Is the Environment a Moral Issue?

I continue to believe that the environment--and the way in which we interact with it--is a moral issue. But sometimes I get tired of hearing my own thoughts. What do you think?

Perhaps this article is a good place to start: Toxic Waters.

Murder investigations have come into a whole new era:

"Fiore's teeth had been pulled out and her fingers cut off, apparently to impede her identification. Investigators used the serial numbers on her breast implants to identify her, according to the Orange County district attorney's office."

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/08/23/world/AP-CN-Reality-Contestant-Slaying.html?hp

Companion Goldfish

I just returned from a brief trip to Baltimore, where I was sitting in on research meetings related to a multi-university research project I've been working on since starting the program here. Interesting stuff, with lots of great collaborators. Makes me realize just how much I don't know, which is probably a good thing. Anyway, one of the highlights of the trip was our hotel, called Hotel Monaco, which just opened 2 weeks ago in downtown Baltimore.

Here is what this hotel offered:
1) Free wine in the lobby from 5-6pm. Major points.
2) I gave the staff my name and flight number, and they printed off my boarding pass the night before I checked-out.
3) Robes in all sorts of animal prints. We'll talking leopards, zebras, and cougars, people!
4) An iPod-docking stereo.
5) A companion goldfish.

Yes, that's correct, a companion goldfish. It's not a standard in every room, but you can request upon your check-in that a companion goldfish be sent up to your room. Since I was traveling by myself, I thought it'd be nice to have a friend, and Michelangelo ("Mickey") was promptly delivered to Room 908. There he was, watching and swimming as I watched TV, ironed my clothes, and tried on my zebra-print robe. I think it may just be the greatest amenity I've ever experienced.

Unfortunately, Mickey didn't live until the end of my stay. Maybe he was sad because I was gone in meetings all day, or maybe the cleaning staff just forgot to feed him. Either way, I was struck with horror when I came home from a late dinner at McCormick & Schmick's and saw Micky resting peacefully at the bottom of his bowl.

What's the protocol for a dead companion goldfish in luxury hotels? Do I flush him myself in my marbled bathroom? Deliver him to the front desk? See if they can personalize the seafood salad available for room service?

I chose to simply go down to the desk and let them know of the little goldfish death. They quickly apologized, and asked if I would like a new companion sent up to my room. Tough decision, given my early track record, but I said it seemed like a good idea. DaVinci ("Vince") came in a freshly-colored bowl and things went swimmingly until the moment I left. I think his survival was intricately linked to the fact that he didn't see me in any animal-print robes. Something for the hotel management to consider.

Bing vs. Google

It's no surprise that Microsoft's Bing is trying to take on Google as the world's best search engine. Most people I talk to love Google. The quick start-up, student-started brilliance-that-is-Google is easily a fan-favorite. Juxtapose Google against the behemuth-that-is-Microsoft, and it's easy to see why most people simply don't want there to be a competitor to Google's fortune and fame.

Don't get me wrong, I too love Google. The multi-colored logo is great (particularly the lower-case "g"), and Google Scholar has become one of my graduate school best friends. So why even think about an alternative to Google? Well, I know little about finance and business, but I hear that competition pushes competitors to new heights. And despite the fact that Microsoft is usually playing catch-up with the true innovators out there, I thought it was worth giving Bing a shot, particularly since it got its official debut on my birthday this year. All of this amidst the recent news that Bing is going to be powering Yahoo! Search, making its entry into the world of search engines particularly noteworthy.

I've been using Bing for about a month now, and I actually like it. I certainly haven't tested everything that Bing has to offer (and there is no Bing Scholar...), but I am committed to giving it another month and then providing a review for you here on my blog. I encourage you to do the same. For one month, try Bing instead of Google, and then give me your thoughts.

To get you started in comparing the two, try www.bing-vs-google.com

Napping

"Napping should have the status of daily exercise"
--Cornell sleep expert James B. Maas
(according to the NYTimes; http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/30/us/30nap.html?em)

Colby Swimming

My parents were in town for the last couple of days, and yesterday we went for a great picnic at a nearby state park. Colby of course came along for the fun, and after our hike and eating in the sun, Colby was hot and panting. Thankfully, we were right next to the lake, so we started to play some fetch in the water. Here are some pics and a video...







This one is definitely my favorite...Colby is staring so longingly at that stick before I throw it:

We even taught my mom how to use the video feature on her camera. Here's the video she took:

Being a Homeowner: The Top Five

Most of you already know this, but Joy and I bought a condo in Oxford, and we've been moving in these last few weeks. We love the new place, and we'll post some pictures once we get more settled. Some of the early highlights:
1) Having only one step instead of three flights in order to take the dog out.
2) Having our very own washer and dryer. Now I can keep all those quarters for the parking meters.
3) Fireplace...haven't tested it out in the heat of July yet, but I'm already excited for the fall and winter. Sweaters, hot tea, a good book, and a fire will be an amazing combination.
4) Walk-in closet, although Joy got in there first one day, and let's just say she took up more than her half.
5) Two bathrooms. I even suggested that we have one bathroom where I can leave the seat up. Joy said no, but I think she may compromise when I repeatedly show her the closet disproportionality.

A Compelling Idea

"Of all the Christian festivals, it is the Easter parade that demands the most faith — pushing you past reverence for creation, through bewilderment at the idea of a virgin birth, and into the far-fetched and far-reaching idea that death is not the end. The cross as crossroads. Whatever your religious or nonreligious views, the chance to begin again is a compelling idea."
--Bono

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/19/opinion/19bono.html?em

Thesis Thoughts

Colby and I just returned from a nice walk on a spring day. Oxford is already quite lovely, and I am very excited to experience summer here. I have just about one month left in my first year here at Miami, and so far, I am tremendously enjoying the program here. The primary focus of the PhD program is research. Of course, clinical practice is also important, and they ideally inform each other. I'll start seeing clients in the psychology clinic here next spring, so right now I am quite research-focused. One of the first large tasks of the PhD program is to complete a Master's thesis that consists of original research.

I am moving along nicely with my thesis, and just a few days ago officially set the date for when I will have my thesis proposal with my committee. The proposal happens when I have developed the hypotheses and methodology for my project, and is a time for me to sit with my committee and make sure they give me the go-ahead to actually carry out the project and collect data. It's not nearly as big a deal as the thesis defense, but it certainly is an important marker in the whole process. My proposal date is Wednesday, April 22. It also happens to be Earth Day, so maybe after the meeting my committee and I can go outside and plant a tree to help make up for all of the paper I'll be using to make copies of my proposal.

A few people have recently asked me what I was doing for my thesis, so I thought I'd share that with all of you. It might be really boring, so feel free to quit reading now. It's interesting to look back and think about what research interests I put down on my applications a year and a half ago. The cohort of first year students have all discussed the ways in which these interests have changed and morphed, a natural process that makes you wonder why graduate programs place so much emphasis on research interests in the first place. Broadly, I came into graduate school wanting to do work in the area of adolescents and attachment theory. This is still the case for me, and I'm thankful that my thesis incorporates both of these interests. Throughout this year, I have been involved in an ongoing research project at a local juvenile detention center, where I weekly administer assessments for PTSD and trauma.

Building off of this ongoing project, I will be examining the role of parental attachment in the development of delinquency, while also incorporating aspects of trauma and alienation. Specifically, I am interested in knowing more about male adolescents' attachment to father, and how attachment to father may uniquely impact these young men compared with their attachments to mother. Although previous research has shown a link between trauma and delinquency, poor parental attachments and delinquency, alienation and delinquency, and the unique role of the father in predicting male delinquency, the purpose of the present study is to fill a gap in the existing literature by investigating the interrelationships among these variables. Hopefully, my study will allow for greater understanding of the pathways to delinquency as well as the role of differential parental attachments and general attachment styles in the lives and development of male adolescents.

Sound fun? I'm actually quite excited to propose and hopefully move along this summer into data collection. I feel like quite the nerd when research starts to excite me, but so be it. I'm okay with it, so you should be too.

Take a Hike

Isn't there just so much to love about the outdoors? I couldn't help but smile when I read this article!

Spring Break 2K9!

Well, yet another spring break has come, and I think I love them more each year. Originally, I was hoping to go to Colorado this year to do some skiing, but plans fell through, and economics just weren't on my side. In addition, I decided I need to remain a disciplined academic this week, as I have a big six-hour conference presentation next Thursday in Charlotte, North Carolina. I'll be quite thankful when that's done and off my plate.

One of my yearly spring break traditions in recent years has been to try and get my taxes done. Yesterday, I sat down with a fresh batch of iced coffee and all sorts of W-2's and other forms that keep showing up in my mailbox with pretense and presumption. For extra fun this year, I get to figure out how to take care of taxes in three states: Illinois (where we lived in 2008 until mid-August), Ohio (current residence), and Indiana (where Joy works). Needless to say, the frustration mounted to a level where even my hazelnut iced latte made it difficult to recover. So far, I think Illinois and Indiana state taxes are both done. Ohio kicked me out of their online system and told me to call them; when I did call them, they were no longer open, so maybe I'll try again today. Now I need to figure out this whole county tax thing in Ohio and Indiana that they don't do in Illinois, which is like an extra lap in the game.

But for now, I'm content in the world of academic student, where my funding is guaranteed for at least 3 or 4 or even 5 more years. I was reminded of my thankfulness for this last night when I read this article on the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/07/arts/07grad.html?em. Do you think the job market will change before I'm done? Otherwise, maybe I'll just become the world's worst tax-accountant.

The TWINS!

This is Joy, writing live from Chicago. Stephen and I have been planning this weekend in Chicago for about a month because we both had professional conferences to attend. Our sweet little nephews, Luke Michael Bellito and Ryan Matthew Bellito must have known we were coming and decided to make their grand entrance into the world just in time. They were born on Tuesday, and I got to go visit them on Thursday. They are both doing well and are as cute as can be! Luke is breathing on his own, and although Ryan needs some breathing assitance, he is a fighter!

Ryan Matthew

Luke Michael

Colby's Super Bowl

For the Super Bowl this year, Colby got a new football toy. It's positively his favorite...

Happy Birthday, Joy!

I am taking a brief break to write while my champagne-crème fraîche sauce thickens. It's my baby's birthday, the one day that always brings me out of my mid-winter blues and back into celebration. The salmon and shrimp are in the oven and the risotto is on the stove-top. Over the Rhine is playing softly in the background, and Joy is drinking a glass of champagne while she gets dolled up for when we meet some friends for drinks and desserts after dinner. See what I mean about getting out of that mid-winter slump? This is perfect.

Joy turned 26 today. She's past a quarter-century now, and is my own little rock star. She's winning teaching awards, taking over her current school with her big library dreams for little readers, is starting a dance ministry with our local church, is an accomplished chef (in my opinion, she's recently moved past the "cook" stage into the "chef" arena), and I still get quite excited everytime I see her and know we're going to spend the day or evening together.

One moment...gotta go check on my sauce...

It's good, but not amazing. I threw in some more pepper and fresh thyme and am going to get it to thicken a bit more to move it up in its level of deliciousness. We'll see...

I am tremendously thankful for Joy. In the past year, she finished her Master's degree in Education, wrote a library grant for her school, survived a week with the Beckers in Missouri (and also survived the ticks that we extracted from her leg and scalp!), managed to not yell at me when I sent one of our canoes down the whitewater in the Boundary Waters, and, this tops the cake, allowed--nay, encouraged--me to follow my own passions and dreams that brought us here to Ohio. She's quite the gal indeed.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from this year. Tell me, which one is your favorite?


















Happy Birthday, Joy!

Jesus is My Friend

This is...how do I say it? Wow.

Are You A Resolver Or A Nonresolver?

Happy New Year! Okay, so I'm about a week late, but get over it. Things are well here in Oxford, Ohio, and I've had a most enjoyable break that is soon to end as classes start on Monday. Joy and I had a wonderful five days in the Chicago area over Christmas, and then returned to this town that becomes wonderfully quiet when all of the undergraduates head home. I was able to easily find a table at my local coffee shop, had no trouble finding parking spaces, and didn't get close to hitting any freshman crossing the street. Good days indeed.

Many people do the whole New Year resolution thing. Some people think it's completely dumb, while others think it's a good opportunity to effect change into life. I'm a little bit in the middle. While I think reflection and renewal are appropriate when the end of one year approaches and a new year begins, I'm not too big on the whole resolution thing. Does the change of a calendar really promote actual, long-lasting change?

In psychological research, the terms "resolvers" and "nonresolvers" are used, and it has been demonstrated that resolvers are in fact more often going to make a change, but only when the goal comes from high amounts of self-concordance, the extent to which the goal reflects personal values and interests and isn't a goal simply based on felt pressures, either external or internal (Koestner & Powers, 2002).

So, if change is based on a reflection of personal interests and values, it seems that those interests and values must be cultivated and developed over the course of all twelve months, not just in the final weeks of a year. Sure, the change of years may serve as a calibration of a value/ideal, but the value/ideal must be there in the first place before any calibration can take place.

I don't say all this to make you feel rotten if you're either a big fan of resolutions or if you made a resolution two weeks ago and, how can this be?!, you've already broken the resolution. If you're in the latter category, do you just give up now, knowing that you'll probably try the exact same goal again in 11 months? That seems silly. If resolutions are about actual change, then actual change is really hard to make happen--just ask any addict who wants to find sobriety--so falls off the wagon are not only going to happen, but they should be expected to happen. And then you recalibrate, re-focus on your values and goals, consider what supports you might need to reach your goal (friends, spouse, accountability, God), and dive back in, giving yourself enough motivation to effect change, but also enough grace to effect love.