well, the way a child would meditate anyway... I mimicked the Shaolin monks that I saw on Shaw Brothers movies). Nothing ever worked.
But I didn't stop trying, until I was in (blush) high school. The result was always the same: for a split second my left foot would be perched on the semi-icy snow... until I started to transfer weight off my right foot. Then the snow would start to "crunch" as it packed down into the freezing fluffiness below. As my body sank, so did my heart, and my hopes of ever mastering the 36 Chambers of Shaolin. I guess I'd never be a ninja either...
So I guess in the end, winter isn't so bad. I do have some good memories regarding snow: that nasty, cold, white, wet... never mind. : ) If only Iowa had penguins... Let's pray for a long autumn!
See ya!
Thursday, September 23, 2004
"There's too many people makin' too many problems, and not much love to go 'round..."
A few weeks ago on the local news, they had a small story concerning a night-club that was offering a new service. During the afternoon, when the doors normally would have been closed, the owner decided to open a "Cuddle Zone." For a cover charge, you could show up in comfortable clothes, and find a corner on a chez lounge, couch, futon, or pile of pillows and bean bags... and cuddle with a total stranger. The response was fantastic, as many 20-somethings wandered in to nap in the arms of another.
There is something about cuddling that defies science. It is true that all you are doing is applying light pressure to areas of another's body, causing sensory cells to notify the brain that an object is near-by. It is true that there may be no such thing as "touching" at all; that at a micro level, there is a strong repulsion that is perceived as contact. But there is so much more...
People need (in varying degrees) the touch of others. This is often disregarded as psycho-babble, or New Age thinking, but many hospitals are recognizing that therapeutic touch has great benefits. Sometimes a short hug goes a lot further than a week's worth of Zoloft. To this end, we value cuddling subconsciously since our very young years. We have favorite blankets, stuffed animals, body pillows, and so on. I myself had a blanket, stuffed dog (that is still around, literally threadbare... you can see the stuffing spilling out on most of it's body), and a sock monkey that still sits on my night stand. Mr. Sock Monkey will be making a visit to the site in the next month, by the way...
On a nice day, after a long week, when life leaves you feeling sad, after a personal accomplishment... nothing seems to NOT call for a good cuddle. The problem is that in America, we over-value our personal space so much that touch is almost completely absent. So many lawsuits and news stories exist concerning sexual impropriety that we often stray from even placing a hand on the shoulder of a friend. In a land where we demand the right for self-expression, and rarely waive that right, we have isolated ourselves from one of life's truly "good" events.
Today would have been a great day for me to pay my $20 and take a long, cuddly nap. I hope that everyone has at least one person they can pull aside and squeeze from time to time. We never outgrow cuddling! : ) Can you think of someone you'd like to cuddle with?
See ya!
Ain't Technology Great
Technology has a weird hold on my life. I love gadgets and innovations, and I have never been afraid of them, but lately anything with a microchip or diode has conspired against me. : )
1) Cell Phones: Everyone in the world has these things! The way that they have proliferated in American society is unreal. It was as if someone opened a gate in the mid-90's and suddenly everyone had a lot of people they needed to talk to for a lot of minutes. Everywhere you look, people are on their phones. I have even seen people on the phone as they pull out of their drive ways. What did we ever do before our cell phones? : ) I have a cell phone, but I rarely use it for more than a little black book. One of my pet peeves is when people fail to turn off their ringers for class-time, or at movies (or even church). So imagine my mortification when in Biochemistry my phone began to ring, loudly playing some hyperactive funk song. I was humiliated beyond belief. What made it worse was that the professor acknowledged the ring by saying, "Are we having a good time?" Yikes.
2) Calculators: I love calculators, which makes me a complete nerd. It amazes me the power that even the most common calculator allows us to have. For $30 you can do computations that NASA devoted teams of people and house-sized computers to in the 60's. I had to get rid of my graphing calculator recently, because I realized that no class I will ever have will allow me to use one. Teachers are paranoid because you can store information in these calculators, so they require scientific calculators. Luckily, I have a scientific calculator that I adore. I had to defend my calculators honor against my physics teacher last year, because he was pushing everyone to get graphing calculators (and I wasn't using mine at the time). He saw my scientific calculator and said "Have you ever got the right answer with that thing?" There is only one problem... it came to my attention this week that my calculator computes Henderson-Hasselbach equations wrong. This led to me missing questions on two tests, and becoming very doubtful of my own abilities. By accident, I noticed that if I broke it down into two equations, I get the right answer. So maybe my physics teacher was right...
3) Laptop Computers: Where do I start? I had something wrong with my laptop, so I took it to the school's IT department. The antivirus software was corrupted, and was not working. I didn't have a virus, but still... I got it fixed, but I had to go a whole school day without it. I hadn’t realized until then how dependant I have become on it. When I returned to IT, I got a nice lecture on not using online gaming sites like www.pogo.com . Sigh. Then, yesterday as I was blogging, I had a whole blog written about equilibrium in our lives, and comparing my school situation to metabolic acidosis. Guess what? The new Windows Service Pack 2 that IT loaded has a bundle of new features; one being a pop-up blocker. So not only did it block my spell check, it froze my Explorer window. And I lost 30 minutes of thoughtful work. *sigh* Your loss, I guess... : )
Well, I hope you all have a great weekend. I have a test today and one tomorrow, and two next week so wish me luck, and don't be mad if my updates are sparse. I'll try to make them worth your while. Thanks for reading my blog by the way, September has been a great month. We set a new record for visits (I'll share the number when the month is done).
See ya!
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
One really is the loneliest number.
I used to be able and poke my head out of my dorm room door and find someone to do something with. Paul, Ed, Jason, Nate, Matt, and Kelly were always milling about. And beyond that were another tier of people I liked too, and were often up for some mischief (like Donovan, another Nate, Michael, Shannon, and so on). For a short time in Colorado, I had a similar arrangement; I could always count on Mike, Rich, Daniella, David, Darren, and John to be available to goof around. But not any more.
Now I find myself scheming constantly. How can I build a network of friends again? Will I ever be able to find someone to hang out with I need it? The friends I have now are few, but great. Rich and Paul are still there, but miles away. Nate is 30 minutes away and has a family and a lot of time commitments of his own. Pat and Scott are both fun, but our schedules never match up. Sara and Phuong are, well, perfect… but they have their own lives, own friends, and own families (not to mention I often feel nervous to call them to do things). For a brief, shiny moment we had an impromptu golf “club” this summer, but it was ruined by school (and was becoming expensive).
My newest acquaintances from pharmacy school all seem to be great people, but I don’t necessarily feel included (partly because I myself am off campus and work so much). And all of these people (other than Rich and Paul) have one big thing in common: they aren’t interested in the things that I am.
It’s been a lonely life these last few years, and nothing reminded me of that more than today. After a long day of classes, all I wanted to do was be outside. I wanted to play tennis, badly. So I changed into my clothes, and picked up the phone. Pat was at work. Mark was at work, and uninterested. Matt was at work and has a full schedule until next week. Sandy was at work, and tired. So, what is a guy to do?
I made a phone call earlier Monday to see about getting into a tennis league. No return-call yet. And, it looks like the league not only meets at a time I may not be able to play, it is going to cost me money, and be with complete strangers. I have posted my name up at the Creighton gymnasium to find racquetball and tennis partners; I have had 2 calls. Both have schedules that conflict with mine. I even sent a mass email out to everyone in my class about playing tennis. Two replies; one to tell me how to reserve court time (but not interested in tennis) and the other to give me a name of a friend that plays tennis. And guess what? He has a busy schedule as well.
It’s been like this with everything. Playing chess; I had to teach a lady at work’s 6th grade daughter how to do correspondence chess to play. Softball; my own church won’t even call me back when the team forms. Racquetball; although I get to play with Scott off and on, it isn’t nearly often enough as I would like. Watching football; I have to lure my brother over with the prospect of free food to watch a game with me (even then he leaves early). Watching movies? I have to loan movies to friends and try to get them to watch them, or email my friend Rich, and pray we’ve seen the same film. Manga? Forget about it. I have bought books for people, loaned books, started a web site, even tried to go to a club meeting in Omaha, but nothing was clicking. Intellectual and religious discussions? Well, there is this blog, but I miss the exchange of ideas and formulation of points that come with debating in class (I completely miss my anthropology courses).
I have taken on email friends from Japan, which is nice, but I haven’t been able to keep up email as much as I would have liked. I almost joined a frat, which would have seriously frustrated me (being older, less “social,” and less single than the other members). At church I feel like I do not have a population similar to me at all. I signed up for an adult soccer league that never formed, and joined a book club that disbanded a week after I called. My last solace is in the world of RPG videogames, and I haven’t been playing them much any more.
One is the loneliest number. As I grow older, I start to miss the companionship I used to have, and will probably never have again. Even with mass communication making the world a smaller place, I feel increasingly frustrated at my lack of friendship. In some ways, this blog is all I have left: the hope that I can communicate about my thoughts and hobbies with my friends (at their leisure). I wonder, do any of you feel the same? Do you miss your undergrad years of dorm/apartment life? Are there “glory days” that you wish you could return to, yet remain in your current life?
To end, when I got home and could get a hold of no one, I did what I could… I loaded up my backpack and headed to the court by myself. I practices serving for an hour. And you know what? I had fun. But it was lonely fun. Man I miss living in room 325.
See ya! : )
Monday, September 20, 2004
Appreciating a Murderer
Anyway, on to the blog. As many of you know, I am sort of a movie buff. I don't see a lot of new movies, but I am obsessive about the few that I buy on DVD. The movies that I own I have seen many times. I like to appreciate the movies for more than just a 2 hour story; I try to see the art and message beyond the superficial actions and words.
For this reason, I have always enjoyed movies that feature no "good guys." You may know the sort of movie I am talking about. There are many movies where there are no characters that have good intentions, pure morals, or even proper attitudes. In such movies, it is fun to see who people root for.
One such movie is "A Perfect Murder." I hesitated seeing this movie, because it is a remake of Hitchcock's classic "Dial M for Murder," and remakes typically disappoint. But this movie is well acted and well filmed. Michael Douglas, Gwenyth Paltrow, and Viggo Mortenson all play their parts perfectly.
In it, a rich, self-absorbed businessman discovers that his equally selfish wife is cheating on him with a con-man. The husband exposes the con-man, and blackmails him into killing the wife. The man plans the perfect murder; but in true Hitchcock style, everything falls apart when the attempt fails.
I always enjoy watching this movie with people to see who they root for. Do they side with the heartless, calculating husband? Maybe they see the wife as a victim, and side with her (even though she is unapologetic in her cheating). Some may even think that the con-man is a hero, as he is sensitive and romantic.
I myself side with the husband. It is fun to escape morality's clutches when watching a movie, and carry out our feelings to the extreme conclusions. The husband loves the wife, but is so self-absorbed he fails to pay attention to her. But she still is the "crown-jewel" of his life. He is more injured by the fact that she continues to hide and lie. And in true betrayed-husband form, he externalizes this anger towards her lover. Unlike real life, his decision to create a murder plot seems a classic turnabout on her crime.
The funny thing is, in this Hollywood remake we are to empathize with the woman. Somehow the "sin" gradient flows like this: Murder, lying to a woman, THEN cheating on your marriage partner. The wife is portrayed as someone savvy and suave, and who has the right to do what she needs to enjoy her life. We are supposed to feel bad for her that the lover she thought she took on has tricked her. We are supposed to hate her husband for his rage when he figures out what is going on. And we are supposed to be horrified when the murder plan begins to unfold. Somehow the camera leads us to take a side, her side, and to see the events with her feelings in mind. For some of us, this subjective slant draws us even further into the plot; rooting against all hope for the (relative) villain.
Like I said, it is interesting to see what sides are taken in movies like this. Afterall, some of us were rooting for the iceberg in Titanic...
See ya!
Friday, September 17, 2004
Gabba Gabba Hey / Hey Ho, Let's Go: RIP
Now only one of the Ramones remains (Marky), and it seems that an era is really closed. I just wanted to say a few words in remembrance of the Ramones as a unit (no disrespect to Marky). I will miss the Ramones greatly. They weren't a "voice of the masses" type of band, and their messages weren't as poetic and beautiful as, say, Lennon or Dylan. But what the Ramones did do was provide an outlet for the angry, small, unattractive, and untalented teen in all of us.
The Ramones, in a pseudo-William Hung way, saw themselves as the biggest rock band on the planet. They sold the image well, and when you listen to them play, you believe it. 3 chords and all. By wearing t-shirts, black leather jackets, and tight blue jeans, they us in; they were one of us. No pyrotechnics, no gimmicks. Just 4 ugly men pounding out loud rock and roll.
Did they help the world climate? No. They rarely sang about anything beyond love and the streets of New York City. That was their charm. They said nothing a kid in Iowa could relate to. They played nothing a kid in Iowa couldn't. Yet they hit you like a bulldozer with their unique attitude and sound. And the killer thing is this: they were the nicest, hardest working musicians in the world.
the Ramones did stand for something; fell-good, fun rock and roll. They believed in the sort of music that powered the 50's and 60's. They were a 1970's analog to Buddy Holly, Chubby Checker, and Question Mark & the Mysterions. This was never more apparent than in their covers of "California Sun," "Surfin' Bird," and "Needles and Pins." They believed in the power of a melodic hook and a great backbeat. And because they channeled the spirit of pure rock and roll, they were able to write classic songs with meaningless lyrics. Because they predated MTV, they were allowed to look as they did; which added to the mystery and street-level accesability of the Ramones.
The Ramones are often credited in the birth of "punk rock." But they weren'tt punk because of their sound. They were without a doubt a rock band. Their music wasn't intentionally written to fit within the punk genre. In fact, before the term "sell-out" became so important in music, the Ramones tried everything they could to "sell out." They wanted on every radio. They wanted every kid with a skateboard and worn-out tennis shoes to sing along to all of their records. They wanted to play in every country. They craved recognition and worked hard to grab the small corner of the market they did. It would have thrilled Joey to no end to see his band inducted into Cleveland's hall of fame. It was a horrible tragedy that he did not live to see it.
This quest for fame is very un-punk by today's standards. But they were still the embodiment of the punk attitude: because that is what they were. Punks. Poorly groomed, fun loving, seemingly unintelligent, long-haired, and loud. They played with an urgency and intensity unmatched by 99% of bands of any genre. They were DIY to the core. Punks. They had equipment that look like pawn shop leftovers. They looked as if they desperately needed a meal, a bath, and a place to call home. They hung out with burn-outs and bums. Punks.
In retrospect, they have garnered some mainstream appreciation 30 years after their birth. Ramones songs are on commercials (which would have tickled Joey to no end). Ramones t-shirts are in every mall in the USA. Even the most casual music fan knows the stories about how Phil Spector pulled a gun in the Ramones, and the more astute Rolling Stone readers smile when they remember that Bruce Springstein wrote "Hungry Heart" for them (only to record it himself at the request of his producer). The Ramones have been on the Simpsons (resulting in Mr. Burns ordering the death of the Rolling Stones). U2 covers Ramones songs live, even doing a touching tribute to Joey. Rhino Records has even released several greatest hits and retrospective box sets commemorating the Ramones career.
I will miss the era of the Ramones. It was hard to lose Joey, but now to see Johnny pass on is worse. I feel as if I have lost not only an idol, but a dear friend. To me, the Ramones were like uncles. Always there to have fun with, never there to preach at me. All I had to do was drop the needle on Road to Ruin and all sadness would pass away for 30 minutes. I am having trouble with the idea of this door closing. The Ramones were a phenomena that we are just now beginning to appreciate. It is shame, and it further highlights the deficiencies of the music scene today.
Their music wasn't always good, and it wasn't always meaningful, but it was pure. And purity is truly rare in a world of consumerism and conformity. In the end, the Ramones were positively original. Inspiring in their idiocy, and legends in their dedication to rock and roll as an art.
So rest in peace Johnny. You will be missed as an individual, and as your key part in the whole Ramones unit. Your passing will leave a hole in the world of music that will never be filled again. Somewhere in the great beyond, you are reunited with Joey, and somehow, in some small way, that brings a smile to my face.
Gabba Gabba Hey.
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
Sometimes education means saying "I suck."
Failure stick with you. It isn't bad that most failures have immediate consequences, but they tend to have side-effects that reach deep into the world around you. People look at you different, so in that way, failure changes your character.
Admitting failure is also a great way to begin a cycle of doubt. You begin to wonder if the failure was due to momentary poor judgment, or something innate in you. You wonder if you had any choice but to fail. Maybe you are in over your head? Maybe you simply overestimated your own abilities and limitations? Failure makes you ask these questions.
But, sometimes learning is based on failing and admitting that failure. Steven Hawking, or as Homer Simpson calls him, "that wheelchair guy," rocked the science community in the 70's and 80's with his theories of black holes. Like Einstein, his contribution to the world of physics opened many new doorways, and were the result of a brilliant and creative mind. For years and years, Hawking reigned as Einstein's modern-day flagbearer.
The problem is, he suddenly found that his theory had flaws. We won;t get into it here, but there were some small inconsistencies and falsehoods in his theory. What do you do? In the world of academics, you tend to fervently protect your theories. They represent your legacy, your claim to greatness in the community. If there are ever holes in your work, you soon lose face and favor.
But Hawking didn't hide from his mistakes. He openly admitted in a press conference this summer that he was mistaken, but that the bulk of his work still stands strong. This is how science works; theories are made, tested, and subject to modification or elimination until the end of time. Nothing is sacred. And for that reason, we have unlocked many secrets and mysteries of the universe. Because of failure, and acknowledgement of failure, we have a working model for just about every phenomena we can think of.
So back to me. My failure. I overshot my abilities. I assumed that I was smarter than I was, and did not properly study for a test (Biochemistry). I made no time for studying, and in the weekend prior to the test, I chose to fill my schedule with many activities. Then, I got sick. I didn't sleep, I ate poorly, and in the end, I squandered my opportunity to be prepared for class. What happened? I got a 65%. My worst score on a test ever (well, post-NCC anyway).
Now I have to face this failure. Not only does it stain my grade permanently (the first test is the easiest, so it is supposed to pad your grade as material gets tougher), but it has affected both my confidence and character. I find myself asking if I am going to be able to pull things together. Did I get a 65% because I did not study, or maybe that is because my comprehension ability is lower than the level of coursework? Have I failed to find a balance between study time and "other" time? Do I belong in Pharmacy School at all?
As for my character, I have ruined how others see me. I hate hearing "I told you so." And I have had to hear it a million times in the last 24 hours. "You should have studied more." (No kidding.) "You are working too much." "You need to make school a priority." On and on. Furthermore, I feel as if people in my class now see me as "that guy who goofs around and did poorly on his Biochem." I mean, other classmates of mine got scores in the 90's.
But, I am taking it all on the chin, and trying to grit my teeth, and learn my lesson. Hopefully from now on I will use this gut wrenching failure to spur me on to do better. To be prepared. To manage my time better. Learning from mistakes is a key part of education. If we fail to correct our actions based on our failures, then we do not learn. When we fail, admit our mistakes, and adjust our lives... we become wise.
See ya!
Monday, September 13, 2004
A quickie
http://lorenjavier.blogspot.com/
Here is another Blog classic. A guy who just reads the wedding announcements and tears them to shreds. Unfortuantely, he insists on linking to the actual articles. Those of us without a subscription to the NY Times will just have to take his word for it.
http://nytimesweddings.blogspot.com/
How about this one? A blog devoted to explaining to us working stiffs why dental work costs so much. Hilarious. Was it meant to be? How dry is this blog!?
http://dental-cost.blogspot.com/
It only took 50 views to find these blogs. The rest that I read were either crap, or near crap. I hope that when others surf blogs and come across the dear old Bubblegoose, that they say "well, at least this one is interesting!" But they probably think its crap... : )
Will return with a real blog tomorrow. See ya!
Saturday, September 11, 2004
Okay, since you are twisting my arm...
One was listening to "Buffalo Stance" by Nenah Cherry. What a crappy song, yet I love it! No money man can win MY love, I'll tell you that.
The second thing was surfing random blogs at Blogger. Pretty fun, but I was pretty much bored at what I found. There was a lot of odd dead end sites, sites talking about Halo and LAN games (*yawn*), and a bunch of melodramatic reflections on 9/11... as if we don't all KNOW that it was an impact, and that all of us have mixed feelings about the world since. Nothing novel here. Some blogs were in Spanish, which reminds me that I need to learn that language. One even had a quote from Ray Bradbury (my favorite author as a youth) en espanol.
I did find a couple of great sites, however, but I forgot to copy their addresses. Duh! One was a girl gushing about the 5 year anniversary of Final Fantasy 8. Why is talk about LAN games boring and FF8 talk sexy? Beats me, it just is.
The other was a site that I had visited once before, written by a gay Filipino male. It is fantastic. Not only is it political and social commentary of the highest standard, it is fun and "bitchy." I'll qualify this comment by saying on the same page, he makes a very astute criticism of the Bush administration, and then mentions that world would be better if it was a giant Sanrio store. Nootch. (Sanrio is the Japanese company responsible for Hello Kitty and her kawaii friends)
I will post the link to this site soon so you all can check it out. He has a unique insight on US life, as well as a great sense of humor. I also suspect that he has a MENSA mind lurking behind the scenes. He mentions memes in his blog, which turned me on immediately.
For those of you who don't know (and you probably have no reason to know it), a meme is an idea that survives via the functions of evolution, and in many ways are as important to human development as are genes. This was all postulated by Richard Dawkins, a great scientist who often lashes out a bit too passionately against religion. But his views and models of the world of evolution are not only clever and insightful, but more often than not they are dead-on correct. His theory of how religion is meme is very interesting, and I suppose there is a great deal of truth to it. Of course, he likens the religion meme to a virus...
Mostly, I was overwhelmed at how many variations on Blogs there are. It goes to show how diverse, if not uninteresting, the human race can be. My own blog is an attempt to vent my thoughts... those that I have developed into mini essays, and those that were fleeting, and probably better not placed into the ether for all to see. But it is how I cope with my lack of friends, good conversation, desire to discuss the world of science and religion, and my lack of understanding of how and where I fit into my own life. And because of my blog, my life has become enriched. 1300 visits, 10 time zones, 105 posts, and a few great blogs (now forever doomed to be unviewed, lost in the world of "archives").
All of us struggle to find our niche, and desire to express ourselves. We want to understand how we relate to the universe, and we want others to understand us. In this way, all blogs are similar. Except for the one that was nothing but hack goth/vampire fiction. That was just wack.
See ya!
A Site Note
See ya!
Good, Bad, Ugly, and tired... for 9/11/04
The Good -
1) The return of the NFL. Yay! This is sort of a "Bad" as well, since it is going to tempt me to turn my attentions away from studies.
2) Dementieva. That's right, the cute little tennis player. Did you see her shorts? She is like one of eight people in the world who could pull those off. AHEM! Anyway, sorry about that breeder moment. I hated to see her beat Capriati, but I have to love a tennis player that cannot serve any better than your local amateur, but has such a strong game that she is in the US open finals! And she had a bum thigh to boot! She is only ranked #6 in the world, but in my heart, she'll always be #3. : ) (I'm sorry, Davenport and S.Williams come first).
3) My new job rules! It is in a retail pharmacy. I have 4 years of hospital pharmacy experience, but retail is entirely different. I am thankful to get to see both sides of the coin. But working 2 jobs is going to be challenging.
The Bad
1) My cough. It won't quit. It just keeps coming back. I am so tired of the pseudoephedrine/guaifenesin routine. So please don't give me a dirty look if I am coughing my lungs up next time you see me, I feel horrible enough already.
2) My first Biochem test is Monday, and I am under-prepared. Not to mention, I have a ridiculous pair of quizzes to complete online too... I need to get stuff done tomorrow!
The Ugly
1) Dick Cheney. This guy defines ignorant politicians. We have to choose between electing Bush or being attacked by terrorists? And what is up with the Bush administration allowing the assault weapons ban expire in a day and age when you can't even take a nail file on a plane? Wow. These guys are scary. Add to all of this the fact that it looks like the records supporting Bush's service in the National Guard appear to be elaborate forgeries (done on MS Word instead of the typewriters of the day), and we have our selves an Evil Empire again! Yayyyyy! : ( And yet Kerry is so politically impotent that he is making no headway against the GOP. I mean, the guy should be able to club a puppy to death on TV at this point, and still look like lesser of two evils; but his polls are sagging! That in itself may be scarier than the Bush White House.
Sorry it was so shallow and short, but I do what I can. Hopefully I can give something better to you all soon.
See ya!
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
The Mass of the Holy Spirit.
There is so much I could talk about; the symbolism, the audience, the message, and even the priests themselves. But I could never do it justice. I will mention, however, that I went into a great coughing fit (I am getting over a virus) right during the Homily (sermon), and I was very embarrassed.
Actually embarrassed isn't the word for it. Mortified. I was sitting right up front, sort of between the stage and the front row of "normal" pews. So all eyes could easily focus on me. And I know I was easily heard, because the acoustics in that place are amazing. I was so disappointed that I was ruining a fantastic service, and I was ashamed to distract from what was a great message. I almost broke into tears I was so upset. I pondered leaving, but I knew that it would draw even more attention to me, and away from the message. Some how, I got it under control, tears streaming down my face and all. So if you attended the mass and you are reading this, I am sooooooo sorry.
I was so shaken up, in fact, that as soon as the Mass was over, I ran away. I sought out a solitary place to be for a little while. I also sought out comfort food. Which means I ended up at JC's Deli, where I had a hot dog with mustard, a root beer, and a long sigh.
So that was Mass. Oh, and I would be upset if I didn't mention another great failure of mine. We were told we should wear red, as it is the liturgical color representing the Holy Spirit. I wondered for a week "why red?" It wasn't until I saw them carry the giant flame to the altar (representing the tongue of fire that danced about on the day of Pentecost) that it dawned on me. How stupid of me! :) Some ex-minister!
To close, I would like to welcome those of you who have started visiting my site recently, and are all but strangers to myself. It is a wonderful and interesting phenomena to see where and who actually read my innermost (and jumbled) thoughts. Thank you for your feedback, emails, encouragement, and referral's (hint, hint).
I would like to personally welcome Asraa. Your email encouraged me to fall a little more in love with my blogging, and I hope I never let you all get bored. Asraa's letter reminded me that not all of my views are pity views from my friends, and I need to write things that are both honest and interesting.
I will turn on the comments feature, so all of you take note... you will be able to make remarks on my blogs right on the site itself. But beware, all can read them.
See ya!
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
Coining the Phrase
This happens to me constantly. I have a sudden idea or two, and start writing the blog in my brain as my day continues. I used to do this with my lessons and sermons when I was a minister too. You hear a little illustration that you think is clever, or react to something you hear on the TV or radio, and start to wrap an outline around it. And, inevitably, you forget it.
This isn't only a Carl thing. It is a blogger thing. A writer thing. So I am going to coin a phrase to describe this phenomenon... "Blogger's Amnesia (or BlAm)." Look for it to be listed in the DSM IV soon. So here are a few random thoughts that are left floating about my head.
Remember how I was harping about how we need to be careful of how we interpret, or allow others to interpret statistics? If you recall, I was referring to medal counts at the Olympics, and how the sums may not be indicative of a nation's athletic dominance. Well, I saw a first-hand example of how math is misused.
On CNN, they were doing a piece on the music industry, and how CD sales are sagging (probably due to file sharing over the internet, or so they say). They were stating that the industry is optimistic for the holiday season, because the industry makes a lot of sales during this time. During the whole report, they lead the viewer to believe that the Christmas season is a significant part of the total record sales for the year. But at the end, they showed the true figures. "Over 34% of sales occur in the last 4 months of the year." This statement almost undermines any sort of intellectual journalistic authority CNN hopes to maintain.
For those of you a little too tired to do the math in your head, 4 months is 1/3 of the year. 34% is about 1/3 of the sales. So in the end, it was a wasted story. They presented it as if there was a swell of sales coming, and filled some much needed dead time on their programming. The ethical question to ask is why they presented the story at all. There may have been a subliminal push to rush out and buy CDs as presents. It is interesting to consider. If a channel like CNN is using a little psychological advertising, then who can we trust to get news from? Just a rhetorical question for you all to consider. Next time you watch Headline News, pay attention to their use of statistics, and the spin that is put on them.
Well, that's it for now! Hopefully later I will post a couple scans (I have to do that from home). That will give you something to look at for a change.
Oh, and I have to brag a bit. I got a 100% on my first real test this semester (as opposed to the 70% I got on my first quiz). Go me! And, I got to go to a concert Friday night. It was Hall and Oates! I love them! The sad thing is, I have been listening to them since the early 80's. It made me feel old, but it was a very good time. Especially since I got to hear Maneater played live! : )
See ya!
Friday, September 03, 2004
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (for 9/3/04)
The Good:
1) The return of tennis. I have played tennis about 3 times a week now for the last 3 weeks, and I am loving it. I used to play all of the time, and as years drug on, I played less and less. Also, racquetball is creeping back into view (I have dodge Scott, as he will tell you, but his day is coming). I love sports, and I love exercise. Well, when it is after 8 am.
2) Involvement time. I have found one committee that I think I am going to love working with. MHSSA (Minority Health Science Students Association). I do regret turning down nomination to serve as Secretary, but I do want to put a lot of effort into the group’s activities. More on this later. I also am trying to get onto the Pharmacy School’s student admissions committee. I think that I have a unique insight into the process, and could serve as a great resource and encouragement to applicants. I hope that I am asked to serve on this committee. Lastly, I am a student representative for the Pharmacy School in the annual Mass of the Holy Spirit. This is actually a big honor to me. As many of you know, I have admittedly soured to formal church service, but I see this as an opportunity to participate again. Whether I want to accept it or not, my being an ex-minister creates a certain image in people’s minds. While I am constantly letting this image down, I do want to step up and meet the responsibility when I can. This Mass is going to be a good way to make that statement. Not to dwell on it, but I also think that people tend to think I have lost my faith, and that is not true. I hope that in some small way this is a statement that I do have a faith still, and that I too still seek God.
3) I have met a few more people, and two of them seem to be people I hope to study and talk with. They are close to where I am at in life. Everyone I am meeting seem very nice, and I am sort of impressed that there aren’t more people on my nerves by now (I tend to get annoyed easily).
4) I got a few new CDs. They are ones I have wanted to pick up for a while. I picked up The Temptations 2 CD greatest hits. “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” is a massive hit. I also picked up Ween’s whole catalog, minus two. I have had most of their stuff at one time or another, but since my brother bought their Live In Chicago DVD/CD set, I have fell back in love with them. Now I can’t get enough. Boognish!
The Bad:
1) I got a 70% on my first quiz in Pharmacy School. It was in Physical Pharmacy. I was very embarrassed, because I think of myself as smarter than that, and because I missed a couple really easy questions. I took the test too nonchalantly and missed some key words in the questions. But, I always use quizzes to correct my path in coursework, so I am looking to do much better now that I got one bomb out of the way.
2) I have already begun desiring to skip a few of my classes. I have two in particular that just seem pointless to attend. This has been a trend throughout my college career. It was really bad in the early days, but as I became a better, more mature student, I still hated wasting my time in worthless classes. I need to just suck it up and do a better job of avoiding truancy. So if you see me screwing around when I should be in class, scowl at me. Unless I am with Scott, Phuong, or Sara, then leave me alone! : )
The Ugly:
1) Arnold Swartzenegger made the comment that the Democratic Party should quit being “economic girly-men.” This is extremely offensive to me. Even in the context of Party Conventions, this sort of off-the-cuff comment is uncalled for. Not only was it not clever (he was referencing a Saturday Night Live skit spoofing him from long, long ago), it is a bigoted comment, using a code-word for “gay.” What he is saying is a) what the opposition is doing is wrong, b) that they are acting “girly”, and c) being “girly” must be wrong. If he wants to call them weak, oversensitive to external factors, or misguided, he needs to say so. To basically say “they are soooo gay” is not the way a statesman should act. Shameful and ugly. Pay attention, friends. America is a very openly hostile place to homosexuals. These people have all but lost their right to live in sexual freedom; while not listed in the constitution, it isn’t excluded either (except in extreme cases such as incest, pedophilia, and involving animals).
2) Underage drinking. It was going on at the frat Rush (so disappointing), and next door to me last night. The cops busted up the party next door pretty good, and rightfully so. As for the frat Rush, I was mad because if anything bad would have happened due to the underage drinkers, the papers would have reported it as "Jane Doe, a Creighton Pharmacy School student..." and it would have reflected badly on my school, career, the Kappa Psi frat, and students in general. Very irresponsible.
Now you’re up to date on Carl for another week. See ya!