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Depending on How You See a Thing
For some reason I have Grace Quek in my head, aka Annabel Chong. She’s fascinating and it’s horrible. Spiros Markou, the Greek writer and critic, summed up Chong’s dilemma when he recently said to me “emptiness, she seems to be filled with emptiness, and therefore tries to get fulfilled through the body.” While pondering his remark, an early scene from the documentary kept coming back. It is of Mrs. Quek reminiscing of happier times, when her daughter was very young. She fondly remembers her daughter’s independence from a young age, and tells of leaving her alone while she and her husband were away. She used to pin a handkerchief to little Grace’s clothes, she says, and instruct her daughter that if anything went wrong, or if she […]
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The Best Pickup Line, EVER
This morning at the patchouli-smelling hippy food co-op, I found myself STARING at the bulk chocolate items. My eyes honed in on chocolate-dipped crystalized ginger, but were also cognizant of a toothsome man hovering behind me to my left. He said, “Do you like chocolate?” I said, “I haven’t had any in days, and I’m fixated.” Several moments later, he uttered, “Do you live in Ashland?” “No, Medford.” “I’m new to the area.” “Where from?” “The East Coast.” “Where on the East Coast?” “New Jersey.” “Where in New Jersey?” “Why, do you know the area?” “Sure, I’ve been through a couple times.” “Ok. Englewood.” “Close to the city. So why did you move here?” “Just to move. Isn’t it okay to just pick up and move?” “Yes, […]
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Breathing, Part I
You’ve probably noticed already that breathing and respiration have a lot to do with chemistry, and that because you’ve most likely taken it for granted, it is surprisingly complex, dynamic, and interesting… This website is an overview of what happens as you breathe, starting with some basic anatomy and working into chemical principles that govern every breath you take. Take a look at this picture. A “conducting zone,” or pipeline consisting of the nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea, and bronchi, and terminal bronchioles, allows ventilation (facultated by the diaphragm) and a “respiratory zone,” consisting of respiratory bronchioles, aleolar ducts, and alveoli, permits gas exchanges essential to respiration. Are they like empty balloons? Maybe you never even thought about it before… The lungs are very elastic, spongy, soft, organs […]
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