I never posted any pictures from May's trip to Spain because I don't take pictures. I buy postcards! I present my shrine to Gaudi and the great artists of Spain:
My mother actually did take many pictures but hasn't had time to send them to me yet. Eventually I will have more photographic proof of my trip.
We made complete tours of 4 art museums in Madrid and Barcelona. Without a doubt, not a single piece approached the power of Guernica, set like a crown jewel in its display room at el Museo Reina Sofía. The history of the painting is nearly as awe-inspiring as its presence: painted in 1937 for the World's Fair in Paris, exhibited throughout the world, held by the MOMA until the 1980s; at Picasso's stipulation the painting was never exhibited on Spanish soil until that country's authoritarian regime was replaced by a democratic form of government.
We also visited several buildings designed by Antoni Gaudí: Casa Batlló is the most inspired piece of architecture I've ever visited! I felt as though I were Alice in an underwater Wonderland. Completely brilliant. The price of admission is higher than some other sites because the property is still owned by the original family, not by the government, but the experience is well worth it. (And, of course, who could not love Gaudí's mosaic lizard at the entrance to Parc Guëll? He was worth multiple postcards.)
The other absolute highlight was attending a service at Montserrat and hearing the Escolania, the Boys' Choir, sing. The basilica is only 400 years old, but shrines have been present on the mountain since the 9th century, and the monastery was established in the 11th century.
And, of course, we ate lots of pig in its many glorious forms. If I had the opportunity to travel more often, I'd return to Barcelona in a heartbeat. Since I don't, if I return to Spain I'll be headed to Granada, and from there make my way slowly to Marrakech. Mmm.
Thanks to VSL, I just discovered www.iNudge.net. Love it. They're hammered today because that's what happens when something goes out to the VSL list, but I'm sure it will speed up later. Here's how VSL described it:
"The site uses the same concept behind music boxes and player pianos to help you create interesting music in an intuitive way. It provides several grids made up of notes varying in pitch and timing, which you can highlight to construct a visual map of your song. When you press play, a cursor sweeps through the grid like a beam on a radar display, sounding selected notes as it passes over them. The format is a great mix of the aural and visual (you can test what a smiley face or the letter X sounds like), but cooler still is the feature that allows you to easily email your compositions."
"The site uses the same concept behind music boxes and player pianos to help you create interesting music in an intuitive way. It provides several grids made up of notes varying in pitch and timing, which you can highlight to construct a visual map of your song. When you press play, a cursor sweeps through the grid like a beam on a radar display, sounding selected notes as it passes over them. The format is a great mix of the aural and visual (you can test what a smiley face or the letter X sounds like), but cooler still is the feature that allows you to easily email your compositions."
I've slept with a fan on for over 20 years. While we were married, Don bought me a new fan and outfitted it with a remote control outlet. I hadn't ever minded turning the fan on manually, but over the last seven or so years I must have gotten used to it because the battery in the remote finally failed tonight... and I felt great sadness.
I felt greater sadness when I realized that when I moved into this apartment I buried the fan in a corner behind a blanket chest and several piles of clean laundry. Digging the fan out sounded annoying. So I squinted at the battery information on the little remote and opened the box of batteries Don gave me when we got divorced--he thought I should have them in my new apartment. It has batteries in it I've never seen before, but none of the numbers matched.
I decided to open the remote control up to look at the battery so I'd know what to buy tomorrow. It required a small phillips head screwdriver. So I opened the little box of tools Don gave me when we got divorced--he thought I should have them in my new apartment. (You see a theme here.) I have six screwdrivers. One was perfect. I opened the case and realized I'd seen a battery just like it the box of batteries. And yes, there it was. A little 12v security battery that Don had put in the box for this exact moment.
My little remote was working again in under 5 minutes. I have another 7 years before I need to dig out the fan! Thank you, Don.
I felt greater sadness when I realized that when I moved into this apartment I buried the fan in a corner behind a blanket chest and several piles of clean laundry. Digging the fan out sounded annoying. So I squinted at the battery information on the little remote and opened the box of batteries Don gave me when we got divorced--he thought I should have them in my new apartment. It has batteries in it I've never seen before, but none of the numbers matched.
I decided to open the remote control up to look at the battery so I'd know what to buy tomorrow. It required a small phillips head screwdriver. So I opened the little box of tools Don gave me when we got divorced--he thought I should have them in my new apartment. (You see a theme here.) I have six screwdrivers. One was perfect. I opened the case and realized I'd seen a battery just like it the box of batteries. And yes, there it was. A little 12v security battery that Don had put in the box for this exact moment.
My little remote was working again in under 5 minutes. I have another 7 years before I need to dig out the fan! Thank you, Don.
I found this yesterday on InformationIsBeautiful.net, and it's been my background music at work ever since. I can't entirely express or explain how happy this makes me:
http://www.whitevinyldesign.com/solarbeat/
Right around Earth's 80th year there's a lovely little glissando when four of the outer planets ping, one right after the other.
http://www.whitevinyldesign.com/solarbeat/
Right around Earth's 80th year there's a lovely little glissando when four of the outer planets ping, one right after the other.
This link is to an article about a study published in last month's issue of the Journal of Comparative Psychology, where researchers demonstrated that pigeons are better than humans at solving the famed "Monty Hall problem."
To quote the article, "The so-called Monty Hall problem is a well-known puzzle named after the original host of the game show "Let's Make A Deal," who presented contestants with three doors, one of which held a prize, the other two only goats. The prize and the goats were placed randomly behind the doors beforehand, and stayed where they were throughout. After the contestant made a guess, Monty Hall would always open one of the remaining doors that he knew did not contain the prize. The player was then always given the option of staying with their initial guess or switching to the other unopened door."
It turns out that switching to the other unopened door gives you a better chance of winning the prize. No matter how many times I hear this, I still have a difficult time understanding it. Probability was always one of my weakest subjects. Apparently it's back to re-reading Innumeracy for me!
To quote the article, "The so-called Monty Hall problem is a well-known puzzle named after the original host of the game show "Let's Make A Deal," who presented contestants with three doors, one of which held a prize, the other two only goats. The prize and the goats were placed randomly behind the doors beforehand, and stayed where they were throughout. After the contestant made a guess, Monty Hall would always open one of the remaining doors that he knew did not contain the prize. The player was then always given the option of staying with their initial guess or switching to the other unopened door."
It turns out that switching to the other unopened door gives you a better chance of winning the prize. No matter how many times I hear this, I still have a difficult time understanding it. Probability was always one of my weakest subjects. Apparently it's back to re-reading Innumeracy for me!
A study of online daters published in a recent issue of Journal of Social and Personal Relationships found that the people who lie about themselves online would lie about themselves in real life dating situations, as well. Here's the summary on PsychCentral.
While it's good to know that being online doesn't make people lie in situations where they normally wouldn't, what I really want to know is this: do more people who are likely to lie about themselves flock to online dating because it's easier to lie there?
Mind you, the researcher states that "Because online daters hope to meet face-to-face eventually, the amount of lying is quite small."
Thoughts?
While it's good to know that being online doesn't make people lie in situations where they normally wouldn't, what I really want to know is this: do more people who are likely to lie about themselves flock to online dating because it's easier to lie there?
Mind you, the researcher states that "Because online daters hope to meet face-to-face eventually, the amount of lying is quite small."
Thoughts?
Courtesy of Letterheady, check out their respective stationery. Tesla's is circa 1900; Edison's is from 1923:
I've stumbled across a couple of references recently suggesting that one of the keys to maintaining a relationship successfully is the ability to extend the benefit of the doubt (I am a good person in a bad situation, so I did the wrong thing) to your partner--or your parents, or your good friend. I thought someone else might find these thought-provoking.
The first was in a chapter of the book Mistakes Were Made (but not by me), an excellent read about the many ways in which our use of self-justification to reduce cognitive dissonance wreaks havoc in our lives (and the lives of others). In the chapter dealing with marriage, the authors (Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson!) discuss how we give ourselves the benefit of the doubt but often don't extend that to others. They find that the ability to extend that to our spouses is a prime ingredient of a successful marriagee. The reason? Once we decide that our spouse has a particular fault or is a bad person in some way, the self-justification mechanism kicks in. Everything our spouse does becomes confirming evidence, proving we're "right."
The second item was commentary from Monica Berg on the topic. I'm reposting this from an old email newsletter put out by Gwyneth Paltrow, in which she asked a few of her favorite 'experts' for hints on maintaining a relationship successfully. This is only one of the answers; the entire newsletter can be found here.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Monica Berg replies:
Relationships are a topic I thoroughly enjoy researching and discussing, specifically one between a husband and wife. It is, in fact, one of the most significant connections we will ever have, one that can impact our lives for better or worse.
What helps sustain a relationship is continuing to put as much effort into nourishing it as we did finding it. Blind dating, online dating, double dating – we put ourselves through every imaginable uncomfortable situation, and once we get married, it is almost as if it’s another item crossed off our checklist. Married, check. Children, check. Career, check. Very often we have a romanticized idea in mind as to what our lives will be like after we get married, one that’s often not based in reality. Inevitably, the honeymoon ends and life goes on. We get busy at work, spending time with coworkers, becoming close with our girlfriends discussing our relationship woes, and taking the kids out together. We end up spending more time apart and confiding in those people with whom we share our day.
We need to create time where we can come back together with our significant other to reconnect and share. This is a fundamental aspect of any relationship. We must put the time in. This connection has the potential to be totally satisfying and complete, helping us grow to levels of emotional intimacy that we are not yet aware exist.
Unfortunately, too often couples do not consistently invest in nurturing their love and when challenges arise, there isn’t a strong base from which to work. That is why I think this idea of nurturing a relationship is probably one of the most important keys. It is the very foundation on which the outcome of future experiences and conflicts depend.
Therefore, I would like to share with you four keys that are important for nurturing relationships.
1. Consciously focus on the good in one another. We need to make a conscious effort to focus on the good because this is what allows us to appreciate our partner. This is something we do when we first start dating. We de-emphasize the negative and overemphasize the positive. Unfortunately, the scales shift to the opposite after we’re married. Only through a conscious effort can we create a consistent kindness, fondness and appreciation towards one another, where we actually want to honor “until death do us part.”
2. Cherish small moments of intimacy and laughter. Finding the opportunities in day-to-day experiences to engage and create beautiful moments and memories together is what it’s all about. Making a commitment to each other that no problem or obstacle will be bigger than your commitment to each other is so important.
3. Be vulnerable with one another. I know the word itself doesn’t sound appealing, but giving your heart to somebody you trust and love is a beautiful and necessary thing. Even if it is hard to do. We may be too proud or untrusting to become vulnerable, but so much love and connection can come from this type of openness.
4. Repair. This is so necessary because after two people argue, usually one leaves the room and doesn’t come back to say, “I regret what I said.” It gets buried. And then comes the next day with another fight, usually about something insignificant like the remote control or who is going to walk the dog. This cycle becomes the norm and soon it becomes the primary part of the marriage. Coming back together for repair is crucial and discussing what happened and how to grow from it.
“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” – John F. Kennedy
There are no stable marriages. There may be happy ones, but not stable ones. Either we are growing forward or falling backwards. This is true in all areas of our life. There is no constant; there is only change and movement. This is “the law of life,” which is why I believe nurturing relationships is so important. We owe it to ourselves and those we love not to settle for mediocrity in any way, and instead to nurture and allow our relationships to become the source of joy, support and love that they were intended to be.
Monica Berg
Monica Berg is a spiritual teacher and guide. She is creative director at the Kabbalah Centre and leads a monthly forum in Los Angeles, Kabbalah for Women. She is also the co-founder of the charitable organization, Raising Malawi."
The first was in a chapter of the book Mistakes Were Made (but not by me), an excellent read about the many ways in which our use of self-justification to reduce cognitive dissonance wreaks havoc in our lives (and the lives of others). In the chapter dealing with marriage, the authors (Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson!) discuss how we give ourselves the benefit of the doubt but often don't extend that to others. They find that the ability to extend that to our spouses is a prime ingredient of a successful marriagee. The reason? Once we decide that our spouse has a particular fault or is a bad person in some way, the self-justification mechanism kicks in. Everything our spouse does becomes confirming evidence, proving we're "right."
The second item was commentary from Monica Berg on the topic. I'm reposting this from an old email newsletter put out by Gwyneth Paltrow, in which she asked a few of her favorite 'experts' for hints on maintaining a relationship successfully. This is only one of the answers; the entire newsletter can be found here.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Monica Berg replies:
Relationships are a topic I thoroughly enjoy researching and discussing, specifically one between a husband and wife. It is, in fact, one of the most significant connections we will ever have, one that can impact our lives for better or worse.
What helps sustain a relationship is continuing to put as much effort into nourishing it as we did finding it. Blind dating, online dating, double dating – we put ourselves through every imaginable uncomfortable situation, and once we get married, it is almost as if it’s another item crossed off our checklist. Married, check. Children, check. Career, check. Very often we have a romanticized idea in mind as to what our lives will be like after we get married, one that’s often not based in reality. Inevitably, the honeymoon ends and life goes on. We get busy at work, spending time with coworkers, becoming close with our girlfriends discussing our relationship woes, and taking the kids out together. We end up spending more time apart and confiding in those people with whom we share our day.
We need to create time where we can come back together with our significant other to reconnect and share. This is a fundamental aspect of any relationship. We must put the time in. This connection has the potential to be totally satisfying and complete, helping us grow to levels of emotional intimacy that we are not yet aware exist.
Unfortunately, too often couples do not consistently invest in nurturing their love and when challenges arise, there isn’t a strong base from which to work. That is why I think this idea of nurturing a relationship is probably one of the most important keys. It is the very foundation on which the outcome of future experiences and conflicts depend.
Therefore, I would like to share with you four keys that are important for nurturing relationships.
1. Consciously focus on the good in one another. We need to make a conscious effort to focus on the good because this is what allows us to appreciate our partner. This is something we do when we first start dating. We de-emphasize the negative and overemphasize the positive. Unfortunately, the scales shift to the opposite after we’re married. Only through a conscious effort can we create a consistent kindness, fondness and appreciation towards one another, where we actually want to honor “until death do us part.”
2. Cherish small moments of intimacy and laughter. Finding the opportunities in day-to-day experiences to engage and create beautiful moments and memories together is what it’s all about. Making a commitment to each other that no problem or obstacle will be bigger than your commitment to each other is so important.
3. Be vulnerable with one another. I know the word itself doesn’t sound appealing, but giving your heart to somebody you trust and love is a beautiful and necessary thing. Even if it is hard to do. We may be too proud or untrusting to become vulnerable, but so much love and connection can come from this type of openness.
4. Repair. This is so necessary because after two people argue, usually one leaves the room and doesn’t come back to say, “I regret what I said.” It gets buried. And then comes the next day with another fight, usually about something insignificant like the remote control or who is going to walk the dog. This cycle becomes the norm and soon it becomes the primary part of the marriage. Coming back together for repair is crucial and discussing what happened and how to grow from it.
“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” – John F. Kennedy
There are no stable marriages. There may be happy ones, but not stable ones. Either we are growing forward or falling backwards. This is true in all areas of our life. There is no constant; there is only change and movement. This is “the law of life,” which is why I believe nurturing relationships is so important. We owe it to ourselves and those we love not to settle for mediocrity in any way, and instead to nurture and allow our relationships to become the source of joy, support and love that they were intended to be.
Monica Berg
Monica Berg is a spiritual teacher and guide. She is creative director at the Kabbalah Centre and leads a monthly forum in Los Angeles, Kabbalah for Women. She is also the co-founder of the charitable organization, Raising Malawi."
There happens to be a very lucky 5 year old named Malachai out there whose big brother is a comic artist and writer.... and has turned Malachai's stories into a comic. A great comic, even!
Axe Cop
The "Ask Axe Cop" section is almost as much fun as the episodes.
I wish my nephew had someone to do this for him. We wrote a book one night about a guy who meets a shark. There were some excellent story lines, but neither of us draw particularly well.
Axe Cop
The "Ask Axe Cop" section is almost as much fun as the episodes.
I wish my nephew had someone to do this for him. We wrote a book one night about a guy who meets a shark. There were some excellent story lines, but neither of us draw particularly well.
... or, why procrastination will never be good enough for me again.
I've been practicing this behavior my entire life, but didn't know there was a word for it until it came up on the A.Word.A.Day newsletter last year.
There's obviously no need to ask why I didn't post about it then. ;)</a>
I've been practicing this behavior my entire life, but didn't know there was a word for it until it came up on the A.Word.A.Day newsletter last year.
There's obviously no need to ask why I didn't post about it then. ;)</a>
Comments
I couldn't help staring fascinated at it, waiting for Pluto to come around.
Thanks for sharing this!