processing

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:36:19 GMT

I don't want to be a mother figure, an analyst, a booty call, and I don't want to be an aimless moment until something better fitting/looking comes along.

Nothing is special anymore.. people have grown desensitized by entitlement. Everyone thinks they deserve better so in the end.. humans are treated as disposable.

I really want to see the good in people; I want it to be there so badly.
I'm struggling with this.

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 03:13:46 GMT

"Human Universals" is a term used in anthropology and evolutionary psychology to refer to behavioural or cognitive traits common to all neurologically normal humans. The notion of human universals was partially formulated as a challenge to cultural relativism, a predominant view of human nature in the late 20th century which some psychologists and anthropologists see as greatly exaggerating the variance among members of the human species.

In a book of the same name published in 1991, professor of anthropology Donald Brown listed hundreds of human universals in an effort to emphasize the fundamental cognitive commonality between members of the human species. Some of these human universals include incest avoidance, territoriality, fear of death, rituals, childcare, pretend play, mourning, food sharing, kin groups, social structure, collective decision making, etiquette, envy, weapons, aesthetics, and many more. Wider recognition of human universals has led to a sort of mini-revolution in psychology, which has begun to take more input from the harder sciences of anthropology and biology, and less from the ubiquitous pop-psychology of the 20th century.

One of the greatest popularizers of the notion of human universals in recent years has been from Steven Pinker, a cognitive scientist at Harvard and author of four widely read books on the human mind. As a champion of the rising science of evolutionary psychology, Pinker argues that, in the same way we all have ten fingers, ten toes, two eyes, two ears, and a mouth, all with the same basic biological features from person to person, we should expect our cognitive features to have similar commonality. The psychological differences between human beings are then differences of degree, not in kind.

The existence of an experimentally verifiable set of human universals has two key consequences.. The first is that it makes further psychological experimentation and research more valuable than some may have thought. If we can identify the common cognitive features between us and their characteristics, we learn not only about every human culture and individual on earth today, but of those into the indefinite future, as long as their genomes stay essentially human. The second is that the human species has more in common than conventional psychology would have us think - that conflicts arise in spite of our fundamental cognitive similarities, rather than from them.

From work last friday:

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:14:30 GMT

I'm glad I finally got to go back outside and bounce around in snow instead of hunching over paperwork or a microscope.

Today is a great day! I woke up in a positive mood and I have an Algebra test and a direct withdrawl problem with my federal student loan. I need to get started on 'that paper' and a group project.

Time is an issue these days. Sometimes I just find this all so funny I can't contain myself. I've been listening to Lucia Di Lammermoor all morning while catching up on necessaries. I recommend this.

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 16:42:45 GMT

View Poll: Cheating

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 04:12:42 GMT

The world is so sad sometimes.

I look at people making connections, how they choose to disconnect, and the eventual discovery of change.

It's so sad because it's hardly ever progressive. It's more like a jagged lunge into a sort of coldness. Lets break the cycle people, lets try to evolve our sensibilities. In the end, there are a million good things fighting to outlast the bad.

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:49:48 GMT

You know.. Apologies don't mean a whole lot when the timing is suspicious. It also doesn't help if the apology itself is self-serving and re-directive.

Deconstructing bad apologies:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/matthew_parris/article5033659.ece

http://www.jkador.com/BadApology.htm

http://tasithoughts.wordpress.com/2008/07/08/a-bad-apology-is-worse-than-no-apology/

http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=34&aid=88811

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/personal/09/11/tf.bad.apologies/index.html

Something else:

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:59:30 GMT

Underneath the pain, the sorrow, the shame,
love is stronger than hate.

Right before Halloween to after New years = my favourite time of year.
I really love seeing people come together for altruistic holidays.

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:13:53 GMT

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e27_1258078465

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 22:50:18 GMT

This is turning out to be a birthday crazy time of year. I have another birthday party to go to tomorrow. Blah blah.. I am much more interested in personal development. I was talking to L. about her ex. She took him back. I think she is looking for a world of hurt in the end but there is nothing I can do but support her in her decisions.

Admittedly, I am so jaded about relationships these days. Whenever I hear about them I link it instantly to misattributed arousal or some other relevant theory and I wonder can they work? Can they really work that hard on something and still be individuals?

I’m beginning to think I’m going to be alone. I’m not worried at all about it. Sometimes I think I am on some outré level of anxiety no one else can match. Everyone side-steps and tries to manipulate everything while I do something.. else. I read way too much, maybe I know too much. A part of this wisdom builds barriers until I feel untouchable and I’m able to ignore anything and everything until I get a direct answer.

Everyone speaks in riddles when really I just want to meet one person who is real and passionate and compassionate. I wouldn’t even mind being just friends! But not a mother. It’s all really very silly anyway.. my ideals are so high while everyone around me just wants me to settle on something that diminishes my sense of self.. when really in the end it’s much more satisfying to run for ten minutes.

This helps:

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:27:22 GMT

He said, "I love Madam Butterfly! I'll bet you didn't think I would know that, did you. Ha!"
I looked up the stairs "Who doesn't know Puccini?"

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:30:21 GMT

This guy must think I'm a derision.
I really dislike feeling this way about anyone. It's such a shame; I am so disappointed by everything surrounding it. It's a big cascading sadness and the more I hear about it, the worse it gets.

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:40:42 GMT

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/rihanna-speaks-chris-brown-assault/story?id=8999410

"Don't react out of love.. f.love. Take yourself out of the situation, in third person, and look at the situation because love is so blind."

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:59:15 GMT

I am terrible at conducting memorable faux pas. :p
The optimist in me wants to view this as an adorable quirk.

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:34:05 GMT

I am being finessed into date scenerios.
What a clever man. I am slightly impressed by this.

Anyway, tonight is a jaunt into the perverbial inundated bliss of past-due issues that need to be resolved before midnight. This involves paper writing and math review.

The party was a good time- I'm sorry you weren't there. I'm equally sorry not many people dressed up. I don't get it, that's the best part-- also I had an awesome Best Costume prize. Prince Zoltan won.

There is talk of a Euro trip after graduation. I hope it's in the Fall, otherwise I wont be able to make much of a go. Also, I'm not much of a drinker, but there are some people I would like to see again on that side of the rocking boat. Better start saving. I know I said this about India, but that is still in the eventual plans of whenever-ness. It's not the safest place for a single, white, blond american female with tattoos.

Here is an amusing lecture (this is what I'm writing a paper on actually):

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:54:12 GMT

I had an ex who used to say he hated Muslims. In fact, I'll bet he still does- yet I doubt he knows much about them. I often wonder what makes someone hate another person, and wonder if its from a reactionary standpoint, or if its some personal experience. I think I generally view people with a great distaste after an experience.. and maybe that leads on to the race over-all since the person is related to a larger group who is around as well- yet this fades away since I am not prone to holding grudges forever.

We tend to find ways to iconize differences in a dysfunctional way. Many times we glorify things in a such public way (i.e. news) that causes a reactionary development.. I think we can relate this to our current war, and the way it started, where it's gone...etc etc etc

Meeting people from different aspects of religion sometimes make me think that we are only on a Hedonic treadmill. Negative emotions have a function: they narrow attention as a biological way to prepare us for action. This causes us to focus on the stressors we are facing in order to find a way to fix the problem. We get used to something- and our emotions, whether good or bad, acclimate until we are comfortable again. Sometimes our comfort is found in the simple-ness of a physiological function where we misattribute the arousal we feel into something that’s threatening. It's much easier to run away than to stand and face something that differs from what we find comfortable... and for some people this is more exemplified than others.

I had a talk with a Muslim group today and learned about a few things.. One of them being the Azan, which I think I was first introduced to through the Kevin Costner version of Robinhood (hahaha).

Azan is the first call to prayer. The Azan is uttered in a loud, albeit sweet melodious, voice to announce to the faithful that it is time for the Obligatory Prayer and to invite them to offer the prayers. Those who perform Azan are known as 'Muezzin.' The honour of being the first Muezzin goes to Hazrat Bilal, a black slave who converted to Islam. He had a very sweet, resonant and musical voice. He was appointed as Muezzin by the Prophet of Islam. The appointment of a black slave as the first person to call Muslims for prayers, shows that in Islam all human beings are treated as equals. Rich or poor, black or white, short or tall - all are equal in the eyes of Allah. It is the piety of each individual that makes the difference. Azan is recited in a loud voice by the Muezzin facing the direction of the Ka'ba.

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:54:39 GMT

Physiological bodily response to an emotion is only 90 seconds.
It stands to reason that any emotion you feel beyond 90 seconds is, technically, a cognitive decision.

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 06:13:50 GMT

This month has been something of a bust on a personal level. I was too wrapped-up in work and moving to get much progress done elsewhere. I have paintings I need to finish, papers to write, data from field sites to enter and now this party is eating up the last two weeks of October. I’m spending a bit too much money on this shindig so it's bound to be particularly enjoyable.

Oh October.. You have been a rough go and now you want to steal an hour away from my already sleep-troubled nights?? I need to buy a UV light on an automatic timer to help me wake up in the mornings.

Some things I need to do.. buckle down on math, catch-up in Lit, stop procrastinating so damn much on homework readings, and go to the gym one more day a week. This is my Scorpio resolution I suppose. Oddly there are a lot of Scorpios showing up in my life. This is probably to help me resist the temptation to view them in a certain way.

On a side note.. it's really sweet when a guy waits for a girl to get to her door before driving away.

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:19:52 GMT

The last ten minutes are surperb.. Argerich finally relaxed.

Decided to wait on that last traveling bit until I can find a symphony that is playing Rachmaninov. Maybe spring break.. going back and forth to Reno this semester has really taken a toll on my school work.

How do you deal with unreasonable people?

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 04:05:42 GMT

Personally, I don't like dealing with them. I used to say 'whatever' after making a legitimate attempt to communicate. These days I say 'mhm' and divert.

My hair came today, it is truly glorious.

Here are some cupcakes I am making for the party:
http://images.marthastewart.com/images/content/web/favorite_cookie_contest/2008Q4//cookie_1008_58832_xl.jpg
http://images.marthastewart.com/images/content/pub/kids/2005Q4//mka101544_fal05_brain_cup_l.jpg
http://i.ehow.com/images/GlobalPhoto/Articles/4561941/yummymummymain-main_Full.jpg

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 23:22:37 GMT

Having a hard time explaining anything lately; albeit I'm not being assiduous in my attempts. Which leads us to the question- are they really attempts?

Someone asked me yesterday why I think the way I do about something, and I tired instantly. Time to redirect this stuff: I know about myself.

The pressure, it's coming down on us.
Well, not me I suppose. It's all an act of waking up.

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 15:50:09 GMT

I ruined a pair of great shoes painting. I shouldn't say ruined, maybe changed. I had two great friends come over in shifts to help me paint. I really love chit-chatting in a big echoing room getting to know my friends a little bit better.

I am so proud of Neil for making it into a student teacher position (Philosophy). He looks like Socrates anyway, this should not surprise anyone. Also, he is very easy to have a discourse with if you have questions in an area that is objective. Very forgiving of language barriers and doesn't focus on rhetoric like many philosophers do. So proud!

You know someone is a good friend when you have to bail out on plans you made with them for the fifth time and they still come over to help you paint your house.

I am getting stressed for time. I have some work things I need to finish up.. I have two discussion responses due tonight at midnight, a test tomorrow, homework, a paper I really should be starting.

Etc.etc.etc.

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 03:09:45 GMT

I bought this hair today.. obviously you have an idea of what I am going to be for Halloween.

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:26:20 GMT

Who wants to help me move this weekend???

Yeah, me either.

On that note, I need two people to move their birthday parties to NEXT weekend.
Come on.. you know you want to turn thirty twice. I know I probably will once I hit 30.. thankfully that is still years away.

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 07:00:00 GMT

His psalm rasped with crisp edges glancing darkly towards
my vision of light. I kept in balance,
waiting for those pauses between his words
when the space was filled between us
whether with silence or a gasp of breath.

I felt more connected there. In those moments
he would bring thoughts to his lips and tongue
while I watched the slow blink of his sleep eyes.
The lashes laid themselves to rest against another in thought,
closing off my reflection.

My own move in similar coordination,
yet I feel as if they bow to his-
they cling with each motion to follow in the process of his thought
while he sees through me,
using words like prayers to cleanse the air
and my breath and my recognition
away from his sight.

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:34:17 GMT

So...?