Then the temperatures go back to the high 80’s. The 4th of July is very often the height of heat for the summer here, as August tends to be fire season…I do hope the WOrldcon doesn’t get pink skies and the smell of smoke…
And we’re surviving. We lost the one tree. We’re thinking about whacking it back to the base and seeing if it can grow a new top.
Autism Sniff Test: Junk Science? Some researchers had an 80% success rate identifying autistic children by presenting them with attractive and repulsive scents while they were watching cartoons. Then they went on to theorize that autism affects how the brain processes smells. Hello people! You were measuring their absorption in the cartoon.
In a recent TED Talk on “the Forgooten History of Autism”, Steve Silberman said, “by autistic standards the normal human brain is easily distractable, obsessively social, and suffers from a deficit of attention to detail.”
Now, given that we’re now talking of a spectrum so there really isn’t any one way one can categorize autism, that’s not quite right, but as an Aspie, I can tell you he has a point.
I think this is junk science!
Not only does that “sniff test” clearly involve two very different kinds of input, one (cartoons) very likely to outdo the other, but to test human kids on the sense of smell would need a lot more refinement, since smell is so tentative and subjective for people. For most kids especially, cartoons (and any commercials advertising things kids want) are exciting and distracting, a more attentive or settled kid might not be quite so hyper from cartoons, unless he or she is with another kid, in which case, hyper and distracted again. The cartoons are intended to be fun, funny, distracting, zany. To test any kid’s other senses during that? I’m not sure what they thought they would get, but an accurate assessment of anything but the kid’s reactions to the cartoons is not likely to happen. I wouldn’t expect that to assess properly either an Autism spectrum kid or a neuro-typical kid. Bad test design.
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Weather: Hot and hotter here, but that’s normal. Still with thunderstorms and rain expected over the holiday and into next week, but it was mostly clear here today.
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My two cats have been unsettled by my flurry of activity re back taxes, and disarrangement of my office and house because of it, and they are surely reacting to my moods (high stress, anxiety, lack of sleep, etc.).
Heh, but a respite today and for a couple of days for a holiday from it should help me and them too.
I’d miscalculated on how much dry food to get and was almost running short. I’d ordered more, but yesterday’s storm postponed delivery. It arrived tonight after dark. No, I don’t propose to run after one or two mostly black cats if they ran out into my front yard at night. So I’m waiting until morning to get it. The alternative would be to shut them in a bedroom and get the order. Wacky cats. Though they finally might have gotten the idea that running out the front entails the risk of Loud Noises and Strange Hew-mons and Objects, thus, not a good, fun game to play on the hew-mon.
Mr. Assertive is also Mr. Chubby Chow-Hound (Cat). Mr. Non-Assertive is also Mr. I Can Be Pushed Aside From My Food or All Else Until I Can’t Take Anymore and I Finally Halfway Get Ticked Off. Heheh. So the latter, with natural appetite control (long and thin) gets too often pushed around (including food bowl) by the former, who is “always hungry” due to memories of being a half-starved street kitten. (Tiny ball of fluff and not much else when he arrived, immediately drank his weight in water, years ago. Has been danged hungry ever since, despite plenty of food always.)
So Mr. Assertive does his best to eat all the dry food that’s put out, while Mr. Non-Assertive never seems bothered by this, until the food bowl is actually *empty* for too long. This actually is a rare occurrence, but it troubles the two felines. (What, no snacks from the buffet? How gauche!)
But the new order of dry arrived before I ran out, and I do have enough moist for the month too. — Also, I discovered the dry brand I rely on (since it was all my previous two could eat of dry food after they got older) … oops, got lost in the danged parenthetical clause. Sorry. The Solid Gold brand of dry cat food now has two new flavors. In addition to the Katz-n-Flocken they regularly get (lamb etc. but not grain-free, yet they digest it better and like the taste better than all others; the Indigo Moon flavor has never been a hit with my current two or my previous two. I therefore don’t buy it. But the two new flavors are now, “Winged Tiger – Quail and Pumpkin Grain-Free Adult Cat Food” and “Forever Young – Turkey, Brown Rice, and Cranberry Senior Adult Cat Food”. Ah, it says the other is “Katz-N-Flocked – Lamb, Brown Rice, and Pearled Barley Adult Cat Food”. (Yet my guys seem to do well, no allergic reactions, stomach upsets, or other issues from it.
Hmm. Y’know, those flavors sound pretty darned good. I think they may be getting a better menu than I am. — I would presume the cranberry is for urinary tract health, an issue for both male and female cats (and humans), particularly later in life. (I’m 49, I can say that.)
How come I don’t get the gourmet stuff like that for *my* meals all the time, though? LOL. Anyway, they’ve gone to new graphics on their bags, in addition to new labeling on the flavors. I am eager to see how the guys like the two new flavors, so I bought small bags to try, and if they don’t care for ’em, I can mix in with the big bag of their favorite dry. I’ll report back on how they do with the new flavors.
The dry is pricier, but for no digestive troubles, tummy-aches, etc., I know I can rely on it, while other dry brands don’t always work. I did have some luck with a “Taste of the Wild” brand (venison and buffalo/beef?) which I’ll try again later. — For moist food, the brand CJ had said she and Jane use for their cats was a hit for one flavor (chicken and tuna), a miss for the other (crab and ocean whitefish). Goober wouldn’t eat the latter at all, even hungry, and Smokey ate it but didn’t like it, which for him, is really saying something. (He’ll eat nearly anything.) — So I’ll get more of the tuna and chicken later, but I haven’t yet gone wholly to that moist. Likely will go with it plus usual brands to extend the budget. Will continue to try other moist brands too.
The carrot and the other “purple vegetable” catnip toy — “Cosmic Catnip” is the brand name. The cats loved these so much, they’ve worn them out, past washing. 🙂
Me, I don’t have catnip issues. Caffeine issues, could be, though. 😉 Heheh.
Hmm, no, I’d guess gfi isn’t too similar to catnip, but an infusion (tea) from something like catnip, or the dried powdered equivalent…hmm…well, apparently, most hani don’t have a problem with such. Never any mention of something like it among hani. — Gods-be auto-incorrect can’t remember “hani” and wants to change it to “hand”. No, comp, learn the term: “hani”, intelligent alien leonine species, highly active in the Pleiades constellation….
Darn comp can’t handle proper (or improper) French, let alone good hani or mahen chiso or formal-mode stsho….
And it doesn’t like starbase, but does like starship, Vulcan, and Klingon. … Clearly, whoever programmed it has some liking for Trek. They ought to read Cherryh!
I have related troubles. Mr. Junior is eating less and in smaller amounts as he ages, whereas Zorro has discovered that she can swoop in and clean up anything Junior doesn’t immediately eat. It’s getting to the point where I have to remove Junior’s dish as soon as he walks away from it, or Zorro will devour the rest. When Zorro loses interest, I can put the dish back down and Junior will eat more. Junior might argue with Zorro over right-of-hallway, but doesn’t feel strongly enough about dinner (or Dinner) to dispute it.
I’d always envisioned gfi to be something like Marmite (Vegemite)
Use one dish, Junior’s on the top, Zorro’s on the bottom?
Mr Shu has a bad habit of ‘Are you going to eat the rest of that? Huh?’ and Mr Fluff just thinks, well, maybe I’m out of appetite now. Sei is a —sigh—finicky eater. He’ll eat one thing for a while, then walk off from a just-served meal, which is the signal to change the food or he’ll return the one he gets desperate enough to eat.
So—I maintain three different stocks, to suit his gastric whims. Shu, however, will eat anything. We have to guard the fishfood.
On the other hand, Shu wanted to go walkies this morning, and actually stood by the back door, did an excited tailshake when I picked up his harness, and purred as I put it on him. That red leash serves as a Shu-handle and Shu-locator, so we let him walk about quite happily while we have morning coffee and Diet Coke, and he’s pleased to go out, pleased to come in. If I could get such behavior out of Sei, I’d be very happy.
When Junior was the Library Cat, the library also had a giant cichlid. Vanilla’s fish food pellets were the size of peas, and we found out by accident (after a spill) that Junior also loved them. We didn’t need to buy special treats for Junior, just give him 2-3 fish pellets!
Y’know, I suspect Smokey is part Bengal. He looks and acts much like Shu, even though they can’t be related, distance and time factors.
Goober, though is long and thin and rather different in personality (and genetics) from Sei.
Lately, Smokey has hounded Goober to the point that Goober has retreated to a couple of “safe spots” where Smokey doesn’t bother him. — I’m irritated at Smokey for this, and wish Goober would do more to stick up for himself. Smokey has succeeded in running Goober off the bed with me, which used to be neutral territory, shared. I have a feeling, though, that once the weather turns cooler/cold, that Smokey and Goober may declare a truce about the bed. Hoping so, at least. My own attempts to influence this haven’t worked. Goober does come arouond for attention from me, but he’s got himself so skittish, that if Smokey comes around during that and meows at him, Goober makes a chittering noise and stays a minute, then goes off. Not happy with Smokey over this, not too happy with Goober for letting himself get bullied instead of swatting the little ruffian, but…well, I love ’em both, flaws and virtues and all. They do still double-team me and do still groom each other some and cooperate, so it isn’t an armed camp, thankfully. — I have never given up on a cat and given them away, and don’t think I would or could.
Hey-hey, I now have a little pre-adventure up for Augie and crew. There is a little mystery going on.
There’s a brief (or briefless?) doll information page for Robby, which will include sizes later.
I have a Fanzone upcoming with a micro-story in a galaxy somewhere nearby. That may make it online tomorrow.
I have a new adventure for Robby upcoming, maybe tomorrow. I saw there is more story to the story, but I need more photos and captions to complete it.
Tune (or Toon!) into http://www.shinyfiction.com/toybox/ for the new adventures. I will post news when Robby’s newest adventure and the Fanzone bit are posted.
I restarted my blog last year, and anyone who would like to visit or sign up is welcome! Those who were signed up, please sign up again, because the restart did not take the former members.
My blog is at: http://www.shinyfiction.com/blog/
News about my audio voice work is at: http://www.shinyfiction.com/audio/ for anyone interested. I would love to audition for more fan projects, and I’d love paying gigs too. (I am new at this. I’m not a member of the actor’s guilds and don’t yet have an agent. I have been doing this on a volunteer basis and still enjoy that.)
The Fanzone bit is posted, but it got away from me somehow. I’m not sure what I’ve got there.
I like better what I did with the new little adventure Augie and crew are having.
I still have Robby’s 2nd Adventure to finish, maybe later today (Sunday the 5th).
See the Toy Box Tales link above for all of them.
Crunchy Adams? I will have to seek out this favorable (favorable?) peanut butter formidable jutsu!
Lol, BCS, looking good!
Robby’s Adventures 002 is posted at the Toy Box Tales link above.
His next adventure will have to wait due to real life circumstances, until after next weekend.
Ah — it looks like you got the security blanket issue worked out and Robby is happy with it 🙂
The “quilt” (placemat?) you sent looks fantastic. What I’d seen about sizes for doll bedding for these guys and girls gives essentially a large hand towel as the size for that. But I didn’t think about the scale, where a baby blanket or security blanket would be more the size of a bath towel or beach towel scaled down, therefore smaller than our hand towels. So what I used for Robby’s security blanket is an old wash cloth. Dish towels or dish wash cloths (non-terry cloth) may also work. I’d guess a wash cloth size folded and sewn would make a pillow.
I will likely use another one or two wash cloths / dish cloths, after I’ve done a backlog of laundry. Or if I find something at the dollar store.
Hmm, I also get to reorganize the guest bedroom, and do more faceups, and clean up the house.