The View From Kalamazoo

Miss Susie more than a complex clapping game?
(The version I learned – Michigan in the mid-70s. Death and no sex – was I not part of female unity?):
Miss Susie had a steamboat, the steamboat had a bell,
Miss Susie went to heaven and the steamboat went to Hell
O operator, please give me number nine, and if you disconnect me,
IÂ’ll kick you right behind
The ‘frigerator, there was a piece of glass,
Miss Susie sat upon it and it cut her little as
Sk me no more questions, tell me no more lies
Miss Susie told me all of this three days before she died
Her hair all purple, she died her hair all pink,
She dyed her hair in polka-dots and washed it down the sink!

Last week this here blog averaged 244 visitors a day. And I haven’t been posting much recently. I get almost nothing in the way of comments, however…is it Conversant that keeping commenters away? I’m curious…

Occasoinally I take a look at the reports generated by the system…most entertaining, of course, is the search engine traffic, since often the search string that leads them, eventually, to me is often hopelessly bizarre at best. Good for a laugh, at least. I find myself in the most interesting places…I’m here. Huh. And here. And here. Here, too. A posted bit of writing is on the internet forever. And the opinion columns I wrote for the Herald those many years back are all over the damn place (like here, for example). A brief attempt at political writing – not my bag, ultimately.

from Hyperactivity disorder tied to brain irregularities

Brain scans of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder show abnormalities in the fiber pathways along which brain signals pass, scientists said Monday.

The finding indicates the disorder may be more than just a chemical imbalance, they added.

Using an imaging technique called diffusion tensor imaging, researchers found subtle anatomical differences in children diagnosed with ADHD that may affect communication between key areas of the brain — the frontal cortex, basal ganglia, brain stem and cerebellum.

“These areas are involved in the process that regulate attention, impulsive behavior, motor activity and inhibition — the key symptoms in ADHD children,” said lead researcher Manzar Ashtari, an associate professor of radiology and psychiatry at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System in New Hyde Park, New York.

In another study, Ashtari found the brain irregularities diminished in children who had been medicated with stimulant drugs for an average of 2 1/2 years.

“The findings … indicate that the therapeutic effect of stimulants may involve a brain normalization process,” said co-researcher Sanjiv Kumra, a psychiatrist at Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, New York.

“Typically, ADHD is described as a chemical imbalance, but our research has shown that there may also be subtle anatomical differences in areas of the brain that are important in this disorder,” Kumra said.

Aaaand, for a bit of Monday amusement:

17th Century British Porn to Be Auctioned

Vanity, thy name is…Roman?

Historic ship remains recovered

Medieval harvest reveal climate change

Bible nres – back to the source

On sacred cows and moveable type

Entirely too amusing for I am silly and good with ketchup: Medieval Latin Yo Mamma Jokes

Google for Scholars

Added comment: Not huge winner, yet, but this is only the beta phase. Apparently the link with WorldCat only indexes those items found in 100 or more libraries – so it’s not fantastic coverage. Google scholar might be a passably useful tool for undergrads (with the exception of those writing theses, etc.), but it’s woefully inadequate for grad students and faculty research. Subject-specific databases are still the clear winner for a project of any muscle…but perhaps in time this tool may grow into something of more use to upper-level and advanced work. I’ll reserve judgement until a year of corrections and adjustments present a more complete engine.

I ran across the link for this thoughtful explanation from a recent listserv posting on the subject. I hope there are no budget-crunchers anywhere hoping to save a few bucks and shift from database expenditure to this free resource…that would be a disservice to the whole college/university community.

So recently Bri was offered a position working on a half-mil. NIH grant as instructional specialist. It’s a medical research/education thing – hooking up medical students at MSU and U MN to medical students at a college in Mexico to collaborate on Alzheimer’s research, (and etc.). It involves technologies he already works with (as God of compressed video/interactive television), plus what amounts to paid training in a lot of other stuff he’ll want to know to push for promotions/more money later, anyway…and it could open up other opportunities for stuff like this. And it’s a little extra money. (Believe me, that’s never a bad thing at our house.)

It’s a 3-year gig. The extra work and time away from home (he may have to travel to MSU and/or Mexico over the next couple years (he’s so not fond of travel, especially if it might involve flying, but I guess he’s willing) impacts me, obviously…but the part that really impacts me: remaining at WMU.

Great opportunity for him.
Screws me and any plans for my future I might still resurrect.

I’m very sad for me even as I’m happy for him. Ever feel like the universe was giving you a big ol’ hint that you should be doing something different with your life than you had planned…? It’s mind-boggling..

Not so much, methinks, but whatever…

You Are a Pundit Blogger!

Your blog is smart, insightful, and always a quality read. Truly appreciated by many, surpassed by only a few.

INQUISITION: VATICAN-ITALY AGREEMENT FOR NEW CRITICAL STUDIES
(AGI) – Vatican City, 9 November – The former holy office will open its archives to Italian university researchers and in particular those from the Centre for Research into the Inquisition of the University of Trieste. But Vatican researchers will also take part thus guaranteeing not just one view on the subject.

Precious, spectacular filk. Read along here, listen here. Ow, my sides hurt…

Machomer. Oh. My. God. This stuff is absolutely, breathtakingly hilarious. Enter and listen to the audio clips. Seriously – do it now.