nothing to see here

i just listened to a phenomenal lecture recorded in 2006 by paul bergner (a seriously kick ass herbalist in colorado). in my practice, i educate people, and i explain to them HOW to think and feel and recognize what is going on in their bodies. i explain that i am NOT a doctor, and i don't give them stuff in a or for their black box. seeing an herbalist requires thought. this lecture reminded me how much deeper that goes, how much i'm only just scraping the surface of critical thinking, how much more i need to do.

it was oh so good.

so then i check in on facebook, something i don't really do that often. and there's a letter from the - whatever they call their guy in charge, and it includes this paragraph:

We've worked hard to build controls that we think will be better for you, but we also understand that everyone's needs are different. We'll suggest settings for you based on your current level of privacy, but the best way for you to find the right settings is to read through all your options and customize them for yourself. I encourage you to do this and consider who you're sharing with online.

and i think (again), it's an epidemic! americans can't fucking think!! moo! baa! rote repetition is NOT a substitute for reasoned, critical, open thought.

(that is, apparently, my rant for the night.)

i need to buy a laptop, and i need to do it before the end of the year to qualify for some business tax stuff. i can get an educational discount on a mac, so i guess that's the way to go.

anyone have suggestions?

i'm a pretty light user these days - i use microsoft office, and internet apps, i play some music. i print stuff and use a USB, and connect to various wireless networks. i can imagine that i might do some basic photoshop stuff at some point, or run dreamweaver or something.
my only thing is that i'm twitchy: i HATE waiting on applications. so i need something that doesn't lag.

also, if anyone has not-mac (and NOTlinux) -- which i guess means, windows -- laptop suggestions, i'd entertain them. i love love LOVE my thinkpad, the trackpoint was the greatest invention EVER. i will be sad to give that up (but it belongs to my work, so...)

but ryn sent me this one today.
smiley!

http://niemann.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/17/bio-diversity/?hp

summer 2011.
mongolian horse trek.



(for the record)

yesterday a woman literally gave me the shirt off her back, as a gift. she feels gratitude, she feels i have taught her something. i feel like a child next to her.

today my mother wrote to me to say it is the 20th anniversary of the wall coming down, and she was remembering that i was there. i thought, oh, nonono, i'm not ok with that. it's not ok that it was 20 years ago, i have not done things 20 years ago. i am overwhelmingly not ok with 20 years ago. i am not old enough to have lived these things 20 years ago, i am not wise enough yet, i haven't learned.

i think this is a very strange time in my life. maybe that's what the middle of thirty is supposed to be.

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/48605/title/Junk_food_turns_rats_into_addicts

the article mentions that it's the "high-fat" food that makes the rats behave like they're addicted. that's so misleading! good fat is good, all crap is crap. it's the high-CRAP food that makes the rats be addcited. if they were being fed a high-fat diet of good quality fat that was appropriate for a rat, they would not be acting this way.

the study shows some interesting things (though i have issue with harming rats to discover something that didn't require a study to begin with!), but the design flaws and the overgeneralized conclusions they're going to come to invalidate any goodness.

it's not that hard, people! ho-ho's are not food, for rats or for people. end of story.

gah!

you are cordially invited to my newly renovated office in brookline

for a grand opening reception!

sunday, november 1, 2009
3:00pm - 7:00pm

33a harvard st., suite 200 · brookline, ma 02445
617.750.5274 · katja@katjaswift.com
www.katjaswift.com