See the whole thing here: Vaguely Rude Place Names Of The World. via Laughing Squid
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Research shows beer healthier than water
KANSAS CITY, Missouri – Forget water or Gatorade. The drink of choice to rehydrate after a workout is beer.
The study involved a group of students. They were asked to work out until their body temperature reached 104 degrees.
Researchers then gave beer to half of the students and water to the other half.
Not only did the beer rehydrate the test subjects better, but the alcohol apparently served as a minor pain reliever for the aches and stresses of working out. Of course, even the eggheads running this promising study failed to see the forest for the trees, missing the one obvious solution to the entire conundrum. If you just didn’t work out in the first place and stayed on the couch drinking beer, you would require neither hydration or pain relief. But we’ll clearly have to be patient and bring these people around one step at a time.
The study involved a group of students. They were asked to work out until their body temperature reached 104 degrees.
Researchers then gave beer to half of the students and water to the other half.
Not only did the beer rehydrate the test subjects better, but the alcohol apparently served as a minor pain reliever for the aches and stresses of working out. Of course, even the eggheads running this promising study failed to see the forest for the trees, missing the one obvious solution to the entire conundrum. If you just didn’t work out in the first place and stayed on the couch drinking beer, you would require neither hydration or pain relief. But we’ll clearly have to be patient and bring these people around one step at a time.
Investigation reveals cause of battery fire on Boeing 787 Dreamliner
Via Ars Technica, which has links and more detail:
Investigators at the National Transportation Safety Board have determined the cause of the battery fire in the Japan Airlines 787, saying that the fire was caused by a short circuit in one of the battery’s cells leading to a thermal runaway which led to the other cells catching fire. The NTSB said that temperatures inside the battery exceeded 260 degrees Celsius (500 degrees Fahrenheit).
The DEA Wants to Use a $37 Pot Sale to Seize Landlord's $1.5 Million Anaheim Building.
If you have to have a test case for asset forfeiture, this is a great one.
An undercover Anaheim cop shows up with a prescription and purchases $37 worth of dope, then the Anaheim cops turned the information over to the DEA. Now the fun begins.
DHS Purchases another 21.6 Million Rounds Of Ammo
An approximation of how many rounds of ammunition the DHS has now secured over the last 10 months stands at around 1.625 billion.
To put that in perspective, during the height of active battle operations in Iraq, US soldiers used 5.5 million rounds of ammunition a month. Extrapolating the figures, the DHS has purchased enough bullets over the last 10 months to wage a full scale war for almost 30 years.
To put that in perspective, during the height of active battle operations in Iraq, US soldiers used 5.5 million rounds of ammunition a month. Extrapolating the figures, the DHS has purchased enough bullets over the last 10 months to wage a full scale war for almost 30 years.
Some of this links back to Infowars, but the numbers are still accurate.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Original Iwo Jima monument coming to NYC auction
The original smaller statue of the iconic raising of the U.S. flag at Iwo Jima in 1945 is expected to fetch up to $1.8 million later this month at a New York auction dedicated to World War II artifacts.
That such a statue even exists is news to all but the most ardent history buffs.
Most Americans are familiar with the 32-foot-tall Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Va. Felix de Weldon's 1954 bronze depicts five Marines and a Navy Corpsman raising the flag on Iwo Jima's Mount Suribachi as Allied forces struggled to capture the Japanese-held island.
Less well-known is the 12 1/2-foot-tall statue created soon after the event.
That such a statue even exists is news to all but the most ardent history buffs.
Most Americans are familiar with the 32-foot-tall Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Va. Felix de Weldon's 1954 bronze depicts five Marines and a Navy Corpsman raising the flag on Iwo Jima's Mount Suribachi as Allied forces struggled to capture the Japanese-held island.
Less well-known is the 12 1/2-foot-tall statue created soon after the event.
Supercut: Hit by a Bus
I had no idea there were so many of these, although, to be fair, there are some car hits thrown in.
At Benghazi, Neglect Came Right From The Top
The deaths of four Americans in Libya may be old news, but the president who failed to protect them remains in office. A Senate hearing has shown just how bad the negligence was. The story continues to reveal much about Barack Obama's leadership and priorities.
Amazon Poised to Sell Used E-books
A U.S. patent that Amazon Technologies in Reno, Nev., received last week indicates that the mega-retailer has its sights on digital resale, including used e-books and audio downloads. According to the abstract, Amazon will be able to create a secondary market for used digital objects purchased from an original vendor by a user and stored in a user’s personalized data store.
Store owner with gun to robber with knife: Hell, no, I'm not handing over the cash
“He just walked all the way over here, pulled out his knife and said, ‘Hey, open the register and give me your money.’ I thought, ‘Wow,’ ” the store owner and clerk, Ahmed Nazir, said.
He then told the crook bluntly, “no… I’m not going to do that.” The next thing the criminal saw was the barrel of a .45 cal handgun.
“I pulled out my gun and I said, ‘Just leave your knife here and leave the store.’ And he left,” Nazir added.
He then told the crook bluntly, “no… I’m not going to do that.” The next thing the criminal saw was the barrel of a .45 cal handgun.
“I pulled out my gun and I said, ‘Just leave your knife here and leave the store.’ And he left,” Nazir added.
Boeing New Aircraft Orders Implode From 183 To Just 2 In January
ZeroHedge has more, and charts:
After the now several week old exploding battery fiasco, Boeing is nowhere closer to resolving the recurring problem for its appropriately renamed Nightmareliner. But the worst for the company may be yet ahead: January new aircraft orders collapsed from 183 in December to a meaningless 2 in January: a seasonally strong month, with some 150 orders a year ago, and more weakness to come as Boeing just warned its first Norwegian delivery due in April may be delayed.
After the now several week old exploding battery fiasco, Boeing is nowhere closer to resolving the recurring problem for its appropriately renamed Nightmareliner. But the worst for the company may be yet ahead: January new aircraft orders collapsed from 183 in December to a meaningless 2 in January: a seasonally strong month, with some 150 orders a year ago, and more weakness to come as Boeing just warned its first Norwegian delivery due in April may be delayed.
Benghazi: Let's just call it The Immaculate Massacre.
Panetta: We Can't Just Go Saving Every Consulate That's Under Terrorist Attack
Demspey: We Didn't Act Because State Never Asked Us To, But It's Also Not Their Fault. It's No One's Fault. Sometimes Shit Happens, and Who Ya Gonna Call? Not Us.
Ace: despite the Administration's spin that the only thing that matters is finding the guilty parties (and not the merely grossly negligent parties) they haven't found those either, and in fact I haven't heard any sort of push on this. The Administration tells us this is of critical importance, and then does everything possible to bury the story so that the public forgets about it.
Demspey: We Didn't Act Because State Never Asked Us To, But It's Also Not Their Fault. It's No One's Fault. Sometimes Shit Happens, and Who Ya Gonna Call? Not Us.
PETA calls for ban on the display of naked chickens in supermarkets
"Sexily displaying the corpse of a chicken who has been bred to grow so big, so quickly, that many collapse under their own weight, is just additionally offensive."
Friday links
New glasses to correct (partially, so far) color-blindness.
The horrifying physiological and psychological consequences of being Aquaman. Related: The physics of the Hulk’s jump.
A Brief History of the 1947 Chocolate Candy Bar Strike
Coffee foam art.
How Many Lincoln Logs Would It Take To Build Your House?
10 Widely Used Inventions Pioneered by NASA.
The horrifying physiological and psychological consequences of being Aquaman. Related: The physics of the Hulk’s jump.
A Brief History of the 1947 Chocolate Candy Bar Strike
Coffee foam art.
How Many Lincoln Logs Would It Take To Build Your House?
10 Widely Used Inventions Pioneered by NASA.
The horrifying physiological and psychological consequences of being Aquaman
I've always thought Aquaman sucked as a superhero. After all, in order to get away from him, all you have to do is leave the water. But check out this article about the scientific aspects of the problems he has to deal with: penetrating cold, osmotic pressure, the bends, the limited diet, and the constant, unceasing screams of dying marine life.
Aquaman can see the scars left by every trawl, can feel the life being sucked out of the ocean, knows the name of every fish, dolphin, and crab whose life has been taken by our nets and lines. His life is the constant, horrible drone of unspeakable, unstoppable death.
Previously: The horrible truth about Spiderman’s anatomy: what is that sticky white stuff?
Aquaman can see the scars left by every trawl, can feel the life being sucked out of the ocean, knows the name of every fish, dolphin, and crab whose life has been taken by our nets and lines. His life is the constant, horrible drone of unspeakable, unstoppable death.
Previously: The horrible truth about Spiderman’s anatomy: what is that sticky white stuff?
Related: The physics of the Hulk’s jump.
New encryption app set to revolutionize privacy and freak out the feds.
More at Slate, via Instapundit.
The FBI, for instance, wants all communications providers to build in backdoors so it can secretly spy on suspects. Silent Circle is pushing hard in the exact opposite direction—it has an explicit policy that it cannot and will not comply with law enforcement eavesdropping requests. Now, having come up with a way not only to easily communicate encrypted but to send files encrypted and without a trace, the company might be setting itself up for a serious confrontation with the feds. Some governments could even try to ban the technology.
This Obamacare rule will raise your grocery prices
The proposed regulation would require store owners to label prepared, unpackaged foods found in salad bars and food bars, soups and bakery items. Erik Lieberman, regulatory counsel at the Food Marketing Institute, said testing foods for nutritional data will require either expensive software or even more costly off-site laboratory assessments.
Lieberman said failure to get it right comes with stiff penalties: "If you get it wrong, it's a federal crime, and you could face jail time and thousands of dollars worth of fines."
Lieberman said failure to get it right comes with stiff penalties: "If you get it wrong, it's a federal crime, and you could face jail time and thousands of dollars worth of fines."
Massive new mandate for schools to provide disabled sports
Breaking new ground, the U.S. Education Department is telling schools they must include students with disabilities in sports programs or provide equal alternative options. The directive, reminiscent of the Title IX expansion of athletic opportunities for women, could bring sweeping changes to school budgets and locker rooms for years to come.
Schools would be required to make “reasonable modifications” for students with disabilities or create parallel athletic programs that have comparable standing as mainstream programs.
Schools would be required to make “reasonable modifications” for students with disabilities or create parallel athletic programs that have comparable standing as mainstream programs.
More here, via Overlawyered.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Mexico: 9-year-old gives birth to baby girl and purported teenage father is being sought
Gonzalez said Wednesday that the girl’s family alerted authorities after she gave birth and the alleged father has not been seen since in the neighborhood the both live in. He says that if the teenager’s paternity is proven he could face child sex abuse charges.
Origin of the Phrase “Run Amok”
The English word most directly comes from the Malay “amuck” (also spelled amuk, and amuco) more or less meaning “attacking furiously” or “attacking with uncontrollable rage” or more aptly “homicidal mania”.
Although there were earlier references, the phrase “run amok” was partially popularized by Captain James Cook in 1772. From Cook’s book:
To run amock is to get drunk with opium… to sally forth from the house, kill the person or persons supposed to have injured the Amock, and any other person that attempts to impede his passage… indiscriminately killing and maiming villagers and animals in a frenzied attack.
In the Malay culture at the time, some believed the state of amok was caused by an evil spirit, “hantu belia”, entering the body of a person, who would then run amok, attacking and attempting to kill anyone they came across, only to recover later and return to normal, if they weren’t killed first. Because it was thought an evil spirit caused this, rather than the person doing it of their own free will, punishments for someone who ran amok and survived were typically light or even non-existent, with the person sometimes getting off scot-free.
Read more at the excellent Today I Found Out.
Although there were earlier references, the phrase “run amok” was partially popularized by Captain James Cook in 1772. From Cook’s book:
To run amock is to get drunk with opium… to sally forth from the house, kill the person or persons supposed to have injured the Amock, and any other person that attempts to impede his passage… indiscriminately killing and maiming villagers and animals in a frenzied attack.
In the Malay culture at the time, some believed the state of amok was caused by an evil spirit, “hantu belia”, entering the body of a person, who would then run amok, attacking and attempting to kill anyone they came across, only to recover later and return to normal, if they weren’t killed first. Because it was thought an evil spirit caused this, rather than the person doing it of their own free will, punishments for someone who ran amok and survived were typically light or even non-existent, with the person sometimes getting off scot-free.
Read more at the excellent Today I Found Out.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Post Office ending Saturday mail delivery
The U.S. Postal Service announced Wednesday that it plans to end Saturday mail delivery, in one of the most significant steps taken to date to cut costs at the struggling agency.
Under the proposal, the Postal Service will continue to deliver packages six days a week. The plan, which is aimed at saving about $2 billion, would start to take effect in August.
It's unclear, though, how the service can eliminate Saturday mail delivery without congressional approval.
For the past 30 years, Congress -- which oversees the otherwise independent agency -- has included a provision insisting on Saturday delivery. That provision still stands, leaving some on the Hill bewildered about the announcement Wednesday.
Under the proposal, the Postal Service will continue to deliver packages six days a week. The plan, which is aimed at saving about $2 billion, would start to take effect in August.
It's unclear, though, how the service can eliminate Saturday mail delivery without congressional approval.
For the past 30 years, Congress -- which oversees the otherwise independent agency -- has included a provision insisting on Saturday delivery. That provision still stands, leaving some on the Hill bewildered about the announcement Wednesday.
When - if ever - will the bandwidth of the Internet surpass that of FedEx?
If you want to transfer a few hundred gigabytes of data, it’s generally faster to FedEx a hard drive than to send the files over the internet. This isn’t a new idea—it’s often dubbed SneakerNet—and it’s how Google transfers large amounts of data internally.
But will it always be faster?
Cisco estimates that total internet traffic currently averages 167 terabits per second. FedEx has a fleet of 654 aircraft with a lift capacity of 26.5 million pounds daily. A solid-state laptop drive weighs about 78 grams and can hold up to a terabyte.
That means FedEx is capable of transferring 150 exabytes of data per day, or 14 petabits per second—almost a hundred times the current throughput of the internet. We can improve the data density even further by using MicroSD cards.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Iowahawk : Apologies to Stephen Sondheim - Send in the Drones
Isn't it rich?
Aren't we a pair?
You on the ground smoldering
Me in mid-air.
Send in the drones.
Isn't it bliss?
Obama approves.
The DOJ now recommends
No sudden moves.
Where are the drones?
Send in the drones.
Just when I stopped knocking on doors
And marching in protest of Middle East wars
We won election again and lost irony
Replacing it with
Hypocrisy.
Don't you love farce?
My fault I fear.
You have a right to stay silent
Forever my dear.
But where are the drones.
Quick send in the drones.
Don't bother, they're here.
Aren't we a pair?
You on the ground smoldering
Me in mid-air.
Send in the drones.
Isn't it bliss?
Obama approves.
The DOJ now recommends
No sudden moves.
Where are the drones?
Send in the drones.
Just when I stopped knocking on doors
And marching in protest of Middle East wars
We won election again and lost irony
Replacing it with
Hypocrisy.
Don't you love farce?
My fault I fear.
You have a right to stay silent
Forever my dear.
But where are the drones.
Quick send in the drones.
Don't bother, they're here.
via Breitbart.
Charlottesville, Virginia Becomes First to Pass Anti-Drone Legislation
The resolution, passed Monday, "calls on the United States Congress and the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia to adopt legislation prohibiting information obtained from the domestic use of drones from being introduced into a Federal or State court," and "pledges to abstain from similar uses with city-owned, leased, or borrowed drones."
Women in Paris finally allowed to wear trousers legally
On January 31, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, France's minister of women's rights, made it officially impossible to arrest a woman for wearing trousers in the French capital.
The law required women to ask police for special permission to "dress as men" in Paris, or risk being taken into custody.
In 1892 and 1909 the rule was amended to allow women to wear trousers, "if the woman is holding a bicycle handlebar or the reins of a horse."
The law required women to ask police for special permission to "dress as men" in Paris, or risk being taken into custody.
In 1892 and 1909 the rule was amended to allow women to wear trousers, "if the woman is holding a bicycle handlebar or the reins of a horse."
China’s declining labor pool
Interesting:
When an economy first becomes industrialized, it grows very fast by importing foreign technology and employing capital and plentiful, cheap labor mainly drawn from the agricultural sector. The migrant labor force accepts lower wages corresponding to the living standards prevalent in farming.
However, a point is reached when no more labor is forthcoming from the underdeveloped sector and wages begin to rise. This is known as the “Lewis Turning Point,” named after the late economist and 1979 Nobel laureate W. Arthur Lewis.
When an economy first becomes industrialized, it grows very fast by importing foreign technology and employing capital and plentiful, cheap labor mainly drawn from the agricultural sector. The migrant labor force accepts lower wages corresponding to the living standards prevalent in farming.
However, a point is reached when no more labor is forthcoming from the underdeveloped sector and wages begin to rise. This is known as the “Lewis Turning Point,” named after the late economist and 1979 Nobel laureate W. Arthur Lewis.
What If There's Nothing We Can Do About Mass Murders?
Megan McArdle, via Reason:
N. Korea video depicting missile attack against U.S. looks familiar to gamers
Read/see the whole thing at Malkin:
North Korea is threatening a third nuclear test, and this time Kim Jong Un (**Sexiest Man Alive 2012) is going multi-media by releasing a video to accompany the nuke test.
During the “dream” sequence, an attack on New York is depicted:
Drudge links to this video from the game Modern Warfare 3 that shows the exact same scene:
Sure enough:
The video isn’t from North Korea’s assuredly excellent special effects team, rather it’s taken directly from a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 cutscene. You can’t make this stuff up.
In the game, the US comes under attack by an angry Russia during what amounts to World War III, hence Manhattan being under fire by a barrage of missiles. But in the North Korean video, they’re taking all the credit.
In the game, the US comes under attack by an angry Russia during what amounts to World War III, hence Manhattan being under fire by a barrage of missiles. But in the North Korean video, they’re taking all the credit.
Tuesday links
6 Inventors Killed by Their Own Inventions
How to Build a Supersonic Ping-Pong Gun.
The horrible truth about Spiderman’s anatomy: what is that sticky white stuff? Kind of related: Excellent set of up close hi def images of insects and spiders. Also, anthropomorphic Beetle Dioramas.
10 Historic Flying Cars.
8 Touchdown Dances for Other Situations.
How to Build a Supersonic Ping-Pong Gun.
The horrible truth about Spiderman’s anatomy: what is that sticky white stuff? Kind of related: Excellent set of up close hi def images of insects and spiders. Also, anthropomorphic Beetle Dioramas.
Are large-breasted women more likely to get carpal tunnel syndrome?
Read the whole thing at Straight Dope.
Big-breasted women are far more likely to have carpal tunnel problems than the rest of us. In the general population, maybe one in 40 people is affected; for well-endowed women it’s more like one in five. Interestingly, 62 percent of pregnant women get CTS during their third trimester, when their breasts are enlarged. Doctors aren’t sure why, but a plausible guess is pinched nerves not in the wrist but rather somewhere upstream.
One likely location is the shoulder, where the weight of oversize mammaries can produce considerable stress.
Other afflictions of the big-bosomed include:
Headaches, back and neck pain, spinal degeneration, and slipped discs. One study found a 25-year-old woman with B-cup-size breasts has an 8 percent chance of developing spine disorders, whereas a woman with a D-cup has a 44 percent chance. The problem worsens with age — by the time the D-cup woman reaches 35, she’s got an 82 percent chance of having back trouble.
Skin irritation caused by moisture and bacteria trapped within folds of skin.
Chafing and the like due to bouncing during jogging or other exercise.
Shortness of breath due to weight pressing on the rib cage.
Posture and sleeping difficulties.
Big-breasted women are far more likely to have carpal tunnel problems than the rest of us. In the general population, maybe one in 40 people is affected; for well-endowed women it’s more like one in five. Interestingly, 62 percent of pregnant women get CTS during their third trimester, when their breasts are enlarged. Doctors aren’t sure why, but a plausible guess is pinched nerves not in the wrist but rather somewhere upstream.
One likely location is the shoulder, where the weight of oversize mammaries can produce considerable stress.
Other afflictions of the big-bosomed include:
Headaches, back and neck pain, spinal degeneration, and slipped discs. One study found a 25-year-old woman with B-cup-size breasts has an 8 percent chance of developing spine disorders, whereas a woman with a D-cup has a 44 percent chance. The problem worsens with age — by the time the D-cup woman reaches 35, she’s got an 82 percent chance of having back trouble.
Skin irritation caused by moisture and bacteria trapped within folds of skin.
Chafing and the like due to bouncing during jogging or other exercise.
Shortness of breath due to weight pressing on the rib cage.
Posture and sleeping difficulties.
The horrible truth about Spiderman’s anatomy: what is that sticky white stuff?
The sad truth is that the Comics industry has conspired in a G-rated cover-up to hide his terrible, terrible affliction.
Spider-man’s spider webbing talent isn’t what you think it is. Sure, male spiders do have special appendages on the front of their bodies–they are really noticeable ”boxing gloves.” They actually can be up to 20% of a male spider’s body weight.
Those are not, however, what spiders shoot silk or webbing out of. These pedipalps have one function. SEX.
That white, sticky stuff Peter Parker is shooting out of his wrist? Um. Yeah.
Spider-man’s spider webbing talent isn’t what you think it is. Sure, male spiders do have special appendages on the front of their bodies–they are really noticeable ”boxing gloves.” They actually can be up to 20% of a male spider’s body weight.
Those are not, however, what spiders shoot silk or webbing out of. These pedipalps have one function. SEX.
That white, sticky stuff Peter Parker is shooting out of his wrist? Um. Yeah.
More details than you actually want to know at Bug Girl's Blog.
Glenn Reynolds (Instapundit): A revolution in the works?
Read the whole thing at USA Today. A selection (emphasis mine):
Governments operate, to a degree, by force, but ultimately they depend on legitimacy. A government that a majority views as a threat, and that only a small minority sees as enjoying the consent of the governed, is a government with legitimacy problems.
The less power the government has, the less incentive for corruption, and the less that can go wrong when the government misbehaves. The problem with this approach is that the political class likes a powerful government -- it's one of the reasons that the Washington, DC, area, where much of the political class lives, is beginning to resemble the Capital City in The Hunger Games, prospering while the rest of the country suffers.
As science fiction writer Jerry Pournelle wrote in 2008, "We have always known that eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. It's worse now, because capture of government is so much more important than it once was. There was a time when there was enough freedom that it hardly mattered which brand of crooks ran government. That has not been true for a long time -- not during most of your lifetimes, and for much of mine -- and it will probably never be true again."
The less power the government has, the less incentive for corruption, and the less that can go wrong when the government misbehaves. The problem with this approach is that the political class likes a powerful government -- it's one of the reasons that the Washington, DC, area, where much of the political class lives, is beginning to resemble the Capital City in The Hunger Games, prospering while the rest of the country suffers.
As science fiction writer Jerry Pournelle wrote in 2008, "We have always known that eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. It's worse now, because capture of government is so much more important than it once was. There was a time when there was enough freedom that it hardly mattered which brand of crooks ran government. That has not been true for a long time -- not during most of your lifetimes, and for much of mine -- and it will probably never be true again."
Democrats Propose Selling Your Political Opinions to Credit Card Companies
But not to just anyone - "I'm not opposed to selling the data if it's a corporation who shares our values and is going to do some good work with that data."
Wal-Mart, for instance, would not make the cut, he said.
Wal-Mart, for instance, would not make the cut, he said.
Go to ProPublica and read the whole thing.
For years, state Democratic parties have been gathering information about individual voters’ political leanings. They have noted down the opinions voters shared with canvassers — which candidates they said they supported or their positions on policy issues.Now, the record of what people told Democratic volunteers may go up for sale — and not just to political groups. Democrats are looking into whether credit card companies, retailers like Target or other commercial interests may want to buy the information.
State Democratic party leaders formed the National Voter File Co-op in 2011 to sell their voter data to approved groups like the NAACP. The goal was to recoup some of the money local Democratic parties spent collecting and updating their local voter lists, which include voters of all parties.
State Democratic party leaders formed the National Voter File Co-op in 2011 to sell their voter data to approved groups like the NAACP. The goal was to recoup some of the money local Democratic parties spent collecting and updating their local voter lists, which include voters of all parties.
via Gateway Pundit.
It’s Not You, It’s Quantitative Cost-Benefit Analysis
After performing an in-depth cost-benefit analysis of our relationship, I just don’t think this is working out. It’s not you, it’s me. Well, it’s not me either: it’s just common sense, given the nature of my utility function.
There’s no need to try to persuade me otherwise, Susan. We just can’t let our feelings get in the way of the math.
The calculations are fairly simple. At this point in my life, the opportunity cost of hanging out with you is fairly high. Sex with you grants me seventeen utils of pleasure, but I derive negative utils from all of the cuddling afterwards and the excessive number of buttons on your blouse that makes it very difficult to maneuver in the heat of the moment. I also lose utils when you do that weird thing with your hands that you think is affectionate but feels almost like you’re scratching me. Overall, I derive thirteen utils of pleasure on a typical Friday night with you, or fourteen if we watch The Daily Show as part of it (fifteen if they have a good guest on the show).
Meanwhile, I could be doing plenty of other things instead of spending time with you. For example, I could be drinking at the Irishman with a bunch of friends from work. I derive between 20 and 28 utils from hitting on drunk slutty girls at the bar. Since Jeff always buys most of the drinks anyways, the upfront pecuniary costs are low, and I have no potential negatives in terms of emotional investment. However, most of those girls don’t laugh at my jokes, which drives down utils gained. Thus, I could get between 14 and 21 utils from a night out at the bar.
The calculations are fairly simple. At this point in my life, the opportunity cost of hanging out with you is fairly high. Sex with you grants me seventeen utils of pleasure, but I derive negative utils from all of the cuddling afterwards and the excessive number of buttons on your blouse that makes it very difficult to maneuver in the heat of the moment. I also lose utils when you do that weird thing with your hands that you think is affectionate but feels almost like you’re scratching me. Overall, I derive thirteen utils of pleasure on a typical Friday night with you, or fourteen if we watch The Daily Show as part of it (fifteen if they have a good guest on the show).
Meanwhile, I could be doing plenty of other things instead of spending time with you. For example, I could be drinking at the Irishman with a bunch of friends from work. I derive between 20 and 28 utils from hitting on drunk slutty girls at the bar. Since Jeff always buys most of the drinks anyways, the upfront pecuniary costs are low, and I have no potential negatives in terms of emotional investment. However, most of those girls don’t laugh at my jokes, which drives down utils gained. Thus, I could get between 14 and 21 utils from a night out at the bar.
Monday, February 4, 2013
"Cute aggression": Why Do We Want To Squeeze Cute Things?
New research finds that seemingly strange aggressive responses to cuteness are actually the norm.
Dyer and her colleagues asked 90 male and female volunteers to come into a psychology laboratory and view a slideshow of cute, funny and neutral animals.
Researchers told the participants that this was a study of motor activity and memory, and then gave the subjects sheets of bubble wrap. The participants were instructed to pop as many or as few bubbles as they wanted, just as long as they were doing something involving motion.
In fact, the researchers really wanted to know if people would respond to cute animals with an outward display of aggression, popping more bubbles, compared with people looking at neutral or funny animals.
That's exactly what happened. The people watching a cute slideshow popped 120 bubbles, on average, compared with 80 for the funny slideshow and just a hair over 100 for the neutral one.
Dyer said she and her colleagues aren't yet sure why cuteness seems to trigger expressions of aggression.
Dyer and her colleagues asked 90 male and female volunteers to come into a psychology laboratory and view a slideshow of cute, funny and neutral animals.
Researchers told the participants that this was a study of motor activity and memory, and then gave the subjects sheets of bubble wrap. The participants were instructed to pop as many or as few bubbles as they wanted, just as long as they were doing something involving motion.
In fact, the researchers really wanted to know if people would respond to cute animals with an outward display of aggression, popping more bubbles, compared with people looking at neutral or funny animals.
That's exactly what happened. The people watching a cute slideshow popped 120 bubbles, on average, compared with 80 for the funny slideshow and just a hair over 100 for the neutral one.
Dyer said she and her colleagues aren't yet sure why cuteness seems to trigger expressions of aggression.
Richard III: DNA confirms twisted bones belong to king
Much more at The Guardian:
Not just the identity of the man in the car park with the twisted spine, but the appalling last moments and humiliating treatment of the naked body of Richard III in the hours after his death have been revealed at an extraordinary press conference at Leicester University.
And this:
Not just the identity of the man in the car park with the twisted spine, but the appalling last moments and humiliating treatment of the naked body of Richard III in the hours after his death have been revealed at an extraordinary press conference at Leicester University.
And this:
many of the other injuries were after death, suggesting a gruesome ritual on the battlefield and as the king's body was brought back to Leicester, as he was stripped, mocked and mutilated....One terrible injury, a stab through the right buttock and into his pelvis, was certainly after death, and could not have happened when his lower body was protected by armor It suggests the story that his naked corpse was brought back slung over the pommel of a horse, mocked and abused all the way, was true.
Why boys are falling behind and why we have to fix it
No surprises here - as any parent or grandparent knows, girls "fit" into the public school system in a way that boys rarely do. The prejudice against addressing this is deep-seated.
Read the whole thing, and follow the links.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Today is the 100th anniversary of the income tax
A century ago, on Feb. 3, 1913, the 16th Amendment to the Constitution authorizing a federal income tax was ratified. But the amendment's adoption was more an accident than an act of political will, and tinkering with the Constitution was not even required for the federal government to tax Americans' earnings.
Harbaugh Boys Miss Super Bowl While Attempting To Solve Mystery Of Smugglers Cove
NEW ORLEANS—Tied up with their efforts to crack their most intriguing case yet, sources confirmed Sunday that the Harbaugh Boys missed the first half of Super Bowl XLVII while attempting to solve The Mystery of Smugglers Cove.
According to sources, the amateur sleuths and head football coaches—Jim, the younger, brown-haired, and more fiery and brash of the two, and John, the older, brown-haired brother, who is also fiery and brash—failed to make kickoff for the championship matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens while investigating the mysterious circumstances surrounding the theft of a cache of priceless gems, just the latest case taken on by the prodigious detective duo.
“In between finding the jewels, stopping that ring of diamond smugglers, and our unexpected excursion to Parrot Island, we completely forgot about the big game!” Jim Harbaugh told reporters, untangling his headset and tugging his windbreaker over his shoulders before rushing into the 49ers' locker room. “Luckily, Old Man Hobson didn't mind giving us a ride back to the Superdome in his seaplane. That's two favors we owe him now.”
The Harbaugh Boys have reportedly wowed football fans and law enforcement alike with their impressive feats both on and off the field. In their latest exploit, the pair reportedly worked together to uncover the secrets surrounding the disappearance of valuable gemstones loaned out to the New Orleans Natural History Museum by the Countess Grafton. Sources confirmed that the case led the brothers through a labyrinthine adventure featuring hidden passageways, a steamy bayou filled with deadly crocodiles, and a mysterious blonde-haired man in a trench coat—all while enduring the hype and public relations challenges posed by Super Bowl media week.
“Both of us were real busy getting our squads ready for the Super Bowl, but once we got word that the museum had been robbed just days after a glass-bottomed boat went missing off the shores of Smugglers Cove, we knew something was a little too perfect about this perfect heist,” said John Harbaugh, who according to sources is considered to be the more logical and rational of the two brothers by a negligible margin. “And since we knew the police weren't going to figure out this one on their own, we realized we had to get to work.”
“In the end, it turned out that old widow wasn't as innocent as she wanted us to believe,” the Ravens coach added.
According to sources, the Harbaugh Boys have over the years tackled dozens of cases, including The Secret of Skull Mountain and The Disappearing Floor, often with the assistance of their doughy friend and sidekick, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Though the sibling detectives have successfully solved every single whodunit they have taken on—all while maintaining an impressive 89-38-1 coaching record between them—the boys' father, Jack Harbaugh, a former college football coach and renowned private investigator, isn't always so enthusiastic about his sons' interest in his line of work.
"Frankly, I wish they would stay out of this business. They're good detectives, but they should focus on their playbooks and leave the gumshoe bit to the professionals," the elder Harbaugh said. "And a lot of the time, it seems they spend more time screaming at each other than they do actually solving cases." At press time, sources said the Harbaugh Boys had again become distracted from their head coaching duties upon taking on The Mystery of The Missing Run Defense.
According to sources, the amateur sleuths and head football coaches—Jim, the younger, brown-haired, and more fiery and brash of the two, and John, the older, brown-haired brother, who is also fiery and brash—failed to make kickoff for the championship matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens while investigating the mysterious circumstances surrounding the theft of a cache of priceless gems, just the latest case taken on by the prodigious detective duo.
“In between finding the jewels, stopping that ring of diamond smugglers, and our unexpected excursion to Parrot Island, we completely forgot about the big game!” Jim Harbaugh told reporters, untangling his headset and tugging his windbreaker over his shoulders before rushing into the 49ers' locker room. “Luckily, Old Man Hobson didn't mind giving us a ride back to the Superdome in his seaplane. That's two favors we owe him now.”
The Harbaugh Boys have reportedly wowed football fans and law enforcement alike with their impressive feats both on and off the field. In their latest exploit, the pair reportedly worked together to uncover the secrets surrounding the disappearance of valuable gemstones loaned out to the New Orleans Natural History Museum by the Countess Grafton. Sources confirmed that the case led the brothers through a labyrinthine adventure featuring hidden passageways, a steamy bayou filled with deadly crocodiles, and a mysterious blonde-haired man in a trench coat—all while enduring the hype and public relations challenges posed by Super Bowl media week.
“Both of us were real busy getting our squads ready for the Super Bowl, but once we got word that the museum had been robbed just days after a glass-bottomed boat went missing off the shores of Smugglers Cove, we knew something was a little too perfect about this perfect heist,” said John Harbaugh, who according to sources is considered to be the more logical and rational of the two brothers by a negligible margin. “And since we knew the police weren't going to figure out this one on their own, we realized we had to get to work.”
“In the end, it turned out that old widow wasn't as innocent as she wanted us to believe,” the Ravens coach added.
According to sources, the Harbaugh Boys have over the years tackled dozens of cases, including The Secret of Skull Mountain and The Disappearing Floor, often with the assistance of their doughy friend and sidekick, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Though the sibling detectives have successfully solved every single whodunit they have taken on—all while maintaining an impressive 89-38-1 coaching record between them—the boys' father, Jack Harbaugh, a former college football coach and renowned private investigator, isn't always so enthusiastic about his sons' interest in his line of work.
"Frankly, I wish they would stay out of this business. They're good detectives, but they should focus on their playbooks and leave the gumshoe bit to the professionals," the elder Harbaugh said. "And a lot of the time, it seems they spend more time screaming at each other than they do actually solving cases." At press time, sources said the Harbaugh Boys had again become distracted from their head coaching duties upon taking on The Mystery of The Missing Run Defense.
Not The Onion: Illinois Democrat judge who was just reelected to plead insanity
You can’t make this stuff up, and in Illinois, you don’t need to.
“Ms. Cynthia Brim was suffering from symptoms of a psychotic mental disorder, i.e. schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type, as a result of which she lacked the substantial capacity to appreciate the criminality of her act,” according to Dr. Mathew S. Markos, a psychiatrist who heads the Cook County court system’s forensic clinical services….
Brim, 54, has been on the bench since 1994 and won another six-year term in November despite low marks from the local bar associations over the years and her arrest. She did not return a call for comment. The psychiatric examination conducted after her arrest determined she is “presently mentally fit with medication.”
Brim, 54, has been on the bench since 1994 and won another six-year term in November despite low marks from the local bar associations over the years and her arrest. She did not return a call for comment. The psychiatric examination conducted after her arrest determined she is “presently mentally fit with medication.”
Churchill: Iran and “Unregulated Unthinkability”
At Powerline:
Chuck Hagel’s prevarications in his Senate testimony this week about the prevarications of the Obama Administration’s Iran policy brought to mind one of Churchill’s characterizations of British government policy about disarmament in the early 1930s—what at other times he described more simply as “mush, slush, and gush.” But this 1934 comment comes close to capturing the essence of Obama’s own brand of mush, slush, and gush about Iran:
It is only a little while ago that I heard ministers say, and read diplomatic documents which said, that rearmament was unthinkable—“Whatever happens, we cannot have that. Rearmament is unthinkable.” Now all our hope is to regulate the unthinkable. Regulated unthinkability—that is the proposal now; and very soon it will be a question of making up our minds to unregulated unthinkability.”
It is only a little while ago that I heard ministers say, and read diplomatic documents which said, that rearmament was unthinkable—“Whatever happens, we cannot have that. Rearmament is unthinkable.” Now all our hope is to regulate the unthinkable. Regulated unthinkability—that is the proposal now; and very soon it will be a question of making up our minds to unregulated unthinkability.”
Administration Extends Obamacare Deadline Yet Again.
Why is HHS is running the risk of a major, catastrophically embarassing delay, rather than simply acknowledging that they're probably going to be running exchanges in at least half the states, and moving forward accordingly?
Our Foreign Policy Establishment: Looking for Love in all the Wrong Places
Like the addlepated women who write love letters to an imprisoned murderer in the belief that the love of a good woman will turn him around, the U.S. foreign policy establishment repeatedly acts as though the power of their love and financial generosity will turn foreign thugs into responsible democratic leaders.
And this:
It is clear that the insidious notion that the Muslim Brotherhood is a moderate and friendly force has taken hold in US policy circles. And it is apparent that US policymaking in the Middle East is increasingly rooted in this false and dangerous assessment.
And this:
It is clear that the insidious notion that the Muslim Brotherhood is a moderate and friendly force has taken hold in US policy circles. And it is apparent that US policymaking in the Middle East is increasingly rooted in this false and dangerous assessment.
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