http://gingermiss.wordpress.com/

I’m really shocked that it’s already the end of August. I love Autumn, and there are parts of winter that I love, but I always get depressed during the winter. As though my body wants to go into hibernation. I know that this is not a strange phenomenon, but it gets very exhausting.

Someone said to me the other day, “Remember when you were young and summer used to last forever?” Yes. Very much so, possibly because I’m still fairly young. I wonder if that sort of experience is ever duplicated as you age. That would definitely give me something to look forward to.

Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums being among my favorite movies and Wes Anderson among my favorite directors, here is the trailer link for his upcoming film The Darjeeling Limited.

The Darjeeling Limited, in theatres September 29

It’s about three brothers traveling through India. As one would expect, I’m ardently looking forward to its release.

I don’t believe the sun rises and sets by these tests, but sometimes the results fascinate me.

iNFj: counselor idealist

The Counselor Idealists are abstract in thought and speech, cooperative in reaching their goals, and enterprising and attentive in their interpersonal roles. Counselors focus on human potentials, think in terms of ethical values, and come easily to decisions. The small number of this type (little more than 2 percent) is regrettable, since Counselors have an unusually strong desire to contribute to the welfare of others and genuinely enjoy helping their companions. Although Counsleors tend to be private, sensitive people, and are not generally visible leaders, they nevertheless work quite intensely with those close to them, quietly exerting their influence behind the scenes with their families, friends, and colleagues. This type has great depth of personality; they are themselves complicated, and can understand and deal with complex issues and people.

It sounds a bit like me I suppose.

I had a professor in college who was very fascinated by the cycles of the moon. He was very memorable for saying odd, unexplained things out of nowhere. One day in class, while talking about something completely unrelated, he focused directly on the class (which only consisted of about 4 or 5 people) and said, “I’m a lunatic, you know.” We all felt a bit unsettled, of course, but after a long pause he went on to elaborate that he believed he was very affected by the cycles of the moon, by a full moon in particular, and told us stories about the strange things his cat would do whenever the moon was full.

I thought of him when I saw this article:
Full moon not a howling good time for pets

There have always been theories that the moon affected both animal and human behavior. The term “lunatic” really does refer to that, although today it’s more commonly used to describe anyone who is possibly insane.

It’s a romantic concept, but I believe there could be some weight to it. If the cycles of the moon can affect the tides, why not something so seemingly small as the way certain people feel? There’s something very intriguing about the idea.

“Tell me what you feel in your room when the full moon is shining in upon you and your lamp is dying out, and I will tell you how old you are, and I shall know if you are happy.”

- Henri-Frédéric Amiel

Always Apologize, Always Explain

That is the link to an excellent article on CNN.com today about the art of apologizing. The author, Martha Beck, has said everything I’ve been trying to express to my boyfriend for the last 5 years.

In my own, personal experience, it seems men have more difficulty apologizing than women. I’m not saying that women are great at apologizing, or that men who do genuinely apologize for their mistakes on a regular basis are fictional, just that it seems more difficult for them on a personal level. I’m not exactly sure why this is, but I would guess it has something to do with pride, with feeling like admitting to their mistakes makes them seem like a weaker, more fallible person, or just that it’s about maintaining their status and power in a relationship.

Regardless of the reason, this is one of the best articles I’ve read that outlines the situation (in a gender-neutral way) and gives a practical, straight-forward explanation as to why a genuine apology, however seemingly insignificant, is very important.

The introduction to the piece evaluates that stupid fucking line from Love Story - “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” - although Beck’s point was already made by Lisa Simpson several years ago.

I don’t care how much you love someone else. Somewhere down the line, you’re going to make a mistake, and you’re going to need to apologize for that mistake to maintain a healthy, functioning relationship. Beck makes an important point by saying that you shouldn’t be constantly apologizing; apologies should always reflect the idea that you (and you alone) are truly sorry for what you did or said.

Empty, useless apologies can often be more hurtful than not apologizing at all because it’s just showing the other person that you have no intention of listening to what they have to say and just want them to be quiet. I certainly find them much more frustrating, especially since it’s pretty easy to identify when someone is just jerking you around and isn’t actually repenting.

I have my own set of problems, but apologizing when I feel that I have done something wrong is not one of them. If you feel this is something you have difficulty with, or know someone who does, I encourage you to take a look.

You… won’t… be… come on, you know what’s coming….

SORRY!

Ha. I’m sure me and 9 million other people have made that original, hilarious joke.

P.S. - The wording in the article is not gender-neutral; the author writes the article with the goal of speaking to women who are apologizing to men. What I mean when I say this is that I feel the advice works well for both men and women.

Lady Bird Johnson died. I knew practically nothing about her, except that every time I drive along the highway with my family and we come across a patch of wildflowers, my mother always mentions how she was so glad that Lady Bird Johnson did the work she did to have the wildflowers planted along the nation’s highways.

It wasn’t world peace or national literacy, but it was a simple something that brought a lot of beauty and modest happiness to the world.

Thanks, Lady Bird.

… and the featured article on Wikipedia today is “mourning dove”. Go figure.

Shark pregnancy baffles aquarium

That’s right, as Paris Hilton daintily stepped out of jail today things that were - gasp! - far more interesting were going on in the world.

A pregnant shark in an environment where pregnancy was presumed to be impossible. Either the shark pup in question was a naturally produced hybrid - previously unheard of - or it was produced asexually, which was not previously thought to be a viable scenario with sharks. Both possibilities make for some very interesting conversation.

“Life will find a way.”
- Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park

I haven’t been around online lately. No real reason for this other than general exhaustion. I certainly have been sleeping a lot. Anyway, I wanted to at the very least mention some of the recent news pieces I’ve seen that caught my attention.

- Girl’s feet severed on ride at Six Flags : Hating roller coasters, I’ve never been on one of these Tower of Terror/Freefall rides where the enjoyment of the thing comes from the sick feeling you get in your stomach. When is Six Flags going to learn that naming their rides after Superman seems to increase the probability that something bad is going to happen?

- We, the two-headed snake, dies : Several things struck me about this snake other than the fact that it was generally an anomaly. 1) It lived for 8 years when most two-headed snakes die within weeks of birth. 2) The heartbreaking description of how We’s two heads would struggle to slither in two divergent directions. Sounds like such a sad existence. I find snakes as unsettling as the next person commonly does, but this was interesting.

- Mythic Creatures exhibit at the Museum of Natural History : I haven’t seen it yet, but I really want to. I hear tell of Giant Squid/Kraken inclusion, information that is verified by the website. Suffice it to say, I’ll be very excited to go.

- Bone Cracking Ancient Wolves : The more we learn about history, the more I believe that the creatures we once thought to be ‘mythic’ may truly have existed.

So much more has happened in the world and I haven’t been able to comment on it. Hopefully I’ll have caught up on my super-exhaustion soon.

Just thought I would share the joy that is Sifl & Olly.

YouTube - Baby for Gravy

Sifl & Olly - vastly underappreciated bits of whimsical and musical genius.

A fish that has been described as possibly one of “the oldest creatures in Alaska” was caught by fisherman in the Bering Sea about one month ago. It was believed to be between 90 - 115 years old.

Inevitably the fish was photographed, celebrated, and then used for research.

I have no affinity for fish, and I know that there’s no scientific or educational substitute for being able to study the fish first-hand, but reading the account of the unfolding events made me wistful. It survived so long, possibly for a century, only to be unceremoniously slain in an unromantic attempt to learn more about it. It seems so short-sighted. I know that thousands upon thousands of fish are killed every day for even less noble purposes, but something about this situation just struck me. Maybe because it reminded me of the story I alluded to in the title of this post.

There’s another piece of literature that also reminds me of this story.

The Fish in the Stone
by Rita Dove

The fish in the stone
would like to fall
back into the sea.

He is weary
of analysis, the small
predictable truths.
He is weary of waiting
in the open,
his profile stamped
by a white light.

In the ocean the silence
moves and moves
and so much is unnecessary!

Patient, he drifts
until the moment comes
to cast his
skeletal blossom.

The fish in the stone
knows to fail is
to do the living
a favor.

He knows why the ant
engineers a gangster’s
funeral, garish
and perfectly amber.
He knows why the scientist
in secret delight
strokes the fern’s
voluptuous braille.

Sigh. If you have an ancient fish swimming in your living room or the golden pond in your backyard, be sure to give them a hug.