I was right!

So, I was watching Monday Night Football and was just disgusted with what a bad game it was - so I turned it off. Then I thought, "What if the Bears pull this off?" So I turned the TV back on ... and got to see the Cardinals all-time choke job!

Maybe the ANC is proving that power is a corrupting influence...

Interesting link to research on a possible genetic cause for autism ... as opposed to blaming things like vaccines.

This isn't what I think of as having "total recall," but it's an interesting idea for recording your life ... the next step past videotapes, I guess. The privacy implications are huge, though. Do I want to be in your recordings?!

Wow - the base at Cheyenne Mountain is being stood down. Boy, has the world changed. Love the "War Games" reference.

Good news ... I can keep eating sushi.

That's all, folks!

Catching up on a Saturday morning...

Here's further proof that some people shouldn't be parents.

On the other hand, some people may just be super parents ... are at least have super-sized families. Personally, I still have that twinge from my childhood about zero-population growth ... and the idea of six kids just overwhelms me!

On the pop-culture front, here's an interesting look at the place of sports in our society: men delay ER visits during televised games.

Worse yet, being a sports fan could actually be a reason for health problems! But I'm still cheering for my teams ... they can't scare me!

It's interesting to see that Halloween has become such a big deal as an adult holiday. Maybe it's just that we've become a more hedonistic society - any excuse for a holiday. However, I think a lot has to do with people taking the excuse to be more either more child-like ... or just retreating from the conformity and blandness of everyday life. I'm really not sure which theory I like better.

Moving on to politics and ethics ...

I had a friend in high school who used to try advancing the theory that homosexuality was "wrong" because it wasn't "in nature." In college I learned that wasn't true - and it's good to see the information about animal sexuality making it into the news and being studies. Here's more. The point about infanticide is interesting ... I remember making it myself years ago. However, this should at least quell any reasonable people from calling homosexuality "unnatural."

I'm very interested to see the fall-out around Robert Woodward's third book on the Bush presidency. Those who have been attacking and defending his past books probably find themselves in an awkward position now. However, both the positive and negative seem to fit the impression I've already had - that this is a group who had a clear vision and moved forward smoothly to implement it - but didn't see its limitations and then couldn't deal as effectively with reality when it turned out that life wasn't as clear as that vision.

Just to prove that I'm not just an anti-Bush leftist ... this guy who claims that the government set up 9/11 IS a real nut. I just can't buy that kind of conspiracy theory. Though I've said that the Bush administration is all about "the ends justifying the means," I don't think even they would go this far!

But some people DO go too far ... we spend a lot of time these days talking about the confluence between Islam and violence. Looking at Northern Ireland is a reminder that one religion does not (and has not) had a monopoly on such practices.

Finishing up with med/tech news:

Looks like we might someday soon test people and figure out who is pre-disposed to having depressive reactions to stress.

More stuff is going into the Google library.

There are further advances in software language translation.

I must be feeling negative today...

No matter what number you believe - 50,000 or 655,000 - it's still terribly sad that so many people have died in Iraq (and elsewhere, of course). Whether you're talking about gang violence, school shootings, ethnic strife, wars ... it's always hard for me to believe that so many people place so little value on the lives of others.

Sticking with the theme of unfathomable hate ... this racist act by a small group of Croation soccer fans is really disturbing. I only hope they aren't representative of a tolerance for these beliefs in the rest of that country.

These kind of fears and hatred feed another of my pet peeves: negative campaigning. Too bad the Republicans have proved that it works ... as they're so much better than the Dems at doing it.

Speaking of campaigns ... In most cases, I'm into alternative marketing. However, I'm not a big fan of the tactics used in the lonelygirl15 campaign. It reminds me of the underhanded direct mail pieces that use what looks like personally written post-it notes. I think it's unethical to purposefully hide the fact that you're advertising.

There's unethical, then there are things that are just unconscionable, like a woman who uses her baby as a weapon to strike someone. It would be a horrible infringement on personal liberty, but I'm tempted to say that people should have to meet some basic criteria before having children. We make people get a license to drive, right?!

OK, enough of me being negative ...

I heard about a book "Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets" and may just have to read it. I'm not sure if it's disturbing or comforting to think that my career may be more or less successful simply because of luck.

It's interesting to see a company actually discouraging the use of hemorroid cream for clearing up bags under your eyes. I've heard that treatment suggested before, and figured they would welcome additional use of their product.

Here's a semi-interesting look at male body-image worries and media exposure. But I love the finishing quote from Jack LaLanne: ""I can't afford to die. It would wreck my image."

Eat more chili! Lycopene is good for you. However, I'm not sure I'm going to manage getting quite that many tomatoes into my diet every day.

I have kids who are engaged in many activities and I've always thought that was a good thing. However, I also think you can overdo it, so I'm glad to see this advice to give kids free time.

Good advice for all of us, actually.

More human than human?

I haven't gotten to read the full article, but this summary/introduction of Time's "What makes us human" was interesting. Fun with genetics!

More genetics: the Nobel prize for two guys who have found a way to turn off specific genes, which has interesting implications for research and medical treatments.

Maybe they'll find a gene therapy that enables us to live with less sleep. In the meantime, there's more evidence that even minor sleep deprivation is bad. Bad news for those of us who can't help thinking of sleep as a waste of precious time...

Here's an interesting problem ... when is infant mortality due to premature birth - as opposed to specific causes that may have resulted from that condition?

How's this for a hospital case: 'A bug's eating my eardrum."

Of course, going to the hospital could lead to unexpected problems if your health records aren't kept safe.

Speaking of technology, I've never heard of this concept ... a single pixel camera.

And how about a robot that can improvise music during a jam session?

I'm not sure about that - but I'd really value a car that could drive through my morning commute for me. Now THERE'S a good time for sleep!

Back to the world of pictures and art ... these clever shopping bags are really neat! Good advertising ideas.

In contrast - this promotion didn't quite go as planned.

Speaking of which ... nice 'stop smoking' campaign idea.

Here's a different kind of art ... a sea lion who paints.

More stupid criminal tricks: One guy made himself feel at home, while another uses theft as an excuse for drug possession.

Of course, these folks just kidnapped their daughter on her wedding day.

Speaking of human stupidity, let's hear it for Paul Weyrich. In an NPR interview, this self-important, uninformed, religious right, bigoted moron had this to say about the Foley case: "Here is the real problem. It has been known for many years that Congressman Foley was a homosexual. Homosexuals tend to be pre-occupied with sex. The idea that he should be continued... or should have been continued... as chairman of a committee on missing and exploited children is, you know, given their knowledge of that, is just outrageous."

We'll be back with more from the school of self-righteous stupidity in just a moment.

Getting slightly political...

I try to be open-minded, but it really makes me wonder if the Islamic faith can co-exist with an open society when an opera is cancelled for fear of violence. Or did they over-estimate the negative reaction. I can understand anger - heck, lots of people got upset about the 'Piss Christ', Kevin Smith's Dogma, etc. It's the level of anger and threat of violent reprisal that's scary.

In a tangentially related story ... I am totally looking forward to "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan," and love the political upheaval over it! Great timing to point out the questionable nature of the U.S. ties to that government.

Of course, why should Bush worry about human rights or ethics? The end justifies the means, right? That's why he got permission to do warrentless wiretaps and remove due process. The idea that someone living in this country could be arrested and not heard from again is just scary. I grew up thinking that only happened OUTSIDE this country.

But living (and dying) in Iraq is still worse.

Speaking of scary, once you think about it, you can see the huge downside to living without pain.

On a lighter note, NetFlix is doing some fun things with usage data.

Is it really that hard to understand the concept of a serving size?

And to end on a truly bizarre note: some guy lied to his wife, saying that he wrote "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" under an assumed name. When that fib appeared in his obituary, the truth came out!

I try to be open-minded, but it really makes me wonder if the Islamic faith can co-exist with an open society when an opera is cancelled for fear of violence. Or did they over-estimate the negative reaction. I can understand anger - heck, lots of people got upset about the 'Piss Christ', Kevin Smith's Dogma, etc. It's the level of anger and threat of violent reprisal that's scary.

In a tangentially related story ... I am totally looking forward to "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan," and love the political upheaval over it! Great timing to point out the questionable nature of the U.S. ties to that government.

Of course, why should Bush worry about human rights or ethics? The end justifies the means, right? That's why he got permission to do warrentless wiretaps and remove due process. The idea that someone living in this country could be arrested and not heard from again is just scary. I grew up thinking that only happened OUTSIDE this country.

But living (and dying) in Iraq is still worse.

Speaking of scary, once you think about it, you can see the huge downside to living without pain.

On a lighter note, NetFlix is doing some fun things with usage data.

Is it really that hard to understand the concept of a serving size?

And to end on a truly bizarre note: some guy lied to his wife, saying that he wrote "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" under an assumed name. When that fib appeared in his obituary, the truth came out!

Start your engines ... cleanly?

I can't call it exciting, because it's still an oil-based fuel, but it is good news to see that Honda has developed an "ultra-clean" diesel system.

This is much better news - Silicon Valley is getting serious about the solar power industry. Sounds promising.

On a different technology front, this is good news: Someone may have solved the looming DVD high-def format controversy.

Speaking of television ... As someone who loves movies and certain things on TV, I'm not exactly shocked to see that American homes have more TVs than people. What got me was the family with 8 sets, saying ""No one ever sits down for more than a few seconds in this house ... This way you can watch TV while you're moving from room to room, folding laundry or taking care of the kids." I'm scratching my head over the concept that you need to be watching TV during every activity in your home!

Ah, 10 years of South Park. I don't actually watch it very often, but I enjoy the satire ... and poop jokes. ;-)

I'm the first to champion the separation of church and state ... but since NBC is a private company, I'm not quite sure whey they're taking God references out of VeggieTales. I thought this country was becoming MORE religious, so this doesn't totally make sense from a marketing point of view. I'm also not sure which references you can call "historical," so that's a complicating issue!

I thought 'Garden State' was relatively interesting, but there are some good points in this piece questioning Zach Braff's status as "voice of a generation." He sounds more like a savvy marketer than a visionary!

Going back a bit further in entertainment/art history, they pulled some interesting findings from a 3-D look at the Mona Lisa.

This caught my eye ... low calories diets can cause bone injury risk for female athletes.

Also in sports - a new device should help immediately diagnose concussions during atheletic events.

I just heard friends talking about 'walkers' getting in the way during a race, so I was interested to read about the problems with 'casual' marathon runners. Maybe so, but anyone who can get through 26 miles can't be THAT casual in my book!

Simply weird: A teddy bear is responsible for the death of 2500 trout. Well, actually, someone is responsible for the bear being there. But, still ... it was funny.

If this guy really has located the lost treasures from the Temple of Jerusalem, and they are really in Hammas territory ... Wow. That could get ugly.

Finally, from the "it's all in how you look at it" file: The conclusions from an NIE report on terrorism can be taken to say either:
1) See, we are winning. If we pull out of Iraq, we'll be seen as weak, and terrorists will be emboldened.
or
2) See, we shouldn't have gone into Iraq. We simply fueled the fires of resentment and provided a focus for terrorist recruitment.

I can't call it exciting, because it's still an oil-based fuel, but it is good news to see that Honda has developed an "ultra-clean" diesel system.

This is much better news - Silicon Valley is getting serious about the solar power industry. Sounds promising.

On a different technology front, this is good news: Someone may have solved the looming DVD high-def format controversy.

Speaking of television ... As someone who loves movies and certain things on TV, I'm not exactly shocked to see that American homes have more TVs than people. What got me was the family with 8 sets, saying ""No one ever sits down for more than a few seconds in this house ... This way you can watch TV while you're moving from room to room, folding laundry or taking care of the kids." I'm scratching my head over the concept that you need to be watching TV during every activity in your home!

Ah, 10 years of South Park. I don't actually watch it very often, but I enjoy the satire ... and poop jokes. ;-)

I'm the first to champion the separation of church and state ... but since NBC is a private company, I'm not quite sure whey they're taking God references out of VeggieTales. I thought this country was becoming MORE religious, so this doesn't totally make sense from a marketing point of view. I'm also not sure which references you can call "historical," so that's a complicating issue!

I thought 'Garden State' was relatively interesting, but there are some good points in this piece questioning Zach Braff's status as "voice of a generation." He sounds more like a savvy marketer than a visionary!

Going back a bit further in entertainment/art history, they pulled some interesting findings from a 3-D look at the Mona Lisa.

This caught my eye ... low calories diets can cause bone injury risk for female athletes.

Also in sports - a new device should help immediately diagnose concussions during atheletic events.

I just heard friends talking about 'walkers' getting in the way during a race, so I was interested to read about the problems with 'casual' marathon runners. Maybe so, but anyone who can get through 26 miles can't be THAT casual in my book!

Simply weird: A teddy bear is responsible for the death of 2500 trout. Well, actually, someone is responsible for the bear being there. But, still ... it was funny.

If this guy really has located the lost treasures from the Temple of Jerusalem, and they are really in Hammas territory ... Wow. That could get ugly.

Finally, from the "it's all in how you look at it" file: The conclusions from an NIE report on terrorism can be taken to say either:
1) See, we are winning. If we pull out of Iraq, we'll be seen as weak, and terrorists will be emboldened.
or
2) See, we shouldn't have gone into Iraq. We simply fueled the fires of resentment and provided a focus for terrorist recruitment.

Building from the ground up ...

Here's an interesting take on why football highlights aren't made like they used to be. I used to watch much more of that kind of thing (like SportsCenter) than I do now. I thought it was just me, but maybe not.

On the subject of how things are put together ... If you're busy doing the work, how do you have time to blog about fixing up your house?

I always thought it would be cool to put more of a house below ground (think hobbit holes!) - but this article makes some good points about the problems with underground constructions.

I've heard this argument made about European attitudes before, but it's interesting to see a study saying that letting teens have alcohol at home leads to less binge drinking. Maybe so, but I still balk at the idea instinctually.

Adult stem cells aren't looking too useful yet. Maybe it's a BIT too soon to stop looking at ALL kinds of stem cell research?