My Favorite Excerpts

2010-08-15T05:17:00.001-07:00

2010-07-25T03:45:00.000-07:00

Men are from Mars Women are from Venus or whatever the fuck it is called - probably the dumbest pop-psy book ever. ( I use the adverb "probably" here because this is the first time I'm reading a pop-psy book).

I bet the guy who wrote the book didn't take one psy course before writing this dumb ass cheeburgerized (american) crap.

I should have known when a blockhead slut from south beach told me that this book helped her save her relationship.

Let me randomly open this book and write whatever sentence that draws my attention.

Here's one

"Remember you don't fully have to understand her point of view to succeed in being a good listener" - page 154

another

page 89
" It is very difficult for a man to differentiate between empathy and sympathy. He hates to be pitied."

What kind of dumb fucking hotdogged bullcrap is this! There is a huge difference between overgeneralization and just talking out of one's ass. Unfortunately, here these sentences fall into the latter category.

One more. 196

"Compliment her on how she looks"

I feel like I'm reading a man's magazine with a lot of fancy ads for deodorants.

It's very unfortunate that there are people out there who are actually taking their time to read this pile of crap when they can sit down and read books like "the art of loving" by Erik Fromm and actually learn something and improve their relationship(s).

Dumb asses. I hate people.

SI TU NO VUELVES- MIGUEL BOSE CON SHAKIRA

2010-07-25T00:42:00.000-07:00

poop story/analysis

2010-07-24T19:32:00.001-07:00

My school crew, my kids and I were on our way home from the camping site yesterday. we used the bus to get back home as the principal of the school could not afford a private jet or a nice limousine which I deserve and was expecting. Anywho, we got on the bus and I was forced by my dear student to sit somewhere in the middle of the bus. The story does not end there. About half way into the destination, I started hearing words like "poop", "crap", "diarrhea" flowing in the air from the back. As a big fan of poop I am, I started paying attention to the stories kids were sharing with one another.

J: So what! one day, I came home and I saw my sister eating her poop!
E: That's nothing. My brother once made a steak out of poop! and he gave it to my mom and my mom ate it!
Everyone : EWWWWWW
J: no, that's nothing. I once saw my sister playing with poop!
E: And so what? I once peed and pooped in my pants!
J: Well, Me too!
Everyone : Me too, me too!

This conversation I overhead made me raise several questions.
1. Was this story telling a competition?
2. If this was a competition, was it a competition over who can tell the dirtiest story?
3. If this was a competition over who can tell the dirtiest story regarding feces, why did they select this particular subject matter? Because it's provocative?
4. If this was a competition, were they aware of the fact that it was?
5. Why did they constantly mention their family members, or themselves as the protagonists in their poop stories? To earn more credibility? to make the story seem more realistic? their passive aggresion towards certain family members (remind you that when sharing the story, none of the kids mentioned their father)
6. Did telling this story somehow raise their self-esteem?

Another interesting fact about this storyteling was that the kids who were the most aggressive when sharing this story were the students who I found most shy and reserved in class and in basic social settings. Are these two factors somehow correlated?

Why did these particular kids take such a long time/put so much effort in sharing these ridiculous stories? is it somehow related to their lack of self-esteem and unacceptance they feel in the world and in their family situation?

And what about older kids/adults? they may not create some unrealistic poop stories but they may spread false rumours and gossip in an unrealistic manner. They may even compete over who can spread the most provocative rumour. Can this behavior somehow be related to the poop story I overheard from my students?

I wonder.

Who I am and where I stand

2010-07-12T10:05:00.000-07:00

When insulted, I like to feign disinterest to avoid hurting the offender's feelings. And to generally show that I can handle it. To avoid reacting sentimentally and change what I can.

HEre the word "can" is important. Because there is so much "conscious willingness" to this "can", It's not about you forcing me or in other words, me letting you shit over me while I'm licking the floor, it's about compromising my needs and yours. But still, you see. I can speak on this rational shit all night long. But I feel very dirty when you insult me. And I do not like feeling dirty. And this is precisely why you will end up with a broken face if you insult me again.

principles of human knowledge

2010-07-10T10:45:00.001-07:00

O.K. There's something seriously wrong with my computer and I cannot create a new blog.

What I wanted to write tonight is this:

Let's think of a triangle.

What's the possibility of the triangle that I've created in my head is the same one as the one that you have created in your head ?

God, it's so fucking hot in this joint. I will go sleep now.

2010-07-10T09:34:00.000-07:00

I'm getting too many Chinese spammers on this website, and I'm tired of it. (well, actually I don't really care since I never check comments) anyhow, I will start a new blog and I may delete this one when I'm happy with the other. Peace.

What Big Eyes You Have, Dear, but Are Those Contacts Risky?

2010-07-06T09:36:00.000-07:00

This is what cartoons do to Asian kids

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/04/fashion/04lenses.html?_r=1&ref=fashion

What Big Eyes You Have, Dear, but Are Those Contacts Risky?
By CATHERINE SAINT LOUIS
Published: July 3, 2010
Young women have been copying Lady Gaga’s wider-than-life eyes, but the contact lenses are contraband, and doctors are concerned.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100630132836.htm

2010-07-01T20:43:00.000-07:00

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100630132836.htm

How would you like to stay awake while I'm opening up your head :)

2010-06-20T07:56:00.000-07:00

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100618171250.htm

Why am I a non-believer (well I believe in my baby and that's a conscious choice)

2010-06-19T03:02:00.000-07:00

No one has a clue, only speculation

Sleight Of Hand And Sense Of Self: Illusion Isn't Always Just In The Mind

2010-06-16T18:45:00.000-07:00

Sleight Of Hand And Sense Of Self: Illusion Isn't Always Just In The Mind

So these rubberhand things.. do they come in all colors or what? hahahaha

Can't stand

2010-06-09T17:01:00.000-07:00

I cannot stand people who say,

"90´s rap is by far the best...Wu Tang, House Of Pain, Cypress, 2Pac, Delinquent Habits, Geto Boys...Those times when everything was simple and pure will never come back...it´s so sad."

Shut the fuck up. Just shut the fuck up. Those punks(Wu tang, house of pain, 2 pac, etc) were just as loud-mouth, commercial as 50cent, and his G-unit are today. It's interesting the psychology of these people who hold such an exaggerated view of things that happened in the past. Oh dreams.. dreams!

Life was not easier YESTERDAY, the only reason it seems to be easier and more beautiful is because it's already been determined. And there's nothing you can do to change it. Hence, no responsibility for you. (although the increased sense of helplessness, which you can alter by beautifying your past.. dream on!) Your unsatisfying presence does not equal your more beautiful past. An unhappy man can never find a comfortable seat and you would have complained the same if tupac was screaming "hit em up" on TV right now.

Beliefs that increase tension and alternatives

2010-06-06T19:46:00.000-07:00

Beliefs that increase tension

A) If I don't get to sleep, I will feel wrecked tomorrow.
B) It's unhealthy for me not to get more sleep
C) I will wreck my sleeping schedule for the whole week if I don't get to sleep very soon.
D) if I don't get enough sleep, I won't be able to concentrate on that big test/conference tomorrow.

Alternatives

A) Not necessarily. If I'm tired, I can go to bed early tomorrow night.
B) Not necessarily. Some people do very well on only a few hours of sleep.
C) Not at all. If I'm tired, I will just go to bed a bit earlier. I will get up about the same time with no problem.
D) Possibly, but my fears may be exaggerated I may just as well relax or get up and do something enjoyable for a while.

I dedicate this piece to mon amour who often has trouble sleeping.

Freedom’s Just Another Word For Less Sexually Active Teens

2010-06-06T17:58:00.000-07:00

Freedom’s Just Another Word For Less Sexually Active Teens

When kids stop identifying themselves with the parents.

The Iimbic system

2010-06-03T07:22:00.001-07:00

So I gotta write an essay on this bullshit system (it was my choice) fucking boredom
F

unction:

Controls Emotions

Emotional Responses

Hormonal Secretions

Mood

Motivation

Pain and Pleasure Sensations
Structures:

Amygdala

Cingulate Gyrus

Fornix

Hippocampus

Hypothalamus

Olfactory Cortex

Thalamus

Cojones

2010-06-03T06:54:00.001-07:00

Craving for coffee and cigs.

Unique childhood experience, Religion - M.Scott Peck, M.D.

2010-06-01T21:04:00.000-07:00

Frequently (but not always) the essence of a patient's childhood and hence the essence of his or her world view is captured in the "earliest memory." Consequently I will often ask patients. "Tell me the very first thing that you can remember" They may protest hat they cannot do this, that they have a number of early memories. But when I force them to make a choice of one, the response will vary in favor from in her arms to show me a beautiful sunset" to "I remember sitting on the floor of the kitchen. I had wet my pants and my mother was standing over me waving a big spoon in the air and screaming at me." It is probable that these first memories, like the phenomenon of screen memories, which they so often are, are remembered precisely because they accurately symbolize the nature of a person's early childhood. It is not surprising, then, that the flavor of these earliest memories is so frequently the same as that of a patient's deepes feelings about the nature of existence.

The Road Less Travelled - M, Scott Peck, M.D.

To make life alive - M.Scott Peck, M.D.

2010-05-29T19:54:00.000-07:00

"If you move out to another human being, there is always the risk that that person will move away from you leaving you more painfully alone than you were before. Love anything that lives - a person, a pet, a plant - and it will die. Trust anybody and you may be hurt: depend on anyone and that one may lt you down. The price of cathexix is pain. If someone is determined not to risk pain then such a person must do without many things: having children, getting married, the ecstasy of sex, the hope of ambition, friendship - all that makes life alive, meaningful and significant."

- The road less travelled, M. Scott Peck, M.D.

BODY FARM

2010-05-25T08:31:00.000-07:00

Newborn infants learn while asleep

2010-05-18T18:35:00.000-07:00

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100517172254.htm

Immaturity of the Brain may cause Schizophrenia

2010-05-16T09:42:00.000-07:00

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080910133341.htm

Tibetans developed genes to help them adapt to life at high elevations

2010-05-15T21:36:00.000-07:00

Tibetans developed genes to help them adapt to life at high elevations

We are NOT the same series..

Savage VS Civilized - Bertrand Russell

2010-05-15T17:52:00.000-07:00

The civilized man is distinguished from the savage mainly by prudence, or, to use a slightly wider term, forethought. He is willing to endure present pains for the sake of future pleasures, even if the future pleasures are rather distant. This habit began to be important with the rise of agriculture;

no animal and no savage would work in the spring in order to have food next winter, except for a few purely instinctive forms of action, such as bees making honey or squirrels burying nuts. In these cases, there is no forethought; there is a direct impulse to an act which, to the human spectator, is obviously going to prove useful later on. True forethought only arises when a man does something towards which no impulse urges him, because his reason tells him that he will profit by it at some future date. Hunting requires no forethought, because it is pleasurable; but
tilling the soil is labour, and cannot be done from spontaneous impulse.

*How does he know if bees and squirrels do not merely carry on instinctive forms of action, what if they do understand the concept of forethought

Thracian god, Bacchus - Bertrand Russell

2010-05-15T17:28:00.000-07:00

Dionysus, or Bacchus, was originally a Thracian god. The Thracians were very much less civilized than the Greeks, who regarded them as barbarians. Like all primitive agriculturists, they had fertility cults, and a god who promoted fertility. His name was Bacchus. It was never quite clear whether Bacchus had the shape of a man or of a bull. When they discovered how to make beer, they thought intoxication divine, and gave honor to Bacchus. When, later, they came to know the vine and to learn to drink wine, they thought even better of him. His functions in promoting fertility in general became somewhat subordinate to his functions in relation to the grape and the divine madness produced by wine.

the GREEK/Natural law - Bertrand Russell

2010-05-15T08:39:00.000-07:00

It must be admitted that religion, in Homer, is not very religious. The gods are completely human, differing from men only in being immortal and possessed of superhuman powers.

Morally, there is nothing to be said for them, and it is difficult to see how they can have inspired much awe. In some passages, supposed to be late, they are treated with Voltairean irreverence. Such genuine religious feeling as is to be found in Homer is less concerned with the gods of Olympus than with more shadowy beings such as Fate or Necessity or Destiny, to whom even Zeus is subject. Fate exercised a great influence on all Greek thought, and perhaps was one of the sources from which science derived the belief in natural law.

The Homeric gods were the gods of a conquering aristocracy, not the useful fertility gods of those who actually tilled the soil.

Affection

2010-05-12T02:54:00.001-07:00

People at work keep telling me that I don't love my kids enough. OK, they didn't say that but what they did say is that I don't show my kids enough affection.

The real question is this, do I truly not show the kids enough affection or do I not show the faculty members enough affection?

It's something for THEM to think about..

#61: Child Abuse Leaves Its Mark on Victim’s DNA

2010-05-09T03:04:00.001-07:00

#61: Child Abuse Leaves Its Mark on Victim’s DNA

Posted using ShareThis

Marisol

2010-05-08T23:09:00.000-07:00

Today I got a chance to talk to this Brazilian woman named "Marisol" on a language exchange website. When asked about her name, she said "Marisol" means Maria de Soledade - Mary of Loneliness.. Isn't that beautiful.

Color blind

2010-05-08T17:36:00.001-07:00

Perception of color

THE MOST RETARDED PIECE I'VE EVER COME ACROSS

2010-05-08T15:03:00.000-07:00

When surveyed, most people say they get tattoos or unconventional piercings to
express individuality. But could something more psychologically primal be afoot?

ARTICLE WRITTEN BY ADAM HADHAZY (I DON'T WANT TO BE AN ASS, BUT WHAT AN IRONIC NAME.. MR. HAZY HEAD)

Researchers at the University of Wroclaw in Poland measured about 200 men and
women—half of them inked or pierced in places other than their earlobes—for body
symmetry, or how similar their right and left sides are. (More similarity indicates
genetic health and is associated with sexual attractiveness.)
Among the research subjects, men with bodily decorations exhibited greater
symmetry than those without, whereas no differences emerged in women. Because
people who are less symmetric did not opt more often for tattoos and piercings,
researchers rejected one widely held hypothesis that suggested people use physical
graffiti to hide or distract from imperfections in their appearance. (WHAT ABOUT THIS FOR A HYPOTHESIS, THESE "SYMMETRIC" MEN ACTUALLY CONSIDER THEMSELVES UNATTRACTIVE AND SUFFER FROM LOW-SELF ESTEEM? OR THAT THEY WANT TO DECORATE THEIR BODY MERELY FOR THE AESTHETIC REASON. HOW FUCKING STUPID OF THESE SO CALLED "RESEARCHERS" TO GENERALIZE HUMAN BEINGS BASED ON THE APPEARANCE COMPLETELY DISREGARDING INDIVIDUAL COMPLEXITIES AND PERSONAL MOTIVATIONS FOR THE ACTIVITIES THEY CHOOSE TO DO. AND EVEN IF IT WAS RELATED TO BIOLOGICAL IMPULSE(WHICH I'M SURE IS NOT), HUMANS ARE NOT UNCONSCIOUS ANIMALS, WE MAKE CONSCIOUS DECISIONS IN THINGS WE DO THE MAJORITY OF TIME. FOR INSTANCE, YOU DON'T GO AND TAKE A SHIT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD JUST BECUASE YOU GOTTA GO. HENCE, THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE VIEW THAT THESE SYMMETRIC MEN DECIDED TO GET TATTOOS BECAUSE OF THE BIOLOGICAL IMPULSE)

The results jibe with a different theory—getting stuck with needles can endanger
one’s health via infections, so the study supports the evolutionary “handicap” theory
that only those with high biological quality can afford such risky behavior. OH I SEE SO NEXT TIME YOU SEE SOMEONE DEMONSTRATING A RISKY BEHAVIOR SUCH AS.. STICKING A NEEDLE FULL OF HEROINE INTO HIS/HER VEINS, PLEASE PRAISE THIS PERSON AND SAY "YOU ARE THE ONE WITH HIGH BIOLOGICAL QUALITY, THAT'S WHY YOU CAN AFFORD SUCH RISKY BEHAVIOR. GOOD FOR YOU!" NEXT TIME YOU SEE A BIPOLAR/SUICIDAL PATIENT CUTTING HIM/HERSELF, PLEASE SAY "YOU ARE THE ONE WITH HIGH BIOLOGICAL QUALITY, THAT'S WHY YOU CAN AFFORD SUCH RISKY BEHAVIOR. GOOD FOR YOU!"

The impulse to get inked may be a risk-taking behavior inherited from ancestors who were strong enough to endure injuries and survive—as opposed to those whose ancestors
survived by avoiding risk and injury. Therefore, at least in men, body art could serve as an “honest” signal of fitness in the Darwinian sense. So maybe that’s why
pierced, tattooed rock stars do so well with the ladies.(OF COURSE, AGAIN WITH THE RISKY BEHAVIOR/HANDICAP THEORY NONSENSE AND COMPLETELY IGNORING THE SOCIAL/CULTURAL CONTEXT.. GOD, THIS PIECE MAKES ME SICK. SO LET'S TAKE A BREAK AND PLAY MAD LIBS.

FOLLOWING IS MY FAVORITE PART OF THIS ARTICLE:

*The impulse to ( ) may be a risk-taking behavior inherited from ancestors who were strong enough to endure injuries and survive—as opposed to those whose ancestors survived by avoiding risk and injury. Therefore, at least in men, body art could serve as an “honest” signal of fitness in the Darwinian sense. So maybe that’s why pierced, tattooed rock stars do so well with the ladies.

1. The impulse to (BE PROMISCUOUS) may be a risk-taking behavior inherited from ancestors who were strong enough to endure injuries and survive—as opposed to those whose ancestors survived by avoiding risk and injury. Therefore, at least in men, body art could serve as an “honest” signal of fitness in the Darwinian sense. So maybe that’s why pierced, tattooed rock stars do so well with the ladies.

2. The impulse to (BE SUICIDAL AND CUT ONESELF ) may be a risk-taking behavior inherited from ancestors who were strong enough to endure injuries and survive—as opposed to those whose ancestors
survived by avoiding risk and injury. Therefore, at least in men, body art could serve as an “honest” signal of fitness in the Darwinian sense. So maybe that’s why
pierced, tattooed rock stars do so well with the ladies.

3. The impulse to (SHOOT HEROINE) may be a risk-taking behavior inherited from ancestors who were strong enough to endure injuries and survive—as opposed to those whose ancestors survived by avoiding risk and injury. Therefore, at least in men, body art could serve as an “honest” signal of fitness in the Darwinian sense. So maybe that’s why pierced, tattooed rock stars do so well with the ladies

4. The impulse to (DRUNK DRIVE) may be a risk-taking behavior inherited from ancestors who were strong enough to endure injuries and survive—as opposed to those whose ancestors survived by avoiding risk and injury. Therefore, at least in men, body art could serve as an “honest” signal of fitness in the Darwinian sense. So maybe that’s why pierced, tattooed rock stars do so well with the ladies

OK, FOLLOWING IS THE HISTORY OF TATTOOS I CAME ACROSS ON THE INTERNET, READ AND LEARN.

"Chronological History of Tattoos - http://tattoos.iloveindia.com/tattoo-history/index.html
The art of tattoo has emerged along with the development the development of Human race. There is no specific time or place to be pointed out with evidence that it was where the tattoos came in being. One of the oldest tattoos was found to be engraved on the back of a man who was buried on the slopes of the Alps. The researches later suggested that his body was buried there 5 thousands years ago. It is from where you can understand that people long back in time were also fascinated by this art.

Many Egyptian Mummies found in the pyramids of Egypt also have tattoos engraved near their waists. It is said that these are basically the mummies of women longing for a child and the tattoos are the symbol of their goddess of fertility. There have been several reports that suggest that in past at some places tattooing was done for medicinal purposes. It is also said that the pigments used in tattooing had some curative or healing effect. The term 'tattoo' is derived from the Polynesian word 'ta' which means to strike something.

If traced chronologically, the history of tattoos can be traced back to both the era primitive and historic culture even before the birth of Christ. At these times this was an art exclusively reserved for either royal lineage or religious figures in the community. This art was also popular amongst Christians before the church edict forbade them on the pretext of some quotes in Bible. Tattoos have since then persisted in various parts of the world of various reasons. At some places it has been the symbol of power and courage and at other disgrace of exile and crime."

I HATE POP "SCIENCE".

Bipolar disorder - Clock function (AmericanScientificMind)

2010-05-08T14:54:00.000-07:00

The Clock Is Off

Bipolar disorder may be linked to mutations affecting circadian rhythm.

An off-kilter body clock can throw off our sleep-wake cycle, eating habits, body temperature and hormones—and mounting evidence suggests a malfunctioning clock may also underlie the mood cycles in bipolar disorder. In a new study led by psychiatrist Alexander Niculescuof Indiana University, researchers found that children with bipolar disorder were likely to have a mutated RORB gene, which codes for a protein crucial to circadian clock function.

The team’s previous work identified alterations to this gene and other clock genes in animal models of the disorder. In the new study, the scientists compared the genomes of 152 bipolar kids with those of 140 typical kids. (Children were
studied because their moods cycle more rapidly than the moods of bipolar adults, and a quicker cycle suggests a stronger connection to the circadian clock.) The team found that the bipolar children were more likely to have one of four alterations to RORB, and the investigators suspect the mutations prevent the body from producing the correct amount of the protein to support normal clock function.

Previous studies had shown that strictly regulating a bipolar patient’s sleep schedule could improve extreme mood cycles, but experts weren’t sure why—until animal studies started showing a connection to circadian clock genes.
“Every time we investigate some [abnormality] of molecular machinery linked to the clock genes, we find an association with bipolar disorder,” says Francesco Benedetti, a neuroscientist at the San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan, Italy, who was not involved in the Indiana research.

The ultimate goal, he adds, is to pinpoint the precise mechanism that links clock function with mood swings, in the hope of designing new drugs and treatments that will restore the clock to working order. —Monica Heger

Time to become an artist..

2010-05-07T17:41:00.000-07:00

How do you know if you have high dopamine levels?

1. You have an excessively demanding sex drive.

2. You are an information and news junky.

3. You feel trapped when you do not have something risky and exciting to do. You may engage in dangerous risk taking.

4. You fear being alone and having nothing to do. You cannot tolerate relaxation or calm. Peace and quite bore you.

5. You are prone to violence and aggression. You may deliberately create conflict to get a thrill.

6. You feel a lack intimacy and you do not want to make deep connections with others.

7. You are a junk food junkie.

8. You feel insecure, paranoid and try to control your environment in overt and destructive ways.

9. You are chronically stressed, frustrated, and anxious. You are a workaholic, driven by success, and burned out.

10. You are overly competitive and determined to win at all costs. You are demanding and lack the trust of those around you

Congratulations, you are on your way to becoming schizophrenic.

(SOURCE) http://evenstaronline.com/articles/top10dopamine.html

inbreeding VS outbreeding

2010-05-07T17:23:00.001-07:00

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/mind/articles/emotions/faceperception1.shtml

High Education/Intelligence and Dementia

2010-05-06T18:44:00.000-07:00

High Education or Intelligence
Better educated people are well known to perform better on dementia
screening tests like the Mini-Mental State Examination. However, there is
controversy about whether these people are protected against AD and other
dementing diseases or whether they are simply better at doing cognitive
tests. Several studies have found that better educated people have a lower
incidence of AD or cognitive decline, but this is not a universal finding [95±
97]. One hypothesis is that education does not protect against Alzheimer
brain changes, but rather allows the individual to compensate better for the
effects of these changes [98]. In other words, better educated persons can
tolerate greater loss of brain cells before they begin to show the effects of
dementia in their everyday behaviour. There is some evidence to support
this hypothesis [99]. Because education is correlated with intelligence, it
could be pre-morbid intelligence rather than education that is protective.
For example, one longitudinal study has found that pre-morbid intelligence
is a better predictor of dementia than education [100]. While the evidence on
education and pre-morbid intelligence is generally interpreted in terms of
compensation for brain pathology, a recent study of AD in American nuns
went further to suggest that higher verbal ability in early adulthood actually
protects against AD processes in old age [101]. Verbal ability was assessed
from samples of writing that the nuns had made as young adults. Among
the nuns who died and came to autopsy, all of those with confirmed AD had
low verbal ability, compared to none of those without the disease. Any
protective effects of education or intelligence could be mediated by brain
reserve [102]. Intelligence is known to be correlated with brain size, and
individuals who have a larger brain or head size appear to have reduced
risk of dementia.

Dementia 2nd ed

Dementia 2nd ed - Alzheimer's disease and ethnicities

2010-05-06T18:00:00.000-07:00

The incidence of AD could be different in other countries or
in other ethnic groups. This could be because of different environmental
exposures throughout life, including dietary patterns, or because of different
gene frequencies in the contrasted populations. A meta-analysis of
incidence studies found that East Asian countries had a lower incidence of
dementia, and a lower incidence of AD at younger ages, than countries with
predominantly Caucasian populations. Japanese studies have often
found that vascular dementia is more prominent than AD. However,
Japanese-Americans, who have oriental ancestry but have adopted American
culture, are more like Caucasians in having a preponderance of AD
. Recent studies in Japan indicate that the Japanese may have gradually
moved to the Caucasian pattern of dementia. although Hatada et al
attribute the change largely to different ascertainment practices in recent
years. Overall, the findings suggest that there may be some important
genetic or environmental factors which produce a different pattern of
dementing diseases. Possible factors are the higher intake of salt in the
Japanese diet (predisposing them to high blood pressure and vascular
dementia) and the lower frequency of the ApoE e4 allele in the Japanese
(lowering their risk of AD).
Another interesting study has compared the prevalence and incidence of
dementia in Black Americans and Nigerians [72,73]. Both groups are of West
African ancestry, but they have very different lifestyles. The Nigerians have
been found to have a lower prevalence and incidence of AD and of dementia
generally.
The Cree Indians in Canada have also been found to have a lower prevalence
of AD than White Canadians, but they did not differ in the prevalence
of all dementias because they had more alcoholic dementia [74]. It is important
to note, however, that the Cree study has reported a lower prevalence of
AD, not a lower incidence. The difference in prevalence could be due to a
lower incidence in the Cree or to shorter survival after developing AD.

- dementia 2nd ed

To become a great poet

2010-05-06T03:39:00.000-07:00

If you ever stopped to listen, her fiancé had said, then you would understand.

She stood on a chair and pulled out some small paperbacks from the top shelf. Dante, “The Divine Comedy,” in a new translation. Boccaccio, “The Decameron,” Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales,” complete and unabridged. Dante again, “La Vita Nuova.”

“La Vita Nuova” explained how to become a great poet. The secret was to fall in love with a perfect girl but never speak to her. You should weep instead. You should pretend that you love someone else. You should write sonnets in three parts. Your perfect girl should die.

- La Vita Nuova - Allegra Goodman

Read more: http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/features/2010/05/03/100503fi_fiction_goodman?currentPage=2#ixzz0n91zDmjv

Why women find their parents unpleasant

2010-05-05T18:50:00.001-07:00

Economix: Why Women Find Their Parents Unpleasant
By By CATHERINE RAMPELL
Published: April 23, 2010
Contrary to gender stereotypes of feminine domestic bliss, women are much more likely to report being in an “unpleasant state” when spending time with their parents and children.

Link - http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/23/why-women-find-their-parents-unpleasant/

GAD and ambiguity

2010-05-02T18:57:00.000-07:00

Information Processing and Cognitive
Biases for Emotional Information
According to cognitive theory, anxious
individuals anticipate and interpret
ambiguous events in a negative
way. Compared to their peers, anxious
children interpret events more
negatively, tend to engage in selfblame
more readily, and focus on the
negative rather than positive aspects
of events (Silverman & Ginsburg,
1995).

*Although anxious children and children
with ODD share tendencies to
interpret ambiguous information in a
negative and threatening way, children
with ODD respond with aggression,
while children with Anxiety Disorders
respond with avoidance tactics
(Barrett, Rappee, Dadds, & Ryan,
1996).

la pendeja

2010-05-01T03:54:00.000-07:00

Today I heard from little birdies that one particular person at the kindergarten I work for has been running her loud mouth about me to my agency and the principal.

She is LA PENDEJA (CONHO, asi la voy a llamar) that has constantly complimented me on my "good looks" since the day one.

She is la pendeja that likes to compliment me on my "fashion" sense, and make up skills.

Now it's all clear that this pendeja actually has been jealous of me the whole time. Or perhaps ESA VIEJA has been feeling hurt because I never reciprocated compliments for I did not want to LIE. (haha, ok this one is a joke. I didn't reciprocate because my Korean is not good)

Whatever the fucking reason is, this fucking fishwife been accusing me of being an odd ball, a druggie, a liar, a bad teacher, etc etc. and she has been feeding lies to the principal about me.

I feel hurt, humilliated, mortified, irritated, confused and upset.

I don't deserve this.

Ba'ath party - Wikipedia

2010-04-24T19:56:00.000-07:00

The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party (also spelled Ba'th or Baath which means "resurrection or renaissance"; Arabic: حزب البعث العربي الاشتراكي‎) is a secularist Arab nationalism/Pan-Arabism political party opposed to Western imperialism and calling for the "renaissance" or "resurrection" of the Arab World and its unity in one united state.[1] Its motto — "Unity, Liberty, Socialism" (wahda, hurriya, ishtirakiya) — refers to Arab unity, freedom from non-Arab control and interference, and Arab socialism rather than to European socialism, or communism.

- wikipedia

Take the gun and count to 3

2010-04-24T17:38:00.000-07:00

On Friday, the kindergarten people at my work went on a picnic with the kids. Of course, I was obliged to follow them as well which was also completely needless for I didn't have any business being there.

We went to a park, it was a 2 hour drive. On the way to the park we passed by the river where Jeremy and I hung by last weekend. Then I felt the pain. Not the accurate head migraine type but the gradual, petrifying one that overpowers every cell of your body slowly and blurs your mind. I missed him too much.

Is what I'm writing here too sappy, mushy for you? well gently place your hands over your eyes and remove the eyeballs.

My man, I missed him. I couldn't wait to get home and talk to him. But when I got back home, he wasn't there. And when he finally arrived, he said he will go out with his friends. For I didn't want to sound like an unreasonably needy girlfriend, or merely because I didn't want to hurt my pride, I tried to swallow my feelings and let him go. But I felt as if everything was burning inside.

There he went, and follows the drama which does not need to be read by the general public.

The reason why I'm writing this is:

Last night, I dreamt that the world was ending, from one continent to another. I ran, ran to save myself. I ran with my mother, and my boyfriend. But for some reason, he kept disappearing.

I constantly looked for him and he would come back, then he would disappear.

also last night, right before I went to bed. Jeremy and I had a long conversation which led me to miss him and love him more.

Now I'm convinced that the state of mood we are in before we fall asleep greatly affects the content of our dreams.

According to the emotional state we are in right before falling asleep, our mind automatically makes associations and bring about images, thoughts..

Hot under the collar

2010-04-23T17:01:00.000-07:00

"Laboratory experiments have shown that hotter temperatures do indeed provoke anger and aggression - but only up to a point. At around 85 degrees Fahrenheit, aggression becomes a less important motivator of behaviour than does just getting out of the heat."

http://www.helium.com/items/1081513-how-weather-and-temperature-affects-our-behaviour

Oh let me tell you how it feels!

2010-04-23T08:49:00.000-07:00

Fuck power of solitude. Tonight I'm feeling lonely. Anybody wanna give me a medal for correctly identifying my feelings? Estar viva..que dificil es esa mierda

The most sensitive die quicker

2010-04-23T05:41:00.000-07:00

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100420174113.htm

"Flies incapable of smelling CO2 live longer than flies with normal olfactory capabilities. They are also resistant to stress and have increased body fat."

If you feel helpless, powerless...

2010-04-19T05:18:00.000-07:00

Well, I once heard an inspiring story—a true story, I believe—about a boy named Trevor. It shows there are little things kids can do that make a big difference. One night Trevor was doing what a lot of other 13-year-old kids would be doing: He was watching TV. On the news he saw a story about some homeless people sleeping out in the cold on the streets, in a downtown area of Philadelphia where he lived. Trevor had never really stopped to think how fortunate he was to live in a fairly well-to-do suburb of the same city. The story of the homeless people touched his heart and he began to wonder what he could do to help these people.
It might have been easy for Trevor to forget about it. There are so many sad stories that you see on TV at times. This could have been just another that he ignored.
Trevor also might have thought, Well, what can I do about it? I’m just a kid, but he didn’t. Instead he began to wonder how he might help and that led him to remember there were some spare, unused blankets in their garage. So he went to his father and asked if he could take them to the people downtown who had no homes to go to for the night. Trevor’s father might have thought the request a bit strange. It is easy for us to want to hang on to the things that we have, easy for adults to think that they’ve worked hard to get what they own, so why should they give it away? I guess it is much the same as a kid thinking, It took a long time to save up my pocket money to help buy this new bike, so why should I lend it to a friend who needs to get home in a hurry? Now, Trevor’s dad was a kind-hearted guy. He drove Trevor downtown to hand out their few surplus blankets to some of the people on the streets. I guess when it came time to curl up and sleep that night the people were pretty happy for the added warmth of the new blankets.
Trevor was happy, too. He felt good about giving out the blankets. He felt an inner warmth, almost like he had been wrapped up in an emotional blanket himself. But he realized there was a risk— it might feel so good that you’d want to do it again.
The next day Trevor went to his local grocery store and other public places in his neighborhood where there were notice boards. He put up signs asking for people to donate any spare blankets or food they didn’t need. The result was surprising. Kindness was contagious. Trevor found so many people were willing to help that within a week he had filled his dad’s garage with food and blankets.
What Trevor had started with his kindness grew and spread throughout the community. It wasn’t long before people’s generosity overflowed from his dad’s garage and Trevor and his dad had to look for a bigger building to house all the gifts being donated. Would you believe there are now a number of special warehouses throughout Philadelphia that stock food and blankets to feed and warm the homeless?
They are all called “Trevor’s Place.

From 101 healing stories for children and Teens using the metaphors in therapy - George Burns.

We are NOT the same!

2010-04-13T14:36:00.000-07:00

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100413072046.htm

To stay in love

2010-04-01T18:31:00.000-07:00

1. Vulnerability e.g., forgiveness
2. Commitment
3. Good communication skills
4. Positive responses
5. Cope during hardship
6. Work to build the brighter points into their lives
7. Believe that your partner will be there for you when things go wrong
8. Look for opportunities to express your support, enthausiasm and interest.
9. Be grateful

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100324121008.htm

2010-03-25T18:29:00.000-07:00

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100324121008.htm

Is VMPC responsible for our "morality" or does the internalized value strengthen VMPC?

and what triggers our emotions? And is there anything "natural" about those triggers?

Thoburn - cramped creativity VS understandings of freedom

2010-03-24T23:44:00.000-07:00

"The difference between cramped creativity and liberal understandings of freedom and creation is expressed well by Kafka (1978) in A Report to an Academy, a short story which displays much of the minor sensibility. Here, an ape ‘pinned down’ in a cage on a ship such that he has no possibility for movement chooses to mimic his human captors and create a certain human-becoming to effect a way out of his predicament. It is the very condition of being cramped that leads to, or compels, his innovative change, but not because he desires abstract freedom, or indeed anything particular about being human. Whilst ‘freedom’ appears to have some value, it is an ambiguous form (as he puts it, ‘all too often men are betrayed by the word freedom’, and in this case only offered a suicidal flight overboard.
Instead, the ape simply seeks a ‘way out’ of his particular condition, for which
the human presents a boundary and a possibility."

From Deleuze, Marx and Politics.

What drives you?

2010-03-22T02:18:00.001-07:00

Are you obsessed with a craving for ______________________? that you can do without everything that usually makes life desirable.

Relinquish your compulsory belief/your shoulds. What are your genuine wishes?

Relativity, the "danger" of sunshine - Karen Horney

2010-03-22T02:02:00.000-07:00

"It is impossible to say in general terms what it means
to a patient to obtain an insight into his problems, just
as it would be impossible to say what it means to a person
to be exposed to sunshine. Sunshine may kill him
or save his life, it may be fatiguing or refreshing, its effect
depending on its intensity and also on his own condition.
Similarly, an insight may be extremely painful
or it may bring an immediate relief."

Karen Horney - Self analysis

So here comes the question.

Sunshine, yes, may be fatiguing to some people, but the question is IS IT REALLY FATINGUING to them? How do you know if this person does NOT in fact find it fatiguing but merely "FEEL" "THINK" that it is. Just how reliable are our "feelings" and "thoughts" and just how fluid are we, the human beings?

My bird, he wakes up in the morning, poops, eats his food, washes his face, chirps all day long and bites me if I try to grab his tail. Not too much of a fluid concept.

There is no doubt that human beings TOO are conditioned beings just like my bird. But to what extent? And what are exactly our conditions?

Heartache

2010-03-09T18:49:00.001-08:00

During a particularly stressful experience, the anterior cingulate cortex may respond by increasing the activity of the vagus nerve—the nerve that starts in the brain stem and connects to the neck, chest and abdomen. When the vagus nerve is overstimulated, it can cause pain and nausea.
- Scientific American Mind
- ACC

EINSTEIN!!! The Secret behind his genius!

2010-03-08T21:08:00.000-08:00

Few scientists can boast that they have held Albert Einstein’s brain in their hands, but Marian Diamond, a biologist at the University of California, Berkeley, is one of
the lucky ones. In the 1980s she analyzed preserved pieces of Einstein’s cortex and compared them with the same brain regions in other adults. Einstein’s neurons were
indistinguishable from those in othern brains. The only thing extraordinary
about his brain came as a shock: it was a veritable explosion of nonneuronal
cells called glia, which scientists had never associated with intellect. Einstein
had twice as many glia as is normal—an observation that suggests that they may
have been responsible for his genius.

Or maybe his glia cells have been reponsible for his diarrhea.

People are hillarious.

reference: scientific american mind - R.douglas Fields

Genesis - Karen Horney

2010-03-07T09:35:00.000-08:00

The function of the compulsive nature of neurotic trends can be better understood if we take a look at their genesis. They develop early in life through the combined effect of given temperamental and environmental influences. Whether a child becomes submissive or rebellious under the pressure of parental coercion depends not only on the nature of the coercion but also on given qualities, such as the degree of his vitality, the relative softness or hardness of his nature.
Since we know less of the constitutional factors than of the environmental ones, and since the latter are the only ones susceptible of change, I shall comment only on these.

Love is.. Woody Allen

2010-03-06T17:50:00.001-08:00

To love is to suffer. To avoid suffering one must not love. But then one suffers from not loving. Therefore to love is to suffer, not to love is to suffer. To suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love. To be happy then is to suffer. But suffering makes one unhappy. Therefore, to be unhappy one must love, or love to suffer, or suffer from too much happiness. I hope you're getting this down.
- Woody Allen

Is it possible at all

2010-03-06T17:02:00.000-08:00

Is it possible at all to live without personality difficulties? Isn't pain the most essential part of human life along with pleasure?

What are personality difficulties?

2010-03-05T05:33:00.000-08:00

I'm going to China in a week.

Chilean Quake May Have Shortened Earth Days

2010-03-03T06:46:00.000-08:00

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100302084522.htm

HILLARIOUS!

Break up.

2010-03-02T07:12:00.000-08:00

It took less than 10 minutes to end our 1 year long relationship.
I'm not sad, angry or relieved. I'm
somewhat apathetic.
He was a good man even till the last minute of our somewhat unreal relationship.
He remained good.
A good, mature man.

But you see, Sergio,
I could never understand your type of goodness. I could sit here and psycho-analyze myself, do a little self-regression therapy and find out why I am the way I am. But all this goes out the window when we are alone at a cafe and I look at you and my whole body interprets your smile as something forced, some type of facade. Maybe someday I will learn to interpret your type of smile as a genuine one. But for now, for now I can't do it and I couldn't. And this is why I decided to hurt myself by hurting you.

(UPDATE)

WHAT THE HELL IS THIS! THIS IMMENSE PAIN... WOW.

Supongo que tu si has sido parte de mi vida. Si no me equivoco, lo que me estoy sintiendo en este moment es tu ausencia.. el dolor de tu ausencia..

Aun asi, yo hice lo que tuve que hacer.. y aun asi.. que barbaridad del dolor..

Variables - Karen Horney

2010-02-26T21:08:00.000-08:00

"That overkindliness may be a reaction-formation against sadistic trends does not preclude the possibility of a genuine kindliness which arises out of basically good relations to others. That generosity may be a reaction-formation against greediness does not disprove the existence of genuine generosity."

So yes, oh yes. How fun. "New ways of psychoanalysis" seems to be a book full of fascinating repetitions of the idea that

- A may be B but A can also be C or D or even E. Thus, one cannot say A is always B.
- Extremes are bad and balance is good.
- Sigmund Freud is insightful but he's also very gross.

YIK! - B0riNG! Where is the originality? Where is the crack and where's the analness? I thought this book was about psychoanalysis, not Zen Buddhism. There's a reason why Sigmund Freud is the biggest name in the Psychology field and not Karen Horney, honey! (even though her surname deserves an award!)

I rant - The trUth!

2010-02-25T09:43:00.000-08:00

"Athiests are extreme, they say there's no concrete evidence to prove that God exists, but where's the evidence that God doesn't exist?"

Oh my!! you must be a genius..! piece of shit.

This is what we call a BELIEF.

Do you know what else is a belief? Everything you consider to be the most scientific. Even your mother's existence.

How can people be so presumptuous to think that they know the truth?

Let me just ask everyone a few fundamental questions first.

- Where do we come from?

- Are you absolutely sure that you are conscious, aware of who you are, where you are, what your role in this "world" is?

- Are you absolutely sure that you are not part of your own illusion or something that has yet not a name for?

- Is there anything, ANYTHING you know for sure?

If you can answer any of these above questions with complete confidence, congratulations, you have succeded in qualifying yourself as a jack ass.

We believe in a lot of things. And there's no evidence to prove that anything we believe is anything closer to the "truth". Not only that there's no evidence to prove that there's anything such as the "truth".

So we are left with beliefs. You look around, find whatever you think is "real" and believe in it.

I'm an athiest and I do not believe in God, however I do believe in our ignorance and the mystery. And again, that is my belief. You cannot contradict me because your opinion is just as worthless/worthy as mine. And none of us knows the "truth", for we cannot even know the concept of the "truth".

There is so much to learn and so much we learn to make sense of everything that surrounds us and within us. (Gestalt psychology) But our knowledge is a bunch of hypotheses, theories, beliefs.. the truth? we shall never know.

The psychology of man's possible evolution - P.D. Ouspensky

2010-02-23T19:47:00.000-08:00

The whole time I was reading this book, I couldn't ignore how commercial this book sounded. Especially towards the end when Ouspensky does an alleged interview with Mr.M. Ouspensky wanted to promote his school through his lectures, I see. But his approach reminded me of religious cult leaders.

Whilst Ouspensky has a lot of interesting insights to offer - especially regarding the incompleteness of man (nature develops man only to a certain point and then leaves him to develop further by his own efforts and devices), I found his views to be rather extreme, for instance when he says in the book "it's impossible to understand and not accept it at the same time, and thus man is incorrect when he says - I understand but I don't agree" Here, Ouspensky interpreted the idea of "I understand" in a way that demonstrates his lack of understanding in the function of language and communication.

"I understand" is a phrase that can contain various meanings.
1. I understand - where you are coming from, meaning that I understand the context of which your ideas are coming from.

2. I understand what you are saying, meaning that I'm understanding every word that is coming out of your mouth.

I also wish that Ouspensky elaborated on his theory of identification and consideration and the definition of negative emotions.

He distinguishes between pleasant and unpleasant emotions but fails to show the positive function of unpleasant emotions (senses) and how some of them should not be categorized as negative. And he also fails to show the accurate distinction between what is negative and what is positive. - even though he mentions that negativity = destructiveness, positivity = productiveness, but when explaining what is productive, destructive for man, he again falls into the abysm of vagueness and explains that we should achieve the consciousness by applying his school of thought into our life. (of course, this is no self-help, we have to actually get involved with his school and follow the rules) His idea that we can only tell what is positive and negative when we achieve the full consciousness(using HIS school of thought) is rather ambiguous and seems commercial even.

Rather than repeatedly (tediously) explaining the system of his school of thought and making himself sound like a con man(oops, sales man), Ouspensky should have explained his theories in a more concrete, scholaric manner.

I found "The psychology of man's possible evolution" to be exciting for Ouspenky's interesting and somewhat refreshing insights but not so reliable for its lack of analysis and his "subtle" and constant display of mercenary interest.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now I'm going to read Karen Horney's new ways in psychoanalysis. It's gotta be fun to have a surname like "horney".

P.D Ouspensky - Healthy(essence) VS Unhealthy(personality)

2010-02-23T06:34:00.000-08:00

Personality is all that is learned in one or another way, In ordinary language, "consciously" or "unconsciously." In most cases "unconsciously" means by imitation, which plays an important part in the building of personality.

Artificial likes and dislikes can be acquired by imitation and imagination. These artificial likes and dislikes play a very important and very disastrous part in man's life.

By nature, man should like what is good for him and dislike what is bad for him. But this is so, only as long as essence(vs personality) dominates personality,.

Personality begins to dominate essence when man becomes less healthy, he begins to like what is bad for him and to dislike what is good for him.

P.D. Ouspensky - Men cannot do

2010-02-22T20:51:00.000-08:00

" Man is a machine. He has no independent movements, inside or outside of himself. He's a machine brought into motion by external influences and external impacts. All his movements, actions, words, ideas, emotions, moods, and thoughts are produced by external influences. By himself, he's just an automaton with a certain store of memories of previous experiences, and a certain amount of reserve energy."

Here comes the fascinating part,

"In the English language there are no impersonal verbal forms which can be used in relation to human actions. So we must continue to say that man thinks, reads, writes, loves, hates, starts wars, fights, and so on. Actually, all this happens."

Ouspensky is a Russian "philosopher" whose first language I assume is Russian. When I first started learning the Russian language, I discovered a very fascinating and somewhat unique aspect of Russian - Russian is very impersonal and passive. It's inevitable that such nature of the language has an impact on people who speak it.

However, even though I see some correlation between Ouspensky's theory and the language he speaks, I'm not going to insist that Ouspensky's theory of the incapacity of humans is heavily influenced by the nature of the language he's most accustomed to. Such claim would be clumsy and dangerous. And so, read on...

P.D. Ouspensky - Evolution denial

2010-02-22T19:31:00.000-08:00

"As regards ordinary modern views on the origin of man and his previous evolution I must say at once that they cannot be accepted. We must realize that we know nothing about the origin of man and whe have no proofs of man's physical or mental evolution.

On the contrary, if we take historical mankind, that is, humanity for ten or fifteen thousand years, we may find unmistakable signs of a higher type of man, whose presence can be established on the evidence of ancient monuments and memorials which cannot be repeated or imitated by the present humanity. As regards prehistoric man or creatures similar in appearance to man and yet at the same time very different from him, whose bones are sometimes found in deposits of glacial or pre-glacial periods, we may accept the quite possible view that these bones belong to some being quite different from man, which died out long ago."

- The psychology of man's possible evolution.

Once I have money - Karl Marx

2010-02-21T19:51:00.000-08:00

Once I have money,

I am no longer bound by my individuality:

"I am ugly,

but I can buy for myself the most beautiful of women.

Therefore I am not ugly,

For the effect of ugliness - its deterrent power - is nullified by money.

I, in my character and as an individual,

am lame, but money furnishes me

with twenty-four feet. Therefore I,

am not lame. I am bad, dishonest,

unscrupulous, stupid;

But money is honored, and therefore

so is its possessor."

Being a girl

2010-02-20T22:50:00.001-08:00

Are emotions important? - YES
Is rationality(or everything that is considered the opposite of emotional) important? - YES

One quality shall never override the other for such miscalculated deeds often cause unsatisfaction in our lives.

Harmony... harmony.. harmony.

Heitor Villa Lobos - Bachianas Brasileiras

2010-02-20T18:47:00.000-08:00

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

2010-02-11T06:46:00.001-08:00

I shouldn't be wasting my time watching movies but I had a very tough day today so I decided to give myself a little treat and watch Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I really enjoyed this movie. Cried twice for it brought me back the memories of people that I really wish that I had said good-bye to but I couldn't, and can't anymore.

The truth is, even if I could say good-bye, to somehow help myself release some of the memories (and destroy the ambiguity) of these people, I would have never done it. If I let these memories go, what would I run to whenever my most "current" reality shatters my hopes and dreams. (Face it? It's not always easy being strong minded) Memories are like shelters or any other places one considers safe(your mom's closet?), safe because memories are done and over with. Already determined, no more responsibilities for you. There's nothing you can do to alter your memories (unless you reconstruct your recent emotional reactions to these memories which is a whole different story)and thus, there are no concrete consequences, of course there are some burdens that come along with memories such as frustration and freedom(speaking of contradictions!). Frustration because there's nothing, absolutely nothing you can do to renovate your memories and freedom because you are dismissed from obligations for you are not able to make your own choices.

Is there free will? :) I think not.

Potential evolutionary role for same-sex attraction

2010-02-06T06:34:00.000-08:00

Potential evolutionary role for same-sex attraction

And accidents occur to teach people how to appreciate their life? Ridiculous.

Do fish feel pain?

2010-02-05T17:24:00.000-08:00

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100112090126.htm

This story breaks my heart.

Le Dînner De Cons

2010-02-01T08:26:00.000-08:00

I've just finished watching "Le Dînner De Cons".

THE WORST MOVIE I'VE EVER SEEN, MY GOD!

I'm trying to understand why the French may find this movie amusing. Can it be because of their personality preference for perceiving over judging? Do they want to watch the "evil" suffer in a slowly disturbing way?

This movie definitely is going to go on my "the most detestable movies list" right next to 'Gummo'.

Conventionality, why and why it shouldn't - Bertrand Russell

2010-02-01T05:30:00.000-08:00

It is a sad evidence of the weariness mankind has suffered from
excessive toil that his heavens have usually been places where nothing
ever happened or changed. Fatigue produces the illusion that only
rest is needed for happiness; but when men have rested for a time,
boredom drives them to renewed activity. For this reason, a happy
life must be one in which there is activity. If it is also to be a
useful life, the activity ought to be as far as possible creative, not
merely predatory or defensive. But creative activity requires
imagination and originality, which are apt to be subversive of the
status quo. At present, those who have power dread a disturbance of
the status quo, lest their unjust privileges should be taken away.
In combination with the instinct for conventionality, which man
shares with the other gregarious animals, those who profit by the
existing order have established a system which punishes originality
and starves imagination from the moment of first going to school down
to the time of death and burial.

From Political ideals - Russell

Kenneth Clark (1988) - Black doll, white doll

2010-01-28T20:23:00.000-08:00

"You don't hate other human beings, if you have a strong sense of who you are." I think this is too much of a generalization. Hatred towards other human beings can be rooted out from so many different reasons. Still, thought this interview was worthy of attention.

What ethnicities do I get mistaken for

2010-01-27T06:23:00.000-08:00

The subject was brought up by a friend of mine. Thought it was worth reflecting on.

What ethnicities do I usually get mistaken for?

1. By Europeans, I get mistaken for

-Japanese, Kazakh, Chinese, Spaniard, American, Brazilian, Central American, Bulgarian, Finnish(go figure on this one), half Italian(tuo padre e italiano?)

2. By North East Asians, I get mistaken for

-Mexican, Indian, Chinese, Australian(I don't know where this one comes from)

3. By Latin Americans, I get mistaken for

- Puerto Rican, Colombian, Venezuelan, Japanese, Italian

4. By Arabs, I get mistaken for

- South Asian (Singaporean, Malaysian)

5. By Africans, I get mistaken for
- South American, Japanese, Central Asian

6. By South Asians, I get mistaken for
- South American

7. By Americans, I get mistaken for

- South American, Pacific Islander, Native American

Why I am an abortion doctor

2010-01-25T07:01:00.000-08:00

Ever wondered what would be the most nausiating yet honorable occupation in the world? Today when I asked myself this question, the first thing that came to my mind was - abortion doctor, an abortion provider.

After a little bit of googling, I found a very moving, gripping piece about what I consider to be the most gruesome, yet the most noble job in the world.

Here I present you 'Why I am an Abortion Doctor'.

Why I am an abortion doctor

Religions of former Yugoslavian countries

2010-01-21T17:32:00.000-08:00

Slovenia - Catholic 57.8% Muslim 2.4%
Croatia - Roman Catholic 87.8% Orthodox 4.4%
Bosnia - Muslim 40%, Orthodox 31%, Roman Catholic 15%
Montenegro - Orthodox 74.2%, Muslim 17.7%, Catholic 3.5%
Serbia - Serbian Orthodox 85%, Catholic 5.5%
Macedonia - Macedonian orthodox 64.7%, Muslim 33.3%
Kosovo - Muslim, Serbian Orthodox, Roman Catholic (CIA - the world fact book does not show the persentages)

Gene linked to schizophrenia may reduce cancer risk

2010-01-21T05:04:00.000-08:00

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100119121442.htm

Top this! - Panacanthus cuspidatus

2010-01-19T20:40:00.000-08:00

-YASUNI national park

Early Star Formation In The Universe Illuminated

2010-01-19T04:03:00.000-08:00

Early Star Formation In The Universe Illuminated

Deadly scorpion provides safe pesticide

2010-01-19T03:34:00.000-08:00

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100111122649.htm

Humans.. we just can not leave things alone, can we?

Artificial muscles restore ability to blink, save eyesight

2010-01-18T17:31:00.000-08:00

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100118091049.htm

My favorite part of this article:
"Using cadavers, the surgeons inserted a sling made of muscle fascia or implantable fabric around the eye. Small titanium screws secured the eyelid sling to the small bones of the eye. The sling was attached to a battery-operated artificial muscle. The artificial muscle device and battery were into a natural hollow or fossa at the temple to disguise its presence."

DAMN do I wish I had been there.

-Muscle Fascia

Oh MY! ME AMO!

2010-01-18T01:09:00.000-08:00

I dedicate this song to myself. :)

OHHH MEU AMOR, VOU GRITAR PRA TUDO MUNDO OUVIR, VOU FALAR PRA TUDO MUNDO SABER, QUE O AMOR DA MINHA VIDA E VOCEEEEEE.

Hahahahaha speaking of narcissism.

Biochar(terra preta) as a modern weapon against global warming

2010-01-15T00:40:00.000-08:00

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100113172252.htm

Biochar is charcoal created by the chemical decomposition of condensed substances(biomass, in this case) by heating, that occurs spontaneously at high enough temperatures called pyrolysis.

In Women, Caffeine May Protect Memory

2010-01-13T15:07:00.000-08:00

In Women, Caffeine May Protect Memory

This is an interesting story that should be studied more.

Nitrogen and respiration rate in plants

2010-01-10T05:06:00.000-08:00

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/01/060126191418.htm

Thrombus

2010-01-06T23:20:00.000-08:00

How he became the TOP MAN - step 1

2010-01-06T05:30:00.000-08:00

"In prison for his part in the 1923 putsch, Hitler became convinced that the party could win power only through the ballot box. Electoral propaganda was at first primarily directed at industrial workers, in the hope of detaching them from the KPD. But the 1928 elections showed unexpected gains amongst the Protestant peasantry, who had suffered badly from the agricultural crisis. From then on Nazi propaganda was targeted at conservative voters, and Fascism. the Nazis won most of their votes from this source. Although the left posed less of a threat at this time than it had just after the war, the Nazis engaged in a campaign of intimidation against Socialists, Communists, and Catholics, thereby presenting themselves as the only force able to restore order. They simultaneously adopted an anti-establishment stance, portraying themselves as the real representatives of the people, and denouncing successive conservative governments as unrepresentative"

Does any of this ring a bell? You ain't gotz no time (or brain cells) to care? Indifference is irresponsible, lazy and selfish, unfunny fookers.

Laïcité

2010-01-04T08:32:00.000-08:00

I just had a 4-hour-long discussion with my French friend on laïcité. It started as I asked her about Sarkozy's ban on burkas. I asked her how French people were reacting to this issue and as a young, free-spirited French girl she is, she said she wasn't much aware of this issue. Which made me conclude that the public's reaction is not as radical as that of, say, Massimo Tartaglia's, who knocked 2 teeth out of Berlusconi's mouth.

Then I asked her,

if she still sees female Muslim students at her university who cover their heads and to that she responded, "NO!! here it's not allowed to cover your head or show any religious symbols at schools!."

And THAT was the moment of intellectual enlightenment. As nerdy as I am, I will call that the laïcité moment.

What is "Laïcité"?

- THE STRICT SEPARATION OF STATE FROM CHURCH.
- RELIGION IS A PRIVATE AFFAIR.

*One of the demands of many supporters of the French Revolution in 1789 was to curb the power and influence of the Catholic Church and this began a gradual move towards a secular society. Reforms were introduced in the late 19th century to make French state education secular. Then in 1905 a new law declared France to be a secular country in which there was a strict separation between state and church.

Crucially, the notion of laïcité has broad backing across the political spectrum in France from the centre right to the centre left. Whenever there are debates about the role of religion in French society the division of church and state is widely asserted as one of the fundamental principles of French republicanism – and a principle to be defended.

This has been seen most recently in the debate about what pupils can wear to state schools. In the 1980s and 1990s there were a series of high profile cases involving female Muslim students expelled or excluded from school for wearing headscarves or the veil. After much political debate a controversial new law was passed in 2004 that outlawed the wearing of ‘conspicuous’ religious symbols in state schools. This was widely described as a ban on Muslim headscarves and veils though in fact the law does not refer to any particular items of clothing or symbols and applies to all faiths. Many Muslims in France were opposed to the law, feeling it was targeted at them. However others have supported the move saying that it ‘liberated’ young Muslim women.

source: Michael Streeter (cool fam name, dude), www.frenchentree.com

My thoughts on this issue.

How you dress can be a way to express your individuality. NO. You know what. I actually like this Laïcité. If it's actually your inside belief that is really significant, why do you feel the need to represent it superficially. Say I'm a homosexual athiest, should I go and shave my head and get tattoos to prove superficially that I don't give a flying fuck? Actually if I did that, my decision would be reactionary, thus not be based on the free will, which is the very thing I believe, athiests try to promote.
(of course, this is not the only reason why Muslim women wear hijabs but I'm talking about the ones who wear it to "represent" their belief system and this reason of "freedom of dress" is basically the only excuse Muslims can give to the French government to allow hijabs at schools. What else are you going to tell them? that the state should respect the religion? when it clearly states that it considers all religions to be private matters?)

Story behind Mussolini's foreign adventurism

2010-01-03T08:02:00.000-08:00

1. To resolve economic problems -> conquest new territory
Expansion was justified by the Darwinian struggle between nations, and by the
need for Italy to find living space for surplus population.

2. The rise of Hitler made it possible for Italy, insufficiently strong on
its own, to revise the Versailles Treaty. At first Mussolini was wary of
German expansionism, for Italy included German-speaking
minorities which it was feared might come into Hitler’s sights
should he succeed in annexing Austria to the Reich. Soon, however,
it became clear that German military strength on the Continent was
so great that the only way to expand Italian power was in alliance
with Hitler and at the expense of British and French interests in the
Mediterranean and Africa.

3.Italian armies invaded Abyssinia(ethiopia) in 1935, fought on the side of Franco’s right-wing alliance in the Spanish Civil War in 1936–9, and occupied Albania in 1939. In the following year Italy participated in the invasion of France (just before the French surrender to Germany), and in 1941 invaded Greece and began an advance on Egypt.

Passmore - fascism

Porca vacca, I'm tired

Mussolini

2009-12-31T22:46:00.000-08:00

- In 1912, Benito Mussolini comes into the spotlight as the leader
of the Italian Socialist Party’s radical wing opposing the cooperation with Giolitti and his Libyan war (and remains neutral in the Great War)

- In 1915 he joins the Interventionist movement, where he meets Futurists, radical nationalists, and conservative Liberals. (starts siding with the nationalists. Nation > class)

- Never loses his moral dislike for the political and business establishments.

- Convinces himself that nationalism will produce a movement able to rid of bourgeois liberalism.

- In 1915 Italy entered the war.

- The war exacerbates class and gender conflict class and gender conflict.

- Defeat at Caporetto in October 1917 belatedly galvanized public
opinion, permitting Italy to hold out for the rest of the war.

This was the context in which fascism became a mass movement.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mussolini's Fascio di Combattimento, founded in Milan on 23 March 1919, recruited a
few ex-soldiers, syndicalists, and Futurists. Its programme combined nationalism with republicanism, anticlericalism, female suffrage, and social reform, the guiding idea being the mobilization of men and women, workers and employers, peasants and
landowners in a secular national community. Fascism polled hardly any votes in 1919, but in 1921, as working-class and peasant agitation reached its peak, it began to win recruits.

- Fascism took off in regions affected by agrarian unrest, where the youthful rural bourgeoisie began to join in large numbers. These sons of estate managers, small-town officials, and teachers, many of them veterans, saw in fascism a means to take upon themselves the task of fighting the Socialist and Catholic leagues. They won the support of many conservative small peasants and landless labourers, who agreed that the authorities were not protecting them from the left. Fascist squads (squadristi) began a violent campaign of intimidation against Catholics and especially Socialists, in which many hundreds were killed.

- By the end of 1922 Fascism possessed a quarter of a million members.

- Large landowners and big businessmen, who despaired of government support against strikers, provided encouragement and money.

- Fascists laughed at the feminine side of the bourgeoisie and castigated the idleness of it.

- Mussolini remained reluctant to cut all ties with the Socialists.

- Fascists set about forming unions of their own. They drew upon a pre-existing fund of conservatism amongst some peasants and workers, while carrotand-stick methods encouraged many more to join.

- Fascists did not condemn private property itself, so they were, in the
eyes of the wealthy, far better than the left.

- Conservatives were reassured when at the end of 1921 Fascism became an organized
party, the Partito Nazionale Fascista (PNF), and embraced monarchism and liberal economics.

source: Passmore - fascism

Eye Contact Triggers Threat Signals In Autistic Children's Brains

2009-12-31T20:02:00.000-08:00

Eye Contact Triggers Threat Signals In Autistic Children's Brains

"train autistic children to look at a person's eye region in a more strategic way, like when the person may not be looking directly at them"

"Imagine walking through the world and interpreting every face that looks at you as a threat, even the face of your own mother," Davidson adds. Scientists have in the past speculated that the amygdala - which has been implicated in certain anxiety and mood disorders - plays a role in autism, but the study directly supports that idea for the first time"

Well, every face IS a threat. Why are you staring at me like you want to snatch out all my veins and wrap them around your neck for your entertainment.

Speaking of veins,

New Year's Resolutions

2009-12-31T08:03:00.000-08:00

Crap, it's 2010.

My New Year's Resolutions.

Hehe, my New Year's resolustions.. did you really think I would publicize them here.

Well, my happy New Year will be completely devoted to my studies(taking more lectures, etc). And this year, I hope to have a better relationship with my boyfriend. Or maybe I don't. Who knows, I'm relationship-destructive and we are fighting already. Well, I wish myself a very intellectually-satisfying year. And I wish you... ah.. a lot of money? women with big culos? whatever the hell you people chase after these days.

Peace!

No to nonanal and carbon dioxide

2009-12-30T20:35:00.000-08:00

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026172056.htm

Culex mosquitoes like nonanal.

"Zain Syed found that nonanal (sounds like NAWN-uh-nawl) Hillarious touch is the powerful semiochemical that triggers the mosquitoes"

Chimps = Human - 3%

2009-12-30T18:18:00.000-08:00

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091207151220.htm

"The chimp network looks very much like the human one except there are a few transcription factors in different positions and with different connectivity," Stubbs said. "Those are of interest from the point of view that they signal a major gene regulatory shift between species, and this shift may help us explain some of the biological differences."

Well, figure out the differences quick, even them out, and interbreed. What's all this stalling about.

Why the fuck are you trying to elevate my cortisol level?

2009-12-30T06:42:00.000-08:00

The dogs in multi-dog households started out with slightly higher cortisol levels, indicating they were already under more stress from living with other dogs

http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2006/0601-help_for_thunderphobic_dogs.htm

Gonad, I'm fucking stressed right now. Someday I will get the fuck up out of here and hide in Kenjegul Kubatova with Kyrgyz shepherds. You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you? Good. Go and spread your STDs in Europe.

By the way, I'm not trying to promote drug use with the song I posted (am about to post)in this entry. I'm just trying to make a point. "Look man you grown, just leave me alone, I'm in the zone. Call it a night, get stoned, and take that fat slut home
Just drink the drink, hit the dank, do some drugs, go kill yourself." Kuniva snatched those words right out of my mouth.

Weberian/Totalitarian - Fascism

2009-12-29T06:32:00.000-08:00

WEBER
1. Weberians blame the pre-industrial, or feudal, ruling class for the cause of fascism.
-landowners of Eastern Germany
-landowners of the Italian Po Valley
-Latifundists of Southern Spain
-the Japanese military caste

2. "These countries hadn't experienced a genuine bourgeois and liberal-democratic revolution in the 19th century."

3. "German and Italian elites led their countries to war in 1913 in the hope that patriotic fervor would permit them to crush their domestic enemies"

TOTALITARIAN
1. Invented by Italian Fascists to encapsulate their drive to nationalize the Italian masses. To incorporate them within a hierarchical, mobilized, militarized community serving the needs of Italy.
2. Had its day in the 50s and 60s
3. Your life is dictated by divine plan

*Modernization causes the breakdown of religious certainties, so they create substitute religions such as communism or fascism. ( or capitalism or anarchism or a jock clique, a homosexual club, Bantu tribe.)

4. In the 1970s, the concept of totalitarianism fell out of use.
(European-centered bullshit. Has anybody ever been to Asia? You reckon it's just a culture if it happens elsewhere besides Europe and Americas? This is not some silly ass culture. It's a serious problem.)

Marxism VS Fascism/Capitalism

2009-12-29T05:43:00.000-08:00

Marxism

*Modern society is divided into

A)The bourgeoisie/capitalists
: they own your ass

B)Petty bourgeoisie
: small business suckers/passed around like whores by capitalists

C)The working classes/proletariat.
: work like donkeys

Marxist approaches to fascism.
1. Fascism is all up in the capitalism's ass
2. Fascism in power is the open, terroristic dictatorship of the most reactionary, the most chauvinistic, the most imperialistic elements of finance capitalism - Communist International in 1935
3. "Capitalists use the mass fascist movement to destroy socialism"
4. "Fascism is not a creation of the capitalists, it's a creation of the petty bourgeoisie which had grievances against big capital."
5. Once fascism in power, the labor movement destroyed, no longer needed by capitalists
6. territorial expansion and racism is a cunning plot to divert attention from the tensions between fascism's petty bourgeois and capitalist supporters.

Leon Trotsky begs to differ,

1. Bonapartism is different from fascist dictatorships.
2. State governs during the conflicts between workers and capitalists.
3. Bonapartism was not powerful enough to beat the left and thus less "dangerous."

Other Marxists (who wanted to input more flexibility into the theory in the 60s and 70s) insist that,

1. Petty bourgeoisie played a more autonomous role
2. Those petty fookas even opposed the interests of capitalists

What's wrong with these Marxist fookas's idea of Fascism.

1. It doesn't explain how fascism serves the interests of capitalism. (is this really hard to understand? it's easier to shove blind fookas into the pond than the ones with healthy eyes)
2. Why some capitalists that believe that fascism comformed to their interests and others did not.
3. How is capitalist defence related to the killing of the mentally ill in Nazi Germany and Italianization of fam names in South Tyrol (power, greed, greed and power, money and more money and self interest and money and money and pride and some more money)

Sourcey: Passmore-Fascism

Living Longer With Obesity Means Heavier Burden For Hospitals

2009-12-28T19:35:00.000-08:00

Living Longer With Obesity Means Heavier Burden For Hospitals

The most hillarious thing about this report is not that it's subliminally telling obese people to go and kill themselves but that people who will react most sensitively to this report will be the anorexic patients who are also suffering from major depression.

Now let's sit back and watch the suicide rates go up.

Speaking of suicide,

*Interesting facts
1.Lithuania has the highest suicide rate in the world.
2.East Asian countries have the highest female suicide rates.