Over the years, I've had kitties with various different perceptions of the feline/human species differential (or not).
For example, Misty absolutely perceived herself as human, except smaller, fuzzier, and a bit superior overall. She had no time for other four-footed critters, and if she was looking out the window and saw me pet another animal, she would sulk. She also sulked the first few times I visited somewhere that had an unfamiliar critter scent, until she got used to detecting that scent on me.
Melody clearly thought I was a cat. She interacted with me as a kitten would with its mother -- except for a few months when she kept bringing me half-dead (or wholly alive) bugs to try and teach me to hunt. Mercifully, she gave up on me after failing to break me of the "scream and swat" killing technique.
Harmony KNEW she was a Cat, capital C. She was feline in all aspects of her purr-sonality. I never got a sense that she perceived herself as anything but feline, nor did she ever give off a vibe that she considered ME to be feline.
As to my current felines, Captain and Stanley... the only thing I can detect about them is that they don't appear to perceive a species difference between me and them. They treat me like a Momcat, greet me with chirps, sit on me, knead on me. They definitely perceive a difference in species between themselves and Mini, though. They made it clear, the instant they first set eyes on the dog, that they were shocked -- SHOCKED -- that we'd let an animal in the house.
Mini, meanwhile, just sees us as her pack. It's all good. She kisses the daylights out of Mark and me, and if I happen to be cuddling her within range of one of the cats, she'll start licking the cat. Meanwhile, said kitty will have a look on his face that puts me in mind of Lucy vs. Snoopy: "AAAUUGH! I'VE BEEN KISSED BY A DOG! GET THE IODINE!"
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
On leftover symptoms
The Phantoms left Philadelphia after the 2008-09 season. While I can *hardly* say I took their departure well -- far, far from it, to put it mildly -- I have been able to move forward from the grief of losing my team to a city 300 miles away. (Their alleged move to Allentown, two seasons from now, is small comfort, at best, as I still won't be able to attend every game anymore, as I did when they were where they belong: in the Philly area.)
However, to my surprise, in the past few weeks. I've been having some serious "I miss my team" spells. Again. I thought I'd processed the grief and moved forward, but here it was coming back again, and I wasn't sure why. When the grief is connected to a loss like that of a loved one, sometimes the sadness will make a resurgence at times like the anniversary of their birth or passing. But the Phantoms' departure anniversary isn't until the middle of April, so what was up with these feelings *now*?
Then I realized. It's because the impending opening of the Spectrum-killing abomination, Xf*n*ty L*ve, has been widely publicized in recent weeks. My normal reaction, on the sight of the logo or hearing of the name, has been to hiss at it. But unbeknownst to me, all those sightings of the logo, and all those hearings of the name, apparently were digging away at some remaining, buried remnants of sadness that I've been unwittingly carrying around for the past three years. And finally, in the past couple of weeks, they've finally reached the surface.
Today is the opening of the abomination. So it's *really* all over the freaking news. Ugh. Guess I'll have to dodge the local news channels for a day or two, until the hubbub dies down. They won't be seeing any of MY money, not in that location nor in any other location that's affiliated with the Spectrum-killing Cordish brothers (of which I've already boycotted the ones in Baltimore, Atlantic City, and Louisville).
I have to say... there is not ONE FREAKING THING that was in their original plan that's currently in place on their site. Luxury hotel? None. Not any kind of hotel, in fact. Boutiques? None. Outlet stores? Nada. Theater? Nope. The only thing that they did that was on the original plan was tear down the Spectrum. B@st@rds.
However, to my surprise, in the past few weeks. I've been having some serious "I miss my team" spells. Again. I thought I'd processed the grief and moved forward, but here it was coming back again, and I wasn't sure why. When the grief is connected to a loss like that of a loved one, sometimes the sadness will make a resurgence at times like the anniversary of their birth or passing. But the Phantoms' departure anniversary isn't until the middle of April, so what was up with these feelings *now*?
Then I realized. It's because the impending opening of the Spectrum-killing abomination, Xf*n*ty L*ve, has been widely publicized in recent weeks. My normal reaction, on the sight of the logo or hearing of the name, has been to hiss at it. But unbeknownst to me, all those sightings of the logo, and all those hearings of the name, apparently were digging away at some remaining, buried remnants of sadness that I've been unwittingly carrying around for the past three years. And finally, in the past couple of weeks, they've finally reached the surface.
Today is the opening of the abomination. So it's *really* all over the freaking news. Ugh. Guess I'll have to dodge the local news channels for a day or two, until the hubbub dies down. They won't be seeing any of MY money, not in that location nor in any other location that's affiliated with the Spectrum-killing Cordish brothers (of which I've already boycotted the ones in Baltimore, Atlantic City, and Louisville).
I have to say... there is not ONE FREAKING THING that was in their original plan that's currently in place on their site. Luxury hotel? None. Not any kind of hotel, in fact. Boutiques? None. Outlet stores? Nada. Theater? Nope. The only thing that they did that was on the original plan was tear down the Spectrum. B@st@rds.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Showed some students something Real yesterday
It's been a while since I've had fodder for a full-length blog post. Most of my life recently has been revolving about working, working, and more working. Which is good, since oddly enough, the only way to create anything that resembles a savings is to earn the money in the first place. But the side effect of having three part-time jobs is that sometimes, you spend a LOT of time working.
But yesterday definitely provided blog-post fodder. No doubt about it.
My deaf-blind friend JEJ has got multiple different disabilities, all due to a gene mutation which was only discovered fairly recently. (Meaning, both that the mutated gene was discovered within the past couple years in him, AND medical science is only recently aware of just what a mutation of said gene can cause.) Along with causing loss of vision and hearing, this gene issue also causes a laundry list of other issues which my friend has been experiencing one by one. Loss of balance and mobility. Muscle control issues. Chronic pain. And, unfortunately, a level of neuropathy that has rendered him unable to read braille -- an especially cruel loss, because JEJ has been an avid reader all his life.
Losing the ability to read braille meant being unable to read books, letters, and the computer displays that allowed him to make TTY calls and exchange emails with numerous friends. And those were his main connections to the outside world that lay beyond the reach of arm's length. I'm wracking my brain trying to think of an equivalent loss in the sighted/hearing world, but I can't. We have so many outlets that we don't even realize exist, because we take them for granted. But imagine having no TV, no radio, no computer, no phone, no snail mail, no contact with anyone who's not in the same room as you, and no "outlet" anymore for being able to go into that mental place where recreational reading takes us. If you can clearly fix this image in your mind, then you'll understand what a loss this neuropathy caused over the past few years.
Fast-forward to last September. There is currently a group of people in PA who are trying to re-establish a deaf-blind social group in the state. At an event over Labor Day weekend, JEJ met up with a local deaf-blind engineer who happened to create a device while he was in college called a Tacticom. This device is one giant refreshable braille cell, with cotter pins that move up-and-down to simulate one braille letter at a time, and it can be connected to a computer to allow the blind person to read the screen. It's designed for people who can't feel standard-sized braille. They can rest their whole hand on the giant braille cell, and feel the letters come up that way. Or, if they can't feel the braille in their hand, they can rest their forearm on the device, or place the device against their side, their leg, or any other region that DOES have enough remaining sensation to perceive the braille letters appearing.
Scott, the engineer, thought of that device he'd made immediately, when he was talking to JEJ. However, there would have to be some significant updates made to the device before it would be rendered usable for JEJ. Firat of all, the software for the device was designed for DOS computers and parallel/serial ports, not with Windows and USB ports. Second of all, the only existing devices were prototypes, not ones that were designed for the rigors of use in real life.
To make a long story less long, for the past few months, Scott, his former instructor, and a current engineering student have been working on creating a Tacticom for JEJ to use. Scott supplied the software and the design for the device; the instructor and the student actually built the device and rewrote the software to create an interface for Windows computer.
Well, yesterday was the demo. We all headed up to the university's engineering lab so JEJ could try out the preliminary version of the device. When we got to the lab, there were 8 or 10 other engineering students working on other projects. One by one, they ALL stopped what they were doing, to come over and watch the demonstration of this braille device. Scott's former instructor, perceiving a major teachable moment was in progress, impressed on them not just the mechanics of the Tacticom, but the IMPACT of how engineering is going to completely change a person's life for the better. And I think every one of them Got It. I *really* think they Got It. Maybe some of those young'uns will start to ponder whether they can use their abilities to design assistive tech, whereas they might not have thought of that kind of application of their skills otherwise.
The student who worked on the Tacticom said, flat-out, that he found working on the Tacticom at least as exciting as some work he'd done for NASA. And that feeling was reinforced yesterday when he saw the demo and understood how important the device is for changing a life for the better.
The device isn't quite ready for prime time yet. It still has some temporary wires coming out of it that will eventually be enclosed in one large cable. But we're close to seeing the day when the Tacticom is installed in JEJ's house, allowing him to read text on his computer.
What's more, I believe that this deployment of a Tacticom (short for Tactile Communication) is only the beginning. Someone who is aware of this project happened to mention it in passing on a Deaf-Blind Techies mailing list that I subscribe to, and the list absolutely blew up with questions from other members. The other members misunderstood, and thought that this device was already finalized and being manufactured by some company, and they all wanted more info because they knew of people who couldn't feel regular braille well enough to read it.
So, while JEJ is going to be the first person who uses a current-generation Tacticom in real life, I suspect he won't be the last. Once the device is completely ready, I think that if word spreads that such a device exists, demand for it is going to run rampant. So MORE lives are going to be changing. I'm thinking that the design specs of the device can be made open source, so that anyone who wants to build one will be able to do so. This is really huge. Or it will be, once it exists in the real world and word starts to get out.
But yesterday definitely provided blog-post fodder. No doubt about it.
My deaf-blind friend JEJ has got multiple different disabilities, all due to a gene mutation which was only discovered fairly recently. (Meaning, both that the mutated gene was discovered within the past couple years in him, AND medical science is only recently aware of just what a mutation of said gene can cause.) Along with causing loss of vision and hearing, this gene issue also causes a laundry list of other issues which my friend has been experiencing one by one. Loss of balance and mobility. Muscle control issues. Chronic pain. And, unfortunately, a level of neuropathy that has rendered him unable to read braille -- an especially cruel loss, because JEJ has been an avid reader all his life.
Losing the ability to read braille meant being unable to read books, letters, and the computer displays that allowed him to make TTY calls and exchange emails with numerous friends. And those were his main connections to the outside world that lay beyond the reach of arm's length. I'm wracking my brain trying to think of an equivalent loss in the sighted/hearing world, but I can't. We have so many outlets that we don't even realize exist, because we take them for granted. But imagine having no TV, no radio, no computer, no phone, no snail mail, no contact with anyone who's not in the same room as you, and no "outlet" anymore for being able to go into that mental place where recreational reading takes us. If you can clearly fix this image in your mind, then you'll understand what a loss this neuropathy caused over the past few years.
Fast-forward to last September. There is currently a group of people in PA who are trying to re-establish a deaf-blind social group in the state. At an event over Labor Day weekend, JEJ met up with a local deaf-blind engineer who happened to create a device while he was in college called a Tacticom. This device is one giant refreshable braille cell, with cotter pins that move up-and-down to simulate one braille letter at a time, and it can be connected to a computer to allow the blind person to read the screen. It's designed for people who can't feel standard-sized braille. They can rest their whole hand on the giant braille cell, and feel the letters come up that way. Or, if they can't feel the braille in their hand, they can rest their forearm on the device, or place the device against their side, their leg, or any other region that DOES have enough remaining sensation to perceive the braille letters appearing.
Scott, the engineer, thought of that device he'd made immediately, when he was talking to JEJ. However, there would have to be some significant updates made to the device before it would be rendered usable for JEJ. Firat of all, the software for the device was designed for DOS computers and parallel/serial ports, not with Windows and USB ports. Second of all, the only existing devices were prototypes, not ones that were designed for the rigors of use in real life.
To make a long story less long, for the past few months, Scott, his former instructor, and a current engineering student have been working on creating a Tacticom for JEJ to use. Scott supplied the software and the design for the device; the instructor and the student actually built the device and rewrote the software to create an interface for Windows computer.
Well, yesterday was the demo. We all headed up to the university's engineering lab so JEJ could try out the preliminary version of the device. When we got to the lab, there were 8 or 10 other engineering students working on other projects. One by one, they ALL stopped what they were doing, to come over and watch the demonstration of this braille device. Scott's former instructor, perceiving a major teachable moment was in progress, impressed on them not just the mechanics of the Tacticom, but the IMPACT of how engineering is going to completely change a person's life for the better. And I think every one of them Got It. I *really* think they Got It. Maybe some of those young'uns will start to ponder whether they can use their abilities to design assistive tech, whereas they might not have thought of that kind of application of their skills otherwise.
The student who worked on the Tacticom said, flat-out, that he found working on the Tacticom at least as exciting as some work he'd done for NASA. And that feeling was reinforced yesterday when he saw the demo and understood how important the device is for changing a life for the better.
The device isn't quite ready for prime time yet. It still has some temporary wires coming out of it that will eventually be enclosed in one large cable. But we're close to seeing the day when the Tacticom is installed in JEJ's house, allowing him to read text on his computer.
What's more, I believe that this deployment of a Tacticom (short for Tactile Communication) is only the beginning. Someone who is aware of this project happened to mention it in passing on a Deaf-Blind Techies mailing list that I subscribe to, and the list absolutely blew up with questions from other members. The other members misunderstood, and thought that this device was already finalized and being manufactured by some company, and they all wanted more info because they knew of people who couldn't feel regular braille well enough to read it.
So, while JEJ is going to be the first person who uses a current-generation Tacticom in real life, I suspect he won't be the last. Once the device is completely ready, I think that if word spreads that such a device exists, demand for it is going to run rampant. So MORE lives are going to be changing. I'm thinking that the design specs of the device can be made open source, so that anyone who wants to build one will be able to do so. This is really huge. Or it will be, once it exists in the real world and word starts to get out.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Friday, March 09, 2012
Monday, March 05, 2012
Sunday, March 04, 2012
Friday, March 02, 2012
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