While I can't see myself in a nudist colony, I recognize that there are many people who have gone to them, convinced they will be embarrassed and uncomfortable, who find that they love it and become devotees of the experience and go back to vacation time after time.
The Germans have many people who love to be nude and there are many colonies in Germany but it is cold at this time of year. Someone planned a great trip for later in 2008 to take a plane to somewhere in the Baltic area. I'm not planning to sign on for it, though I don't doubt the flight is being eagerly awaited by many. Enjoy the full article.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Friday, February 1, 2008
A COOL ECONOMY AND OTHER OBSERVATIONS
The economy is cooling and the job market is tanking. When will people realize that predictions by the government are too often wrong. Economists were predicting a rise in jobs by 60,000. Instead, 17,000 jobs were lost. That is a rather significant figure and does not bode well for the predictors. In fact, one can hardly trust the government, Wall Street, banks, underwriters, CEOs, and the list goes on way too far to try to list all.
In a speech in Kansas on Friday, President George Bush acknowledged that the US economy was going through a rough patch and urged lawmakers in Washington to pass an economic stimulus package.
Wouldn't it have been kinder to the public to have warned people a long time ago not to believe the lies coming out of Washington. As Groucho Marx said it so well, :
“I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it.”
"The truth about lying is that people do it so long as it works. Often what appears a tolerance for lies stems from not learning to reliably detect and deal with them. It's a science - one too many of us don't adequately study." writes Kathleen Reardon, a blogger.
John Ridley wrote: "Rush Limbaugh grandly announced on his radio program that he might not support the Republican presidential nominee in this coming election cycle, as none pass his conservative litmus test. " You may choose to read the whole article or not, but this is the last paragraph: "There is, then, a reason why Limbaugh announced so grandly that he would not endorse any candidate. Not, I suspect, because there truly wasn't a candidate he could back. Rather because even if he did, probably no one would care."
In a speech in Kansas on Friday, President George Bush acknowledged that the US economy was going through a rough patch and urged lawmakers in Washington to pass an economic stimulus package.
Wouldn't it have been kinder to the public to have warned people a long time ago not to believe the lies coming out of Washington. As Groucho Marx said it so well, :
“Who are you going to believe, me or your own eyes?”
“I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it.”
"The truth about lying is that people do it so long as it works. Often what appears a tolerance for lies stems from not learning to reliably detect and deal with them. It's a science - one too many of us don't adequately study." writes Kathleen Reardon, a blogger.
John Ridley wrote: "Rush Limbaugh grandly announced on his radio program that he might not support the Republican presidential nominee in this coming election cycle, as none pass his conservative litmus test. " You may choose to read the whole article or not, but this is the last paragraph: "There is, then, a reason why Limbaugh announced so grandly that he would not endorse any candidate. Not, I suspect, because there truly wasn't a candidate he could back. Rather because even if he did, probably no one would care."
Thursday, January 31, 2008
MALE/BLACK/WHITE/FEMALE
I am amused by the hubrus shown by some of Obama's followers. They says the Clintons are making it a racial issue. His 'people' say Hillary is playing the race card. Why don't they suggest Obama stop making speeches in public and videos that certainly make him look black if he isn't; or doethey think only the white half should be addressed? My long ago deceased mother used to hold her finger up in front of her face when something was obvious and we were hiding it. She would say, "You can't see me. I am hiding behind my finger."
Why should race or color be an issue at all. It is because we clearly are not a country with similar values at all. Men don't trust a woman to be in charge, it runs against generations of their grain and machismo. Some whites still believe they are superior to blacks even though the black candidate may be so far superior to them in all major criteria.. Obama says we should not choose someone who will pit the Republicans against the Democrats but one who will unite them. At the moment the red and blue states are oil and water. The last eight years has solidified the schism. This country is severely divided as I have not seen it so before. People no longer trust authority. Why should race or color be an issue at all. It is because we clearly are not a country with similar values at all.
If ANYONE votes Democratic, they will be voting for change. We will all self-destruct if we don't vote for someone who will bring change. What is it that says Hillary won't bring change. What makes Obama think that saying he is a uniter is any more real than when George W said it. Unless my memory has distorted the past, he was going to bring morality and integrity to the White House. Hasn't anyone not learned that campaign speeches by charismatic people mean nothing? Look at people's records, not their words. An old Greek proverb says, "Do not listen to an old man's flatulence, listen to his words." Are the people listening capable of making that distinction?
Why should race or color be an issue at all. It is because we clearly are not a country with similar values at all. Men don't trust a woman to be in charge, it runs against generations of their grain and machismo. Some whites still believe they are superior to blacks even though the black candidate may be so far superior to them in all major criteria.. Obama says we should not choose someone who will pit the Republicans against the Democrats but one who will unite them. At the moment the red and blue states are oil and water. The last eight years has solidified the schism. This country is severely divided as I have not seen it so before. People no longer trust authority. Why should race or color be an issue at all. It is because we clearly are not a country with similar values at all.
If ANYONE votes Democratic, they will be voting for change. We will all self-destruct if we don't vote for someone who will bring change. What is it that says Hillary won't bring change. What makes Obama think that saying he is a uniter is any more real than when George W said it. Unless my memory has distorted the past, he was going to bring morality and integrity to the White House. Hasn't anyone not learned that campaign speeches by charismatic people mean nothing? Look at people's records, not their words. An old Greek proverb says, "Do not listen to an old man's flatulence, listen to his words." Are the people listening capable of making that distinction?
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
DEEP STIMULATION BOOSTS MEMORY
The BBC story below seems further evidence that humans need some sort of cable to a USB port or similar charging station to recharge their brain's electrical system. It seems logical to me that if tangles form in the brain, the electrical connections are weakened and memories are lost. It makes we wonder if this research suggests that we may some day haul around not only an oxygen maker but a deep brain electrical stimulator.
The dialogue might go like this:
Harry: "I need this oxygen talk to breathe."
Sam: "Why do you need oxygen?"
Harry: "I've forgotten . Wait a minute while I jolt myself with my brain stimulator."
ZAP!
Harry: "'I remember now. I smoked unfiltered camels too long."
The dialogue might go like this:
Harry: "I need this oxygen talk to breathe."
Sam: "Why do you need oxygen?"
Harry: "I've forgotten . Wait a minute while I jolt myself with my brain stimulator."
ZAP!
Harry: "'I remember now. I smoked unfiltered camels too long."
Deep stimulation 'boosts memory'
Electrical stimulation of areas deep within the brain could improve memory, early research suggests. A team of doctors in Canada stumbled upon the finding while attempting to treat a morbidly obese man through deep brain stimulation (DBS).
The electrical stimulation caused the patient to experience vivid memories.
The findings, reported in the Annals of Neurology, potentially pave the way for electrical stimulation to treat disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.
| | We hope it might provide benefit to patients with memory disorders Andres Lozano Toronto Western Hospital |
Lead researcher Professor Andres Lozano, of the Toronto Western Hospital, said: "This is a single case that was totally unexpected.
"We knew immediately this was important. We are sufficiently intrigued to see if this could help people with memory disorders."
The team had been trying to help a 50-year-old obese man with type 2 diabetes and sleeping disorders who had failed to respond to diet, medications and psychological help.
He had refused gastric surgery, and doctors decided deep brain stimulation, although experimental, was his best option.
| | DEEP BRAIN STIMULATION Electrodes are implanted in the brain under local anaesthesia, with the patient awake so their responses can be monitored The electrodes are stimulated by a "pacemaker" stitched into the chest It has been used for more than a decade to treat tremor, and more recently to treat Parkinson's disease, chronic pain and depression Side effects can include apathy, hallucinations, depression, and even compulsive gambling - but often they are temporary |
It has been found to have an impact on appetite in animal tests, but has not been widely tested as a treatment for obesity in humans.
However, it has been used to treat Parkinson's disease, chronic pain, severe cluster headaches and even depression with some success.
The technique involves implanting electrodes into the brain: in this case into an area in the limbic system called the hypothalamus, which is thought to control the appetite.
When the electrodes were stimulated by electrical impulses the patient began to experience feelings of deja vu.
He then had a sudden perception of being in a park with friends.
He felt younger, thought he was around 20-years-old, and his girlfriend of the time was there. He was an observer, and saw the scene in colour.
As the intensity of the stimulation increased, details in the scene became more vivid.
Memory tests
Following surgery, the patient recovered for two months. But later when the electrodes were stimulated for a second time, he experienced a similar effect.
After three weeks of constant electrical stimulation the patient performed better in memory tests than he had previously done.
A year later he again performed well in memory tests when the electrodes were stimulated, but less well when they were switched off.
The results suggest it might be possible to use deep brain stimulation directly to boost memory.
"We hopefully have found a circuit in the brain which can be modulated by stimulation, and which might provide benefit to patients with memory disorders," said Professor Lozano.
Professor Lozano is now leading a pilot study into whether deep brain stimulation can help people with early Alzheimer's disease. They are initially testing six patients.
Susanne Sorensen, of the Alzheimer's Society, said: "As it is difficult to experiment on the living human brain, big leaps in understanding have occasionally been made from unexpected results when treating something unrelated or observations from rare genetic diseases and unusual lesions.
"The observations of memories recovery made during this attempt to treat extreme obesity, could be just such a 'stroke of luck'."
Rebecca Wood, Chief Executive of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, welcomed the move but said further work was clearly needed.
She said: "It will be interesting to see whether this method offers any benefit to people with Alzheimer's.
"With the number of people with Alzheimer's forecast to double within a generation, we urgently need to find ways to tackle this awful disease, but research is hugely under-funded."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/7213972.stm
Published: 2008/01/30 07:13:17 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
EQUAL AND FAIR ARE NOT THE SAME
For years I have watched parents who believe that it is only fair to buy and give equally to each child. I offer that it is not a good way to set up expectations in children. What makes gifts equal? Must they all be the same though the children's ages and interests are different? Must the same amount of money be spent on each to make them equal? We all know that sometimes children get more pleasure from something that has far less monetary value than something a sibling may have chosen. Sometimes the needs are NOT equal.
A toy for an older child may be more expensive because it is more complicated. Love is not proven by equal spending. One's children can never be 'equal', even if they are identical twins. They are not clones. While a parent may feel equally responsible for and to each child, that parent cannot guarantee forever having the same positive or negative feelings for each child.
In competitive sports, play is not equal. Fair is determined by a single set of rules which all players are expected to follow. Someone has written about Planet Equal and Planet Fair. It is said quite nicely so that even children can understand the difference in the concept. Now if parents can learn the difference, kids may grow up with more reasonable life expectations. The concept is even in family businesses where expectations for equal compensation exist where there is not equal work and input.
A toy for an older child may be more expensive because it is more complicated. Love is not proven by equal spending. One's children can never be 'equal', even if they are identical twins. They are not clones. While a parent may feel equally responsible for and to each child, that parent cannot guarantee forever having the same positive or negative feelings for each child.
In competitive sports, play is not equal. Fair is determined by a single set of rules which all players are expected to follow. Someone has written about Planet Equal and Planet Fair. It is said quite nicely so that even children can understand the difference in the concept. Now if parents can learn the difference, kids may grow up with more reasonable life expectations. The concept is even in family businesses where expectations for equal compensation exist where there is not equal work and input.
Monday, January 28, 2008
THE STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS
Bush sounded more like a Democrat campaigning for office than the lame duck president who tells everyone what should be done but had 7 years so far to do some of it and has done none of the things he is proposing that matter to the average American. The 'a-k' Republicans applauded like the sheep they have been. Cheney sat back looking totally bored and applauded when others did. Sam Bodman, whoever he is, looked as though he had an acute case of indigestion.
Bush rattled off all the things that should be done, few of which he achieved. Congress never followed through with funding on Scientific Research last year so he is asking them to do it this year. How could they fund anything? All the money was going to fund the Iraq war and pork. He sees potential in research, now 7 years after he slowed down American research, that won't destroy human life.
He calls for people to understand that the constitution should be followed. At this point I began to feel nauseated and restrained my hand from shutting him out of sight. He asks for the country to extend charitable choice to Faith based charitable funding. People, tired of sitting, as usual at these talks, got up to clap every time they had the urge to stretch. Nancy Pelosi looked like a Jane Austen heroine, not a bit of emotion showing on her face at any time as he spoke.
If he had only done some of the things he told us we should do, he might go down in history in a more favorable light. He talked of delivering justice to our enemies. He never bothered to define who they were, before he wiped out most of our resources, especially our military and financial ones. We're spreading the hope of freedom, says he. Oh really, where are we doing that? Certainly not in the USA or any country with which we have interaction.
Amusingly, with the sound off, it looked like an audience after a Symphony. The applause starts, people look around, one person stand up clapping, then most of the rest follow suit, embarrassed to be caught sitting down when everyone else is standing. It would be like not kneeling in a Catholic church when everyone else is, or not making the sign of the cross in an Orthodox church. The camera was pretty good about not showing the side that was not clapping but sometimes, as it panned, it could be seen.
There, standing in a white suit that stood out like a spotlight, was Condoleeza Rice in front of the podium. "W' gave the troops his solemn promise that they would get everything they need to protect us. I wonder where he thinks it will come from? he never mentioned any of that. He did mention it is in the vital interest of the US that we succeed...of course, success is never defined.
He promises WE will not rest until this enemy is defeated. I didn't want to break into his reverie and hope that someone will tell him he will not be in the White House to do any of all his sweet talking.
As though he was breaking news (instead of wind) he announced that the time has come for a Democratic Israel to live in peace next to a Democratic Palestine. Again, the audience looked like the 'wave' at a baseball game as they undulated slowly out of their chairs. Naturally there was no information on how this would come to pass. Once again, very clearly, half the house sat while the other half roared when he demanded that Congress now do everything they failed to do in the past. He mentioned lots of responsibilities to military families and the wounded (on which he defaulted), though that part was not mentioned. He demanded the Congress to extend the bill to allow wire tapping and grant immunity to the companies that are doing it. He is great with 'honoring' publicly but disappointing when it comes to following through on implied promises.
Keith Olbermann called it "'The Best of' album of Unfinished Symphonies." That description was most affirming and well put. Chris Matthews pointed out that he never made a call for the American people to do anything, and has not done so in any of his speeches. It sounded more like New Year's resolutions that were never achieved, said he.
In all, it was 53 more minutes of our lives wasted, listening to a man who has spent no time in his listening to the people .
Bush rattled off all the things that should be done, few of which he achieved. Congress never followed through with funding on Scientific Research last year so he is asking them to do it this year. How could they fund anything? All the money was going to fund the Iraq war and pork. He sees potential in research, now 7 years after he slowed down American research, that won't destroy human life.
He calls for people to understand that the constitution should be followed. At this point I began to feel nauseated and restrained my hand from shutting him out of sight. He asks for the country to extend charitable choice to Faith based charitable funding. People, tired of sitting, as usual at these talks, got up to clap every time they had the urge to stretch. Nancy Pelosi looked like a Jane Austen heroine, not a bit of emotion showing on her face at any time as he spoke.
If he had only done some of the things he told us we should do, he might go down in history in a more favorable light. He talked of delivering justice to our enemies. He never bothered to define who they were, before he wiped out most of our resources, especially our military and financial ones. We're spreading the hope of freedom, says he. Oh really, where are we doing that? Certainly not in the USA or any country with which we have interaction.
Amusingly, with the sound off, it looked like an audience after a Symphony. The applause starts, people look around, one person stand up clapping, then most of the rest follow suit, embarrassed to be caught sitting down when everyone else is standing. It would be like not kneeling in a Catholic church when everyone else is, or not making the sign of the cross in an Orthodox church. The camera was pretty good about not showing the side that was not clapping but sometimes, as it panned, it could be seen.
There, standing in a white suit that stood out like a spotlight, was Condoleeza Rice in front of the podium. "W' gave the troops his solemn promise that they would get everything they need to protect us. I wonder where he thinks it will come from? he never mentioned any of that. He did mention it is in the vital interest of the US that we succeed...of course, success is never defined.
He promises WE will not rest until this enemy is defeated. I didn't want to break into his reverie and hope that someone will tell him he will not be in the White House to do any of all his sweet talking.
As though he was breaking news (instead of wind) he announced that the time has come for a Democratic Israel to live in peace next to a Democratic Palestine. Again, the audience looked like the 'wave' at a baseball game as they undulated slowly out of their chairs. Naturally there was no information on how this would come to pass. Once again, very clearly, half the house sat while the other half roared when he demanded that Congress now do everything they failed to do in the past. He mentioned lots of responsibilities to military families and the wounded (on which he defaulted), though that part was not mentioned. He demanded the Congress to extend the bill to allow wire tapping and grant immunity to the companies that are doing it. He is great with 'honoring' publicly but disappointing when it comes to following through on implied promises.
Keith Olbermann called it "'The Best of' album of Unfinished Symphonies." That description was most affirming and well put. Chris Matthews pointed out that he never made a call for the American people to do anything, and has not done so in any of his speeches. It sounded more like New Year's resolutions that were never achieved, said he.
In all, it was 53 more minutes of our lives wasted, listening to a man who has spent no time in his listening to the people .
Sunday, January 27, 2008
OUR ECONOMY TODAY IN THE USA
For those intrepid readers who want knowledge, not sound bites and cute sayings, here is something from Aviation Week and Space Technology.
Please do not forget the words of Osama bin Laden early in the Iraq war who said he would break the economy of the USA. He seems well on the road to success, doesn't he?
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