I listened with great delight to the latest show in the MPR series "Wits" (check out the archives!) with John Moe as host and John Munson as musical director. Neil Gaiman was one of the guests, and he made possible this wonderful rendition of "I Will Survive" by Gollum (courtesy of a Adam Savage)
Thanks to Bob Collins at MPR's NewsCut for this.
Another guest that evening was singer/songwriter Josh Ritter.
Want more Adam Savage? Here's a Ted Talk he did on his obsessions and the creative process.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Giant pandas
When I asked my daughter what she was most excited about seeing in China, she replied immediately, "Pandas."
First, baby panda cuteness.
Giant panda males are filmed in the wild by David Attenborough for the BBC, as they mark their territory. Pandas live solitary lives in the wild:
This great National Geographic documentary "Young Explorers: Secrets of the Wild Panda" gives a lot of detail about how pandas live in the wild, (see the whole thing here).
Watch more free documentaries
It has proven very difficult for pandas in captivity to breed or for their babies to survive their first year. Their wild habitat has been so degraded by human expansion that one in ten pandas now lives in captivity, as various places attempt to breed pandas in captivity in ways that might ensure their survival. All pandas on loan from China, and any of their offspring, must be returned to China eventually.
The biologist Professor Pan Wenshi has dedicated himself to studying pandas in the wild, and his research has been very important for improving the care of pandas in captivity with the hopes of releasing more pandas into the wild.
The baby panda is born about the size of a stick of butter, naked and blind. Within three weeks its eyes will open and it gains weight rapidly. One discovery from studying baby pandas in the wild is that the mother will leave the cub for hours to feed on bamboo; this was mistakenly interpreted as abandonment, and cubs were taken from the mothers, but did not thrive. Now, zoos have better understanding of how mothers care for cubs, and some zoos that have more successfully raised cubs recently include the Smithsonian, Atlanta, San Diego, Madrid, and zoos in Thailand and Japan.
Pan Wenshi's work has shown that habitat conservation is crucial to panda survival. His own imprisonment during the Cultural Revolution has shaped his drive to study pandas in the wild. He also showed how species conservation is directly linked to alleviating human poverty in a region to relieve pressure on habitat. In addition to pandas, Prof. Pan has contributed to the conservation of other species such as langurs and dolphins.
First, baby panda cuteness.
Giant panda males are filmed in the wild by David Attenborough for the BBC, as they mark their territory. Pandas live solitary lives in the wild:
This great National Geographic documentary "Young Explorers: Secrets of the Wild Panda" gives a lot of detail about how pandas live in the wild, (see the whole thing here).
Watch more free documentaries
It has proven very difficult for pandas in captivity to breed or for their babies to survive their first year. Their wild habitat has been so degraded by human expansion that one in ten pandas now lives in captivity, as various places attempt to breed pandas in captivity in ways that might ensure their survival. All pandas on loan from China, and any of their offspring, must be returned to China eventually.
The biologist Professor Pan Wenshi has dedicated himself to studying pandas in the wild, and his research has been very important for improving the care of pandas in captivity with the hopes of releasing more pandas into the wild.
The baby panda is born about the size of a stick of butter, naked and blind. Within three weeks its eyes will open and it gains weight rapidly. One discovery from studying baby pandas in the wild is that the mother will leave the cub for hours to feed on bamboo; this was mistakenly interpreted as abandonment, and cubs were taken from the mothers, but did not thrive. Now, zoos have better understanding of how mothers care for cubs, and some zoos that have more successfully raised cubs recently include the Smithsonian, Atlanta, San Diego, Madrid, and zoos in Thailand and Japan.
Pan Wenshi's work has shown that habitat conservation is crucial to panda survival. His own imprisonment during the Cultural Revolution has shaped his drive to study pandas in the wild. He also showed how species conservation is directly linked to alleviating human poverty in a region to relieve pressure on habitat. In addition to pandas, Prof. Pan has contributed to the conservation of other species such as langurs and dolphins.
On to Chendgu 成都
(Crossposted at Tigers on the Road)
The flight from Lijiang to Chengdu is only 360 miles: just a hop compared to the other plane rides they have had!
Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan province, in the heart of China, and has been inhabited for over 4000 years. In the summer the climate is humid but relatively mild (temps in the high 70s). People speak the Chengdu dialect of Sichuanese, and the food is delicious and some of it is very spicy. Although it is a large and bustling city, it also is home to many historical attractions, and, of course, Pandas!
Film director Zhang Yimou made this short promotional film for the city:
Another film director visited Chengdu for inspiration:
Some of the places the group will visit on their first day include the Sichuan University and the Jinsha Museum. This museum is actually an archeological park, with excavations as well as displays of relics. The site was only discovered very recently, but the site shows layers of history going back 3000 years.
In the afternoon, they will have the chance to see a part of the city that has been preserved called "The Wide and Narrow Lanes," combining architectural preservation with shops and restaurants. Maybe they will see one of the sugar candy blowers make a dragon, as in this video:
The flight from Lijiang to Chengdu is only 360 miles: just a hop compared to the other plane rides they have had!
Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan province, in the heart of China, and has been inhabited for over 4000 years. In the summer the climate is humid but relatively mild (temps in the high 70s). People speak the Chengdu dialect of Sichuanese, and the food is delicious and some of it is very spicy. Although it is a large and bustling city, it also is home to many historical attractions, and, of course, Pandas!
Film director Zhang Yimou made this short promotional film for the city:
Another film director visited Chengdu for inspiration:
Some of the places the group will visit on their first day include the Sichuan University and the Jinsha Museum. This museum is actually an archeological park, with excavations as well as displays of relics. The site was only discovered very recently, but the site shows layers of history going back 3000 years.
In the afternoon, they will have the chance to see a part of the city that has been preserved called "The Wide and Narrow Lanes," combining architectural preservation with shops and restaurants. Maybe they will see one of the sugar candy blowers make a dragon, as in this video:
Friday, June 24, 2011
New York, New York!
Today the Senate of New York voted to pass a bill making same-sex marriage legal. Gov. Cuomo signed it, and it will take effect in 30 days. New York joins Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermoont and Washington D.C.
Twitter and Tumblr were bursting with celebratory messages. This song kept running through my head. Liza Minelli performed it in Martin Scorcese's amazing film New York, New York (1977). This performance from "Liberty Weekend" in 1986 (the centenary of the Statue of Liberty). I love her incredible stage presence.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Tigers on the Road
These tiger pictures are from a May Day parade.
My daughter has been studying Mandarin in high school for 3 years. Now, she will be traveling around China with her teacher, another chaperone and seventeen other students for about a month.They have a great itinerary, and Mr. Yu has led many such trips in the past. Since I can't go myself, I made a blog so those of us who have to stay home can follow along, virtually. Their school mascot is the tiger ("the Gallant Tigers") so I called it Tigers on the Road. This gives me an excuse to post lots of tiger pictures to my Tumblr.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Tony Awards: duelling hosts duet
The Tony Awards Show was so much fun this year, and not just because Neil Patrick Harris was the host. One of my favorite bits was his duet with Hugh Jackman:
Monday, June 06, 2011
Rachel Maddow's "consequence-o-meter"
Rachel Maddow adds Anthony Weiner to the "Consequence-o-meter" which charts politicians' sex scandals by "more creepy/less creepy" axis and the "prosecutable" axis. As they say, smh (shake my head).
Dan Sinker aka "@MayorEmanuel"
pdf2011 on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free
Dan Sinker, the author/creator of @MayorEmanuel (the fake Twitter account of then-mayoral candidate Rahm Emanuel), talks about his experience, which started as a way to entertain friends and later became a Twitter novella.
He was one of the speakers at the Personal Democracy Forum, where many other fascinating talks were delivered. I appreciate their availability online to those of us who can't attend.
Friday, June 03, 2011
Vitamin D deficiency: do you have it?
About 3 month agos, I discovered that I was severely deficient in Vitamin D. I had gone in to see my back doctor because my chronic pain and fatigue symptoms of fibromyalgia had gotten worse, and I had new pain associated with back problems. The doctor ordered some blood work to rule out rheumatoid arthritis (which a family member has) and a few other things. The results were surprising.
One of the blood tests they did is called VITAMIN D, 25-OH. What one hopes to see is a blood level within the standard range: 30 - 80 ng/mL (Over 80 can be toxic).
My primary care doctor put me on a regimen of megadoses, once a week for 12 weeks, to replenish the supply in my body. Since Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, it is not enough to just take a daily dose in order to recover; one has to build up the stores in the body. This is why you should get your blood tested to find out what your levels are, rather than just popping supplements. In addition, you can get too much Vitamin D, and this can cause significant problems.
After the 12 weekly doses, I was retested, and my level is now up to 40 (yay!) but I'll need to continue to take daily supplements, because even sun exposure and drinking milk are not enough at these northern latitudes.
One thing I noticed after four weeks of treatment was that I started to remember my dreams, to the point where I wondered if I was metabolizing my anti-depressants differently (they suppress my dream memory). I also noticed a huge improvement in my digestion and regularity (ahem), a major life improvement. Most significant is a noticeable improvement in levels of daily pain, fatigue and inability to focus. The more I read about recent research on Vitamin D's role in metabolism, the more I believe that everyone can benefit from finding out what their levels are, just as we do for cholesterol, iron, or other important metabolic factors. Research is showing links between adequate Vitamin D levels and protection against skin cancer, Crohn's disease, colon cancer, autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, and other conditions.
My mother, who is recovering from chemotherapy, has been having excellent results from her treatment, but also was tested and discovered she was Vitamin D deficient. I'm hoping her treatment will also mean less fatigue and pain for her.
One of the blood tests they did is called VITAMIN D, 25-OH. What one hopes to see is a blood level within the standard range: 30 - 80 ng/mL (Over 80 can be toxic).
The Optimum Level: 30-80 ng/mLMy results? 19 ng/mL, or "severe deficiency." No wonder I felt like crap! I have no idea how long I have been this way.
Insufficiency: 20-29 ng/mL
Deficiency: <20 ng/mL
My primary care doctor put me on a regimen of megadoses, once a week for 12 weeks, to replenish the supply in my body. Since Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, it is not enough to just take a daily dose in order to recover; one has to build up the stores in the body. This is why you should get your blood tested to find out what your levels are, rather than just popping supplements. In addition, you can get too much Vitamin D, and this can cause significant problems.
After the 12 weekly doses, I was retested, and my level is now up to 40 (yay!) but I'll need to continue to take daily supplements, because even sun exposure and drinking milk are not enough at these northern latitudes.
One thing I noticed after four weeks of treatment was that I started to remember my dreams, to the point where I wondered if I was metabolizing my anti-depressants differently (they suppress my dream memory). I also noticed a huge improvement in my digestion and regularity (ahem), a major life improvement. Most significant is a noticeable improvement in levels of daily pain, fatigue and inability to focus. The more I read about recent research on Vitamin D's role in metabolism, the more I believe that everyone can benefit from finding out what their levels are, just as we do for cholesterol, iron, or other important metabolic factors. Research is showing links between adequate Vitamin D levels and protection against skin cancer, Crohn's disease, colon cancer, autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, and other conditions.
My mother, who is recovering from chemotherapy, has been having excellent results from her treatment, but also was tested and discovered she was Vitamin D deficient. I'm hoping her treatment will also mean less fatigue and pain for her.
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