The Receptionist

Singalong! O-o-oh Child by The Five Stairsteps

Sometimes you just need a reminder that things are going to get easier. Here it is.

O-O-OH CHILD

The Five Stairsteps

O-o-h child things are gonna get easier

O-o-h child things'll get brighter

O-o-h child things are gonna get easier

O-o-h child things'll get brighter

Someday we'll get it together and we'll get it undone

Someday when the world is much brighter

Someday we'll walk in the rays of a beautiful sun

Someday when the world is much lighter

O-o-h child things are gonna get easier

O-o-h child things'll get brighter

O-o-h child things are gonna get easier

O-o-h child things'll get brighter

Someday we'll get it together and we'll get it undone

Someday when the world is much brighter

Someday we'll walk in the rays of a beautiful sun

Someday when the world is much lighter

O-o-h child things are gonna get easier

O-o-h child things'll get brighter

O-o-h child things are gonna get easier

O-o-h child things'll get brighter

Someday we'll get it together and we'll get it undone

Someday when the world is much brighter

Someday we'll walk in the rays of a beautiful sun

Someday when the world is much lighter

O-o-h child things are gonna get easier

O-o-h child things'll get brighter

O-o-h child things are gonna get easier

O-o-h child things'll get brighter

Right now right now

Learning! Why We Cry

Photo by Jenn and Tony Bot from Flickr Creative Commons.

I don't know about you, but I cry ALL THE TIME. It's kind of embarrassing how easily I cry. Back when I watched TV with commercials, I would tear up over pretty much any emotional commercial, even the most obviously sentimental and manipulative ones. Watching TV, movies, and plays I cry when the characters cry, but also when people band together to support a cause or person, when a dream comes true, when someone says "I love you", has an unexpected success, gets a cute new pet, holds hands for the first time, or any other myriad of experiences. Basically, any strong emotion comes out of my eyes in water-form.

So naturally, I am intrigued by this article in The Independent on the science of tears. It's worth reading in its entirety, but here are some highlights:

We have three types of tears: basal, reflexive, and psychic. Basal tears are pure function and keep our eyeballs from drying out. Reflexive tears are also about function: they help flush foreign particles out of our eyes. Then there's the psychic tears. Also known as FEELINGS.

Psychic tears happen when our emotions get ahold of our brains and trigger our autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system controls the neurotransmitter acetylcholine that can make your tears activate.

The other things that happen when we cry (sweats, slowed breathing, the lump in the throat) are a result of the sympathetic nervous system that also revs up in response to our emotions.

There's more! Read it here.

Inspiration! Portraits of Male Dancers

Despite the fact that (like so many things) when the world of classical dance began, women were banned from the practice, it is now dominated by the ladies. So much so that when you think of a dancer, you're probably thinking of a woman, not a man.

Photographer Amy Elkins saw an opportunity here to explore gender and sexuality, photographing a group of male ballet and contemporary dancers after an intense rehearsal. The result is a beautiful series of shots showing the variety of the masculine experience. A lot of them look surprisingly sad (maybe it's just because they're tired), others proud, or even a bit feisty. I love it.

See them all here.

Cute! Cat-ified Song Lyrics

How could this not make you giggle? A very very clever lady, who I suspect is named Sofia Falcon, but has a Tumblr called Kitties & Bullshit, has made my day. Actually, I discovered this months ago, so she has made my past few months. Her task is simple: she takes popular song lyrics, puts cats into them, and then draws them. What more could you want in life???

Here are my faves:

There are more! And you can get t-shirts and stuff! TO THE TUMBLR.

Singalong! Dancing in the Moonlight by King Harvest

Many years ago a friend of mine made me a mix CD. When he asked what I wanted it to be, I helpfully replied, "songs that will make me happy!" He delivered, and the whole album was full of some delightful discoveries that really brightened my day. The peach on the top of the pile, however, was the final song of the album: the old hit by King Harvest, "Dancing in the Moonlight". What a joyful number! I remembered it from my days of listening to oldies radio, and to this day have a hard time listening to it without dancing, at least a bit.

DANCING IN THE MOONLIGHT

by King Harvest

We get it on most every night

when that moon is big and bright

its a supernatural delight

everybodys dancing in the moonlight

everybody here is out of sight

they dont bark and they dont bite

they keep things loose they keep it tight

everybodys dancing in the moonlight

dancing in the moonlight

everybodys feeling warm and bright

its such a fine and natural sight

everybodys dancing in the moonlight

we like our fun and we never fight

you cant dance and stay uptight

its a supernatural delight

everybody was dancing in the moonlight

dancing in the moonlight

everybodys feeling warm and bright

its such a fine and natural sight

everybodys dancing in the moonlight

we get in on most every night

and when that moon is big and bright

its a supernatural delight

everybodys dancing in the moonlight

dancing in the moonlight

everybodys feeling warm and bright

its such a fine and natural sight

everybodys dancing in the moonlight

Learning! Free Will vs. The Call of Nature

While philosophers and scientists will argue over whether or not (or to what degree) free will actually exists, but you ask the Average Pat walking down the street and he/she'll say "hells yes, I have free will!"

Or will they?

Turns out, it depends.

A recent study shows that people will report believing they have less free will when they have to go to the bathroom, or when they are feeling frisky. That's right, if you have to pee or are desirous of some good-time-action, suddenly you don't believe we have so much free will anymore. When your body is calling the shots your brain realizes that it can only control so much.

Same goes if you're tired. Interestingly, hunger did not have the same effect. Could be because in Western society, hunger just means you have more choices to make - what you'll eat, where you'll eat it, if you'll make it yourself, and so on.

Source: BPS Research Digest.

Me & Ryan Gosling - when he got protective of me at a party

This gem from me and Ryan Gosling's long term relationship was from when we were at a cast party for a play I was in and he suddenly spotted a picture being taken. While it was a friend, his instinct when cameras emerge is to protectively put his arm around me and stonewall his face against the paparazzi. Next he would have pulled me out of the way and punched the sucker's lights out if he hadn't quickly been reminded that we were at a private party and among friends.

Inspiration! Weird is a Side Effect of Awesome

It was my birthday last weekend! On top of getting older (which happens incrementally every single second of our lives anyways), I got this great card from my good friend Alison.

Cute! Maybe cats have good eyesight because they love carrots?

Gertie loves plant life. I cannot have anything green and alive in my apartment without her chomping it down. This time it was carrots from the local market. Good for her eyesight!

Singalong! Happy Birthday by The Beatles

This weekend is my birthday! So... happy birthday from the Fab Four!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

by The Beatles

They say it's your birthday

It's my birthday too, yeah

They say it's your birthday

We're gonna have a good time

I'm glad it's your birthday

Happy birthday to you

Come on

Yes we're going to a party party

I would like you to dance (Birthday)

Take a cha-cha-cha-chance (Birthday)

I would like you to dance (Birthday)

Dance yeah

Come on

I would like you to dance (Birthday)

Take a cha-cha-cha-chance (Birthday)

I would like you to dance (Birthday)

Oh dance! Dance

They say it's your birthday

Well it's my birthday too, yeah

They say it's your birthday

We're gonna have a good time

I'm glad it's your birthday

Happy birthday to you

Learning! How Tattooing Really Works

Another one from the excellent blog It's Okay to be Smart. They've got pretty graphics and things that move around and are cute and make learning fun (like the one below!), so definitely look there, but here is my summary.

From It's Okay to be Smart

First, you stick a needle in your arm and that causes a wound. So your body goes "oh crap! Wound! Get the immune system cells to the site! We will inflame the area with macrophages (cells that eat the "invading material", or the ink, to get rid of the resulting inflammation from your wound)."

Then, some of those cells carry dye away with them to the lymphatic system, but others keep hanging out in your skin (aka dermis), and the ink they're holding onto stays visible because it's right there in the skin!

HOWEVER, your skin slowly heals, replacing the skin cells holding the dye with new, dye-less cells. This makes the ones that are in the "gel-like matrix of the dermis" fade and are replaced. Not all of the cells do this though! Dermal cells are taken up by younger cells when they die, but the new cells take in the ink as well. So that ink stays put. Which is why tattoos get all faded and ugh-like after a while and you have to touch them up. They are permanent - sort of.

Inspiration! 10 Secrets to Happiness from the Pope

Who would have guessed that I'd be getting inspiration from the Pope?!?

Photo by Bayat. Creative Commons. Text added.

Okay, it's really not actually that far off, especially from this Pope who just seems all-around great and I am all into being intentionally spiritual. So without further ado, here are the Pope's 10 Secrets to Happiness:

1. Live and let live.

2. Be giving of yourself to others.

3. Proceed calmly in life.

4. A healthy sense of leisure.

5. Sundays should be holidays.

6. Find innovative ways to create dignified jobs for young people.

7. Respect and take care of nature.

8. Stop being negative.

9. Don't proselytize; respect others' beliefs.

10. Work for peace.

How great is that? First, as advice - I don't know about you but I can use a Sabbath in my life, Sunday or otherwise, and we all need to take better care of nature and be more positive. Plus, hearing the Pope say "live and let live" and "don't proselytize" is kind of groundbreaking! Go Pope, go!

Original story from The Catholic News.

Cute! Cat and Dog United Through Tummies

A week ago I Instagrammed this photo of my Gertie, with tummy on full, unabashed display.

Then a few days later I was at my friend David's and his puppy was lounging in similar repose.

Cute!