March 26, 2011
Get Tough
This is a fascinating article. I especially like the part about how exercise helps us recover more quickly from stress and think better while under stress. (Item #3 in the "Toughen Up" section.) Those are traits I could use.
"The Tough Track"
from Psychology Today
Posted by Selena at 02:13 PM | Comments (0)
October 24, 2010
Interesting Article on Mindfulness
I enjoyed reading this interesting article on mindfulness:
The Art of Now: Six Steps to Living in the Moment
I heard about it via Alyssa Milano's Twitter feed. She often has interesting links.
Posted by Selena at 01:58 PM | Comments (0)
March 19, 2010
Great Article on Giving
What a great article to start the day with:
Unemployed D.C. man giving money away to strangers to help foster kindness
So inspirational. I particularly like the idea of kindness being addictive. It's also contagious.
Posted by Selena at 07:14 AM | Comments (0)
August 15, 2009
RRN: "Rapt"
Rapt: Attention and the Focused Life by Winifred Gallagher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I am enjoying this book very much. My copy has become a sea of little pink post-its flagging all the quotes I want to refer back to and remember. Here are some of my favorites so far:
"The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another." (quote from William James) (page 6)
"The difference between 'passing the time' and 'time well spent' depends on making smart decisions about what to attend to in matters large and small, then doing so as if your life depends on it." (page 12)
"...to enjoy the kind of experience you want rather than enduring the kind you feel stuck with, you have to take charge of your attention." (page 28)
"In short, it seems that simply going about your business, whether it's driving a taxi or spotting pottery shards, teaches your brain what to attend to and customizes your nervous system to suit your experience and modify who you are." (pages 68-69)
"Davidson speculates that deliberately focusing on feelings such as compassion, joy, and gratitude may strengthen neurons in the left pre-frontal cortex and inhibit disturbing messages form the fear-oriented amygdala." (page 73)
"When they're focused on either a social activity or a task, the moods of even fragile or stressed people, including breast-cancer patients, bulimics, and chronic depressives, are no different from those of average subjects in control groups but drop precipitously when they're alone or have nothing to attend to." (page 85)
Plus the book gets bonus points for referencing this "Pearls Before Breakfast" experiment that put a famous violinist in a busy Metro station to see if anyone took notice of his virtuoso playing.
Posted by Selena at 08:29 AM | Comments (0)
March 27, 2009
Art a low priority in tough times? I think not!
I can’t shake the conviction that cutting funding for public art projects is not the way to go, even in tough economic times. I know I should be practical, and I would be willing to reduce funding temporarily in times of crisis, but the idea of art being an expendable luxury item, reserved only for those who can afford it, makes me crazy.
I understand that my perspective is colored by the fact that, as a writer, I am an artist. So, I naturally feel a kinship with artists and want to stand up for them. Plus, I have always been the sort of person who would happily do without the necessities in order to have the luxuries that I just can’t do without.
Anyway, here’s the article that set me off:
Funding Public Art Low Priority In Tough Times
I can’t stop thinking about it.
Posted by Selena at 08:46 AM | Comments (0)
October 11, 2008
Quote of the Day from "If the Buddha Got Stuck"
Today's quote is from If the Buddha Got Stuck by Charlotte Kasl, Ph.D.
"The human mind likes a strange idea as little as the body like a strange protein and resists it with a similar energy."
- W. I. Beveridge, Scientist
It's a cool book so far.
Posted by Selena at 12:33 PM | Comments (0)
July 30, 2008
MindFlights: Interview with Aliette de Bodard
This update is a special treat, an interview with author Aliette de Bodard.
"An Interview with Aliette de Bodard"
by Rochita Loenen-Ruiz
In 2006, The Triad’s Gift was published by the now defunct webzine, Deep Magic. Written by Aliette de Bodard, this novella was nominated for a Nebula Award in 2007, and was one of Aliette’s first published stories.
Posted by Selena at 12:38 PM | Comments (0)
June 22, 2008
Tough Week (but Two Good Books)
It's been a tough week. First, Lily was sick. (Who knew so much vomit could come out of such a small child?!) Then Sharon was sick. Then yesterday I was sick, although not as badly. In truth, I think my "illness" wasn't a stomach virus so much as it was my stomach throwing a tantrum over all the junk food I've been feeding it lately. "Okay, Grumpy Tummy, message received."
One of the downsides to all the sickness going around this week is that I hardly got anything on my to-do list done. But there was an upside: I did a lot of non-work reading, i.e. not submissions or critiques but actual books that I have been meaning to read.
Yesterday I finally finished Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman. Such a great book. So enlightening, so vital, so helpful. The weird thing is that the book is ten years old. The copy I have is a "tenth anniversary edition." So, what I want to know is: why didn't anyone in all my years of education make me read this sooner?
I have two more books on Emotional Intelligence sitting on my to-read stack. It's such a fascinating topic.
Instead of reading one of those, I chose to go with The Writing Diet by Julia Cameron. I like the idea of turning to writing instead of food when in distress. It's a skill I need to learn. Hopefully it will help with two of my problems: my seriously lacking productivity in regards to my writing, and my tendency to eat too much and all the wrong things. So far, the book has been very interesting and helpful. I think I am going to have to get that other book of hers, The Artist's Way. I've been coveting it for a while now. Maybe someone will give it to me for my birthday. ;)
Posted by Selena at 06:59 AM | Comments (0)
March 05, 2008
Interesting Articles on "Me"-ness vs. Happiness
Sorry, I meant to blog about this days ago but forgot.
Recently, I came across this good article in The Washington Post about how me-centered thinking and entitlement make people miserable instead of happy.
Sounds like a no-brainer, right?
Then why do we as a society tend to teach our kids that they are the center of the universe and are entitled to get whatever they want?
It's fascinating and counter-intuitive that focusing so much on instilling self-esteem has backfired and may actually do more harm than good.
It reminds me of an article I recently read in Oprah Magazine called "The New and Improved Self-Esteem" (by Aimee Lee Ball).
Sadly, the article isn't available online. I checked. It was in the January 2008 issue if you can get your hands on it. (All the website has of the article is the sidebar, which is good but not the meat of the thing.)
Here are the two quotes from the Oprah article that I found most interesting:
"There's no question you get the best results from highly contingent praise and criticism," says [Roy] Baumeister [PhD, professor of psychology at Florida State University]. "That means praising exactly what you did right and criticizing exactly what you did wrong." [emphasis mine]
That makes sense to me. So why have we fallen so far away from doing that? I guess because we are so afraid of hurting someone's feelings. Key phrase: "highly contingent."
"[Carol] Dweck's studies clearly show that when children are told they're brilliant, they often start thinking of effort as a sign of stupidity."[Dweck, PhD, is professor of psychology at Stanford University.]
That explains a lot!
I encourage you to check out both of these fascinating reads.
Posted by Selena at 09:43 PM | Comments (0)
December 15, 2007
Blog Jewels
Last night I was too tired to work, but still had to be awake for the baby-watching, so I ended up surfing. I found some jewels and wanted to share them:
Grendel, The Misanthropic Dog: this blog is from the point of view of a dog. So sweet and entertaining.
That led me to this blog post from one of Grendel's friends, a dog named BlackStar. What a great story about an "incident!"
I also like to read RevGalBlogPals. Yesterday's "Friday Five" turned up all kinds of good responses at various member blogs. But this response from Eternal Echoes particularly got me:
Under the heading of "what makes you rejoice about Jesus' coming," this blogger wrote:
"That God should come amongst us in the form of a baby,
born to a poor family...
That God should choose vulnerability..."
Wow. Thinking of Jesus, the Son of God, as a vulnerable baby… And that he chose that as his way into the world… What does that tell us?
Wow. Just wow.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
Posted by Selena at 10:31 PM | Comments (0)
October 05, 2007
More Articles on "Shrew"
The more I hear about Taichman's production of "The Taming of the Shrew," the more I am looking forward to seeing it. (Won't be long now. Yeah!)
Here are some interesting articles about the show:
A 'Shrew' That's Tamed But Wildly Entertaining
I think it's interesting that Marks mentions the importance of casting. I always thought the casting of Kate and Petruchio is particularly critical to this play's success. I think that to make the show work, you've got to have obvious chemistry between those two characters.
Of course, I also believed that to make the show work you couldn't set it in modern times. I figured that the play only really made sense in a strongly patriarchal society and our modern society just isn't anymore. (Thank goodness.) But it sounds like maybe Ms. Taichman and crew are proving me wrong.
In the Upcoming 'Shrew,' Love Is for Redder or for Worse"
"Lipstick-red stage." If the words don't grab your attention, check out the photo. Also, I can't remember ever hearing the phrase "drop-dead sexy" used in reference to "Shrew" before. Love that.
'Taming' a Tough Role
It’s fascinating to me that Charlayne Woodard's initial response to the idea of playing Kate was "No." I'm glad she changed her mind.
All three articles are from The Washington Post because that's where I get my WDC news. :) Actually, even though I no longer live in DC, The Washington Post is still my main news source. Old habits die hard, I guess.
Posted by Selena at 10:29 PM | Comments (0)
September 23, 2007
Cool Article on Shrew
Today I came across this interesting article on the production of "The Taming of the Shrew" that I am looking forward to:
It's not often you hear this particular Shakespeare play referred to as "modern."
Posted by Selena at 05:17 PM | Comments (0)
July 19, 2007
Article on Christian Spec Fic
It's funny how I heard about this article from both Mir and Dad.
Christian Fantasy Genre Builds Niche Without Hogwarts, Muggles or Spells
I noticed it this morning when I was reading Mir's blog.
I'm not sure why Mir in Miami reads The Washington Post, but she must since I've noticed her referring to articles there more than once.
Then my dad called to tell me about it. At least he lives in the Washington area.
It's an interesting article, by the way.
Posted by Selena at 10:16 AM | Comments (0)
April 23, 2007
SR: "About Leviathan" by David C. Kopaska-Merkel
The Sword Review: Apr. 22 Update
"About Leviathan"
by David C. Kopaska-Merkel
Author of "Leviathan, rising" David C. Kopaska-Merkel offers a look at the ancient legend and its modern interpretations and gives a peek into how it inspired the previously published poem.
Posted by Selena at 07:25 AM | Comments (0)
February 12, 2007
Two Good Articles
For your non-fiction reading, here are two interesting articles that I enjoyed reading today:
Study: Napping Regularly Fights Heart Disease
Any study that justifies my nap addiction is cool by me.
Plus there's…
Plagued With Relationship Troubles? Blame Your Parents
I'm not one for blaming my parents for all my problems, but I found this a fascinating read anyway. (My parents have always been great, by the way.)
It's interesting how this study inverts conventional wisdom. Instead of those who try to cope on their own…
"It is the people who are confident enough to reach out to others for help -- and to whom help is given -- who become truly capable of independence."
Reason enough to phone a friend.
Posted by Selena at 08:25 PM | Comments (0)
January 14, 2007
New Column: "Stewardship"
My latest column is up. Pop on over and check it out.
Thanks.
Posted by Selena at 08:47 AM | Comments (0)
December 20, 2006
Exercise Your Brain
Here is today's good reading:
"Short Mental Workouts May Slow Decline of Aging Minds, Study Finds"
I had actually already heard this and started trying to do or learn something new everyday. I need to do more of it though and increase the difficulty. I'm not quite 40 and already I've noticed some decline in my mental skills. Or maybe I was never as smart as I thought I was. ;)
Posted by Selena at 07:49 AM | Comments (0)
December 19, 2006
Article on Gift-Giving Mishaps
Here's an interesting article about gift-giving mishaps. I find it fascinating that being especially close to someone makes it more likely you'll mess up.
"In the Holiday Gift Forecast? Brain Freeze"
Check out this quote:
"Recent research…shows that…· Almost half of all lovers are worse at predicting their partner's heart's desire than a stranger who simply uses average gender-specific preferences.
· In addition, the more you know about your inamorata, the worse your success rate is likely to get."
Isn't that wild? It seems that part of the problem is that we think we know everything there is to know about that most important person in our lives and thus we ignore any new information that comes along. Also, we tend to overestimate the similarities between ourselves and our partners.
That's intriguing stuff!
I think I did okay with hubby's gift though since I got him something recent evidence suggests he will like. Plus I know it's something I don't like. So clearly I didn't buy it based on my preferences, which is a common mistake.
We'll have to wait and see what happens on Christmas morning. Here's hoping.
Posted by Selena at 09:11 AM | Comments (0)
December 18, 2006
Radical Non-Consumption
I came across this fascinating article today about a group of people who have vowed not to buy anything new for a year, with very few exceptions.
"Nothing New Here – and That's the Point"
It's an interesting counter-point to the rampant consumerism in our culture, especially during in the holiday season.
One person put the "don't buy" approach this way: "we're simply trying to bring less . . . into our house."
I like that. As someone who moved recently, I am all too aware of the amount of stuff we tend to accumulate. I don't think I have the dedication and strength of will for the "buy nothing new" plan, but I am at least going to try to buy less.
Truth is, I already buy less than most people. Most of my buying splurges are on dining out, which is allowed on the "buy nothing new" plan since it is food. But I could afford to cut back more. Just getting all my books at the library would help a lot. I have long since run out of space on my bookshelf. (Newer books are stacked in my closet next to T-shirts and sweaters. It's sad, I know.)
The article reminds me of a scifi book and movie, I think it is "Brave New World," where the workers constantly hear exhortations to buy. I wish I could remember the catch phrases that played repeatedly on the speakers, but they all boiled down to things like "Newer is Better," and "Don't mend, spend."
Does anyone remember the book/movie I'm talking about?
Let's see if I can get through today without buying anything.
Posted by Selena at 10:24 AM | Comments (0)
December 14, 2006
Marketing Ploy or Human Behavior Experiment?
Check out this article in The Washington Post.
So…is that shrewd marketing by Starbucks or a fascinating experiment in human behavior?
Actually, I think it's both.
Only problem is now that the tactic has been publicized, future results are unreliable. Are the people responding now good Samaritans or just savvy folks out to get some free coffee?
Posted by Selena at 09:43 AM | Comments (0)
December 11, 2006
Subtle Stereotype Triggers Can Affect Performance
Wow. I am becoming a big fan of Shankar Vedantam's column in The Washington Post. It's called "Department of Human Behavior" and I've posted about his articles before. (See "Apologies and Insanity" and "Birds of a Feather")
Today's article is more fascinating reading.
"With Subtle Reminders, Stereotypes Can Become Self-Fulfilling"
The article talks about how subtly reminding people of their gender or ethnicity can cause them to act more in accordance with associated stereotypes.
For instance, ask a group of women their stance on co-ed housing, a topic that triggers a recognition of their gender, and they are more likely to express a preference for art over math than a control group of women who are asked a question that did not involve gender.
And it works for both positive and negative stereotypes. Check out this quote from the article:
"When 5- to 7-year-old and 11- to 13-year-old Asian girls are subtly reminded of their Asian identity, they do better at math tests; when subtly reminded about their sex, they do worse."
Freaky huh?
I have long believed that we are affected by more than we realize and in ways we don't realize. (See my essay "Osmosis.") But this is new.
Reading the article I sensed it was somehow related to why I am so annoyed by how the people at the church I've been trying out keep asking me if my husband will be attending and would he attend if this and would he be interested in this other church function. I don't like being dealt with as if my gender and marital status are the only important things about me. Maybe being constantly reminded of those things and the associated stereotypes is what is bothering me about those church interactions. I haven't completely parsed my thoughts on the matter.
Vedantam's article has given me even more to think about.
I highly recommend you give his article a read.
Posted by Selena at 08:25 AM | Comments (0)
November 25, 2006
Latest Column: "The Trinity is Not So Tough"
My latest column is up if you want to check it out:
"The Trinity Is Not That Tough"
It's about understanding the concept of the Trinity.
Posted by Selena at 08:24 AM | Comments (0)
October 17, 2006
Birds of a Feather
For today's good non-fiction reading, check out this article from The Washington Post:
"Why Everyone You Know Thinks the Same as You"
My favorite part:
"I often hear people say with absolute certainty that whoever they are in favor of is obviously going to do well because they haven't talked to 'anyone' who supports the other person" in the election, said Lynn Smith-Lovin, a Duke University sociologist who has studied homophily. She rolled her eyes and said, "Oh yeah, sure! That is a good argument."
That's hilarious! And so ridiculously true.
Making mental note to seek out more people who aren't like me…
Posted by Selena at 05:20 PM | Comments (0)
September 30, 2006
Good Reading: "Returning Humanity to the Fast-Food Counter"
Check out this great column at Sword Review!
Returning Humanity to the Fast-Food Counter
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
I did however feel the need to add comments of my own in the forums thread on this topic. I couldn't help it; it's a topic close to my heart.
Have a good day, everyone!
Posted by Selena at 07:40 AM | Comments (0)
September 25, 2006
Today's Good Reading-Apologies and Insanity
Here are a couple articles that I enjoyed today. One is serious and interesting. The other is hilarious…and interesting.
Apologies Accepted? It Depends on the Offense
From The Washington Post
How to Act Insane
From WikiHow
I particularly like the warnings, like NEVER appear dangerous to yourself or others. This article had me laughing out loud. It also reminded me of this time when I was in an acting class and someone asked the brilliant and brave question: "How do you get over the fear of looking stupid?" The teacher recommended acting a little crazy in public places. Harmless crazy, of course. Don't forget those important warnings.
Posted by Selena at 07:57 AM | Comments (0)
August 27, 2006
Good Reading-On Writing Edition
Check out this great column by Johne (Phy) Cook:
The Hidden Benefits of The Valley
Being in The Valley is certainly something I can relate to. I’m there now actually and it feels like I’ve been in the lowlands forever.
Phy’s column is a good reminder that The Valley is temporary and that it has gifts for us amid the turmoil. I have a feeling I'll be referring back to this column often in the future.
Posted by Selena at 08:51 AM | Comments (0)
July 24, 2006
What's Going On
What’s going on? Sadly, not much.
I’ve been a bit under the weather lately, so my productivity has plummeted, especially where writing is concerned. I have managed to get caught up on reading submissions though, in a couple bursts of energy today and Saturday. But that’s pretty much all I’ve accomplished work-wise.
However, I have gotten other stuff done. I took one of my cats to the vet and found that she had conjunctivitis in both eyes like I thought she did. (She’s had it before. I still have no idea how she gets these things since all she does is lay around the house all day.) So, it’s antibiotic goo in both eyes twice a day. Giving cats medication is always a good time. (Not.)
I’ve been avoiding the muse; I’ve hardly written anything in the last few days. Bad, I know.
I’m also eating all kinds of wrong. Lately it’s been anything with caramel in it. And if it has chocolate too, that’s even better.
On the plus side, I’ve started swimming again. That’s partly due to my dad who keeps saying things like, “I sure wish you’d start swimming again. It’s such good exercise.” Yes, I know. It really is; it works the heart without straining the joints. Turns out that there is a YMCA just a fifteen-minute walk from my house, AND it turns out that they have a pool! I am ashamed to tell you how many years I lived here before I figured that out. Despite my slacker slump, I’ve managed to swim everyday since I joined. That’s three days and counting for anyone who’s keeping score.
More on the plus side: I watched the pilot of “Eureka.” It was pretty good. And I’ve been reading a lot of Traveling Mercies, which is just one great moment after another.
Tomorrow I may attempt a writing practice. But I don’t want to rush into anything. ;) And right now, I'm tired. I think it's gotta be bedtime.
Posted by Selena at 09:14 PM | Comments (0)
May 23, 2006
Unconscious Bias-Part 2
Here’s that article I was telling you about a few posts ago:
Really interesting stuff!
Posted by Selena at 07:57 PM | Comments (0)
May 18, 2006
Unconscious Bias
Yesterday I was reading Scientific American – both for fun and for story ideas :) – and found a great article called “The Implicit Prejudice.” It’s about the biases and prejudices we hold even when we don’t realize it. Or to quote the article: “underneath our awareness, our minds automatically make connections and ignore contradictory information.” The article is also about how we acquire these biases by what we are exposed to.
(I kind of wish I’d read this before I submitted “Osmosis” to Haruah. It would have fit in perfectly with my essay.)
I would like to point you to the article online but it’s in the June issue, which doesn’t seem to be on their website yet. But maybe later it will be there. It would be under the “Insight” section of the current issue (once the current issue is June 2006).
Actually if you can’t wait, it looks like you can buy an electronic issue online now here.
Something that is currently available online for free is this related website, mentioned in the article, where you can test your biases:
https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/
It’s called an implicit association test (IAT). The site lists several. I’ve already done two. The Gender-Science test showed that I have a slight association of female with science and male with liberal arts, which is perhaps unusual but in my case not all that surprising since I’m a woman who loves science.
Posted by Selena at 10:43 AM | Comments (0)
May 08, 2006
“Osmosis” up at Haruah
My editorial/essay is now up at Haruah.
(Is it still called an editorial if I’m not an editor there? I don’t know.)
Thanks.
Posted by Selena at 07:11 AM | Comments (0)
April 22, 2006
Negative Talk
I particularly enjoyed this recent column at Sword Review:
Sar-caustic Venom: the Enemy Within” by Cameron Walker.
I have been known to be grumpy and to fall into the habit of negative talk and sarcasm. I am trying to do better. I try to only speak what is both true and helpful. But it’s not easy.
Our culture seems infatuated with criticism. It’s commonplace for us to try to show how witty and intelligent we are by degrading others, by pointing out everyone else’s flaws. I suppose we do it so people won’t notice our own failures.
Cameron mentions this verse from the Bible:
"Let no unwholesome speech come out of your mouth but only what is useful for the edification of others.” (Ephesians 4:29)
I am going to try to remember that as I go through my day.
Posted by Selena at 09:08 AM | Comments (0)
January 24, 2006
In the news…
I’ve been very busy with my new FTLOI* job but I’m, you know, loving it!
There are three stories accepted and in the works at DKA. I hope to have one published by the end of the week, and maybe another by the end of the month. So don’t forget to visit DKA frequently.
My latest column was published today. You can check it out here.
A friend pointed out this quote to me today:
"How much of your life do you spend looking forward to being somewhere else?"
- Matthew Flickstein, "Journey to the Center"
That’s worth keeping in mind. But it’s also worth noting that usually when I am wishing to be somewhere else I am wishing to be writing or working on DKA/SR.
“I’d rather be writing" – that’s my motto.
*FTLOI stands for “For the love of it" by the way.
Posted by Selena at 10:05 PM | Comments (0)
August 16, 2005
Good Reading-Blog Edition
I enjoyed this story in MSReynold’s Blog so much, I’ve got to link to it.
Click here to go straight to the story.
I guess Melinda’s new neighbors have watched “My Blue Heaven" one too many times.
Still laughing...
Posted by Selena at 07:36 PM | Comments (0)
August 07, 2005
Good Reading-Non-Fiction Edition (Religion in Sci Fi)
I just found this article at Alien Skin and wanted to point it out to you:
"A Matter of Faith: Religion in Science Fiction"
by Rob Shelsky
It’s an interesting article.
I agree with Shelsky that religion has a place in science fiction. (One of my favorite writing accomplishments was creating an alien religion for one of my stories. But that’s probably not what he meant. ) Still, my stories do tend to have some religious elements – alien or human. But I don’t think the story should be an excuse for expounding a religious doctrine. Such stories tend to be boring and then you’ve failed on both counts.
Shelsky also talks about the idea that science and religion are incompatible. It’s a prevalent belief but not one I subscribe to. (Shelsky doesn’t say where he stands.) I don’t believe that science and religion are adversaries or that they are mutually exclusive. I believe science is man’s search to better understand God’s creation. I think science proves God’s existence not disproves it. (Stepping down off soap-box now.)
Anyway, the article's worth a look if you're interested in that kind of thing.
Posted by Selena at 11:06 PM | Comments (0)
July 31, 2005
Good Reading-On Writing Edition
The Editor’s Notebook over at Verbsap is always worth a look, but I particularly like this entry “Double Trouble."
Personally my punctuation weakness is the comma not the various versions of the quotation mark.
But it’s still funny.
Posted by Selena at 08:31 AM | Comments (0)
July 14, 2005
Good Reading - Non-Fiction Edition
This real-life story, found in The Sword Review’s discussion forums, cracked me up.
I liked it so much I have to point it out to you.
Check it out at http://theswordreview.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?p=3057#3057
Posted by Selena at 02:07 PM | Comments (0)