Her

Is totally authentic...

And terribly sad.

Not at all the right movie for me this weekend.  No, not at all...

Update: Feeling better now.  Her is brilliant and surprisingly subtle science fiction, the sort that carries the viewer from his or her current time and place into a nearly imaginable and fully realized future.  I'm impressed by Spike Jonze' writing and directing, and even Joaquin Phoenix' nuanced and understated performance. Scarlett Johansson was adorable  heartfelt, incredible as Samantha, but who wouldn't fall in love with her, even over the phone?

See it...when you're not sad about your relationships.

Tell Me a Story

An old friend asked if I'd been doing any writing...

The sky was gray, thick with threatening clouds.

“I need you to talk to our daughter,” she said.

“I’ve been seeing someone since I got here,” she said.

I'd left first. Moved to Arizona. To start over.

“It’s been a couple months now,” she said.

She left after I did. Back to California. With the dogs. To stay at her dad's. To find work. To start over. We were still working on the divorce.

“You need to tell her it’s okay, that people move on,” she said.

“I’ll tell her,” I said.

Lightning flashed, thunder crackled, only a half tick apart.

“Is he good to you?” I asked, stupidly.

“Do you mean is he interested in what I say? Does he want to do things with me? Is he funny? Does he make me laugh? If it was all over tomorrow, would it have been worth it?” she asked. “Is that what you wanted to know?” She paused. “Yeah, he’s good to me that way.”

“I deserved that,” I said.

“You didn’t have to ask,” she said.

The rain came.  The pines outside the window dissolved into a gray mist.

Safety Not Guaranteed

A pleasant surprise from Netflix...

Safety Not Guaranteed is a 2012 independent film by director Colin Trevorrow and writer Derek Connolly.  It stars Aubrey Plaza as Darius - an aimless 20-something magazine intern, and Mark Duplass as Kenneth - a small town grocery store clerk who is either a little mad or an imminent time traveler.

Safety Not Guaranteed is a clever, gentle, funny, and wistful examination of longing, regret, first times, and second chances.

Does Kenneth save Belinda? I recommend you watch Safety Not Guaranteed so you can tell me...

I Have a Commute Again

Therefore I can listen to podcasts...

When I first arrived in Prescott I lived in an apartment all of five minutes from work. My drive-time podcast listening took a major hit. Now that I have a place about 15 miles and 30 minutes from school I can get some serious listening in.

iTunes U

Humanity and Sin Dallas Theological Seminary

"A study of angelology, the doctrines of the unfallen angels, the fallen angels, and Satan; anthropology, a study of the creation of humanity, the material and immaterial aspects of humanity, and the Fall of humanity; and original and personal sin."

Evolution of Mind, Brain, and Culture Emory College

"An Overview of the Latest Discoveries in Biological, Cognitive and Cultural Studies of Evolution. Scholars of evolution gathered at Emory University for the Evolution of Brain, Mind and Culture conference on November 12-13, 2009. The talks give an overview of the latest discoveries in biological, cognitive and cultural studies of evolution. Emory's Center for Mind, Brain and Culture hosted the event. Speakers included science writer Matt Ridley, Emory primatologist Frans de Waal, Richard Passingham and noted anthropologist Joe Henrich, among others."

Witch-Hunts and Persecution La Trobe University Australia

"In this course, we will use the anthropological approach and methodology to understand witch-hunts and persecution. We start by looking at magic, witchcraft and sorcery and explaining the persistence of related beliefs and practices. As we will see the basic idea of witch persecution is that we have an image of a witch (or sorcerer) and then we pin it on someone. We analyze this image in greater detail. Pinning this image on someone is a process of accusation; we analyze among whom, why and how accusations occur. Finally, we look at some “witch-hunts”—including the Great Witch-hunt, the Salem Trials, and McCarthyism—in greater detail."

The New Psychology of Depression Oxford University

"We live in a world filled with material wealth, live longer and healthier lives, and yet anxiety, stress, unhappiness, and depression have never been more common. What are the driving forces behind these interlinked global epidemics? In this series, Professor Mark Williams (Wellcome Trust Principal Research Fellow at Oxford University) and Dr Danny Penman discuss the recent scientific advances that have radically altered our understanding of depression and related disorders. Also discussed is the latest treatments and therapies that are offering hope to those suffering from depression. Professor Williams co-developed Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), a treatment for anxiety, stress and depression that is at least as effective as drugs at preventing new episodes of depression. It's now one of the preferred treatments for depression recommended by the UK's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. The same technique, based upon an ancient form of meditation, can also help us cope more effectively with the relentless demands of our increasingly frantic world. Professor Williams and Dr Penman co-authored the bestselling book Mindfulness: Finding Peace in a Frantic World."

Environmental Psychology UC Irvine

"How are people affected by overcrowding, traffic congestion, and noise? Why do people litter or vandalize their environments? How do buildings affect their occupants? Does the architectural design of apartment buildings influence patterns of neighboring and friendship formation? Why do people consume scarce environmental resources? Can residential, work, and neighborhood settings be designed to reduce stress, increase productivity, and promote physical activity? These are some of the questions that have concerned environmental psychologists. Environmental psychology is the study of human behavior and well-being in relation to the large-scale, sociophysical environment. The term, large-scale environment, refers to places such as homes, offices, neighborhoods, and whole communities. These places can be described in terms of several physical and social dimensions, including their geographical location, architectural design, membership and social organization. The term, sociophysical environment, reflects the assumption that the physical and social dimensions of places are closely intertwined. The architectural design of a housing complex, for example, can exert a subtle but substantial impact on the friendship patterns that develop among residents. This course emphasizes the interdependence between physical and social aspects of places, rather than viewing these dimensions as separate and isolated."

Podcasts

My podcast listening has remained much the same, but having access to iTunes on my new iMac has restored access to several old favorites:

Reasonable Doubts

"Reasonable Doubts takes an informative and humorous look at religion from a freethinking perspective; offering news and commentary of interest to skeptics, atheists, agnostics, humanists, courageous religious believers looking for a challenge and freethinkers of all persuasions. In addition to interviewing the top minds in skepticism (former guests include Christopher Hitchens, Susan Jacoby, Paul Kurtz, Edward Tabash, DJ Grothe) RD offers regular segments on counter-apologetics, biblical criticism, creationism intelligent design and church state issues. RD also examines the psychology of religion, reviewing recent and exciting research you won't hear about anywhere else. Tune in for a hard-hitting critique of religion balanced by plenty of humor, a fair-minded attitude and a commitment to critical thinking. Check out our website at doubtcast.org for information, episode links or to email questions, comments and challenges. Reasonable Doubts...for those who won't just take things on faith."

Quackcast

"A review of Quacks, Frauds and Charlatans. Oops. Thats not right. That should be Supplements, Complementary and Alternative Medicine i.e. SCAM's. Winner in 2009, 2010, and 2011 of The People's Choice Podcast Awards for Best Health Podcast. A side project of Pusware LLC, home of the Infectious DIsease Compendium: A Persiflagers Guide, your uber hyperlinked guide to Infectious Disease, the Persiflagers Infectious Disease Puscast and a Gobbet o' Pus."

Hmmm! Brain food. Life is good.

The View From The Sofa

Is mighty rustic...

And yes, I do "use antlers in all of my decorating."

And the pines are nice.

I'll have to get off the sofa one of these days, but for now I think I'll close my eyes, for just a few minutes.