Oh, Hi.   Wow, you’re still here? What’s that you say?  You’ve been waiting for me ALL this time?  Whoa.  I’m sorry.  But I’m humbled that you stuck around.   Can I make it up to you with a shopping trip? ’cause I found some cool things during my recent travels with the circus!… Step this way please!

Neurotransmitters Can Be Gorgeous, Too!

Yes, I actually found jewelry for Brain Geeks.  Who knew?

Scientist-turned-artist Raven Hannah find her inspiration in neuroscience, casts it in sterling, and offers the resulting loveliness  up to the world.

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Y esterday, I told you about Havi’s Pirate Queen expeditions, and then I  announced that I wanted to go in search of a metaphor of my very own.

Something to help me better get a handle on this business stuff.  Something that  made it fun, not scary-and-over-whelming and HUGE.

And (as I’m sure you’ve already figured out) I found that  something: A Circus!   Not JUST a circus, mind you…  but a full-fledged old-fashioned three-ring circus and traveling carnie show, complete with believe-it-or-not sideshows, animal acts, a midway, tons of prizes, games and all the cotton candy you’ll never eat.

How did I find this glorious, stupendous circus of circuses, you ask?

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Yes, yes…  I know it’s St. Patty’s day, not April Fools day.  And no, I didn’t get totally confused by the switch to Daylight Savings Time last weekend.   It will all make more sense by the time I’m done explaining…  at least, I think it will.

But meanwhile?  I’m running off to join the circus.

This whole business is related to the renovations going on in the background of the site,  and it fits with my “Places, Everything!” theme for the year, too.  But mostly, it’s about the Metaphor Mouse stuff that Havi Brooks has been writing so much about over the past few weeks.   You can ignore the mouse part for now, if you like, and just focus on understanding the metaphor business.  After all, the mouse is… just a metaphor.

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No, really, I mean it this time!  I’m about 75% of the way to a major site  update, as well as some changes for the focus and flow of MindTweaks.  My goal?  To encourage more community interaction, refresh and renew my own commitment here.

With spring and Easter coming up soon, it seems appropriate, doesn’t it? So don’t give up on me yet…   we’ll be all hopey-changey around here very soon!

This morning, I was exercising my secret sin… browsing political blogs.  (Shameful, I know…  please don’t spread it around.) An enigmatic,  just-posted entry on DailyKos caught my eye: ” A short diary, but a question on life.”

The author (with an intriguing nick of BFSkinner) asked rather eloquently  what we  would do if diagnosed with a disease that would inevitably rob us of our minds? A disease that would steal our very self, a disease that can be treated to slow but not stop the progression, a disease which, in the end, will win.   How would we approach living the tale of Flowers for Algernon – the story of a mouse and a man who, having had their intelligence artificially enhanced, then watch that intelligence fade, along with their life?

Predictably, the question stirred me.  I mean, heck…  that book probably helped shape my fascination with improving and maintaining the human brain.   Instead of contributing a quick comment and moving on, I decided to write here, instead.

Because there’s just no way I can explore this briefly.

Here’s what I hope I would do:

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