Just finished this autobiography/memoir by Daniel Tammet, the English savant. The guy who memorized pi to 22,514 places as a publicity stunt for a charity event. Who learned conversational Icelandic in one week for a TV show. The self-described high-functioning autism case, Asperger's syndrome, who experiences numbers as having distinct personalities, textures, colors.
Born on a Blue Day is a fascinating tour of a strange life, constrained by crippling anxieties, unusual enthusiasms, and awkward cluelessness in social situations. It is only as an adult that Daniel is able to appreciate his parents and siblings, to understand how much they loved him as a difficult child, how much they were willing to put up with to help him achieve a measure of success as an independent adult.
Daniel's testimony to his Christianity in the last chapter is especially intriguing. G. K. Chesterton, another savant who experienced life in a strange and vivid way, opened the doors to faith for Daniel. If your empathy faculties are nearly nil, you treat people with kindness and respect because you know, on an intellectual level, that they are made in God's image.
I do have one reservation about this book. Daniel lives with his boyfriend, and that is a cognitive disconnect. Still, this is a fast read, and a fascinating one. As I told my grandmother, "You should read this. It is interesting."
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Friday, June 29, 2007
Rewriting a scholarly paper
I'm finally making progress, with a yellow "legal" pad and pen, outlining and organizing the structure of the paper.
And it just occurred to me -- pursuing a degree online is harder work than doing it on site. So folks say ... and I'm beginning to agree.
Still, this is a worth while endeavor. I'm taking moment out to pray for the other students in this class.
As my sig line asserts, "Everything is possible / I can do all things through Him who empowers me!"
I would appreciate your prayers as well, folks. This thing needs to be done by Monday!
Tom
Tutto posso in colui che mi da la forza!
And it just occurred to me -- pursuing a degree online is harder work than doing it on site. So folks say ... and I'm beginning to agree.
Still, this is a worth while endeavor. I'm taking moment out to pray for the other students in this class.
As my sig line asserts, "Everything is possible / I can do all things through Him who empowers me!"
I would appreciate your prayers as well, folks. This thing needs to be done by Monday!
Tom
Tutto posso in colui che mi da la forza!
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Can entropy be reversed?
Entropy happens. In the press of daily business, family worship is one of those things that can easily slip out of the schedule. Until you take yourself in hand, and remind yourself of your obligations as husband, father, and head of household, to take your family into the Divine Presence on a routine basis. Then, once again, you might hear your youngest pray with innocent faith for your mother's healing.
Entropy happens. Alzheimer's disease is, as you remind your father, a progressive degenerative disease with healing that normally can be anticipated only in the next life.
Then, you take stock of the most recent visit. Mom, to me, Baba to the girls, was far more alert this time. Making more of an effort to be present. To make sense. At one point, when you nod off in the armchair, you awaken to find her putting a blanket on you, a kindly-meant maternal gesture, even if it's a warm summer day.
Entropy happens. And so, too, do those tiny victories over entropy that those "with the faith of a child" rejoice in as tokens of divine mercy.
Entropy happens. Alzheimer's disease is, as you remind your father, a progressive degenerative disease with healing that normally can be anticipated only in the next life.
Then, you take stock of the most recent visit. Mom, to me, Baba to the girls, was far more alert this time. Making more of an effort to be present. To make sense. At one point, when you nod off in the armchair, you awaken to find her putting a blanket on you, a kindly-meant maternal gesture, even if it's a warm summer day.
Entropy happens. And so, too, do those tiny victories over entropy that those "with the faith of a child" rejoice in as tokens of divine mercy.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Over 50 x 2
I gained 10 lbs. at the start of June, and heartily regretted them last Saturday, as I pushed my over-50 overweight carcass over 50 miles for another sponsored ride, for a worthy cause. The Ice Cream Ride for MS research starts and ends at a local pharmaceutical firm. Gotta tell you -- the salty caramel in the Rabbit Track ice cream really tastes great at the end of four hours in the saddle!
Since the ride started 5.9 miles from home, I went there and back on two wheels. About four miles into the ride, nearly 200 of us blasted down Sedwick Road. Since the Herald Sun was still in the yard, I believe my ladies were asleep at the time ... At this point, the groups had pretty well sorted themselves out, and I cranked along barely ahead of the eschewed final spot. The ride included the ferocious upgrade on Yates Store Road, and the fragrance of flowering mimosas. For the last nine miles, I chatted with a new immigrant from Austin, TX, the CFO of a major local semiconductor firm. (yes, I had my business cards with me. Old Boy Scouts try to "be prepared.")
Oh, well. In another 15 days, maybe I can be in better shape for another Firecracker 100.
Since the ride started 5.9 miles from home, I went there and back on two wheels. About four miles into the ride, nearly 200 of us blasted down Sedwick Road. Since the Herald Sun was still in the yard, I believe my ladies were asleep at the time ... At this point, the groups had pretty well sorted themselves out, and I cranked along barely ahead of the eschewed final spot. The ride included the ferocious upgrade on Yates Store Road, and the fragrance of flowering mimosas. For the last nine miles, I chatted with a new immigrant from Austin, TX, the CFO of a major local semiconductor firm. (yes, I had my business cards with me. Old Boy Scouts try to "be prepared.")
Oh, well. In another 15 days, maybe I can be in better shape for another Firecracker 100.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Easter 2007 newsletter
Monday, June 11, 2007
Home again
Umberto Eco made the first hundred pages of his novel The Name of the Rose deliberately stately in pace, laden with tedious detail. His rationale? Visitors to a whole 'nother world should expect to pay some kind of penance as the price of admission.
The week began hopefully, as the Dodge Caliber I'd rented turned into a Grand Caravan for the same price. In the rush to pack, however, I'd forgotten my blood pressure medication. The first few days were bracketed by a constant low-grade headache and ringing ears. When I finally went to the doctor for an emergency refill, the fickle scales said I'd gained 10 pounds.
Consider me penanced.
This class, my last on campus, alas, was a seminar dealing with the heart of the scholar's task, getting published. Folks pursuing tenure are expected to average two published articles per year over the course of seven years. Since it can take more than a year to push an article through the hoops, the wise aspirante (that's Ukrainian for grad student) tries to keep a number of articles in process at a time.
After several years in the program, we've become aware of the difference between a student and a scholar. A student seeks to generate papers of the required length, each designed to please the professor and cite the textbooks. The "see what a good boy am I" motive prevails. The scholar gets excited about some corner of God's universe, eagerly studies it, and seeks to present it to thoughtful peers in the form of a well-written, well-reasoned, well-supported publication.
After several days dealing with the mechanics of creating professional material, we reviewed on another's papers. This was a painful, but encouraging process. My content is good, it seems, but my presentation is too casual, flippant, lightweight.
Bottom line? I'm finally a grownup, and my reflections deserve to be taken seriously. First of all, by me.
The week began hopefully, as the Dodge Caliber I'd rented turned into a Grand Caravan for the same price. In the rush to pack, however, I'd forgotten my blood pressure medication. The first few days were bracketed by a constant low-grade headache and ringing ears. When I finally went to the doctor for an emergency refill, the fickle scales said I'd gained 10 pounds.
Consider me penanced.
This class, my last on campus, alas, was a seminar dealing with the heart of the scholar's task, getting published. Folks pursuing tenure are expected to average two published articles per year over the course of seven years. Since it can take more than a year to push an article through the hoops, the wise aspirante (that's Ukrainian for grad student) tries to keep a number of articles in process at a time.
After several years in the program, we've become aware of the difference between a student and a scholar. A student seeks to generate papers of the required length, each designed to please the professor and cite the textbooks. The "see what a good boy am I" motive prevails. The scholar gets excited about some corner of God's universe, eagerly studies it, and seeks to present it to thoughtful peers in the form of a well-written, well-reasoned, well-supported publication.
After several days dealing with the mechanics of creating professional material, we reviewed on another's papers. This was a painful, but encouraging process. My content is good, it seems, but my presentation is too casual, flippant, lightweight.
Bottom line? I'm finally a grownup, and my reflections deserve to be taken seriously. First of all, by me.
Monday, June 4, 2007
Regent U, Day 2
Actually, this was my first day of class. At day's end, as I walked from the library to the parking lot, I saw a rainbow over the Communications Arts building.
The professor, Dr. Steiner, is a live wire and thoroughly professional. He is relentlessly preaching the gospel of excellence and professionalism in our work. Turns out that the work of critics is more significant than you might think. They are charged with keeping the communicators honest. In theory, at least.
I think my presentation went reasonably well. I discussed using a template to simplify the work of creating documents that conform to the APA standards.
It's a bit of a shock, but I only need to get in three classes after this summer to use up my required 44 classroom hours of doctoral study. When you start a project, the time seems to stretch out indefinitely in front of you.
I'm somewhat abashed by the quality of my fellow students. I'm surrounded by people who are actually "doing the stuff," quite a few college professors aiming for tenure track.
I got Yahoo Instant Messenger set up so that Vicky and I can keep in touch during the day. The last time we spent more than a night apart was in 2000, and it's amazing how the bonds of affection can grow over the decades.
Pippin is also having a hard time of it. This is his first night without me in proximity. This morning, he dashed around the house frantically looking and barking for the alpha dog.
Well, I'm caught up on my reading for this class, but have a ways to go for the other class, Course Design for Online Learning.
Stay tuned!
The professor, Dr. Steiner, is a live wire and thoroughly professional. He is relentlessly preaching the gospel of excellence and professionalism in our work. Turns out that the work of critics is more significant than you might think. They are charged with keeping the communicators honest. In theory, at least.
I think my presentation went reasonably well. I discussed using a template to simplify the work of creating documents that conform to the APA standards.
It's a bit of a shock, but I only need to get in three classes after this summer to use up my required 44 classroom hours of doctoral study. When you start a project, the time seems to stretch out indefinitely in front of you.
I'm somewhat abashed by the quality of my fellow students. I'm surrounded by people who are actually "doing the stuff," quite a few college professors aiming for tenure track.
I got Yahoo Instant Messenger set up so that Vicky and I can keep in touch during the day. The last time we spent more than a night apart was in 2000, and it's amazing how the bonds of affection can grow over the decades.
Pippin is also having a hard time of it. This is his first night without me in proximity. This morning, he dashed around the house frantically looking and barking for the alpha dog.
Well, I'm caught up on my reading for this class, but have a ways to go for the other class, Course Design for Online Learning.
Stay tuned!
Day one, on site, Regent U
I'm enjoying my new Dell laptop. It runs Windows XP -- in response to the outraged howls of customers who resented the "cop chip" and software bloat of Windows Vista, Dell resumed offering the older, more refined, and less intrusive operating system. On new computers.
An earlier attempt to purchase a reconditioned HP computer with XP came to naught -- both purchases were snapped up by someone who hit the [Submit] button a second or two before I did.
The wide screen format is nice -- I finally got to watch Stalingrad last night, on this laptop. Grueling, grim, and unpleasant film, by the guys who gave us Das Boote. Now the earlier movie permitted one survivor, the story-teller (c.f. Moby Dick -- "And I alone am escaped to tell thee!") Nobody got out of Stalingrad alive. The armies numbered in the millions. German casualties, killed and injured, 600,000+. 91,000 imprisoned and sent to Siberia, of whom 6,000 survivors came home years later.
The movie starts with proud military people, disciplined young men, sharply uniformed, highly trained, exemplars of all that's deemed praiseworthy in the military culture. By the time they reached the end of the largest land battle in recorded history,[1] the polish and nobility were all gone. All that remained was loyalty to fellow soldiers.
________
A suggestion for occasional "road warriors:" before buying the T-Mobile wi-fi hot spot card, check and see if there's a free hot spot already in place. As I learned too late, the free service was already there -- and had a stronger signal than the service I paid for!
[1] A necessary qualifier. The Bible indicates major global conflicts in the pre-flood (antedeluvian) world, and there are intriguing hints of prehistoric nuclear warfare uncovered by analyzing isotopes in archaeological artifacts.
An earlier attempt to purchase a reconditioned HP computer with XP came to naught -- both purchases were snapped up by someone who hit the [Submit] button a second or two before I did.
The wide screen format is nice -- I finally got to watch Stalingrad last night, on this laptop. Grueling, grim, and unpleasant film, by the guys who gave us Das Boote. Now the earlier movie permitted one survivor, the story-teller (c.f. Moby Dick -- "And I alone am escaped to tell thee!") Nobody got out of Stalingrad alive. The armies numbered in the millions. German casualties, killed and injured, 600,000+. 91,000 imprisoned and sent to Siberia, of whom 6,000 survivors came home years later.
The movie starts with proud military people, disciplined young men, sharply uniformed, highly trained, exemplars of all that's deemed praiseworthy in the military culture. By the time they reached the end of the largest land battle in recorded history,[1] the polish and nobility were all gone. All that remained was loyalty to fellow soldiers.
________
A suggestion for occasional "road warriors:" before buying the T-Mobile wi-fi hot spot card, check and see if there's a free hot spot already in place. As I learned too late, the free service was already there -- and had a stronger signal than the service I paid for!
[1] A necessary qualifier. The Bible indicates major global conflicts in the pre-flood (antedeluvian) world, and there are intriguing hints of prehistoric nuclear warfare uncovered by analyzing isotopes in archaeological artifacts.
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