docoflove1974

ROFL Jezzeh only showed you part of the story. Those lot are down there, and up here in NorCal...and not all coming from the same places. No, they aren't the Visitors, it's the movie start and wannabe star crowd. Seriously, look at how tight the skin is on the inhabitants down there! They're alien! It explains so much, I tell you!

Well, now, foxes do exist where I live, but I rarely hear them. Semi-feral cats and bobcats...that's an entirely different matter. Last night at 1:30 or so there was a terrible guttural scream--by two such felines--right outside my bedroom window. I looked, and saw a bobcat (I think...the moon wasn't so bright) and the semi-feral white and grey friend having it off. Perhaps they were fighting over rights to the catnip on my patio...who knows. They ran off...don't know who won that round. (And, yes, where I live there are numerous other creatures of nature that are much larger...but they rarely make noise at night. It tends to get in the way of the hunting.)

GoC, I do understand the adventurous spirit and zeal of exploring the unknown. But maybe it's part of my generation (of Americans, at least), and it seems that many of us are interested, but know that there are so many problems down here that need our attention. And, hey, the tortoise made out pretty well, right? Kosmo, a question for you: I know that since Romania was part of the Soviet bloc, you probably got more of that version of the story growing up. But what is the attitude of Romanians about space exploration? Has it changed over the years? I'd be curious to compare it to the Western Europe/American attitudes.

So, NASA is ending an era with the last space shuttle launch. The 'nauts linked up with the International Space Station, there was good cheer to be had by all, and down here we're supposed to lament and cherish this last bit of space exploration by us 'Mericans for a bit. Hmmmm. Let's face it, I grew up at the very end of the Cold War, so this 'Space Race' stuff is beyond me a bit. Oh, sure, I love sci-fi movies and stuff, and would love to get a chance to see the earth and everything else from space. Mine is the generation that grew up with "Star Wars" over "Star Trek," but we all knew that space was cool because NASA told us so. Like Captain Kirk told us (actually, told our parents initially...we just got it in re-runs), space is the final frontier. But at the same time, I never understood the big hubbabaloo. I mean, so the government doesn't fund space exploration...so what? Now that I'm an adult, I'm glad that Sir Dickie Branson and other rich folk are taking up the slack. Isn't that the next step to what we saw in "Total Recall?" Now, on a different note...with the fog and the few high clouds on this beautiful summer day, we're set up to have a gorgeous sunset. I've got a half(ish) moon to gaze at, and perhaps some constellations. Wonder if the Vulcans are watching us?

Look, I'm all for the aliens attacking LA. Let's face it...I think they run SoCal anyway. I mean, have you seen some of the faces and plastic parts on some of those people there???

That lecture reminds me of a time in grad school when an acquaintance wanted to have a 'deep discussion' on the topic of the Meaning of Life, and all that. All I could do was start humming an influential song, perhaps you have heard of it? (And the more I think about it, I almost believe that there's bugger all down here on earth. Well, with certain exceptions, present company included.)

Oh, please, feel free to let the silliness fly. I'm beginning to think that American politics, at least, has gone into that realm completely. I don't think we're on Italy's level, but we're getting there

I'm really proud of you, Vigs...it's a long road. Myself, it took me over 2 years to lose 65 lbs...and, yes, I did put some of that back on, but only about half of it, and now I'm taking it off again. A couple of notes...I never did like the 'daily weigh-ins', as it didn't show me enough results. I used to weigh in once a week, and took monthly measurements. (Now, I don't weigh myself often, but do take measurements, as my actual weight isn't as important to me as feeling good and losing one more dress size.) Also, fasting can work for some, but not for others, and not all the time. I know for me, it never worked; I'll make up for it later, and not always in a good way. At least it's dinner you skipped...not nearly as important in the grand scheme of things. I'll often have a salad for dinner with some beans (esp. cannellini or ceci) and/or canned tuna/fresh fish on top, especially now that we're in summer. Regardless, keep this up! One of the hardest things to do is to maintain focus and motivation...don't beat yourself up for any cravings, and it sounds like you don't give into them on a huge basis. It's just a part of life...besides, chocolate is necessary! (Ok, it is for us women...)

Hmmmm...I think I'm ok enough to blog for a bit. Hopefully the doctor doesn't balk...eh, hell with it if he does. It's been too long. June has been an iffy month, oddly enough. Usually there's some major unwind time the first week, followed by a mad dash for cash--be it unemployment insurance (insurance for what? I never did get the name) or a summer job or a series of contracts for various work. And because of the mad flurry of activity at the end of the academic year, that week off usually has me feeling the blahs--not psychologically, but physically. Low energy, perhaps even a cold, and the weather in that early part of June here in NorCal is usually cold-inducing. But life usually rebounds by mid-June, including the weather, and I'm right as rain for a very long time. Hmmmm...I knew that I had changes in store for me...I just didn't quite expect this. First week of June...true to form, although the rain wasn't. I mean buckets of the stuff, after a winter and spring that were positively soaked. Odd, but considering I didn't have much energy for anything, and not a lot to do, I could take my time. Oh, wait...Mom is spending the night so that she can go to a funeral? And then Dad's coming in for a few days to visit and to 'run away from the ranch'? And meetings with colleagues, both old and new, to start various projects? New clients for various enterprises? Meet up with friends? All before I leave on the 11th (rather, the 10th late at night) for a 10-day grading session? Hmmmmm...doesn't leave much time for sleeping, relaxing, and rejuvinating myself. Eh doesn't matter. I can sleep during my downtime. I mean, 10 days of work, accompanied with 10 evenings of relaxing, in Cincinnati? Yeah, I can do that. Well, sure, I had a wonderful and positive experience in Cincinnati; I graded Advanced Placement exams for Spanish Language, learned a ton about standardized tests (and why I will continue to suck at them), the AP process, and how high school teachers and college professors differ. Met up with friends that I hadn't seen in years, met new ones...I loved it. But 8 hours of sitting and listening to students talk to Juana about calculators, Julio and parties, and then for 2 minutes a piece about how a good breakfast and only 30 minutes of exercise a day can drastically improve their lives...wow, I didn't think it'd be that draining! When we ended at 5 in the evening, I would often eat a small meal, and then chill out in Fountain Square (the central plaza for Cincinnati) or what have you...nothing that required exerting energy. Or, often, go back to the hotel and rest...me waking up at 6:15 every morning killed my energy at the end of the day. But, as the time there went on, I got better at managing everything, and should I be asked back again next year (which I do hope for), I know what to do differently. So...get back on Father's Day late (and I did call Dad from the airport...which is all he ever really wants on this Hallmark day)...followed by a week of running around regarding new projects, new clients, etc...come Thursday evening, I was completely drained. What is going on? This isn't normal....hmmm....maybe a good workout Friday morning will make things better. Or make things worse? I don't know...developed a very sore throat on Saturday, which worsened and had not progressed by Tuesday morning. Not to mention there are certain other pains that I hadn't ever encountered before...below the belt...no more detail is necessary, and suffice it to say that there is not a comfortable position to sit/stand/whatever. Doctor chimes in...strep throat and groin issues...ugh, really? I'm seriously feeling HELLA old...like ancient and falling apart. I've never had strep last longer than 36 hours...and this time I couldn't budge it without help from Mr. Amoxicillin. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr I **hate** taking medicine and pills...I am built for moving at a constant rate of speed, with a personality for enjoying life. I ain't exactly enjoying life right now, dammit And here I am...on my couch (for now), healing. My cat has been my companion...at first she thought I was just sitting a lot because of her, but now after a few days she's gotten the hint that I'm not at my best, so she keeps checking in on me, licks my forehead or my hand (whichever is closer), and frequently brings me a ball or a toy to play with. Ooh, wait, she wants me to play with her....eh, nevermind...I thought for a second I had an enlightened cat. (And, yes, clearly I'm feeling better, as I can even joke about this. I'm incredibly blessed that I am a healthy person, who has never been 'out of commission' for more than a day. Forgive the whining, the crabbiness, and the lack of sunshine. Then again, it poured buckets again yesterday here, and today the clouds still linger. Maybe I moved to Seattle and didn't realize it?) Meh, can't end negatively...positive always works best. Ok...Giants are winning despite injuries...my plants are pretty...my cat is purring while sleeping next to me...yeah, that'll work. Enjoy the rest of the day, everybody!

I, too, am very happy for Dr. H

There are a couple of problems here, as I see it. As Sonic and Melvadius have brought up, DNA can go so far. I don't know how 'rare' this Frisian chromosome type is; it's not quite like Basque DNA, as the Basques have been relatively isolated as a genetic group for so long. Also, I'd like to know how close it is to other Germanic (especially Nordic), as well as Celtic, DNA...if that can be done. I think that information would help to put this all into perspective. As I recall, linguistically Old Celtic and Italic are more contemporary, with Germanic having been established earlier. There are grammatical analyses that suggest (mostly Lehmann, I believe) that Germanic was a relatively early migration out of the PIE area, well after Anatolian but prior to Celtic, Italic, and (I believe) Balto-Slavic. This is based on the declension formations and verbal syntax patterns, that Germanic shows patterns in transition more than Celtic and the others. So, could there have been Germanic peoples in the British Isles beforehand, and perhaps it was the Celts who bullied them out first, only to be reconquered by the later Germanic tribes? Who knows... Certainly the isotope analysis would provide more valuable data, Melvadius.

I believe that there were chronicles of the travels up the California coast, either by De Anza or Father Junipero Serra. But I can't recall anything. The other area to think about is the Andean region. I believe the monks who went with the Pizzaro brothers tended to react negatively to the butchering of the various Incan and Ayumaran tribes.

I went through their catalog on YouTube...very nice work!

I love going to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains during late summer and fall to go berry picking and apple picking! And fresh apple cider...aw man! Hmmm...I wonder if you can do the same strawberry picking in Castroville (the strawberry hub around here)...ooooooh.... (By the way...congrats!)

M'Lord, I do understand. Being the Queen of the Klutzes, playing sports has not been something that has been my fort

Fellow sports fans, have you ever noticed how a radio or television broadcast of a sporting event can be made or broken solely on the skills and prowess of those calling the game? There's no question that I learned the game of baseball by listening to Giants' broadcasts on KNBR radio, whether I was at the game or at home. Later, yes, our television announcers fell into greatness, but growing up Hank Greenwald called play-by-play on the radio on our games, plus the national games were called on TV by Jack Buck or Vin Scully. These really were (or are, in the case of Vin, who is still calling Dodger games after 60 years with the team in that capacity) the cr

Lord Caldrail, as a job seeker who feels that the title that one has should dictate certain behaviors...what do you suggest if people consistently neglect or gloss over one's title? At some point grace runs out, doesn't it? Yours, The Poor Prof (Yes, the is part of my title...)

I knew you really were a plodder, so to speak...take one day at a time, poco a poco, and enjoy life as you have it. I guess yesterday I was in a foul mood, but by the evening I got reminded of what it could be. A former students dropped me an email, someone who I met early in my teaching career. This student was quite memorable, one of those rancher kids who goes off to the big city for college, and despite the effort she just didn't quite fit in. But a wonderful young lady, with a spirit that I truly admired...she wanted to stick it out, because her dream was to get a finance degree from the University of Texas. But she had to drop out of college, due to a series of illnesses to her parents and then to herself; the money dried up, so she dropped out to work on the family ranch. I knew some of the details that had happened in the interim, none of them great: her mother ended up passing away from her illnesses, her boyfriend went off to the military and gave his life in Iraq, and she was not in a happy place. The last I had heard from her was 2003. But there's a good ending, but it took a while. After a few years of barely breaking even, her father decided to take a gamble and renting a portion of the ranch...it turns out, it went to an organic farmer who specializes in farmers' market produce. It's become a strong business, but it took a few years of toil and labor. And as for the student, she went through some major emotional loop-de-loops, but met up with her high school sweetheart. They fell back in love, with the promise that they would get married after she finished her education. She just graduated from a local state university, and is getting married this weekend. So it's really true...with patience and grace, and faith if you wish, good things do eventually happen. I have my health, I have a roof over my head, I've already accomplished one major life goal, and I'm working on another. Sure, I only work part time, but it's something.

I went in for a routine exam today...compared to last November, I lost 15 pounds. What they don't know, though, is that 15 pounds came off in the last month. Eh, it's all good...what they don't know won't hurt 'em Keep it up, Viggen!!!

Good for you, Viggen! Keep it up...slow and steady really does work in the long run with weight loss. The other part is to not beat yourself up for straying off the plan. You can always make up for it in the gym the next day. I know what works for me is to play around with my workouts. I also work out in the mornings--around 9am--because I'm useless for much else at that time. I have a cardio/weights routine, a swim routine, and a 'whatever I want' routine (aka, I'm going outside and play), with the goal of 3-5 days of activity per week. I don't always make it--this semester, in particular, was bad because I had to switch to afternoon workouts--but keep on it as you can.

It's been a while, I know. I was doing well with the weekly blog, but then comes the end of the semester...and the end of year festivities. But, the exams have been corrected, the grades have been awarded (can you really award someone a failing grade?), and I'm in recovery. Oh, don't worry, this is normal. I usually am cranking and churning out work at such a high rate of speed during finals week, and it takes about a week of moving slowly to 'recuperate'. Nothing gets done quickly, except for the cleaning of the apartment on Monday because of a last minute visit and stay over by my mother. Thankfully Monday was planned on as a cleaning day, but more was done than I thought. But at least it passed muster! To be honest, I'm in a bit of a funk. Perhaps it is just recovery from the year, but I think there some other issue. You see, part of what has been keeping me away from this blog is the fact that I've been trying to find part-time employment for the summer and the rest of the year. I originally thought I had something at a bakery in North Beach (the Italian neighborhood of San Francisco), but I've realized that it's just not going to work out. Not only is the management a bit on the creative side (and not in the positive way), but parking is atrocious, and it's a hassle of a commute. So, that's gone. I've put in for various banking jobs, office jobs...come to think of it, I've put in for most any kind of job. I've had a few bites, but nothing else has really stuck. So, just a bit ago, I re-applied for unemployment...or 'unenjoyment', as my friend Hank calls it. Sure, it'll cover the basics, but still, I wish I didn't have to. Even though I know that I'll be back teaching in August, and I have a bunch of projects lined up for the summer, there's something soul-deflating about signing up for 'gubmint cheese.' And how people like my youngest brother, who's been unemployed for over a year, or our own Caldrail make it through, I don't know. I apologize now for offending people...whining isn't becoming of me, I know. I guess it's just the blahs, or something else. Hmmmm...what to call the blog entry today...something that reflects my mood? Meh...nah...need a pick-me-up. Ah, yes, The Clash. That'll pick me right up!

Happy birthday, GoC! Hope you have a most wonderful day!

Mothers' Day. This was supposed to be a glorious day. Even though the wind has been howling since last night, the predicted showers stayed away from the City By The Bay. On my way to the Giants' game, I met a gentleman at the train station...a new friend, for now, but who knows. He invited me to join him for breakfast with his friends before the game. After a spirited and gregarious meal with my new friends, I met up with my parents in our seats, and we watched the Giants' new (yet old) pitcher take a no-hitter into the 5th, and ultimately sweep the Rockies. Although I missed my new friend--he ended up taking the train that left right as I got at the station--I still felt ok. Earlier in the day I noted that a mutual friend was sending condolences to Julia, a former high school and college classmate...but it was so vague that I didn't know what had happened. So as my train was pulling from the station, I went onto Facebook...and noticed that Julia posted a news article about an event. On the surface, it is tragic...an 18-year old kid killed in a car accident. Seemingly, he slammed into a tree, probably at high speed, given the horrific nature of the evidence. Anyone would read that, note that the date is the Saturday of Mothers' Day weekend, and be struck by the irony, that the extinguishing of a life on this weekend is even more tragic. Mois

You bring up some very interesting points, Calders. 9/11 has been an enormous chip on the shoulders of those in Washington and New York, particularly the latter, and many New Yorkers wear that chip as a badge of courage. Certainly it's hard to begrudge them that...after all, it was their buildings that were destroyed, their symbols...and mostly their people who perished or who were casualties. So I understand those celebrations...it was a release of pressure, a cathartic celebration. Funnily enough, what many forget is that the 4 planes that were turned into missiles, they were headed to San Francisco and Los Angeles. We lost people...just as innocently. There were some people who celebrated here, but no where near the throngs that you saw on the news, which were at the White House and in a couple of spots in NYC. Here's another tidbit: Fremont is a suburb in the Bay Area, and is home to the largest Afghan population in the US, and one of the largest in the Western world. They celebrated there...but almost in a way that was more expected. There were genuine tears of freedom...many felt that the Taliban could easily come back as long as OBL was alive. So, with his death, sure, the Taliban could come back, but they won't have the symbol and supporter that they once did...they will be weaker. That was a celebration that I really wanted to see. As for the forces...oof...I think with any Public Enemy, if you got 'em in your sights, then take 'em out...it just happened to be the SEALS. No matter who it is, there is no question that there were multiple intelligences that were involved, and now it's being reported that Pakistan feels embarrassed for not knowing where OBL was. Call me skeptical, but I find that hard to swallow.

Happy birthday, Ursus! Hope you have an outstanding day!