'One Day More' of President Trump - Les Misérables parody

First post of the new year and it feels very appropriate.

Today 4 years of hell known as Trump end. And a new U.S. President is sworn in.

We are still in a pandemic and everything is still horrible.

But the world is undoubtedly breathing a huge collective sigh of relief. 

Here's to better days ahead.

No more Trump indeed.

Singing is good for your health too!

Not only is singing a great way to raise money, research shows that it's also good for you.

Professor Graham Welch, Chair of Music Education at the Institute of Education, University of London, has studied developmental and medical aspects of singing for 30 years: "The health benefits of singing are both physical and psychological. Singing has physical benefits because it is an aerobic activity that increases oxygenation in the blood stream and exercises major muscle groups in the upper body, even when sitting. Singing has psychological benefits because of its normally positive effect in reducing stress levels through the action of the endocrine system which is linked to our sense of emotional well-being. Psychological benefits are also evident when people sing together as well as alone because of the increased sense of community, belonging and shared endeavour."

Regular exercising of the vocal cords can even prolong life, according to research done by leading vocal coach and singer Helen Astrid, from The Helen Astrid Singing Academy in London. "It’s a great way to keep in shape because you are exercising your lungs and heart. Not only that, your body produces ‘feel good’ hormones called endorphins, which rush around your body when you sing. It’s exactly the same when you eat a bar of chocolate. The good news with singing is that you don’t gain any calories! Not only can it increase lung capacity, it improves posture, clears respiratory tubes and sinuses, and can increase mental alertness through greater oxygenation. It even tones the muscles of your stomach and back, that is if you’re singing correctly."

Singing even helps you live longer according to the findings of a joint Harvard and Yale study which showed that choral singing increased the life expectancy of the population of New Haven, Connecticut. The report concluded that this was because singing promoted both a healthy heart and an enhanced mental state. Another study at the University of California has reported higher levels of immune system proteins in the saliva of choristers after performing a complex Beethoven masterwork.

heartresearch.org.uk

A while back I posted an article about the benefits of listening to music well, now it turns out singing along is beneficial too.  Who knew?!.

Music good for the soul and good for your health

Scientists have found that playing music, and listening to it, triggers neurological reactions that reduce anxiety – even in stressful situations like preparing for surgery.

In fact, the experts said, music can play a positive part in health care settings ranging from operating rooms to family clinics.  And the researchers, from McGill University in Montreal, found concrete evidence for why this is so.  Daniel J. Levitan, professor of psychology, said in a statement that  his team had documented “neurochemical mechanisms by which music has an effect in four domains: management of mood, stress, immunity and as an aid to social bonding.”

The research found that listening to music increased both the antibody immunoglobulin A, which plays a critical role in immunity of the mucous system, and cells that attack invading germs. They also found that listening to and playing music reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

To reach their conclusions, published in the journal Trends in Cognitive Science, the experts looked at 400 research papers analyzing the neurochemistry of music.

The study authors said future research could examine the effect of music compared with other media,  including comedy programs and audio books.

Personally I cannot imagine my life without music & now I know why.

thirdage.com

Andy Whitfield tribute petition for Madame Tussauds in Sydney

Andy Whitfield's courageous real life inspirational battle touching the lives of so many to live in the moment with his core values of love, hard work, passion and following ones dreams both personally and professionally leaving a powerful legacy makes him the perfect candidate to be honored with a wax figure at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum.

With your help we can make this happen! Please join us in celebration and tribute to both Andy Whitfield and the historical great "Spartacus".

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/the-face-of-spartacus.html

The next big thing in tech: A levitating mouse?

If you think your computer mouse needs a major upgrade, you might be in luck. Famed Russian designer Vadim Kibardin, 2012 winner of the DESIGN AND DESIGN International Award, has recently announced that he is developing a levitating computer mouse. 

And continuing the theme of naming our point-and-click devices after small mammals, it's appropriately called "The Bat."

The Bat looks like a magician's trick, but the technology behind it is simple: magnetic rings keep it afloat, and it hovers 10 millimeters beneath the weight of a user's hand, with a 40 millimeter maximum height when not in use.

The mouse is meant to reduce pressure on the wrist and theoretically lead to a lower incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome. 

Ergonomics expert Dr. David Rempel told The New York Times in 2008 that "in the last few years, strong evidence has emerged that if you use a computer mouse for more than 20 hours a week, your risk of carpal tunnel syndrome is increased."

However, according to WebMD, a mouse use may not be a leading cause of carpal tunnel syndrome. It is "actually three times more common among assembly line workers than it is among data-entry personnel -- and frequent use of vibrating hand tools increases the risk," the site says. So perhaps Kibardin, for all his noble intentions, isn't actually fixing the real problem.

Some tech writers remain skeptical that the mouse -- which so far has been seen only in computer-generated mockups -- is even real. 

Hazel Chua of Technabob calls it "impractical" and "probably impossible," while David Ponce at OhGizmo! says he doubts such a niche product, even if made, would ever hit the market.

When asked for a release date by The Huffington Post, Julia Kibardina, the managing director of Kibardin's design studio, KIBARDINDESIGN, replied by email: "The BAT mouse project is in the first stage of pre-production. 

We're researching the market, customers' interest and improving the engineering part. We're also preparing a presentation for media. As soon as we are ready, we will give you all the information about this project."

huffingtonpost.com

Police mistakenly taser a blind man

A blind man from Lancashire, England, was Tasered by police last Friday after law enforcement officers mistook his white cane for a samurai sword, reports say.

According to Sky News, stroke victim Colin Farmer was hit in the back with a 50,000 volt Taser gun after police had received reports that a man was spotted walking through the town brandishing a samurai sword.

Farmer reportedly cried out "I'm blind! I'm blind!" while collapsing, but was still handcuffed by one of the officers, Sky News adds.

"The whole thing was like being trapped in a nightmare," the man told the Chorley Guardian, adding that he had initially thought that he was being "attacked by some hooligans."

Farmer was taken to the hospital for treatment and was later released.

“I was absolutely terrified. I thought any second I’m going to have another stroke and this one will kill me,” he said.

According to the Associated Press, Lancashire police have expressed "deep regrets" over the horrible mishap.

"We have clearly put this man through a traumatic experience and we are extremely sorry for that," Chief Superintendent Stuart Williams told the BBC. "We have launched an urgent investigation to understand what lessons can be learned."

The AP writes that a different man carrying a samurai sword was later arrested.

Farmer, who says the experience left his "shaking like a leaf and scared to go outside," is reportedly considering taking legal action against the police force, Sky News adds.

huffingtonpost.com

This is exactly why I'm against using tasers for any reason.  

And also how exactly do you mistake a blind man's cane for a samurai sword?.  0_O.  I hope he does sue them!.

Needles found in airplane food!

Washington (CNN) -- The FBI says it has launched an investigation into the discovery of sewing needles in four turkey sandwiches on separate Delta Air Lines flights from Amsterdam to the United States.


The objects were discovered in food on planes as they were en route Sunday from Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands to Minneapolis, Seattle and two flights to Atlanta, according to Delta spokeswoman Kristin Baur. Two of the needles were found by passengers, she said, at which point Delta told all 18 flights from Amsterdam to stop serving the sandwiches.


Unsavory truths about airplane food


Two more needles were discovered, including one found by a federal air marshal. One passenger on the plane going to Minneapolis was injured by the needle but declined medical treatment upon landing, according to Baur.


Federal agents have begun a criminal investigation, said Special Agent Stephen Emmett, an FBI spokesman in Atlanta.


Gate Gourmet, which provided prepared sandwiches to Delta, said the sandwiches originated at the firm's facility in Amsterdam. The company has been in business since 1992.


"This is a terribly upsetting situation," said Gate Gourmet spokeswoman Christina Ulosevich. "First and foremost is the safety of the traveling public. There's nothing more important to us at all than the safety of the passengers and crews."


Delta is now serving sealed prepackaged food on these flights instead of the sandwiches, and no other needles have been found, Baur said.





Airline drops salads from flights in food scare


The Transportation Security Administration says it notified all U.S. airlines with flights from Schiphol to the United States of the findings.


"TSA continues to closely monitor the review of the incidents as well as the security protocols being conducted by the air carrier and the airport authority," spokesman David Castelveter said.


"Delta requires all its in-flight caterers to adhere to strict criteria in order to offer our customers the very best onboard meals," Baur told CNN in a statement. "The safety and security of our passengers and crew is Delta's number one priority."


Delta says it has been in contact with the FBI, authorities in the Netherlands and Gate Gourmet and is fully cooperating with them in this investigation.


Why air travel snacks matter


Asked whether Gate Gourmet had taken any job action against any employee, Ulosevich said, "We don't have any comment. It's part of an active investigation."


"We are absolutely cooperating fully with federal and local authorities who are involved, and concurrent with that, we'll be conducting our own full-scale investigation."


Ulosevich said the company provides food to other airlines, "but we have received no other reports" of tampered products from other customers.


"We are monitoring every aspect of our operation," she said.


CNN.com


Like airplane food itself wasn't bad enough!.

Sweden introduces gender-neutral pronoun

How can you raise a child in an environment free of gender bias when the very language you speak distinguishes boys from girls?

Well, Sweden is fixing that obvious linguistic flaw by introducing a new gender-neutral pronoun:

Just days after International Women's Day a new pronoun, hen (pronounced like the bird in English), was added to the online version of the country’s National Encyclopedia. The entry defines hen as a "proposed gender-neutral personal pronoun instead of he [han in Swedish] and she [hon]."The National Encyclopedia announcement came amid a heated debate about gender neutrality that has been raging in Swedish newspaper columns and TV studios and on parenting blogs and feminist websites. It was sparked by the publication of Sweden's first ever gender-neutral children's book, Kivi och Monsterhund (Kivi and Monsterdog). It tells the story of Kivi, who wants a dog for "hen's" birthday.

 The whole thing is kind of long so here is the link to the whole article for those interested. Via Neatorama

RIP Whitney Houston

 LOS ANGELES - Whitney Houston, who ruled as pop music's queen until her majestic voice and regal image were ravaged by drug use, erratic behavior and a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown, has died. She was 48.

Houston's publicist, Kristen Foster, said Saturday that the singer had died, but the cause and the location of her death were unknown.

News of Houston's death came on the eve of music's biggest night — the Grammy Awards. It's a showcase where she once reigned, and her death was sure to case a heavy pall on Sunday's ceremony. Houston's longtime mentor Clive Davis was to hold his annual concert and dinner Saturday; it was unclear if it was going to go forward.

At her peak, Houston the golden girl of the music industry. From the middle 1980s to the late 1990s, she was one of the world's best-selling artists. She wowed audiences with effortless, powerful, and peerless vocals that were rooted in the black church but made palatable to the masses with a pop sheen.

Her success carried her beyond music to movies, where she starred in hits like "The Bodyguard" and "Waiting to Exhale."

She had the he perfect voice, and the perfect image: a gorgeous singer who had sex appeal but was never overtly sexual, who maintained perfect poise.

She influenced a generation of younger singers, from Christina Aguilera to Mariah Carey, who when she first came out sounded so much like Houston that many thought it was Houston.

But by the end of her career, Houston became a stunning cautionary tale of the toll of drug use. Her album sales plummeted and the hits stopped coming; her once serene image was shattered by a wild demeanor and bizarre public appearances. She confessed to abusing cocaine, marijuana and pills, and her once pristine voice became raspy and hoarse, unable to hit the high notes as she had during her prime.

"The biggest devil is me. I'm either my best friend or my worst enemy," Houston told ABC's Diane Sawyer in an infamous 2002 interview with then-husband Brown by her side.
It was a tragic fall for a superstar who was one of the top-selling artists in pop music history, with more than 55 million records sold in the United States alone.

She seemed to be born into greatness. She was the daughter of gospel singer Cissy Houston, the cousin of 1960s pop diva Dionne Warwick and the goddaughter of Aretha Franklin.

Houston first started singing in the church as a child. In her teens, she sang backup for Chaka Khan, Jermaine Jackson and others, in addition to modeling. It was around that time when music mogul Clive Davis first heard Houston perform.

"The time that I first saw her singing in her mother's act in a club ... it was such a stunning impact," Davis told "Good Morning America."

"To hear this young girl breathe such fire into this song. I mean, it really sent the proverbial tingles up my spine," he added.

Before long, the rest of the country would feel it, too. Houston made her album debut in 1985 with "Whitney Houston," which sold millions and spawned hit after hit. "Saving All My Love for You" brought her her first Grammy, for best female pop vocal. "How Will I Know," "You Give Good Love" and "The Greatest Love of All" also became hit singles.

Another multiplatinum album, "Whitney," came out in 1987 and included hits like "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" and "I Wanna Dance With Somebody."

The New York Times wrote that Houston "possesses one of her generation's most powerful gospel-trained voices, but she eschews many of the churchier mannerisms of her forerunners. She uses ornamental gospel phrasing only sparingly, and instead of projecting an earthy, tearful vulnerability, communicates cool self-assurance and strength, building pop ballads to majestic, sustained peaks of intensity."

Her decision not to follow the more soulful inflections of singers like Franklin drew criticism by some who saw her as playing down her black roots to go pop and reach white audiences. The criticism would become a constant refrain through much of her career. She was even booed during the "Soul Train Awards" in 1989.

"Sometimes it gets down to that, you know?" she told Katie Couric in 1996. "You're not black enough for them. I don't know. You're not R&B enough. You're very pop. The white audience has taken you away from them."

Some saw her 1992 marriage to former New Edition member and soul crooner Bobby Brown as an attempt to refute those critics. It seemed to be an odd union; she was seen as pop's pure princess while he had a bad-boy image, and already had children of his own. (The couple had a daughter, Bobbi Kristina, in 1993.) Over the years, he would be arrested several times, on charges ranging from DUI to failure to pay child support.

But Houston said their true personalities were not as far apart as people may have believed.
"When you love, you love. I mean, do you stop loving somebody because you have different images? You know, Bobby and I basically come from the same place," she told Rolling Stone in 1993. "You see somebody, and you deal with their image, that's their image. It's part of them, it's not the whole picture. I am not always in a sequined gown. I am nobody's angel. I can get down and dirty. I can get raunchy."

It would take several years, however, for the public to see that side of Houston. Her moving 1991 rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" at the Super Bowl, amid the first Gulf War, set a new standard and once again reaffirmed her as America's sweetheart.

In 1992, she became a star in the acting world with "The Bodyguard." Despite mixed reviews, the story of a singer (Houston) guarded by a former Secret Service agent (Kevin Costner) was an international success.

It also gave her perhaps her most memorable hit: a searing, stunning rendition of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You," which sat atop the charts for weeks. It was Grammy's record of the year and best female pop vocal, and the "Bodyguard" soundtrack was named album of the year.

She returned to the big screen in 1995-96 with "Waiting to Exhale" and "The Preacher's Wife." Both spawned soundtrack albums, and another hit studio album, "My Love Is Your Love," in 1998, brought her a Grammy for best female R&B vocal for the cut "It's Not Right But It's Okay."

But during these career and personal highs, Houston was using drugs. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2010, she said by the time "The Preacher's Wife" was released, "(doing drugs) was an everyday thing. ... I would do my work, but after I did my work, for a whole year or two, it was every day. ... I wasn't happy by that point in time. I was losing myself."

In the interview, Houston blamed her rocky marriage to Brown, which included a charge of domestic abuse against Brown in 1993. They divorced in 2007.

Houston would go to rehab twice before she would declare herself drug-free to Winfrey in 2010. But in the interim, there were missed concert dates, a stop at an airport due to drugs, and public meltdowns.

She was so startlingly thin during a 2001 Michael Jackson tribute concert that rumors spread she had died the next day. Her crude behavior and jittery appearance on Brown's reality show, "Being Bobby Brown," was an example of her sad decline. Her Sawyer interview, where she declared "crack is whack," was often parodied. She dropped out of the spotlight for a few years.

Houston staged what seemed to be a successful comeback with the 2009 album "I Look To You." The album debuted on the top of the charts, and would eventually go platinum.
Things soon fell apart. A concert to promote the album on "Good Morning America" went awry as Houston's voice sounded ragged and off-key. She blamed an interview with Winfrey for straining her voice.

A world tour launched overseas, however, only confirmed suspicions that Houston had lost her treasured gift, as she failed to hit notes and left many fans unimpressed; some walked out. Canceled concert dates raised speculation that she may have been abusing drugs, but she denied those claims and said she was in great shape, blaming illness for cancellations.

 CBSNews.com

It is extremely sad to lose another iconic legend so young.  Feels like yesterday that we lost Michael Jackson at 50.  It's another sad day for the music industry. 

Upon hearing the news just like with Michael I thought it was another sick joke at first, my heart dropped when I read the confirmation on CNN (I still don't quite believe it).   

I grew up listening to Whitney throughout my childhood, "The Bodyguard" is still one of my all time favourite soundtracks.

Whatever may have been the reason for the death (which at the time I write this is unknown) there's no denying that her talent and her voice was one of a kind and it will never be matched or forgotten.

RIP Whitney the world will always remember and thank you for all the joy you brought to our lives with your extraordinary voice.  :(.

My thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends especially her young daughter.

"Bittersweet memories, that is all I'm taking with me, so goodbye please don't cry"~I Will Always Love You"- The Bodyguard

I will never be able to sing this lyric without tearing up.

Roger Federer raises funds for Haiti relief

MELBOURNE, Australia - More than 14,000 tennis fans swarmed onto the grounds of the Australian Open on Sunday afternoon here in an impromptu show of financial support for Haiti relief efforts — and the chance to see top players in an exhibition staged at the last-minute suggestion of Roger Federer.

“It’s something as a tennis family we’re very happy to do,” Federer told reporters late Saturday after conferring with several top players.

“I got some connections, you know,” he said with a smile. “They all said, ‘Yes, we should do something.’”

Among the players who volunteered to appear were Rafael Nadal of Spain, Serena Williams and Andy Roddick of the United States, Kim Clijsters of Belgium, Novak Djokovic of Serbia, and Samantha Stosur and Lleyton Hewitt of Australia.

When organizers opened the gates at 1 p.m., thousands of people clutching special $10 tickets (about $9.20 in U.S. dollars) ran up steps to crowd into Rod Laver Arena from its busy Batman Avenue entrances. From the rear of the grounds, thousands more entered after jogging and trotting across Grand Slam Oval, a vast park area.

Within in 45 minutes, organizers said all but about 1,000 seats of the 15,000-seat arena were filled. Federer said all funds would be contributed to victims of the Haiti earthquake.

“I heard about it on Facebook,” said Kevin Ha, 23, a specialist in mergers and acquisitions at a Sydney financial firm. “It’s a good gesture. It’s inexpensive, so it seems like a good way to raise the money.”

Caspar Kaut, 19, a waiter, said he could not afford tickets to the tournament, so “this is a great chance to see them and do a good thing as well.”


Judy Fella of Cambridge, England, said: “I thought it was a terrific idea. There’s so much rubbish in the world. This is good spirit and I want to be part of it.”

The crowd burst into loud cheers and applause as the players appeared and began a series of doubles and mixed-doubles matches.

“Love you, Nadal,” shouted a young girl as the Spaniard teamed with Roddick to play a no-jokes-barred doubles match against Federer and Hewitt. In the umpire’s chair sat Jim Courier, the former two-time Australian Open champion. The players wore wireless microphones so the crowd could hear their comments.

Cheers and laughter filled the arena when Federer hit a between-the-legs forehand racing away from the net. Nadal reached high to block it, but hit the ball into the net. Roddick and Federer joked about what they call the inaccuracy of the Hawkeye line-calling system.

Clijsters and Djokovic squared off against Stosur and Williams in a mixed-doubles match later.

The late arrangement for the exhibition was worked out by the players and the Australian Open tournament director, Craig Tiley.

“Roger asked and Craig said, ‘Let’s do it,’” said Darren Pearce, a tournament spokesman. The event was expected to raise about 150,000 Australian dollars (about 138,000 U.S. dollars at current exchange rates).

“I think it was a great way to support the cause,” said Nibin Varghese, 24, a software engineer, who stood in a line that at one time numbered more than 200 people at a box office in the city’s Federation Square.

Source: New York Times Blog

Yawning may be rude, but it's good for you!

By Danielle Winston, Natural Solutions

Afraid to risk rudeness and let out a hearty yawn? Well, here’s an excuse to give Miss Manners a hissy fit: According to neuroscientist Andrew Newberg, MD, director of the Center for Spirituality and the Mind at the University of Pennsylvania, yawning is one of the best-kept health secrets. “If you want to maintain an optimum healthy brain, it is essential that you yawn,” says Newberg.

The action stimulates neural movement in certain areas of the mind and regulates brain temperature and metabolism–all of which can increase muscle control, enhance sensuality, and even ward off jet lag. Newberg suggests yawning 10 times in a row every day, along with your regular workout or wellness routine.

A nightly yawning ritual can help you:

Chill out. Newberg says a good yawn can relax you more effectively than meditation. “More than simply calming the body, yawning brings the mind into a heightened state of cognitive functioning.”

Stay focused. “Yawning rids the brain of sleepiness, helping you keep your attention on important ideas and concepts,” says Newberg. So why do we start yawning before we hit the sack? Because it also helps regulate our internal clock: When we’re tired, yawning signals sleep.

Be more compassionate. Studies show yawning stimulates the part of the brain responsible for generating empathy and social awareness. So intentional yawning may actually strengthen our ability to be kind to others.

Source: care2.com

Wow, gotta say I never realized how useful this simple body function actually was.

Celine Dion miscarries

By The Canadian Press MONTREAL - Celine Dion has lost her baby.

A spokeswoman for the pop star has confirmed that Dion's pregnancy - which she announced in August - has failed.

The couple had its first child with the help of fertility treatments, she became pregnant again with the help of the same technology, and the couple has kept trying despite the latest setback.

Dion tried fertility treatment last month, but that didn't work, and she will make another attempt at getting pregnant this weekend in New York.

Dion's husband Rene Angelil has told a newspaper that he and Dion are disappointed but determined, and that they take comfort in the fact they already have one child.

Dion, 41, and Angelil 67, have an eight-year-old son Rene-Charles.

Source: Yahoo News

My deepest condolences to Celine and her family.

Be a grump, it's good for you!

In a bad mood? Don't worry - according to research, it's good for you.

An Australian psychology expert who has been studying emotions has found being grumpy makes us think more clearly.

In contrast to those annoying happy types, miserable people are better at decision-making and less gullible, his experiments showed.



While cheerfulness fosters creativity, gloominess breeds attentiveness and careful thinking, Professor Joe Forgas told Australian Science Magazine.

'Eeyore days'

The University of New South Wales researcher says a grumpy person can cope with more demanding situations than a happy one because of the way the brain "promotes information processing strategies".

He asked volunteers to watch different films and dwell on positive or negative events in their life, designed to put them in either a good or bad mood.

Next he asked them to take part in a series of tasks, including judging the truth of urban myths and providing eyewitness accounts of events.

Those in a bad mood outperformed those who were jolly - they made fewer mistakes and were better communicators.

Professor Forgas said: "Whereas positive mood seems to promote creativity, flexibility, co-operation and reliance on mental shortcuts, negative moods trigger more attentive, careful thinking, paying greater attention to the external world."

The study also found that sad people were better at stating their case through written arguments, which Forgas said showed that a "mildly negative mood may actually promote a more concrete, accommodative and ultimately more successful communication style".

His earlier work shows the weather has a similar impact on us - wet, dreary days sharpened memory, while bright sunny spells make people forgetful.

Source: bbc.co.uk

Very insightful. Take that cheerful people! :P :D.

Facebook makes you smarter, Twitter does not

Of course, it’s not that simple; but if you believe Dr Tracy Alloway from the University of Stirling in Scotland, Twitter and Facebook are very different beasts when it comes to improve your “working memory“, which relates to “the structures and processes used for temporarily storing and manipulating information in short-term memory.”



Dr. Alloway has developed a working memory training programme for slow-learning children aged 11 to 14 at a school in Durham, and she found out that Facebook (Facebook) did wonders for working memory, improving the kids’ IQ scores, while YouTube (YouTube) and Twitter’s (Twitter) steady stream of information was not healthy for working memory. Also, playing video games, especially those that involve planning and strategy, can also be beneficial.



As with any such study, one needs to take the results with a grain of salt. Without going into the benefits of training working memory for improving your IQ results, it’s obvious that Facebook and Twitter are hard to compare. Facebook is extremely versatile: you can play games there, chat with your friends, view photos and videos; you can even take IQ tests.



Twitter is a much simpler, more streamlined service. Does that fact alone makes it detrimental to your working memory? Dr. Alloway claims: “On Twitter you receive an endless stream of information, but it’s also very succinct. You don’t have to process that information. Your attention span is being reduced and you’re not engaging your brain and improving nerve connections.” That may be true, and while looking at Twitter like a zombie for the better part of the day is probably bad for you, if you mix it up with other online activities – such as Facebook – I doubt you’ll see any negative effects.

Source: mashable.com via Neatorama

This makes me feel a whole lot better about not being sucked into the Twitter craze.

I'll stick with Facebook thank you very much :).

What's so special about 09/09/09?

Have special plans this 09/09/09?

Everyone from brides and grooms to movie studio execs are celebrating the upcoming calendrical anomaly in their own way.

In Florida, at least one county clerk's office is offering a one-day wedding special for $99.99. The rarity of this Sept. 9 hasn't been lost on the creators of the iPod, who have moved their traditional Tuesday release day to Wednesday to take advantage of the special date.

Focus Features is releasing their new film "9," an animated tale about the apocalypse, on the 9th.

Not only does the date look good in marketing promotions, but it also represents the last set of repeating, single-digit dates that we'll see for almost a century (until January 1, 2101), or a millennium (mark your calendars for January 1, 3001), depending on how you want to count it.

Though technically there's nothing special about the symmetrical date, some concerned with the history and meaning of numbers ascribe powerful significance to 09/09/09.

For cultures in which the number nine is lucky, Sept. 9 is anticipated – while others might see the date as an ominous warning.

Math magic

Modern numerologists — who operate outside the realm of real science — believe that mystical significance or vibrations can be assigned to each numeral one through nine, and different combinations of the digits produce tangible results in life depending on their application.

As the final numeral, the number nine holds special rank. It is associated with forgiveness, compassion and success on the positive side as well as arrogance and self-righteousness on the negative, according to numerologists.

Though usually discredited as bogus, numerologists do have a famous predecessor to look to. Pythagoras, the Greek mathematician and father of the famous theorem, is also credited with popularizing numerology in ancient times.

"Pythagoras most of all seems to have honored and advanced the study concerned with numbers, having taken it away from the use of merchants and likening all things to numbers," wrote Aristoxenus, an ancient Greek historian, in the 4th century B.C.

As part of his obsession with numbers both mathematically and divine, and like many mathematicians before and since, Pythagoras noted that nine in particular had many unique properties.

Any grade-schooler could tell you, for example, that the sum of the two-digits resulting from nine multiplied by any other single-digit number will equal nine. So 9x3=27, and 2+7=9.

Multiply nine by any two, three or four-digit number and the sums of those will also break down to nine. For example: 9x62 = 558; 5+5+8=18; 1+8=9.

Sept. 9 also happens to be the 252nd day of the year (2 + 5 +2)...

Loving 9

Both China and Japan have strong feelings about the number nine. Those feelings just happen to be on opposite ends of the spectrum.

The Chinese pulled out all the stops to celebrate their lucky number eight during last year's Summer Olympics, ringing the games in at 8 p.m. on 08/08/08.

What many might not realize is that nine comes in second on their list of auspicious digits and is associated with long life, due to how similar its pronunciation is to the local word for long-lasting (eight sounds like wealth).

Historically, ancient Chinese emperors associated themselves closely with the number nine, which appeared prominently in architecture and royal dress, often in the form of nine fearsome dragons.

The imperial dynasties were so convinced of the power of the number nine that the palace complex at Beijing's Forbidden City is rumored to have been built with 9,999 rooms.

Japanese emperors would have never worn a robe with nine dragons, however.

In Japanese, the word for nine is a homophone for the word for suffering, so the number is considered highly unlucky – second only to four, which sounds like death.

Many Japanese will go so far as to avoid room numbers including nine at hotels or hospitals, if the building planners haven't already eliminated them altogether.

Source: livescience.com via Neatorama

I was just having a discussion with a friend on whether there was any significance to this date.

And lo and behold I got my answer (or in this case several). Gotta love the Internet!. :)

'The Amazing Race' 15 cast revealed

Among the teams are a couple Harlem Globetrotters, professional poker players, married yoga teachers, a person with Asperger's syndrome and the aforementioned mixed couple, Ericka Dunlap and Brian Kleinschmidt.

It's been a head scratcher that it's taken "The Amazing Race" 15 seasons to put an interracial couple in among its competitors.

We've always noticed it in the Zap2it offices and wondered at the glaring omission. Check out photos of the racers. As usual, Phil Keoghan will return as host.

The new season will span eight countries in only 21 days and will feature a few surprises: a visit by an American entertainer, a "spicy" twist on a Japanese game show, a team elimination before they even leave the starting line, and a "Switchback," in which the teams revisit on of the series' most infamous Roadblocks.

The 15th season of "The Amazing Race" premieres on Sunday, Sept. 27.

Source: zap2it.com


I've been wondering why it has taken the producers so long to get an interracial couple as well.

Over the past 14 years we've had practically everyone else!. But better late then never I guess.

Unlike in all past seasons no hints about which countries the teams will be traveling to. Interesting.

That could mean one of two things, either they are all countries the teams have been to many times before.

Or they'll all be entering into some uncharted territories.

I'm very curious about the aforementioned " spicy" twist as well (I'm thinking gross food challenge).

Finally an explanation for all early risers

By Cassandra Willyard
ScienceNOW Daily News
13 August 2009

Don't hate those people who are perky and efficient after only a few hours of sleep. They can't help it. New research suggests that a genetic mutation may explain why some people sleep less.

Researchers don't know exactly why some people do fine with as little as 4 hours of sleep a night, while others need 12. "We've believed for a long time that there's a genetic basis," says Paul Shaw, a neurobiologist at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. But scientists have only recently begun to ferret out which genes are responsible.

In 2001, geneticist Ying-Hui Fu and colleagues identified a mutation in a gene called Per2 that appeared to cause familial advanced sleep-phase syndrome (FASPS). People who have this condition sleep a normal 8 hours, but they go to bed earlier than most people, retiring at 6 or 7 in the evening and waking at 3 or 4 in the morning. "After that was published, a lot of these people [with unusual sleep schedules] came to us," says Fu, who is now at the University of California, San Francisco. "So we started to collect DNA samples." The team now has genetic information from more than 60 families.

Fu and her colleagues have spent the past several years mining this vast genetic storehouse for more mutations that might affect sleep patterns. In 2005, they uncovered another mutation associated with FASPS.

And now they say they have found the first genetic mutation in humans that appears to affect sleep duration rather than sleep timing.

The mutation lies in DEC2, a gene that codes for a protein that helps turn off expression of other genes, including some that control circadian rhythm, the internal clock that regulates a person's sleep-wake cycle.

The mutation occurred in just two people, a mother and her daughter. The women sleep an average of only 6.25 hours, whereas the rest of the family members sleep a more typical 8 hours.

To confirm that this mutation shortens sleep, Fu and colleagues engineered mice to carry the mutant form of DEC2. The mutant mice slept about an hour less than normal mice, the team reports today in Science. The finding also held for fruit flies: Mutant flies slept about 2 hours less than normal flies.

DEC2 likely isn't the whole story when it comes to short sleep. "Genetic control of sleep is going to be complex and is going to include multiple types of genes," says Shaw, who was not affiliated with the study. But that doesn't diminish the importance of this paper, he notes. "It's really an amazing piece of work."

The findings, says Fu, could lead to better treatments for sleep disorders. If the mutated form of DEC2 were available in a pill, Fu says she'd take it, noting that she needs about 8 hours of shuteye a night to feel rested. "All my life I've wanted to be able to sleep less.

Interesting, and yet it still doesn't change my dislike for people who easily get up at the crack of dawn.

Source: sciencemag.org via Neatorama

Tip-of-the-tongue moments explained

Nearly everyone has tip-of-the-tongue moments, but bilinguals seem especially prone to these momentary lapses in vocabulary, says Jennie Pyers, a psychologist at Wellesley College in Massachusetts.

One possible explanation is that similar-sounding words compete for our brain's attention. Since bilinguals know twice as many words as monolinguals, there's more chance for tip-of-the-tongue experiences.

"Often when we're having tip-of-the-tongue experiences, words that sound the same come to mind," Pyers says. "There's a sense that you do know the first letter; there's a sense that you might know how many syllables it is."

Alternatively, they could occur when our brains recall rarely used words, Pyers says. "It's much easier to retrieve a word like 'knife' than 'guillotine'."

Since bilinguals, by definition, speak two languages, they are bound to use many individual words less frequently than monolinguals.

In hopes of narrowing down these explanations, Pyers' team compared 11 Spanish-English bilinguals with 22 people who used English and American sign language (ASL). Since the signers' second "tongue" makes no use of sound, there is no opportunity for sound-alike words to elicit tip-of-the-tongue experiences, says Pyers, who is fluent in ASL.

To provoke tip-of-the-tongue moments, the researchers showed the bilinguals, as well as a control group of 22 English monolinguals, pictures of dozens of different objects and challenged the volunteers to name them in 30 seconds. The viewed objects – which included axes, weathervanes, gyroscopes, nooses and metronomes – were obscure enough to elicit tip-of-the-tongue experiences in all but one participant.

As with previous experiments, monolinguals had fewer tip-of-the-tongue experiences than bilinguals, about 7 words versus 12, out of a total of 52 – though Pyers' team counted only instances where the volunteer knew the word.

However, Spanish bilinguals experienced roughly the same number of tip-of-the-tongues as sign language bilinguals. This rules out the possibility that similar-sounding words compete for our brain's attention in tip-of-the-tongue experiences.

More likely, tip-of-the-tongue experiences occur when we're trying to recall rarely used words, Pyers says.

"People often have tip of the tongue experiences for proper names, again because we don't use them very frequently," she adds.

Source: newscientist.com via Neatorama

A nap will do you good!

Yeah, we know. You didn't sleep well last night. So why not take a nap?

Studies show that not only will you feel better almost immediately, says Sara Mednick, PhD, a sleep medicine researcher at the University of California at San Diego and author of Take a Nap! Change Your Life, but a daily nap of between 20 and 90 minutes before 4:00 pm will also increase your mental performance, reduce your chances of gaining weight, and make you feel a whole lot more like having sex after dinner than you probably do now. What's more, it won't affect your nighttime sleep.

All told, a nap, according to Dr. Mednick, will:

• Increase your on-the-job alertness by 100 percent
• Sharpen your thinking so you make more accurate judgments and better decisions
• Ramp up your productivity
• Regenerate skin cells so you look younger
• Increase your sex drive
• Help you lose weight by altering metabolism and shifting chemicals that affect appetite
• Reduce your risk of heart attack, stroke, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, and other cardiovascular problems
• Lift your mood by bathing your brain in the neurotransmitter serotonin
• Speed up your ability to perform motor tasks, like typing, operating machinery, even swimming
• Improve your accuracy—in everything
• Improve the way your body processes carbs, which reduces your risk of diabetes
• Sharpen your senses so you take in what's important in your environment—and screen out the 24-hour culture chatter that surrounds us
• Put your brain into its creative gear so you can come up with fresh ideas
• Trigger a naturally occurring hormone that blocks the destructive chemicals produced by stress
• Boost your ability to learn something new—and, better yet, remember it
• Zap the need for drugs like caffeine and alcohol to manipulate your mood and energy level
• Relieve migraines
• Improve your nighttime sleep by eliminating that wired feeling and thus shutting off the brain chatter
• Make you feel good all over

Source: besthealthmag via Neatorama

Now I don't feel so bad about all those naps I took during my high school and College years ;P.

Why Does My Body Do That?

Have you ever wanted to know why we yawn, sneeze, hiccup or maybe why our ears ring?.

Well here are some explanations.

Whether uncomfortable, embarrassing or just plain weird, there are some pretty funky things that our bodies do. Curious about the causes of such reactions as hiccups, goose bumps and eye twitches, we spoke with Eric Plasker, DC, author of The 100 Year Lifestyle, to get the real scoop. Read on to discover the common reasons for 14 peculiar bodily functions.

Yawns

If your body is low on oxygen, your mouth opens wide and tries to suck more in. Yawning is a way to regulate the amount of carbon dioxide and oxygen in your blood. Unfortunately, yawns are nearly impossible to stifle.

Eye Twitches

Serious eye twitches can be a symptom of neurological disorders, but often there is a more mundane explanation. Common causes for eye twitches include stress, lack of sleep, extended staring or eye strain. Before you get frantic, try reducing your stress level, cutting back on caffeine and catching up on sleep.

Itches

According to Dr. Plasker, our skin most often gets itchy because of dryness associated with the environment or over-washing—water and soap can strip skin of its natural oils, thus sapping moisture. Face or body lotion should be able to keep these types of itches under control; also look for body washes and soaps labeled “moisturizing.” If you still have itchy patches, you may be experiencing an allergic reaction to a chemical, plant, food, animal or drug. See an allergist if the itching is persistent.

Hiccups

If you’ve frequently got a case of the hiccups, try slowing down when you eat and drink, suggests Dr. Plasker. Doing either too quickly causes your stomach to swell; this irritates your diaphragm, which contracts and causes hiccups. You may also get hiccups in emotional situations or if your body experiences a sudden temperature change. In both of these cases, the hiccups are a result of a glitch in your nerve pathways, which is why a sudden scare—which might shake up and reset your nerves—can sometimes end an episode.

Goose Bumps

Those tiny bumps that cover your skin when you’re cold or scared are actually a defense mechanism. Goose bumps occur when the arrector pili, a tiny muscle that connects the hair follicle with skin, contracts and makes the hair stand on end. If you had more hair—like cavemen did—the upright hair would trap air to keep you warm or make you look bushier and therefore more threatening to predators.

Sneezes

Sneezes happen when your body is trying to expel an irritant from the nasal cavity. If you have allergies, pollen or pet dander is usually to blame. If you have a cold, your body makes mucus to trap the virus, and sneezing helps force it (and the sickness) out of your body. An over-the-counter allergy or cold medicine helps suppress your reaction to allergens or reduce mucus production, which should prevent sneezing fits.

Coughs

A cough is another mechanism your body uses to get rid of irritants. There are special cells along your air passage, says Dr. Plasker, that recognize irritants and force them out. Common colds, sinus infections and pneumonia all increase your body’s mucus production, which triggers coughing. Smoking and asthma also tend to irritate the cells. To help cut down on chronic coughing, exercise regularly and practice good posture to keep your air passage open.

Charley Horses

These sudden, super-painful muscle spasms can be blamed on several things, including dehydration or electrolyte imbalances—often from strenuous exercise. After a demanding workout or an extra-long run, sip a sports drink to keep your system running smoothly. If you experience this type of cramping, walk around to help relieve the pain.

Shivers

Shivering, says Dr. Plasker, is full-body muscle twitching. When your temperature drops too low, your body shakes all over in an attempt to generate heat. The only way to cure these kind of shivers is to get your temperature back to 98.6°F.

Ear Ringing

Ear ringing, or tinnitus, can happen for two reasons. If you have fluid or an infection in your middle ear, you may hear a constant buzz. However, the more common cause is damage to the microscopic ends of your hearing nerves, which often happens when you’re exposed to loud noises. To prevent permanent damage (and preserve your hearing), wear earplugs at concerts and sporting events—or even when you mow the lawn.

Stomach Rumbles

As food, liquid and gas move through your digestive tract, your stomach muscles and intestines contract and cause rumbling noises—borborygmi is the scientific name. Everyone’s stomach makes noise during digestion, but if you have extra-loud rumbles, a teaspoon of olive oil or a cup of herbal tea with lemon may help ease them, says Dr. Plasker.

Limbs Falling Asleep

When there’s consistent pressure on part of a limb—like when you sit on your feet or rest your head on an arm—the pressure squeezes your nerve pathways and scrambles messages sent to your brain. The mixed messages make you lose feeling in the squished body part because your brain has trouble telling it what to do. To prevent a case of pins and needles, avoid sitting or lying in positions that compress your nerves.

Seeing Stars

If you stand too quickly, suffer a blow to the head or are stricken by a migraine, there’s a good chance you’ll see stars as blood surges to different parts of your body. Generally these tiny flashes of light will fade in a few seconds. If you see stars for more than a few moments, you could have a tear or tiny clot in your retina, and you should consult a physician immediately.

Ear Popping

The Eustachian tube in your inner ear is responsible for maintaining equal pressure on both sides of your eardrum. When you experience a rapid change in altitude—during takeoff in an airplane or when riding an elevator in an extra-tall building—the Eustachian tube opens to release pressure, and you hear a pop. To force the tube open (and “pop” your ears), squeeze your nostrils closed while exhaling forcefully through your nose.

Source: womansday.com via Neatorama