Dual posting; Gender Genie.

Being frequently mistaken online for male, this entry at Calblog caught my eye.

Putting in the post below, which one might think would give more hints about gender, the results were:

Female Score: 416
Male Score: 1118
The Gender Genie thinks the author of this passage is: male!

In person, there is no ambiguity. Check it out: Gender Genie

Change and internal questions.

One of the many tangents that I was thinking about last night/early this morning was the fear of the unfamiliar and unknown that can factor into change- change of any sort, but in particular the big changes that we attempt to make in our lives and in our ways of thinking.

What will happen, what will other people think, what if it doesn't work out? What if I fail? What if I am wrong? Is this really my best direction, change, choice, path?

I have had and continue at times to have, trouble with some of those questions. My answers and reminders to self most of the time these days are: I don't know what will happen, no one does; I have to please myself first, and if it doesn't work out, I will try something else, some other direction, some other method. If I fail, I fail- and I will pick myself up and try again if it is important. I trust me to do what is best for me- there is no wrong in that scenario. There are outcomes that are more desirable than other outcomes, but if I am working from my own beliefs and not those of someone else's program, then there is no wrong.

If I don't try, and I don't make the attempt, then I am not living a life, but merely existing in it as if a place marker, or worse, existing in someone else's definition of a life. I accept that I create my own meaning and purpose. I accept that I am responsible for my own happiness and that I have choices in any situation.

Sometimes it is necessary to just turn off the questions and forge ahead. I have found myself in an overly analytical questioning mode (is this the best way for me, is there a better one, is this my choice or someone else's choice for me) that becomes a way of procrastination disguised as being introspective.

Over time I have found that in those moments, jumping in is a much better choice for me, than continuing to evaluate the water.

Anchoring and Antecedent changes?

This post at Older and Growing started me thinking about various things. First I re-read several previous entries and then back to the one linked above. I felt myself cheering Andy onward.

As often happens when it is very late in a long day, my mind swirls around several things at once. The words connect on many different levels and to different things that are part of my world.

Of course to begin with, there is the mention of NLP which interests me from what little I have read so far. But one of the things that struck me was how similar a concept the description of anchoring was to one of the behavioralist's tools for changing a pattern of behavior- the tool being to change the antecedent or change one of the antecedents in a chain.. It isn't quite that simple, and I suspect that anchoring isn't either, but they both seem to start from a similar place.

To change the "old tapes" running in our minds about our beliefs and behaviors, it isn't enough to simply know that we are in control and that we choose our thoughts and beliefs (and the associated behaviors). We are much more likely to return to old patterns, because they are familiar and we tend to keep repeating and drifting back to the things that are familiar, even when they are destructive. So anything that one does to make the circumstances different, even in very small ways, changes the pattern, and helps one to remember there is a choice that one can make.
~~~~~~~~
From there I began thinking about change, and choices, authentic selves, self doubts, old tapes, and how people think- but those are unfinished notes of things that have been bouncing around for a while.. I will sleep and then see if I can do a better job of expressing them in the morning.

Fires still burning.

I posted a link to the latest jpg (3PM 10/2903) from the Federal Active Fire Maps on Corner.

The fires to the northwest of me are still about 20 miles away, but the winds have died down to a gentle breeze, so they may hold that fire. My family is all ok for now and except for the San Bernadino county fires, should be in less danger each day.

If you want to change the world.

If you want to change the world, start in small steps by positively reinforcing every instance of behavior that you see that "matches your values but doesn't necessarily affect you at that moment".

"Changing the world is no more difficult than changing your own behavior. ... You do it one behavior at a time." (Audrey C. Daniels. 2001. Other People's Habits. NY: McGraw-Hill)

Daniels says, that in a book by "R. M. Axelrod, "The Evolution of Cooperation", has in it some advice that may help you create opportunities for deliberate acts of kindness. ... He discovered that those who are effective in creating conditions of cooperation do the following: 1. Always assume cooperation 2. Reinforce any act of cooperation 3. Do not reinforce any act of non cooperation 4. Are quick to forgive noncooperative acts.

According to my behavioral counseling professor, we all do what we are reinforced for doing. His quote: "Behavior flows where reinforcement goes." We get more of whatever behavior we reinforce. And we ourselves continue the behaviors that get reinforced - gravitate towards those people and those things that give us pleasure and stay away from those things that feel like punishment.

My pleasures and yours are unique and individual , so what is a reward or reinforcement for one behavior for me, may not be for you. Positive reinforcement might be as simple as a thank you or anything that the other person thinks of as a reward.

All behaviors have consequences and antecedents- the things that come after and the things that come before. The consequences are why we repeat a behavior the next time we encounter similar antecedents. There is some payoff for us.

Behaviorism is a unique perspective and while I think it has a huge handle on people's motivations, it does ignore what and why things become a motivating factor in our behavior. If you want to fix a bad habit or change something that has become an automatic way of responding, these are the tools in the toolbox that one would use. If you want to understand why, it will give you the first layer of the onion, but not get to the core.

If you want to change the world, start by giving out rewards and reinforcements for the behavior that you find suits your views about how the world ought to be. The worst that could happen is that you find yourself moving through your own life in a little easier fashion.

Wednesday's are catch up day.

I meant to post here last night, but my behavioral counseling class ran late and I was very hungry and tired when I got home. The good thing about Tuesday's, the long day and late return home -is that sleep is easier and often deeper. I will have more later today on several items.

On fire related items: My sister to the south and many of the members of my family to the east are less threatened by the fires now. But the San Bernadino county fire continues to march to the north threatening new members of my family. I didn't think about how many of us were here in Southern California until the fires started.

Today is the catch up day for everything- errands, housework, assignments and an assortment of thoughts to sort for the blogs if I can.

From Older and growing...

Older and growing... : Modelling.
I frequently run across quotes that make me want to check out what a book is about, but I have to say that this one made me think about so many things in addition to that. Tangents indeed. When I have more time this week, I will see if I can post some of them.

Fires.

Though it picked up a little while ago, the wind is calmer and has shifted direction a little, but it is cooler and expected to be cooler and calmer tomorrow. The fires are still burning everywhere and new ones did crop up today. My sister in San Diego county made preparations to evacuate if it became necessary. There are fires in several different directions from her home. With all the birds, dogs and cats that are part of her household, it would not be a simple matter if they were forced to leave.

Things are still fine in our little portion of the San Gabriel foothills. We are slightly less than 20 miles east or 20 miles southeast from the closest two out of control fires, with several canyons and little mountains in between.

Monday and I ...

... don't want to go to class. I am feeling slightly uncomfortable as I haven't heard back from my sister in San Diego county and I don't know what these winds are going to do. They seem to have settled down a bit with the slight movement of the high pressure region, but the winds may shift now to flow onshore pushing things eastward. Our little corner of the national forest and these foothills haven't attracted the firebugs, but the danger hasn't passed yet. What we need is a little humidity and cooler temps which are expected overnight.

Fire Maps.

JPG Map of Fires in California

I posted links to several other map and imagery sites on Corner.

Worst I can remember.

I don't remember ever seeing this large a number of different fires in different counties all at the same time- ever- in my entire time in southern California. I have seen a lot of really devastating fires that spread to different communities, forests and mountain sides via embers on the Santa Ana winds, but never quite like this.

Wind, Fires and Studying To Do.

The fires are not likely to be contained any time soon and the winds are expected to continue through tomorrow evening. The skyline is filled with smoke from the east and west of us. Scattered family members are located in or near two of the three areas of concern. The winds in my area have calmed at the moment, but I expect them to increase again after sunset. I feel so sorry for all those who lost loved ones and their homes, yet so grateful that this stretch of the foothills is not burning.

I have studying to do and it has been difficult to focus today. I would prefer to sink into a work of fiction instead of concentrating on texts and assignments. A part of me is resisting serious work, except for the weekly laundry which is in progress.

Surfing.

Via Older and Growing who very frequently has thought provoking content and today is no exception, I found gassho and the interesting conversation provoked by the question: "What does it mean to be ourselves fully, unashamed, and passionate about who we are?" on Wiki Wednesday.

"To All Clock Watchers".

"To All Clock Watchers", something to consider: Alice in Wonderland, White Rabbit found via a link at Furtive Blogging.

Quote of the Day.

From Quotes of the Day for October 25, 2003:

"The skill of writing is to create a context in which other people can think."
-- Edwin Schlossberg

I am very glad that there are people who do have that skill -and that many of them still alive, are online with blogs.

Thursday's Midterm and More on Foundations.

The midterm I took yesterday, the 23rd, despite what I noted previously (a little confusion about date, but not day), went well. There were only a couple of questions I was unprepared for and a couple that were a process of elimination, but I felt very comfortable with the material. The test was actually much easier than I expected.

And I am back to thinking about choosing a perspective for that class. Reviewing a list of statements about personal beliefs that one might have for any given perspective, along with a rating of 1-5 about agreement, sends me back to the existentialist perspective as the one with the most 4's and 5's, with Adlerian and Person Centered both coming in a close second. None of the major theories has all 5's or even 4's.

I will be able to write the paper about a single one that fits with me in a couple of weeks, but there is no perfect fit with my views and perspectives on life. Perhaps there is no perfect fit of theory with anyone, except the people who established the original theories. The key things are that I know or am learning where I differ, and why, and that I believe that clients have their own values and best solutions that may often not be mine. I respect everyone's right to be the author of their own life.

The whole gently directive versus non directive issue is murky to explain, but I understand in theory when each could be necessary. Empathy, an understanding of the client and why they are seeking help is essential to answering that question. Feeling secure enough about myself to focus entirely on the client and asking questions when I don't understand or need to clarify also seems essential.

Wind, Heat and Fires.

The trouble with two blogs and trying to keep some of the more personal out of the one that is about politics, science and news, is that sometimes there is crossover. Either I am focused on current events or as is the case today, people close to me are affected by what is happening. Corner has my tiny notes on some of the Southern California fires, with family as the markers for locations.

The trouble with Santa Ana's is that they can shift, change direction and kick up intense gusts at any time. Add intense heat and it is an instant prescription for fire this time of year in Southern California.

Santa Ana's are unpredictable and wild, which is part of why I like them, but why they are so dangerous in fire season.

Santa Ana's and unseasonable warmth.

We have Santa Ana's blowing tonight, and it has been exceptionally warm for late October in the last few days. The wind brings scents from everywhere- the forest canyon scents though faint, dry and dusty this time of year, the fast food places, someone's dryer softener, someone's scented blooming something from a few houses away or across the little channel or maybe from miles and miles away. I can't tell and they all get mixed together. Stopping to listen, feel and smell the wind is a joyous activity for me and a welcome break from a day of mostly studying.

Already midterm time!

Midterms start this Thursday, the 24th! I don't know how it got to be mid-quarter so quickly. Two quickie papers and one test to take or due this week; 2 Tests and 2 quickie papers to take or due Monday and Tuesday of the next.

I also have my registration notice for the winter quarter and that is in two weeks. I will have to decide how much of a load I am going to take. I know exactly what I need through summer (or maybe through next fall depending on how stressed I want to make myself) to graduate, except for two electives. I just wish I knew for sure if any they were cutting any more classes.

There is a great deal to do to fill out the applications for the graduate program too. And that will be coming up on deadlines shortly.

I am not inclined to place myself under a huge amount of negative stress, even to finish by Fall. I don't think the physical strain is worth it. Meditation doesn't clear all the physical stress easily if I am feeling pulled in too many directions. I understand the young folks who want to get it all over with quickly and jump into adult life, but I need time to incorporate everything into what I already know- and I am already an adult. AARP would like me to join them. Trying to keep the home from disappearing under the chores not done, finding time to talk to and be with family and generally finding time for myself is not easy if I take more than one class over a full time load. The next three quarters will have an internship too.

The class I am liking the most this quarter is the Theories overview. This is about the fifth or sixth time I have heard all of them, but this time with more details and about practical application- more tools for the toolbox.

Take Back Your Time Day.

Take Back Your Time Day.
"TAKE BACK YOUR TIME DAY is a nationwide initiative to challenge the epidemic of overwork, over-scheduling and time famine that now threatens our health, our families and relationships, our communities and our environment."

I know quite a few people who say they are working for someday and forget to live today. We all determine our own priorities, but as a society we have a few things out of whack. Time with family and maintaining relationships shouldn't be the last thing on our list. It is a little sad that we might need a "day" to remind us of this.

How many people are working to live, yet scheduling their time and priorities as if they are living only to work?

Sexual Identity and Genetics.

This is a story about recent UCLA findings published in Molecular Brain Research. When the research begins to stack up against them, what will the folks that believe this is a choice say then? I have never doubted that genetics played the biggest role in sexual identity, but it is nice to see more research that begins to prove it.

Reuters: Sexual Identity Hard-Wired by Genetics:

"LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Sexual identity is wired into the genes, which discounts the concept that homosexuality and transgender sexuality are a choice, California researchers reported on Monday.

"'Our findings may help answer an important question -- why do we feel male or female?' Dr. Eric Vilain, a genetics professor at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine, said in a statement. 'Sexual identity is rooted in every person's biology before birth and springs from a variation in our individual genome.'"

Unicorn.

You are Form 3, Unicorn: The Innocent.

"And The Unicorn knew she wasn't meant to go into the Dark Wood. Disregarding the advice given to her by the spirits, Unicorn went inside and bled silver blood.. For her misdeed, the world knew evil."

Some examples of the Unicorn Form are Eve (Christian) and Pandora (Greek).
The Unicorn is associated with the concept of innocence, the number 3, and the element of water.
Her sign is the twilight sun.

As a member of Form 3, you are a curious individual. You are drawn to new things and become fascinated with ideas you've never come in contact with before. Some people may say you are too nosey, but it's only because you like getting to the bottom of things and solving them. Unicorns are the best friends to have because they are inquisitive.

Which Mythological Form Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Thanks to Boi from Troi for the link to the quiz.

hmmm....

There are some things to think about in this article. washingtonpost.com: Modern Flirting

Choosing a Foundation.

At some point, I must choose a foundation, a philosophical approach to counseling and psychology. If I am to earn a Psy.D. or a Ph.D., it is essential, but even for a Masters degree in Family Counseling, I will need to pick one of the major theorists as my guide.

This is very difficult for me as I honestly feel that most of the major theorists had a piece of the human puzzle, not the whole puzzle picture. I believe that therapy should be approached from the perspective of giving the client what the client feels she or he needs, not what the therapist thinks she or he needs. If a client comes to me with a fear of riding in elevators, I will probably pull out behavioral and cognitive perspective tools to help. If a client comes to me with vague feelings of things not being right, then a behavioral approach isn't going to give them the answers they are looking for and I would need to find other means of helping the client- to choose a different set of tools, so to speak. Which tools would entirely depend on the client sitting in front of me. Who are they? What background do they come from, what culture, what gender, what style would best suit them, what will be the most effective way that helps the client gain the thing the client wants? I might have an idea about how I think folks should live their lives in an ideal situation, but it is never going to be my job to change folks into my ideal, but rather to help them find their ideal. So I see myself in most situations as helping the client clarify their life and goals and then helping them find what they need to create the life they want.

I firmly believe that we choose our feelings, thoughts, actions and goals in life. We make choices even by not making choices. We are either conscious of the reasons for our behavior, feelings etc. or we aren't, but we are the ones pulling the strings. We are the ones who must find or put the meaning into our lives- it is not external, except in so far as we accept or allow those choices made for us by others. I believe that we evolve over a lifetime, that personality and issues are not set only by childhood. I do think we have stages of development over our lifetime. I do think that there is a hierarchy of needs, that we are social creatures dependent to a large extent in how we see ourselves in context with others. We are all connected, even if we don't realize it and because we live in social structures those play a role in who we are and how we act. Everything is always best understood as much as possible in context with everything else. But these are my views about my life and I don't always live a perfect life in perfect understanding, only this is how I approach solving problems and understanding events.

So where does that leave me? It leaves me with a lot of theorists- an existential, social-psych, slightly analytic but individual, behavioral, cognitive, lifespan development sort of approach.. Jungian, Adlerian, Rogerian, add Frankl, Ellis, Bandura plus systems theory, don't forget Erickson and Maslow- and I don't have a single theorist to use as a foundation; I have a group of them from different perspectives. It is definitely eclectic and I will continue to add to my toolbox.

Study and Play Day

..I am tired enough that I posted this exact post on Corner and couldn't figure out why it didn't show up here! I realized about 15 minutes later what the problem was...
Now in the right place:
I posted the story about my son's experience Tuesday night, on Corner of Babble. It has been a slow day, a much needed respite. Thursday is another long day for me on campus- very similar to my Tuesday but with a few different players.

The complaint is the same...

Tuesday's are the worst long day. I get up before 7AM, leave by 8 or so to find parking on campus, sit through the "early" class, have a 5 hour wait between classes which isn't enough time to get home and back and find new parking (plus it is a couple of gallons of gasoline at 2 something a gallon), leave campus after 8PM and don't get home until 9PM. 11 hours or more on campus is a lot.

Of course I am writing this about 2AM, having researched and posted a lengthy thing on Corner about the labor chaos (Sheriffs, MTA and UFCW) here in Los Angeles. It wouldn't have been so late, but I finished the post and blogspot or blogger was having some troubles.

Studying, reading textbooks, working on collecting personal data (data as in ticks on a sheet type data)for a behavioral project, cleaning, housestuff, etc. is all on the list of to do's for Wednesday when I get up... if I get up.

I got a real surprise today when a blogger I read frequently posted a link to the Corner site. It appeared that the traffic quadrupled, but it only tripled.. !! Even so, that was a pleasant surprise. It felt strange to know that many people came to quickly check out what I might have written. Makes me wish I had done a better job, but I am still mostly posting for me.

My son had some problems on the picket lines tonight. I will try to remember to explain a little sometime tomorrow- maybe an update to this post. I don't think he is going back. He is actually still out on disability from the motorcycle accident and he was disgusted with his coworkers for not standing up for him and his friend when they were accused of saying something they didn't. Customers who are crossing the lines are feeling annoyed at the in store problems and the management is getting frazzled. It had been pleasant and the community had been supportive. I hope the one customer was an aberration.

tired................

I am very tired.. and there is more studying to do.. behavioral stuff by tomorrow.. theories by thursday and soc writing stuff.. then the other class.. too much stuff to do and not enough good sleep...

notable thoughts...

...Abyssal Mind has an interesting take on the amount of information we all must process daily- internal and external.

Abyssal Mind: Managing Your Attention to Avoid Information Overload

always worth the visit....

"So when these states of mind arise - restlessness, desire, fear, wanting, worry, agitation, or judgment, if only it were somehow different than it is, "I don't like this" - what to do with them? ..."
whiskey river - no proof

One of the joys of having a grown child...

... One of the joys of having an adult child or mostly adult child, is that when a problem is pointed out they come up with solutions- real ones- and take care of things. In this case, I am talking about the imminent strike of the UFCW set for Saturday and our weekly grocery shopping.

While he is working through the general education requirements for his degree, my son's employer is one of the local grocery stores. The store is a union shop, and everyone knows his family. We cannot cross the picket lines (in either of the two local competing stores) without some repercussions for him. There are no *"approved" stores close by *(approved list). He knew he couldn't cross the lines, but he didn't think about the family crossing the picket lines.

My son's solution? He would grocery today if I made the list. And he did. The real problem will arise next week, if they are still on strike. But we will figure out what to do when the time comes.

He is still recovering from the motorcycle accident with a couple of more weeks to go before he is released for work, and so will not be working the picket lines, but his friends and coworkers will be.
For more on the strike, see Corner of Babble

Time runs a race while I nap

Most everything got posted yesterday at Corner of Babble- about the recall of course. Today was a day off, but I wasn't feeling well, so spent most of it zoned out, not really napping as the title suggests, but not really fully engaged either.

Tomorrow (Thursday) is another long day on campus, but I think I am basically caught up on everything this moment. There are assignments yet to complete that are due for Monday and Tuesday of next week.

I can't decide how I feel about the behavioral psych/counseling class. I understand the concepts of course- Antecedents--> Behavior--> Consequences and the whole positive/negative reinforcement idea as well as punishments versus reinforcement (I raised my son using the reinforcement idea for the most part rather than punishments). But to me this is still only a part of the whole. Approach and avoidance issues come into play in the Behavioral perspective, but I think there is a lot left out.

In order to "do" this class well, I have to check any other thoughts and theories at the door when I walk in. I understand the profs enthusiasm for his field, but I don't agree with everything he says about this or other theories. I am more - I lean more towards the learned/cognitive/behavioral sorts of perspectives, but I think a good therapist ought to use what works for the client and the client's needs at any given point in time and not simply have only one framework to use.

I like thinking that the theories and their applications are tools in a toolbox. This class requires me to believe (at least during the class) that I only have one huge all purpose tool. Anyone who has used tools knows that the all purpose kind will work, but that the correct tool for the situation is much easier to use and often quicker.

Classes

I haven't had time to blog personal items. There were a lot of assignments that I worked on over the weekend. All of these classes will require a lot of "personal" type papers, journals and multiple weekly papers, assignments and so on... Tangents is likely to get the short end of things as I try to keep everything going forward for the next ten weeks.

But there should be some things that come up to blog about that are reflective of the actual assignments. If I can figure out how, I may even use the online version of a journal for required one. I will have to see.

Using bloglines and three news sites, I have managed to keep up with daily headlines and the blogging world and thus have quick comments to make for Corner of Babble.

It is past bedtime now and 6:45AM will feel very early. I have to vote before I head to campus and I am not totally sure exactly where the polling location is... I know the street address, but am not familiar with the street. I wonder how many people will not vote because they can't walk to the polls?

Telephones and interruptions

I like hearing from folks that I haven't heard from in a while on the telephone, but there are times that I honestly don't want to hear from anyone. I don't have an answering machine on the telephone as I found it more of an annoyance than a help, but I am rethinking that option. The cell has voice mail for when I don't answer it, and if it is important- friends and family have the cell number. Maybe I will have to put one back on the family phone. It seems to make people feel better if they can at least leave a message.

At those times I decide not to answer the phone, everyone always asks when they finally get hold of me: "What were you doing? I tried to call you and there was no answer." I hate to say, "yeah, it was because I didn't want to listen/talk to anyone". People get upset with that much honestly. I prefer living my life giving honest direct answers, but let's face it, there are times when a less than perfectly honest answer is the better option. It saves hurt feelings.

I am in a person intensive course of study. Listening will be one of the major focuses of my life work along with some talking. There are moments when being alone, listening within and letting go of those thoughts is the best course of action to revitalize self, and that requires silence and no interruptions.

There are other times I need to study or I just want to do what I want to do without being interrupted. And no one seems to understand that, so perhaps the easier course of action is to put a machine on the line. Everyone gets to feel like they connected and I get to choose when to answer the phone and listen/talk. And the telephone returns to being a convenience instead of an interruption.

Friday and...

It will be my birthday in a few hours. I like this time of year as it has always felt like a new beginning to me. Pulling out pleasant, happy memories, to examine without a lot of psychological interpretation, is one of the things a birthday can trigger.
...
This time of the year in Indiana was always beautiful- wonderful crisp mornings and cool pleasant days. The air even smelled crisp. The sunlight was of a different color that belonged to autumn alone, slowly changing day by day.The forests that surrounded the lake were always just beginning a splendid display of all the reds, oranges and yellows that should be in everyone's paintbox of memories. The summer people were all gone from the lake by October, even the stragglers. If my little tiny fishing boat had not been put into dry dock, I would break the morning mirror of water reflecting the colors everywhere except the deep, never still center, with my wake. Cutting my engine to drift in the colors around and under me, only the sounds of birds, sometimes ducks and the few geese that called the lake home, with the occasional splash from a large mouthed bass diving back under the surface, would break the silence. I can close my eyes and see, hear, smell - almost touch- that sense of Midwest autumn.

I suspect that my memories are of all the autumns rolled into one, that they are not a single moment of memory, but an aggregate of all the autumns I ever spent on the lake -with no imperfections or minor annoyances to cloud the smile they bring.

My son has never seen a Midwest autumn. His memories are of a more subtle color and light change in the mountains surrounding us; beiges and browns, rusts of many shades and the occasional quick burst of red, orange or yellow in spotty clumps here and there, are his sense impressions ...and of suiting up in red or black to quarterback high school football to the sounds of the crowds in the stands.

Newly added and a general request to the blogging world

I have been playing around with new things as I find them, and added a link on the "Corner of Babble" page to a blogroll I created at Bloglines. These are the ones I have placed in a public list, as I am still working on a system to organize the others. If I can figure out a CSS that includes a way to shorten the displayed titles of some, I will put them all in a section on the side links here, but until then an offsite page seemed like the best solution.

I am still hunting for an offsite commenting system that will allow comments for each post rather than the generic guestbook I am using for that purpose (on Corner) at present. And I am still playing with the fonts and settings of both templates, looking for the 'just right' combinations to make them readable for folks with old eyes like mine, as well as aesthetically pleasing to me.

Blogging, CSS, XML, rss feeds, blogrolls, aggregators, comment sites that link to each comment are all new areas of exploration to me. In fact, there are dozens of new terms (and wants) that I have been exposed to by blogging and reading OP blogs. I thought I did pretty well teaching myself rudimentary html a few years ago, and it came in handy when I worked for the community college creating, troubleshooting and maintaining WebCT pages for various professors, but that was then and this is now. I have a lot to learn.

If anyone reading this has any suggestions for an offsite commenting system, or any great places along the lines of CSS, XML or blogging etc. 'for dummies', please take a moment to comment (at Corner of Babble) and/or drop a link or two. I would truly appreciate the help.

I have issues with

I have issues with...

work patience religion age innocence

Take Word Association Test

ha.... not sure about this, but it was interesting. I might take it again later with a longer word list and if I do, this whole post will be revised. I can find all kinds of things to do and not do with a day off.. this happened to be one of them.
thanks to AmyTart is not very good in the kitchen for finding this.