Just an update, nothing snazzy

I just realized it has been almost a week since my last post, so I thought I would say hello to everyone. (As an aside, a fly just landed on my computer screen, and perfectly centered itself lengthwise over the right hand border of the text box I am writing in. It seems like that should be significant somehow.)

This week has been acceptable, but nothing particularly note worthy. I have weird allergies that are the worst right after a cold snap, so they went a little nutso last weekend, and then I had a "re-root canal" yesterday that pretty much knocked me down for the day. I am still a little out of it today. On that topic, I *would* like to say that there should be some cosmic rule DIS-allowing things such as "re-root canals". Root canals in general don't phase me anymore, but this one, while not painful (yaaa modern medicine), has been a lot more sore after the fact. I think it probably has to do with getting all the metal out they put in the FIRST time (grrr). Anyway, my face isn't noticeably swollen today (yaaa), so hopefully I won't look like a freak at the wedding this weekend (a friends, definitely not mine, you are not that out of the loop. :) ). Thank goodness for health and dental insurance. lol.

A somewhat amusing thing did happen to me last night. I went swimming as usual, and when I was done made a "dash" for the locker room (and hot tub). Since the pool is heated swimming when it is 60 (or colder) isn't a big deal, but getting OUT of the pool in such weather is rather chilly. Anyway, I went to go inside, and found that I had been locked out! I live in the building directly next to the pool, so you wouldn't think this would be all that worrisome, but there is a 7 ft fence around the pool, and the only entrance/exit that doesn't set off an alarm is the ones to the locker rooms! Luckily just as I was getting ready to call the emergency maintenance number for the complex I thought to look around the corner of the building and see if anyone was coming or going, since many people use the weight room at that time of night. It happened that some people were, so they let me in. I have to say they found it rather amusing. Probably equally amusing as the idea I was swimming in such chilly weather. Honestly though, there is nothing like swimming under the stars, rain or shine, warm or cold! :) Sadly, the pool will close on Monday though, so tonight is likely my last night to swim outside until Spring. Until then, back to the athletic club! (ewwww).

Purdue *Usually* wins...

In my world, Purdue usually wins. Spend most of a decade someplace and it is bound to capture some part of your heart. However, today I had 3 hours between events on campus, and I needed to read an article and preferably get some lunch during that time. My options at Purdue would not have been bad at all, probably grab something at the Union, then sit in academy park, or in my office. Both pleasant and acceptable options.

Here in Madison though, there is something fondly referred to as "The Terrace", which is on the WATER (yes water) side of the Memorial Union. Purdue definitely won on the lunch choices, but it is easy to eat only "eh" food when you are sitting outside, on a perfect day, listening to the sound of water lap the shore, and watching SAILBOATS & windsurfers float around. That is definitely something Purdue can't do. lol. Admittedly, my productivity increased significantly when after 2 hours, fearing for the fate of my pale skin, I retreated back to the library, but the relaxation garnered while getting some work done was well worth the sacrifice of a little efficiency (and potentially a little sunburn, lol).

Here are some pictures of what I was looking at while studying. (The ducks made excellent study partners. :) ) Enjoy!

(a reminder to those reading this on email - you have to go to the actual blog at http://superherophd.blogspot.com/ to see the pictures! :) You can do it!)

International Talk Like a Pirate Day!

Ahoy! Happy International Talk like a pirate day!

In case ye feel lackin' in the area o'pirate linguistics:

SFW (Safe for work - ie PG-13 rated-ish or lower) - http://www.puzzlepirates.com/Vocabulary.xhtml

NSFW (How quick are ye land lubbers? "Not safe for work", not for the faint o'heart or easily offended - 'nough said) - http://www.talklikeapirate.com/howto.html#basic

I wish all ye hearties a day filled with beauties, grog, doubloon plundering and other piratey amusements!

Until we meet again:

"Smartly set your ship three sheets to the wind and embrace the fair amusements the wicked paramour the sea shall send you!"

(Yes, tomorrow I shall return to my regularly scheduled "normalcy"? :-D )

liberals, ninjas, zombies, et all.

While I was driving down the road last week I had a thought which I don't remember. lol. However, this thought made me think of how being liberal is occasionally a matter of self preservation in the Madison area. For my own safety (in both directions) I won't go into this in detail. :-D However, my next thought was the interesting one. I thought to myself, "self, you know, if the liberals don't get you, the zombies / vampires (vampires), or the ninjas/pirates/vikings (pirates) will!"

Many of you may at this point (if you weren't already) become convinced I am on crack. I assure you however, I am clean as a whistle, lol. For others of you, you know EXACTLY what I am talking about!

That seemingly nonsensical statement made me realize all of the things which had to happen in my life for me to think it. 1) I had to live in Madison or another extremely liberal area, 2) I had to work with very liberal people, 3) I had to be such a geek that I was aware of the current "zombie/Vampire", "ninja/pirate/viking" discussions and 4) I had to have a random enough mind to equate all of that!

So, what to do with this information? I recommend nothing, lol. Its a blog, it isn't meant to always be useful and interesting. :)

Have fantastic fall days filled with crunchy leaves, and fuzzy sweatshirts!

ps - the OTHER really cool thing about a blog, if you go to the actual blog (http://superherophd.blogspot.com), is that you can leave comments, feedback, additions! :)

Culturally laden string cheese

As some of you may or may not know, my academic advisor/mentor is revered as almost a god (little 'g') in some circles. This has some advantages and disadvantages, and sometimes the two overlap. One of the advantages is that all sorts of people, from all over the world come to Madison, WI to study with the man. In our weekly meetings we occasionally have just as many visiting scholars as normal enrollees present, and there are often more countries than states represented. This has really brought to light how US-centric my views are, but that is a topic for another post. :)

Well, the class I am taking this semester, with said advisor, met for the first time last Monday. There was the normal representation of the US, and many Asian & South American countries as well. One of the students is a visiting scholar from China. She is, I have no doubt, brilliant, and already holds a faculty position at a University in China. The reason I introduce this woman to you is this: One of the items we had for snack (because EVERY good Curriculum & Instruction class has to involve food) was string cheese. Individually wrapped. After trying to determine how to open this delectable morsel, she leaned over to me and asked "How do I open this?", because as anyone who enjoys individually wrapped string cheese knows, you can't really rip the plastic, you have to peel the front and back pieces apart. Otherwise you end up with a mess. I showed her how to do it, and then we laughed over the simplicity, and dual complexity of it all.

One of the base tenets of my program at this point is the acknowledgment that there are many "real" experiences of a given event. Every person involved in an event has their own understanding and internalization of what is/has happened based on their background, past experiences, etc (for the sake of cool terms lets say this is part of "socio-cultural cognition" - just don't say it to a room of doctoral students, lol). This is why you get different historicizations (yes that is a word) of any given event. Feminist perspective would be one example of a well known historicizing lens. "White Men", "Native American", "European" would be other possible less inflammatory lenses. What history all comes down to is an expression of power through hidden exclusions... but maybe I digress. :) Regardless, here, in front of me, after I had just had the opportunity to sit in a 3 hour class beginning the discussion of this very thing, was the perfect example. To many people I am sure they would see this lack of experience opening string cheese as lack of intelligence; when in reality it is more an expression of such a dichotomous experience base that she did not have the translatable knowledge necessary to perform the task. Since I know she had the base "intelligence".

So, the "moral" to my rambling? (haha) Try to think about what you take for granted as being a "given", I guarantee for someone it would be a completely new thing... My advisor used an analogy I really like. "The last thing to recognize that there is water is a fish."

Happy headache free days!! (hmm, avoiding my posts might help that.. lol)

September 11th

So a fair warning, by writing this, I may be propagating the very thing I am discussing against, and I apologize for any ill feelings that arise...

First, let me start by saying that I do believe that the men and women who died on September 11, 2001 should be remembered. Many heroes were born, and many died, and they have my thanks, my respect, and forever a piece of my heart. However, why can we not remember them for what they were, instead of what they became? Why do we constantly have to relive the horrifying moments, the panic and dread each year? Would it not be a better memory if we remembered how much love they had? The community that was built? The national pride that was fostered? The courage that was shown? Part of my issue with the current "celebration" is my own fault. I often do not know what the date is until I open my calendar, so invariably I turn on my radio, just like any other day only to be "attacked anew". I remember this moment in history every time the clock goes to 9:11, or every time I think of the people those I care about lost, or that I lost myself, or every time I think of my family and friends who live(d) close enough to the twin towers that they talked about their view of them. I think of the panic and utter helplessness I felt not knowing whether they were alive, dead, or fighting for their lives while I was 1000+ miles away. I remember thinking of all of my past colleagues who worked in the office the towers. I know I am a bit more neurotic than most, but surely this is not that uncommon a response?

Why can't we remember this event by celebrating what it is supposed to mean to be an American? Celebrating freedom (this argument is for another time), love, community, heroism? What happened to a good old fashioned, memorial parade? I do not think this would take away from their sacrifices, and the sacrifices that continue to be made daily by many effected families. Do we really gain anything by recreating the moment? By hearing the horrific news casts again? Are people so afraid of forgetting?

Every year I swear to remember not to turn on the TV, or the radio, on September 11th of the next year, and every year I "forget". Next year, maybe we can all throw memorial parties to celebrate the lives lived, instead of just the end of them.

The lovely lizards...

So, as most of you know, I have a pet lizard. No, that isn't a euphemism, lol. It occurred to me that my blog needed some pictures, and that while many of you know I have this weird and mysterious pet you probably have never seen him. So, today is your lucky day! :)

First, I would like to share a picture of my first Uromastyx Maliensis, Archimedes. Sadly, he passed away before I left Indiana of a rare cancer, but he was a rather stupendous pet, and Uro specimen. It is very unusual for a Mali Uro to be all black. Not only was Archie cool to look at, but he used to enjoy walks outside (on a leash), scaring parents while I was parking cars in the front yard of a house I rented with some friends by the Purdue football stadium (he would sit on my shoulder and kids would notice him way before their mothers would :) ), and just generally was a social and fun lizard.

Here is my favorite picture of him:

Six months or so before Archie's passing, I was finally able to find an Aegyptius Aegyptius Uromastyx baby for sale. He hatched and arrived just a few months before Archie's death. Egyptian Uros like Mosca are supposed to be substantially larger than the Mali Uro (what Archie was), and quite friendly. I named the new baby lizard "Zuberi Mosca Khu", which very loosely translated from Egyptian means "Strong, protected Mosca", at least according to Babelfish. Unless he is in trouble he just goes by Mosca.

Here is Mosca the day I got him. He was one of the most adorable things I had ever seen!



Here is Mosca almost 2 years later (he looks about the same now, just bigger)! How time flies!

Unfortunately, Mosca is not quite as friendly as Archie was, and prefers to hang out by himself. He is still very cool though, and is surprisingly good with small children! I still have hopes that he will mellow with age (they can live for an extremely long time, anywhere from 15-50 years so being 3 still makes him a kid) and that I will be able to take him into public for educational purposes in the future.

[warning: soapbox entry] As a side note, Mosca came from a very reputable breeder, though I did buy Archie from a pet store before I better understood the trade. Whenever possible (and it almost always is), buy all pets from reputable breeders, not pet stores, or better yet rescues! Particularly with the case of reptiles or other exotic pets always make sure you know for sure whether you are buying a captive bred or wild caught animal. If you are a hobbyist, please don't buy wild caught animals. :) [soapbox exit]

A moment of silence for Madeleine L'Engle

I just found out through a link sent to me by a friend (http://www.boingboing.net/2007/09/07/rip-author-madeleine.html) that Madeleine L'Engle passed away yesterday, at the age of 88, of natural causes. In part this is a joyous occasion, her faith in God is well known, and I am sure that she is with Him now, in a better place. However, I am also saddened greatly by the news.

As so many others, L'Engle's time series, and particularly A Wrinkle in Time, helped me get through my youth. In fact I still turn to the book when life just gets to be too much to handle, so I can spend some quality time with my life long friend Meg Murray and her family. According to the interview on my copy of the book on audio CD, A Wrinkle in Time was almost never published. L'Engle used to tell the story to her children as she was writing it, and publishers were concerned that it was both too advanced for children, and too frightening. However, her children loved it and encouraged her to continue with it. I am so glad that they did, and so glad that she had more faith in children than is often found.

I like to share the book with everyone, but particularly with young women who are a little "too bright", a little "too geeky", and just a little "too different" to have an easy time in childhood. Maybe it is because I empathize with them, but though childhood (particularly middle school) is difficult for everyone, I think it may be particularly difficult for these girls. Trying to make sense of not only who they are, and how it fits into the world, but also trying to determine whether to be proud or ashamed of special gifts and skills they may have, and how much to let the world in on them. Maybe this is an experience everyone has, even the "normal" (whatever that is) kids. I can only base things on my experiences and observations though.

Even though I grew up in a family of strong (OK, VERY strong women :) ) having a book where the main character was more similar in age, and didn't have it together, but still prevailed was priceless. The concept that not only did she win intellectually, but actually "got the boy" by being herself was also extraordinary! Though I didn't have the necessarily same kind of genius sibling, or fights after school, I still felt like she and I were, as Anne of Green Gables would say "bosom buddies". I wish there were more models for young women like this, sharing that it is being yourself, in all your imperfect wonderful-ness, that really makes life worth living, successful and rewarding.

I will say quiet prayers for Ms. L'Engle, and her family, for peace, and comfort in what I am sure is a difficult time for them. I also hope that they can garner some comfort from the incredible impact their loved one made on so many. I may even carve out some time to visit with the Murrays, and say my private goodbyes in the world of L'Engles own making, where a part of her will reside as long as there are readers in the world.

Thank you Madeleine, for living a passionate life, and for sharing some of yourself with me.

Madison as The Big City

Classes started this week here in Madison, and just like I have every year since what seems the dawn of time (but in reality is only for about the last 6 years), I made the phone call I make every year to inaugurate the beginning of school and fall. It goes like this:

Me: "Hey Dad/Mom, how is it going?"
Parent: banter
Me: "You know, I really hate college students. Or at least their invasion of campus. Kind of ironic really."
Parent: "You say that every year."
Me: "I know, its TRUE every year!"

For the record, I don't REALLY hate undergraduates. My long term career goal of being a college professor would be ridiculous if I did. What I do strongly dislike though is their invasion of campus sidewalks, streets, parking spots, grocery stores, etc. This phone call almost always takes place while I am trying to get somewhere one campus, and am finding it difficult through the throngs of UGs hurdling themselves in front of my car. (No, I do not want to have a discussion about my cell phone usage while driving. I assure you I am very safe in that regard.)

This year though, while trying to get OFF campus after braving the UW Bookstore for the first time (woohoo), I was struck by the thought that, for many of these "kids", living in Madison will be their "big city life" living experience. That, in fact, for many of them the size and "urban-ness" of Madison may be not only frightening, but just as foreign and awe-inspiring as say New York city would be for me. Now, before you start laughing at me. Consider that large parts of WI and MN are still extremely rural. High rises, 4 lane one way streets, metro transit, crime, these are all things many students did not grow up with. With the prevelance of movies I have no doubt they realize Madison is not a huge city, but the experience of it I bet is equally as overwhelming for them.

This recognition came to me while I was at a rather busy intersection at the heart of campus, which also happens to be in downtown Madison. The "Urban Campus" is a new experience for me, and I have to admit has some interesting quirks. At that moment, while surrounded by "high rises", and trying to turn onto a 4 lane, one way street, WHILE avoiding other cars, buses, bikers, and HUNDREDS of University students, it occurred to me that this was trickier driving than city driving in Chicago. Which struck me as sort of odd, and it is the students that make it tricky. Bikes are a way of life in Madison, so one learns quickly to ALWAYS look in the right hand mirror before turning right, or moving over, which I did anyway, but not as dilligently. However, the "invincibility" feeling of the standard undergrad comes through in all sorts of frightening ways when they traverse campus. For one, older bike riders know that they are harder to see, and that they need to watch out for cars turning right as much as the cars need to look out for them. Young bike readers seem to miss this little dual responsibility. Likewise, pedestrians in Chicago, or older pedestrians in Madison, recognize that while pedestrians have the right of way, they also need to watch out for vehicles. Students seem to not only have no respect for vehicles, but an active desire to challenge them! Strong in the knowledge that it would be the drivers fault if anything happened. This, plus the insane 5:00 traffic on the major thoroughfares of Madison makes for some seriously hair raising driving. No matter how many times you check mirrors, look over your shoulder, and check that you have the right of way, a hurdling student (or bike, or moped) could come flying out from any direction at any time!

At that moment, at that intersection, I felt that overwhelmed, "too many variables!", "too much input", sort of feeling, and it reminded me of what many students must feel like for the first week or two when they first come to Madison. Though my theory is that they are the students who actually LOOK both ways before crossing the street... :)

Happy School Year all! To those who are starting another year on the path of formal education, life-long learning, or otherwise; as well as those who just prefer to think about all the fun they had as children, and the smell of fresh #2 pencils. 'Tis the season for growth, and cause for celebration. At least in my little world. :)

(ps - This doesn't mean I don't reserve the right to complain about classes being in session. I mean, I was assigned 300 pages of reading for the first week, and haven't even had one of my classes yet. For you scoffers out there, not all 300 pages are created equally. How I yearn for fiction and textbooks! ;-) )

Gravity and Audio Visual Components

So I did an impromptu experiment today, to see if gravity effects audio visual equipment the same way it does most of the rest of material objects. The short version is, it does. :) At the same time I decided to test who would win in an "audio visual equipment vs. human right foot" grudge match. The outcome here was a little harder to judge, but I think I am going to give it to the 5 disc changer DVD player/receiver unit.

While cleaning out some things in my bedroom, including an old receiver/DVD player that broke but I still have hopes of fixing, somehow, and I am still unclear on this point, the DVD player ended up free to obey the laws of gravity, and landed on my foot. I have to say, some of the language that came out of my mouth would not have passed a movie rating board with a PG-13 rating. Luckily it was just me in the room though. lol. All affected items seem to be ok, though given that we have been trying to figure out what is wrong with my foot since January, and the silly component fell on the EXACT spot where the pain has been emanating from, I did consider going to get an X-ray. Other than a little goose egg, a small bruise, and some soreness though it seems to be fine. I think I have already had enough radiation exposure of my foot for a while. lol.

So, should you ever wonder: DVD players DO follow the laws of gravity, but do not have the mass to completely lay out a foot when falling from short distances. :-) Now you know. LOL

Happy "free-falling electronics" free days to everyone! :)