I just got back from my shrink appointment with Dr. Birky. Talking to him, I realized how much has happened in my life the last week. It was last Friday when Eileen got her loom (good stress) and fell (bad stress). On Saturday we decided to bow out of meeting with friends in Flint to celebrate their recent official marriage after 39 years of relationship (disappointment/aging issues = bad stress). The Sunday Eucharist went well. (good performances = good stress). Emails back and forth between me and the jazz trumpet player about Monday’s funeral were happening through this period. This was bad stress on those days, but it was  a relief when he sent me the simple sheet music for the funeral. The funeral was stressful. In addition to my regular stuff I drove up to babble at my old friends, Nick and Peter.  Besides feeling sheepish at my inability to successfully stifle my passionate side, that was good stress.  I do like those men!

There’s much more I could write about but you get the idea. One surprising example of good stress is that I was so hyped up after chatting with Nick and Peter Thursday and my piano trio rehearsal I didn’t sleep well last night.

I spent a good part of the night fantasizing about coming up with unique recitals at my church that would be similar in scope to what I used to do in coffee shops. This was definitely good stress even though I lost sleep.

So. My life is good! There’s no doubt about that.

A Scholarly Sting Operation Shines a Light on ‘Predatory’ Journals – The New York Times

Paying to be published in an open journal! I’m interested in making conversations open, but there’s troubling stuff happening and being reported in this article.

Death on a Prison Bus: Extradition Companies’ Safety Improvements Lag – The New York Times

The free market at work, eh?

A 17-year-old student spotted an error in NASA’s International Space Station data — Quartz

I love this!