Seasonal Depression, Anxiety Affects Hamsters, Study Finds
A new study suggests that hamsters may suffer from symptoms of anxiety and depression during the dark days of winter, just as some humans do. Using a variety of tests, researchers found more symptoms of depression and anxiety in adult hamsters that were housed for weeks in conditions with limited daylight, as they would find in winter, when compared to hamsters who had days with longer daylight.
(Is there an epidemic of depressed hamsters? And what about Guinea pigs? Or mice? Does anyone care about the plight of all these other rodents with a case of the mid-winter blues? Why are we discriminating? It's an outrage I tell you!)
Nelson conducted the study with Leah Pyter, a doctoral student in neuroscience at Ohio State . They presented their results Nov. 15 in Washington , D.C. at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience. The study involved 53 female and 48 male Siberian hamsters.
(An auditorium FULL of white coats considering the problem of depressed furballs from the Russian tundra.....how DID they contain the excitement? Are these people so lacking in a social life they have to go to conferences on rodent mental health issues?)
Tests for anxiety included one in which hamsters are placed in a large box and viewed for 60 minutes to see how much time they spend in the middle versus near the walls. Anxious hamsters will spend more time along the walls, where they feel more protected, while less anxious animals will explore the entire box, including the open middle area.
(Researchers found the anxious and depressed hamsters were scrawling grafitti on the walls......'good-bye cruel box.')
Among the tests for depression was one in which they measured how much of a sugar drink hamsters drank over the course of several days. Hamsters generally like this drink, but hamsters with depressive-like symptoms will not drink as much.
(The depressed Siberian hamsters went straight for the vodka instead.)
In general, the results showed that female hamsters showed more evidence of depression than males, which corresponds to research in humans which shows more depression among women than men.
(Is it any wonder with Mr. Hamster sucking down the vodka, doing nothing more productive than scribbling on the walls, and disappearing late into the evening with that hot blonde PhD student? NO WONDER the female hamster is depressed as she watches her youth wasted on this loser and her children poisoned by the cigarettes and beauty aids being tested. Poor girl, of course she is depressed.)
The study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.
(Why am I not surprised?)
Related News Stories
Researchers Find Genes Connected To Seasonal Reproductive Clock In Hamsters (December 3, 2002) -- Researchers at Ohio State University have identified three genes that are involved in the seasonal clock that determines when hamsters reproduce.
Symptoms Of Illness Less Severe In Hamsters During Winter, Study Finds (February 26, 2002) -- During the short days of winter, Siberian hamsters suffer less severe symptoms to infections than they do during the long days of summer, new research shows.
Memory, Forgetfulness Help Hamsters Time Breeding (May 8, 2000) -- A study shows that hamsters time their breeding by "remembering" whether days were longer or shorter in the recent past. The discovery provides a new experimental model for researchers.
(Really? What more can I add here? It's all a bit mind-boggling.)
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Trini Tuesday-Spring Cleaning?
Spring cleaning you ask? Well, ok, not really. But for lack of a better description it is what goes on in Trinidad during December. Is it Springtime in Trinidad? No. It is however, time to get ready for Christmas and this means some serious cleaning.
Now when we spring clean, we may throw open the windows for some fresh air to clear out all the staleness of a house locked up all winter. We scrub surfaces we normally ignore. We wash curtains. We do all those little tasks that build up over time but are a bit too much to do more often.
In Trinidad the yearly cleaning is quite a bit more intense. Part of it is due to the effect of the tropical sun. Houses are painted, inside and out. Curtains are not merely washed, they are replaced. The intense sun at 11 degrees above the equator has a way of fading paint and causing curtain fabrics to deteriotrate rapidly. As people go about their Christmas shopping, the paint and fabric stores are as full as any other store.
Every corner of the house is swept out and scrubbed. Most houses are surrounded by walls or fences. Even the surrounding walls are scrubbed. Furniture may be re-upholstered. If certain fixtures have been needing to be replaced, if at all possible, people will replace them now. If an addition has been in the process of construction during the year, now is the time to make a heavy push to complete it.
Anyone not engaging in the cleaning/repairing frenzy has their housekeeping and maintenance skills called into serious question during one of the many times friends and neighbors drop over to share a bit of Trinidad Black Cake and Ponche a Creme (traditional seasonal food, more about that in the future). 'Oh gosh, gyal! But I was at Flora's house an' as yet she ain't even bought fabric fuh she curtains!'
The activity rises to a crescendo on Christmas Eve night. Families will stay up into the wee hours, not assembling toys they have bought, but making sure every last bit of dirt has been removed, every hidden nook has been cleared out. Once satisfied that surgery could be performed in any room, folks will finally collapse into bed and dream of the tropical Christmas morn with all it's fresh bright color.
Now when we spring clean, we may throw open the windows for some fresh air to clear out all the staleness of a house locked up all winter. We scrub surfaces we normally ignore. We wash curtains. We do all those little tasks that build up over time but are a bit too much to do more often.
In Trinidad the yearly cleaning is quite a bit more intense. Part of it is due to the effect of the tropical sun. Houses are painted, inside and out. Curtains are not merely washed, they are replaced. The intense sun at 11 degrees above the equator has a way of fading paint and causing curtain fabrics to deteriotrate rapidly. As people go about their Christmas shopping, the paint and fabric stores are as full as any other store.
Every corner of the house is swept out and scrubbed. Most houses are surrounded by walls or fences. Even the surrounding walls are scrubbed. Furniture may be re-upholstered. If certain fixtures have been needing to be replaced, if at all possible, people will replace them now. If an addition has been in the process of construction during the year, now is the time to make a heavy push to complete it.
Anyone not engaging in the cleaning/repairing frenzy has their housekeeping and maintenance skills called into serious question during one of the many times friends and neighbors drop over to share a bit of Trinidad Black Cake and Ponche a Creme (traditional seasonal food, more about that in the future). 'Oh gosh, gyal! But I was at Flora's house an' as yet she ain't even bought fabric fuh she curtains!'
The activity rises to a crescendo on Christmas Eve night. Families will stay up into the wee hours, not assembling toys they have bought, but making sure every last bit of dirt has been removed, every hidden nook has been cleared out. Once satisfied that surgery could be performed in any room, folks will finally collapse into bed and dream of the tropical Christmas morn with all it's fresh bright color.
Monday, November 28, 2005
Mother's Revenge
Well, we had a very nice thanksgiving. It was quite a whirlwind. Thursday morning was 'The BIG Game' where the huge local football rivalry was played out. Since our team won, the band and the football team marched the trophy home through the streets for 3 miles. After Diana thawed out from that we headed to my mother's for dinner. Friday we visited my father. Saturday we hit a local arts festival and then came home for a birthday party for the children of some dear friends. It was a great time but by yesterday I was ready to spend the day vegging out. Today Diana is hitting the woods with Dad for opening day of buch season. We shall see if that crazy luck of hers holds out and she brings home another buck for the freezer.
Now that my kids are old enough to really harass me, my mother seems to delight in sharing all sorts of juicy tidbits about my growing up years. Having put the mother's curse (I hope you have one just like you) on me and seen it realized she seems discontent with the amount of pain that has caused. Now she likes to tell my girls about the various guys I brought home as boyfriends/dates, list my various shortcomings as a teenager, and entertain my children with tales of my misdeeds.
This weekend was she brought out a couple of pictures to show my kids. My son wears glasses and has this habit of scaling walls around the house. Mom wanted to show him my lovely first pair of glasses and how I used to climb walls. These pictures really didn't bother me. In fact, they brought back some fun memories. Calypso however, saw them and declared that I was some sort of serious dork in those glasses and the weird shirt. She couldn't comment on the poncho since my mom saved it and both Diana AND Calypso wore it a lot when they were smaller.
For your giggles, here I am in all my dorky glory as a kid.
age 6 The purple plastic frames set off the brown in my eyes, no? Check out the stylish Charlie Brown lunchbox. Can I accessorize or what?
age 8 Any doorway or narrow enough hallway I would crawl up or down in this manner. My son does the same thing.
Now that my kids are old enough to really harass me, my mother seems to delight in sharing all sorts of juicy tidbits about my growing up years. Having put the mother's curse (I hope you have one just like you) on me and seen it realized she seems discontent with the amount of pain that has caused. Now she likes to tell my girls about the various guys I brought home as boyfriends/dates, list my various shortcomings as a teenager, and entertain my children with tales of my misdeeds.
This weekend was she brought out a couple of pictures to show my kids. My son wears glasses and has this habit of scaling walls around the house. Mom wanted to show him my lovely first pair of glasses and how I used to climb walls. These pictures really didn't bother me. In fact, they brought back some fun memories. Calypso however, saw them and declared that I was some sort of serious dork in those glasses and the weird shirt. She couldn't comment on the poncho since my mom saved it and both Diana AND Calypso wore it a lot when they were smaller.
For your giggles, here I am in all my dorky glory as a kid.
age 6 The purple plastic frames set off the brown in my eyes, no? Check out the stylish Charlie Brown lunchbox. Can I accessorize or what?
age 8 Any doorway or narrow enough hallway I would crawl up or down in this manner. My son does the same thing.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Happy Thanksgiving
Sorry, there was no time to prepare a HNT post this week. Just too much going on with the holiday and kids and I'd want to be able to comment on other posts and I know I won't have time to do that. I'll be back next week.
There is a HNT post at Insane Asylime and if you'd like to play along you can click here.
Wishing each and every one a very Happy Thanksgiving. I'll be posting again on Monday. In the meantime please scroll down to the next post and ponder how you've been blessed.
Count Your Many Blessings
I'm forgoing Weird News Wednesday in favor of listing things I am thankful for. I wish each of you a very Happy Thanksgiving and hope you each take time to reflect upon the many blessings in your lives.
I'm thankful for:
1. Three beautiful, bright, healthy kids.
2. Plenty of food to eat.
3. Clothes on my back.
4. A much more than adequate house to live in.
5. Access to doctors and medicine when any of us is sick.
6. The right to worship freely.
7. The right to say what I think about my government be it good, bad, or indifferent.
8. The right to vote without fear of intimidation (even if the choices tend to be awful).
9. Friends and family who will laugh with me.
10. Friends and family who will cry with me.
11. Friends and family who will back me up when I am right.
12. Friends and family who will tell me when I am wrong.
13. Hugs.
14. Kisses.
15. The 3 little hand squeezes that mean 'I love you' Isaac will exchange with me.
16. The sparkle in his eye when he tells a joke that makes people laugh.
17. Watching him hunched over a drawing he is working on.
18. Seeing him race around the yard fighting off imaginary armies.
19. The sparkle in Calypso's eyes when she makes beautiful music.
20. Hearing her make music.
21. The compassion she shows to people.
22. The sparkle in Diana's eyes when she marches in band.
23. The maturity she displays in dealing with peer pressure.
24. The way she works with a friend's autistic son in such a way as to make them thankful for her.
25. The sparkle in my husband's eye when he smiles.
26. That he has a job that provides well for us.
27. What a hard worker he is.
28. That I have the chance to be back in school.
29. Books and libraries.
30. Freedom of conscience.
31. People who make me think.
32. People who make me laugh.
33. People who encourage my dreams.
34. People who challenge me to be a better person.
35. Being able to meet so many different people through this format. Who'da thunk it?
36. That my back feels a whole lot better than this time last year and I am not being threatend with surgery anymore.
37. Doctors and therapists who helped me avoid surgery and get strong again.
38. The way my kids were usually helpful and sensitive when I was in the most pain.
39. Music.
40. Art.
41. Poetry.
42. The people who create music, art, and poetry.
43. Trees.....the music of wind in the branches, the art of their form, that no poem is as lovely as a tree.
44. The big rope swing in a tree in our yard.
45. Feeling like a kid when I swing on it.
Ok, I could go on. Instead, I hope you wiil. We have so much to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving, my friends.
I'm thankful for:
1. Three beautiful, bright, healthy kids.
2. Plenty of food to eat.
3. Clothes on my back.
4. A much more than adequate house to live in.
5. Access to doctors and medicine when any of us is sick.
6. The right to worship freely.
7. The right to say what I think about my government be it good, bad, or indifferent.
8. The right to vote without fear of intimidation (even if the choices tend to be awful).
9. Friends and family who will laugh with me.
10. Friends and family who will cry with me.
11. Friends and family who will back me up when I am right.
12. Friends and family who will tell me when I am wrong.
13. Hugs.
14. Kisses.
15. The 3 little hand squeezes that mean 'I love you' Isaac will exchange with me.
16. The sparkle in his eye when he tells a joke that makes people laugh.
17. Watching him hunched over a drawing he is working on.
18. Seeing him race around the yard fighting off imaginary armies.
19. The sparkle in Calypso's eyes when she makes beautiful music.
20. Hearing her make music.
21. The compassion she shows to people.
22. The sparkle in Diana's eyes when she marches in band.
23. The maturity she displays in dealing with peer pressure.
24. The way she works with a friend's autistic son in such a way as to make them thankful for her.
25. The sparkle in my husband's eye when he smiles.
26. That he has a job that provides well for us.
27. What a hard worker he is.
28. That I have the chance to be back in school.
29. Books and libraries.
30. Freedom of conscience.
31. People who make me think.
32. People who make me laugh.
33. People who encourage my dreams.
34. People who challenge me to be a better person.
35. Being able to meet so many different people through this format. Who'da thunk it?
36. That my back feels a whole lot better than this time last year and I am not being threatend with surgery anymore.
37. Doctors and therapists who helped me avoid surgery and get strong again.
38. The way my kids were usually helpful and sensitive when I was in the most pain.
39. Music.
40. Art.
41. Poetry.
42. The people who create music, art, and poetry.
43. Trees.....the music of wind in the branches, the art of their form, that no poem is as lovely as a tree.
44. The big rope swing in a tree in our yard.
45. Feeling like a kid when I swing on it.
Ok, I could go on. Instead, I hope you wiil. We have so much to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving, my friends.
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Tagged by Breazy
Ok, We take the top name off the list and add ours to the bottom spot.
1. Here's Your Sign
2. Mama K Bear
3. Kaliblue
4. A Breazy Life
5. Lime
Pick 5 people to piss off.
1. My hag-in-law.
2. Her son/my husband.
3. The team of 7th grade teachers Calypso has to endure.
4. The annoying neighbor kid who drives his loud, pimped-up ghetto-mobile through the neighborhood.
5. Oh, I dunno......who else is fun to push their buttons and watch 'em launch into orbit?
Ooops, you meant 5 people to tag? Silly me. In that case, I'll just toss it out there and see who decides to pick it up since I don't want to piss off anyone of my blog buddies. I like them too much.
What was I doing 10 years ago?
Trying to keep up with 3 children under the age of 5. Up to my elbows in diapers.
What was I doing one year ago?
Removing hideous 70s era 'very Brady' wallpaper from every stinking wall in my new house. Wall paper is evil.
5 Snacks I Enjoy
1. Chocolate
2. Hard pretzels, beer pretzels, whatever you want to call them, the big ones you can break teeth on
3. Lime Tostitos and hot salsa (does that make me slightly cannibalistic?)
4. Bruschetta and garlic bagel chips
5. Did I mention chocolate?
5 Songs I Know all the Words To
1. The Itsy Bitsy Spider
2. The Alphabet song (honest I did not steal this from BS, I had it typed up before I ever read his)
3. The Barney clean up song
4. The Song that Never Ends
5. 100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall
5 Things I'd Do if I Were a Millionaire
1. Make anonymous donations to specific deserving individuals.
2. Pay off my mortgage and my mom's.
3. Pay for my kid's college tuition and some other kid who needs and deserves it.
4. Foreign travel.
5. Bathe in a vat of chocolate.
5 Bad Habits
1. Nail biting.
2. Procrastinating.
3. Being disorganized.
4. Letting my desk pile up until avalanche is imminenet.
5. Eating junk food.
5 Things I Like to Do
1. Eat chocolate.
2. Read.
3. Listen to music.
4. Cook.
5. Hike.
5 Things I'll Never Wear Again
1. A bikini
2. A white wedding dress. (I did not steal this from Snavy either, I had it typed up the day I got tagged, just had other postings to put up.)
3. Maternity clothes. (I DID steal this from Breazy)
4. Nursing bras.
5. My old size 6 jeans.
5 Favorite Toys
1. The one that requires batteries, yeah, that's the one.
2. The one that doesn't require batteries, yeah, same basic thought.
3. My new digital camera.
4. The trampoline.
5. The perilous rope swing in the tree in my backyard.
Ok, have fun if you decide to play along! Thanks, Breazy!
Scroll down to see the Trini Tuesday-Thanksgiving post!
1. Here's Your Sign
2. Mama K Bear
3. Kaliblue
4. A Breazy Life
5. Lime
Pick 5 people to piss off.
1. My hag-in-law.
2. Her son/my husband.
3. The team of 7th grade teachers Calypso has to endure.
4. The annoying neighbor kid who drives his loud, pimped-up ghetto-mobile through the neighborhood.
5. Oh, I dunno......who else is fun to push their buttons and watch 'em launch into orbit?
Ooops, you meant 5 people to tag? Silly me. In that case, I'll just toss it out there and see who decides to pick it up since I don't want to piss off anyone of my blog buddies. I like them too much.
What was I doing 10 years ago?
Trying to keep up with 3 children under the age of 5. Up to my elbows in diapers.
What was I doing one year ago?
Removing hideous 70s era 'very Brady' wallpaper from every stinking wall in my new house. Wall paper is evil.
5 Snacks I Enjoy
1. Chocolate
2. Hard pretzels, beer pretzels, whatever you want to call them, the big ones you can break teeth on
3. Lime Tostitos and hot salsa (does that make me slightly cannibalistic?)
4. Bruschetta and garlic bagel chips
5. Did I mention chocolate?
5 Songs I Know all the Words To
1. The Itsy Bitsy Spider
2. The Alphabet song (honest I did not steal this from BS, I had it typed up before I ever read his)
3. The Barney clean up song
4. The Song that Never Ends
5. 100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall
5 Things I'd Do if I Were a Millionaire
1. Make anonymous donations to specific deserving individuals.
2. Pay off my mortgage and my mom's.
3. Pay for my kid's college tuition and some other kid who needs and deserves it.
4. Foreign travel.
5. Bathe in a vat of chocolate.
5 Bad Habits
1. Nail biting.
2. Procrastinating.
3. Being disorganized.
4. Letting my desk pile up until avalanche is imminenet.
5. Eating junk food.
5 Things I Like to Do
1. Eat chocolate.
2. Read.
3. Listen to music.
4. Cook.
5. Hike.
5 Things I'll Never Wear Again
1. A bikini
2. A white wedding dress. (I did not steal this from Snavy either, I had it typed up the day I got tagged, just had other postings to put up.)
3. Maternity clothes. (I DID steal this from Breazy)
4. Nursing bras.
5. My old size 6 jeans.
5 Favorite Toys
1. The one that requires batteries, yeah, that's the one.
2. The one that doesn't require batteries, yeah, same basic thought.
3. My new digital camera.
4. The trampoline.
5. The perilous rope swing in the tree in my backyard.
Ok, have fun if you decide to play along! Thanks, Breazy!
Scroll down to see the Trini Tuesday-Thanksgiving post!
Trini Tuesday-Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is not a holiday observed in Trinidad. Individual families may host a 'thanksgiving' to mark a particular blessing they have experienced, such as moving into a new house, the birth of a child, a graduation or someother milestone.
We arrived to live in Trinidad in September of 1993. We had 2 55 gallon drums, a three meter crate and about 6 suitcases that contained everything we brought with us. We lived with friends for the first two weeks while we looked for a place to rent. Our friends helped us look for different houses, made suggestions of which neighborhoods they thought would be safe (there is, unfortuantely, a pretty high rate of burglaries, being American significantly raised the chances of being burglarized).
We found a place and got settled in. It was pretty comical with no furniture. Our barrels and crate had not arrived and we hadn't had a chance to purchase furniture yet since we were still trying to get a bank acount set up...a surprisingly difficult and frustrating process. We had a mattress on the floor, Diana's port-a-crib, some borrowed folding chairs, and borrowed pots, pans, and place settings.
We waited several weeks for our shipment to arrive. In the meantime, we procured some basic furniture both used and new. We finally got that bank account set up. We learned our way around the city we lived in. A couple families had offered to help us get around since we had no car yet. Even though there is good, cheap public transportation we took them up on the offer many times because they helped us learn our way around and gave us good advice about local services. Eventually our shipment arrived and we were thrilled to be able to unpack it and really get set up.
Three different families had become friends, our wonderful neighbors had been incredibly welcoming and helpful. They'd helped us get set-up, shown us around, told us where to find bargains, warned us of dangers, loaned us needed items, brought us food, taught me how to cook local dishes, vouched for us so we could get bank accounts and utilities, answered every silly question we had about adjusting to life in Trinidad, laughed and cried with us.
November arrived and we were feeling a little sad about not being with family for the holiday. Big turkeys were not exactly common in Trinidad but I managed to find one and most of the necessary ingredients for a traditional Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings. We decided we wanted to share it with our new friends who had helped us so much. They were all happy to accept the invitation and taste a traditional American meal. I was excited to have them join us.
Three families arrived, I laid out the spread, we blessed the food, I explained what each dish was, and we each took turns sharing things we were thankful for as we dug in to the food. Now mind you, a Trini does not feel they have eaten their big meal of the day unless they have had rice. The six year old son of one friend surveyed the turkey, candied yams, filling, corn, bread, beans, gravy, apple pies, pumpkin pies and cried in horror, "But Mummy! We ain't have rice!!" We all had a good giggle over that.
As everyone ate we enjoyed the company of our new friends and stopped missing family quite so much. One person asked why exactly we celebrate Thanksgiving. We explained the search for religious freedom by the Puritans, the difficult Atlantic crossing, the harsh conditions they faced upon arrival, and how their survival was made possible by the local people who helped them adapt. I had been so grateful for these people who had helped us so much, but it wasn't until the telling of the roots of Thanksgiving that it struck me how we were capturing a bit of the same spirit as we celebrated our first Thanksgiving in Trinidad. It still stands in my memory as the most special one I have ever celebrated.
We arrived to live in Trinidad in September of 1993. We had 2 55 gallon drums, a three meter crate and about 6 suitcases that contained everything we brought with us. We lived with friends for the first two weeks while we looked for a place to rent. Our friends helped us look for different houses, made suggestions of which neighborhoods they thought would be safe (there is, unfortuantely, a pretty high rate of burglaries, being American significantly raised the chances of being burglarized).
We found a place and got settled in. It was pretty comical with no furniture. Our barrels and crate had not arrived and we hadn't had a chance to purchase furniture yet since we were still trying to get a bank acount set up...a surprisingly difficult and frustrating process. We had a mattress on the floor, Diana's port-a-crib, some borrowed folding chairs, and borrowed pots, pans, and place settings.
We waited several weeks for our shipment to arrive. In the meantime, we procured some basic furniture both used and new. We finally got that bank account set up. We learned our way around the city we lived in. A couple families had offered to help us get around since we had no car yet. Even though there is good, cheap public transportation we took them up on the offer many times because they helped us learn our way around and gave us good advice about local services. Eventually our shipment arrived and we were thrilled to be able to unpack it and really get set up.
Three different families had become friends, our wonderful neighbors had been incredibly welcoming and helpful. They'd helped us get set-up, shown us around, told us where to find bargains, warned us of dangers, loaned us needed items, brought us food, taught me how to cook local dishes, vouched for us so we could get bank accounts and utilities, answered every silly question we had about adjusting to life in Trinidad, laughed and cried with us.
November arrived and we were feeling a little sad about not being with family for the holiday. Big turkeys were not exactly common in Trinidad but I managed to find one and most of the necessary ingredients for a traditional Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings. We decided we wanted to share it with our new friends who had helped us so much. They were all happy to accept the invitation and taste a traditional American meal. I was excited to have them join us.
Three families arrived, I laid out the spread, we blessed the food, I explained what each dish was, and we each took turns sharing things we were thankful for as we dug in to the food. Now mind you, a Trini does not feel they have eaten their big meal of the day unless they have had rice. The six year old son of one friend surveyed the turkey, candied yams, filling, corn, bread, beans, gravy, apple pies, pumpkin pies and cried in horror, "But Mummy! We ain't have rice!!" We all had a good giggle over that.
As everyone ate we enjoyed the company of our new friends and stopped missing family quite so much. One person asked why exactly we celebrate Thanksgiving. We explained the search for religious freedom by the Puritans, the difficult Atlantic crossing, the harsh conditions they faced upon arrival, and how their survival was made possible by the local people who helped them adapt. I had been so grateful for these people who had helped us so much, but it wasn't until the telling of the roots of Thanksgiving that it struck me how we were capturing a bit of the same spirit as we celebrated our first Thanksgiving in Trinidad. It still stands in my memory as the most special one I have ever celebrated.
Monday, November 21, 2005
Night of the Band Geeks
Diana is a self-described band geek. She lives for marching band season. From the end of August until Thanksgiving Day there are football games, parades and competitions to march in.
Two weeks ago on Saturday night we went to Giants Stadium for THE big marching band competition of the year. A gazillion bands from all over the East Coast show up to strut their stuff to see who comes out on top. Diana plays trumpet, Dad is part of the pit crew, I am part of the mom crew that sews uniforms and feeds everyone.
Our band was scheduled to perform dead last at 12:20am. Yes indeed, 20 minutes AFTER midnight, or to quote the band director, "Oh my god o'clock." We only go as an exhibition band so we perform dead last while the night's results are tabulated in order to award the winners.
It was really something to see the other bands and how they work. So many of them are just dead serious, unsmiling, regimented, out for blood. Our four buses parked, then the equipment truck, then Mr. Lime and me with our pick-up loaded for the tailgating party and pulling the lawn tractor we use to haul the equipment on the field. The whole scene of us pulling in and unloading the grill, food and equipment sort of made me think of the Beverly Hillbillies arriving in southern California. The stunned looks of the serious minded competitors surrounding us were priceless. The band parents cooked up a storm and the 'neighbors' were wishing they had thought to tailgate the way our band had!
OMG o'clock arrived. Our rag-tag band marched on the field following a very serious and polished group of trenchcoat clad 'Matrix' imitators, complete with lookalike black wigs and sunglasses. Our kids proceeded to play their their hearts out and fill Giants Stadium with disco music, get the crowd on their feet dancing along to 'YMCA,' and have a helluva lot of fun doing it. I'll take that over the high pressure perfectionism any time!
Friday, November 18, 2005
Parent Teacher Conferences
A couple days ago I got to go through this annaul ritual as a parent. I got to listen to some praises and some criticisms of my kids. Let's turn the tables around shall we? Let's hear what the kids and I have to say about the teachers.
Diana.
I met with the Algebra teacher because Diana is struggling.
Mr. W. you don't even have a single work sample to show me. I am asking you what patterns you have detected in her errors and where it indicates she is having the greatest difficulty and you are shrugging your shoulders. I never even had any idea until I got the report card that she was in danger of failing. Even the midterm progress report that all the teachers are required to send home gave no indication of this danger. Does your phone or email work? Thank you for your time. Diana says you go so fast everyone is confused. She says you are easily distracted and brought off topic. She also finds your fanatacism about the Philadelphia Eagles mildly disturbing. We'd like to see greater focus on your part, a more reasonable pace, and some actual ability to analyze student work. We can live with the Eagles, you are allowed to express that much individuality.
Calypso
For my alloted 15 minutes, no more, no less, I faced the firing squad of 7th grade teachers on her team.
Mrs. D. (language arts) here, I have some clear packing tape. I am going to put it over your eyeballs so you can stop rolling them at every mention of my child. Thank you for the litany of complaints. I notice she hasn't missed any homeworks, all her test grades were good. She got an A-. What exactly must one do to get a compliment from you? Calypso says you never smile. Lighten up.
Ms. H. (social studies) you seem to have difficulty letting people finish a sentence. Hhhmm, seems I heard mention of that from a certain student of yours. You mention Calypso's lack of organization, yet you admit you've lost some homework assignments she turned in, so she had to do them twice. Hhhmm..... Calypso finds the way you constantly fiddle with your hair extremely distracting. Here's a nice hair net to keep it all in place and a filing cabinet to help your organization.
Mrs. C. (reading) was very concerned about the clock. I got there early, no one else was waiting, but it was very critical I wait until exactly when I was scheduled and get no more than my alloted 15 minutes. Your eyes were on your watch the entire time. Can you please focus for the 900 seconds I am here? Calypso digs that she gets a reading list from which to choose books and she likes the choices you offer.
Mr. H. (science) you poor guy. First year teacher, on a team with all these older ladies who are burned out and cynical. You have that shell-shocked look about you. You are also suffering the swooning affections of every 12-13 year old girl in your classes. With Calypso, it works to your advantage. She has a gigantic crush on you and wants desperately to please you. No wonder you have no complaints. Thank you for smiling. Here are some earplugs for when the other 3 teachers start bitching endlessly.
Mrs. J. (math) I was mildly annoyed that you were not here because I specifically asked to have this conference scheduled when you were available since I got phone calls about missing homeworks affecting grades. When you got here we had time away from the firing squad so it worked out. Yes, we all agree Calypso is not very organized, despite everyone's efforts to help her improve in this area. Thank you for not viewing it as a character flaw.
By the way, I told you all at the start of the year that she is not organized. Why are you acting like this a shock or as if it should be news to me? Given that she made the transition from 6th grade to 7th grade and having a different teacher for every subject, given that she is not an organized person, given that she did it in a brand new building that was no where near ready for students to be occupying it (3 of her classes did not even have DESKS in them for the first week of school and there are STILL construction workers swarming all over the place in November), and given that her lowest grade in any subject was an 89, I am, quite honestly, THRILLED with how well she did.
Isaac
I met with one 4th grade teacher, Mrs. A.
He had Satan's spawn for a teacher last year. He did not want to go to school this fall. He cried. He begged me to homeschool him. When I found out he had you this year, I had hope. I have not been disappointed. He is doing creative writing in his free time again. He is drawing again. He comes home and tells me how cool the science experiments are that you do and then he wants to do them again. I like that you are experienced enough to be wise but not cynical. I like that you recognize students as unique individuals. He LOVES that you get his bizarre sense of humor. That's the way to his heart, but you already figured that out. You told me he has no intellectual peers in this class and that you want to make sure he gets all the challenge and stimulation he needs to fly. Can we please clone you a few times?
Diana.
I met with the Algebra teacher because Diana is struggling.
Mr. W. you don't even have a single work sample to show me. I am asking you what patterns you have detected in her errors and where it indicates she is having the greatest difficulty and you are shrugging your shoulders. I never even had any idea until I got the report card that she was in danger of failing. Even the midterm progress report that all the teachers are required to send home gave no indication of this danger. Does your phone or email work? Thank you for your time. Diana says you go so fast everyone is confused. She says you are easily distracted and brought off topic. She also finds your fanatacism about the Philadelphia Eagles mildly disturbing. We'd like to see greater focus on your part, a more reasonable pace, and some actual ability to analyze student work. We can live with the Eagles, you are allowed to express that much individuality.
Calypso
For my alloted 15 minutes, no more, no less, I faced the firing squad of 7th grade teachers on her team.
Mrs. D. (language arts) here, I have some clear packing tape. I am going to put it over your eyeballs so you can stop rolling them at every mention of my child. Thank you for the litany of complaints. I notice she hasn't missed any homeworks, all her test grades were good. She got an A-. What exactly must one do to get a compliment from you? Calypso says you never smile. Lighten up.
Ms. H. (social studies) you seem to have difficulty letting people finish a sentence. Hhhmm, seems I heard mention of that from a certain student of yours. You mention Calypso's lack of organization, yet you admit you've lost some homework assignments she turned in, so she had to do them twice. Hhhmm..... Calypso finds the way you constantly fiddle with your hair extremely distracting. Here's a nice hair net to keep it all in place and a filing cabinet to help your organization.
Mrs. C. (reading) was very concerned about the clock. I got there early, no one else was waiting, but it was very critical I wait until exactly when I was scheduled and get no more than my alloted 15 minutes. Your eyes were on your watch the entire time. Can you please focus for the 900 seconds I am here? Calypso digs that she gets a reading list from which to choose books and she likes the choices you offer.
Mr. H. (science) you poor guy. First year teacher, on a team with all these older ladies who are burned out and cynical. You have that shell-shocked look about you. You are also suffering the swooning affections of every 12-13 year old girl in your classes. With Calypso, it works to your advantage. She has a gigantic crush on you and wants desperately to please you. No wonder you have no complaints. Thank you for smiling. Here are some earplugs for when the other 3 teachers start bitching endlessly.
Mrs. J. (math) I was mildly annoyed that you were not here because I specifically asked to have this conference scheduled when you were available since I got phone calls about missing homeworks affecting grades. When you got here we had time away from the firing squad so it worked out. Yes, we all agree Calypso is not very organized, despite everyone's efforts to help her improve in this area. Thank you for not viewing it as a character flaw.
By the way, I told you all at the start of the year that she is not organized. Why are you acting like this a shock or as if it should be news to me? Given that she made the transition from 6th grade to 7th grade and having a different teacher for every subject, given that she is not an organized person, given that she did it in a brand new building that was no where near ready for students to be occupying it (3 of her classes did not even have DESKS in them for the first week of school and there are STILL construction workers swarming all over the place in November), and given that her lowest grade in any subject was an 89, I am, quite honestly, THRILLED with how well she did.
Isaac
I met with one 4th grade teacher, Mrs. A.
He had Satan's spawn for a teacher last year. He did not want to go to school this fall. He cried. He begged me to homeschool him. When I found out he had you this year, I had hope. I have not been disappointed. He is doing creative writing in his free time again. He is drawing again. He comes home and tells me how cool the science experiments are that you do and then he wants to do them again. I like that you are experienced enough to be wise but not cynical. I like that you recognize students as unique individuals. He LOVES that you get his bizarre sense of humor. That's the way to his heart, but you already figured that out. You told me he has no intellectual peers in this class and that you want to make sure he gets all the challenge and stimulation he needs to fly. Can we please clone you a few times?
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Weird News Wednesday-Pass the Barf Bucket
KEELUNG, Taiwan (AFP) - Savoury ice cream has become a popular fad in trendy Western restaurants, but Taiwan vendor Liny Hsueh is whipping up business with an even stranger range of flavours -- seafood. Hsueh's "Dr. Ice" brand offers ice cream, "snowflake ice" (shaved ice) and "bubble ice" (thinly shaved ice) made from shrimp, cuttlefish, tuna, seaweed and laver (purple seaweed) combined with fruits, mint, wasabi, peanut and wine.
(Can someone give me a great big 'EEEWWWW!'?)
Salty, pungent seafood does not seem ideally suited to traditionally sweet and soft ice cream, yet Hsueh has managed to find a harmony between the two to create the island's only seafood flavoured frozen desserts line. The 13 flavours on offer include pineapple shrimp, wasabi cuttlefish, strawberry tuna and mango seaweed, all in stark colors from orange to green to black. All are served in white or blue shell on fish-shaped plates and bowls, and some also come with a sprinkle of small dried fish, roe or chopped squid.
(May I ask what was wrong with good old fashioned vanilla topped by hot fudge? If you need to get exotic how about pistachio?)
Peter Lin, a first-time customer who tried shrimp and seaweed flavored ice cream, said he was surprised that it didn't carry the smell or salty taste of seafood. "I was a little worried that it would taste disgusting and weird," said the 41-year-old man who paid 35 Taiwan dollars (about 1.04 US) for each scoop.
(I'd be surprised if I did not vomit on the spot.)
"I had to find a niche in the crowded market of ice desserts and I thought that even though Taiwan is an island with abundant oceanic resources, seafood was never used to make them and I wanted to give it a try. I am continuing to experiment with different seafood to create new flavours," she said, adding scallop could be the newest addition to her "Dr. Ice" line.
(Someone please stop this woman!)
I have to admit, in Trinidad you can get Guinness flavored ice-cream, which I think is pretty vile. So Taiwan has not cornered the market on gross ice cream. Here are some more flavors I never want to taste.
1. Sauerkraut ice cream
2. Liver ice cream
3. Kidney pie ice cream
4. Garlic ice cream (I like garlic and cook with it a lot, I could even sample this flavor here at the local 'Pocono Garlic Festival' but I DON'T WANT TO)
5. Vodka ice cream
6. Olive ice cream
7. Head Cheese ice cream (I swear, head cheese looks like the stuff you blow out of your nose after a head cold)
8. Scrapple ice cream
9. Sweetbreads ice cream
10. Mustard ice cream
Ok, so the most vile flavor ice cream you have heard of or would not want to see is?
(Can someone give me a great big 'EEEWWWW!'?)
Salty, pungent seafood does not seem ideally suited to traditionally sweet and soft ice cream, yet Hsueh has managed to find a harmony between the two to create the island's only seafood flavoured frozen desserts line. The 13 flavours on offer include pineapple shrimp, wasabi cuttlefish, strawberry tuna and mango seaweed, all in stark colors from orange to green to black. All are served in white or blue shell on fish-shaped plates and bowls, and some also come with a sprinkle of small dried fish, roe or chopped squid.
(May I ask what was wrong with good old fashioned vanilla topped by hot fudge? If you need to get exotic how about pistachio?)
Peter Lin, a first-time customer who tried shrimp and seaweed flavored ice cream, said he was surprised that it didn't carry the smell or salty taste of seafood. "I was a little worried that it would taste disgusting and weird," said the 41-year-old man who paid 35 Taiwan dollars (about 1.04 US) for each scoop.
(I'd be surprised if I did not vomit on the spot.)
"I had to find a niche in the crowded market of ice desserts and I thought that even though Taiwan is an island with abundant oceanic resources, seafood was never used to make them and I wanted to give it a try. I am continuing to experiment with different seafood to create new flavours," she said, adding scallop could be the newest addition to her "Dr. Ice" line.
(Someone please stop this woman!)
I have to admit, in Trinidad you can get Guinness flavored ice-cream, which I think is pretty vile. So Taiwan has not cornered the market on gross ice cream. Here are some more flavors I never want to taste.
1. Sauerkraut ice cream
2. Liver ice cream
3. Kidney pie ice cream
4. Garlic ice cream (I like garlic and cook with it a lot, I could even sample this flavor here at the local 'Pocono Garlic Festival' but I DON'T WANT TO)
5. Vodka ice cream
6. Olive ice cream
7. Head Cheese ice cream (I swear, head cheese looks like the stuff you blow out of your nose after a head cold)
8. Scrapple ice cream
9. Sweetbreads ice cream
10. Mustard ice cream
Ok, so the most vile flavor ice cream you have heard of or would not want to see is?
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Trini Tuesday-Anthem
Hear the national anthem of Trinidad and Tobago
Forged from the love of liberty,
In the fires of hope and prayer,
With boundless faith in our Destiny,
We solemnly declare,
Side by side we stand,
Islands of the blue Caribbean Sea,
This our Native Land,
We pledge our lives to Thee,
Here every creed and race finds an equal place,
And may God bless our Nation,
Here every creed and race finds an equal place,
And may God bless our Nation.
Patrick S. Castagne composed the words and music of the National Anthem in 1962.
I've never been all that fond of the 'Star Spangled Banner.' It's difficult to sing, showcases one battle in one war, and focuses on one limited aspect of American culture and values. It's not a lack of patriotism on my part. I just think other songs would be more reflective of us as a united people. That being said, let me share my thoughts on why the national anthem of Trinidad and Tobago is such a good one.
For starters, the music itself carries the dignity befitting a national anthem and it sounds good played by either a traditional orchestra or a steel pan orchestra. It is in a range an average human voice can carry too!
'Forged from the love of liberty, in the fires of hope and prayer...' Trinidad and Tobago was alternately controlled by Spain, France, and Britain. It is one of the few Caribbean islands that still has a small enclave of indigenous people. It is very small, and there are none with 100% Carib or Arawak blood, but a group still exists and there is deep pride in what culture remains. The bulk of the population, roughly 80-85%, is descended from African slaves and the East Indian indentured servants that were brought to replace the slave labor lost upon emancipation. Entire villages from southern India were transplanted to Trinidad with promises of freedom once the cost of passage was worked off. These are a people with a collective history of oppression yet who maintained an indomitable spirit. Independence was gained on August 31, 1962. It is really quite a thing to sit and listen to the stories from 1962 when they are told by someone who was there for such a moment in history. It was a bloodless handover of power unlike our own revolution but the excitement over the right to determine the path of one's own nation still carries such impact.
'With boundless faith...side by side we stand.' While Trinis may be quick to criticise government (remember the roots of calypso?) and perhaps lack faith in their leaders every bit as much as we do, they still know that without unity they are doomed. When times get bad they pull together, neighbor stands with neighbor. A sense of community exists that is a great strength in the culture. We were the recipients of such warmth and generosity on many occassions. We lived at the very end of the water pipelines and at the end of dry season our water tanks were empty (water does not flow into houses round the clock so tanks are the norm for storing water to use throughout the day. As soon as neighbors realized our predicament we had every hose in the neighborhood running from 3 different neighbor's houses to fill our tank. We didn't ask for it. They asked us, 'do you have water yet?' When we said 'no' they flew into immediate action. People look out for each other and lend practical assitance not just words of encouragement.
'Here every creed and race finds an equal place.' In addition to the Africans and East Indians there are significant Chinese, Portuguese, and Syrian minorities as well as the odd Brit, American, or immigrant from other Caribbean nations. Religiously, you'll find large populations of Catholics, Anglicans, Hindus, Muslims, and the syncretic Spiritual Baptists who blend a little bit of everything. One set of neighbors was representative of most of this. The father was a practicing Muslim, the mother an observant Hindu, the childen were sent to Catholic school. Religion is not a forbidden topic of conversation, neither is it generally a thing that causes heated debate when discussed. True to Trini love of liming, more religions and cultures means more opportunites for a day of work to party (remember Divali?). Whether it is true or not, I don't know, but Trinis like to boast that they have more public holidays than any other nation on earth because each culture and religion is represented in at least one official holiday. Racial terms are bandied about very casually, but again, not in a derogatory manner. Because of the intermingling of races there is a descriptive term for just about every mixture. People refer to each other as 'dougla boy,' 'red woman,' 'whitey,' etc in a relaxed way. When you meet someone new an early question is going to be 'What's your mix?' I have to admit, I used to get a kick out of being dark enough to confound them....Hhhmm, American accent, black hair, good tan......'Giiiirl, what yuh mix is? I cannuh figure yuh!' Is there occasional conflict based on religion or race? Yes, of course. But overall, there seems to be a really refreshing acceptance of differences.
All rise please, and sing with me.......and may God bless this nation.
Monday, November 14, 2005
For Gypsy
Dirge Without Music
I am not resigned to the shutting away of loving hearts in the hard ground.
So it is, and so it will be, for so it has been, time out of mind:
Into the darkness they go, the wise and the lovely. Crowned
With lilies and with laurel they go; but I am not resigned.
Lovers and thinkers, into the earth with you.
Be one with the dull, the indiscriminate dust.
A fragment of what you felt, of what you knew,
A formula, a phrase remains,—but the best is lost.
The answers quick and keen, the honest look, the laughter, the
love,—
They are gone. They are gone to feed the roses. Elegant and curled
Is the blossom. Fragrant is the blossom. I know. But I do not
approve.
More precious was the light in your eyes than all the roses in the
world.
Down, down, down into the darkness of the grave
Gently they go, the beautiful, the tender, the kind;
Quietly they go, the intelligent, the witty, the brave.
I know. But I do not approve. And I am not resigned.
-Edna St. Vincent Millay
Mother's Lament
I saw your first breath,
kissed away your first tears,
and cradled your head
against my breast
that you could draw my first milk.
Should I now
weep over your final gasps,
and flood your bed
with my tears
as I cradle your weakened frame
against my breast
dried and unable to sustain you.
-MKRB
Butterfly Soul
Clouds obscure the sun
as I sit alone.
A flicker of orange
dances before me
and rests on my hand.
The tickle of your footsteps
brings a dawning smile.
I marvel over your grace,
your beauty,
your joy.
I reach to caress your paper wing.
You rise to the sun.
I watch the rays receive you,
feel their warmth
on my face.
-MKRB
Today would have been my friend's 44th birthday but he was taken by cancer in February. He was a loving, nurturing father. He was an artist and musician disguised as a telecom worker. He had a fabulous sense of humor which he never lost. He was a loyal, selfless friend who could be counted on in times of trouble. He endured too much pain and yet left happiness in his wake. Please take a moment and give thanks for a Gypsy who passed this way with all his colors and music and made the world a brighter place while he was here.
Thanks,
Michelle
I am not resigned to the shutting away of loving hearts in the hard ground.
So it is, and so it will be, for so it has been, time out of mind:
Into the darkness they go, the wise and the lovely. Crowned
With lilies and with laurel they go; but I am not resigned.
Lovers and thinkers, into the earth with you.
Be one with the dull, the indiscriminate dust.
A fragment of what you felt, of what you knew,
A formula, a phrase remains,—but the best is lost.
The answers quick and keen, the honest look, the laughter, the
love,—
They are gone. They are gone to feed the roses. Elegant and curled
Is the blossom. Fragrant is the blossom. I know. But I do not
approve.
More precious was the light in your eyes than all the roses in the
world.
Down, down, down into the darkness of the grave
Gently they go, the beautiful, the tender, the kind;
Quietly they go, the intelligent, the witty, the brave.
I know. But I do not approve. And I am not resigned.
-Edna St. Vincent Millay
Mother's Lament
I saw your first breath,
kissed away your first tears,
and cradled your head
against my breast
that you could draw my first milk.
Should I now
weep over your final gasps,
and flood your bed
with my tears
as I cradle your weakened frame
against my breast
dried and unable to sustain you.
-MKRB
Butterfly Soul
Clouds obscure the sun
as I sit alone.
A flicker of orange
dances before me
and rests on my hand.
The tickle of your footsteps
brings a dawning smile.
I marvel over your grace,
your beauty,
your joy.
I reach to caress your paper wing.
You rise to the sun.
I watch the rays receive you,
feel their warmth
on my face.
-MKRB
Today would have been my friend's 44th birthday but he was taken by cancer in February. He was a loving, nurturing father. He was an artist and musician disguised as a telecom worker. He had a fabulous sense of humor which he never lost. He was a loyal, selfless friend who could be counted on in times of trouble. He endured too much pain and yet left happiness in his wake. Please take a moment and give thanks for a Gypsy who passed this way with all his colors and music and made the world a brighter place while he was here.
Thanks,
Michelle
Saturday, November 12, 2005
A Dog Tag
Ariella tagged me so here goes.
"Tatting"
The woman sat tatting in her chair. The tiny shuttle flew between her fingers as the threads formed innumerable knots that grew into a delicate lace. As a child, she had learned the craft from her favorite aunt. Many a happy hour had been spent in the refuge of her aunt's sewing room. Auntie would sew clothes or quilt tops allowing the girl to help or passing on the scraps for the girl to make her own projects. Mastering each skill gave the girl a sense of pride and accomplishment. Only one remained unlearned. "Auntie, will you teach me to tat?" It was no easy skill for young fingers to master. Many tangled messes later and with much patience on the part of her loving aunt, the girl proudly displayed her first masterpiece. Through the years she'd make many more, always smiling as she remembered her aunt. A little hand broke into the woman's thoughts as it touched her arm, "Grammy, will you teach me to tat?"
Instructions
1. flip open a dictionary and point to a word
2. type the word into google images.
3. pick an image that strikes you.
4. write a 10 line riff off the image.
5. use the word or the meaning of the word at least once within the first 5 lines of your riff.
6. tag 3 other bloggers on your list.
Brought to you courtesy of Lecram
Not sure who is left to tag. How about Susie, Goody and BS who maybe can use it as the start of his next story. Of course if you want to pass on the tag that's ok too. Not here to add stress to anyone's life.
Hhmm....in the publishing window this was exactly 10 lines. Sorry it comes out a bit longer when published. oh well.......you'll have to live with it.
"Tatting"The woman sat tatting in her chair. The tiny shuttle flew between her fingers as the threads formed innumerable knots that grew into a delicate lace. As a child, she had learned the craft from her favorite aunt. Many a happy hour had been spent in the refuge of her aunt's sewing room. Auntie would sew clothes or quilt tops allowing the girl to help or passing on the scraps for the girl to make her own projects. Mastering each skill gave the girl a sense of pride and accomplishment. Only one remained unlearned. "Auntie, will you teach me to tat?" It was no easy skill for young fingers to master. Many tangled messes later and with much patience on the part of her loving aunt, the girl proudly displayed her first masterpiece. Through the years she'd make many more, always smiling as she remembered her aunt. A little hand broke into the woman's thoughts as it touched her arm, "Grammy, will you teach me to tat?"
Instructions
1. flip open a dictionary and point to a word
2. type the word into google images.
3. pick an image that strikes you.
4. write a 10 line riff off the image.
5. use the word or the meaning of the word at least once within the first 5 lines of your riff.
6. tag 3 other bloggers on your list.
Brought to you courtesy of Lecram
Not sure who is left to tag. How about Susie, Goody and BS who maybe can use it as the start of his next story. Of course if you want to pass on the tag that's ok too. Not here to add stress to anyone's life.
Hhmm....in the publishing window this was exactly 10 lines. Sorry it comes out a bit longer when published. oh well.......you'll have to live with it.
Friday, November 11, 2005
Goody's Reward
Goody, you chose door #2! Let's see what he won!
In the quiet hours after midnight the rustle of leathery wings stirred me in my sleep.
I shifted under the sheets and felt a pinch which unconciously led to surreal dreams.
I awoke with a strange, unquenchable thirst.........
I had a ball doing this. Now a question......Is there interest in periodic quizzes to win the right to help structure a post here? Say monthly or so? Yay? Nay?
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Weird News Wednesday-Prehistoric Porn
LUCKNOW, India - This was no one-night stand. Scientists in India say they have discovered two fossils fused together in sexual union for 65 million years. The findings were published in the October edition of the Indian journal "Current Science," which said it was the first time that sexual copulation had been discovered in a fossil state, according to the Press Trust of India news agency. But voyeurs will need a microscope to view the eternal lovers.
(Did they put black tape across the eyes of the fossils?)
The fossils are tiny swarm cells, a stage in the development of the fungus myxomycetes, also known as slime molds.
(Gees, this reminds me of a few dates I've had.)
The cells reproduce by "fusing," Ranjeet Kar of the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany in Lucknow reportedly told PTI. Once the cells fuse, long, threadlike appendages known as flagella, are lost, he said. Finding the fossils in a fused position and with their flagella shed, is evidence that the two cells were having sex, Kar said.
(The smiles on their faces and the tiny cigarettes provided further confirmation.)
"The sexual organs being delicate and the time of conjugation short lived, it is indeed rare to get this stage in the fossil state," the study said.
(Sounds like another guy I dated.)
What's next? A book of pick-up lines for single-cells and slime molds?
Roy, would ya look at the flagella on THAT one? Hot stuff!
Yeah, Barry, I'd like to see that one wrap her cilia around my psuedopoda!
Is that a mitochondria yer packin' or are ya just happy to see me?
If I said you had a beautiful volvox would you hold it against me?
Why don't you come up and slime me sometime?
What's a protozoan like you doing in a primordial soup like this?
Update: Goody's reward will be posted Friday!
(Did they put black tape across the eyes of the fossils?)
The fossils are tiny swarm cells, a stage in the development of the fungus myxomycetes, also known as slime molds.
(Gees, this reminds me of a few dates I've had.)
The cells reproduce by "fusing," Ranjeet Kar of the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany in Lucknow reportedly told PTI. Once the cells fuse, long, threadlike appendages known as flagella, are lost, he said. Finding the fossils in a fused position and with their flagella shed, is evidence that the two cells were having sex, Kar said.
(The smiles on their faces and the tiny cigarettes provided further confirmation.)
"The sexual organs being delicate and the time of conjugation short lived, it is indeed rare to get this stage in the fossil state," the study said.
(Sounds like another guy I dated.)
What's next? A book of pick-up lines for single-cells and slime molds?
Roy, would ya look at the flagella on THAT one? Hot stuff!
Yeah, Barry, I'd like to see that one wrap her cilia around my psuedopoda!
Is that a mitochondria yer packin' or are ya just happy to see me?
If I said you had a beautiful volvox would you hold it against me?
Why don't you come up and slime me sometime?
What's a protozoan like you doing in a primordial soup like this?
Update: Goody's reward will be posted Friday!
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Trini Tuesday- Happy Divali!
Trinidad is culturally unusual among Caribbean islands in that it has a very large East Indian population. In May 1845 the first ship carrying indentured servants from India arrived. The wave of laborers continued until 1917 and ultimately over 140,000 Indians were brought to Trinidad. Today the population of Trinidad is just over 1 million, 40% of whom are Indian. Their presence has had considerable influence on the culture of the island. No matter the ethnic background, every Trini enjoys curry and roti (Indian flat bread used as a utensil). The intense spiciness of many Trini creole dishes is the direct influence of Indian cuisine. Musical, artistic and fashion forms have also been shaped by Indo-trinidadians.
The Trini love of liming extends to holidays. Any holiday is a reason for a 'fete' or party. Any fete is opportunity to lime. With the Indian arrival came a whole new set of holdiays, both Hindu and Muslim, to add to the good times in Trinidad. It doesn't matter what religion anyone adheres to, a holiday is a holiday, and everyone celebrates to some extent even if they do not partake in the religious aspect.
During the end of October or beginning of November is the Hindu Festival of Lights, Divali, honoring the goddess Lakshmi. It celebrates the triumph of good over evil, light over darkenss, love over hatred, truth over untruth.
Observant Hindus make offerings of food, flowers and money to the goddess by leaving them in sacred trees, before images of the goddess or by burning them in fire during special pujas (prayer services). Small, flat clay pots called deyas are filled with ghee (clarified butter) into which a wick is placed and lit.
The deyas may be arranged on special 'trees' or in special designs on the ground. Another way of displaying the deyas is to split a trunk of bamboo, bend it into an arc and set a deya on each of the sections within the bamboo. Hindu or not, Trinis enjoy walking around the neighborhood or driving through to see the light displays, much the way we enjoy seeing displays of Christmas lights. It's always fun to see where the most elaborate displays can be found.
Often a neighborhood will host a local Divali fete in order to enjoy the lights, music, and seasonal foods that are such a treat. Observant Muslims or Christians may not be able to eat foods prepared for a puja because of the sacrifice being made to the Hindu goddess, but the neighborhood parties allow everyone to partake in the same tasty treats and enables neighbors of different faiths to share goodwill. There is a sense of respect and accomodation for differences that allows the celebrations to brighten spirits as the deyas brighten the night.
Happy Divali!
As an aside, Goody and I have worked out his prize. I hope to have it posted by the end of the week. Ariella, yes, a fine performance. I am considering a bone for you.
The Trini love of liming extends to holidays. Any holiday is a reason for a 'fete' or party. Any fete is opportunity to lime. With the Indian arrival came a whole new set of holdiays, both Hindu and Muslim, to add to the good times in Trinidad. It doesn't matter what religion anyone adheres to, a holiday is a holiday, and everyone celebrates to some extent even if they do not partake in the religious aspect.
During the end of October or beginning of November is the Hindu Festival of Lights, Divali, honoring the goddess Lakshmi. It celebrates the triumph of good over evil, light over darkenss, love over hatred, truth over untruth.
Observant Hindus make offerings of food, flowers and money to the goddess by leaving them in sacred trees, before images of the goddess or by burning them in fire during special pujas (prayer services). Small, flat clay pots called deyas are filled with ghee (clarified butter) into which a wick is placed and lit.
The deyas may be arranged on special 'trees' or in special designs on the ground. Another way of displaying the deyas is to split a trunk of bamboo, bend it into an arc and set a deya on each of the sections within the bamboo. Hindu or not, Trinis enjoy walking around the neighborhood or driving through to see the light displays, much the way we enjoy seeing displays of Christmas lights. It's always fun to see where the most elaborate displays can be found.Often a neighborhood will host a local Divali fete in order to enjoy the lights, music, and seasonal foods that are such a treat. Observant Muslims or Christians may not be able to eat foods prepared for a puja because of the sacrifice being made to the Hindu goddess, but the neighborhood parties allow everyone to partake in the same tasty treats and enables neighbors of different faiths to share goodwill. There is a sense of respect and accomodation for differences that allows the celebrations to brighten spirits as the deyas brighten the night.
Happy Divali!
As an aside, Goody and I have worked out his prize. I hope to have it posted by the end of the week. Ariella, yes, a fine performance. I am considering a bone for you.
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Congratulations, Goody!
And now, for his stellar performance on 'Are You a Limer or do You Need Lime-ade?' let's see what Goody has won!
A year's supply of Turtle Wax! Make your car shine like the host's cheesy grin!
A case of Rice-a-roni! It's the San Francisco treat!
This beautiful porcelain Dalmation! Crafted by Italian artisans!
A cubic zirconium encrusted bumblebee brooch! A lovely accessory for the discriminating and stylish woman in your life!
Ok, ok, I can't really deliver those prizes and I don't really think you'd want them anyway. So instead, I offer you this:
Behind Door #1 is the opportunity to craft a list of questions for me to answer in my blog, list to be agreed upon by you and me.
Behind Door #2 is the opportunity to have me post pictures of me doing some PG or G rated activity, to be agreed upon by you and me.
Behind Door #3 is the opportunity for you to give me some other mutually agreed upon suggestion of what you'd like to see me do here to reward your keen powers of observation and recall.
Let me know which door you want, Goody and we will work out the details after. Congratulations!
Friday, November 04, 2005
Quiz time!
Alright class, take out your pencils and number your paper 1-10. Time for a pop quiz!
Take my Quiz on QuizYourFriends.com!
Good luck!
Take my Quiz on QuizYourFriends.com!
Good luck!
Regrets....I've Had a Few
Ok, Snavy tagged me so here goes....
1. I regret the haircut I let my mom talk me into in 6th grade.
2. I regret not refilling my migraine prescription when I knew I was down to my last capsule.
3. I regret the gigantic puffy sleeves on my wedding gown.
4. I regret tasting tamarind balls.
5. I regret the linoleum I chose that requires hands and knees scrubbing rather than a nice efficient mop.
Instructions:
1) Call the meme "Regrets - I've Had A Few";
2) Always refer (and link back) to the blogger who tagged you;
3) Always tag (and link to) at least two new bloggers;
4) List as many regrets as you like, but list a minimum of one (even if you have to re-interpret the term 'regret' because you feel strongly that you don't have any).
5) Include these five rules in each post as the meme instructions.
If Susie and Bantu would like play that would be great. If not, fine by me. I don't want to add to anyone's regrets.
1. I regret the haircut I let my mom talk me into in 6th grade.
2. I regret not refilling my migraine prescription when I knew I was down to my last capsule.
3. I regret the gigantic puffy sleeves on my wedding gown.
4. I regret tasting tamarind balls.
5. I regret the linoleum I chose that requires hands and knees scrubbing rather than a nice efficient mop.
Instructions:
1) Call the meme "Regrets - I've Had A Few";
2) Always refer (and link back) to the blogger who tagged you;
3) Always tag (and link to) at least two new bloggers;
4) List as many regrets as you like, but list a minimum of one (even if you have to re-interpret the term 'regret' because you feel strongly that you don't have any).
5) Include these five rules in each post as the meme instructions.
If Susie and Bantu would like play that would be great. If not, fine by me. I don't want to add to anyone's regrets.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Happy HNT!
In my list of 101 things about me I said my hair was rapidly greying and I have no intention of ever dying it. Here's a shot of the wild mane that is going salt and pepper, lighting is a bit odd but I think you can see it.
Happy HNT!
Happy HNT!
Weird News Wednesday
I love to surf the strange news. I never cease to be amazed by the crazy things people do and what is deemed newsworthy. I also get a big kick out of NPR's news quiz 'Wait, Wait! Don't tell me!' Here's a little tidbit I found this week. It was a toss up between this article, one where Laura Bush makes the profound statement that gang-tattoos hamper employability (ya think??), and one where Newark, NJ is paying a newspaper to print only positive news about the 'Armpit of the East' (SO much fodder there, but I am abstaining in case anyone has friends or family there or perhaps it is too local to be amusing to west coast people)
LONDON (Reuters) - Chimpanzees share many traits with humans but altruism, it seems, is not one of them, scientists said on Wednesday (oct. 26). (I wonder if they have a penchant for inane studies the way scientists do? )
Although chimps live in social groups and co-operate and hunt together, when it comes to helping non-related group members, they don't put up with any monkey business.When given the opportunity to help themselves and other chimps they often choose the selfish option. (This differs from many human beings in WHAT way?)
"This is the first experiment to show that chimps don't share the same concern for the welfare of others as do humans, who routinely donate blood ... volunteer for military duty and perform other acts that benefit perfect strangers," said Joan Silk, an anthropologist at UCLA in the United States. (Do I really want a chimp donating his blood to me? Or volunteering for military duty? Oh wait, the commander-in-chief is kinda chimplike....damn if THAT doesn't explain a lot!)
To test how altruistic chimps are, Silk and researchers from Emory University, the University of Texas and the University of Louisiana studied the behaviour of two separate groups of chimps in captivity. (Researchers from THREE universities designed this and found grant money for it? I am wondering if I will have to go turn tricks at the truck stop to pay for grad school and someone is handing out money to test if chimps will share???)
They devised an experiment in which chimps on one side of a window could pull a handle to provide a tray of food for themselves or to also give the same reward to a monkey in another room on the opposite side of the window.Both groups of unrelated chimpanzees behaved in a similar way. They decided to reward themselves but not others, according to the research reported in the science journal Nature.The scientists said it is possible that the chimps did not understand they could deliver food to the other room. (Well, tell me what the food was that they could share? If it were Brussels Sprouts I'd have been quite altruistic. If it were chocolate then I say, "Mine! Mine! It's ALL mine!")
Academia, dotcha just love it?
LONDON (Reuters) - Chimpanzees share many traits with humans but altruism, it seems, is not one of them, scientists said on Wednesday (oct. 26). (I wonder if they have a penchant for inane studies the way scientists do? )
Although chimps live in social groups and co-operate and hunt together, when it comes to helping non-related group members, they don't put up with any monkey business.When given the opportunity to help themselves and other chimps they often choose the selfish option. (This differs from many human beings in WHAT way?)
"This is the first experiment to show that chimps don't share the same concern for the welfare of others as do humans, who routinely donate blood ... volunteer for military duty and perform other acts that benefit perfect strangers," said Joan Silk, an anthropologist at UCLA in the United States. (Do I really want a chimp donating his blood to me? Or volunteering for military duty? Oh wait, the commander-in-chief is kinda chimplike....damn if THAT doesn't explain a lot!)
To test how altruistic chimps are, Silk and researchers from Emory University, the University of Texas and the University of Louisiana studied the behaviour of two separate groups of chimps in captivity. (Researchers from THREE universities designed this and found grant money for it? I am wondering if I will have to go turn tricks at the truck stop to pay for grad school and someone is handing out money to test if chimps will share???)
They devised an experiment in which chimps on one side of a window could pull a handle to provide a tray of food for themselves or to also give the same reward to a monkey in another room on the opposite side of the window.Both groups of unrelated chimpanzees behaved in a similar way. They decided to reward themselves but not others, according to the research reported in the science journal Nature.The scientists said it is possible that the chimps did not understand they could deliver food to the other room. (Well, tell me what the food was that they could share? If it were Brussels Sprouts I'd have been quite altruistic. If it were chocolate then I say, "Mine! Mine! It's ALL mine!")
Academia, dotcha just love it?
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Trini Tuesday-Calypso
When I started this blog I gave you a taste of Trinidad, defined 'liming' shared a lime with you and gave you a bit of history on steel pans. The steel pan is the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago. The musical style that was born in Trinidad is calypso. You'll find calypso and related musical forms across the Caribbean but Trinidad was the womb and is the home of the most noted calypsonians.
Now before you start humming 'Jamaica Farewell' or the 'Banana Boat Song' let's get one thing straight. Dat ain't calypso, boy! It has a calypso beat, but beat alone does not a true calypso make. No disrespect to Harry Belafonte, but it his stuff too polished, too tame, too benign, too bland to be the real article. It is a watered down version of what began as a way for slaves to communicate when it was forbidden for them to speak.
Like so many Caribbean islands, Trinidad was populated by slaves to work the sugar plantations. Most of the slaves came from West Africa where a musical form called Kaiso was commonly used by griots, or story tellers, to pass news, history, and folklore. Slave masters prohibitted talking in the fields not realizing the songs they permitted were not mere amusement, but part of the elaborate grapevine passing news and sharing both scathing and humorous observations on the masters and ruling classes. Calypso is still sometimes referred to as Kaiso.
The French had introduced 'Carnival' to Spanish Trinidad. The staid Brits disapproved of such bachanalia when they gained control of the island. Just like the couldn't keep the rhythm from going on when they banned bamboo bands and drums, they couldn't keep a good song and party down. When sugar cane is harvested the fields are first set afire in what the French called 'cannes brulees' and what the local patois morphed into 'canboulay.' Carnival may have been banned but while the fields were burning the slaves celebrated canboulay with dancing and song. They were afforded a bit of freedom since few slave masters cared to be among the burning fields. Under lax supervision, the slaves sang the rowdiest songs with the most cutting assessments of the local masters, colonizers and social conditions. In addition to commentary, songs with more than slightly risque lyrics became popular as well. Grinding hip motions and shocking topics predated Elvis considerably. The musical tradition expanded and became further entrenched.
At the beginning of the 20th century, among semi-literate peoples, calyspo was still one of the most common ways to spread news of current events. It was considered reliable and it pushed the limits of free speech with its denunciation of local and British politicians. In the 1940's Aldwyn Roberts AKA Lord Kitchener came to the forefront of Calypso. Considered by many to be the greatest calypsonian for his longevity, artistry, and commentary, he continued to compose and perform enthusiastically until his death in 2001. He encouraged the development of younger musicians and carried calypso across the Caribbean, to the USA, the UK, and West Africa gaining a fan base across the world.
Today, calypso continues to offer humorous, often highly critical views of current events, but with a broader scope that reflects the more widespread popularity of the genre and the migration of Caribbean people. New forms such as the less socially aware but somewhat more danceable 'soca', and the 'rapso' style which blends hip-hop with calypso have become popular. Calypso in Trinidad has a strong association with pro-African sentiment which at times has left the large Indo-Trini population feeling left out. The response has been the development of the 'chutney' style of calypso which mimics the musical patterns of calypso but allows for greater expression of the Indo-Trinidadian viewpoint.
Now all yuh get on bad an' lemme see yuh wine dem hips to some true calypso!
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