Monday, February 10, 2014

How The Autistic Mind Works-Fascinating TEDTalk


Have you ever visited the site TEDTalks? If not, I highly recommend it because it offers lectures on pretty much any subject you can think of written by experts in their respective fields. On this site and their Netflix channel, you can see talks about anything from ants to media ethics to the history of jazz. They're the type of talks people pay a lot of money to see, but you can view them for free.

If you're interested in how autistic people think, here's a very interesting talk from Temple Grandin. Grandin is an expert on animal behavior who was diagnosed with autism as a child. 

http://www.ted.com/talks/temple_grandin_the_world_needs_all_kinds_of_minds.html?quote=653

What I found especially interesting is how she compares her way of thinking to that of animals. Rather than thinking in words the way you and I do, they think in pictures. It's like the way my sister's pit bull reacted to me when I would come to visit. He would bark and growl like crazy at first because, to him, I'm someone he hasn't seen before. When my sister closed the door and opened it back up a minute or so later, the dog was fine. He'd seen me before, so he knows I'm okay.  I guess it makes sense that a person who thinks like this might have trouble learning to communicate with words-it's just not the way they're wired. 

Like Grandin says, though, the world needs all kinds of minds. For instance, I'm very grateful that the bridge-tunnel I go through when I visit family in Virginia was designed by someone who thinks in pictures! There's no way I or another "word-person" would be able to do that.


Sunday, February 2, 2014

Animal Myths-Infographic



Since I've mentioned animals in other posts, I thought you and/or your kids might find this interesting. It de-codes several commonly-held beliefs about animals. I'll have to admit, I was a bit surprised to learn about the different lifespans among dog breeds; I know that's the case between indoor vs. outdoor cats, but I didn't know that a large dog (like the gorgeous Husky my friends used to have) was considered a “senior” at age five! I guess it makes sense, though, since some large breeds like the Husky and Saint Bernard are bred for tough outdoor work. I also love the drawings!


Enjoy!

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Something I'd Love To See-Air-Conditioned Clothing!



I was looking for something completely unrelated when I came across this article about a proposed clothing item in Japan.

If this is real, I hope these things come to the US soon. As much as I like warm weather, the triple-digit temperatures we get in Georgia in the summer are ridiculous!
Maybe they're not exactly fashionable, although they *do* remind me of those Members-Only jackets we had in the 80s. I know, I know, I'm dating myself here. :) Even so, necessity is the mother of invention, and I'd rather be cool in an ugly jacket or shirt than sweltering wearing Versace.

Friday, January 17, 2014

Word Scamble For Kids-Dogs



Here's a word scramble about dogs that you can print out and give to your kids the next time you go on a car trip or out to eat. If you want to see pictures of the different breeds, visit http://www.dogbreedslist.info/.


Gleabe      __ __ __ __ __ __
bpiutll      __ __ __ __ __ __ __
enlenk     __ __ __ __ __ __
yrkej       __ __ __ __ __
rladbaor rtieverre        __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __      __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
golbudl          __ __ __ __ __ __ __
robex           __ __ __ __ __
shlae            __ __ __ __ __
pdoloe             __ __ __ __ __ __
mragen sephrdhe              __ __ __ __ __ __      __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
dohun            __ __ __ __ __
igtnuhn             __ __ __ __ __ __ __
trgea nade                __ __ __ __ __      __ __ __ __
ckorce lspeina                __ __ __ __ __ __       __ __ __ __ __ __ __
witotrlrer               __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
dlogne rtieverre                   __ __ __ __ __ __       __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
syukh                         __ __ __ __ __
tcfeh                     __ __ __ __ __
tleseam               __ __ __ __ __ __ __
rayckbad                 __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
urgad dgo                 __ __ __ __ __       __ __ __
esineg-yee dgo           __ __ __ __ __ __ - __ __ __       __ __ __
pdhseoge              __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
loecli              __ __ __ __ __ __
hwec yto              __ __ __ __      __ __ __
noeb            __ __ __ __
btosno retrier               __ __ __ __ __ __       __ __ __ __ __ __ __
kjac resulsl retrier           __ __ __ __     __ __ __ __ __ __ __      __ __ __ __ __ __ __







Answer: Beagle, Pitbull, kennel, jerky, Labrador Retriever, Bulldog, Boxer, leash, Snoopy, Poodle, German Shepherd, hound, hunting, Great Dane, Cocker Spaniel, Rottweiler, Golden Retriever, Husky, fetch, Maltese, backyard, guard dog, seeing-eye dog, Sheepdog, Collie, chew toy, bone, Boston Terrier, Jack Russell Terrier