Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Through Best in Flock,I learned that Irene Pepperberg’s Alex Foundation has been tapped for a matching gift offer- any donation of $50 or more will be generously matched by Andy Sterner.

Back when I was doing research into whether or not to become a parrotperson I’d learned about Dr. Pepperberg’s amazing work with Alex, and now Griffin and Wort. After Alex’s death in 2007, I was shocked to learn (through her book Alex & Me) that despite being a world renowned researcher, she still has to scrape and beg for money.

Partially, that’s because there’s never enough money to go around, but it’s also because many scientists don’t consider her work important enough to be taken seriously, which makes me a little insane, honestly. How many millions of hours have been spent trying to understand how animals’ brains work, and here we have one that can actually communicate and because it’s in a form they’re not accoustomed to (ie, not a primate) it doesn’t count? Talk about hubris.

Anyway, end editorial. If you don’t know about Alex, check it out. I think you’ll be surprised.

Exerpt from Pepperberg’s book here.

Donate to the Foundation here.

And another great, but unembedable video here.

So we got through last night.

The girls were all gorgeous, naturally, and looking like not a few of them had been crying before going out; over the years I’ve noticed that this is where graduation suddenly starts being real to them, which strange, given that their lockers are already cleared out, and exams taken.

The Sophomores put on a skit for the Seniors, using all kinds of inside jokes that you’d have to be a student to get and making fun of their teachers. This year’s was video-game themed, and the title aptly chosen (sigh):

In the end I managed to not bawl, or even get (overly) misty during the actual ceremony. It was all the lead up stuff that got to me, don’t ask me why. Watching, from outside the fence, as the girls turned after their portrait, heading back into the building, using the stairs that are off limit to all but seniors when they’re barely still seniors at all…

What can I say? I’m a sucker for symbolism…

The only point at which I got emotional was when the girls started filing in, and someone had chosen Coldplay’s Viva La Vida, which was, you know…odd.

In case Coldplay’s not your cup of tea, the song is one of mourning and regret, of a life of power and importance lost. It’s melancholy yet bombastic, and though quite beautiful, uh, what’s the message here?

(Link to the video here.)

I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own
…
One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt, and pillars of sand
…
For some reason I can’t explain
Once you know there was never, never an honest word
That was when I ruled the world

As if watching your child graduate wasn’t emotional enough, right? Now we have to consider the times we each thought we were masters of all we surveyed, only to watch it crash and burn…and now we get to re-realize that our kids are going to have to fall down those same damned holes and drag themselves out, all while wondering if their best days are behind them? Argh!

Thanks for the uplifting message, guys!

Anyway, as a dry-run for graduation, everybody did okay. No promises for the real thing.

I always forget that our spring doesn’t quite line up with most of the country’s- and then I start getting all kinds of posts from friends and family up north about how there are finally hopeful signs that winter won’t last forever… and then I remember what it was like to be iced in for what felt like forever.

And I take a deep breath, go into the garden and smile.

Another Mardi Gras oddity people don’t know about are the ways some of the Krewes have to make sure you know about their theme and floats.

Muses, Chaos and D’Etat- the three most political, sarcastic and topical Krewes- all toss out detailed drawings and explanations of their themes. The floats pass by so quickly that, even if you forego bead begging, it’s nearly impossible to read the entire thing before it’s gone.

For example, Muses’ theme was Bond this year; every float was a reference to a movie or character. Here’s the paper’s description of their “Latino Royale” float:

And the real deal:

working on updates. Sorry for the sudden changes, etc.

sorry, just realized that the sidebar and nav elements aren’t appearing on the blog; I think the upgrade to WordPress 2.7 broke something. Changing the theme until I can figure out what the problem is…

Xmas cookie orgy or no? If si, it’s gotta be this weekend. Does anybody really need Peanut-butter-chocolaty-melty balls?

Starting the Xmas freakout dance with Charlie’s departure to NY

So this is just one more example of how I lose time. I was working on NaNoWriMo, really, I was. I’m also fighting with a really nasty cold that just won’t let go, Alison had a sleepover, and blah blah blah.

So what do I get caught up in? I started finally editing photos from November 1st, All Saint’s Day, and end up posting to the other blog this photo of the Schoen’s Funeral Home clock/ advertisement that hangs over St. Patrick’s Cemetery.

How long does that take? 5 minutes? At most?

But then…but then. Then I start wondering, “Hey, is Schoen’s even still around? If it’s closed I should mention it.”

So I google it. Yep, it’s open! And it has its own website, how…ew! They have a ‘merchandise’ heading? What the hell does THAT mean?

Oh, no, you’re kidding! A video put out by a casket manufacturer to market to the bereaved. How very…classy.

What the hell is THAT thing in the video? Seriously? They have tacky corner cutouts where they’ll put “personalizations” in? to show what they were interested in? Like the jumping trout and screaming eagle they’ve chosen to highlight? And then you can remove them to put them in photo frames they conveniently sell?

Lord, I’ve never been so happy I’m being cremated.

But now I really want a copy of that video to put on here. Only it’s not embeddable, as far as I can tell. Time for more googling.

Nope, I can’t even ‘save as’ and post it. Guess I’ll just have to put a link to the thing.

Hey, wait, what about YouTube? Oh…damn. This is even weirder.

Anyway, it’s shorter, and the kicker is right at the end. I won’t spoil it for you- it’s only 30 seconds long:

And THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is how I lost an hour of my afternoon.

Okay, so Gustav and Ike have both moved on, and while we keep our eye on the tropics and Texas in our minds, I want to pass something along that Charlie wrote in the 24 hours following Gustav.

Link: St. Louis Beacon