Watch this cool news story.
crapbag
Monday, February 27, 2006
In recent years, the US has made it harder for foreigners to enter the country. Now, the US has offended many Indians by denying a prominent Indian scientist an entry visa.
This sounds like something out of a fairy tale, but it’s actually true: Enjoying your food will actually make it more nutritious!
So you can stop feeling guilty about gratifying your taste buds. Just make sure you savor every bite so it’ll really be good for you.
So you can stop feeling guilty about gratifying your taste buds. Just make sure you savor every bite so it’ll really be good for you.
Sunday, February 26, 2006
This is kind of cool (especially for authors who don’t like traveling).
Margaret Atwood is going to commercially produce a long-distance pen that lets authors autograph books remotely. The author and the fan communicate via video conferencing, and the author “signs” the book using a graphics tablet connected to a computer and it is reproduced at another location by a machine that is set up to directly print onto the fan’s book.
You can see a video of it in action here.
Margaret Atwood is going to commercially produce a long-distance pen that lets authors autograph books remotely. The author and the fan communicate via video conferencing, and the author “signs” the book using a graphics tablet connected to a computer and it is reproduced at another location by a machine that is set up to directly print onto the fan’s book.
You can see a video of it in action here.
A hodge podge of interesting advice from Marie Claire designed to help you with your appearance, image, and finances.
One of the gems from this article:
Wow! I hate wearing perfume, but after reading this, I just might reconsider.
One of the gems from this article:
When women wear spicy, floral perfume, men perceive them as being up to 12 pounds thinner. Grapefruit scents can make women seem six years younger. Lavender aromas have been shown to cause sexual arousal in men.
Wow! I hate wearing perfume, but after reading this, I just might reconsider.
Find out how much it costs for someone to buy your personal information here. And don't be surprised if the information others have on you is actually wrong.
Want to know what American Idol auditions are really like? Read this article and you might be surprised by what you find out.
Saturday, February 25, 2006
The author of this article believes that children should be taught about food and nutrition in schools. As an example, she discusses a program where children get involved in growing fruits, herbs and vegetables in a garden on school grounds. This gives them the opportunity to learn lessons in different subjects and experience growing, preparing and literally tasting the fruits of their labor.
Studies of autopsies have shown that doctors seriously misdiagnose fatal illnesses about 20 percent of the time. So millions of patients are being treated for the wrong disease.
This is incredible. Misdiagnosis is apparently very common in the United States. This article argues that because there are no incentives that reward doctors and hospitals for making the correct diagnosis, not much is being done to address the high incidence of misdiagnosis, and patients are left paying the price.
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Exercising your body, your mind and your social connections can all help lower your risk of Alzheimer's. Read this article to learn more about what you can do to keep your brain in good shape.
Warning: The bright red color of meat may no longer be a sign of freshness.
Traditionally, shoppers have looked at the color of meat to judge its freshness, with bright red signalling newly-cut meat, and brown indicating older stock. But a new way of treating meat with carbon monoxide keeps the meat looking bright red, even when it has gone bad. Consumer advocates are complaining that this can trick consumers into buying meat that is past its prime.
Traditionally, shoppers have looked at the color of meat to judge its freshness, with bright red signalling newly-cut meat, and brown indicating older stock. But a new way of treating meat with carbon monoxide keeps the meat looking bright red, even when it has gone bad. Consumer advocates are complaining that this can trick consumers into buying meat that is past its prime.
Only 5% of white Americans are natural blonds, but 33% of adult women sport blond hair. The percentage of blondes among television newscasters is even higher—an estimated 60% are blond. Why do so many people want to become blondes? This slide-show essay looks into this question.
Here is an interesting excerpt from the essay [from a book by Pitman, an expert on blond studies]: “We associate blond with youth, she writes, because the hair of babies and that of young children tends to become wan and darken with age. Pitman—a blonde, incidentally—notes blond women appear younger and thus more fertile, winning them an evolutionary advantage over brunettes. Blond hair ‘also softens facial lines and is flattering to mature faces.”
Here is an interesting excerpt from the essay [from a book by Pitman, an expert on blond studies]: “We associate blond with youth, she writes, because the hair of babies and that of young children tends to become wan and darken with age. Pitman—a blonde, incidentally—notes blond women appear younger and thus more fertile, winning them an evolutionary advantage over brunettes. Blond hair ‘also softens facial lines and is flattering to mature faces.”
Calcium supplements may not help post-menopausal women at all in preventing fractures, but doctors will probably continue to prescribe them.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
E-mail makes professors accessible—maybe too accessible. Students are now e-mailing their teachers at the drop of a hat, sometimes sending them highly inappropriate messages. Don’t be surprised if we start seeing more nutty professors—a constant barrage of these types of messages is bound to drive anyone crazy.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
A study of monkeys shows that maintaining weight loss requires "eternal vigilance". Also, there are genetic differences that affect whether one gains weight or not, given the same diet.
Love doesn't just feel good, it's good for you too. Read about the many health benefits of having a significant other.
I found it interesting that when women want to cuddle and men want to have sex, they may unknowingly be doing it for their health.
I found it interesting that when women want to cuddle and men want to have sex, they may unknowingly be doing it for their health.
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Perks are slowly disappearing for everyone, it seems. Undercover vice cops in Virginia will now have to give up free hand jobs on the job.
This is an interesting article about the West Coast burger chain, In-N-Out. The author looks into why it's so popular, how it's unique, and why things might change for the worse in the future.
Contrary to what one might expect, runners are not more likely to suffer from arthritis or pain later in life. In fact, runners end up experiencing less pain than people who don't run.
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
A new study shows that aspartame (Nutrasweet, Equal) may not be as harmless as previously claimed. Further research is needed; but for now, it may be safer to switch to sucralose (Splenda).
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Building monorails to solve the traffic problem in LA actually sounds like a good idea. Anything that will improve public transportation in LA is a good thing.
The author of this article argues that it's a lot cheaper and quicker to build monorails than to build subways. Maybe a system based on monorails won't look as nice as one based on subways, but it sounds like it is a more practical and doable solution.
The author of this article argues that it's a lot cheaper and quicker to build monorails than to build subways. Maybe a system based on monorails won't look as nice as one based on subways, but it sounds like it is a more practical and doable solution.
Who would have thought that a virus could be the reason that some people appear to be more susceptible to becoming obese?
Hormones are responsible for making male monkeys gain weight when their mate is pregnant. And apparently, some human males also gain weight when their partners get pregnant, but scientists don't know why.
Who said old dogs can’t learn new tricks—or in this case old whales?
This clever orca figured out a good way to bait sea gulls, and after a while, other whales picked up on his crafty strategy and started copying him.
This clever orca figured out a good way to bait sea gulls, and after a while, other whales picked up on his crafty strategy and started copying him.
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
From the article:
People who engaged in moderate activity—the equivalent of walking for 30 minutes a day for five days a week—lived about 1.3 to 1.5 years longer than those who were less active. Those who took on more intense exercise—the equivalent of running half an hour a day five days every week—extended their lives by about 3.5 to 3.7 years, the researchers found.
The findings show that even for people who are already middle-aged, exercising more can add years to their lives.
Despite the widespread sentiment among liberals that Wal-Mart is an evil company, this interesting piece argues that the discount retailer is actually benefiting the poor. People with low incomes are able to afford necessities such as food at much lower prices because of Wal-Mart, and even if Wal-Mart is responsible for lower wages in retail, the benefits that lower-income people gain from having affordable food outweigh the costs of lower pay. Whether one agrees with this or not, this is something one should consider when looking at the role Walmart plays in the economy.
Judging by how many takers there were for this literal “hole-in-the-wall”, it seems there are many desperate New Yorkers who are having a hard time finding an affordable place in the city.
Female rats who had never had caffeine before were sexually revved up when given a dose of caffeine.
Taking acetaminophen/paracetamol (e.g., Tylenol, Biogesic) and drinking wine/alcohol may aggravate your asthma.
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Doctors are gradually forgetting the art of using the stethoscope for diagnosis, and are increasingly relying on more expensive tests and machines.
At least 73 people were killed at the Ultra in Pasig, while trying to get into the stadium for the anniversary show of a popular Philippine TV game show. There are conflicting reports of the exact cause of the stampede that resulted in people in front of the line getting crushed by those behind them. Read more about it here, here and here.
It’s interesting to learn that 5’3 is the average height for a woman in France (it’s 5’4 in the US), and 5’7 1/2 is the average for French men. I’m not so short after all!
Don't go with just the state minimum. You need to have adequate liability coverage on your car insurance in case you get into an accident and get sued.
For those who might be confused about the exact meaning of the term “gnarly”—like I was—that is probably because it can mean both something positive or something negative.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines gnarly as:
And this American English to British English translator gives this definition:
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines gnarly as:
1 : GNARLED
2 slang—used as a generalized term of approval or disparagement
And this American English to British English translator gives this definition:
gnarly /nahlee/ adj :
unpleasant, syn. bogus, gross, but also of something imposing a great challenge, “gnarly waves, dude!”.