alejandrito89-blog

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http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/10/opinion/sunday/nicholas-kristof-is-a-hard-life-inherited.html?smid=tw-share

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The rain caught me.

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Another day.

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1st reblog.

Suzanne Corkin, who studied Henry Molaison — a patient with almost no memory — for more than 50 years, tells Terry Gross about the signs of Molaison’s intelligence:

We gave him IQ tests. In fact, he had an IQ test the day before his operation. A psychologist at the Hartford hospital had tested him. After his operation his IQ actually went up, which isn’t a surprise because he wasn’t having as many seizures. So we monitored his IQ over the years. We wanted to know that he maintained a particular level of intellectual ability. Aside from that, just talking to him in every day life, you knew you were talking to an intelligent person. Evidence of this is that he would spontaneously come up with very funny jokes. He had a wonderful sense of humor, and he would come up with little quips that were appropriate to a specific moment, nothing that he had made up before, rehearsed, or he knew from his preoperative life.

One day a post-doctoral fellow in my lab was testing Henry at the MIT clinical research center, they walked out of the testing room and the door slammed, and [one fellow] said, ‘Oh, I think I’ve left my keys inside.’ And Henry said, ‘Well at least you’ll know where to find them.’ One of his favorite past times was doing crossword puzzles. He always had one at arm’s reach, and a pencil, and so I said, ‘Henry, you are the puzzle king of the world,’ and he said, ‘I’m puzzling.’

Corkin is the author of the new book Permanent Present Tense, about her years and work with Molaison.

Image via Mashable

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Mostly 01/18/14.

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Flight Facilities - Crave You [HQ] (by sunterbivor)

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Baby (Breakbot Remix) - PNAU Set Fire to the Rain (Plastic Plates Remix) - Adele Ce Jeu (The Twelves Remix) - Yelle Rich Girls (Le Castle Vania Remix) - The Virgins Love Get Out Of My Way (Treasure Fingers Remix) - Monarchy 2 Hearts - Digitalism

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3!+4 yrs later :)

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And I turned 'round and there you go.

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Dance, dance, dance...Daawwwaawwwnnceeeeee.

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Ate a 2lb bag of carrots.  FACK.

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Yesterday, I exercised the right to vote.

Half way into my coffee at Starbucks last week, I decided to take a break from studying physics and pulled out my absentee ballot.  I looked through the propositions, already having bias and general ideas about what some of them addressed, and completely befuddled by some of the others.  I wanted to do something different this election season. And so, I did more investigating than I had done in the previous election when I first voted.

As I researched specific propositions, a loud voice from behind me made me shake in my seat as she yelled, "GOOD JOB!!! I AM SO PROUD OF YOU." I looked behind to see who was doing a good job and had some six-foot, gray-haired women beaming down at me through her gold rim glasses.  She had the apperance of a younger, more fit Mrs. Doubtfire with just as much energy.  I couldn't help but look both ways as if I was trying to avoid being the center of attention for some event, but either way she had already drawn attention to me and continued to praise me for researching about propositions and in general, voting.  She went on to tell me about her daughter and how she made her come home for one weekend to cast her absentee ballot.  She truly addressed how concerned she was about her daughter potentially not exercising the right to vote and ensured that she did the weekend she convinced her to come home from school.  I sat the rest of the time at Starbucks researching more propositions to make sure I could make a decision.

When I cast my ballot this election season, I wanted to do it for all those who have no right to vote.  I remember graduating high school, coming to Berkeley, and taking part in the election delegating President Barack Obama to the White House. At the time, I didn't take the polling period or propositions very seriously.  I still had in my mind, "What difference does it make? It's one vote. Well, it doesn't really matter, the electoral college takes care of everything.  Propositions, whatever..."  While I had that attitude, I still voted because I knew it was important; even though I was slightly skeptical about the whole process in the end...

Today, I can say I have grown out of that immaturity because voting isn't necessarily about being the one vote, or about making a HUGE difference... It's about taking part in a due process that we as American citizens have in this country.  I felt abashed and resentful about myself for having been what I considered "conforming" and "in-vain" at the time.  There's nothing "conforming" or "in-vain" in voting.  Voting is an anonymous way of demonstrating to the public what your views and beliefs are based on the information you have acquired allowing you to make an autonomous decision about an event or proposal.  Casting a vote among millions and millions, it might make no difference statistically, that one vote...; however, it makes a difference for those who chose to participate.  It's a difference, because you can say I took the responsibility to make an effort to vote: to register on time, to do some investigation and research about propositions and campaigns, to take time out of your schedule to mail your ballot, show up in person to vote, or even aide others at the polls so their vote is counted; because for that one person who votes, it does make a difference to be part of something bigger.  

I voted yesterday because others could not vote.  I voted because there are people who want to vote but cannot vote.  There are many people, not just in our country but in others, who are not allowed to vote.  Whatever reasons those may be that prevent them for voting, I wanted to take advantage of that right I have been granted just for being an American citizen.  I wanted to be a small voice for those who can't vote.  I wanted, but to share with this election, not only my views and ideas, but the same views and ideas others without a voice might have in this election.  

When we vote, we speak not only for ourselves but for others.  When we cast our ballots they are no longer just our votes... they are everybody's votes.  Our individual ballots become part of that larger entity we call "voting," that optimistically allows us to progress forward from where we are currently.  

There is and was nothing dramatic about the actual process of voting yesterday.  In fact, I sat on my ass and waited till the last minute to turn in my absentee ballot.  I had mine stolen when my car got broken into in Berkeley, but luckily I was able to acquire one the day before and turn it in election day.  Perhaps the most dramatic event election day was the phone call was from Meghan telling me she found my MCAT books in a garbage can, but wanted to know if I have voted because she saw my ballot in the trash with the books.  I informed her I had voted and she was truly relieved.  I do not lie, when a sigh of relief was exasperated from the other line.

Everyone knows how the rest of the evening goes so there is no need to touch bases about it, but as I watched the election, I was humbled.  Humbled to think, "Well, I voted.  And I am a part of this.  A part of this change that I took part in."  Whether it was against my opinions or beliefs, the results of the election or campaigns cannot be changed, but at the very least I can say, I was a part of this process.  Something people who cannot vote or chose not to vote, cannot say.

I exercised the right to vote.

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Disturbed with how comfortable I am with being by myself and alone.  

I do enjoy being around others, but sometimes the inability to relate to common feelings/sensations or topics makes me feel social inept and outside the frequency of social interaction.  

Or maybe it's due to the fact that I still have things I want to do with myself before I open up to society and start having fun.  

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If I walk away, I feel the push inside of me that won't let me leave.