Monday, November 29, 2010

Out of Hibernation

Perhaps I should give up apologizing for the long spells between blog posts. I do now have an iphone, thanks to techno-savvy son. Now I just have to ask him to set it up so I can blog from it like from the former antique. He's probably moved on to bigger and better. I'll ask about blogging from my brain. Actually, you guys don't want to see all that.

Okay, in writing we call what I just wrote above "clearing my throat." Ehh-hem.

The exciting news is I've been taking a class on "Metaphor" with George Lakoff up at UC Berkeley. Unbelievably exciting stuff. Makes my head spin. I recommend all his books, but perhaps the best one to start with is "Don't Think of An Elephant." Then there are many more if you are as into it as I am.

I wrote my first piece incorporating the teeniest bit of cog sci for military.com. It looks at the polarizing effect of the Oscar Grant shooting and subsequent trial, and suggests that the very different interpretations/reactions to the event make total sense from a cog sci perspective. From that insight I find a ray of hope as to how we might be able to use these different reactions to learn more about ourselves and to come together with people who are different. You can read it here.

I thought of a new feature for the ol blog called "Dove/Hawk Nightstand" where I'll share the reading going on at my house. As I've said, I'm reading a lot of George Lakoff. Also I am revisiting The Hours by Michael Cunningham and a bit of Shakespeare. Barrett is reading "Brute: The Life of Victor Krulak, U.S. Marine" by Robert Coram. He says it's pretty good, if "way too anti-Army."

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Blog from Cellphone!

My young son just set things up so I can blog from my cell phone! Will I be blogging more often? Well to my son's great consternation, my cell phone is an antique and not that easy to text on. Is an iPhone and more blogging in my future? Only time will tell.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

A Ticket to the "Man-Chest"


Hello there,
I wrote a few months back that I had pitched a column at military.com. Well it took awhile for them to respond but...I am now in the company of Ollie North and many others as a regular contributor there. (To be accurate, Ollie is a so-called "Hard news" columnist, whereas I am a so-called "Lifestyle" columnist.)

I made my debut last week. My overall theme of "Purple Marriage, Purple America," is also the title of my first column. I plan to write "underneath and around" politics, drawing on my bipartisan marriage, personal experience, as well as interviews/ discussions and reading. Please have a look! In it I talk about B.'s "man-chest," which is not a part of his body, but rather a personal treasure chest of manly gifts. After reading the column I thought you might get a laugh out of the photo, taken on Christmas morning, as Uncle Cameron utilizes his Christmas gift from B., a "ticket to the man-chest." Enjoy!

p.s. if you have ideas for column topics, I'd love to hear them. I will be writing somewhere between monthly and quarterly, a reasonable schedule for this busy mom.

p.p.s. The only way I could bring myself to do the column is to ignore any "troll" comments I may get. So if I get them, please don't mention them!

Blessings to you and your families in the New Year!