You're So Birmingham If ...

Saw this on Facebook today. Even though I'm not originally from B'ham several of these resonate. Enjoy!

http://wadeonbirmingham.com/2010/08/27/wades-101-youre-so-birmingham-if-2010-twitter-version/

Postdoctoral Fellowship in Social Impacts of Technology at UAB

Please pass along this info to those who may be interested. Thanks!

Dr. Shelia Cotten, a professor in the Sociology and Social Work department at the University of Alabama, Birmingham (UAB), is seeking to hire a Postdoctoral Fellow for a 1-2 year postdoc position. The position is available immediately but the start date is somewhat negotiable. The postdoc will work with Dr. Cotten to analyze data from existing research projects and to collect survey, interview, and observational data on upcoming research projects. Projects focus on technology usage across the life course and the social impacts of this usage, thus experience studying either specific age groups, and/or the impacts of technology use, would be preferable but is not required. Dr. Cotten, with funding from the National Science Foundation, is leading the largest study of the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) XO laptop dissemination in the United States. She also has a large NIA grant studying the impacts on quality of life of training older adults in assisted and independent living communities to use computers and the Internet.


A doctoral degree in Sociology, Psychology, Communication, New Media, or a related field is required before beginning the postdoctoral fellowship. Candidates must have (1) strong quantitative and/or qualitative analysis skills, (2) experience writing manuscripts, and (3) good organizational and time management skills. Prior publication and grant writing experience will enhance the application.

The Postdoctoral Fellow is a 12 month, full-time appointment, with salary up to $45,000 depending upon qualifications. Benefits are also provided. See http://www.postdocs.uab.edu/ for more information on postdoc benefits at UAB. Funding may be available to support travel for conference presentations.

Submit the following application materials as attachments via email to Dr. Shelia Cotten - cotten@uab.edu. Please use the following email subject line: Technology Postdoc Position.

- Cover letter describing training, skills, research interests and how they fit with those described in the position advertisement, and why you’re interested in this position.

- Names and contact information for three references

- An up to date curriculum vitae

For those candidates who apply before August 12, 2010, please note whether you will be attending the American Sociological Association annual meeting in Atlanta in case Dr. Cotten would like to meet with you there.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until a suitable candidate is selected.

UAB is a Carnegie designated RU/VH: Research University institution with a population of approximately 17,000 undergraduate and graduate students. UAB’s Medical School is in the top 25 in the U.S. The Department of Sociology and Social Work houses the Center for Social Medicine and is affiliated with the Lister Hill Center for Health Policy, the Center for Aging, and others. The Department offers Bachelor’s degrees in Sociology, Social Work, and Social Psychology, the MA in Sociology, and the Ph.D. in Medical Sociology. Metropolitan Birmingham is home to over 1 million people and is at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, with plentiful cultural and recreational opportunities.

Mana From Heaven

My mother and my grandmother could both make the best homemade biscuits. It was typical at many points when I was growing up that once a day my mother would make homemade biscuits, usually for supper. She could whip out a pan of biscuits in no time! It was amazing to see.

I had my mother give me her 'recipe' for how she made the biscuits when we moved to Boston for my postdoc. Of course, her 'recipe' was not specific (i.e., pour in some milk) so my biscuits have never turned out as well as hers did. In fact, I've only tried making them a few times and they've never been very edible in my opinion.

I guess it had been a few years since I had last tried to make biscuits. It is too easy to buy the frozen Pillsbury kind, that are tasty though they don't compare to those my mother and grandmother made. One day last week I bought some Bisquick mix at the store. I know, it in no way compares to what my mother and grandmother used to make. However, the biscuits I made with it were much better than the old Bisquick biscuits I remember making years ago. Bo and Callen seemed to like them too.

I wish I had spent more time with my mother, learning how she made certain things. Although I have a few of her recipes, most she only had in her head and now it is too late. Maybe one day I'll find the right balance of ingredients from my mother's 'recipe' and have homemade biscuits that are half as good as hers.

The Mobile Wedge - Digital Citizen Pulse

Blog posting that reports on research on the digital divide - importance of mobile phones and whether they level the playing field (so to speak) for minority youth.

The Mobile Wedge - Digital Citizen Pulse

Silence is Golden

A colleague of mine told me yesterday that she had just returned from a Silent Retreat. I had never heard of a retreat such as this. As she was telling me about it though, it sounded more and more like a wonderful experience! She spent 5 days at a nearby monastery, where she could only talk with a spiritual leader for one hour per day. The other time she spent sleeping, reading, thinking, and whatever else she wanted to do that did not involve talking to others. While she had her cell phone for emergencies, she did not call others and she did not have a computer or Internet access. She said it took her about a day and a half to start to unwind. Initially she wanted to check email, etc. but after a day or so she began to feel her sense of inner peace returning. What a neat experience!

I'm one of those people that does NOT get my energy from other people. I have numerous friends that would go insane if they couldn't talk to others most of the time. I find it exhausting to be constantly around others all the time. That is one reason I so relish the few days that I can actually work at home anymore and those rare times when I can get away on a mini writing trip - I don't have to talk to anyone during those sweet, quiet hours! My mind can rest and I end up being more productive and creative than during other times.

With the work loads that many of us carry and the constant cacophony of technological devices and people surrounding us, it is hard to have time to just 'be' anymore. Some people might not understand this. But, it so resonates with me. I used to take yoga; it helped me to center myself and live more in the moment. I've been thinking recently that I need to do it again. I think it may help with just 'being', rather than constantly being in motion (whether physical or mental).

I'm so glad my colleague told me about this retreat. It is something that I may try for myself sometime. Here's to quiet, peace, and time for oneself!

Wow

A friend of mine had a girls' night out earlier this week to show us how she has started saving money by couponing and doing the Buy One Get One Free sales. It was a fun night, spent with much chatting about various things and lots of laughs! We did hear the strategy that she uses though before our evening ended. My friend Renie regularly saves 30% or more on her groceries by using coupons and she doesn't have to shop for off-brands or go to wal-mart to be able to do this.

I haven't gotten into the full routine yet. However, today I went to Publix and mainly using their Buy One Get One Free sales, plus a few coupons I had, I spent $80 and I saved $44.75! I was very pleased with my first attempt at this. Hopefully it will get even better as time progresses.

It would be so great if we could do all our grocery shopping at Publix and never go back to wal-mart again : ).

Thanks Renie!

The Middle of June Already

For some reason I always think summer will be more relaxed than the regular school year, but it never turns out that way. May and June have been especially busy for me. I was traveling some in early May, then some big life decisions had to be made which took a lot of time and were very stressful, and lots of planning going on for a series of XO workshops that start TOMORROW for teachers and in July for students.

I still have a few hundred pix on my camera dating back to Feb. that need to be uploaded and posted here and on Facebook. I keep thinking every weekend I'll have a chance to do it but I never do. I think I need a personal assistant just to handle some of the tasks like this one and keeping my life in order.

So, I keep promising that I'll post pix on here but who knows in reality when that will actually occur. Maybe before summer's end...