Our Zygocactus flower or Christmas Cactus didn’t bloom this past winter. But a plucky little flower has been poking out its head in the past few days.
It’s a symbol of hope in the desert of our times.
Christmas Cactus Flower in the Spring!
Category: Brief Messages or Announcements
Stuck in Two Ball Shower Juggling Practice
I get stuck at certain stages in juggling. It’s uglier than usual with learning the Shower. I’m struggling with the two-ball practice. I’ve looked at the YouTube videos of several experts and their demos vary.
I found out from a Wikipedia article that the two ball Shower is a thing. But it’s not juggling. I’ve been stuck in ugly juggling learning stages before. I’m thinking I’ll get through it.
Sena is still learning to juggle. She’s eager to try the three ball Cascade. We’re both dropping balls all over the place.
Juggling in Living Color!
Sena got me a spectacular gift—glowing juggling balls! They’re not like any of the juggling balls we have. You plug them into a wall socket and they light up.
They are not much bigger than the other juggling balls we have, so not much of a learning curve. In a way, they’re kind of like stage balls, only not as big as most of those are. And the light show is fantastic, especially in the dark. There are several colors, they can be bright or dim and programmable to change colors as you juggle.
And they’re solid, not filled with millet. When you charge them up, they sort of “breathe” red color (meaning they wax and wane with brightness). And when charged (takes about and hour and a half), they “breathe” green.
Feisty and So On
There’s this dialogue in Men in Black II between Serleena and Zed:
Serleena: Zed, look at you, 25 years and you’re still just such a looker.
Zed: Cut out the meat dairy. And you, still a pile of squirmy crap in a different wrapper.
Serleena: So feisty.
I’m becoming more aware of the use of the word “feisty” in reference to so-called “older” persons. That’s because I’m getting older.
I noticed an article on the use of patronizing words for older persons. A couple of other such words are “spry” and “sharp.”
“Sharp” as in sharp as a tack (for his age, of course). Also, as in sharp enough to know today’s date.
“Spry” as in he is spry enough to get into and out of a chair.
I’m also spry enough on most days to do under the leg and behind the back juggling tricks.
I’m still sharp enough to know the difference between respectful and patronizing.
I guess that makes me feisty.
Do Not Lie to Me!
In about an hour (a galactic standard week), I plan to watch yet another rerun of Men in Black. That’s the first one of the trilogy. I nearly always can find a connection with some quotes from the MIB movies and current events. I don’t care to specify the current events because they’re depressing.
The title of this post is actually part of quote from MIB 3, “…do not lie to me!” I can apply this one to just about every news story.
Another quote is often applicable in the daily news, and it’s from Men in Black:
Agent K: “We do not discharge our weapons in view of the public!”
Agent J: “We don’t got time for this cover-up bullshit! Look, I don’t know if you forgot, but there’s an Arquillian Battle…”
Agent K: “There’s always an Arquillian Battle Cruiser, or a Korilian Death Ray, or an intergalactic plague that is about to wipe out all life on this miserable planet. Agent K: “There’s always an Arquillian Battle Cruiser, or a Korilian Death Ray, or an intergalactic plague that is about to wipe out all life on this miserable planet. The only way these people can get on with their happy lives is that—they do not know about it!”
Unless there is something we can do about it, I do not want to know about the Arquillian Battle Cruiser.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
This is St. Patrick’s Day and, although I didn’t wear green today, Sena got me some Irish beer. It’s Guinness Extra Stout. The back label extols the virtues:
“Intense characterful and bold, Guinness Extra Stout is the pure expression of our brewing legacy. Bittersweet, with subtle hints of hops, dark fruits and caramel, this stout is a testament to great brewing.”
That dark fruit better not be dates or prunes. It’s brewed in Ireland.
This being Friday night, I wonder if John Heim (aka Big Mo) will mention anything about St. Patrick’s Day tonight on the KCCK Big Mo Blues Show, radio station 88.3 in Cedar Rapids or 106.9 in Iowa City.
Maybe he’ll mention May Ree and her hand-battered catfish. It’s better because it’s battered. Maybe the recipe includes a couple of bottles of Guinness Extra Stout, with notes of dark fruits and caramel. Dark fruits which are not dates, I hope. Allowable notes can be sharp or flat, blue, high, or low—but not dates.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Catatonia Education Resources
I noticed what is, for me at least, a new educational resource for catatonia. There’s an aricle about it in the March 2023 issue (Vol.51, No. 3) of Clinical Psychiatry News. The resource is available at University of Rochester Medical Center website. They include pdf files and training videos for assessment of catatonia.
There are also links for information about catatonia:
The University of Rochester presentation has has demo videos using a standardized patient (a physician, Dr. Joshua Wortzel) and a teacher, Dr. Mark Oldham.
I saw cases of catatonia while I was a consultation-liaison psychiatrist at The University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics and they often had medical causes. My YouTube video lecture on Catatonia, Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome, and Serotonin Syndrome is still getting views after 4 years.
Remember Spring Forward All Your Clocks Tonight!
Today is the day to move clocks forward by one hour for Daylight Saving Time. Well, technically, we’re suposed to change the clocks at 2:00 a.m. on March 12, 2023, which is Sunday.
I usually do this in the afternoon of the day before (which would be today), which drives Sena crazy.
However, today Sena changed all the clock times this morning. Payback?
See this website for more information about which states have tried legislating this time change. Iowa is on record with a bill supporting permanent DST, but it won’t go anywhere without federal approval.
University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art Wins Prestigious Master Builders of Iowa Award
The University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art, won the highest Master Builders of Iowa Award. See the Russell Group Inc. website for more details about the award.
It’s a very impressive space and a must-see marvel when you visit Iowa City.
Face Masks Optional at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics Starting March 8, 2023
As of March 8, 2023, face masks will be optional for visitors, patients, and employees at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics.
Go Retire Psychiatrist 