Well, this pleasure isn't really a guilty one per se, but another of my weekly pleasures lately comes courtesy of Steven Johnson's blog. Every few days, he's releasing snatches of his new book, Mind Wide Open, which is, in his words, "an attempt to look systematically at the question of what brain science can tell you about yourself as an individual." This week's installment is from Chapter 2 and talks about how the mind handles fear and trauma:
The other intriguing property of fear learning is what some brain scientists call "flashbulb memory." During traumatic events, your brain stores not only a trace of the specific threat -- the snake, or the oncoming car, or the rattle of AK-47 fire -- but also contextual details that surround that threat. This is a classic example of the brain's associative architecture...
He goes on to talk about how 9/11 affected him for some time after the actual event, but all I could think of was my senior year in high school, when I got into my one and only car wreck. In addition to banging up both head and knees, the cassette player got pushed into the dash where I couldn't reach it. Somehow, it kept repeating the same song over and over: A-ha's "Take On Me" (I knew there was a guilty pleasure somewhere around here). For years, I couldn't hear the song without anxiety, and even now, don't really like it. Interestingly enough, the cover of that tune by Reel Big Fish doesn't bother me a bit, and even occupies one of my light rotation iTunes playlists.
But I digress. My point here was that both all of my readers should visit SBJ on a regular basis. I had the chance to meet Steven at CCCC this year, and that only cemented my opinion of him as the best pop-tech (by which I only mean those who write about technology for a broader audience) writer out there. In fact, getting into the habit of visiting his blog was one of the things that prompted me finally to get mine going.
I am not accepting new blogs at this time. If an opening becomes available, I will add this blog you speak of.
That was not the real Jenny posting to your blog. I am the real Jenny and I want to add the blog to my blog.
I really don't know who that person above is. S/he "claims" to be the real Jenny, but that's not true. I'm the real Jenny, all you other Jennys are just imitating, so please stand up, please stand up...
If you are the so-called "real Jenny," answer this question:
What's your favorite marsupial?
My favorite marsupial is the Bandicoot. Would fake Jenny know THAT? I think not.
Oh no it's not. My favorite marsupial is the koala--the bandicoot's pouch faces backward, for goodness' sake!
Walk away before I'm forced to shut you down, fake Jenny.
This whole discussion is a sham. It was a trick question. I hate marsupials. What I really like are quardripeds.
Collin - put an end to this scandal taking place in your comments!
Collin, please make them stop. If they were really me, they'd know that it's possible to have a favorite even if you hate the species. And koalas are cuddly...
Not to mention I know how to spell quadriped!
Please. If you are really me, why aren't you wearing a tank top?
We're on to you, bub.
Whatever. If you're me, why isn't one of your ears higher than the other?
You're busted.
Aha! They are!
Gotcha!
I think you're really Joey.
Who's Joey?
And anyway, it was a trick question--being the purest incarnation of Jenny, my ears are perfectly even. The fact that yours aren't proves once and for all that you're not me!
Fess up, you faker.
Ok Joey, the gig's up. We know you are on my list of links - or "blogs" - I link to. And we know you like ears - that tipped your identity off.
And we know that you're the real reason I quit Friendster. Did you have to make that comment about my head?
For once and for all - I'M JENNY.
This is really getting weird. I think there may be more than one person here pretending to be me.
Who are you, really?
I'm me. Who are you?
I bet I think this comment's about me. Don't I?
Ok. You can keep Jenny. It's become a bit passé. It's time to move on to a new name. Like Womper. Or Big Ole Butt. Jenny is so August 15.
Damn, Whomper, you're right. I'm so over.
But I'll be back, just as soon I become retro. Next Tuesday, maybe?