Frustrations of Research

Since sending off my New Year's paper, I've noticed that the ideas in it tie neatly to a couple of other lines of investigation I was fiddling with a few years ago. As a result, I've realized that the paper could have been a bit better; one brief section could have been expanded in an interesting way, and a couple of propositions later could (partly as a consequence) have been sharpened considerably.

I may still be able to make those changes. If the journal accepts it provisionally - i.e., if the referee makes any suggestions - that will open the door. If the journal rejects it, then I can make the changes before resubmitting it somewhere else.

It's frustrating. If I can't insert the changes here, I can still incorporate them into a later paper, but the new versions of the two propositions are so much nicer...

Grapes

I don't buy grapes very often. In fact, the last time I bought them must have been about ten years ago, before I brought Ben home.

Dogs have trouble with grapes. The first time I gave one to Murphy, he took it in his mouth, held it for a moment, then put it down. He looked at it for a moment, picked it up again, and put it down again. Eventually he figured out how to eat it, although I've never been sure whether he crunched it in his side teeth or swallowed it whole. The sight was really quite funny.

Today, I have grapes. I tossed one to Murphy; he caught it and disposed of it neatly. Then I gave one to Ben, who repeated Murphy's initial bewilderment. After a few tries, he picked it up and went away. When he returned, I gave him another, but he still didn't know what to do with it. Eventually Murphy slipped up, lunged in and grabbed it away from him. Ben didn't seem much bothered, though.

I don't know where the first grape I gave Ben is. He probably hid it somewhere.