Midday update
Dec. 20th, 2006 04:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
silveradeptA quick midday update, as it’s likely the Land of Dial-Up won’t be kind to me in my usual long-listedness.
The El Camino Hearse. for when you want to go out in style... or you couldn’t just let go of the past.
Pravda has an article about whipping is an effective therapy for depression. Especially if you’re getting whipped by someone of the opposite sex, they tell us. This is something that I’m sure several BDSM enthusiasts could tell you - pain can become pleasurable, applied in the right manner by the right person. I wonder if there’s more studies into this sort of pain-pleasure confusion.
Speaking of causing pain to people - there's a second WarGames movie in the works. So, would you like to play another game? Beyond that, a second potentially pain-causing item - Archie Comics is changing its look. From what the new-look cover says to me, well, it could be just as painful. I wonder if the writing’s gotten any better. And whether Jughead will lose his hat.
A Small Slew of Science! (SCIENCE!) - Robot surgeons are getting a rudimentary sense of touch, so they can relay to the surgeon conducting the operation an idea of how much force is being applied. Nanowelding with copper makes it possible to fuse nanotubes to a surface. I’m not sure this is going to result in another Moore’s Law fulfillment, but it’s probably helping. And finally, expanding on the idea that suburbia is bad for your health, obesity is the number one kids' health issue, according to a survey conducted by Reserach!America and the Endocrine Society. Obviously, there’s more than suburbia at work here, but it still proves that we need to find ways of getting the kids out and healthy.
A new startup is trying to improve image recall by studying the pictures, rather than the text tags. What I want to know, and the article doesn’t say, is how it intends on figuring out whether a certain sequence of facial characteristics is a match for the person or image requested. I’d like to know how it knows what matches Paris Hilton, say.
And here’s one of those hidden segues, as the next set of articles is all about sex. Starting with something we already knew - more than 90% of the American populace has had premarital sex, men and women alike. So, why are we spending significant money on “abstinence-only” education programs? Internationally, in one of the Indian states, Andhra Pradesh, premarital HIV testing will soon become mandatory. UNAIDS says it’s not the way to go, because people will forge their negative status, and that will make for a bigger problem. Lastly, as we all should know by now, sex does the body good. (The tail end of this article is familiar, like I’ve linked to it before...)
In terms of pleasures for the mind aside from fantasising, reading Shakespeare may excite your brain in a positive manner, because Shakespeare likes to use nouns as verbs. This then requires the brain to work backwards through the sentence to figure out just what’s going on. This is apparently a positive thing for the brain. Now, all we need to do is to get the kids to be able to get interested in the material...
Want a peek inside the mind of someone affected with schizophrenia? The Times Online gives us that with A Mind Taut With Pain. It’s different, trying to follow along with the thoughts of the writer. Hopefully, one day we’ll find a way of making a mind like that less fractured.
If Schoolhouse Rock were more politically leaning, and had no qualms about expressing an opinion about how the recent administrations had handled international affairs, one might get something like Pirates and Emperors (or, Size Does Matter). Worth a watch, even if just for the rather catchy tune.
As a parting shot, I remind you of the real reason for the season, so celebrate the birth of Mithras on his appointed day, okay?
The El Camino Hearse. for when you want to go out in style... or you couldn’t just let go of the past.
Pravda has an article about whipping is an effective therapy for depression. Especially if you’re getting whipped by someone of the opposite sex, they tell us. This is something that I’m sure several BDSM enthusiasts could tell you - pain can become pleasurable, applied in the right manner by the right person. I wonder if there’s more studies into this sort of pain-pleasure confusion.
Speaking of causing pain to people - there's a second WarGames movie in the works. So, would you like to play another game? Beyond that, a second potentially pain-causing item - Archie Comics is changing its look. From what the new-look cover says to me, well, it could be just as painful. I wonder if the writing’s gotten any better. And whether Jughead will lose his hat.
A Small Slew of Science! (SCIENCE!) - Robot surgeons are getting a rudimentary sense of touch, so they can relay to the surgeon conducting the operation an idea of how much force is being applied. Nanowelding with copper makes it possible to fuse nanotubes to a surface. I’m not sure this is going to result in another Moore’s Law fulfillment, but it’s probably helping. And finally, expanding on the idea that suburbia is bad for your health, obesity is the number one kids' health issue, according to a survey conducted by Reserach!America and the Endocrine Society. Obviously, there’s more than suburbia at work here, but it still proves that we need to find ways of getting the kids out and healthy.
A new startup is trying to improve image recall by studying the pictures, rather than the text tags. What I want to know, and the article doesn’t say, is how it intends on figuring out whether a certain sequence of facial characteristics is a match for the person or image requested. I’d like to know how it knows what matches Paris Hilton, say.
And here’s one of those hidden segues, as the next set of articles is all about sex. Starting with something we already knew - more than 90% of the American populace has had premarital sex, men and women alike. So, why are we spending significant money on “abstinence-only” education programs? Internationally, in one of the Indian states, Andhra Pradesh, premarital HIV testing will soon become mandatory. UNAIDS says it’s not the way to go, because people will forge their negative status, and that will make for a bigger problem. Lastly, as we all should know by now, sex does the body good. (The tail end of this article is familiar, like I’ve linked to it before...)
In terms of pleasures for the mind aside from fantasising, reading Shakespeare may excite your brain in a positive manner, because Shakespeare likes to use nouns as verbs. This then requires the brain to work backwards through the sentence to figure out just what’s going on. This is apparently a positive thing for the brain. Now, all we need to do is to get the kids to be able to get interested in the material...
Want a peek inside the mind of someone affected with schizophrenia? The Times Online gives us that with A Mind Taut With Pain. It’s different, trying to follow along with the thoughts of the writer. Hopefully, one day we’ll find a way of making a mind like that less fractured.
If Schoolhouse Rock were more politically leaning, and had no qualms about expressing an opinion about how the recent administrations had handled international affairs, one might get something like Pirates and Emperors (or, Size Does Matter). Worth a watch, even if just for the rather catchy tune.
As a parting shot, I remind you of the real reason for the season, so celebrate the birth of Mithras on his appointed day, okay?
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-12-20 11:01 pm (UTC)At least someone is finally acknowledging that people are having sex. Maybe the government will finally take a look at the abstinence only programs and realize they're not so good.
The New Catholic Encyclopaedia records: "The birth of Christ was assigned the date of the winter solstice (December 25 in the Julian calendar, January 6 in the Egyptian), because on this day, as the Sun began its return to northern skies, the pagan devotees of Mithras celebrated the Dies Natalis Solis Invicti (Birthday of the Invincible Sun). On December 25, 274, [Roman Emperor] Aurelian had proclaimed the Sun God the principal patron of the Empire and dedicated a temple to Him in the Campus Martius. Christmas originated at a time when the cult of the Sun was particularly strong at Rome." (Vol. III, p.656, 1967 ed.).
...the catholic encyclopedia just admitted to stealing a pagan holiday. Why can't the rest of he Chrsitian world listen to that?
no subject
Date: 2006-12-21 01:27 am (UTC)His plays are meant to be seen and spoken, and that's where they get true life. And, educators, STOP WITH THE GODDAMN TRAGEDIES. Fucking 'ell, getting us to read Taming of the Shrew would go over a HELL of a lot better.
Of course, I completely fuck all this up because my favorite play of all is MacBeth, and I read it first. But that's just because MacBeth is such a great play, it overcomes.
no subject
Date: 2006-12-21 01:36 am (UTC)I don't know if it's good genes or dishonest living, but men in my family keep escaping being overweight. Even my grandfather, the stoutest supporter of middle-class American living (with two eggs and pancakes for breakfast each morning) I know, is only a little paunchy.
In my not so humble opinion, we should be allowed to ostracize fat people as completely as we do smokers. Nothing beats peer pressure for spurring large numbers of people into gear!
Also compulsory aikido in the classroom, but I don't think that one's happening any time soon...
no subject
Date: 2006-12-21 10:19 am (UTC)Good job, there.
no subject
Date: 2006-12-21 11:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-21 11:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-21 12:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-21 04:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-21 04:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-21 04:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-21 05:01 pm (UTC)Soukas, A et al. J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 276, Issue 36, 34167-34174, September 7, 2001
Ernsberger P et al. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1999 Nov 18;892:272-88
Winick JD, Friedman JM. Genome Res. 1998 Sep;8(9):985-94.
Zhang Y et al. Nature. 1994 Dec 1;372(6505):425-32. (This is the really famous Nature paper that first showed that one specific gene can make a huge difference in body weight.)
And to show that there are still current papers being published that deal with differential gene expression in obesity:
Ptitsyn, A et al. BMC Genomics. 2006 Dec 19;7(1):318 (note this is from Tuesday)
no subject
Date: 2006-12-21 05:05 pm (UTC)I agree that if schools would pick at least one comedy to assign, kids might get turned on to shakespeare earlier.
no subject
Date: 2006-12-21 05:09 pm (UTC)Yeah, but then you have to decide what makes someone "fat" - is it determined by weight (which also could be the person having muscles) or is it determined by having a large belly (which could be from other medical conditions).
Going by BMI doesn't help either, as those tests also do not take into account people's muscles. Really, you need to go by what someone's doctor tells them. If your doctor says toyr obese, you're obese. No one else can determine that based on looks/weight alone.
no subject
Date: 2006-12-21 05:10 pm (UTC)Re: Obesity in children
Date: 2006-12-21 05:14 pm (UTC)And High School gym class? A freaking joke. Sure, it's a requirement, but how much exercise are you actually getting when you take something like Archery, or Bowling, or Board Games?
Re: Obesity in children
Date: 2006-12-21 05:54 pm (UTC)Re: Obesity in children
Date: 2006-12-21 06:05 pm (UTC)There's also the appeal of computers and video games, yeah. And in terms of spending an hour or two out of an already limited day (schoolwork, homework, chores, and the like), it's definitely easier to kill zombies than take the forty minutes it would take to go somewhere to do sport. (At least, in Suburbia).
As for gym classes, actually, Archery and bowling give you some pretty good exercise. Board games are more about mental stimulation, which is important, too. Maybe they should adopt Chess Boxing as the high school sport of choice.
no subject
Date: 2006-12-21 06:14 pm (UTC)Re: Obesity in children
Date: 2006-12-21 06:16 pm (UTC)What's Chess Boxing?
no subject
Date: 2006-12-21 06:17 pm (UTC)Re: Obesity in children
Date: 2006-12-21 06:38 pm (UTC)Re: Obesity in children
Date: 2006-12-21 06:43 pm (UTC)Re: Obesity in children
Date: 2006-12-21 06:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-21 06:54 pm (UTC)Re: Obesity in children
Date: 2006-12-21 06:56 pm (UTC)in my High School...you didn't have to play sports. I did Marching Band, which we considered a sport, so much so that I have a Varsity Letter from it. We even got to kick the football team off "our field" on a few occasions.
no subject
Date: 2006-12-22 04:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-22 04:31 am (UTC)Re: Obesity in children
Date: 2006-12-22 04:54 am (UTC)Where the importance, and what you perceive, comes in our varsity sports, as generally the athletes are at the top of the social pecking order, receive favorable treatment from teachers (or administrators, if the teachers refuse to bend) on their grades and discipline, and receive other perks and favors, Our high school had a separate budget regarding academics and athletics. Said separate budget was large enough to run the programs and to provide one of the varsity sports with a set of new uniforms every year. This was while the band boosters ran a successful campaign to sell apple pies, worked concessions for the athletic events, and still were only able to provide for half of each student's band camp fee. And the academic options available to good students were slim. But the varsity athletes had to have their separate budget, and their uniforms.
So you're not wrong when you say that sports are of Central Importance to high schools here in the U.S. You just think of it differently. It's not "sport for all is important", it's "we worship those persons that play sport for our high school". To some degree, universities can be like that as well. (Mine is, for a lot of sports. But it's also a reasonably respectable academic and research university, too.)
no subject
Date: 2006-12-22 04:58 am (UTC)