tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21878879683229119402024-03-21T09:18:46.648-07:00The Lethological ReaderLethologica n. The inability to remember the right word.The Lethological Gourmethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728934244935813026noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2187887968322911940.post-49821469821164935102008-03-26T12:40:00.000-07:002008-03-26T12:57:25.237-07:00Dead Man Walking<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMKZFoSSMCLv2r8GSi20mvE0PWpofHrLU3DlkCfJHUuVrQQN_mi5aRf56WC55XQWw3js3asw2dUBhDtIi74vekvbgKAkyGsaKvr79WoLTGl29SuJgUcARnEHEHueGWOVwdKZVh2uocu6C1/s1600-h/zombie-tutorial-02.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 205px; height: 201px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMKZFoSSMCLv2r8GSi20mvE0PWpofHrLU3DlkCfJHUuVrQQN_mi5aRf56WC55XQWw3js3asw2dUBhDtIi74vekvbgKAkyGsaKvr79WoLTGl29SuJgUcARnEHEHueGWOVwdKZVh2uocu6C1/s320/zombie-tutorial-02.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5182141758048575938" border="0" /></a><br />There's a rare neuropsychiatric condition called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotard_delusion">Cotard's Syndrome</a> where a person holds the delusional belief that they are dead or decaying, have lost their internal organs or blood, and even more rarely, can include delusions of immortality.<br /><br />This is like the opposite of Sixth Sense syndrome, where a dead person thinks they're really alive (though who knows if that happens, I'd love to find out, but not the hard way).<br /><br />So it seems that the people who suffer from this feel like they're dead (or ghosts?) and that everything around them isn't real. I'm sure that seeing movies like The Matrix doesn't help if someone does lean towards this condition - there are enough people already who are using the Neo defense, saying that they don't believe the world around them is real.<br /><br />I'm wondering whether the people who think that they're decaying can actually see the decay, whether they have the visual hallucinations to reinforce this, or whether it's just a vague sense that they're decaying from the inside out.<br /><br />This seems related to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_dysmorphia">body dysmorphia</a>, where healthy people wish to have a limb removed (dramatically exaggerated in Grey's Anatomy when someone takes a chainsaw in the ER that came in with another patient and saws off their own leg).<br /><br />The brain is a strange beast, and sometimes produces strange results.The Lethological Gourmethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728934244935813026noreply@blogger.com57tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2187887968322911940.post-5483543113819877962008-03-12T08:11:00.000-07:002008-03-12T08:19:59.154-07:00Baby Got BookThere's a new genius on the scene. <a href="http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/23556514?GT1=43001">A 17-month old girl has figured out how to read</a>. Her parents taught her sign language right from the get-go, as is a common trend nowadays. Parents teach their kids to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_Sign">communicate in sign language</a> because their verbal skills aren't progressed enough to express their needs, which can lead to frustration. So this little girl was taught sign language, and the only tv she watched was a sign language show. They never focused on teaching her letters (she's not even 2!), and don't know quite how she picked it up. She can even read cursive, which they didn't realize until they were at the Today Show interview!<br /><br />While this is an amazing feat for a 2-year old (I remember teaching part-time at a Montessori school where 5 year olds were still having trouble with reading and letters), I do hope that it doesn't impact her childhood too much. Let's just hope that she stays grounded and is given a real childhood (go out and play!) rather than having her parents stuff her nose in the books all the time or send her to college when she's 10 (while great for the intellectual part of her, it is nevertheless socially isolating in her formative years). Still, the fact that she just "picked up" reading, just up and reading a cereal box one day? Amazing.The Lethological Gourmethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728934244935813026noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2187887968322911940.post-9189378910630757312008-03-06T07:02:00.000-08:002008-03-06T07:27:19.809-08:00Everything Bad is Good for You<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDPEIbTAyqbR0hWJcNfYt1tt-eA81pKpvRk6aKHzrgqmPy5t96xN1Il9ruOmoQ4S3hpc7ztNEAnCafbT3qVBELMVJyUdkbrGJ4_X_5x8we4IFM7qjskiKZdfFzFCkMXHyBoChBj9E29Pg/s1600-h/13951411.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 147px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDPEIbTAyqbR0hWJcNfYt1tt-eA81pKpvRk6aKHzrgqmPy5t96xN1Il9ruOmoQ4S3hpc7ztNEAnCafbT3qVBELMVJyUdkbrGJ4_X_5x8we4IFM7qjskiKZdfFzFCkMXHyBoChBj9E29Pg/s320/13951411.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174650530291001842" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Everything Bad is Good for You</span> by Steven Johnson (1573223077)<br />Rating: 8/10<br /><br />The basic premise of this book is that video games, television and movies aren't necessarily the Big Evil that critics currently dismiss them as being. The author's main idea revolves around the Sleeper Curve - the fact that many of these games and shows promote critical thinking to such an extent that IQs have been steadily increasing over the years (they have been constantly reassessing the IQ so the average is always 100 - so someone with a 120 now would have been much higher several decades ago). This hasn't translated into better performance in school or the job market, just a reflection of IQ (and this isn't just a familiarity with IQ tests, as that levels off at about 5-6 points).<br /><br />TV shows used to be limited to a plot-line encapsulated into one show. There were very few overarching themes (this is the Law & Order model). Dragnet was the previous incarnation of this. Then Hill Street Blues came on the scene, and with its 4-5 concurrent threads (plotlines), it was confusing for people at first. Looking back now, when we have 24 and the Sopranos (with about 20 threads), Hill Street Blues seems rather simplistic. This is the reason there are so many shows you just can't come into the middle of the season without being seriously confused. But modern audiences are used to keeping track of a lot of information at once, and it's what draws us in, makes us discuss it with friends, and spawns thousands and thousands of posts in online forums. And anything that spawns that much writing and interaction can't be all bad, right? Similarly with reality programming, the complexity comes not from the threads, but from all the various social relationships being built (Survivor, not Fear Factor). A quote from the book:<br /><br /> "Reality programming borrowed another key ingredient from [video] games: the intellectual labor of probing the system's rules for weak spots and opportunities As each show discloses its conventions, and each participant reveals his or her personality traits and background, the intrigue in watching comes from figuring out how the participants should best navigate the environment that's been created for them. The pleasure in these shows comes not from watching other human beings humiliated on national television; it comes from depositing other human beings in a complex, high-stakes environment where no established strategies exist, and watching them find their bearings. That's why the water-cooler conversation about these shows invariably tracks in on the strategy displayed on the previous night's episode."<br /><br />So we're not dumbing down to the lowest common denominator, necessarily. Sure, there are plenty of stupid, brainless shows out there. But as a whole, shows are considerably more complex and intellectually and emotionally stimulating than they used to be. My generation grew up on the Flintstones, not by any stretch a very complex shows. This generation is growing up on Toy Story and Finding Nemo - movies from which you can find new allusions and jokes on every viewing.<br /><br />I highly recommend this book.The Lethological Gourmethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728934244935813026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2187887968322911940.post-22797936835057675722008-02-25T06:48:00.000-08:002008-02-25T07:10:58.422-08:00Oscar critics are out of touch<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi48JsDTC-d_xyr3QkzsbDtWvmjAhKvAct_K6AZ8Zjeg8nNBUFDIf5fzx1pqTl_YUrEka0xK4QloQ9nELZCadp9_MDdqiwV2iHgRzzLDdmu2XKz-4zIAUPgV1M_07r9KyyWkjxlT7Xk8JEi/s1600-h/oscar.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi48JsDTC-d_xyr3QkzsbDtWvmjAhKvAct_K6AZ8Zjeg8nNBUFDIf5fzx1pqTl_YUrEka0xK4QloQ9nELZCadp9_MDdqiwV2iHgRzzLDdmu2XKz-4zIAUPgV1M_07r9KyyWkjxlT7Xk8JEi/s320/oscar.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170930256826826706" border="0" /></a><br />So, I understand why people don't really like it when the Oscar winners are for little indy or niche films that hardly anybody has seen - you root more for the movies you've actually seen and when it's this random person you've never heard of, it can be irritating and you start saying that the Academy is out of touch with the people. <a href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://student.valpo.edu/kgrimold/oscar.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.cospringsfilm.blogspot.com/&h=835&w=316&sz=58&hl=en&start=12&sig2=_2g-3e5ebC_jpcwQrYbrvw&tbnid=3bKoJa8WUAeLhM:&tbnh=144&tbnw=54&ei=dtXCR8fnI5qeeo6GpPEN&prev=/images%3Fq%3Doscars%2B80th%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG">And that's exactly what they're saying</a>. There was a very similar article in the Metro this morning as well. Yes, it's true people are going to care more about the Oscars if they've seen the movies that are nominated, and yes it's true they'll care more if the people nominated are very well known and popular. But come on! The Academy should nominate movies that are popular so there's more of a buzz and more people are interesting watching? I don't think so. The Academy votes on the movies that were released this year, and if the best performances happen to be indy or niche movies, then so be it. This is why I made the decision (this was the third year now) to see all the major Oscar nominated movies (Leading Roles, Supporting Roles, Director and Picture). That way, I can watch the Oscars with a really good idea of how everyone did, root for my faves, but if they don't win, I can understand how well the winner actually did.<br /><br />And I must say, my fave pics this year (with the exception of one category) perfectly lined up with the winners. As depressing and dark as this year's Oscar movies might have been, I must say in the past three years, it has been the best quality collection of nominees. As to the winners:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Best Actor </span>- Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood). I was rooting for him, but didn't feel very strongly about it. He did an incredible job in the movie and certainly deserved the award. I would have been happy with Viggo Mortensen or Johnny Depp too. There Will Be Blood was a very looong movie and I can't say as I really enjoyed it (though I did quite like the ending), but the acting was definitely worth an award.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Best Actress</span> - Marion Cotillard (La Vie en Rose). If she hadn't won this award, I think I might have thrown something at the television. I honestly think that all these women deserved an Oscar - Laura Linney and Julie Christie both gave wonderful performances in their movies and I would have grudgingly accepted those wins. I didn't have to though, since the Academy recognized Cotillard's breathtaking portrayal of Edith Piaf. When I saw it, I had to keep reminding myself that it was Cotillard (who was also in A Good Year), because she had so immersed herself in her character that it was hard to recognize her (think Jaime Foxx in Ray).<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Best Supporting Actor</span> - Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men). Ditto above. My hands down favorite. His portrayal was so so creepy that I felt like I had to check every corner in my car on the drive home. And what was even more amazing is that he turns out in real life to be Denny's (Grey's Anatomy) Spanish doppelganger. <br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Best Supporting Actress</span> - Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton). The only award I didn't agree with. I think my voice shrieked up a couple octaves with my "what?!" I didn't have a really strong preference in this category (I was leaning towards Cate Blanchett's portrayal of Bob Dylan), but Swinton was probably my least favorite of the bunch (except maybe the girl from Atonement).<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Best Director/Best Picture</span> - No Country for Old Men. Is it something subconscious that I just typed "No Country for Old Mean" instead of Men, then corrected it? Anyway. I loved this movie. Freaky as hell, yes. But since it's the Coen Brothers, it's not the same old Hollywood crap you always seem to get, and it's got an interesting ending, an intriguing plot line. Very happy that it won (though I think that the shorter Coen brother could have come across as a bit less patronizing and superior). <br /><br />All in all, I'm very happy with the Oscar picks. Can't wait until next year's Oscar season (though I'm not unhappy to be able to take a break from seeing 2-3 movies a weekend!)The Lethological Gourmethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728934244935813026noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2187887968322911940.post-993922547608471062008-02-18T12:45:00.000-08:002008-02-18T12:54:04.420-08:00It's a Dog of a CD<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZFqIsPmKl3GETemmRCM7oVh_C4llJDJrLjkMqKmm_yD45omYrmhld4oRcj0FLN-YQvpU4ET4BUjhsyVyQ3_8kAtFpuSa0acKEQWauUHX0PQs-dj099fD-CCNgemL1brfSOf8uyeqjeSH/s1600-h/021808dogsongfull.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZFqIsPmKl3GETemmRCM7oVh_C4llJDJrLjkMqKmm_yD45omYrmhld4oRcj0FLN-YQvpU4ET4BUjhsyVyQ3_8kAtFpuSa0acKEQWauUHX0PQs-dj099fD-CCNgemL1brfSOf8uyeqjeSH/s320/021808dogsongfull.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168424791949672386" border="0" /></a><br />A new product has hit the New Zealand music charts - <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080218/wl_nm/newzealand_dogsong_dc">music for your dog</a>.<br /><br />It's out of the range that human can hear (do you remember that exhibit at the aquarium, where they had a machine which played tones that could be heard by different animals, so you could "listen" to one that only dolphins could hear, but you couldn't actually hear it yourself? Kind of like that). It seems to have gotten mixed results thus far. Ranging from a dog attacking and killing the stereo, to dogs lying down and being still, the "music" doesn't have a standard across-the-board reaction. I'm wondering if the dogs different reactions are due to different sensitivities in their ears - you have someone with really acute hearing and play some really high pitched noises, they're going to do anything to get it to stop. Play the same thing for someone deaf, they might just sit down and chill, not realizing it's even there. Or maybe different breeds react differently. Or who knows, maybe it's a preference for the music genre - if you play me a capella or rock I'll stay calm, but if you play me a nice loud jazz or heavy metal CD, I might just go ahead and break your stereo if I don't know how to turn it off.<br /><br />On the one hand, maybe some dogs would enjoy this. But isn't it kind of anthropocentric, to presume that our pets are going to enjoy a series of high pitched notes? And why don't they just have dog music in human ear range? Obviously dogs can hear in our range, since they respond to our voices. It just seems like another excuse given to part people with their hard earned cash.The Lethological Gourmethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728934244935813026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2187887968322911940.post-55037987867095472352008-02-15T07:44:00.000-08:002008-02-15T08:12:57.742-08:00Carnivore vs. Herbivore<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2rFEvbMct6Wi-XoED6o1U_4xnSd2r52B9Q87t-cqQU98ROBWNwHCwU1P2jUImx1tMacH1IuHRfZdMbZk06sT5u2Sg_uuniVolDGgpqZNNrNw3nS0tlCFCCBQ7vJFzUphbKt1_u6W7fVUu/s1600-h/bc_vegetarian_icon%5B1%5D.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 188px; height: 153px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2rFEvbMct6Wi-XoED6o1U_4xnSd2r52B9Q87t-cqQU98ROBWNwHCwU1P2jUImx1tMacH1IuHRfZdMbZk06sT5u2Sg_uuniVolDGgpqZNNrNw3nS0tlCFCCBQ7vJFzUphbKt1_u6W7fVUu/s320/bc_vegetarian_icon%5B1%5D.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167240141185187762" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKuI5TF-2_nhM7Or24odUD3m9DWmDue3ELauf7sccWsSyINTNJtPC3UVyte7UOVAv92X8obsiaqanevP7wd7XB0ol952CEjnO1cLw2Gww29Ow8_4zybRo0woh0z6P8_7Naer8Wz6r-_bTX/s1600-h/porterhouse-steak.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 141px; height: 154px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKuI5TF-2_nhM7Or24odUD3m9DWmDue3ELauf7sccWsSyINTNJtPC3UVyte7UOVAv92X8obsiaqanevP7wd7XB0ol952CEjnO1cLw2Gww29Ow8_4zybRo0woh0z6P8_7Naer8Wz6r-_bTX/s320/porterhouse-steak.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5167239831947542434" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Do you eat big, bloody, juicy steaks dripping in fat, glistening in gristle? Do you gravitate towards tofu and veggies, the light dishes and shunning anything remotely related to any animal byproduct? We have here the classic meat-eater vs. vegetarian/vegan debate.<br /><br />People get really intense over this issue of what people put in their mouths. Take, for example, the<a href="http://www.sunherald.com/278/story/343303.html"> proposed bill down in Mississippi</a> to ban people with a BMI over 30 from eating out at restaurants. Now, totally ignoring the logistical issues (what about people on vacation, or at business meetings, or on dates, where do they eat?) and the scientific issues (there are people who are very fit and have a real BMI of under 30, but taking their weight and height into consideration would be considered obese), and the host of other random objections you could have (and there are many many many), why do people get so up in arms over what people eat? Yes, there are too many obese people in this country, yes they put a drain on our health care system, yes there are things that can be done about it (uh, say, education, or addressing poverty). But people get so uppity about what other people eat (there was a huge thread on The Straight Dope a few years ago where people were bashing a fat person for having had the audacity to buy ONE dough nut at Dunkin Donuts, geez). For instance, I know people on certain diets who insinuate constantly that their way is right and if you eat otherwise, you have a horrible diet.<br /><br />So this brings me back to the question of meat vs. veggie. Personally, if you want to eat steak or veggies or cupcakes or frogs legs or chicken feet, I don't really care. Perhaps that's because I eat everything (yes, I've had chicken feet), though I do try to keep the fat and refined carbs out of my diet. Basically, I feel like it's none of anyone else's business what I want to eat (now, if I were 300lbs and my health was being impacted and my family and friends were afraid for my life and health, then intervention would be understandable, but I'm taking the obesity picture off the table, nevermind my Mississippi ramble last paragraph).<br /><br />I've run into several militant vegetarians. I understand that they've gone vegetarian for health and ethical reasons. I'm fully aware of the chemicals in the meat, the horrible slaughterhouse process we have in this country, the sometimes inhumane treatment of animals, and the potential for foodbourne pathogens. I choose to eat meat anyway. Some of my very good friends are vegan or vegetarian, and the reason the it works is that non of us try to convert the others. Then these militant vegetarians come along and it seems like every conversation has to include vegetarianism at least once.<br /><br />There are people who won't even date someone who eats meat, or who doesn't (<a href="http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/02/15/could-you-fall-in-love-with-a-meat-eater-or-a-vegetarian/">see this discussion</a>). And I respect that. I think everyone should make the decision whether it's important for them that the person they're dating has their same diet. I wouldn't have a problem dating a vegetarian, but honestly, since I cook a lot, it would make an impact to always cook vegetarian, though I have no problem with it on occasion). I've even heard the term Vegisexual used (people who only sleep with vegetarians). My problem arises with people who only want to date vegetarians, but they go out with meat eaters and then try to convert them. Same thing with smokers. I'm not a smoker, and I would prefer dating a non-smoker, though I could deal with it if someone did smoke. But I'm not going to try to get them to quit. Smoking, like vegetarianism, is a very personal health decision that shouldn't be made under pressure and should be made for the good of one's own health, and not for someone else.<br /><br />Can't we all just get along? Live and let live? To each their own? (Fill in your own appropriate cliche hackneyed phrase here)The Lethological Gourmethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728934244935813026noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2187887968322911940.post-56796868703177077932008-02-07T07:47:00.000-08:002008-02-07T07:54:03.113-08:00Spend your Euros...in NYC<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7OcSSfxxxu2hkzaospkJWo5MrvNNF20fkypNjFEKsjzugRz4lTW8dE4X6C117ZRo3DIdfXCabwWaHZvPn62npWZdfVzdXEzzoZi9m5A7IcHkEQi4GR14m6FnAKlf6CP9retPiKdG1cL6a/s1600-h/Europe-European-Euro-EUR-50-20-10-5-notes-front-ANON.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7OcSSfxxxu2hkzaospkJWo5MrvNNF20fkypNjFEKsjzugRz4lTW8dE4X6C117ZRo3DIdfXCabwWaHZvPn62npWZdfVzdXEzzoZi9m5A7IcHkEQi4GR14m6FnAKlf6CP9retPiKdG1cL6a/s320/Europe-European-Euro-EUR-50-20-10-5-notes-front-ANON.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164267127599247394" border="0" /></a><br />So, what with the weakness of the dollar right now, some shops in Manhattan have begun <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080206/us_nm/newyork_euros_dc">accepting Euros as payment</a>.<br /><br />This is amazing and awesome - maybe this will encourage the US government to print up some money that's actually visually appealing, instead of plain old greenbacks (yeah yeah, they put a hint of pink in the new $20, but that doesn't hold a candle to the Euros' vibrant blue, pink, green and yellow).<br /><br />I imagine this must make checking out at the store more of a hassle, unless they post the Euro price as well as the dollar price - they'll have to sit there with a calculator, figuring out how much it'll be (unless they're totally gypping buyers by having them pay 10Euros ($15) instead of the $10 ticketed price).<br /><br />At the Canadian and Mexican borders, they've been accepting Canadian dollars and pesos in some of the stores for years, but this is the first time New York has gotten in on the action.<br /><br />I'm all for it!The Lethological Gourmethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728934244935813026noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2187887968322911940.post-2718475712071410532008-01-30T08:19:00.000-08:002008-01-30T08:30:18.722-08:00Flying the Friendly Skies - Naked<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXn_8ld5-EtE4U-LM2nDs8s2XzmRuwhEB78ePtSUmZQ0LsKoyDYW5CEriK2b8WPUHDA0WRfH2loYBdoOHXDHZ67O5kLd3_YhSj_F77bSwoZhBcRu3bQh2nIYTPRh-5i9tebEFXz7C76owr/s1600-h/images.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXn_8ld5-EtE4U-LM2nDs8s2XzmRuwhEB78ePtSUmZQ0LsKoyDYW5CEriK2b8WPUHDA0WRfH2loYBdoOHXDHZ67O5kLd3_YhSj_F77bSwoZhBcRu3bQh2nIYTPRh-5i9tebEFXz7C76owr/s320/images.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161307783463153666" border="0" /></a><br />A German travel company is now taking bookings for holidays flights in Germany. <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN2955964420080130?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews">Nudist flights.</a><br /><br />The flight is very short, but quite expensive - $735. They insist that they're not charging for the privilege of being naked, just because it's a small plane (I don't recall the short hop from Boston to NY ever being that expensive, so I think this is a smile and nod moment). And that they're not countenancing entrance to the mile-high orgy club, just a normal flight where everyone (except the flight attendants) just happen to be naked.<br /><br />All well and good. If they're happy being naked in the company of strangers, more power to them (they do make people aware of the nature of this flight when they buy their ticket, I trust?).<br /><br />The thing I'm having trouble wrapping my mind around is this - how sanitary is this? I mean, who knows what kind of diseases people might have (and perhaps I'm betraying my scientific naivete here), but wouldn't someone who has something potentially get it on the seat and pass it to someone else? They must use some pretty strong disinfectant in between flights. And no matter how tolerant I am with the idea of people walking around in sanctioned naked areas (too each their own), I think it might just give me the willies to think that someone's bare butt was on the seat that my clothed butt is now sitting on. That's kind of like sharing my pants with someone else's butt. Blech.The Lethological Gourmethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728934244935813026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2187887968322911940.post-48015293036637090182007-12-10T07:14:00.000-08:002007-12-10T07:19:39.889-08:00A smile's worth a thousand words - or is it?Think you're an ace at figuring out when people are genuine, when they're insincere? Decoding body languages, expressions, and gestures is one of the most natural things for human beings, but it turns out we're not always that good at it (or some people are just really good at dissimulating). The BBC UK has put together an online test to judge how good you are at discerning whether a smile is fake or genuine. <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/mind/surveys/smiles/">Try it here.</a><br /><br />I got 80% and of those I got wrong, it was evenly split between fake smiles I thought were genuine and vice versa. How'd you do?The Lethological Gourmethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728934244935813026noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2187887968322911940.post-70301731447823262412007-10-17T07:14:00.000-07:002007-10-17T07:24:39.995-07:00Second Earth<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCE_RFNOQAuzTjwVuljS64U3L-sJ4Ol89ZXwGpVUTRkJZYRrE-5i6miHac-NcF0FORCckHQMyRsvQFGqXF_k8dLiqSJkjnwB8Cr_fo9GHg7g5uz8M99hAdUxhAoL6Zti6Nz4d99eNxHWWe/s1600-h/planet372.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCE_RFNOQAuzTjwVuljS64U3L-sJ4Ol89ZXwGpVUTRkJZYRrE-5i6miHac-NcF0FORCckHQMyRsvQFGqXF_k8dLiqSJkjnwB8Cr_fo9GHg7g5uz8M99hAdUxhAoL6Zti6Nz4d99eNxHWWe/s320/planet372.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122311256993658242" border="0" /></a><br />Lest you think that this post is advocating the use of a new <a href="http://lethologicalreader.blogspot.com/2007/06/virtual-job-interviews.html">Second Life</a> product, let me drag you back to the real world. Astronomers have found the most <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2007/apr/25/starsgalaxiesandplanets.spaceexploration">Earth-like planet</a> ever discovered.<br /><br />So my main question, apart from how we can get there (20 years of astronaut ice cream and beef jerky seems too much to ask of anyone, just to get there), is about the year. Their year is 13 days long. Imagine that? One day per month, just about - so what's that? three days of summer, three days of fall, three days of winter, four days of spring. So it could snow one day and then five days later be mid-summer? And we thought we had an ADD epidemic...The Lethological Gourmethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728934244935813026noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2187887968322911940.post-1467029439520256992007-09-21T10:37:00.000-07:002007-09-21T10:44:06.052-07:00Fury over Nazi Fashion BagsThe Spanish clothing chain Zara recently pulled a whole line of handbags that were <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL2093533620070921?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews">embroidered with little swastikas</a>. My first reaction is "what the hell were they thinking to sell bags that have swastikas on them" - in Europe no less. The hubbub over the bags started in Britain when a woman returned a bag to the store after discovered the swastikas.<br /><br />On second glance however, the mistake is easier to understand. The handbags were made in India. In India, the swastika is an ancient sign symbolizing the sun, strength, and good luck, much as it is an ancient symbol for fertility in other cultures. The designers in India were using that connotation to the symbol, rather than any anti-semitic meaning it could have imparted. Apparently, the buyers at Zara approved a mock-up without any swastikas (though you'd think someone would check before they actually went on the shelves).<br /><br />Now, it's unfortunate that the Nazis appropriated a symbol which used to be so positive and turned it into something evil. It's unfortunate that Zara didn't realize its mistake. And it's unfortunate that people bought handbags that had symbols with such negative connotations and that have such a history (especially in Europe). But I highly doubt that it was an attempt on the part of Zara to legitimize fascism.The Lethological Gourmethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728934244935813026noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2187887968322911940.post-68213772022509448932007-09-21T07:11:00.000-07:002007-09-21T11:34:52.653-07:00Term Limits for Marriages?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKjlWkWAz_e7apRq2G9JiT5F0EV96pQJJwBOY-6VyCT9FVFul3EVYytlsEe7ZMSY5r8oB3QmmgNFskQWqCzQDvXEXuGHSEshAM5eqz9BhE8Bt-ij7WPv2dmI-LM8hgJ3HKbdISTib5sFLr/s1600-h/images.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKjlWkWAz_e7apRq2G9JiT5F0EV96pQJJwBOY-6VyCT9FVFul3EVYytlsEe7ZMSY5r8oB3QmmgNFskQWqCzQDvXEXuGHSEshAM5eqz9BhE8Bt-ij7WPv2dmI-LM8hgJ3HKbdISTib5sFLr/s320/images.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5112663368877438322" border="0" /></a><br />A Bavarian politician has come up with the intriguing idea of putting a <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070921/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_germany_politics_marriage">7-year expiration date on marriages</a>.<br /><br />Now, on the one hand, my thinking is that if it ain't broke, don't go breaking it. It's true some people (as she says) stay in marriages just because it's safe, or just because of the kids, or they're just afraid of the unknown. But if they're relatively content, that's their prerogative to forgo passion. It would just create an unnecessary amount of paperwork to make people file to renew their marriages every 7 years.<br /><br />However, on the other hand, I can see some benefits to this - some people are just in bad marriages, but divorce is an expensive process. This might also force people to come up with pre-nuptial agreements (since the marriage would just expire, I'd imagine there wouldn't be the bickering as to who gets what, so you'd have to say in advance how you'd split it should you decide not to renew the marriage). But more importantly, it's a good way to check in with your spouse, it would serve as a starting point to discuss some of the issues in the marriage and make sure it's working for both people. Sometimes people go for years without ever talking about what's not working. If they were given the option to get out without the hassle of divorce lawyers, it might actually help to solidify marriages that are working because each person would have to think about what they wanted and communicate it to the other. But hey, perfect world, right?<br /><br />I don't think this is the threat to marriage that the Christian right is necessarily painted it. Sure, there would be people who would decide to let the marriage expire, but those are probably the people who shouldn't be married anyway, and are providing an unhealthy view of marriage to their kids. It could help to bolster communication. But it could also just create headaches for everyone involved - the need to file paperwork just keep the status quo, the extra tax dollars needed to fund the department which processes the paperwork (or would there be an extra renewal charge, or just a "let it expire" charge?), then there would be the almost inevitable battles over property, especially if one person wants to renew and the other doesn't.<br /><br />I'm on the fence, but tipping into the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" camp. What do you think?The Lethological Gourmethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728934244935813026noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2187887968322911940.post-19651503635273911052007-09-13T12:44:00.000-07:002007-09-13T12:47:48.711-07:00Your Real AgeTake this <a href="http://www.peterrussell.dreamhosters.com/Odds/RealAge.php">Real Age Test.</a> I have no idea what their credentials are, but I'm none too sure of their accuracy. Because, get this, while I may be 28 chronologically, apparently I'm 12.6 in my real age. Yes, you read right, I'm really an 8th grader. I find this vaguely disturbing. But the upside? It says I'll live til almost 90. I'll hold it to that, yes sirree I will!<br /><br />What's your real age?The Lethological Gourmethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728934244935813026noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2187887968322911940.post-67659351221763165212007-09-10T12:25:00.000-07:002007-09-10T12:36:39.398-07:00One Laptop per Child<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0hcix7wBR_rJUdonP6BSD6Zmhf2ES7BJAx3deVnASUMmcj0tXa_-XECUg0IV-F6f66wdFQSNy8fiYZ_CIt9LqRswg4QH_1X_oE4zsqJ9ry-YUomh_8MeL-Q0wylR4rXlTjNvNSgYh5LRr/s1600-h/220px-LaptopOLPC_a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0hcix7wBR_rJUdonP6BSD6Zmhf2ES7BJAx3deVnASUMmcj0tXa_-XECUg0IV-F6f66wdFQSNy8fiYZ_CIt9LqRswg4QH_1X_oE4zsqJ9ry-YUomh_8MeL-Q0wylR4rXlTjNvNSgYh5LRr/s320/220px-LaptopOLPC_a.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5108661703709869378" border="0" /></a><br />I was watching <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/60minutes/main3415.shtml">60 Minutes</a> the other day and they had a segment about the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XO-1_%28laptop%29">One Laptop Per Child</a> program, spearheaded by faculty members at the MIT lab. What they've done is to work with technology companies to create a cheap ($100) laptop that is virtually indestructible - there are no ports or holes in the plastic, so you can literally pour a glass of water over it and not harm it. There are little ear-like antennae sticking off the top, which just about triples the strength of the WiFi. The battery life in somewhere in the range of 10-12 hours, and then they have hand wound battery rechargers that can be used when the kids have no electricity at home (as most of them don't in the targeted areas).<br /><br />In some countries where they've started this program, school attendance has shot up to 50% as the word of mouth gets around among the kids to tell them about the fun computers they get by going to school. The kids can then take the computers home with them and teach their whole families how to use them.<br /><br />One of the controversial aspects of this program is that the program backers contend that the computers can be used in place of education (if they are not able to attend school themselves). And computers are definitely better than nothing. But what the critics have said is that, while the kids may learn to use the basic functions, they won't learn the savvy and depth they could get in school.<br /><br />But my take on it is that in many of these 3rd World countries where education is hard to come by, self-taught education by computer will vastly expand the horizons of these kids beyond anything they could have achieved on their own.The Lethological Gourmethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728934244935813026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2187887968322911940.post-68957409074641466622007-09-05T07:05:00.000-07:002007-09-05T07:18:10.333-07:00Pee-Powered Batteries<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHVvT079EegKBg0Cp-xAumnfwFHRwN_REsRgrYMCqbdQVx7N9PA_hpKbFkZ23uqbElIoysEdM8u4wVIHtYR4-7yD8Gm8xEDfp1Fw6KmU8bJwdYu4k0KjC6IGu8ohFsZr2R2M8H_Hi_aY3e/s1600-h/nopopo_battery.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 152px; height: 156px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHVvT079EegKBg0Cp-xAumnfwFHRwN_REsRgrYMCqbdQVx7N9PA_hpKbFkZ23uqbElIoysEdM8u4wVIHtYR4-7yD8Gm8xEDfp1Fw6KmU8bJwdYu4k0KjC6IGu8ohFsZr2R2M8H_Hi_aY3e/s320/nopopo_battery.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5106723908955194674" border="0" /></a><br />Yes, there really are <a href="http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/09/04/nopopo/">urine-powered batteries</a> out there. But let me ask you something - since these batteries also run on water, what in god's name would bring someone to actually use urine to power these things? I mean, unless you're stuck in the desert, or on a life raft (I'm thinking salt water might be somehow corrosive to the batteries), and you have a desperate need to use something battery-powered (like a flashlight, what were <span style="font-style: italic;">you</span> thinking?), why the hell wouldn't you just use water to recharge?The Lethological Gourmethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728934244935813026noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2187887968322911940.post-11400724575143953012007-08-29T06:06:00.000-07:002007-08-29T06:11:29.366-07:00Food in schools<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu4Z2miOVFrvZjI_-kKtX3WFh8UA2ZmLFptLNaZMogVbW01s3YMDX4XDkfQXdXUp0CG-jw42XGjUPovb7xnRKQ2vIdZBDJhL62XOo2R0l291TaSRwFHvpxrvze70hE_7XrHcjup5ugjYqi/s1600-h/images.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu4Z2miOVFrvZjI_-kKtX3WFh8UA2ZmLFptLNaZMogVbW01s3YMDX4XDkfQXdXUp0CG-jw42XGjUPovb7xnRKQ2vIdZBDJhL62XOo2R0l291TaSRwFHvpxrvze70hE_7XrHcjup5ugjYqi/s320/images.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104109433513100578" border="0" /></a><br />Take this <a href="http://www.cspinet.org/nutritionpolicy/junkfoodquiz.html">junk food quiz</a> first.<br /><br />I'm just at a loss for words here. Complete loss. Seriously, it's no wonder that we're reaching a 30% obesity rate in this country if our schools consider water worse for you than sugary drinks, popsicles are banned but not snickers, and they don't take into account sat fats, calories, or gee, well really anything that's bad for you, focusing instead on only whether the food has nutritional value (ie vitamins and minerals - the lack thereof being why water gets the bad rap).The Lethological Gourmethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728934244935813026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2187887968322911940.post-39222784441997766692007-08-24T05:59:00.000-07:002007-08-24T06:17:23.413-07:00Hole in the Universe<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA-IPTqBQM5YQ7CUpav0SdnLyWnC4ePKzjo3NvBIeopFyTQGb0K1J202gzTt3wYov46_0DkG1U2Jm-skqM9fVk-nwCNZQ4nTUXOA7caeW8mPrBH9ek7s04PIFsr0osjPdHjX_hBKMKb_d7/s1600-h/void_small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA-IPTqBQM5YQ7CUpav0SdnLyWnC4ePKzjo3NvBIeopFyTQGb0K1J202gzTt3wYov46_0DkG1U2Jm-skqM9fVk-nwCNZQ4nTUXOA7caeW8mPrBH9ek7s04PIFsr0osjPdHjX_hBKMKb_d7/s320/void_small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5102255510879782162" border="0" /></a><br />Astronomers have just discovered a <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN2329057520070823">gaping hole in the universe</a>. Apparently, there's nothing inside of it, no galaxies, stars, or dark matter. And it's nearly a billion light years across.<br /><br />Now, I've never studied astronomy - I couldn't explain to you what exactly is meant by dark matter or string theory (though I do have vague impressions I've gotten from books and tv). But if I'm not mistaken, then this hole is basically outer space without all the detritus of planets, stars and galaxies.<br /><br />Now, I'm curious what causes a big empty space like this. Did one of the marble-toting aliens (think Men in Black) take a vacuum to our universe? In any event, can you imagine how absolutely boring it would be to travel through that hole, even at warp speed? (Totally disregarding the fact that there would be no fuel, food, or sunlight to be had for a billion years, but hey that's just practicalities, right?)The Lethological Gourmethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728934244935813026noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2187887968322911940.post-20002317680577192022007-08-21T07:58:00.000-07:002007-08-21T13:52:05.967-07:0018 Men Arrested for Cross-Dressing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEX74UY8_p1BCOKaU_l5RPrklNZWgGUjjgAfIT_KI6Wi0iz3nDWQRDB2AQrVq584pWgJZ95Tb7IspMkWmefUJrkjAN3-t6Cfc1mqUG1Ian6HzhlG39q6kdKrfJjvo6wp6rt_50dTi7XoZD/s1600-h/504_nigeria_flag.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 182px; height: 124px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEX74UY8_p1BCOKaU_l5RPrklNZWgGUjjgAfIT_KI6Wi0iz3nDWQRDB2AQrVq584pWgJZ95Tb7IspMkWmefUJrkjAN3-t6Cfc1mqUG1Ian6HzhlG39q6kdKrfJjvo6wp6rt_50dTi7XoZD/s320/504_nigeria_flag.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5101176542080582914" border="0" /></a><br />So it seems that recently, 12 states in Northern Nigeria passed stricter <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharia">Sharia</a> laws (based on Muslim precepts). The power of these laws has remained active for centuries, but had been curtailed under British colonial rule. <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL2184376820070821?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews&pageNumber=1">Now they're back in force</a>. The sharia courts "impose strict punishments such as death for adultery or sodomy and amputation for theft."<br /><br />Ok, hold on a second. I consider myself to be very tolerant of different cultures and understanding of customs that differ from my own - different practices are often quite intriguing and can tell me a lot about that culture and the ways they think. But I just can't get on board with death for adultery or amputation for theft. Sure, these things are not good to do as they hurt other people (either emotionally or monetarily). But whatever happened to prison (for theft), or exile as a feasible option if somebody does something that doesn't fit with your culture's mores (make it someone else's problem)? What about the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amish">Amish practice of shunning</a>? Just pretend the person isn't there, they don't exist for you.<br /><br />Do you think that the laws against adultery are equally applied to men and women? I'd be really surprised if they were. Historically, women committing adultery have been treated MUCH more harshly than men.<br /><br />We watch movies like Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and think "oh my god, they're cutting people's hands off" but we "know" that it's a story about a past era, that we've reached a more "enlightened" time (if I can say that without sounding condescending - I don't mean enlightened as in how "we" do things. But rather, enlightened in that we don't force our will physically upon someone else, unless they've done something unmentionable like murder, rape, that kind of thing). But it's still really happening.<br /><br />So, ok, I'll bet you that cutting people's hands off would be a deterrent for certain kinds of theft (white collar, armed robbery, that kind of thing), unless someone just figured that their plan was so perfect, they wouldn't get caught. But it's the really poor people who are stealing food for their family to eat that will be hit hard. No, I'm not condoning theft. But if the kids are hungry and crying, and there's no work to be had, I don't think that possible amputation (if caught) is going to prevent the theft of some food.<br /><br />I understand that most religions have a problem with homosexuality. I don't agree with their negative view of it, but they're entitled to feel that it's wrong, I suppose. Just like abortion - people are entitled to be pro life. But my take on it is this - if you don't like it, don't do it. As long as it's not harming anyone, why should they get all in a murderous snit about it? If it's not accepted in their society, that's fine, do the whole exile/shunning thing. But to kill people for being homosexual?<br /><br />Ok, so this is the extreme. It does say in the article that only one man, a convicted murderer, has been hanged under sharia law since it was enacted in 2002. So it could that adultery, sodomy and theft are punishable by death and amputation on the books only - much like there are some states in the US where there are anti-sodomy laws still on the books (couldn't tell you what the punishment for that is, or what states, just that I've heard that they're there....). But it looks like they are taking these 18 men to trial for dressing as women. Now the question is, if they didn't catch them in any homosexual acts, could they enforce the sodomy laws? I certainly hope not, because death for cross-dressing just seems so far out of proportion as to be ludicrous.The Lethological Gourmethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728934244935813026noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2187887968322911940.post-13560521642016005712007-08-15T07:42:00.000-07:002007-08-15T08:00:55.662-07:00Matrixology - Are you really a Sim?The New York Times recently reported on a new theory held by Nick Bostrom, a philosopher at Oxford University, that <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/14/science/14tier.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5090&en=22bfff4070a81187&ex=1344744000">there is a 20% chance that our world is really the Sims</a>. "Some computer experts" (which ones, I ask you?) have projected that, based on trends in processing power, we will have a computer system by mid-century that "<span style="font-style: italic;">could run “ancestor simulations” of their evolutionary history by creating virtual worlds inhabited by virtual people with fully developed virtual nervous systems</span>." This boils down to making us into an extended game of the Sims. Unlike the Matrix, where people could disconnect, "wake up" from their simulation, it would be nothing be a virtual network made of nothing but virtual brainpower.<br /><br />Now, let me ask you, 20% chance?! I mean, seriously. It's a very intriguing idea and appeals to me in a philosophical and sociological way. However, to take it seriously, I really don't think so. I think that it certainly could soon be possible to run grand scale simulations in worlds (like Second Life - for more SL info, <a href="http://lethologicalreader.blogspot.com/2007/06/virtual-job-interviews.html">see my previous post on the subject</a>) from our ancestors eras in a similar way to how we currently enjoy fantastical worlds (take, for instance, the popularity of the<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_of_warcraft"> World of Warcraft </a>or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultima">Ultima Online</a>). Second Life has definitely taken on a whole life and economy of its own, but not to the extent this philosopher is talking about.<br /><br />It would have to be a seriously powerful computer beyond all imagining to not only control a world of this size (and multiples for different eras), but to also imbue the virtual residents with emotions and with a self-awareness so they would feel like they were in control of their life. I'm picturing a Terminator 3 scenario here, where the virtual minds somehow gain their independence from their puppeteers and nuke the world.<br /><br />In any event, not likely in my opinion. But an interesting philosophical discussion. Might we now see some "I'm a sim" defenses in trials like all those "Neos" out there who thought the world wasn't real so they could do whatever they wanted?The Lethological Gourmethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728934244935813026noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2187887968322911940.post-17473824843475180772007-08-13T07:39:00.000-07:002007-08-13T07:59:01.436-07:00The Science of Insulting WomenThe Freakonomics blog just moved over to The New York Times website. <a href="http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/10/the-science-of-insulting-women/">One of their first posts</a> was about studies that have been done about negging - "a move that involves interjecting an insult during an initial conversation with a woman. The motivation behind the insult is to “lower her self-esteem, thus making her more vulnerable to your advances.”" This post has gotten the most comments I've seen on a Freakonomics post in a while, and I couldn't bring myself to read through all of them. After the first three or four posts by men saying that "all women" are attracted to bad men who insult their sense of self esteem, and that women never are interested in nice men who treat them right, I'd had enough.<br /><br />Sure, there are women out there who like dangerous guys, guys who aren't interested, men who don't treat them right. Sometimes it's a result of their childhood - I have a relative who married a man who insults her quite often, but she's been married to him at least 30 years, perhaps in part because her father was not always the nicest when speaking with her mother. If it's something you grow up with, it may seem like the norm, that may be the example of a "successful" marriage. Who knows?]<br /><br />But to generalize to say that that's what all women want, it sounds like that commenter thinks he's a nice guy, and has been burned by women interested in "bad boys." Some comments have said that women don't like to be complimented, or treated right. Now, I'm telling you right now, for all the men out there reading this post - yes, we do like to be complimented and treated right! (At least those of us with a healthy sense of self-respect and no bad boy complexes). And no, this doesn't mean we want compliments in every other breath, presents every other minute, and a man hanging on our every word. Because that's just damn slavish and sycophantic. But a man who knows how to use a well-placed compliment, have an intelligent conversation, and has his own interests in life is infinitely more appealing than either of the over-aggressively rude or sycophantic stereotypes.<br /><br />The other thing I take issue with is the idea that women are only interested in men with status. That that's why they stay with men who insult them. No. No. No. Sure, perhaps women who stay with men like that feel like the men have more status, that's possible. But I think it's also in large part because the men have cut down their self esteem (or preyed on women who already have low self esteem) to such a level that the women feel like they don't deserve any better, or they don't want to be alone and don't have faith in themselves enough that they could find someone better. <br /><br />I think the idea of trying to teach men who aren't comfortable interacting with women is a good one, but the way this Mystery is going about it just kind of turns my stomach. Teasing a woman just to let her know that you're on the same level as her is one thing, that she's not on a pedestal. But going beyond that into insulting (and to the "mate retention" behaviors also mentioned, such as her around to make sure she's not meeting other guys) sounds to me like it's the guy who has the low self-esteem - he's uncomfortable just being himself and let his conversation and looks attract women, so he has to resort to preying on the vulnerable. And there's someone out there actually making money for teaching men these tactics - books and a tv show, blech!The Lethological Gourmethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728934244935813026noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2187887968322911940.post-41169275041747958472007-08-08T06:48:00.000-07:002007-08-08T07:44:14.509-07:00Strapped - Part 1: Education<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRztHngw3KzjvgvtuvQGt4vcMGMzcTO6sAJpC1719fZsZtrffkvS_hyphenhyphenYAQYj3MoVkPCob8sv7ARSEbeXR-Z5bt_ZCgmjKh1ZT_F2fY7X9t1f_Jru4-qAJQKwd7CX5usDAowxMYp2kQMW01/s1600-h/12097896.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRztHngw3KzjvgvtuvQGt4vcMGMzcTO6sAJpC1719fZsZtrffkvS_hyphenhyphenYAQYj3MoVkPCob8sv7ARSEbeXR-Z5bt_ZCgmjKh1ZT_F2fY7X9t1f_Jru4-qAJQKwd7CX5usDAowxMYp2kQMW01/s320/12097896.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5096326855822368498" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead</span> by Tamara Draut (ISBN 9781400079971)<br />Rating: 10/10<br /><br />This was an absolutely fabulous book, the best I've read in a long time. It actually got me underlining passages, which I never do since it defaces the book. It takes a three-pronged view at why it's so hard for today's 18-34 year olds (in this book, those born between 1971 and 1987) to not only get ahead, but to break even and not sink into debt.<br /><br />The first issues she brings up is the high cost of education.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Borrowing one's way through college just wasn't the norm. In 1977, college students borrowed about $6 billion (2002 dollars) to help pay for college, compared to the $28 billion borrowed by students in 1993. By 2003, the amount of borrowing had doubled, to $56 billion. The rise in loan volume cannot be completely explained by increases in college enrollment. The number of students enrolled in college grew by 44 percent between 1977 and 2003, but student loan volume rose by 833 percent." </span><br /><br />Yes, you read that right, 833 percent! Student loan debt was a fairly non-existent phenomenon until the 1990s (not that it didn't exist, but it wasn't the epidemic it is now). Then it absolutely exploded. And given the number of really good schools that don't give merit-based aid, many students have to rely on need-based aid, which generally comes in the form of loans.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"A 2002 survey of college borrowers found that 40 percent [of students] had delayed going to college or had gone to a less expensive college to avoid the burden of large student loans."</span> Given the currency that the big name schools play in some professions (medicine, law, architecture, design, etc), the fact that more and more students are choosing to go to community college does have a definite impact on future earning potential. The book lists several real-life examples of students who wanted a certain career (for example, physician's assistant), but were unable to pay for their education and so had to settle with a lower paying degree (nursing, or I can't remember right now, whatever the stage below nursing is).<br /><br />Now, perhaps in some of these fields, the gap isn't quite so pronounced - getting a medical degree will stand someone in good stead, whether it's from Harvard or the state or community college. But take, for instance, someone who wants an arts & sciences degree. Many students go for arts & sciences as a more general knowledge base, and once they get there they decide what they want to major in. The career path isn't laid out, and the job after graduation isn't as easy to pin down.<br /><br />Take me, for instance. I have a double major degree in French and Anthropology. I use neither in my chosen profession (publishing). I attend social functions which allow me to use my French, but don't use it for work. I view my college degree as a good base formation for me, teaching me to think critically, educating me broadly, that kind of thing. And I am extraordinarily lucky that I have no student loans. But if I were burdened with several hundreds of dollars of loan payments every month, I could very well start questioning what the hell I was doing in college studying subjects that ended up having no relevance on my professional career. Sure, having the degree definitely helps me getting a better job and a better salary, and will stand me in good stead if and when I decide to go back for a grad degree. But many students don't have the luxury of going for a general degree and paying for room and board at college. Sometimes at the same time holding down two or three jobs and perhaps supporting children as well.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"A bachelor's degree is clearly what a high school degree used to be in terms of basic education for an economy based on knowledge."</span><br /><br />A college degree is the basic currency of the economy nowadays, and it is difficult to get a well-paying job without one. The author points out that starting in the 80s and 90s, the corporate world turned into an hourglass - lots of workers in the bottom, a bottleneck in the middle, and higher up the top level jobs. Without a college degree, it is definitely much harder to move up through that bottleneck of middle management into the upper tier.<br /><br />The percentage of college tuition has also shrunk over the years. I can't put my finger on the exact page in the book, but the percentage of tuition actually covered by the government in grants as need-based aid has not kept up with the explosion in tuition costs. If I remember correctly, the average grant was in the ballpark of $4000 per year. Taking the private colleges out of the pictures (which are upwards of $30K/year), state school can run to the low five figures per year, which leaves those students of modest economic background in a definite bind.<br /><br />The lore in America is that you can pull yourself from modest beginnings up by your bootstraps to the corner office making a six figure salary. And that dream does happen for some people, but the whole paradigm of education and the economy has vastly changed over the last two decades. When students graduate from college with an average of $20K in debt, grad school with an average of $45K in debt, and phd with an average of $100K in debt, it's hard to save money and get ahead, difficult to invest in our future when we're just concentrating on squeaking by with what we have.<br /><br />Economists have written at length about the epidemic among this generation of not saving, or of going into debt. It is often blamed on "kids" not being able to control their spending, buying unnecessary luxuries, that kind of thing. And for some of us, that'd certainly true. But then you look at the others, the ones breaking their backs in two or three jobs to try to pay back those loans, their rent, their car payments, food, insurance, perhaps child care, and you can say how small their luxury spending actually is, if they have any.<br /><br />More posts to come at a later date about the other topics in the book - child care/health care costs, credit card debt, home ownership, and apathy to politics.<br /><br />I recommend this book to anyone in this age group, to get perspective on why we're all so strapped for cash and what we can do about it. Also, greatly recommended to all of our parents, to help them understand that things are considerably different for us than it was when they were our age.The Lethological Gourmethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728934244935813026noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2187887968322911940.post-35155411095672123442007-08-07T12:48:00.000-07:002007-08-07T13:00:06.774-07:00Eyeball Tattoos<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9LvAT8nHO8RPDxmf94M6d-T-18S_oHm4A7cJVU6D4-A4NJiyzQqQAAdNdUjSK8lJRd89TzDIWgVaHrGjHYksJHiije0V8GB96Rlr69SnFr1wPjPlNqcjcd0Say_yZurm8N54iXKpr5KJL/s1600-h/ent041.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9LvAT8nHO8RPDxmf94M6d-T-18S_oHm4A7cJVU6D4-A4NJiyzQqQAAdNdUjSK8lJRd89TzDIWgVaHrGjHYksJHiije0V8GB96Rlr69SnFr1wPjPlNqcjcd0Say_yZurm8N54iXKpr5KJL/s320/ent041.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5096050801094385378" border="0" /></a><br />It seems that in the world of tattooing, we have not yet reached the final frontier. Just when you thought that we had discovered everywhere you could possibly tattoo someone, <a href="http://www.nypost.com/seven/07312007/entertainment/health/dont_turn_blind_eye_to_eye_tattoo_risks_health_dr__rock_positano.htm">here they come and hit us with eyeball tattoos</a>.<br /><br />Corneal tattooing has been used for patients who have suffered an eye trauma, to cover a scar or to help people with leucoma. But there are now patients asking for elective corneal tattooing. Three people were chronicled on their search to tattoo their eyes blue. Not their irises. Not their pupils. If I'm not mistaken, the cornea is the white part of the eye. Can you imagine? I mean, to each their own, and if they get their kicks walking around looking like they're going to shoot lasers out of their eyes, then more power to them (have I watched too many episodes of Charmed? Perhaps...). But wow, I don't think I could do that.<br /><br />I'm hesitant even to consider Lasik surgery. It would be great to not have to mess with contacts or glasses, but just the prospect of having my eye open and seeing a big sharp knife coming at it is enough to freak me out. My eyes aren't bad enough yet for that. But to do it without having some kind of optical enhancement in vision, no thank you. And considering all the potential problems, I think I'll hold off on getting my eyes tattooed for now.The Lethological Gourmethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728934244935813026noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2187887968322911940.post-73214912604156207632007-08-03T07:59:00.000-07:002007-08-03T08:19:22.385-07:00Woman Pregnant for 10 YearsNo, not with one child, silly. But over her lifespan, she has been pregnant for a total of 10.5 years. Can you imagine? The Duggars (in Arkansas, why am I not surprised?) just <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070803/ap_on_fe_st/17_kids">welcomed their 17th child into the family</a> (17th!!!). This woman must be an absolute saint to be able to deal with that many young children at once, either that or she's cracked up and nobody's noticed yet. I'll be the older ones help out a bunch, but still, can you imagine how much laundry there must be to do in that house? How much cooking, and for that matter their grocery bill every week? They probably spend more in food in one week than I make in a month, especially with 10 of those kids being boys. And they want more kids!<br /><br />How are they paying for all of these kids? They're apparently on the Discovery Channel, so maybe they're using all this media attention to their advantage to help pay for everything. Either that or that father is the highest paid former state representative ever.<br /><br />All the kids are home schooled, which I suppose makes sense given the number of them, the cost of child care (and private schools), and such. I hope they get a chance to go out amongst the rest of the world - that's the main problem I find with home schooling (apart from not being able to confirm the quality of education, I mean anyone can home school their kids, but do they know what's they're talking about?), the insularity of it and the reduced interaction with other kids of their age (who aren't related to them).<br /><br />On a final note...what possessed these parents to name all their kids with names starting with J? I mean seriously. As if it's not going to be hard enough for all the in laws they're going to have once their kids start getting married, the in-laws are going to have to remember all their names when they all start with the same sound? I suppose they'll get used to it after a while, but man, I mean it's bad enough when twins have similar names!The Lethological Gourmethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728934244935813026noreply@blogger.com93tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2187887968322911940.post-31922124500865699422007-08-01T13:24:00.000-07:002007-08-03T08:20:03.789-07:00When It's Good to be an Absentminded ProfessorA man and his wife in London play the same lottery numbers every week. Perhaps for months, perhaps for years. The numbers have some special significance - their birthdays, their anniversary, the birthdays of their dearly departed relatives. Ever week, without fail, the husband goes down to the little corner store, buys his lottery ticket, and fills out those numbers. Puts the receipt in his wallet. Only on this day, he was distracted by a pretty woman walking in, or a traffic accident outside, or someone dropping a fistful of change on the ground by accident. For whatever reason, he puts the receipt into the other pocket of his wallet, the one he doesn't normally use. Later on that day, he opens his wallet and notices that there's no lottery ticket in its usual spot. He stops on his way home to buy one, because he knows that if he doesn't, that will be the day when his numbers hit the jackpot. Only maybe this is his lucky day anyway, Murphy be damned.<br /><br />They win! The pot of 2.4 million pounds, split amongst four winners wins them a pretty penny. They're quite content with their share. But then (then!) a week later, he opens his wallet and finds the second lottery ticket with those same numbers. Thanking his lucky stars? No! That was for the first ticket. Kissing those lucky stars is more like it!<br /><br />Now this sounds like a nice fairy tale, doesn't happen to the average Joe Schmoe on the street, certainly not to the nice absent-minded British gentleman in the next flat. <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL0181922120070801?feedType=RSS">Well, it seems that it very well did happen to one lucky couple</a>, who netted a million pounds (2 million dollars!) because of a happy accident. Man, if I could win just one lottery ticket, I'd be happy! But then, I suppose I'd actually have to buy one to win...The Lethological Gourmethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728934244935813026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2187887968322911940.post-37617159440463951722007-07-27T07:33:00.000-07:002007-08-03T08:21:01.468-07:00The Power of Place<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidF7vTq9DihO8f2zp8UF0LpIZXYl_p0EhzTKzXtyjOkqFMmTfGjp4s5KjePzXEhxnElb_DqAengppydOkIIm7lbH7CJ2qjXLl3HFA8Rvmz-SNiXWeMh4SW_bsQN5NnufvXLyGcw2BxU5q/s1600-h/Power+of+Place.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 115px; height: 186px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidF7vTq9DihO8f2zp8UF0LpIZXYl_p0EhzTKzXtyjOkqFMmTfGjp4s5KjePzXEhxnElb_DqAengppydOkIIm7lbH7CJ2qjXLl3HFA8Rvmz-SNiXWeMh4SW_bsQN5NnufvXLyGcw2BxU5q/s320/Power+of+Place.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092999286960119442" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The Power of Place</span> by Winifred Gallagher (ISBN 9780061233357)<br />Rating: 6/10<br /><br />This is a very intriguing book about the power of context and environment on our psyches. The subtitle is <span style="font-style: italic;">How our surroundings shape our thoughts, emotions, and actions</span>. There's a good bit of the book which discusses Alaska and the effect of light on the psyche (all night or all day, every day). It dips into the psychological issues which impact people in these areas. Personally, I wouldn't do well in Alaska - I'd be depressed six months of the year with no sunlight to speak of. Different people react differently to the stimuli - some people have problems with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seasonal_affective_disorder">Seasonal Affective Disorder</a>, which would make the endless night so hard to deal with. Interesting also is the discussion of the all-day summers. These are the most productive parts of the year, where people work a lot more, and their social drive is kicked into high gear.<br /><br />Then there's temperature. Some people are born cold and some are born hot, with all the gradations in between. That much be the reason why it's so damn cold in my office - the evil mastermind who sets the temperature was born a hot person. Some people naturally feel more awake and alive when it's cold, or when it's hot. And when it's the opposite, they can get a kind of seasonal affective disorder also, or just not feel quite right.<br /><br />She also gets into discussions about the environment of the womb and the effect of outside stimuli (Mozart, anyone?) on a fetus. An interesting aspect of this discussion is her discussion of premies, how they are overstimulated in the NICU, they hear tons of noise around them, yet there is no visual stimuli to go with the noise, so they don't learn to associate noise with action (for example, someone says something, and you turn and look at them talking).<br /><br />One of her most interesting topics is about territoriality and the power of community. When people in a community are invested in their surroundings, upkeep their area, interact with neighbors, etc, there tends to be a much lower crime rate. Take, for instance, the small town where everybody knows everyone else. It's much harder to get away with anything in a town like that, because there are more social pressures to conform because there are more personalized interactions between neighbors.<br /><br />In a city, however, this becomes more difficult. The author stipulates that in areas with people of different financial means (lower class and middle class together, in an area which may be gentrifying, or on the other hand, going downhill), it can be much harder to create a sense of territory. She points to homogeneous societies (like Tokyo and Hong Kong) that she says run fairly smoothly, whereas melting pots like New York, Chicago and LA have a much bigger crime problem. Having never been to either of those Asian cities, I can't speak to the veracity of that. Any idea whether this is actually the case? What could be other factors which could make Hong Kong and Tokyo less crime-filled? Japan, at least, definitely has a culture founded politeness and respect, and because everyone comes from the same culture, perhaps this encourages lawfulness. America was founded on rebellion and encourages free-thinking and independence. This can be a positive thing in many respects, but perhaps also leads itself to more crime.<br /><br />She points out the snowball effect - one person has a broken window and it creates a sense of disrepair and lack of care for the territory. So perhaps someone else doesn't have the cash (or the time or the inclination) to paint their house and it starts peeling. Fairly soon, the street starts to look more run down. And crimes moves in. On the flip side, on a run down street, one neighbor might put out a flower box, another clean up their garden. And fairly soon it starts looking more cared for and less like a forgotten street where crime won't be noticed.<br /><br />It was a very interesting book - a bit slow to read, but with many thought-provoking ideas. I'm glad that I read it, though it wasn't as much of a page turner as, say, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Tipping Point</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Freakonomics</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">Blink.</span>The Lethological Gourmethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08728934244935813026noreply@blogger.com2