Wily players fuel
statistical projections--
brain vacillation.
Vinnie (Van Gogh) Rattray Vogt (2002-2013)
12 years ago
23.10.09
21.10.09
Some advice
Last week, I ran into a skeleton who told me a little story about what things will be like once I no longer walk the earth. I was reminded of the value of each hour of our lives.
13.10.09
Adios to the Veggie Car
After three years of ownership, my veggie car has been sold. Although I will miss it, it has gone to a better owner who will give it the care that it needs.I ran the car on biodiesel over the last few years. In the beginning, I tried to use straight vegetable oil, but the challenge was to consistently obtain fresh cooking oil. I got oil a few times, but it proved to be fairly hard to get clean and not always reliable.
Now the car has been sold to another veggie oil enthusiast who will be giving the car to his son. I think it's in better hands!
18.8.09
Post-Fieldwork
Eighteen months of living in Latin America has come to a close for me. Coming back to the United States has not been easy. Reverse culture shock has certainly been a real phenomenon for me. It's hard to describe how something like that actually works since much of it is quite subtle.
When you have (reverse) culture shock, you feel slightly on edge and don't know why. Your interpersonal communication feels like a series of mismatching signals. You forget how to do simple things like ordering food, exchanging pleasantries, and simply being courteous. You realize you've forgotten internet passwords, ATM passwords, system.
I think now that one cost of adapting to a new culture is the residual effect of unlearning parts of your native culture. To embrace a new set of conventions when you live abroad, you have to open your mind by de-emphasizing your own cultural practices. But when you return, that means that you have a mix of material to work with, and this can be confusing.
When you have (reverse) culture shock, you feel slightly on edge and don't know why. Your interpersonal communication feels like a series of mismatching signals. You forget how to do simple things like ordering food, exchanging pleasantries, and simply being courteous. You realize you've forgotten internet passwords, ATM passwords, system.
I think now that one cost of adapting to a new culture is the residual effect of unlearning parts of your native culture. To embrace a new set of conventions when you live abroad, you have to open your mind by de-emphasizing your own cultural practices. But when you return, that means that you have a mix of material to work with, and this can be confusing.
12.8.09
Lance gets third
More than any other prior Tour de France, this year I had the opportunity to watch much of the race over the internet. Since I've been writing my dissertation, it was easy to listen along and focus on the last part of the race each day.
A month later, I think that Lance Amstrong's performance was pretty amazing, and I think that his attitude serves as an excellent model for young athletes who are trying to understand the meaning that inheres in sport. Although there was quite a bit of debate over how well he was able to shoulder the role of domestique, or as a helper to team leader and eventual champion Alberto Contador, I think he did well. It could not have been easy, despite being nearly 38 years old, for the seven-time champion to ride in a support role when it was clear he had more left in the tank. In the end, he seemed to be genuinely content -- without denying that he wanted to win -- with his third place finish. Since the "winning is everything" attitude is so prevalent in sports, I think his will to reach the podium was a timely reminder that it's the journey as much as the destination that we need to keep in mind.
A month later, I think that Lance Amstrong's performance was pretty amazing, and I think that his attitude serves as an excellent model for young athletes who are trying to understand the meaning that inheres in sport. Although there was quite a bit of debate over how well he was able to shoulder the role of domestique, or as a helper to team leader and eventual champion Alberto Contador, I think he did well. It could not have been easy, despite being nearly 38 years old, for the seven-time champion to ride in a support role when it was clear he had more left in the tank. In the end, he seemed to be genuinely content -- without denying that he wanted to win -- with his third place finish. Since the "winning is everything" attitude is so prevalent in sports, I think his will to reach the podium was a timely reminder that it's the journey as much as the destination that we need to keep in mind.
7.8.09
Family Trees
The roots of Modica family, which I cut and pasted from Ancestry.com, stretch back to Sicily and then to my father's maternal side. It turns out my great-great-grandmother was Delfina Rodriguez, born in Colombia.
1880 United States Federal Census
1880 United States Federal Census
about Francis B. Modica
| View Original Record   Get all the details available on the original record image.  |
1.8.09
Leaving Oaxaca
These are pictures from our last opportunity to eat at our favorite seafood restaurant in Oaxaca. Since Oaxaca City is not too far from either the Pacific or the Caribbean, it doesn't take too long to get fresh and delicious seafood in town.
6.5.09
Extending your life expectancy
If you are 33 years old, how many times have you:
There is another important fact about heart beats in particular. It has been shown that many animals, especially mammals, have about 1 billion heartbeats in their lifetime. An astute post on "conserving your heartbeats" reports that running and other endurance exercise add to your life expectancy:
- Eaten breakfast? Probably around 12,000 times, if you eat each day.
- Seen a full moon? It's likely around 925 full moons you've seen.
- Brushed your teeth? Somewhere around 22,000 times if you brush twice a day.
- Felt your heart beat? Let's say it beats 65 times per minute - that would be somewhere around more than 1.2 billion times (1,127,412,000).
There is another important fact about heart beats in particular. It has been shown that many animals, especially mammals, have about 1 billion heartbeats in their lifetime. An astute post on "conserving your heartbeats" reports that running and other endurance exercise add to your life expectancy:
"Each year I spend as a runner costs me one week of heartbeats, but the improved fitness adds 13 weeks to my life expectancy for a net of +12 weeks. Another way to look at it: Every month of regular running adds one week to my life! Diving deeper yet… assuming I run 3.5 times per week, that means that each run adds 12 hours to my life. How’s that for a good investment?"The author explains that while it might seem that exercising effectively "uses up" your heartbeats faster, the gains that are made through the lowering of your resting heart rate are considerable.
6.3.09
The two sides of Palenque
Last month's visit to Palenque was educational in two ways: witnessing how Central American migrants ride on the top of freight trains, and seeing the majesty of the Mayan ruins sitting atop the Chiapas jungle. The hoards of eager tourists paying money to see ancient ruins contrasted starkly with Central American migrants mounting the top of the train to make their way through Mexico toward economic opportunity - only a few kilometers away.
On Friday, we visited a migrant shelter near the town of Palenque, which has seen an increasing number of migrants as the more southern route through Tapachula has become more dangerous. In this picture, you can see migrants climbing aboard the freight cars.
The next day, we woke early to the sounds of howler monkeys. After returning to our little cabaña in the jungle lodge, we saw river otter float by from our back porch - who knew there were otters in Chiapas! We then spent the next five hours or so exploring the archaeological ruins of Palenque, a major urban center of the Mayas.
On Friday, we visited a migrant shelter near the town of Palenque, which has seen an increasing number of migrants as the more southern route through Tapachula has become more dangerous. In this picture, you can see migrants climbing aboard the freight cars.
The next day, we woke early to the sounds of howler monkeys. After returning to our little cabaña in the jungle lodge, we saw river otter float by from our back porch - who knew there were otters in Chiapas! We then spent the next five hours or so exploring the archaeological ruins of Palenque, a major urban center of the Mayas.
2.3.09
Not all help is good help
The trouble with Jerry Lewis, who recently won the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, is that "rather than working for equality and social inclusion of disabled people, [he] portrays us as hopeless, pathetic, eternal children."
As another person described during the 2009 Oscar ceremony, "there were protests and people from the community trying to explain this. But paternalism is a very strong force, especially when it backed up by millions of dollars a year, major corporate sponsors, and an ego that can’t live with the fact that his career was over 40 years ago." In other words, people who do not favor Lewis face an organized and powerful network of supporters.
Jerry Lewis has strong detractors and supporters on both sides, but at least in the 21st century, it seems like his version of "helping" has reached the end of its useful life.
As another person described during the 2009 Oscar ceremony, "there were protests and people from the community trying to explain this. But paternalism is a very strong force, especially when it backed up by millions of dollars a year, major corporate sponsors, and an ego that can’t live with the fact that his career was over 40 years ago." In other words, people who do not favor Lewis face an organized and powerful network of supporters.
Jerry Lewis has strong detractors and supporters on both sides, but at least in the 21st century, it seems like his version of "helping" has reached the end of its useful life.
23.2.09
Productive Ignorance/ Productive Failure
“I have missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot...and missed. And I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why... I succeed.”
--Michael Jordan
Both Michael Jordan and a microbiologist named Martin A. Schwartz believe that taking risks and failing -- whether by missing shots in a basketball game or trying to solve intractable scientific problems -- is the key to succeeding. As Schwartz puts it, the reason for taking exams (i.e. comprehensive or qualifying exams for a thesis or dissertation) in the first place is to see if the student "fails at a sufficiently high level." It is the nerve to take risks in the first place that is the only path to breaking through to a new level.
The importance of stupidity in science, Journal of Cell Science 121, 1771 (2008).
--Michael Jordan
Both Michael Jordan and a microbiologist named Martin A. Schwartz believe that taking risks and failing -- whether by missing shots in a basketball game or trying to solve intractable scientific problems -- is the key to succeeding. As Schwartz puts it, the reason for taking exams (i.e. comprehensive or qualifying exams for a thesis or dissertation) in the first place is to see if the student "fails at a sufficiently high level." It is the nerve to take risks in the first place that is the only path to breaking through to a new level.
The importance of stupidity in science, Journal of Cell Science 121, 1771 (2008).
12.2.09
Migration: the complex and the simple
After participating in a march in Ixtepec, Oaxaca in southern Mexico with mothers and family members who are searching for their missing daughters and sons, I was struck at both the complexity of the structural issues in migration, and also the very straight-forward issues being addressed by legions of people who offer direct services to migrants. These Salvadorean women were coming on bus through Mexico, and started in Chiapas (article in spanish). I´ll offer some thoughts on the basic issues before reflecting on the complex.
Searching for your child: This morning, around 9am we watched as a group of somber women and men from El Salvador descended from their bus. They were met by Mexican supporters, including the priest and local workers from the Ixtepec migrant shelter. Located in part of Mexico that narrows considerably - the Isthmus - Ixtepec sits in the path of the railroad tracks that carry Mexico´s frieght train. Although riding the train is dangerous and uncomfortable, it does not cost anything, and thus is the method of choice for many migrants. The Salvadorean group had decided to come through Ixtepec since there was a high chance that their loved one had passed through. As the mothers assembled for their march, they held up signs that took my breath away. Each sign said their child´s name, when they were lost, and had their picture. These mothers have been looking for the news of their children for as long as 28 years in one case, and refuse to give up hope. As we found out during the march and ensuing speeches and testimonies, they have tried every means possible including following the migrant trail and calling authorities in Mexico and the United States. Their resolution in searching for their children presents a very straight-forward human universal: a parent's love.
Why does someone migrate? This is much more complex issue, perhaps, and involves much more than might be commonly imagined. I'll stick to facts that are less well-known. For the majority of people who migrate, the motivation is fundamentally economic. However, they also may be fleeing domestic, local (e.g. gang-related), political or structural violence in their home communities. The migrants coming through Mexico often have migrated more than once and come from many different parts of Latin America, and even Africa and Asia. Most are from Central America, and face mistreatment by vendors, migration officials, military personnel, fellow travelers, and police. Up to 90% of women encounter sexual violence. Depending on which country the migrant is coming from, large-scale economic forces, structural adjustment, or national level politics may be strong push-factors.
The image above shows migrants jumping on the roof of the moving train.
Searching for your child: This morning, around 9am we watched as a group of somber women and men from El Salvador descended from their bus. They were met by Mexican supporters, including the priest and local workers from the Ixtepec migrant shelter. Located in part of Mexico that narrows considerably - the Isthmus - Ixtepec sits in the path of the railroad tracks that carry Mexico´s frieght train. Although riding the train is dangerous and uncomfortable, it does not cost anything, and thus is the method of choice for many migrants. The Salvadorean group had decided to come through Ixtepec since there was a high chance that their loved one had passed through. As the mothers assembled for their march, they held up signs that took my breath away. Each sign said their child´s name, when they were lost, and had their picture. These mothers have been looking for the news of their children for as long as 28 years in one case, and refuse to give up hope. As we found out during the march and ensuing speeches and testimonies, they have tried every means possible including following the migrant trail and calling authorities in Mexico and the United States. Their resolution in searching for their children presents a very straight-forward human universal: a parent's love.
Why does someone migrate? This is much more complex issue, perhaps, and involves much more than might be commonly imagined. I'll stick to facts that are less well-known. For the majority of people who migrate, the motivation is fundamentally economic. However, they also may be fleeing domestic, local (e.g. gang-related), political or structural violence in their home communities. The migrants coming through Mexico often have migrated more than once and come from many different parts of Latin America, and even Africa and Asia. Most are from Central America, and face mistreatment by vendors, migration officials, military personnel, fellow travelers, and police. Up to 90% of women encounter sexual violence. Depending on which country the migrant is coming from, large-scale economic forces, structural adjustment, or national level politics may be strong push-factors.
The image above shows migrants jumping on the roof of the moving train.
1.2.09
About the author
This blog is maintained by Nick Rattray. Nick is working on his dissertation in cultural anthropology at the University of Arizona, focused on social exclusion for people with disabilities in Ecuador. He has worked in applied research and community development for the last decade in California, New Jersey, Arizona, and Ecuador. Nick has published articles on accessibility and community-based mapping, and is currently working on an article on social inclusion in Ecuador. He received his B.A. in anthropology from UC Berkeley, a Masters in Urban Planning from Rutgers University, and hopefully will complete his PhD in 2010. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, playing basketball and soccer, traveling, gardening, and painting.
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