Existence is Wonderful

• Busy, Tired, and Oh Yeah, Kittens

  Number of comments: 6
  I've got a number of half-finished drafts in my text folder waiting to turn into blog posts, but lately just haven't been up to posting anything really substantial. But I am still here and will definitely be working on getting those posts publishable.
  
  For now, though, I leave you [...]
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  Posted: December 05, 2009, 2:14am EST
  by AnneC

• Enter The Cat Weirdo

  Number of comments: 17
  Well my brain still seems to be in "write about cats" mode, so readers uninterested in cats will just have to bear through another entry about them.
  
  But to those of you who might consider yourselves fellow catgeeks out there, I pose the following: how many cats is "a" [...]
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  Posted: November 05, 2009, 7:41pm EST
  by AnneC

• October 16 is National Feral Cat Day - Help Your Local Felines!

  Number of comments: 6
  Introduction
  
  Homo Sapiens and Felis Catus have lived alongside one another for thousands of years. It is unknown exactly how or why these two species established contact -- most likely it something to do with human communities storing food, which attracted rodents, which in turn attracted any nearby [...]
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  Posted: October 16, 2009, 1:52pm EDT
  by AnneC

• Kittens! Need I say more?

  Number of comments: 14
  Well, I guess there is a bit more to say, but first, a picture:
  
  
  
  These little ones are feral rescue kittens, approximately 6 - 7 weeks old, and currently roaming around my bedroom. They were very scared at first (who wouldn't be?) but' [...]
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  Posted: October 06, 2009, 1:24am EDT
  by AnneC

• Work, Lack Thereof, and Opportunity

  Number of comments: 11
  Well, seeing as my employer recently announced plans to shut down the facility where I work in San Jose, California, I thought I might take this opportunity to actually discuss some of what my job as an electrical engineer specializing in electromagnetic interference and compatibility has tended to [...]
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  Posted: September 11, 2009, 12:10am EDT
  by AnneC

• On Longevity, Reality, and Critical Thinking

  Number of comments: 14
  Every now and then, I receive a random e-mail from a random person along the lines of, "Hi! I found your blog. Can you tell me how I can live forever?"
  
  Generally I just ignore these letters, as, really, I figure either their authors are credulous beyond all get-out [...]
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  Posted: September 01, 2009, 4:05pm EDT
  by AnneC

• It's Alive!

  Number of comments: 1
  ...meaning my Internet connection is now viable in the new dwelling, and I am now mostly moved.
  
  I will probably not be posting a lot for a while still because I am still getting settled in (and my routines are all messed up as a result, meaning I've' [...]
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  Posted: August 27, 2009, 2:02am EDT
  by AnneC

• Temporarily Disappearing

  Number of comments: 1
  ...as the phone line and hence the DSL at my apartment is being switched over to the new house tomorrow (Tuesday 8/18/09), and as it will probably take a few days to get the Internet stuff hooked up following that, I will likely be scarce online for the week to [...]
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  Posted: August 17, 2009, 1:56pm EDT
  by AnneC

• What Equality Isn't

  Number of comments: 8
  Equality, as I see it, is not about people who fall within a certain narrow range of strengths/weaknesses all being nice to each other ("because inside we're all the same").
  
  Equality, as I see it, has to do with recognizing that no, we are not necessarily all the' [...]
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  Posted: August 12, 2009, 3:09am EDT
  by AnneC

• When Nerds Move House...

  Number of comments: 10
  ...we end up dealing with such fascinating challenges as "How To Sort Math Books According To Type Of Math".
  
  That aside, I am feeling considerably less surly tonight than last night, and I am sure the lovely Wall of Books we've now established in the new house (observe below)' [...]
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  Posted: August 12, 2009, 1:08am EDT
  by AnneC

• Some Thoughts On Privilege and Pointing Out Consequences

  Number of comments: 3
  I probably don't have the bandwidth or energy for a big public exchange about this kind of thing right now but...sometimes it boggles me to pieces to encounter people who seem to really get it with regard to one kind of privilege, but then (seem to) totally fail when it' [...]
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  Posted: August 11, 2009, 2:48am EDT
  by AnneC

• The Move Goes Ever On and On

  Number of comments: 6
  ...or at least, it's beginning to feel like it these days. I'm not blogfading or anything, just really busy and really tired. I gave notice today; Matt and I have to be out of the apartment completely by mid/late August now, as we told the landpeople that this was our [...]
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  Posted: July 31, 2009, 1:52am EDT
  by AnneC

• Garage Door Is Wonderful

  Number of comments: 13
  OK, I had to share a picture of the supremely awesome garage door on the house I am in the process of moving into (we are currently in the "minor repairs and renovations" phase).
  
  
  
  The house itself is, I've learned, a mid' [...]
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  Posted: July 19, 2009, 3:51am EDT
  by AnneC

• Comment Policy Reminder (To All You Anons)

  I am glad to create a more accessible blog, and it was learning that some people found the login system inaccessible that compelled me to allow anonymous comments. I am pleased that so far I have not been inundated with spam.
  
  However, I have been receiving comments from (most [...]
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  Posted: July 15, 2009, 1:22am EDT
  by AnneC

• I Think I Need This Book!

  Number of comments: 8
  Entitled Future Stuff, and written by Malcolm Abrams and Harriet Bernstein, the Amazon page includes the following summary (from a library journal review):
  
  ...a consumer's guide to over 250 useful and time- and energy-saving products and services which will affect the way Americans work and play by the' [...]
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  Posted: July 13, 2009, 11:46pm EDT
  by AnneC

• On The Feeding of Quirky Mammals, Part 4

  Number of comments: 4
  In this fourth and final installment of this series, I will be discussing matters of obtaining, choosing, and consuming food. That is, I will attempt to explore a possible range of responses to questions like, "How can I get food?", "What food should I get, and how much of it?", [...]
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  Posted: July 13, 2009, 2:42am EDT
  by AnneC

• Any Good Gudelines for Autistic Spectrum Adults in the Workplace?

  Number of comments: 8
  Okay, without getting overmuch into detail here (for reasons that any employed blogger should be familiar with), I have become quite curious as of late about actually useful guides (in the form of books, pamphlets, web sites, etc.) that one might be able to show to one's employers regarding autism' [...]
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  Posted: July 09, 2009, 2:09am EDT
  by AnneC

• On The Discovery of The Eyeball Conspiracy

  Number of comments: 14
  So, it's been nearly two years since I had my eyes checked last. Like about 70 million other Americans, I'm moderately myopic (with a slight astigmatism) and have worn corrective lenses since I was eight years old.
  
  This is not something I consider a big deal...while [...]
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  Posted: July 06, 2009, 2:21am EDT
  by AnneC

• Seeking Writer's App for iPod Touch

  Number of comments: 5
  Recently I acquired an iPod Touch. I've had a portable dedicated MP3/music player for several years now (an indispensible item when one works in Cubicle Country) and initially couldn't see how the Touch differed from something like that, but after playing a bit with one back in May, I [...]
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  Posted: June 30, 2009, 10:46pm EDT
  by AnneC

• On The Feeding of Quirky Mammals, Part 3

  Number of comments: 13
  So, say you've managed to figure out that a certain "weird" sensation in your head most likely means you are either hungry, thirsty, or both -- or that (on the less optimistic side of things) you've once again found yourself practically falling over at your desk because somehow nine or [...]
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  Posted: June 30, 2009, 2:29am EDT
  by AnneC

• I prefer to read it as a threat...

  Number of comments: 7
  
  Women are soft and gentle, but they hit things.
  Originally uploaded by malcontentdiaryCame across this in a "vintage ads" photo pool, and spent several seconds blinking and sputtering, so figured it was worth a post.
  
  Women are soft and gentle, [...]
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  Posted: June 28, 2009, 3:01am EDT
  by AnneC

• Academic Autistic Spectrum Partnership In Research and Education (AASPIRE) Announces Gateway Project Launch

  Number of comments: 5
  A while back I got involved with the nascent AASPIRE Project, which (quoting from the web site):
  
  ...brings together the academic community and the autistic community to develop and perform research projects relevant to the needs of autistic adults. Our partnership will adhere to the principles of [...]
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  Posted: June 27, 2009, 1:26pm EDT
  by AnneC

• On The Feeding of Quirky Mammals, Part 2

  Number of comments: 10
  2. "Feeling Hungry" (or not) - Body Awareness and Eating
  
  I.
  
  The phrase "body awareness" is used here not in any strict scientific sense or in any flaky New Agey sense, but rather informally as something along the lines of: the capacity or tendency to specifically notice and [...]
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  Posted: June 27, 2009, 1:44am EDT
  by AnneC

• On The Feeding of Quirky Mammals, Part 1

  Number of comments: 9
  
  
  One of the things that has long been a challenge for me is eating -- that is, eating both properly and regularly.
  
  Between extreme sensitivity to certain textures (which makes me rather picky), inconsistent body awareness (which makes it difficult to tell when [...]
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  Posted: June 24, 2009, 12:23am EDT
  by AnneC

• Still Alive...

  Number of comments: 14
  Not sure who is reading these days but just wanted to post briefly to say that yes I am still alive and so is this blog. I have just been very busy lately, both with Day Job and with preparation for an upcoming move. Yes, I am going to be [...]
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  Posted: June 15, 2009, 12:16am EDT
  by AnneC

• On Standards

  Number of comments: 12
  One reason I am perhaps a bit quieter on this blog lately than I used to be is because frankly I've reassessed my standards.
  
  I like writing about interesting and (what I consider to be) important things, but I have also become very aware that even the most' [...]
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  Posted: May 30, 2009, 12:22am EDT
  by AnneC

• Plug and Play Humans: Is Your Cell Phone Getting Under Your Skin?

  Number of comments: 13
  One common futurist trope I've run across more times than I can count is the idea that the current trend of ever-decreasing-in-size cellular phones will inevitably lead to people routinely electing to have the minuscule offspring of today's phones implanted in their heads.
  
  Now, believe me, I am all [...]
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  Posted: May 18, 2009, 12:41am EDT
  by AnneC

• Comment Policy

  Number of comments: 7
  As of 5/14/2009:
  
  - Being logged into blogger is not required to comment on Existence is Wonderful. I have made this change for accessibility reasons -- I want people who want to participate here to be able to with a minimum of barriers.
  
  - "Anonymous" comments are therefore [...]
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  Posted: May 14, 2009, 10:17pm EDT
  by AnneC

• Out of Context, but Still Apt

  Number of comments: 15
  
  ...I begin indeed to fear that I have undertaken an impossibility, undertaken to tell what I cannot tell because no speech at my command will fit the forms in my mind.
  
  Already I have set down statements I would gladly change did I know how to substitute [...]
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  Posted: May 04, 2009, 2:15am EDT
  by AnneC

• Robot And Kitten Are Friends (New T-Shirt Design)

  Number of comments: 7
  As a child I always liked it when restaurants had paper placemats one could draw on. Drawing, in addition to being fun, is also a really useful way of regulating input from my surroundings.
  
  Anyway, though, last weekend, on a short jaunt out of town to attend a [...]
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  Posted: May 02, 2009, 11:19pm EDT
  by AnneC

• Quick Link: The Brain Science Podcast

  Number of comments: 2
  I recently discovered The Brain Science Podcast and have been going through the archives on my iPod. Quite an intriguing mix of shows/topics/guests. Fairly layperson-accessible without being dumb or fluffy. Host Dr. Ginger Campbell is very pleasantly down to earth for the most part, and doesn't come across as' [...]
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  Posted: April 30, 2009, 2:01am EDT
  by AnneC

• "But Why Would You Want To Label Yourself Like That?"

  Number of comments: 17
  It was one of those moments in which I knew I had to choose between either disclosing (and accepting whatever consequences that entailed) or letting a communication breakdown degrade into something potentially much worse.
  
  Given that I'd been down the ugly road of mounting mutual misconceptions numerous' [...]
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  Posted: April 21, 2009, 2:58am EDT
  by AnneC

• On Consequences vs. Intentions

  Number of comments: 5
  A bit of language-communication-deconstruction inspired by various recent mailing-list and comment thread goings-on, in which I've personally said little but observed a fair amount. And if you think you personally inspired this post you are almost certainly wrong, as I wrote it only after observing a lot of different conversations' [...]
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  Posted: April 13, 2009, 9:55pm EDT
  by AnneC

• What Each Of Us Notices: April Edition

  Number of comments: 0
  Pictures from today. Not feeling wordy at the moment.
  
  
  Toby (found as a tiny, runny-nosed kitten last year in my SO's parents' yard) is now about 11 months old, beautiful, healthy, and very much her own person!
  
  
  [...]
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  Posted: April 13, 2009, 1:05am EDT
  by AnneC

• Cryonics, Redux

  Number of comments: 14
  Thanks to everyone who commented on my recent post on cryonics. Interesting discussion all around, and I've definitely been able to clarify my views on the subject a bit subsequently. I think it's good for people to be able to discuss this kind of thing outside the context of [...]
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  Posted: April 06, 2009, 2:50am EDT
  by AnneC

• Language, Cognition, and the Theory of Smoothie

  Number of comments: 19
  I came across a post entitled Intentional Action and Asperger Syndrome (via Psychology Today) a few months ago. Psychology Today seems to deal extensively in "fluff", and this article didn't exactly do much to negate that impression in my mind, but it nonetheless sent me down a line' [...]
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  Posted: March 31, 2009, 10:15pm EDT
  by AnneC

• My Blogging Limits

  Number of comments: 0
  My blogging limitations -- that is, the parameters I apply in order to decide what is suitable and appropriate for public writing -- are based on a few basic rules I've set for myself, and on some fuzzier guidelines I've learned through experience (both mine and others').
  
  Different' [...]
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  Posted: March 31, 2009, 12:36am EDT
  by AnneC

• A Few Cool Quandaries

  Number of comments: 22
  Lately I've been perseverating a bit on one of my longtime nerd-interests, cryonics. My first exposure to the idea of chilling and storing bodies for potential later revival happened, as is usually the case, via science fiction. I'd previously been interested in "time machine" sci-fi but "suspended animation" sci-fi [...]
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  Posted: March 24, 2009, 2:47am EDT
  by AnneC

• Acceptance and Perceiving The Real Person

  Number of comments: 7
  I've read a lot of articles and discussions and comment threads on the subject of how to best help autistic spectrum kids and adults lead the best lives possible. Often in these discussions, I see controversy and miscommunication, especially when it comes to what it means to "accept" an autistic' [...]
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  Posted: March 24, 2009, 1:56am EDT
  by AnneC

• The Illusion of Inconsistency

  Number of comments: 8
  In general I would say that I have a "good" life, meaning that I enjoy being alive and have been very fortunate in some respects. I can easily find things to delight in, and I am constantly seeking information about the incredible and endlessly complex world I live in.
  [...]
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  Posted: March 23, 2009, 2:15am EDT
  by AnneC

• Not (Just) For Want Of Technology

  Number of comments: 4
  Lifesaving Medicine, Power, and Human Vulnerability
  
  I.
  
  Not many people, save for members of certain fundamentalist sects, are philosophically opposed to medicine.
  
  That is, the vast majority of humans consider it perfectly reasonable to provide lifesaving, health-restoring, and analgesic treatments to individuals who are sick, injured, [...]
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  Posted: March 15, 2009, 4:38pm EDT
  by AnneC

• A Bit Of Electronic Instrument Geekery: Fun With MIDI Controllers

  Number of comments: 9
  One thing I've been rather enjoying as of late (and which I've been doing both for fun and because I figure it's good to keep one's neurons forming new pathways) is playing around with a MIDI controller* keyboard and sequencer software.
  
  My partner Matt and I got [...]
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  Posted: March 06, 2009, 10:30pm EST
  by AnneC

• Getting a Job - On Internships and Finding Out What You're Good At

  Number of comments: 4
  This is the second of a series of posts I'm going to be doing here on autism and employment.
  
  Internships* aren't the only way to get a job of course, but they're a way I'm personally familiar with so I am going to write about them a bit. Internships [...]
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  Posted: March 04, 2009, 2:56am EST
  by AnneC

• Exploring Employment for Autistic Spectrum Adults - Introduction

  Number of comments: 1
  This is the first of a series of posts I'm going to be doing here on autism and employment.
  
  According to one study (Barnard et. al., 2001), only about 6% of all people on the autistic spectrum hold paid full-time jobs. My guess is that the actual number' [...]
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  Posted: March 03, 2009, 2:38am EST
  by AnneC

• Review in Brief: His Dark Materials

  Number of comments: 9
  I just finished reading the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman. Nothern Lights/The Golden Compass is the first book in the trilogy; the second is The Subtle Knife and the third is The Amber Spyglass.
  
  There will probably be further commentary on [...]
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  Posted: February 25, 2009, 2:03am EST
  by AnneC

• What Each Of Us Notices: Rainy Day Edition

  Number of comments: 1
  On Sunday it rained in California.
  
  
  
  Years ago -- I can't recall what day of the week it was -- it rained in Vermont. I was visiting my grandparents, up in the mountains. Their house had no electricity unless the noisy gas-powered generator was' [...]
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  Posted: February 15, 2009, 10:52pm EST
  by AnneC

• Credit, Privacy, and Flabbergasting Financomancy

  Number of comments: 6
  I'm going to draw attention to yet another interesting post from Philosecurity -- this time about the bizarre way “credit” is enmeshed with access to certain privileges in American contemporary culture especially, and how this enmeshment serves to undermine privacy.
  
  I was somewhat pleased to read this post' [...]
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  Posted: February 15, 2009, 3:30am EST
  by AnneC

• Interesting Interview: (Former) Adware Author Speaks

  Number of comments: 3
  During my recent epic battle to rid my computer of malware, a friend sent me a link to this interview with a former adware author, on the fascinating Philosecurity blog:
  
  S: Let’s back up a second. Why did you write adware?
  
  M: I was utterly and [...]
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  Posted: February 13, 2009, 1:35am EST
  by AnneC

• Electronic Dreamscapes, Wild Realscapes

  Number of comments: 10
  Video games in general have been a consistent presence in my life for as far back as I can remember. My father brought home an Atari 2600 in around 1980, and some of my earliest recollections involve padding into the TV room in footie pajamas and watching the [...]
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  Posted: February 12, 2009, 2:02am EST
  by AnneC

• Beware Malware from Blog Upgrade Tutorial/Template Sites

  Number of comments: 9
  I know this is my third post on template and blog update related material recently, and that this sort of thing is probably less interesting than, say, naked mole-rats. But since several people did comment in ways suggesting they might be curious about altering or updating their blogs at some [...]
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  Posted: February 08, 2009, 8:25pm EST
  by AnneC