MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'entertainment'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:47:59 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159204&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F22%2Fweb-surfing-at-work-helps-you-be-more-productive%2F Thank goodness the Wall Street Journal isn’t known for its outstanding health reporting. In a story written by Rachel Emma Silverman, she reports on some preliminary research recently presented at a management conference. Like a lot of research that gives us “surprising” results, it was done on a single group of 96 undergraduate students at a single college campus. And the task designed for the college laboratory setting by the researchers would be difficult to characterize as analogous to most people’s work environment or jobs — it was highlighting every single letter “e” or, in the second part, “a,” while reading. The question the researchers asked — Can surfing the Internet help you to become a more productive employee? The an... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159204 Mon, 22 Aug 2011 18:23:31 +0100 5159204 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159222&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F21%2Fsarah-haskins-on-ladyfriend-stereotypes%2F From Current: The best part about being a girl is your girlfriends. They keep you happy when you’re sad and make you laugh when you want to cry, and most importantly, tell you what to buy. Related Situationist posts: Barbie Commercials Across the Decades and the Implications on Female Identity and Objectification The Gendered Situation of Math, Humanities, and Romance Sexism: The Worst Part Is Not Knowing Unlevel Playing Fields: From Baseball Diamonds to Emergency Rooms Susan Fiske on “Inclusive Leadership, Stereotyping and the Brain” Sexual Harassment at Wal-Mart? The Situation of Sexual Harassment Susan Fiske’s New Book Susan Fiske Discusses her Work on Different Types of Prejudices “The Situation of Objectification,” “Women’s Situational Bind,” and “Y... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159222 Sun, 21 Aug 2011 04:01:11 +0100 5159222 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159610&cid=t_96596_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2F4gtxU9nWhkA%2F Last fall, I wrote a post featuring five new songs that I was obsessed with. I was planning on making it a recurring series but for some reason I never got around to it. I’m going to try it again. For the past few weeks, since returning from Oregon, I’ve been working almost entirely out of Starbucks. The apartment next door is under construction and the hammering, sawing, and drilling was driving me crazy. But Starbucks is no urban oasis. So I have taken to listening to my “Florence + the Machine” Pandora station on a more consistent basis, after getting thoroughly sick of all the songs in my iTunes. I needed some new material! Whenever I hear a song that makes me groove just a little bit more than usual, I make a point to write it down and save it. Thanks to Spotif... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159610 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 14:00:00 +0100 5159610 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5140135&cid=t_96596_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2F97v6_A3vtn0%2F I knew that this was going to be a tough book to give away. I didn’t give it such a hot review, so I wasn’t really expecting anyone to enter to win the book. So the fact that there were three ladies who took the chance surprised me! And the winner is… Kim! Congratulations! I’ll be in contact to get your mailing address. I can’t wait to hear what you think of the book! As mentioned last week, I’m currently reading Incendiary, by Chris Cleave. Thus far, it is vastly superior to The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. But that’s not saying much. My book club meeting is this Sunday, so hopefully I can get the darn thing finished in time! The next book giveaway will probably be sometime in early September. Once I’m finished with Incendiary, I&#8217... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5140135 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 14:00:00 +0100 5140135 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5140000&cid=t_96596_117_f&fid=37824&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.doctorkalitenko.com%2Fblog%2Fbread-time-staple-diet-superfood-sick%2F Bread has been a staple of our everyday diet for thousands of years.  It is so tasty, packed with calories and filling, that many people cannot imagine how to live without bread.  But recently, bread has been linked to many diseases: from celiac disease of the digestive tract to arthritis, heart disease and even cancer.  Despite the fact that the ultimate form of bread intolerance, Celiac disease, is relatively rare (about 1 in 100 Americans), the milder but still dangerous form of celiac disease — gluten sensitivity — is relatively common.  So it is not just a few Americans…it could be you! How did it happen that bread, which has helped civilization survive, became so dangerous to our health? So dangerous that many people are now saying that bread should be eliminated f... Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5140000 Tue, 16 Aug 2011 17:30:04 +0100 5140000 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5130826&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2F14%2Fwwyd-on-obedience%2F Here is another segment from John Quinones’s excellent ABC 20/20 series titled “What Would You Do?” — a series that, in essence, conducts situationist experiments through hidden-camera scenarios. This episode asks, “Would You Obey a Total Stranger”“ * * * * * * To review a sample of related Situationist posts, see “The Situation of Retail Discrimination,“ “Racial Prejudice in Real Estate Markets,” “Journalists as Social Psychologists & Social Psychologists as Entertainers,” “Solomon Asch’s Famous Compliance Experiment,” “The Situation of Bullying,” “Jane Elliot’s Situationist Pedagogy,”  “Black History is Now,” “The Toll of Discrimination on Black Women,” “The Cogniti... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5130826 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 04:34:44 +0100 5130826 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118911&cid=t_96596_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FFBL_rbBZwOQ%2F I hated this book. I know a lot of people said that this book was challenging. That they didn’t like it. That it was confusing and complicated, made even worse by the constant intermingling of Spanish and English. The storyline was complicated enough without the language barrier. I get that the reason its there is for added “voice” for the narrator, whom I had trouble deciphering for the longest time (I’m still not sure I really ever knew who was talking and when). But even when it frustrated me to no end, I didn’t give up. It is a Pulitzer Prize winning book, after all. Time magazine said it was “Astoundingly great.” Entertainment Weekly: “Terrific… high energy… it is a joy to read, and every bit as exhilarating to re-read.&#8221... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118911 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 14:00:00 +0100 5118911 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086454&cid=t_96596_133_f&fid=35095&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FAutismsEdges%2F%7E3%2FlTdyxsGy5AA%2Fat-last-we-are-muggles.html (Source: Autism's Edges) Autism's Edges blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086454 Sun, 31 Jul 2011 18:57:00 +0100 5086454 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086282&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F07%2F31%2Fwhy-goalies-often-dive-to-the-right%2F APS Press Release: In the quarterfinal of the 2006 Soccer World Cup, England and Portugal played for 90 tense minutes and 30 minutes extra time without a single goal being scored. This led them to a penalty shoot-out; as one by one, players went against the opposing team’s goalie. After four shots by each team, Portugal was ahead 2-1. Portugal’s star Cristiano Ronaldo shot to English goalkeeper Paul Robinson’s left, but Robinson dove right. Portugal scored, won the game, and went on to the semifinal. When Robinson dove to his right, he was making a common choice for our right-oriented brains, according to a new study which will be published in an upcoming issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. The researchers found that, in World Cup ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086282 Sun, 31 Jul 2011 16:31:57 +0100 5086282 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028675&cid=t_96596_117_f&fid=37824&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.doctorkalitenko.com%2Fblog%2Fsmart-people-act-stupid%2F When Congressman Anthony Weiner stood before dozens of reporters and announced that indeed he had been “unfaithful” to his wife by carrying on an internet relationship with someone else, everyone was disappointed. “What a dumb mistake,” we all said as we watched him tear up and admit that there was no defense to what he did. Then came the shocker: not only had he done this once, but there were several relationships, that he had been carrying on for years, with women all over the country, sending them photos of himself, from his public email account. There was no hiding it and no denying it. But how could something like this happen? The Congressman had been what his friends and colleagues considered “a contendor,” an up and coming, smart and witty congre... Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028675 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 18:46:56 +0100 5028675 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968679&cid=t_96596_117_f&fid=37824&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.doctorkalitenko.com%2Fblog%2Fbargain-shopping-doctor%2F   A recent article published on AOL discussed the new trend of pricing out doctors and services before heading out to get a procedure done. Several companies have recently been created to help patients become consumers instead when it comes to where they will get procedures done. So what do we think about this? Is bargain shopping OK when it comes to the health care you will get? Some people seem to think so. Just like shopping for a car, or clipping coupons, is health care on the verge of a completely different reform? Maybe we will start seeing patients in hospitals reviewing a menu of doctors and services before getting their gallbladders out, or have a c-section. The next step after that would be a list of medications that you need as well as a chart of what else can be offered a... Doctor Kalitenko antiaging blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968679 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 18:57:53 +0100 4968679 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960258&cid=t_96596_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FoppKvpyhSoY%2F My last trip to Portland before the wedding has come and gone, and now I’m heading down to San Diego for the Roche Diabetes Social Media Summit, followed by a crazy weekend at the American Diabetes Association’s Scientific Sessions. I’m so excited, but I’ll be rather preoccupied. So I’m introducing my first round of guest posts! As a twentysomething female blogger, I don’t get a lot of male readers around these parts… But when I was looking for guest bloggers, I really wanted to bring in some male perspectives for the ride. Luckily, Bob Pederson, a type 2 PWD blogger, raised his hand and volunteered for the arduous task of writing a non-diabetes post for this sometimes-diabetes blogger! When he sent me a post that was titled “Life Lessons fro... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960258 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 14:00:02 +0100 4960258 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4933986&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2FfhllkhgBa0M%2Fdeepak_chopra_descends_hasnt_detroit_suf.php Well, well, well, well, well. Look who's coming to blight my hometown, and look who's doing it hot on the heels of my having directed some not-so-Respectful Insolence at him. Yes, it's Deepak Chopra himself showing up on Saturday to bring his woo to one of the places that least needs it, downtown Detroit: Excitement and diversity is coming to the Metropolitan Detroit community this Summer! Chene Park Amphitheater is bringing an entirely new experience to the City on Saturday, June 18th, 2011: The "Music & Mastery Holistic Festival". The "Music & Mastery Holistic Festival" is a full-day event consisting of healing, enlightenment and pure energy! Festival goers can embrace the art of live music, holistic products & services, nutrition, crystals/jewelry, Yoga, massage therapy, Thai Chi, fr... Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4933986 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 17:00:00 +0100 4933986 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4933988&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2FSLFIJoaRq4k%2Fthats_gonna_leave_a_mark.php You know, even though I haven't lived in Cleveland since 1996, sometimes I kind of miss Ohio. Here's the sort of reason why, via Balloon Juice: I thought it was a hoax at first, but it isn't. Just check out the the official website of the Governor of the State of Ohio if you don't believe me. I must admit a little chuckle of schadenfreude here. Read the comments on this post... (Source: Respectful Insolence) Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4933988 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 20:00:00 +0100 4933988 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934332&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F06%2F15%2Fcan-bad-journalism-impact-your-respect-for-journalists%2F Miller-McCune, whose tagline reads, “Smart journalism. Real solutions,” recently published an article entitled, Dumb Entertainment Can Have Impact Your IQ: Can Watching ‘Jackass’ Turn You Into One? (I am not making up that first part.) So you’d think it would be an article describing a study about the effects of either entertainment or watching a movie on one’s IQ. Except it’s nothing of the sort. The study described in the article looked at 81 college student responses to reading a story about a man with a directionless life, and then gave them a short, general knowledge survey the researchers made-up just for this study. If you’re having a hard time seeing how this relates to watching a movie or measuring one’s IQ, then you’re n... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934332 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:11:22 +0100 4934332 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934702&cid=t_96596_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FJ9P0G69q6LY%2F Thanks to everyone who participated in the book giveaway for Blue Like Jazz. It was great to read the comments and tweets from people who have already read and loved the book! If you haven’t read any of Don Miller’s other books, I highly recommend Searching For God Knows What. It’s a really interesting take on a lot of those self-help books. It was also really great to share our story of how we met. It actually took me this long to realize I never truly explained it… so now you know! Now, moving on to our winner… The fourth comment was… Lisa from Lisa’s Yarns! Congratulations, lady! I’ll contact you to get your mailing address. Since this book is not part of my 101 books that I’m reading for my 101 Things List, that means I’m sti... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934702 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 14:00:00 +0100 4934702 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921676&cid=t_96596_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2F7Y4U0EdsFcE%2F When people ask how Erik and I met, we often simply answer, “Online.” When pressed for more info, we confirm that we indeed met on a dating website. In our case, we met on OKCupid. But that’s not really the whole story. I was introduced to OKCupid via a couple of comments left on my post about how I was afraid I would never meet someone because of my diabetes (oh the irony…). One of those girls is actually one of my bridesmaids now, so just goes to show the power of this little blogging business. I knew that I didn’t want to waste my time with people who didn’t fit my two core philosophical values: I’m a Christian and I’m a Democrat. Those two qualities combined are surprisingly hard to come by. I thought about ways that I could get across my... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921676 Thu, 09 Jun 2011 17:00:00 +0100 4921676 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911754&cid=t_96596_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FLQWoEwWXnK8%2F I have a confession to make: I am a fan of the Duggars. You know, the family with 19 kids? The family who had their latest baby arrive three and a half months early? Surely you’ve seen them on the cover of People magazine. I started watching the Duggar specials on TLC a few years ago, when I first moved to New Jersey. It was one of those things that I sort of watched in passing, since at the time they were doing these two hour long specials about the family. A couple years ago they started filming a regular series with them, and consequently had to change the name of their series almost every year because they kept having a new kid! 17 Kids and Counting became 18 Kids and Counting which became 19 Kids and Counting. So far, it’s still 19 Kids and Counting. I’m not even sur... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911754 Thu, 09 Jun 2011 03:13:53 +0100 4911754 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902367&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2Fp__NVIF6qA4%2Fdetoxifying_fashionably.php How many times have I read or heard from believers in "alternative" medicine that some disease or other is caused by "toxins"? I honestly can't remember, but in alt-world, no matter what the disease or condition under discussion is, there's a good chance that sooner or later it will be linked to "toxins." It doesn't matter if it's cancer, autism, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, or that general malaise that comes over people who, as British comedians Mitchell and Webb put it, have more money than sense; somehow, some way, someone will invoke "toxins." I was reminded of this obsession among believers in unscientific medicine a couple of weeks ago, when I came across an article by Guy Trebay in the New York Times entitled The Age of Purification. The article appeared, appropriately en... Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902367 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 08:00:00 +0100 4902367 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4848106&cid=t_96596_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FHD4RpYGZfQM%2F Wow! It’s been awhile since I’ve reviewed any movies. It’s been my goal to review all the movies I watch for the 101 Things in 1,001 Days Challenge, but I haven’t actually watched that many movies. I guess I got burned out with my last round of 101 movies! Plus, February / March is usually a slow season in movies anyway. So far this year, I have reviewed 9 movies. Here are the next three! Just as a reminder, this is how my grading breaks down: {A} must-sees {B} nice to watch {C} watch if you have nothing else to watch or they just weren’t my cup of tea {F} please don’t waste your time {Creation}: C This movie had such promise for me, because I love Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connolly. They play Charles Darwin and his wife, respectively, and it’s even cuter ... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4848106 Fri, 20 May 2011 14:00:55 +0100 4848106 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813567&cid=t_96596_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FQiR9qKVbT64%2F Thanks to everyone who participated in the book giveaway for The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks! I had 20 people enter to win, which was way more than the first book I gave away. I had a feeling this was going to be more appealing to more people, and I was right! Although I’m excited to give my copy of this book away, I do hope that everyone who entered is able to purchase their own copy. It really is a great book! Using Random.org, the winner is… Lauren from The LD! Congratulations, Lauren! Please send me an email at amblass {@} gmail.com with your mailing address so I can get this out the door! The book I’m currently reading is actually one that I’m not going to give away. It’s called Sacred Marriage, and while it could qualify for one of my Christian li... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813567 Wed, 11 May 2011 14:17:41 +0100 4813567 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4789521&cid=t_96596_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2Fig36smFbz9E%2F Did you know that it’s legal for doctors and researchers to use your cells for research without your consent? That bit of information, and much more, is what I learned while reading the book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot (who has just about the coolest last name ever). The book chronicles the life of a black woman in the 1950s named Henrietta Lacks. She was diagnosed with a rare strain of cervical cancer that essentially ate her alive within a few months. During this time, doctors took bits of her cancer and studied it. And the shocking thing isn’t how quickly the cancer grew while Henrietta was alive, but how quickly it grew after she died. Human cells back then didn’t typically live very long, so when scientists discovered Henrietta’s can... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4789521 Wed, 04 May 2011 16:01:33 +0100 4789521 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4696570&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2FGC2B22IE1x0%2Fstop_cbs_from_airing_anti-vaccine_ads_on.php I tell ya. I take a weekend off from this blog, and what do I find on Sunday night when I sit back down to take a look and see if there's anything I want to blog about? Damn if those anti-vaccine loons aren't pulling a fast one while I'm not looking. It turns out that über-quack Joe Mercola is teaming up once again with Barbara Loe Fisher's the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) in a desperate attempt for the NVIC to try to demonstrate that it's still relevant in the anti-vaccine movement after having been supplanted by Generation rescue. This time around, they're doing SafeMinds one better and, hot on the heels of hosting "Vaccine Awareness Week" to spread misinformation far and wide, is now trying for greater notoriety. Via Skepchick Elyse Anders, I learn that Mercola and the N... Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4696570 Mon, 11 Apr 2011 05:00:01 +0100 4696570 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4696686&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F04%2F10%2Fvirginia-heffernan-on-internet-addiction%2F I’ve been saying it for as long as it’s been around — “Internet addiction” is an unhealthy focus and fascination on the technology, as though it caused people to enjoy spending time interacting with it. If people are using the Internet to socialize — on Facebook, Twitter, etc. — how can we turn around and characterize that as a bad thing? Would we engage in the same negative characterization if we were referring to someone who simply did this over the telephone? Or face-to-face? Of course not. And that’s the disconnect that happens when psychologists throw out these not-well-thought-out terms to describe something they are concerned about. They turn it into a dysfunction through inadequate and poorly theorized labels, that then get picked up ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4696686 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 14:29:57 +0100 4696686 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4684265&cid=t_96596_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FlMc1JdHkAwQ%2F By Jim HarperSan Francisco's Entertainment Commission will soon be considering a jaw-dropping attack on privacy and free assembly. Here are some of the rules the Commission may adopt for any gathering of people expected to reach 100 or more: 3. All occupants of the premises shall be ID Scanned (including patrons, promoters, and performers, etc.). ID scanning data shall be maintained on a data storage system for no less than 15 days and shall be made available to local law enforcement upon request. 4. High visibility cameras shall be located at each entrance and exit point of the premises. Said cameras shall maintain a recorded data base for no less than fifteen (15 days) and made available to local law enforcement upon request. Would you recognize a police state if you lived in one? How ab... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4684265 Wed, 06 Apr 2011 23:42:28 +0100 4684265 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4684658&cid=t_96596_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FuwHZX1EuRkw%2F I know that a book about Christianity might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I was excited that six people entered to win Take This Bread, which I reviewed last week. I took the names of the folks who entered and, using Random.org, picked the lucky winner who will receive my copy of the book! And the winner is…. …. … Julie! Woohoo! Julie is not a blogger, but she is a good friend of mine from college. Congratulations, Julie! I already have your mailing address, so the book will be on its way to you shortly. There will be another book giveaway sometime in early May. Until next time, happy reading! (Source: Lemonade Life) Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4684658 Wed, 06 Apr 2011 14:15:52 +0100 4684658 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4664102&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2FCD0wFYK_qww%2Fgrammar_nazis.php Sometimes I complain on this blog about grammar Nazis. I had no idea at the time that grammar Nazis might actually be a real phenomenon. Of course, I'd be dead because my unedited material all too frequently contains multiple run-on sentences. True, I almost always find them later when I reread my posts and then fix them, but in the few hours after such posts "go live" they often sit there, uncorrected. Oh, well, it is blogging, and I don't have an editor other than myself. Now watch: Based on this video, everybody's favorite anti-vaccine apologist who keeps reminding us he is not "anti-vaccine," Dr. Jay Gordon, will start posting Tweets that castigate me as "despicable" for posting a video that jokes about killing grammar Nazis, even though it's a stunning parody of the first scene of... Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4664102 Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:00:00 +0100 4664102 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4653500&cid=t_96596_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FTx_PqdGCFFg%2F In February, I was in Boston to film a segment on Dr. Denise Faustman and speak at a networking event, but I had a few hours before my train departed, so I took the T over to Harvard. As previously mentioned, Boston is the only metro area on the East Coast that has Peet’s Coffee, so I regularly head over to Cambridge when I’m in town. After grabbing a Mocha Freddo, I decided to pop into the Harvard Coop bookstore and have a looksee. I ended up on the third floor, which is their “coursebook” section, but I wanted to see what the brilliant minds of Harvard were being forced to read. I meandered through the Religion section, and this book caught my eye. I thought the name Take This Bread was quite clever, and upon closer inspection, I saw that Anne Lamott, who I adore... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4653500 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:00:00 +0100 4653500 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592463&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F03%2F15%2Fmilgram-inspired-movie%2F For those of you who missed this 1975 CBS movie, inspired by Stanley Milgram’s obedience experiments, here’s your chance to watch “The Tenth Level.” * * * * * * * * * * * * Related Situationist posts: “Video on the Original Milgram Experiment,” “The Situation of Stanley Milgram’s Obedience Experiments,” “Milgram Replicated on French TV – ‘The Game of Death’,” “A Shocking Situation,” “Zimbardo on Milgram and Obedience – Part I,” “The Case for Obedience,” “Replicating Milgram’s Obedience Experiment – Yet Again,” “Jonestown (The Situation of Evil) Revisited,” “Milgram Remake,” and “The Milgram Experiment Today?.” (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592463 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 04:01:34 +0100 4592463 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4575206&cid=t_96596_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FTCm2rf80lxo%2F Erik and I are pretty into movie reviews, both from critics and other viewers, so I have done a fairly good job at only watching movies that are worth my time. However, that isn’t always the case when you are visiting friends who have slightly different tastes in movies than you, or who decide to randomly pick something based off another friend’s so-called “recommendation.” Just as a reminder, this is how my grading breaks down: {A} must-sees {B} nice to watch {C} watch if you have nothing else to watch or they just weren’t my cup of tea {F} please don’t waste your time The Fighters: {A+} I really enjoyed the fighter, and I honestly didn’t think I would. If you read my Oscar picks, you’ll know that absolutely loved Melissa Leo and Christian Bale... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4575206 Fri, 11 Mar 2011 16:49:00 +0100 4575206 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4544913&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2FNa7L0uyxd4o%2Fanother_pointless_anti-vaccine_protest.php Why do these things always have to happen when I'm out of town? As you might be aware, the anti-vaccine movement is very, veyr unhappy with the recent Supreme Court ruling in the case of Bruesewitz vs. Wyeth. Basically, the Supreme Court upheld the primacy of the Vaccine Court in adjudicating vaccine injury claims and preemption of federal law over state law in such lawsuits. Not suprisingly, the anti-vaccine movement has lost its mind over this ruling, falsely labeling it as having taken away the right of parents to sue over vaccine injury and having eliminated any incentive that pharmaceutical companies might have to make safe vaccines. Last week, they held a rather confused "demonstration" in front of Microsoft headquarters in New York that drew a--shall we say?--disappointing turnout.... Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4544913 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 17:30:00 +0100 4544913 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4525057&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F02%2F27%2Flegal-socialization-and-the-news%2F Over at the new Law & Mind Blog, several Harvard Law students have been blogging about a chapter (forthcoming inIdeology, Psychology, and Law, edited by Situationist Contributor Jon Hanson) by Mitchell Callan and Situationist Contributor Aaron Kay. In the second post on the topic (copied below), LLM candidate David Simon discusses legal socialization. * * * Imagine you and your neighbor share a fence along a common border, part of which demarcates the boundary between both properties and “the wilderness.” The fence benefits both of you because it keeps out the livestock-killing coyotes. One day, a shared and critical part of the fence collapses onto your property, leaving your yard open to coyotes, who may eat your livestock. Without legal recourse, how might you resolve... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4525057 Sun, 27 Feb 2011 04:20:50 +0100 4525057 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4522242&cid=t_96596_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FteHBvxvH3k4%2F I am a big movie buff, so I try to see as many of the Oscar nominated movies as I can budget (movies are a bit pricey, if you haven’t noticed). Last year I managed to see nine out of 10 nominees, but this year I only wrangled in eight. I am seeing True Grit tonight, but it won’t give me enough time to post my picks. Oh dear. So while my opinion for Oscar picks isn’t complete due to my slightly uneven viewing, I think my picks still stand. Let’s get to it… Best Picture Will Win: The Social Network My Pick: Black Swan I really liked The Social Network, so I’m not entirely surprised this is the leading contender. But I preferred Black Swan. It had better acting, it had an amazing plot with twists and turns, and it was visually gorgeous.  The Social Network... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4522242 Fri, 25 Feb 2011 15:00:00 +0100 4522242 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4464651&cid=t_96596_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FT0NBeT1yV1M%2F The Oscars are coming down the pike in just a few weeks, and last year I tried my best to watch all of the nominated films. This year I have done pretty good, despite just restarting my 101 things list, which includes watching 101 movies. Out of the 10 Best Picture nominees, I have seen all of them except True Grit, 127 Hours and The Fighter. I’m hoping to remedy that before February 27th, but I’m not sure that will get done! I would also love to see Rabbit Hole and Blue Valentine, which has nominees for Best Actress (Nicole Kidman and Michelle Williams, respectively). There’s also Biutiful, which has a nominee for Best Actor. Other than that, I’m pretty much set with nominations. In recent weeks, I’ve watched 3 Oscar-nominated movies and here are my reviews... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4464651 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 15:00:48 +0100 4464651 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4445736&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2FEa1xlOdzWwY%2Fchallenging_homeopathy.php Lest I be left out of the fun, I can't help but point out that over the weekend the Amazing One himself, James Randi, issued a challenge to homeopathy manufacturers and retail pharmacies that sell homeopathy, in particular large national chains like Walgreens and CVS and large national chains that include pharmacies in their stores, such as Walmart and Target. This was done in conjunction with the 10:23 Challenge, which is designed to demonstrate that homeopathy is nonsense. All over the world, skeptics and supporters of science-based medicine gathered to engage in overdoses of homeopathic medicines in order to demonstrate that there is nothing in them. As much as I like Randi, unfortunately, I doubt that the prospect of winning $1 million will make much difference to huge companies l... Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4445736 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 05:00:01 +0100 4445736 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4424174&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2Fnwjanxpp7-M%2Fdr_paul_offit_on_the_colbert_report.php Paul Offit on the anti-vaccine movement: The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30cPaul Offitwww.colbertnation.comColbert Report Full EpisodesPolitical Humor & Satire BlogVideo Archive Looks like a win to me. Colbert appears to get it. I like how he doesn't mention Andrew Wakefield's name and he asks Dr. Offit a bunch of questions based on talking points the anti-vaccine movement likes to use to frighten parents. Read the comments on this post... (Source: Respectful Insolence) Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4424174 Tue, 01 Feb 2011 14:30:00 +0100 4424174 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4411569&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F28%2Fadvertising-by-pulling-advertising%2F In case you’ve been attending to important things and haven’t been keeping up on the latest MTV programing, the network has launched a new racy show, “Skins,” that depicts the wild alcohol/drug/sex-fueled world of high school — or, well, a high school (sadly, I went to a math equation/AP biology-fueled high school). Like clockwork, various organizations like the Parents Television Council were enraged and called for protests, congressional investigations, and pitchfork rallies outside of ominous castles. And, as these things inevitably go, a number of companies pulled their advertising from the show. As a representative of Taco Bell explained to the Hollywood Reporter, “We’ve decided that the show is not a fit for our brand and have moved our adver... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4411569 Fri, 28 Jan 2011 04:01:21 +0100 4411569 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4399625&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvideos.videopress.com%2FzuvKSodR%2Fjudge-rules-white-girl-will-be-tried-as-black-adul-flv_dvd.mp4 On Friday, I took in the new Philadelphia Theater Company production of David Mamet’s Race.  The plot revolves around two lawyers, one white and one black, who take on the defense of a wealthy white man accused of raping a young black woman. The acting was quite good and the play has its moments (as one would expect, the structure is ingenious and Mamet throws in a number of memorable lines), but I was left wondering whether the playwright had challenged the audience enough.  If the purpose was to spur viewers to think deeply about race, was the exchange of quick, witty quips between characters the best means?  Mamet seemed to want to shock his audience, but what he produced seemed fairly tame — and enjoyable. Today, I came across a video on the Onion addressing a very simil... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4399625 Wed, 26 Jan 2011 04:01:17 +0100 4399625 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4377622&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F20%2Fmarketing-cigarettes%2F In this study, researchers led by senior investigator Todd Heatherton, PhD, and graduate student Dylan Wagner of Dartmouth College set out to determine whether the parts of the brain that control that routine gesture could be triggered by simply seeing someone else smoke. The authors found that seeing this familiar action — even when embedded in a Hollywood movie — evoked the same brain responses as planning to actually make that movement. These results may provide additional insight for people trying to overcome nicotine addiction, a condition that leads to one in five U.S. deaths each year. “Our findings support prior studies that show smokers who exit a movie that had images of smoking are more likely to crave a cigarette, compared with ones who watched a movie without them,&#... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4377622 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 04:53:08 +0100 4377622 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4372088&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F01%2F19%2Fhoward-stern-undergoes-psychological-testing-with-the-mmpi%2F On Wednesday, Howard Stern and his cohorts on his popular morning radio show discussed the results of their psychological testing (or “psych testing” as they kept referring to it on the show). The results made for some great radio. But it also highlighted some of the pros and cons of psychological testing. And perhaps inadvertently raised the question — should scientific or medical tools be used for entertainment purposes? The test they took — the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) — is not meant to be taken by ordinary people who have no obvious psychological concerns. It was developed with a focus on personality and psychopathology — to help a psychologist better identify the areas of personality that are contributing to a person’... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4372088 Wed, 19 Jan 2011 12:55:34 +0100 4372088 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4372096&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F19%2Fa-horror-movie-for-palinites%2F Despite my love of cinema, I tend to always fall behind on catching the latest movies. Case in point: during the past weekend, I finally had the opportunity to see The King’s Speech, which my own grandmother watched and wrote me about . . . last year. As a sort of New Year’s resolution, I’m attempting to be a bit more up-to-date on this front, and, thus, I’m going to dedicate this blog post to a film that hasn’t even been released yet, but that should be of interest to Situationist readers. What caught my attention about the preview for the film was that it seemed as if it could easily be modified into a Sarah Palin 2012 political advertisement. In the opening frames, we watch Senate candidate David Norris (Matt Damon) as he first crosses paths with the ballet dancer Elise Sellas... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4372096 Wed, 19 Jan 2011 04:01:22 +0100 4372096 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4361080&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F17%2Fpatriots-loss-poetic-justice%2F Sal Paolantonio interviewed Bart Scott after the Jets beat the Patriots and Scott describe the win as  “poetic justice” that showed “what kind of defense, what kind of team this was.” Scott warned anyone who’s going to “talk crap about us” that they’ll play for it.  The video is here. Those comments, as well as Deione Branch’s description of the Jets as “classless” put us in mind of the following Situationist post, published originally on February 5, 2008 (here). In case you hadn’t heard, the New England Patriots played their worst game of the season last night. A team that had savored, not merely defeating, but blowing out their opponents failed in their quest for perfection. For at least a little longer, the 1972 Miami Dolphins will hold onto thei... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4361080 Mon, 17 Jan 2011 18:55:46 +0100 4361080 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4349650&cid=t_96596_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2F_7qDOYu9H_s%2F Since I did such a piss poor job of actually documenting my 101 Things Challenge the last go-round, I made myself a promise not to make the same mistake. One of my goals is to watch another 101 movies, and so far this year I’ve already watched three! All these movies are thanks to our new Apple TV we received for Christmas, which comes equipped with the ability to rent and watch videos on our TV from either the iTunes store or streaming Netflix. It may not be as economically efficient as getting an unlimited subscription from Netflix, but I’ve noticed that when we order movies from Netflix or Blockbuster, I tend to either lose interest in the movie that’s now arrived or we end up not finding the time to watch it right away. We’ve had several movies for over a month!... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4349650 Fri, 14 Jan 2011 22:41:23 +0100 4349650 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4343207&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F13%2Fthe-situation-of-retail-discrimination%2F Here is another segment from John Quinones’s excellent ABC 20/20 series titled “What Would You Do?” — a series that, in essence, conducts situationist experiments through hidden-camera scenarios. This episode asks, “How would you respond to blatant retail discrimination?“ * * * * * * To review a sample of related Situationist posts, see “Racial Prejudice in Real Estate Markets,” “Journalists as Social Psychologists & Social Psychologists as Entertainers,” “Solomon Asch’s Famous Compliance Experiment,” “The Situation of Bullying,” “Jane Elliot’s Situationist Pedagogy,”  “Black History is Now,” “The Toll of Discrimination on Black Women,” “The Cognitive Costs of Interracial Interactions,... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4343207 Thu, 13 Jan 2011 13:51:48 +0100 4343207 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4288551&cid=t_96596_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmerry-christmas-from-better-health-2%2F2010.12.25 Source: North Point iBand (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4288551 Sat, 25 Dec 2010 11:00:19 +0100 4288551 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4258928&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F12%2F14%2Fit-depends-on-what-you-mean-by-discrimination%2F At the beginning of the month, I bemoaned FIFA’s decision to hold the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and pointed to the country’s poor human rights record. On Monday of this week, Sepp Blatter, FIFA’s president responded. Okay, well, he didn’t *technically* respond to me, but he responded to a question that I would have liked a straight answer to: How can FIFA, which purports to be strongly against discrimination based on race, gender, and sexual orientation (among other things), justify holding the World Cup in a country that explicitly discriminates against homosexuals and women? What was Blatter’s joking response when asked about the possibility of corporal punishment against gays visiting Qatar in 2022? “I would say they should refrain from any sexual activ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4258928 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 14:04:45 +0100 4258928 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4225660&cid=t_96596_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FP1AzPbaSqoc%2F We all know that the debate about vaccines is contentious. In general, mixing science and emotion is a dangerous laboratory experiment. However, the controversy took an interesting turn the other day when AMC Entertainment, which runs the AMC movie theater chain, did a last-minute about-face and chose not to run a 30-second ad from a non-profit that warns against the use of mercury in flu vaccines. Here’s the short of it: The Coalition for Safe Minds, which says it is not an anti-vaccine group, produced what it calls a public service announcement (see above) that tells viewers mercury is a dangerous toxin and the public should demand mercury-free flu shots. “The PSA alerts parents and pregnant women of the presence of mercury in most influenza vaccines and the ample availabilit... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4225660 Thu, 02 Dec 2010 17:46:55 +0100 4225660 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4190404&cid=t_96596_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FUAmvduxspek%2F For the first couple of years after the unofficial creation of the D.O.C., I hosted an online award program. After awhile, it became apparent that it was a little too competitive and there were simply too many hurt feelings when the categories were very “high and mighty” like Best Blog. Which is why I’m thrilled that Gina Capone has stepped up to the plate to host a new and improved award program filled with fun and quirky categories like “Blogger You’d Share a Drink With” and “Blogger with the Best Hair” (I’m betting Scott Johnson will win that one – no, just me?). Nominations for the categories are open right now until December 8, so head on over to the DOC Award website to find out more and get a full list of all the categories! An... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4190404 Sun, 21 Nov 2010 23:41:41 +0100 4190404 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4179457&cid=t_96596_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FEdYSJArLW94%2F If there is one thing you should know about me, it’s that I am a huge Trekkie. I started watching Star Trek: The Next Generation when I was about seven years old, and I have been a lifelong fan ever since. Since my introduction to Star Trek was Captain Picard and the crew of the Enterprise-D, I have had a special attachment to those actors. Earlier this summer, I found out that Sir Patrick Stewart (he was knighted last summer) was going to be starring on Broadway in David Mamet’s A Life in the Theater. I begged Erik to buy tickets. He was a little hesitant because of the price of the tickets, but in the end, he surprised me with tickets as a birthday present! The play wasn’t starting until October, and the tickets were for last night’s performance, so I had quite a ... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4179457 Thu, 18 Nov 2010 19:32:26 +0100 4179457 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4164558&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F11%2F14%2Fthe-situation-of-the-2008-economic-crisis%2F Charles Furgeson has produced a powerful documentary, “Inside Job,” about the deep capture of financial (de)regulation.  Here’s the trailer. * * * * * * For a sample of related Situationist posts, see “The Deeply Captured Situation of the Economic Crisis,” “Our Stake in Corporate Behavior,” “Larry Lessig’s Situationism,” “The Situation of Policy Research and Policy Outcomes,” “Industry-Funded Research,” “De-Capturing the FDA,” “The Situation of Talk Radio,” “Deep Capture – Part X,” and “The company ‘had no control or influence over the research’.” (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4164558 Sun, 14 Nov 2010 04:01:20 +0100 4164558 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4159407&cid=t_96596_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FXSUWZeGMGK0%2F {Source} Since moving to our new apartment, I’ve been working almost exclusively in my new home office. A home office that also doubles as our dining room and our living room. So it’s not much of a home office, actually. Because I am home alone with only the sounds of the road to listen to, I’ve started listening to this Portland radio station that I was addicted to when I lived there. It’s called KINK and it plays mostly rock-slash-contemporary-slash-pop-slash-oldies and it’s pretty much awesome all the time. Here are some songs that have been playing this week that I absolutely love. “Nothing Ever Hurt Like You” – James Morrison “Radioactive” – Kings of Leon “Breakeven” – The Script “Little Lion... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4159407 Fri, 12 Nov 2010 17:40:59 +0100 4159407 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4142821&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F11%2F08%2Fnalini-ambady-at-harvard-law-school%2F On Tuesday the HLS Student Association for Law and Mind Sciences (SALMS) is hosting a talk by Tufts psychology professor Nalini Ambady entitled “Nonverbal Behavior: Accuracy and Contagion.” Professor Ambady is a Neubauer Faculty Fellow and professor at Tufts University.  Her research focuses on interpersonal perception and communication, particularly in relation to the accuracy of judgments, the influence of personal and social identities on cognition and performance, and the mechanisms of nonverbal and cross-cultural communication.  She has received accolades for her research into the ways that people can perceive others’ sexual identity and political affiliation from photos of their faces. Professor Ambady will be speaking in Pound 107 from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Fre... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4142821 Mon, 08 Nov 2010 04:01:16 +0100 4142821 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4105775&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F10%2F25%2Fsituationist-phil-zimbardo-takes-over-the-dr-phil-show%2F Here is a brief promotional piece to highlight the Heroic Imagination Project and Situationist Contributor Phil Zimbardo’s upcoming appearances on Dr. Phil. Visit www.heroicimagination.org to learn more. www.drphil.com for show times. You can watch video clips from today’s show here. (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4105775 Mon, 25 Oct 2010 04:01:04 +0100 4105775 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4074147&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F10%2F16%2Finterview-with-samhsa-administrator-pamela-hyde-jd%2F While at the Voice Awards, I had the opportunity to sit down and chat for a few minutes with the head of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Administrator Pamela Hyde, JD. Ms. Hyde is an attorney and comes to SAMHSA with more than 30 years experience in management and consulting for public healthcare and human services agencies. She has served as a state mental health director, state human services director, city housing and human services director, as well as CEO of a private non-profit managed behavioral healthcare firm. You can learn more about Ms. Hyde here. Dr. John Grohol: So I wanted to understand a little bit better how the Voice Awards originated. What was the motivation behind coming up with this novel sort of way of recognizing both consumers ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4074147 Sat, 16 Oct 2010 15:09:01 +0100 4074147 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4060904&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F10%2F12%2Fthe-recovery-within-us-the-human-and-legal-situation-of-wall-street-2%2F The financial markets may fail, and personal lives may be wrecked, but as Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) says in Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps: “nobody likes a cry-baby.” Oliver Stone’s new film is a rally for the old American strategy of overcoming calamity through love, capital, and labor productively employed. As the film opens in 2008 the world is on the edge of economic meltdown, but the kids are alright.  In the first Wall Street we watched a young stockbroker, Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), back-slide from the straight path of his union-leader father, into a reckless life of corporate raiding and insider trading.  The sequel’s up-and-comer, Jacob Moore (Shia LaBeouf), has a more serious name and a truer purpose.  This twenty-something is smart, energetic, and idealistic.  ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4060904 Tue, 12 Oct 2010 04:01:39 +0100 4060904 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4023083&cid=t_96596_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FgMTvqChObxw%2F Here’s another edition of film review from my 101 things challenge (which I just finished earlier this week). If you’re looking for something good to watch this weekend, take a look at my thoughts for some inspiration! Disagree? Feel free to leave me your own reviews in the comments! Doubt: What a waste of Academy Award nominations. All hype, no follow through. The Reader: Kate Winslet is definitely an Oscar-winning actress, but not for this role. Plot and characters were too stale and dull for my taste. Death at a Funeral: Before it was a cheap American remake, it was a classically British comedy. A total must-watch, and it’s as crazy as it sounds. Milk: I knew nothing about Harvey Milk before watching this movie, but it inspires me to be more politically active. A l... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4023083 Fri, 01 Oct 2010 23:02:11 +0100 4023083 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4022857&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2FC3wromCkZbU%2Fthe_patented_orac_nih_r01_distraction_op.php It just occurred to me that it's been a long, long time since I've done this, but how about an open thread to while away the time until the NIH R01 grant application is submitted, and that gloriously irritating and outrageously beautiful not-so-Respectful Insolence that you all crave can come roaring back with a vengeance? Come on, you know you want it. If we're lucky, maybe Jake Crosby or even Dr. Jay will come out and play. Grant writing has that effect on me. In the meantime, I think a video from a most excellent 1980s band sums up the situation when it comes to grant funding these days: And maybe there'll even be a nice little blast from the past later. And if you're really nice, I might even tell you how things went before I collapse in a pile of gibbering scientist in the even... Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4022857 Fri, 01 Oct 2010 05:00:50 +0100 4022857 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3958023&cid=t_96596_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2F3X65dE-dYZs%2F Here’s another round of some 140 character movie reviews. If you’re looking for something to watch this week, take a gander. Maybe you’ll see something you want to watch! The September Issue: I’m not much of a fashionista, but this gave me a new appreciation for it as an art. And Grace is so much cooler than Anna. Away We Go: I really identified with the concept of trying to find a “home” – not just a place to live. A bit kooky, but I liked it. The Informant: Absolutely hilarious and bonkers. Matt Damon will keep you on your toes! Supporting cast is fun, makes for a great ride (and it’s true!) Coraline: A children’s movies, supposedly, but it scared the bejeezus out of me at points. Not your typical animated style, either. State of Play... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3958023 Fri, 10 Sep 2010 22:00:36 +0100 3958023 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3914902&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2F43puZlJuDvQ%2Fanother_idiotic_poll_do_you_think_vaccin.php A friend of mine sent me a link to one of my hometown news stations because he saw something that irritated him. On the front page, there is a poll of such epic burning stupid that it requires an immediate crash. I may not be P.Z., but I have in some instances overcome my previous dislike of poll crashing, especially when it's a poll this stupid: Do you think immunizations are safe? Yes No As if an Internet poll has any bearing whatsoever on whether vaccines are safe or even on whether people believe vaccines are safe. The poll is located on the webpage of the Detroit FOX affiliate in the rightmost sidebar about halfway down. Right now, the poll is running 43% yes, 56% no. Go, my mini-horde! You'll have my eternal (or at least for a few hours) thanks. ADDENDUM: The poll appears to be ... Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3914902 Sun, 29 Aug 2010 21:05:09 +0100 3914902 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3911838&cid=t_96596_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2Fo9epmTbRqaE%2F I never got around to writing reviews for the movies that I watched over the past couple of years. Now that I have finished watching 101 movies, I’m often asked for movie recommendations so I decided that I should finally get around to writing reviews for all the movies I’ve watched. But in order to get through this quickly and painlessly, I’m doing it Twitter-style: movie reviews in 140-characters or less! Across The Universe: A decent love story set to Beatles music; the music was great, but the visual effects were sometimes a little overboard (much like the 60s). Inception: Not as mind-bending as I had hoped, but it is an intelligent action drama with an amazing cast and worth the nearly 3 hours. Toy Story 3: This is what we hope all trilogy’s turn out to be! Cut... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3911838 Fri, 27 Aug 2010 17:57:58 +0100 3911838 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3889063&cid=t_96596_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fmaggie-gyllenhaal-in-hysteria-the-history-of-the-vibrator%2F photo: Ivan Nikolov/WENN.com Did you ever wonder how the vibrator was invented? Probably not — you were too busy doing, um, other things with it. But now we’ll know, thanks to a new movie called Hysteria. It’s set in Victorian England, and Maggie is playing the daughter of a doctor who treats women with “hysteria.” He and his fellow doctors come up with a vibrating device that they think could help cure women of  their tension. We have a feeling they’re right. Hugh Dancy and Rupert Everett will also star in the film, which starts shooting in October. via The Frisky Post from: BlissTree Maggie Gyllenhaal in Hysteria: The History of the Vibrator (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3889063 Fri, 20 Aug 2010 16:57:36 +0100 3889063 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3876728&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F08%2F17%2Fthe-situation-of-terrorist-babies%2F Over the past few days, allegations of a frightening new terrorist plot have emerged.  Indeed, at the end of last week, Texas State Representative Debbie Riddle and Texas Congressman Louis Gohmert appeared on different editions of “Anderson Cooper 360” to sound the alarm that the Obama administration has been ignoring a critical threat to the United States. What is this ominous menace?  Iranian nuclear missile silos?  North Korea transporting dirty bomb material into the United States?  The Chinese government developing technology to disable the U.S. power grid over the Internet? Nope.  The answer is “terror babies.” According to Riddle and Gohmert, terrorist organizations are sending pregnant women into our country so that the children that they bear will have American citize... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3876728 Tue, 17 Aug 2010 04:01:10 +0100 3876728 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3872615&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F08%2F17%2Fthe-situation-of-terrorist-babies%2F Over the past few days, allegations of a frightening new terrorist plot have emerged.  Indeed, at the end of last week, Texas State Representative Debbie Riddle and Texas Congressman Louis Gohmert appeared on different editions of “Anderson Cooper 360” to sound the alarm that the Obama administration has been ignoring a critical threat to the United States. What is this ominous menace?  Iranian nuclear missile silos?  North Korea transporting dirty bomb material into the United States?  The Chinese government developing technology to disable the U.S. power grid over the Internet? Nope.  The answer is “terror babies.” According to Riddle and Gohmert, terrorist organizations are sending pregnant women into our country so that the children that they bear will have American citize... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3872615 Tue, 17 Aug 2010 04:01:10 +0100 3872615 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3862012&cid=t_96596_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmuseum-is-a-giant-model-of-the-human-body%2F2010.08.12 The Dutch Corpus Museum takes you into the human body and shows how our organs work. A fascinating idea and a great visualization. An excerpt from Amusing Planet: The Corpus Museum takes you on a fantastic journey through a giant model of the human body during which you can see, feel and hear how the human body works and what roles healthy food, healthy life and plenty of exercise plays. The tour through the museum starts with an escalator ride into an open sore on your giant victim’s leg and ends among the pulsing neurons in his brain. Between those two points, you will watch cheese being digested in the intestines and explore the ventricles of the heart. Kids can bounce up and down on the rubber tongue (with burping noises in the background) while you take in various scents wafting thr... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3862012 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 14:00:37 +0100 3862012 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3845246&cid=t_96596_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FIhzjkp6GBYM%2F Last week’s voting period was intense. At least a handful of time during the week, the voting was neck and neck between two movies: Across the Universe and The Usual Suspects. I was actually surprised that Across the Universe made it so because when the movie came out, I thought I remembered that it didn’t get very good reviews from the critics. I didn’t think many people liked it. Stardust, on the other hand, was supposed to be really good, and yet, it didn’t come close to the number of votes Across the Universe and The Usual Suspects received. In total, there were almost 70 votes in the 101st Movie Giveaway contest and I am so happy that so many of you participated! It was really excited to check the poll and to see how the movies were doing. But I’ll be hon... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3845246 Mon, 09 Aug 2010 14:00:22 +0100 3845246 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3813151&cid=t_96596_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2FCd0rH0oYIQ8%2F Thank you all for your wonderful movie suggestions! I have reviewed them all and I have picked my top 5 semi-finalists for Allison’s 101st Movie Giveaway. There were a lot of really good suggestions. You all have such good taste!  I definitely couldn’t include every movie I wanted to, but I will add them to the list of movies to watch for my next round of 101 movies (which will launch this October!). Below is a poll of my semi-finalists. The person who nominated the winner will receive a $25 gift card to a movie theater of their choice so they can get their movie-watching on as well. If your movie is nominated, spread the word! Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. Not familiar with any of these movies? The R... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3813151 Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:36:13 +0100 3813151 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3805795&cid=t_96596_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F2010-worst-year-for-movies-ever%2F Jonah Hill and Russell Brand of Get Him To The Greek. photo: WENN.com Humans like going to the movies — Blisstree staff included. There’s just something magical about watching a blockbuster on the big screen as opposed to your 12-inch fingerprint-smudged laptop. But we just haven’t been to the movies much this summer, or this year, for that matter. The last movie I saw in the theater was Get Him to the Greek. And that experience made me not want to spend $20 at the movies for a very, very long time. The Wall Street Journal thinks that 2010 may be the worst year for movies – ever. Do you agree? Have you seen any movies this year that you loved? via The Wall Street Journal Post from: BlissTree 2010: Worst Year for Movies Ever? (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3805795 Fri, 30 Jul 2010 20:12:19 +0100 3805795 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3795009&cid=t_96596_134_f&fid=35162&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FLemonadeLife%2F%7E3%2Fdefto_LIpjA%2F On Saturday night, I watched my 100th movie since I started recording movies I watch on January 1, 2008. It was the widely acclaimed film Inception, which Erik and I thoroughly enjoyed. It was wonderfully acted, with superb plot twists, thought-provoking dialogue and tastefully done action sequences. Watching 101 movies has been part of my 101 Things in 1,001 Days Challenge and it was one of the first items on my list that I started. Although there have been periods of no movie watching (usually due to a dearth in desirable cinematic releases), I am excited to announce that I have just one movie left before I complete item #39. Of course, with something this monumental, I can’t simply watch a movie and then be done with it. Being a blogger, I have to something much, much more memorab... Lemonade Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3795009 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:38:46 +0100 3795009 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3753735&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2F11g3lr-2D94%2Fsay_it_aint_so_jill_jill_sobule_performs.php Orac note: Please be sure to read the addendum. Say it ain't so, Jill! Check out this e-mail notice from the latest Generation Rescue mailing list sent to me by a reader. It's apparently legitimate, because I found a copy of it on the Generation Rescue website itself. Look at who's being featured at a fundraiser for anti-vaccine guru, discredited and delicensed U.K. physician and "researcher" Andrew Wakefield: A Private Evening with Dr. Andy Wakefield To benefit Dr. Wakefield's research: "Strategic Autism Initiative" WHEN: Sunday, July 25th WHERE: Private house in Woodland Hills, California Time: 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. Live Entertainment by Musician Jill Sobule and Comedian Mike Marino. There will be a book signing by Dr. Wakefield of "Callous Disregard: autism and vaccines-the truth behin... Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3753735 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:20:00 +0100 3753735 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3742220&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2FYQh3REnqJM8%2Fwhile_im_still_away_at_tam8the_100_great.php Still away, still having too much fun to blog. So....we still need content: Fear not. The logorrheic insolence will return. Just not today. In fact, as this autoposts, I'll be heading over to the Skepchick party. I'm a little nervous. I don't think I've been to such a bash since college or medical school. I'm an old fart now. In the meantime, before I get a chance to comment on it, perhaps you'd like to comment on David Colquhoun's taking me to the woodshed for not immediately dropping my association with Seed. Personally, I think his argument that science bloggers should never be paid goes a bit too far. Maybe I'll comment further after I've recovered. Read the comments on this post... (Source: Respectful Insolence) Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3742220 Sun, 11 Jul 2010 05:00:29 +0100 3742220 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3740597&cid=t_96596_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fsexual-health-and-teens-privates-video-game%2F2010.07.09 Here’s a new video game from Zombie Cow Studios that could help educate teenagers about sexual and reproductive health in a colorful way. Elizabeth Boskey, Ph.D., About.com’s Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) guide, writes in her blog post entitled ”It’s Only A Game“: When I first saw the announcement for Privates, I found the concept vaguely appalling — condom-hatted soldiers (privates) swarming into people’s body parts (privates) to shoot at all the nasty invaders one can find there. However, the second I watched the trailer I was instantly converted to a fan. Privates was clearly designed by people who were paying attention in sex-ed class. The epithelium looks like epithelium! There are bacteria that I can recognize from what I’ve ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3740597 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 15:00:04 +0100 3740597 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3733051&cid=t_96596_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fcongrats-to-our-sex-poll-random-house-giveaway-winners%2F Announcing the three winners of our steamy sex poll giveaway from Random House: Bekah, chrissycrue100, and stiletostrytime. These lucky commenters and re-Tweeters took our (anonymous) sex poll and spilled the goods about how often they do it. They’re each now the proud owners of Just Do It: How One Couple Turned Off the TV and Turned on Their Sex Lives for 101 Days (No Excuses)! by Douglas Brown (Three Rivers Press; available in bookstores everywhere). Congratulations again. Now go have sex. About Just Do It: How One Couple Turned Off the TV and Turned on Their Sex Lives for 101 Days (No Excuses)!: Even though it feels like there’s never enough time or energy, trust Annie and Doug…THERE IS! Creeping into middle age and saddled with work deadlines, child rearing, homemaking, and 1... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3733051 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 19:45:01 +0100 3733051 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3729808&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2FuWn5gk4YgyM%2Fmore_anti-vaccine_nonsense_coming_to_med.php Oh, goody. It looks as though the fall is going to be a repeat of the spring as far as anti-vaccine lunacy goes. This spring, we had the release of a book by the now disgraced granddaddy of the most recent incarnation of the anti-vaccine movement, Andrew Wakefield. The book, entitled Callous Disregard: Autism and Vaccines--The Truth Behind a Tragedy, was released to great fanfare by the antivaccine movement and then promptly tanked. This is not surprising, given how bad it apparently was. Only the die hards would want a copy, and it's currently languishing around number 23,576 on the Amazon Bestseller List. So May saw the release of Wakefield's book, and June and July saw it gone. What's next for the anti-vaccine movement? Gluttons for punishment that they are, apparently Mark "Not A Do... Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3729808 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 22:30:00 +0100 3729808 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3729843&cid=t_96596_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F187182%2F Last Chance to Win Sexy: Take our sex poll and re-Tweet it, comment on our Facebook page, or leave a comment on the giveaway post, and you could win a copy of Just Do It: How One Couple Turned Off the TV and Turned on Their Sex Lives for 101 Days (No Excuses)! Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3729843 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 19:42:28 +0100 3729843 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3706642&cid=t_96596_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fleisure-time-equals-tv-time-for-most-americans%2F photo: Thinkstock Sometimes the only thing that gets us through the workday is the thought of collapsing on our couches at 8 p.m. to enjoy an hour of mindless sitcom madness. Should we be devoting our time to more worthwhile activities? Sure. We could volunteer, exercise, or learn a new language, but after eight + hours of work, do we have it in us to work for a few more every night? Most Americans watched TV in their free time last year, and, in fact, time in front of the TV rose by 12 minutes since 2007. The average amount of TV watched per day was 2:12. Yikes…That’s a little embarrassing. Maybe we should look into more productive after-work activities, like helping the homeless. We could probably still get in at least half-an-hour of mindless entertainment while working out ... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3706642 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 20:31:59 +0100 3706642 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3706644&cid=t_96596_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F185689%2F Do it. And enter our giveaway. Take our steamy sex poll, and re-tweet it, comment on our Facebook page, or the giveaway page to enter to win a copy of Just Do It from Random House. Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3706644 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 19:46:01 +0100 3706644 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3701722&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F06%2F26%2Fsarah-jones-on-stereotypes-and-stereotyping%2F We highly recommend a 13-minute podcast in which Sarah Jones (a Tony Award winning playwright and performer) reflects on morals, racial stereotyping, and the perils of West Coast jaywalking.  You can listen to the podcast (recorded  live at The Moth Main Stage) here. * * * For a sample of related Situationist posts, see “Why Race May Influence Us Even When We “Know” It Doesn’t,” “Hoyas, Hos, & Gangstas,” “The ‘Turban Effect’,” “Journalists as Social Psychologists & Social Psychologists as Entertainers,” “The Situation of Racial Profiling,” “The Situation of Prejudice: Us vs. Them? or Them Is Us?,” “Do We Miss Racial Stereotypes Today that Will Be Evident Tomorrow?,” “Perceptions of Racial Divide,” and “The Psychology of... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3701722 Sun, 27 Jun 2010 01:53:12 +0100 3701722 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3690810&cid=t_96596_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Flike-us-on-facebook-follow-us-on-twitter-pretty-please%2F We’re pretty hip here at Blisstree. Ever heard of a little thing called Facebook? We have. We’re so on it. And you can “like” us there. That way, you can kill two birds with one stone: Stalk photos of your 7th-grade boyfriend and his new wife, and check out all the new content going up daily on Blisstree. And Twitter? No problem. We tweet – lots. Follow us. We dare you to @ us, or maybe even send us a direct message. So there. You should also keep up with our sister sites; they’re hip and smart and funny as hell. Check out TheGloss (fashion, beauty, dating) on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter. Also visit Crushable (celebs, gossip, entertainment) – here they are on Facebook, and, voilá, here they are on Twitter. Post from: BlissTree Like Us on Faceboo... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3690810 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 18:11:13 +0100 3690810 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3687069&cid=t_96596_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Four-sex-poll-heats-up-with-a-cool-giveaway-from-random-house%2F Remember yesterday when we asked you to take our (anonymous) sex poll and spill the goods about how often you do it? Well, now our friends at Three Rivers Press (an imprint of Random House) want to get in on all the steamy action with a cool giveaway. Here’s the deal: If you take our sex poll AND re-tweet it, or comment on our Facebook page, or leave an anonymous comment below (or all three), you’ll automatically be entered to win a copy of: Just Do It: How One Couple Turned Off the TV and Turned on Their Sex Lives for 101 Days (No Excuses)! by Douglas Brown (Three Rivers Press; available in bookstores everywhere) Three lucky Blisstree readers will win a copy! Just click the re-tweet or Facebook icons above, or leave an (anonymous) comment below. Good luck! Now go have sex. Abo... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3687069 Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:42:06 +0100 3687069 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3671579&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2F5WE2xftgOnY%2Fwhy_is_ozzy_osbourne_still_alive.php Ozzy Osbourne is, like many rock stars of his advancing age, an amazing creature. Having subjected his body to abuse beyond the ability of most normal people to understand in terms of booze, drugs, and crazy living on the road, like the Energizer Bunny he just keeps going and going and going along. Naturally, given that, against all probability, Ozzy has somehow managed to make it past 60, scientists wonder why he is still alive. Now some scientists want to find out; they plan on sequencing Ozzy's genome. Next up, Keith Richards! The problem I see with this is that we don't necessarily have any controls, namely rock stars who abused themselves but didn't survive. Be that as it may, I was amused by this part of the story: The 61-year-old former Black Sabbath lead singer -- who this week... Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3671579 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 18:00:00 +0100 3671579 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3655648&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F06%2F12%2Fpinker-and-the-brain%2F Steven Pinker had a provocative op-ed in the New York Times on Thursday taking on all those Luddites out there who bemoan the technological marvels of the Google search engine, PowerPoint presentation, and Twitter account as sure harbingers of the death of the brain. Pinker places the latest panic in context and points out that earlier fear-mongering over the impact of comic books and video games on crime and the effects of television, radio, and rock videos on I.Q. scores turned out to be baseless. As he concludes: The effects of consuming electronic media are [] likely to be far more limited than the panic implies. Media critics write as if the brain takes on the qualities of whatever it consumes, the informational equivalent of “you are what you eat.” As with primitive peoples who b... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3655648 Sat, 12 Jun 2010 04:01:54 +0100 3655648 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3569800&cid=t_96596_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2FKw8PUvf17JY%2F The Kreeger Museum’s Great Hall. Photo by Robert Lautman, 2004. By Judy Greenberg. Conversations at The Kreeger Museum: A Program for People Living with Alzheimer’s Disease and their Caregivers On behalf of The Kreeger Museum, I am thrilled to announce the development of a new art program especially designed for people living with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), their families and caregivers.  Modeled after the pioneering Meet Me at MoMA (Museum of Modern Art, NYC) program (est. 2006), Conversations at The Kreeger Museum will similarly provide a forum for dialogue and connection through looking at art.  Docents and other arts specialists will conduct small interactive tours and discussions through the museum’s accessible galleries and grounds. During the program, tours will have exclus... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3569800 Mon, 17 May 2010 12:00:38 +0100 3569800 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3490793&cid=t_96596_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2Ff2l0gmXkdQQ%2F Oprah’s having a rough month. First, Kitty Kelley releases a dishy, unauthorized biography on the Queen of Talk. Now, Norh Robinson, an ailing 84-year-old farmer from Mississippi, has come forward claiming to be her biological father. The New York Post caught up with Oprah in Manhattan outside the Four Seasons Hotel and asked her whether or not she was going to address Robinson’s claims. The normally cool-as-a-cucumber media maven snapped: “I will not be taking a paternity test, ever!” And can you blame her? Oprah has survived – flourished, even – for 56 years without knowing the identity of her biological dad. She considers her mother’s long-term boyfriend (the man who raised her) to be her true father, biology be damned. And, frankly, if Robinson was altruistically ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3490793 Tue, 20 Apr 2010 22:06:18 +0100 3490793 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3487277&cid=t_96596_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2Fy55lPkzaUZ4%2F Tina Fey at the Date Night premiere Three years ago, the president of Warner Brothers allegedly declared, “We are no longer doing movies with women in the lead.” This came after a string of female-starring flops like Jodie Foster’s The Brave One and Nicole Kidman’s The Invasion. Warner Brothers denied the allegations, but the distinct lack of female-driven movies from all studios speaks to a hesitance on the part of executives to gamble on women at the box office. And women over 25? Forget it. Sure, maybe Miley Cyrus can carry a flick, but who’s going to watch Date Night, which stars Tina Fey – an almost 40-year-old married lady with a kid? Apparently, a lot of people. In its second weekend, Date Night (with Steve Carell as Fey’s leading man), held down the number thr... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3487277 Tue, 20 Apr 2010 18:08:02 +0100 3487277 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3456654&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2Ftd9N6dKAHKY%2Fin_which_orac_does_his_part_to_increase.php Today, April 10, is the first day of World Homeopathy Awareness Week (WHAW), or, as I like to call it, World Sympathetic Magic Awareness Week. Now, given my dim view of homeopathy, in which I view it as nothing more than, well, sympathetic magic, you'd think I wouldn't want people to pay attention to WHAW. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is because I view homeopathy as nothing more than quackery based on magical thinking that I actually want people to be aware of it, starting with some of the more hilarious bits that homeopaths have published over the last year. Like this bit: Which I had some fun with here. Or this bit: Which I also had some fun with here. All of which is why this is the best homeopathy poster ever: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments... Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3456654 Sat, 10 Apr 2010 15:45:53 +0100 3456654 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3443632&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2FFnB3RQlzQIg%2Fim_conflicted_over_this_news.php Since a whole bunch of you have been sending me this and posting it in my comments, I don't see how I can avoid mentioning it. Apparently it's being reported on The Superficial, Celebitchy, and People.com that Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy have broken up. I must admit that it's hard not to feel a bit of schadenfreude over this and wonder if maybe Jim Carrey was getting tired of the whole anti-vaccine scene, as The Superficial suggested: I can only assume this has everything to do with Jenny McCarthy being completely shot down by the medical community only to continuing claiming a Playboy Bunny cracked the mystery of autism. Which has to get annoying. JIM: Honey, I'm pretty sure a gunshot wound to the pancreas won't cure my migraine. JENNY: I KNOW MORE THAN SCIENCE! *fart* Sincere apolog... Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3443632 Wed, 07 Apr 2010 05:00:01 +0100 3443632 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3399001&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F03%2F24%2Fbbc-news-row-over-torture-on-french-tv%2F From NPR: France is reeling from a documentary about a psychological experiment disguised as a game show. Researchers staged a fictitious reality show to see how far people would go in obeying authority, especially if television reinforces that authority. The disturbing results have alarmed the French. * * * From the BBC, “Row over ‘torture’ on French TV“: * * * The hugely controversial Game of Death was broadcast in prime-time on a major terrestrial channel, France 2, on Wednesday. It showed 80 people taking part in what they thought was a game show pilot. As it was only a trial, they were told they wouldn’t win anything, but they were given a nominal 40 euro fee. Before the show, they signed contracts agreeing to inflict electric shocks on other contestants... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3399001 Wed, 24 Mar 2010 04:01:35 +0100 3399001 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3382785&cid=t_96596_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Four-video-of-the-day-julia-roberts-is-bummed%2F Columbia Pictures released trailers for “Eat, Pray, Love” this week. Don’t know about you, but Blisstree finds it hard to feel sorry for Julia Roberts as she juggles the attentions of Billy Crudup and James Franco, while “a guy who looks a little like Yoda” hands her a prophecy. Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3382785 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:05:36 +0100 3382785 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3279914&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2FYlw1d5X5z3k%2Fgoodbye_false_balance.php I realize that Chris Mooney is a polarizing figure here on the ol' ScienceBlogs, but I have to give him props for doing a damned fine job handling questions about vaccines, autism, and Andrew Wakefield's utterly discredited 1998 Lancet study, which was retracted by the Lancet's editors last week: Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy I wish I could say the same thing for Nancy Snyderman. Although she was mostly right, I cringed--big time--when she insisted that there are no studies that show a link between vaccines and autism. Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong! What she should have said is that there exist studies that show a link between vaccines and autism, but that they are all crap and many of them are published in highly dubious journals. Heck, I've ev... Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3279914 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 05:00:40 +0100 3279914 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3275737&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2Foz-5cja9WZE%2Fbanned_by_fire_marshal_bill.php I feel really, really good today. The reason? Simple Orac has annoyed Jim Carrey enough to ban him on Twitter. The exchange went something like this. For the first time in a while, I was perusing Twitter (I have a really hard time keeping my Insolence to 140 characters; so I only check my Twitter account maybe once or twice a week) when I saw someone mention a couple of Tweets by Jim Carrey that went like this: Dr. Andrew Wakefield's studies r being unfairly supressed. His newest vacs vs unvacs study MUST BE PUBLISHED. RT "Show Me The Monkeys!" ;^) Folks, it's a REAL STUDY of chimps subjected to our childrens' vaccine schedule and pharma doesn't want the UNWELCOME TRUTH published. ;^) Naturally, upon seeing these Tweets, I couldn't resist sending Jim's way just a little Insolence in fi... Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3275737 Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:00:00 +0100 3275737 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3251244&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F02%2F08%2Fintroducing-the-pop-psychology-blog%2F Genders issues in mainstream psychology are of interest to a great many people, us included. So we’re happy to welcome Yale University student, Johannah Cousins, as our newest blogger to be blogging about the intersection of gender issues and pop psychology in her new blog, Pop Psychology. Johannah Cousins is a senior English major at Yale University with a focus on gender studies and contemporary popular culture. She recently completed her senior thesis, an analysis of the cultural and feminist context of the Twilight series. She is a film and music critic and staff writer for the Yale Herald Arts & Entertainment Section. Please head on over to Pop Psychology and check it out today! (Source: World of Psychology) World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3251244 Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:11:00 +0100 3251244 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3197543&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2Fay5qQsrTi4M%2Fcinema_science_actual_surgeons_doing_sci.php Last night was grant crunch time to get a truly serviceable draft to my collaborators today as promised, leaving enough time to revise it by the February 5 deadline. That means the blog has to take a hit today, which is a shame, because Joe Mercola and Age of Autism have laid down some idiocy this week that I'm just dying to take down. Oh, well, it'll wait, and if it won't I'm sure there'll be new idiocy to take down (or, if I need a break, some good science to discuss) when I come up for air again. (In the case of Mercola, it's part one of a promised three part series; so waiting until he's pumped out the continuations might be prudent anyway.) In the meantime, enjoy this bit of Classic Insolence from 2006. It comes from a long-defunct feature that our Seed overlords had us doing way back... Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3197543 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 20:00:00 +0100 3197543 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3180223&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2FxWln1mHAp_w%2Fmoral_of_the_story_dont_steal_chickens_i.php While I'm working today, enjoy some bizarre cartoon awesomeness from Max Fleischer, courtesy of Boing-Boing: Truly amazing. And 80 years old, too, with a wicked jazz soundtrack. Max Fleischer rules. Read the comments on this post... (Source: Respectful Insolence) Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3180223 Sun, 17 Jan 2010 15:00:16 +0100 3180223 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3106701&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2FFSnQFZVCKQM%2Fjust_cant_wait_for_the_end_of_time.php Regular readers here know that I'm a long time Doctor Who fan. That's why it's with some sadness that I await the approach of the two-episode finale for David Tennant's tenure as the Tenth Doctor. Over his four full seasons and multiple specials in 2009, Tennant redefined the role and even began to rival Tom Baker for my favorite Doctor. This time, fortunately, BBC America will be showing these episodes one day after they air in the U.K.; so I don't have to choose between waiting several months to see them or getting them by BitTorrent. In any case, there are some tantalizing clues about what might happen and how the Doctor might be forced to regenerate in these trailers: Oddly enough, apparently there has never been a Doctor Who story entitled "The End of Time" before. In any cas... Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3106701 Sun, 20 Dec 2009 16:00:15 +0100 3106701 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3063318&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F12%2F07%2Fneuroscience-and-illusion-2%2F Laura Sanders wrote an interesting article, titled “SPECIALIS REVELIO!  It’s not magic, it’s neuroscience,” in ScienceNews. Here are some excerpts. * * * Skill in manipulating people’s perceptions has earned magicians a new group of spellbound fans: Scientists seeking to learn how the eyes and brain perceive — or don’t perceive — reality. “The interest for magic has been there for a long time,” says Gustav Kuhn, a neuroscientist at Durham University in England and former performing magician. “What is new is that we have all these techniques to get a better idea of the inner workings of these principles.” A recent brain imaging study by Kuhn and his colleagues revealed which regions of the brain are active when people watch a magician do something impossible... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3063318 Mon, 07 Dec 2009 04:01:32 +0100 3063318 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2999462&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2F_pTyTcuLkoY%2Fbill_maher_flames_out_over_vaccines.php Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in again. Yes, I know I've used this clip before at least twice and the line in it several more times over the last couple of years. However, sometimes it's just so completely appropriate to how I'm feeling about a topic I'm about to write about that I just don't care and have to use it again. This is one of those times. The 2009 recipient of the Richard Dawkins Award bestowed upon him by the Atheist Alliance International (a.k.a. Bill Maher, anti-vaccine comedian and host of Real Time With Bill Maher, has decided, after an all too brief absence, to lay down a swath of burning stupid about vaccines again. When last we left Maher, he was busily embarrassing himself on the last two episodes of his television show, first by getting slapped... Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2999462 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:00:00 +0100 2999462 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2954444&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2FwtVqc-TFsTU%2Fblogging_suzanne_somers_knockout_part_1.php Be afraid. Be very, very afraid. After a prolonged wait, it's finally here: Yes, my promotional copy of Suzanne Somers new book Knockout: Interviews with Doctors Who Are Curing Cancer--And How to Prevent Getting It in the First Place. (The Dalek was included because, well, I was just feeling perverse when I took this picture.) I can only say that, after having perused the next couple of chapters after Chapter 1, I can already feel my brain melting and oozing out through my ears, screaming as the neuron-necrosing stupidity liquifies it. I've also noticed that, by and large, this book is written in grade school level language with short chapters. This observation has led me to change my original plan, which was to blog this book chapter by chapter as I read it. Instead, I think I'll pr... Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2954444 Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:00:02 +0100 2954444 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2939204&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2F80-reCMEFMg%2Fdata_weeps_does_brent_spiner_have_anti-v.php Unfortunately, Brent Spiner is not living up to Commander Data's portrayal of Sherlock Holmes. Say it ain't so, Data! Say it ain't so!Last night, I decided for the heck of it to check my Twitter account, something I only tend to do sporadically, although I do keep a constant stream of links to the latest Insolence flowing, to the gratitude and awe of my followers, when I saw this Tweet directed at me from someone with the 'nym Zombie President: @BrentSpiner I prefer @oracknows over Dr jay gordon any day. Huh? I wondered what was going on. One thing you should know before I continue is that Brent Spiner is an active Twitterer (although after this incident I may have to refer to him as an active twit if his response to criticism shows that he is not educable). In fact, he's pretty darned... Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2939204 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 05:00:02 +0100 2939204 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2920124&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2FQq-jNzkULCM%2Fone_last_brief_comment_about_suzanne_som.php Before I move on for a while from the topic of that faded 1970s comic actress, Suzanne Somers, whose latest book is a paean to cancer quackery and who has been carpetbombing the airwaves with burning napalm stupid, I think one revelation is worth a brief mention. Specifically, after my post about how I find Somers' story about being misdiagnosed with cancer, a fan wrote: Orac, Sarcoidosis? Nope. Wrong again. Suzanne admitted on TV she had an acute pulmonary fungal infection, valley fever. Try going back to medical school, you mental midget. I do so love the adoration of my fans. However, it would answer many questions. Valley fever is due to a fungus that is endemic in the southwest United States. If that was indeed what Somers had, it must have been the disseminated version: The most ... Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2920124 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:00:01 +0100 2920124 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2904857&cid=t_96596_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FCi50C2kTAYs%2F Last week, editors at Politico posed two questions to an online panel to which I contribute: “ACORN: Underplayed or overblown?” and “Will the Dems ever get their act together on healthcare?” The two are intimately connected by a simple proposition: “Most people want more housing and health care than they can afford.” Of course, for “housing” or “health care” one could substitute whatever one wishes: food, clothing, cars, education, entertainment, vacations, you name it. Economists call this the problem of scarcity, and it’s the beginning of economics. In a free society, most individuals, families, and firms will deal with that problem through such homely measures as creating and husbanding wealth, planning for the future, an... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2904857 Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:27:00 +0100 2904857 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2901673&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F10%2F17%2Fa-glimpse-inside-obsessed-an-interview-with-john-tsilimparis%2F I’m not one to stay up and watch TV. For one, I have to practice good sleep hygiene so I can preach that message to you guys. But A&E’s documentary series, “Obsessed” piqued my interest because it exposes viewers to the lives of every day folks battling OCD, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, hoarding, and a healthy variety of phobias. The unscripted series educates the public on how one measly obsession can totally mess up a life if the biochemistry isn’t controlled (of course, I already know that). So I wanted to interview the show’s therapist, John Tsilimparis, about the series and about the experience of being watched by millions as he conducted therapy. Question: What is the primary message that you would like viewers to get from the thera... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2901673 Sat, 17 Oct 2009 10:07:43 +0100 2901673 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2899017&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F10%2F16%2Fthe-social-status-situation-of-online-networks%2F Breeanna Hare of CNN.com has an interesting piece on how membership in online networks may signal social status.  We excerpt the piece below. * * * Is there a class divide online? Research suggests yes. A recent study by market research firm Nielsen Claritas found that people in more affluent demographics are 25 percent more likely to be found friending on Facebook, while the less affluent are 37 percent more likely to connect on MySpace. More specifically, almost 23 percent of Facebook users earn more than $100,000 a year, compared to slightly more than 16 percent of MySpace users. On the other end of the spectrum, 37 percent of MySpace members earn less than $50,000 annually, compared with about 28 percent of Facebook users. MySpace users tend to be “in middle-class, blue-collar ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2899017 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 04:01:49 +0100 2899017 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2836150&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2FAoMCLB4Shnc%2Fmore_maher_idiocy.php I didn't know that Bill Maher used Twitter, but I do now: The original Tweet is here. Gee, given their similar comments about flu shots being "for idiots," you don't think that Bill Maher and Doug Bremner are the same person, do you? Maybe they were separated at birth! In any case, perhaps we should see how many of us can be blocked by Maher by telling him that if you call people who get their flu shots idiots, you're the real idiot. Here's a hint, Bill. If crackpots like those at Age of Autism love your stand on vaccines, you've gone down the same road as the Gardasil crackpots you criticize. (Of course, AoA wouldn't like Bill quite so much if they knew this.) Why was it again that you support HPV vaccination but hate flu vaccines? Read the comments on this post... (Source: Respect... Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2836150 Sun, 27 Sep 2009 15:00:00 +0100 2836150 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2809640&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2FXwDdt5_OFns%2Fatomic_cold_cream_of_the_1950s.php Somehow I don't think any cosmetics company today could get away with doing an experiment like this to prove how well its cold cream cleans the most dirt and makeup residue from a model's skin. I'd also really love a copy of the "Atomic Test Booklet" that people could mail the company to request. You'd never guess from the title that it's about makeup. Also, I have to wonder. Some 50 or 60 years later: Is the model in this commercial still alive? How many skin cancers did she have removed from her face? Inquiring minds wnat to know! Read the comments on this post... (Source: Respectful Insolence) Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2809640 Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:00:00 +0100 2809640 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2785853&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2F6-2Uww0r5lY%2Fyou_knew_it_was_coming.php ...Hitler is most displeased with President Obama and what he did earlier this week: Read the comments on this post... (Source: Respectful Insolence) Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2785853 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 03:30:00 +0100 2785853 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2757835&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F09%2F02%2Fthe-surprising-situation-of-video-game-players%2F Tor Thorsen of GameSpot has an interesting piece on surprising new findings from the Centers for Disease Control on video game players, who tend to be older than you might expect, and also more depressed.  Below is an excerpt. * * * Often, games are dismissed as a youthful pastime. However, a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that the average US gamer doesn’t even fall into the 18-34-year-old demographic advertisers and MTV programmers so highly prize. According to the study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine and provided to MSNBC, the average adult American gamer is 35, the age when the ostensibly retirement-age organization AARP starts sending out invitation letters. * * * It gets worse. The study, which was conducted in c... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2757835 Wed, 02 Sep 2009 04:01:21 +0100 2757835 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2751823&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2F87uYQdG_tNw%2Fa_dose_of_controversy_more_like_a_dose_o.php This study, aided and abetted by truly irresponsible journalism, launched a panic in the U.K. that is only now starting to abate. In the interim, measles, once thought conquered, has become endemic again in the British Isles. In any case, it matters not to the anti-vaccine movement that (1) his study was poorly designed and utterly refuted by later studies; (2) it was revealed that Wakefield received £435,643 in fees, plus £3,910 expenses from lawyers trying to show that the MMR was unsafe; (3) the PCR laboratory that Wakefield used was so poorly run that it apparently had no knowledge of the concept of a negative control; and (4) strong evidence has been revealed that Wakefield falsified data. If there's one thing that causes my teeth to grind almost as much as the thought of Andrew Wa... Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2751823 Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:30:00 +0100 2751823 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2747898&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2F87uYQdG_tNw%2Fa_dose_of_controversy_more_like_a_dose_o.php This study, aided and abetted by truly irresponsible journalism, launched a panic in the U.K. that is only now starting to abate. In the interim, measles, once thought conquered, has become endemic again in the British Isles. In any case, it matters not to the anti-vaccine movement that (1) his study was poorly designed and utterly refuted by later studies; (2) it was revealed that Wakefield received £435,643 in fees, plus £3,910 expenses from lawyers trying to show that the MMR was unsafe; (3) the PCR laboratory that Wakefield used was so poorly run that it apparently had no knowledge of the concept of a negative control; and (4) strong evidence has been revealed that Wakefield falsified data. If there's one thing that causes my teeth to grind almost as much as the thought of Andrew Wa... Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2747898 Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:30:00 +0100 2747898 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2745461&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2FFWrGarO8eew%2Fcomic_books_and_rubber_bands.php I don't know why, but I'm tired, lazy, and in a bit of nostalgic frame of mind this morning, which makes coming across this ad dangerous: Not only that, but Faygo is a Detroit company. At least it was when I was a kid. At least it's still bottled in Detroit. Ah, yes, Faygo red pop. Pure chemically goodness that no child under around 10 can resist--particularly because it would produce that lovely red pop mustache after drinking. You may now thank me for having injected that unbelievably infectious (and annoying) jingle into the deepest recesses of your mind, where it will dwell for at least the rest of the day. I figure if I'm now humming it today, everyone else might as well be too. Read the comments on this post... (Source: Respectful Insolence) Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2745461 Sat, 29 Aug 2009 15:00:00 +0100 2745461 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2724779&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2Fiec6gi1hfdM%2Fhomeopathy_and_quacks_versus_science.php I know this one's been floating around the blogosphere for a while, but it finally made its way to me at a time when I needed something lighthearted and amusing: Best quotes: "Well, science doesn't know everything." Well, science knows it doesn't know anything, otherwise it would stop ... But just because science doesn't know everything doesn't mean you can fill in the gaps with whatever fairytale most appeals to you." ..."nutritionist" isn't a protected term. Anyone can call themselves a nutritionist. "Dietitician" is the legally protected term. "Dietician" is like dentist, and "nutritionist" is like tootheologist." "I'm sorry if you're into homeopathy. It's water. How often does it need to be said? It's just water. You're healing yourself. Why don't you give yourself the credit? ... Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2724779 Sat, 22 Aug 2009 14:00:00 +0100 2724779 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2702349&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F08%2F15%2Fthe-situation-of-facebook-jealousy%2F Marc Beja of the Chronicles of Higher Education has an interesting piece on jealousy driving people to spend inordinate amounts of time on Facebook.  We excerpt this piece below. * * * Having relationship troubles? Is your significant other interrogating you, asking about your communication with people you used to date, or even with acquaintances you speak with infrequently? Blame Facebook, say three researchers at the University of Guelph, in Ontario. The reason? Jealousy. And not just any jealousy—”Facebook-specific jealousy,” say two Ph.D. candidates in psychology and their advisor. They add that such jealousy may increase the amount of time that you—or your significant other—spend on the social networking site. The researchers—Amy Muise and Emily Christofides, both... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2702349 Sat, 15 Aug 2009 04:29:54 +0100 2702349 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2685338&cid=t_96596_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FncLpt7Cl8Uk%2F Remember that scene in Lost Weekend when Ray Milland has escaped from detox and returns to his apartment, collapses in an armchair, and figures everything is fine as night falls. Then out of nowhere he sees a cute little mouse emerge from an imaginary hole in the wall, and he thinks that’s really darling until a bat flies in and eats the mouse and he starts screaming? Well that’s what I thought Alex would become this afternoon. Image: Virtualtoydrive.org Jill gave away the cabinet that housed our DVD player, VCR, and cable box, and the guy arrived half an hour early to take the cabinet. So I had to yank all the cables quickly out of the back of the units without, of course in my life, marking where the cables were to be plugged back in. So reconstructing our home entertainment ... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2685338 Mon, 10 Aug 2009 04:04:29 +0100 2685338 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2662629&cid=t_96596_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F08%2F01%2Fm-d-andersons-epha2-targeted-therapy-delivers-chemo-directly-to-ovarian-cancer-cells%2F With a novel therapeutic delivery system, a research team led by scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center has successfully targeted a protein that is over-expressed in ovarian cancer cells. Using the EphA2 protein as a molecular homing mechanism, chemotherapy was delivered in a highly selective manner in preclinical models of [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2662629 Sat, 01 Aug 2009 15:49:10 +0100 2662629 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2645240&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2Fdds_83LyRvc%2Fbill_maher_and_anti-science.php Last week, I expressed my surprise and dismay that the Atheist Alliance International chose Bill Maher for the Richard Dawkins Award. I was dismayed because Maher has championed pseudoscience, including dangerous antivaccine nonsense, germ theory denialism complete with repeating myths about Louis Pasteur supposedly recanting on his deathbed, a hostility towards "Western medicine" and an affinity for "alternative medicine," a history of sympathy to HIV/AIDS denialists, and the activities of PETA through his position on its board of directors, all facts that led me to liken his receiving the Richard Dawkins Award to giving an award for public health to Jenny McCarthy. I was not alone, either. Larry Moran, Matt D., and Skepacabra agreed with me. When I wrote that post, I expected some pushb... Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2645240 Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:30:35 +0100 2645240 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2634318&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2FF_Wjg4CS2RU%2Flewis_black_tells_it_like_it_is_on_healt.php The only thing he's left out is a takedown of Nazi analogies. After all, Nazis wanted universal health care, too, except that they wanted to guarantee the health of the volk more than any individual: The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10c (Source: Respectful Insolence) Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2634318 Thu, 23 Jul 2009 21:00:00 +0100 2634318 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2616722&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F20%2Fthe-situation-of-homogeneity%2F This summer, I have finally gotten around to reading Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein’s book Nudge and, unsurprisingly, there is much in the book that parallels situationist work.  Indeed, many (if not most) of the referenced social psychology experiments and dynamics should already be familiar to readers of this website. One paragraph that I came across this morning particularly struck a chord with me because it took up a topic that I addressed not a month earlier in an op-ed in the Baltimore Sun: the problem with “collaborative filtering,” whereby consumers are given recommendations based on the preferences of others with identical tastes.  As Thaler and Sunstein explain, [S]urprise and serendipity can be fun for people, and good for them too, and it may not be entirely wonderful... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2616722 Mon, 20 Jul 2009 04:01:47 +0100 2616722 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2613893&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F18%2Fbruno-and-the-situation-of-humor-in-films%2F Larry Muhammad of the Courier Journal has an interesting piece on the response tactics of groups that have been the target of jokes in recent films, including in Sacha Baron Cohen’s “Bruno.”  We excerpt it below. * * * Has comedian Sacha Baron Cohen gone too far with his new movie, “Bruno”? Scan the cable news shows and the talk-radio dial and — between all the Michael Jackson talk — you’ll hear howls of outrage from some gay groups, angry that Cohen’s gay Austrian fashionista character reinforces stereotypes about homosexuals. * * * Last summer, demonstrators picketed outside showings of the Ben Stiller comedy “Tropic Thunder,” angry that a character named Simple Jack was repeatedly referred to as a “retard.” Of course... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2613893 Sat, 18 Jul 2009 04:01:53 +0100 2613893 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2598275&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F14%2Fsituational-branding-effects%2F Situationist contributor Grainne Fitzsimons conducted a fascinating study in collaboration with Gavan Fitzsimons and Tanya Chartrand on the effects of popular company logos on human behavior.  In the following video Gavan and Tanya describe the study. * * * * * * To read some related Situationist posts, see “The Unseen Behavioral Influence of Company Logos,” “The Situation of Repackaging,” and “The Big Game: What Corporations Are Learning About the Human Brain.” To read other Situationist posts on marketing, click here; for those on priming, click here. (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2598275 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 04:01:21 +0100 2598275 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2570573&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F05%2Fbiased-i-know-you-are-but-what-am-i%2F Randy Dotinga, writing for the North County Times, quotes Situationist Contributor Peter Ditto on the bias of our media choices. * * * If you’re a conservative, you’re more likely to listen to Rush Limbaugh than turn to National Public Radio. And if you’re liberal, you’re probably don’t spend your time tuned to Roger Hedgecock, Sean Hannity and Rick Roberts. Pretty obvious, right? Yes, but now researchers have gone and confirmed what we think we know: People like to hear opinions that back up what they already think. In a study published this week in a journal called Psychological Bulletin, researchers say we do indeed turn to sources of information that confirm our biases, especially when it comes to things like politics and religion. * * * Peter Ditto, a pro... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2570573 Sun, 05 Jul 2009 04:01:22 +0100 2570573 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2570575&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F03%2Fthe-situation-of-food-the-movie%2F From Michael Phillips’ Chicago Tribune review: Several things — too many, probably — are going on in “Food, Inc.,” all connected. Kenner begins by tracing the impact of 20th Century American fast food on industrialized food production, and notes that when McDonald’s brought factory assembly-line strategies into practice, everything changed. McDonald’s became a universe of beef-purchasing power unto itself. Their cows, like so many millions of other feedlot residents, consume corn instead of grass; the humans in our increasingly obese nation eat a ton of corn as well, courtesy of high-fructose, heavily subsidized corn syrup found in everything from ketchup to Twinkies to Coke. As a Brooklyn, N.Y., doctor in another food doc, “King Corn,”... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2570575 Fri, 03 Jul 2009 04:01:40 +0100 2570575 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2561157&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2F2e9GdmxCw80%2Fcbs_news_resident_science_crank_sharyl_a.php Remember Sharyl Attkisson? She's the CBS reporter who can really bring home the crazy when it comes to vaccines and autism, laying down some serious crankery (complete with many logical fallacies) and hit pieces on Dr. Paul Offit. Indeed, at times she gives Mike Adams a run for his money when it comes to laying down the pseudoscience and crankery. Worse, she appears to be in bed with at least one of the bloggers at the antivaccine propaganda blog Age of Autism for the purpose of bringing antivaccination lunacy to the masses by assisting them in smearing Voices for Vaccines. Indeed, aside from Steve Wilson, I can't recall a reporter for a mainstream news outlet who regularly sides with the anti-vaccine movement and helps them promote their propaganda, and the bad thing is that she's nation... Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2561157 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:00:00 +0100 2561157 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2553076&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F06%2F29%2Fthe-fortuitous-situation-of-news-cycles-from-mark-sanford-to-michael-jackson%2F Steve Singiser of Daily Kos raises an interesting point: South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford may have been an unintended beneficiary of Michael Jackson’s death last week, as the public’s outrage and bewilderment over Sanford’s affair and possible dereliction of gubernatorial duties suddenly waned upon news of Jackson’s death.  Could Sanford’s political future tangibly benefit by the completely unrelated death of a pop music legend?  We excerpt Singiser’s piece below. * * * The conventional wisdom (which, as the inimitable Molly Ivins was fond to point out, is often wrong) says that South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford’s political career can now be described in the past tense. There is some reason to believe that this is not necessarily true. An ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2553076 Mon, 29 Jun 2009 04:01:37 +0100 2553076 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2527857&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F06%2F26%2Fthe-loss-of-3-entertainment-icons-jackson-fawcett-mcmahon%2F It’s been a rough week in the entertainment world, with the loss of three stars in music, Hollywood and television. With the passing of Michael Jackson (music, mostly in the 1980s), Farrah Fawcett (movies), and Ed McMahon (The Tonight Show and Star Search), the world has lost some significant talent. Each, in their own way, contributed something special and unique to their field. You couldn’t have grown up in the 1980s and not been affected by Michael Jackson’s music (regardless of whether you liked him or not, doubtless one of your friends or girlfriend/boyfriend did). The later recriminations against Michael Jackson and his alleged interest in young boys no doubt will tarnish his otherwise popular rock career. Farrah Fawcett was, for better or worse, an icon of female ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2527857 Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:01:10 +0100 2527857 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2511161&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F06%2F18%2Fputting-cool-ahead-of-science-tweetpsych%2F A new service launched this week by a web developer named Dan Zarrella called TweetPsych. Zarrella is also a marketing manager for HubSpot, an online marketing firm. Zarrella calls himself a “scientist,” because I guess it sounds sexier than “web developer” or “marketing manager,” but he doesn’t list any academic credentials. (I wouldn’t mention the scientist or credentials part except that Zarrella makes specific scientific claims about his new service.) The interesting new service is marketed as offering “psychological profiling” based upon what you post to Twitter. But it’s really just a content analysis service, using two psychological dictionaries and your past 1,000 tweets. Zarrella claims this analysis “builds a... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2511161 Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:03:49 +0100 2511161 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2473596&cid=t_96596_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2FFcY5guri4Mo%2F In 2004 an outbreak of HIV throughout porn performers almost shut down the industry. At the time, “a porn actor spread the virus to three actresses he had worked with and another unrelated performer also tested positive.” Legislation to enforce safer sex practices in the industry never saw the light of day. Now, officials are once again concerned because the Adult Industry Medical (AIM) Healthcare Foundation confirmed that an actress has tested positive for HIV and yet they will not release the name. Clinic reps from AIM also say the recent HIV confirmation is “not a major event.” Health officials are concerned that the clinic is not taking the matter as serious as it should. Image: sxc.hu. Share and Enjoy: Post from: Blisstree Porn Ind... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2473596 Fri, 12 Jun 2009 17:00:06 +0100 2473596 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2469396&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2F08ipKCnPY6I%2Fpatient_empowerment.php "Empowerment." What a grand word! After all, who doesn't want to be "empowered"? Certainly not me. Perhaps that's the reason why it's become the new buzzword in a movement known as "patient-centered" care. Old fart that I am, I'm a bit puzzled by exactly what that term means. After all, I've always thought I have been practicing patient-centered care, ever since my first days in medical school, but apparently these days it means something different, at least if this article from a few days ago in the New York Times is any indication. It's an interview with Dr. Donald Berwick, who advocates what he himself calls a "radical" patient-centered care, having recently published an article in Health Affairs entitled What 'Patient-Centered' Should Mean: Confessions Of An Extremist. It's unclear to... Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2469396 Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:00:00 +0100 2469396 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2447411&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2FjoAQH1J_qNA%2Foprah_and_jenny_mccarthy_a_woo_too_far.php Last week I wrote a bit about what I've been tempted to call Oprah's War on Science but settled for the title of a documentary called The Oprah Effect. The reason, as I have mentioned before, is that arguably there is no single person who does more to promote pseudoscientific and dubious health practices than does Oprah Winfrey. I was happy to learn that more people are questioning Oprah's promotion of outright quackery than I recall ever having seen before. It wasn't always so. Oprah Winfrey is an extremely powerful media figure, having been the host of the highest rated syndicated talk show in television history, her self-named The Oprah Winfrey Show. The show has been running for nearly 23 years, with over 3,000 episodes. Winfrey is so famous that she is one of those rare celebrities w... Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2447411 Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:30:00 +0100 2447411 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2441010&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2FpY2Bz2pfShQ%2Fcombatting_the_oprah_effect.php I don't much like Oprah Winfrey. I know, I know, it's a huge surprise to anyone who reads this blog, but there you go. Over the last four years, I've had numerous reasons to be unhappy with her, mainly because, as savvy a media celebrity and businesswoman as she is, she has about as close to no critical thinking skills when it comes to science and medicine as I've ever seen. Arguably there is no single person in the world with more influence pushing woo than Oprah. Indeed, she puts Prince Charles to shame, and Kevin Trudeau's is a mere ant compared to the juggernaught that is Oprah's media empire. No one even comes close. No one, and I mean no one, brings pseudoscience, quackery, and antivaccine madness to more people than Oprah Winfrey does. Naturally, she doesn't see it that way and lik... Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2441010 Fri, 29 May 2009 14:00:00 +0100 2441010 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2442380&cid=t_96596_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FiMzsMOGQDC4%2F Armed with a small box of Chips Ahoy and a Hershey bar, we went to a 10 a.m. show of “Night at the Museum” this morning. (The cookies seemed like the best peacekeeper. Seriously, Alex will do anything for a chocolate chip cookie.) There was a certain amount of loud drumming on one of the seat backs, and Jeff and I switched places at some point so I could take over, but Alex was really pretty good.  photo courtesy of Sassy Panda! (flickr.com) I thought he’d be happy when Oscar the Grouch made an appearance, but he didn’t seem to care. Since this was a special showing sponsored by Autism Society of America and AMC Loews, the lights were kept dim throughout the movie, and it was almost light enough to read. OK, I thought, Alex isn’t that into this; maybe he&#821... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2442380 Sun, 24 May 2009 07:38:58 +0100 2442380 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2423984&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2FAUKo2_2575w%2Foprah_and_jenny_need_your--yes_your--hel.php A reader informs me of a plaintive, heartfelt request from Oprah for help in developing the television show of her new protege Jenny McCarthy: You've seen it all over the news...Jenny McCarthy, one of America's funniest and coolest moms and Harpo is giving her, her own show. Here is where YOU come in. What would you like to see featured on Jenny's show? What would you like for her to talk about? What are you and your friends buzzing about? Any topics you'd like for her to tackle? Are there any questions that you have -- that you would love for her to answer? If so -- we definitely want to hear from you! Write to us and tell us exactly what you'd like to see Jenny do. I think this is a perfect opportunity for a little skeptical activism. My first thought was to suggest things I didn'... Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2423984 Tue, 19 May 2009 19:20:28 +0100 2423984 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2408443&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2FNlKcMTUzQmw%2Fjenny_mccarthy_shows_off_her_knowledge_o.php While I'm on the topic, blog bud has proclaimed that he loves Jenny McCarthy's new blog at the Oprah website, in particular her Poop Stories. Personally, when I first saw Jenny's blog, my first thought was that a question I had always had ever since Jenny McCarthy became the chief propagandist for the antivaccine movement had finally been answered. I now know why that cesspit of anti-vaccine lunacy, The Huffington Post, had never invited Jenny McCarthy to blog. HuffPo may not have standards when it comes to science, but at least it has standards when it comes to writing, and Jenny's writing, as shown on her blog, is so inane that it reminds me of a 15-year-old girl, except that would be an insult to most 15-year-old girls. However, after reading PalMD's take on it, I can sort of understand... Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2408443 Fri, 15 May 2009 10:46:34 +0100 2408443 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2405749&cid=t_96596_125_f&fid=38161&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalheroes.com%2Fwhat-a-filling-flashdance-dental-parody%2F (Source: Dental Heroes) Dental Heroes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2405749 Tue, 12 May 2009 03:36:02 +0100 2405749 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2398526&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2Fh5eMRTiGayU%2Fjenny_mccarthy_shows_off_her_intellect.php I know, I know it seems like the proverbial shooting fish in a barrel, but some creature that I can't identify is having a fight somewhere in the neighborhood, freaking out my dog, and now I can't go back to sleep; so why not blog? In any case, I found out last week that Jenny McCarthy is on Twitter as JennyfromMTV. Now, when I first saw it, I thought it had to be a spoof, someone pretending to be Jenny. No one could be as inane as to Tweet things like: Im inside a hyperbaric chamber. This thing makes me feel amazing. About to fly to jersey. Security stole my sugar free jelly out of my purse. Boo hoo. I miss evan. Now Im on the plane. they asked me if I wanted a cinnabun. Im so sad. The chubby guy sitting next to me is slobbering all over his. boo hoo. Apparently I was wrong. But her... Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2398526 Sat, 09 May 2009 09:30:17 +0100 2398526 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2389887&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F05%2F07%2Fthe-selective-morality-of-video-games%2F Modern day video games regularly feature violence and murder, sometimes with graphic details, such as blood or dismemberment.  Gamers are often rewarded for the most number of kills. While there has been some controversy about those games, talk of banning them has gone nowhere.  For the most part, in fact, people seem to be okay with them. So if killing people in video games is socially-acceptable, why would raping someone not be okay?  This is a question asked by IGN in a piece we excerpt below. * * * A month before Six Days in Fallujah, an obscure Japanese game briefly caught a gust of media controversy when Amazon refused to sell RapeLay. In contrast to Six Days in Fallujah, RapeLay is a hentai game that offers players a platform to literally molest and rape women in public places. ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2389887 Thu, 07 May 2009 04:01:19 +0100 2389887 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2389588&cid=t_96596_83_f&fid=34690&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fscienceblogs%2Finsolence%2F%7E3%2Fg0FywJfMFR0%2Fproof_that_oprah_winfrey_is_utterly_beyo.php Ugh. Double ugh. Sitting in my e-mail in box this morning were lots of your e-mails warning me about a bit of news that shows definitively that Oprah Winfrey is beyond redemption, at least when it comes to any sort of medicine or science (not nice, given that I hadn't even had my morning coffee yet). The reason? Jenny McCarthy has inked a deal with Winfrey's Harpo Studios to develop a syndicated talk show and other media projects, including a blog, which has already started dishing out the stupid, albeit (thus far) not about vaccines and autism. Apparently sensing that her advocacy of the New Age woo known as The Secret was not enough, Oprah appears to have decided that anti-vaccine quackery sells, and she doesn't care whom it kills as long as she can make some money at it. Given that O... Respectful Insolence blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2389588 Mon, 04 May 2009 17:00:00 +0100 2389588 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2386933&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F05%2F04%2Fneuroscience-and-illusion%2F Laura Sanders recently wrote an interesting article, titled “SPECIALIS REVELIO!  It’s not magic, it’s neuroscience,” in ScienceNews. Here are some excerpts. * * * Skill in manipulating people’s perceptions has earned magicians a new group of spellbound fans: Scientists seeking to learn how the eyes and brain perceive — or don’t perceive — reality. “The interest for magic has been there for a long time,” says Gustav Kuhn, a neuroscientist at Durham University in England and former performing magician. “What is new is that we have all these techniques to get a better idea of the inner workings of these principles.” A recent brain imaging study by Kuhn and his colleagues revealed which regions of the brain are active when people watch a magician do something i... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2386933 Mon, 04 May 2009 04:56:01 +0100 2386933 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2382540&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F05%2F03%2Fjust-me-and-my-friend-sony%2F From the University of Buffalo: Not all technology meets human needs, and some technologies provide only the illusion of having met your needs. But new research by psychologists at the University at Buffalo and Miami University, Ohio, indicates that illusionary relationships with the characters and personalities on favorite TV shows can provide people with feelings of belonging, even in the face of low self esteem or after being rejected by friends or family members. The findings are described in four studies published in the current issue of the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. “The research provides evidence for the ’social surrogacy hypothesis,’ which holds that humans can use technologies, like television, to provide the experience of belonging when no real ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2382540 Sun, 03 May 2009 04:01:34 +0100 2382540 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2382646&cid=t_96596_125_f&fid=38161&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fdentalheroes%2F%7E3%2F1a2sc2FUp0U%2F Most of you can answer this question with a simple “yes” or “no”. You either floss your teeth everyday, without fail, or you don’t. For those of you who floss your teeth everyday, bravo. For those of you who don’t floss your teeth everyday, you need to start. As I’ve preached in previous posts, your oral health depends on regular flossing - simply brushing is not enough. If you’d like to learn more about the benefits of flossing, my friends at About.com Dentistry have put together a nice article on the topic, “Flossing Teeth - How often Should I floss my teeth?“. If you don’t currently floss your teeth, or you’re having a hard time doing it consistently, I recent came across a new website that can help you to remember... Dental Heroes blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2382646 Sat, 02 May 2009 19:14:07 +0100 2382646 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2381341&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F05%2F01%2Fthe-situation-of-stephen-colbert-audienc%2F Taegan Goodard of Political Wire links to an interesting finding from a new study titled “The Irony of Satire: Political Ideology and the Motivation to See What You Want to See in the Colbert Report.”  The study was authored by three Ohio State School of Communications graduate students, Heather Lamarre, Kristen Landreville, and Michael Beam.  Here is Goodard’s take: * * * An Ohio State University study finds that conservatives were more likely to report that Stephen Colbert “only pretends to be joking” on his Comedy Central television show “and genuinely meant what he said while liberals were more likely to report that Colbert used satire and was not serious when offering political statements.” * * * To read an abstract of the study, which has ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2381341 Fri, 01 May 2009 04:01:28 +0100 2381341 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2376172&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F04%2F28%2Fvirtual-worlds-learning-and-virtual-milgram%2F In a post in February, BoingBoing writer Cory Doctorow told a story about a parent who incentivizes their son’s video gaming by having the teenager adhere to the Geneva Conventions while playing the game Call of Duty. I asked Evan to google the Geneva Convention. Then he had to read it and then we had to discuss it. This we did. So the deal is that Evan has to fight according to the rules of the Geneva Convention. If his team-mates violate the Convention then play stops and Call of Duty goes away for a while. It might seem outlandish, or merely a tool to educate your child about the Geneva Convention (as opposed to teaching an actor in real life to adhere to the same Conventions), but is there any real-life applicability to virtual worlds and teaching behavior through virtual environ... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2376172 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 04:01:27 +0100 2376172 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2365340&cid=t_96596_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2FNtpQlAFUJNY%2F Next week Jeff and I are planning to catch a few movies at the Sprout Film Festival, an annual showing of movies portraying people with developmental disabilities. “People with developmental disabilities as subjects and performers remain marginalized in film and television,” the organizers believe. “This festival aims to raise their profile by showcasing works related to this population.” Last year I gave a talk about portrayals of people with developmental disabilities in mainstream Hollywood movies (”Rain Man,” “Pumpkin,” “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?,” “I am Sam” — I have a very long list) and how they mostly don’t get it. One movie I haven’t seen but which I think is smart and sensitive  is... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2365340 Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:34:31 +0100 2365340 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2353865&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F04%2F21%2Fsusan-boyle-and-the-situation-of-sound%2F From Situationist friend and situationist legal scholar Andrew Perlman, we received the following message: * * * “In case you haven’t seen it, this video of a talent show contestant in Britain has become a world-wide phenomenon.  The reason is simple — situational cues prepare us for a stunningly bad performance, and we end up getting quite the opposite.  You can find the video here. * * * It’s really quite moving.  Among other reasons, I think we intuitively realize how much appearance matters to us when we assess other people.” * * * For an examination of the connection between situationism and music, see Jon Hanson and Michael McCann’s “Busker or Virtuoso? Depends on the Situation.” In their post, Hanson and McCann explore how the situation in whi... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2353865 Tue, 21 Apr 2009 04:01:37 +0100 2353865 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2313397&cid=t_96596_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F04%2F09%2Fare-video-games-addictive%2F Laura Parker of GameSpot Australia has an interesting piece on whether video games can become addictions.  We excerpt her piece below. * * * An addict is defined by his or her psychological compulsion to carry out certain behaviours or consume certain substances that are often detrimental to his or her health or well-being. Although this repeated consumption often leads to other problems in areas of social and mental health, an addict cannot stop him- or herself from recurrent use. The hallmarks of addiction are often an increase in time spent in the consumption of these behaviours or substances at the expense of other activities; recurrent failed attempts to stop; and recurrent preoccupation and intense psychological urges or desires that are difficult to control. Video game addiction is... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2313397 Thu, 09 Apr 2009 04:01:35 +0100 2313397