Thursday, May 31, 2007

Rituals [Abstract]

I have little rituals for undertaking some common tasks — I guess we all do. They create feelings of safety and comfort because they have worked so reliably in the past. What got me thinking about this is paying bills. Most of mine are due at the beginning of the month, so I prepare on the last day of the prior month (today). I open the spreadsheet that serves as my checking account register. I copy the usual suspects from last month to the bottom and re-date them for the new month. . . .

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Beginnings [Abstract]

Now and then I think how much fun writing fiction might be. I probably don't have the aptitude for it, but I do have the imagination. It comes from taking situations in my life and projecting them into the future, or looking back on past events and imagining other ways they could have turned out. When I was twelve, collecting from customers was the worst aspect of having a paper route. I never knew who was going to answer the door, or what excuse I would hear for why they couldn't pay me that week. . . .

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Denial of Death [Abstract]

I have been feeling a little down ever since my foot injury. I think I know why. Once again I have come face to face with my own mortality. A chain of possible events might have followed the accident: infection, gangrene, amputation, and death. It is a blessing and a curse that nature has equipped us humans with foresight. The frontal lobe, where the awareness of future consequences occurs, is one of the most recent developments in our evolution. . . .

Monday, May 28, 2007

All That Jazz

Saturday night, NBC aired the movie Chicago. It's always been one of my favorite musicals, and I think Rob Marshall did a fantastic job adapting it to the screen. I played the role of Billy Flynn in a Winooski Community Theatre production in the late 80's. To help out with music rehearsals I transcribed a couple of songs to MIDI. Among these was "All That Jazz," the movie's finale. I dusted it off today and made some minor changes. It's a bare-bones arrangement, but here it is for you to enjoy on this holiday weekend.

Sunday, May 27, 2007

So Much Information, So Little Sense [Abstract]

On Thursday, preparing for my daily jaunt to the post office, I had trouble getting my shoes on. I thought it was simply because I had chosen some heavy-duty, winter socks to put on. So I just loosened my shoelaces and went on my way. The next day I thought that my feet looked puffy, the right one maybe a little more. I've been nursing that foot back to health — successfully, I believed — since my little bump in the road. I took out a tape measure, compared my two feet and was relieved to find that they were exactly the same size. . . .

Saturday, May 26, 2007

I Can Fly [Abstract]

Yes, I can fly. I've been doing it since I was a child. It's not easy; it requires mental effort. Usually I can only get a few feet high and move no faster than a slow walk. If I get distracted I could fall to the ground. Maybe it's just as well that I don't get very high. I can fly, but I'm not made of steel. I have two methods for flying. In one I fly just like Superman, parallel to the ground, arms outstretched, but lower and slower. . . .

Friday, May 25, 2007

RSS Feeds [Abstract]

Foreword: If you already receive RSS feeds, this is old news; go spend time with your loved ones. If you don't receive RSS feeds, I'm going to tell you why you might want to — then go spend time with your loved ones. In the past when I wanted to see fresh content on a website or blog, I would have to navigate there and search for it. If there was no new content, I wasted the trip and some time. That's sort of like traveling to your friends' homes to see if they have any mail they want you to have. . . .

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Windows Live Writer (Beta) Review [Abstract]

I am writing this post using Windows Live Writer (Beta). Until now I have been using a manual procedure to spell and grammar check my Blogger posts. After I write a post, I go into preview mode — for some reason I can't do this in edit mode — and copy and paste the text into Microsoft Word, which has a robust grammar and spelling checker. I then have two choices: I can make necessary edits in Word, then copy the entire corrected post back to Blogger's WYSIWYG editor. . . .

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Feel the Freedom [Abstract]

Click on the picture to view what I consider to be one of the finest TV commercials ever conceived. There are four reasons I think this. First, the scenes are incredible. They are all set outdoors, even the one that shows a city at night. They underscore the message of freedom, and hint of activities that are accessible and within your abilities. Second, the music is great. It sticks in your head, and in 30 seconds it manages to deliver two verses and a refrain. Third, the lyrics are powerful and nuanced. . . .

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

You Are a Miracle

The song "You Are a Miracle" celebrates the birth of my son Matthew and was a gift from a couple attending school with me . They were trained musicians and composed this original song. It included the lyrics below, plus the melody and chords in what is known as a lead sheet. I really liked it and soon added a guitar accompaniment. Click here to play it. Here are the complete lyrics:

Verse 1:

Tiny hands, tiny feet
Little nose and little ears.
Soft and pink, huggable,
To love and cherish through the years.

Chorus:

You are a miracle,
God’s loving design,
This little babe I hold,
I can’t believe you’re really mine.

Verse 2:

Watching you grow each day
In a world that you explore,
Reaching out to find yourself,
I will love you more and more.

Chorus

Instrumental Bridge

Verse 3:

I know there will come a day
When I’ll have to set you free,
But ‘til then, little one,
I’ll keep you safe right here with me.

Final Chorus:

You are a miracle,
God’s loving design,
This little babe I hold,
I can’t believer you’re really mine.

I’ll love you ‘til the end of time.

Monday, May 21, 2007

Graffiti Artists Profiled

First, a disclaimer: I am not a professional profiler. Neither are most of you, I'd guess. But we all do it when we try to understand the thoughts, feelings and behaviors of others. Consider graffiti artists. Their works express a broad range of themes and ideas, employing an equally diverse choice of styles and colors. What motives might they have for confronting the public with their art, usually on public or private property?

On the surface these people appear to be narcissists. Much graffiti is little more than a stylized, personal logo or name, an extension of the initials carved into school desks or scrawled on bathroom walls. Notice me, I was here, they shout. Narcissists are known to engage in risky behavior. I have seen graffiti on lofty water towers and on sheer cliffs. Breaking the law is just one more thrilling risk. Narcissists impose themselves on others, demanding attention and priority. Graffiti artists clearly place higher importance on their personal drive to create than on the rights, property and feelings of others. Gaining a wide audience seems to be the goal, because their canvas of choice is often a train or truck. Graffiti appears to be an assertion of power and self-confidence, literally making and leaving ones mark.

Narcissists are widely misunderstood. They appear to be egotists, hogging all the attention and insisting on their own way. In fact, many narcissists are over-compensating for deep feelings of powerlessness and worthlessness, often planted in early childhood. Failing to get the love and attention of parents, suffering failed friendships, or experiencing other early disappointments can impel the adult to act important, successful, and worthy of adulation. But it’s only a charade to conceal self-doubt and isolation, from others and from themselves. Though pretending to be stars, narcissists seek companionship from people who won’t eclipse their glory or their opposite, people from whom the narcissist can gain glory by association.

Couldn’t this describe graffiti artists? They defy authority, but hide anonymously in the shadows. They create bold images, but won’t claim ownership. They face danger, but avoid the risk faced by serious artists, the risk of rejection and failure.

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Politically Correct

polit'ically correct', adj. marked by or adhering to a typically progressive orthodoxy on issues involving esp. race, gender, sexual affinity, or ecology. Abbr.: PC, P.C. —polit'ical correct'ness, n.

Sometimes I think the whole point of political correctness is to sensitize us by keeping us off-balance. We ran through the obstacle course of: crippled, challenged, retarded, developmentally disadvantaged, disabled, differently-abled. And the variations of: aborigines, red man, Indians, Native Americans, American Indians. Every time we think we’ve found the right hue on our linguistic palette, some person or group continues to hear dissonance. Small wonder that politically correct, itself a label, is becoming more associated with enforcing orthodoxy and less with making progress.

I don’t with to add to the discontent, but I have a problem with X-American, where X is Latin, Asian, African, Native or some other designation. The combination makes these people sound like hybrids, not true Americans. Why am I not designated an ESIF-American (English, Scottish, Italian, French)? Why am I consigned to checking White on applications and health forms? White is neither an ethnicity nor a race. I understand that a community may wish to proudly retain the identity of its cultural heritage, shared creed, or geographic origin, as do Mexican-Americans, Chinese-Americans, Polish-Americans, Greek-Americans and others. Individuals sometimes prefer one or more of these designations as well. However, the heritage of individuals in the melting pot of America is becoming less precise. Golf’s Tiger Woods, responding to persistent media descriptions of him as African-American, publicly asserted his pride in his African, Thai, Chinese, Native American and European roots.

Please don’t misunderstand. Racial identity may be essential to researchers, for targeting recipients of social programs, or for diagnosing illnesses endemic to a particular group. I’m proud to be part Scottish. Celtic music resonates in me. But I don’t want to be known as Tom Gibbs, as ESIF-American. I have disabilities, but I’m reluctant to call myself disabled. I just want to be just Tom Gibbs, without labels that are an imperfect fit.

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Life Is Like a Box of Chocolates

Life is like a lawn:
We prize what is rare,
lush green expanses with no bare patches,
and despise what is common,
crabgrass and dandelions.

Friday, May 18, 2007

Illusions Postscript

After posting Illusions All Around Us yesterday, I got up to wash the lunchtime dishes. There was a 14-foot U-Haul truck parked in the driveway. Could it be the same one I had seen at the intersection? From my window I saw the U-Haul name, an advertising slogan on the trademark orange stripe – My friend Moby, who worked for U-Haul, said that the company's management asked employees to "bleed orange" – and, on the little cubby-area that extends over the cab, the witty words "Mom's Attic." A tree blocked the artwork. I went out on the balcony and saw … a rhinoceros. Had the new tenants driven from Africa?

I went to the U-Haul website. In 1998 they changed the theme of their artwork. Here is what it says:

Come with U-Haul on a pictorial adventure through North America that will stimulate your senses and challenge your mind. These images – and the stories they tell – have been created to bring you to new places and things. There are mysteries to solve, and wonders to be discovered. It’s now up to you …

For each state they chose something in nature that typifies that state. Nebraska’s animal is not a rhino; it is a Teleocerus discovered at the Ashfall fossil beds. Vermont’s is the mythical, so far, Lake Champlain Monster. My Jell-o rings are colorful plants that grow on coral reefs in the Gulf of Mexico, 100 miles off the shores of Texas.

Sometimes, discovering the reality behind an illusion doesn’t destroy the magic.

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Illusions All Around Us

Is the square marked A the same color and brightness as the one marked B? Get a piece of paper and punch two holes in it so that you can view only those two squares, hiding the distracting information in the rest of the picture.

This kind of illusion occurs because our brains scale and interpret things based on their context. "Fudge factors" built into our nervous systems work against us in certain situations. The world doesn't explain itself; we must labor to make sense of it. One theorist proposes that we experience illusions all the time, that they are not special cases. He suggests that our brains continually make perceptual and cognitive adjustments to fill in the blanks.

I just saw a cognitive illusion while waiting for the walk signal at an intersection. A U-Haul truck – I’d guess it was a 14-footer, but that may be an illusion – came around the corner and passed in front of me. The picture on its side included three lime-colored rings that looked like Jell-o from a mold with a large fish-scale pattern. Most side panels on U-Haul trucks show people engaged in activities in colorful, seasonal outdoor or community scenes. I suppose this is intended to evoke images of the new life waiting at the end of the move. But what do Jell-o rings evoke; if the truck fills up, there’s always room for Jell-o? As with an illusion, I can’t make sense of what I think I saw.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Writing Down the Bones [Abstract]

I have a newfound respect for people who undertake genealogy. As I reported a couple of days ago, I am transcribing and editing my mother's autobiographical family history. I just finished typing a genealogical section and my head is spinning. It's like reading the "begats" of the Bible. I usually skip those passages. Before I edit this part of the story, I have to understand it myself. I'm encountering some obstacles that all genealogists must face. . . .

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Ask Your Doc About Simidextiphinerol Lygertase [Abstract]

Friday evening I unexpectedly found myself at Brooks Pharmacy. Check out Friday's post to see why. During the twenty-five minutes it took to fill my unexpected prescription, I glanced at a health-oriented magazine, "Brooks Pharmacy OnCall," provided in the waiting area. It was full of short, interesting articles on a variety of medical conditions. It also contained a healthy dose (pun intended) of ads, mostly for brand-name prescription drugs. Oh well, advertising pays for the magazine. . . .

Monday, May 14, 2007

This Is for You, Mom [Abstract]

From Family

This is my mother with my daughter Emily in 1982. Fifteen Mother's Days have come and gone since Mom passed away and I miss her. Many things remind me of her. Two weeks ago a medical appointment I set up will fall on her birthday, June 25th. Things happen that I want to call her up and tell her about. I know how much she would be enjoying her great-grandson Ethan if she were here. My post about the birds I spotted from my window comes from her infectious love of birds. . . .

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Here's the Unfolding Story of What's Coming Up [Abstract]

Earlier this morning "Today" co-host Lester Holt told a heart-gripping story of a tragic accident involving two boys and a lawnmower. The twist: The father's call to 911 was answered by his own wife, the boys' mother. They played the dramatic 911 tape. I wanted to know how this story turned out, as I'm sure most viewers did. Instead, Lester told us that the conclusion would be aired tonight on "Dateline NBC." I felt cheated, as I'm sure most viewers did. This happens far too often. . . .

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Neighbor News, Late Edition [Abstract]

This is a follow-up to my earlier post. Twins were born to my neighbors, Dan and Kristy, on Monday, two weeks ago. They are fraternal twin girls, names unknown. I forgot to ask. Both parents are on parental leave, and are trying to get in the rhythm of first-time parenthood. Personalities are beginning to emerge. One is more active and demanding. The other is quieter and easier to please. Let's hear none of that good twin, evil twin malarkey. The dog, Indy, is curious but well-mannered. . . .

Friday, May 11, 2007

A Bump in the Road [Abstract]

Yesterday I sent an e-mail to two married friends I recently located after years of trying. N [not her real initial] was diagnosed with diabetes two months ago. She is understandably concerned because of the way diabetes has impacted her family. I remembered how I felt when I was first diagnosed. I told her that I first reacted to the possibilty that my life might be shortened. . . .

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Handed Over to Sinners [Abstract]

Scripture is sometimes like a hologram. Move your head slightly and a hidden feature comes into view. I was reading Mark's account of Jesus' prayerful agony in the garden of Gethsemane. At the end Jesus chastises his disciples for sleeping after he had asked them to "watch and pray." Then he says, "It is enough. The hour has come. Behold, the Son of Man is to be handed over to sinners." As soon as he finishes, he is arrested, and is indeed handed over to zealous persecutors, cruel torturers, and insensitive crucifiers. . . .

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Valid and Reliable [Abstract]

This is the second in a series of posts meant to help you observe and participate in the encroaching election cycle with eyes wide open. The first post described the Primacy-Recency Effect and how it can make candidates and their words more memorable. Today I present a primer on polls and surveys. The social sciences have brought stature to modern polling techniques. Scientific method insists that all research – Sampling the public mood is a scientific investigation – be valid and reliable. . . .

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Neighbor News [Abstract]

Early last year a young married couple moved in next door. My window looks out at their house and down onto their yard. I would say or wave hello whenever I walked by and they were outdoors. I never really talked with them, until they got a black Labrador retriever puppy. One day he came up to the fence as I was walking by to give me the doggy equivalent of "Hi there, are you friend or foe?" The attractive young woman came over to apologize for his rambunctiousness. . . .

Monday, May 7, 2007

Only Him [Abstract]

I was going to post about something else. The song Good Life — The lyrics are: Oh, the good life, full of fun, seems to be the ideal . . . — is currently the soundtrack for a TV ad. It was a hit for Tony Bennett, but for the commercial they chose Frank Sinatra's version. The song stuck in my head after seeing the ad. While it played in my head, another song came to mind: The Platters' Only You. I suspected that the two songs had the same chord progression and that it might be possible to overlay them. . . .

Sunday, May 6, 2007

Glowerin' But Laughing

Holy synchronicity, Batman! When I wrote a post entitled Glowerin' at the Glowin' a year and a half ago, I was concerned that my readers would think that my hinges were loosening. It was a bedtime story about sleeplessness, red and green LEDs glowing in the dark, and a dragon. It was pretty far out there. But, redemption has come in the form of today's Doonesbury. Your assignment is to read them, then compare and contrast. Evidently, Garry Trudeau has occasional bouts of insomnia too.

Saturday, May 5, 2007

Fellow Travelers [Abstract]

Is a bus a confessional on wheels? When I ride the local bus, people talk about their lives. Not always, but frequently these outpourings are about pain, sorrow and disappointment. Sometimes I overhear, sometimes they share with me directly. Here are a couple examples that occurred during the last three months. A middle-aged woman told the driver that she was on her way to see her doctor. Vermont's largest medical center is on my usual route, and a large number of patients and medical students exit there. . . .

Friday, May 4, 2007

New Neighbors [Abstract]

My neighborhood is all atwitter. About to stand up after watching the evening news, I caught a movement out of the corner of my right eye. A starling was edging down the railing just outside my window. It seemed like strange behavior, so after he moved past, I got up and peeked after him. He was inspecting the eaves of the building. His strange behavior stemmed from his earnest house hunting. Then I caught a flash of red out of the corner of my other eye. . . .

Thursday, May 3, 2007

Vanity [Abstract]

A month or so ago, I complained to my daughter about my bald spot and some age spots around my eyes. I was concerned that they were becoming more prominent. Emily wisely suggested that I accept them and my advancing age. Age is a big part of it. Last year, when I reached 60, I did some life math. In eleven years I will be as old as my mother was when she died. If I live as long as my father, I've got twenty-two years to go. As if my parents attained ages have anything at all to do with my mortality. . . .

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Question Quiz [Abstract]

It's time to flex your gray matter. Below, I have listed some well known questions. They come from a variety of sources. You can see that some words are missing. Your mission, whether or not you choose to accept it, is to complete each question by filling in the blanks. To reveal the answers, highlight the blanks by dragging across them with your mouse. Highlight a single blank for a hint; highlight the entire item for the answer . . .

Tuesday, May 1, 2007

Für Elise [Abstract]

I hereby designate May as National Piano and Dance Recital Month. Tens of thousands of children and youth will strut their stuff for admiring family and friends. Many of these young artists will choose to perform Für Elise, a song they will carry into young adulthood and beyond. Part of the attraction is, I think, its composer. . . .

[Click here to play my transcription of Für Elise.]