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  • Fifty Years Ago Donald Hebb Proposed a Rule

    The Hebb Rule says that if an initially weak synapse repeatedly fires at the same time that the postsynaptic neuron fires, the synapse will become strengthened. After several firings, the synapse becomes strong enough to fire by itself. LEARNING HAS OCCURRED.

    Hebb was unable to determine if this was [...]
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    Posted: December 11, 2009, 1:22am EST

  • Global Cooling

    Did you know, there are places in the world where the winters are commonly harsh? This may seem obvious, but think about it. When we get a bad week or so of very cold temperatures, it's pretty unusual. It only lasts for a few days. We complain for a while, [...]
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    Posted: December 09, 2009, 12:51pm EST

  • Economics Solves Crimes

    I remember hearing about the case of Kitty Genovese, but I didn't know the story behind the story.

    I read Freakonomics and found reading about the application of statistical analysis to everyday conundrums more interesting than you might think. For example, have you ever wondered why, if drug' [...]
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    Posted: November 30, 2009, 11:33pm EST

  • Halloween

    Four hours before dark, this is what lay on my dining room table.



    A cape in colors excitedly chosen by a little girl in a fabric store in an enthusiastic bout of 'we've got so much time!' kind of shopping trip one month prior,' [...]
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    Posted: November 21, 2009, 1:13pm EST

  • Sing it Like You Mean it

    [...]
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    Posted: November 13, 2009, 3:52pm EST

  • Good Morning!

    I started my day by bathing my 15-year old long-haired cat's behind that was covered in diarrhea. And then, I trimmed the long hair around his behind.

    How was your morning???' [...]
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    Posted: November 09, 2009, 3:36pm EST

  • Every Other Word Is Capitalized, But I'm Not Screaming

    I keep meaning to learn how to knit socks. I think that learning requires a class for me, because I can't learn from a book. I need to be shown.

    Earlier this year I was busy with school, then it was summer and who wants to knit with' [...]
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    Posted: November 06, 2009, 6:40pm EST

  • Murphy Forgot To Include This One

    The law of When You're In a Hurry says that when one is trying to check something online quickly before rushing out the door in order to be somewhere, that will be the exact moment your computer decides it needs to perform an update and restart itself.' [...]
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    Posted: November 04, 2009, 1:10pm EST

  • Be Patient With Your Cell Phone Signal

    It has to go to and then return from space! Maybe give it a minute before you start complaining. Remember the rotary phone? Yeah. How about the guy with two zeroes in his number, how much did you hate calling that person?

    Louis CK talks to Conan about the [...]
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    Posted: October 27, 2009, 4:27pm EDT

  • It Was Awesome

    Giving my child a classical education while she attends public school means we do a lot of work at home. School homework and home homework. Poor girl.

    We began with the moon, learning the difference between orbit and rotate. We've moved on to the planets, the study of which' [...]
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    Posted: October 26, 2009, 12:03pm EDT

  • TeeVee

    I love Glee. Can't get enough. Singin' and dancin' and the microcosmic hell of the high school social strata, all in one.' [...]
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    Posted: October 23, 2009, 1:02pm EDT

  • This Book Will Not Stimulate an Action Potential

    I can hear the questions even though the room is silent. Since I haven't mentioned it in the past 30 seconds, am I reading anything at all? Have I given up on novels forever, or just until school relents its endless cycle of reading, writing, and 'rithmatic?

    I do [...]
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    Posted: October 21, 2009, 12:33pm EDT

  • Gratitude Platitude

    You know what's really great?

    When you go to empty the bathroom garbage and the bag kind of sticks on the upturned can and then releases suddenly so that half of the garbage spills across the floor so that you have to pick it up with your hands.
    [...]
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    Posted: October 20, 2009, 6:56pm EDT

  • You Know You're Getting Older When...

    ...ordering cleaning supplies makes you happy.

    [...]
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    Posted: October 16, 2009, 12:13pm EDT

  • This Makes Total Sense

    This is the kind of thing that will be on my test today.

    Did I mention, I'm a social science major, history minor???' [...]
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    Posted: October 14, 2009, 12:40pm EDT

  • Misery Loves Company. And Sympathy.

    Now I know the misery that is Strep Throat. My throat feels like it is stuffed with sandpaper, and every swallow means that sandpaper grinds delicate throat tissue. And it isn't a fine, 220-grit paper. Oh no, we're talking course, 40-grit paper doing its thing ALL DAY LONG.

    Do [...]
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    Posted: October 08, 2009, 12:54pm EDT

  • Redemption

    I have kept at The Human Stain because, despite the author's insistence on using stream-of-consciousness writing to express his character's inner thoughts at times even though the third person narrative had adequately performed this task. It's a good story and I want to see how it ends.

    The main' [...]
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    Posted: October 04, 2009, 11:39pm EDT

  • Wordy

    I am having a hard time getting through The Human Stain for one glaring reason: verbosity.

    Stream-of-consciousness paragraph (after paragraph after paragraph) bore readers. Enough! There is something to be said for great ideas in brief. To wit: E.B. White, Wallace Stegner, Ann Packer.

    The story is [...]
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    Posted: September 23, 2009, 10:57am EDT

  • Sometimes the Internet is Not Your Friend

    Got an email this morning which I thought read "training pants" before I realized it said "training plans", and referred to something about exercise and not geriatric underwear inserts.

    Criminey, I know I'm not 20 anymore, but I didn't think I was ready for THAT kind of sales promotion![...]
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    Posted: September 21, 2009, 2:00pm EDT

  • Budgetary Whoas

    There's nothing like working harder for less money and absolutely no glamour or thanks. Our income recently took a hit, with the bread-winning spouse working endless hours to find jobs and then do the jobs, take care of the administrative duties, look at the profit margin....wait, where's the profit margin?
    [...]
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    Posted: September 15, 2009, 8:36am EDT

  • Summer Lovin', Had Me a Blast

    I am deep into fiction reading. In the last month, I've read Wallace Stegner's Crossing to Safety, Anne Tyler's Ladder of Years, and John Synge's The Aran Islands to name a few. I have a couple of other titles from the library waiting on my coffee table. [...]
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    Posted: September 11, 2009, 10:49am EDT

  • An Apologia....Nay, Excuse

    A strange phenomenon occurred as I wrote the last entry. All of the words in the English language were used up and unavailable, except for the trite and ridiculous sentences that I was able to type.

    This doesn't happen to many people. Apologies for the incredibly boring reading. I' [...]
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    Posted: September 10, 2009, 2:40pm EDT

  • Favorite American Pasttime

    These are a few of the players from team Glory.



    I happen to know that the second base player enjoys a good Beverly Cleary novel, glass of raspberry lemonade, and has a love for Polly Pockets.



    These pictures [...]
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    Posted: September 02, 2009, 10:10am EDT

  • For the Love of Tomatoes and Cornbread

    I made chili last night, and it tasted amazing. This wasn't because I'm a great cook. It had to do with the ingredients.



    The central ingredient was heirloom tomatoes, mostly flammes. Heirloom varieties are those that used to be regular old tomatoes, pollinated by [...]
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    Posted: September 01, 2009, 12:59pm EDT

  • Relations



    "The language of friendship is not words but meanings."

    ----- Henry David Thoreau [...]
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    Posted: August 29, 2009, 6:59pm EDT

  • I've Got Your Global Warming Right Here



    Our house does not contain an air conditioning unit. The good news is, we normally don't miss it. We use fans at night, and along with a system of opening windows at night and closing them during the day, usually stay quite comfortable. There are' [...]
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    Posted: August 20, 2009, 1:03pm EDT

  • Prize-Winning Chickens

    At this year's county fair, my daughter entered two chickens.


    Meet Tutankhamen the rooster. He's barely a teenager at five months old, with raging hormones and a bit of a know-it-all attitude.



    A good rooster protects the hens, but [...]
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    Posted: August 18, 2009, 5:56pm EDT

  • Elementary, and More Than a Little Messy

    Nonetheless, I made this. It's kind of bulky at the top, but I still like it. I hope that with practice I can get the wire to be less....."bohemian".

    ' [...]
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    Posted: August 15, 2009, 12:06pm EDT

  • 53°16'N 09°03' W



    Using the slogan the real mccoys is big here. It works for chips as well as car rentals.


    Hot chocolate served with pink marshmallows makes Erica very happy.



    I'll miss you, Galway city.[...]
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    Posted: July 31, 2009, 7:49am EDT

  • Excuse Me, Your Fleadh is Showing

    The film fleadh was here!



    Fleadh is the Irish word for festival, prounced fest uh vul.

    Oh, you already know English? Pardonnez moi.

    Pronounce it flahd.

    Hey, yankee, take it easy on the "d". It's not an adjective meaning characterized [...]
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    Posted: July 29, 2009, 12:10pm EDT

  • Trad Music 7 Nights

    Galway city is full of pubs. Here are just a few.

    TAAFFES
    "Taaffes is one of Galway City’s best known bars. Located right in the Heart of the City on Shop Street, Taaffes has been operating as a pub for over 150 years."


    [...]
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    Posted: July 25, 2009, 5:07am EDT

  • Rewind

    I couldn't help but think about being in Ireland before, with my family. That was fun.

    OC was five and quite the fantastic traveling companion.



    How cute is she??? I can hardly stand it.


    "Would'" [...]
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    Posted: July 24, 2009, 4:28am EDT

  • From Campus

    The National University of Ireland, Galway was established in 1845 as Queen's College. It bills itself as "one of Ireland's foremost centres of academic excellence. With over 15,000 students, it has a long established reputation of teaching and research excellence in each of its seven faculties - Arts, Science," [...]
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    Posted: July 23, 2009, 5:21am EDT

  • Emotions

    Studying abroad is an incredible opportunity. I am so grateful for the ability to be here, and for the support and sacrifice on the part of friends and family.

    The prospect of leaving home for five weeks was very difficult. Not just leaving home, but a husband and daughter. [...]
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    Posted: July 21, 2009, 6:11am EDT

  • This Side Doesn't Need a Wall, What With the Sheer Cliff Face For Protection



    Dún Aonghasa, Árann – Inis Oírr

    Dun Aengus    , Aran Islands, Inishmore [...]
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    Posted: July 20, 2009, 1:33pm EDT

  • Connemara: Chorr na Móna

    In the province of Connacht and the western part of County Galway is a region known as Connemara. It is supposedly the largest of the Gaeltacht, an area where Irish is the every day language. Other Gaeltacht areas include Dhún na nGall (Donegal), Mhaigh Eo (Mayo), Chiarraí (Kerry), [...]
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    Posted: July 14, 2009, 3:47pm EDT

  • HUBRIS: From Ancient Greek ὕβρις, Overweening Pride, Superciliousness, or Arrogance.

    I didn't realize I was tempting the retribution of the fates when I exclaimed to my husband, "College is easy!"

    I referred to the fact that I had very little responsibility outside of taking care of myself and doing homework. There was no house to clean, no geriatric cats' [...]
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    Posted: July 10, 2009, 8:22am EDT

  • Thoor Ballylee and Coole Park

    William Butler Yeats lived in this tower with his wife and children between 1918 and 1929.


    Frenchclass: can you decipher this? Do not cheat with a translator! I could get the gist of it, except for certain vocabulary that we haven't covered, possibly from the' [...]
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    Posted: July 06, 2009, 1:55pm EDT

  • Baile na Coiribe

    Student housing is located in a place called Corrib Village (Baile na Coiribe in Irish) on the edge of campus. There are dozens of buildings like this one, each group with a courtyard and painted in its very own pastel shade. These are available for self-catering over the summer. I've' [...]
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    Posted: July 03, 2009, 1:30pm EDT

  • Galway City

    Ladies and gentlemen, may I present your American representative in Ireland:


    I bought a coffee, checked out of the B&B in Salthill, and promptly spilled some coffee on my shirt. This was how I arrived in Galway city. Uncle Sam would be so proud.

    [...]
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    Posted: July 02, 2009, 6:44am EDT

  • Céad Mile Fáilte

    I arrived in Shannon after a long day and night of flying. I don't think my excitement registers in the photo, but I'm all a-twitter.


    This is an odd subject for a picture. I blame jet lag. I don't know what to blame for sharing' [...]
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    Posted: June 30, 2009, 7:30am EDT

  • The Future Looks Temperate


    That is a-okay with me! [...]
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    Posted: June 25, 2009, 11:39am EDT

  • Across the Pond

    I'm going to Ireland to study history this summer.



    I don't know what it is about an old pile of stones that attracts me.


    Galway is the third largest city in Ireland and home to the Lola [...]
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    Posted: June 24, 2009, 1:39pm EDT

  • Musings

    How is your summer going? All ten days so far have been fantastic! It has to do with no homework, with time free for spending with my daughter in an unhurried fashion. This is a big change, a good change.

    Also, I've been reading whatever I want to read.' [...]
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    Posted: June 19, 2009, 12:48pm EDT

  • Unbelievable!

    After fishing last weekend, I found two hooks that had been changed off of the line. These were still good, so I gave them to OH to put away. It was getting dark and he already had put away the tackle box, so he put them in his jacket pocket [...]
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    Posted: June 09, 2009, 12:18pm EDT

  • The Longest Weekend

    The time: Thursday, 9 pm. Place: An ordinary bathroom.

    I was flossing my teeth, which I do occasionally, when a large chunk of white came out and rolled over my tongue. I spit it out into my hand. It was part of my tooth.

    It was Thursday night, [...]
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    Posted: June 08, 2009, 1:56pm EDT

  • Ignorant, Illiterate, Uncultured

    Shakespeare wrote for the masses. Competition to attract a paying audience was fierce. The theater had to vie with other entertainment options including the horrifying bear-baiting bloodsport down the street.

    The cheap seats were standing room only. The action on stage had better be enough to keep these groundlings'' [...]
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    Posted: June 03, 2009, 3:12am EDT

  • Erudition

    I've read seven Shakespeare plays in as many weeks, and I have to recommend two of them. "Titus Andronicus" and "Much Ado About Nothing" were my favorites. While not exactly beach books, they are fantastic reads you can get through in about two hours. I have the Pelican paperback versions.' [...]
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    Posted: June 02, 2009, 12:42pm EDT

  • Southern Oregon is Shakespeare Country

    Last summer for my husband's birthday, I presented him with tickets to two plays at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland. He was really not excited about it. I was patient with him because he had never been to the OSF, and therefore had no precedent upon which to base' [...]
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    Posted: May 15, 2009, 11:38am EDT

  • Forty Stone and Six Months Ago

    Last year, OC turned eight years old. She wanted to have cupcakes, and she wanted to make them.

    The mixer is carbon dated to be 1.2 million years old. It weighs just over forty stone. That would be, forty Stonehenge-sized stones.

    Speaking of stone, this [...]
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    Posted: May 14, 2009, 2:00pm EDT
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