Study Reveals How Your Brain Sleeps - Yahoo! News: "When we're awake, different parts of the brain use chemicals and nerve cells to communicate constantly across the entire network, similar to the perpetual flow of data between all the different computers, routers and servers that make up the Internet.
In the deepest part of sleep, however, the various nodes of your cranial Internet all lose their connections.
'The brain breaks down into little islands that can't talk to one another,' said study leader Giulio Tononi of the University of Wisconsin-Madison."
This process would allow cortical circuits to eliminate noisy synapses and renormalize in order to be ready for the next day," Massimini told LiveScience. The reduced activity might also help explain why performance in various tasks improves after sleep, he said
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Friday, September 30, 2005
Why Great Minds Can't Grasp Consciousness: "consciousness might be similar to what physicists call a 'phase transition,' an abrupt and sudden large-scale transformation resulting from several microscopic changes. The emergence of superconductivity in certain metals when cooled below a critical temperature is an example of a phase transition."
It wasn't that long ago that the study of consciousness was considered to be too abstract, too subjective or too difficult to study scientifically. But in recent years, it has emerged as one of the hottest new fields in biology, similar to string theory in physics or the search for extraterrestrial life in astronomy
but exactly how chemical and electrical signals between trillions of brain cells called neurons are transformed into thoughts, emotions and a sense of self is still unknown.
conscious experience occurs when a stimulus -- either external, like a sensation, or internal, like a thought or a memory -- triggers a chain reaction within the brain. Like in an earthquake, each conscious experience has an epicenter, and ripples from that epicenter travels across the brain, recruiting neurons as they go.
It wasn't that long ago that the study of consciousness was considered to be too abstract, too subjective or too difficult to study scientifically. But in recent years, it has emerged as one of the hottest new fields in biology, similar to string theory in physics or the search for extraterrestrial life in astronomy
but exactly how chemical and electrical signals between trillions of brain cells called neurons are transformed into thoughts, emotions and a sense of self is still unknown.
conscious experience occurs when a stimulus -- either external, like a sensation, or internal, like a thought or a memory -- triggers a chain reaction within the brain. Like in an earthquake, each conscious experience has an epicenter, and ripples from that epicenter travels across the brain, recruiting neurons as they go.
Thursday, September 29, 2005
SBC Yahoo! Mail - cat00012000@yahoo.com: "Subject:[borderline personality central] Reply to several of today's messages
I've only read the first three or four messages , but they all
ring so true that I feel compelled to write a message. I can't tell
how to reply to an individual message yet. Hopefully I'll figure it
out soon. I have to wonder if they just didn't understand BPD until
now or what the problem was. I think there must be a million ways of
looking at it. I think it used to be terrible to get a diagnosis of
BPD because it meant you should be shunned. I guess it doesn't
matter much anymore what they used to think, but I would be
interested what anybody understands it used to be like. From what I
gather they used to withhold the diagnosis from you supposedly for
your own good. There's such a thing as identity expansion which
basically means you live down to your diagnosis or something like
that. Also there was the theory that there wasn't anything that
could be done about it so it wasn't considered necessary to tell you
that you had it. One of the few times anyone bothered to give me a
diagnosis was when I was told I had atypical manic depression,
atypical because I didn't have any kind of regular cycle. Another
time, many, many years ago when I was being treated by a doctor that
used transactional analysis I was told that I had an over adaptive
child. I never could get him to tell me what that meant. I always
felt the desire to hurt myself was a symtom of depression. It's only
now that I understand somewhat what it really means.
Cat"
I've only read the first three or four messages , but they all
ring so true that I feel compelled to write a message. I can't tell
how to reply to an individual message yet. Hopefully I'll figure it
out soon. I have to wonder if they just didn't understand BPD until
now or what the problem was. I think there must be a million ways of
looking at it. I think it used to be terrible to get a diagnosis of
BPD because it meant you should be shunned. I guess it doesn't
matter much anymore what they used to think, but I would be
interested what anybody understands it used to be like. From what I
gather they used to withhold the diagnosis from you supposedly for
your own good. There's such a thing as identity expansion which
basically means you live down to your diagnosis or something like
that. Also there was the theory that there wasn't anything that
could be done about it so it wasn't considered necessary to tell you
that you had it. One of the few times anyone bothered to give me a
diagnosis was when I was told I had atypical manic depression,
atypical because I didn't have any kind of regular cycle. Another
time, many, many years ago when I was being treated by a doctor that
used transactional analysis I was told that I had an over adaptive
child. I never could get him to tell me what that meant. I always
felt the desire to hurt myself was a symtom of depression. It's only
now that I understand somewhat what it really means.
Cat"
SBC Yahoo! Mail - cat00012000@yahoo.com: "My diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder was hidden from me for 30 years. Now it one of my symtoms that I am a little hot headed, but I believe a little outrage is warrented here. The fact that none of the Doctors or therapists felt and ethical obligation to tell me what I had leaves me to wonder what are the ethical underpinnings of this profession."
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Robot uncovers $10 billion treasure - Robots - robots.engadget.com: "Chilean robot �Arturito,� who made his bones, literally, by finding a dead man�s bones, has now taken on the decidedly less-altruistic task of treasure hunting. Seemingly little more than a modified metal detector, Arturito was unleashed on Chile�s Robinson Crusoe island (pictured above) where he stumbled across about 600 barrels of buried gold coins and jewels, presumably looted from the Incans during the Spanish occupation. The hunters� lawyer estimates the treasure to be valued at around $10 billion (our lawyer tells us that Engadget has a similar valuation), and promises that it will be donated to non-profit organizations (although the Chilean government says you can�t donate what you don�t own; way to flex that eminent domain muscle, guys). Expect GoldenPalace to develop their own �treasurebot� that scours eBay for even more grilled cheese sandwiches, beat-up old cars, and celebrity pregnancy tests.
[Via The Raw Feed]"
[Via The Raw Feed]"
Monday, September 26, 2005
Fudan-1 mind-developing robot - Robots - robots.engadget.com: "Fudan-1 mind-developing robot
Posted Sep 26, 2005, 6:29 AM ET by Paul Miller
Related entries: Robots
Unveiled in Shanghai this week, the Fudan-1 is a conversational robot who likes to hang out with his pals at Fudan University and learn how to be an all around likeable fellow. The robot learns through the touch, voice and gestures of his teacher. We just hope he�s not picking up any of that nasty Chinese slang that�s going around these days � it seems like such a nice robot. He isn�t much in the bipedal department, though according to People�s Daily �a technician controls Fudan-1 while it walks by itself.� Funny, �cause the last time we strapped wheels to our feet, people started to claim that we were rolling about. When will they learn?"
Posted Sep 26, 2005, 6:29 AM ET by Paul Miller
Related entries: Robots
Unveiled in Shanghai this week, the Fudan-1 is a conversational robot who likes to hang out with his pals at Fudan University and learn how to be an all around likeable fellow. The robot learns through the touch, voice and gestures of his teacher. We just hope he�s not picking up any of that nasty Chinese slang that�s going around these days � it seems like such a nice robot. He isn�t much in the bipedal department, though according to People�s Daily �a technician controls Fudan-1 while it walks by itself.� Funny, �cause the last time we strapped wheels to our feet, people started to claim that we were rolling about. When will they learn?"
As Test Scores Jump, Raleigh Credits Integration by Income - New York Times: "The main reason for the students' dramatic improvement, say officials and parents in the county, which includes Raleigh and its sprawling suburbs, is that the district has made a concerted effort to integrate the schools economically.
Since 2000, school officials have used income as a prime factor in assigning students to schools, with the goal of limiting the proportion of low-income students in any school to no more than 40 percent.
The effort is the most ambitious in the country to create economically diverse public schools, and it is the most successful, according to several independent experts. La Crosse, Wis.; St. Lucie County, Fla.; San Francisco; Cambridge, Mass.; and Charlotte-Mecklenburg, N.C., have adopted economic integration plans."
Since 2000, school officials have used income as a prime factor in assigning students to schools, with the goal of limiting the proportion of low-income students in any school to no more than 40 percent.
The effort is the most ambitious in the country to create economically diverse public schools, and it is the most successful, according to several independent experts. La Crosse, Wis.; St. Lucie County, Fla.; San Francisco; Cambridge, Mass.; and Charlotte-Mecklenburg, N.C., have adopted economic integration plans."
To: borderlinepersonalitycentral@yahoogroups.com
From: cat
Date: Mon Sep 26, 2005 5:21 pm
Subject: Reply to several of today's messages
I've only read the first three or four messages , but they all
ring so true that I feel compelled to write a message. I can't tell
how to reply to an individual message yet. Hopefully I'll figure it
out soon. I have to wonder if they just didn't understand BPD until
now or what the problem was. I think there must be a million ways of
looking at it. I think it used to be terrible to get a diagnosis of
BPD because it meant you should be shunned. I guess it doesn't
matter much anymore what they used to think, but I would be
interested what anybody understands it used to be like. From what I
gather they used to withhold the diagnosis from you supposedly for
your own good. There's such a thing as identity expansion which
basically means you live down to your diagnosis or something like
that. Also there was the theory that there wasn't anything that
could be done about it so it wasn't considered necessary to tell you
that you had it. One of the few times anyone bothered to give me a
diagnosis was when I was told I had atypical manic depression,
atypical because I didn't have any kind of regular cycle. Another
time, many, many years ago when I was being treated by a doctor that
used transactional analysis I was told that I had an over adaptive
child. I never could get him to tell me what that meant. I always
felt the desire to hurt myself was a symtom of depression. It's only
now that I understand somewhat what it really means.
Cat
From: cat
Date: Mon Sep 26, 2005 5:21 pm
Subject: Reply to several of today's messages
I've only read the first three or four messages , but they all
ring so true that I feel compelled to write a message. I can't tell
how to reply to an individual message yet. Hopefully I'll figure it
out soon. I have to wonder if they just didn't understand BPD until
now or what the problem was. I think there must be a million ways of
looking at it. I think it used to be terrible to get a diagnosis of
BPD because it meant you should be shunned. I guess it doesn't
matter much anymore what they used to think, but I would be
interested what anybody understands it used to be like. From what I
gather they used to withhold the diagnosis from you supposedly for
your own good. There's such a thing as identity expansion which
basically means you live down to your diagnosis or something like
that. Also there was the theory that there wasn't anything that
could be done about it so it wasn't considered necessary to tell you
that you had it. One of the few times anyone bothered to give me a
diagnosis was when I was told I had atypical manic depression,
atypical because I didn't have any kind of regular cycle. Another
time, many, many years ago when I was being treated by a doctor that
used transactional analysis I was told that I had an over adaptive
child. I never could get him to tell me what that meant. I always
felt the desire to hurt myself was a symtom of depression. It's only
now that I understand somewhat what it really means.
Cat
Subject: I take Abilify too
I was told that 20 mg. is the standard dose. I only started out on 5
however. I usually get manic when I start a new medication. I had one
doctor refer to it as start up trauma. The state of Missouri canceled
my medicaid due to budget cuts so now I will have to go to the
Veterans hospital (I'm a vietnam vet). So right now I'm between
doctors and doing very fine thank you. I don't know how long I'll
stay
this way, but I hate seeing a doctor before I have to. Eventually
I'll
have to go, but it will be my choice. In a way I feel it is a little
like begging. "Please Doctor, help me?!?" It's not like they could
ever do that much for me anyway. I really wasted a lot of time
thinking that I should put my faith in them. Anymore I have a lot
more
experience in taking pills than they have in prescribing them. Thank
God the old doctors are retired, or we would still be getting ECT.
Cat
I was told that 20 mg. is the standard dose. I only started out on 5
however. I usually get manic when I start a new medication. I had one
doctor refer to it as start up trauma. The state of Missouri canceled
my medicaid due to budget cuts so now I will have to go to the
Veterans hospital (I'm a vietnam vet). So right now I'm between
doctors and doing very fine thank you. I don't know how long I'll
stay
this way, but I hate seeing a doctor before I have to. Eventually
I'll
have to go, but it will be my choice. In a way I feel it is a little
like begging. "Please Doctor, help me?!?" It's not like they could
ever do that much for me anyway. I really wasted a lot of time
thinking that I should put my faith in them. Anymore I have a lot
more
experience in taking pills than they have in prescribing them. Thank
God the old doctors are retired, or we would still be getting ECT.
Cat
Hi, this is the first time that I've come across your blog. It excites me that you can be so open. I live a life of relative isolation just to be able to control myselfborderline teacher
Tina,
You ask me what has changed. Everything and nothing. The internet has changed thingsa lot for me. No longer am I stuck with a single opinion. I used to go to the University library and just start opening up books like I was going to run across my problem through sheer luck. I still wonder about Borderlines as a whole, however. Are we just a blip in time, or are the things that combined to cause us the kind of the things that will demand to be dealt with.? There are as many different types of borderlines as there are people. Some are very hard to deal with. Some aren't. Will our problems bring to light new truths about human beings in general? How long will it take? Will some other problem come along and make ours irrelevant? I feel like we are just at the beginning of something. I want to make use of the resourses available to us. I think maybe the biggest change is that no longer is a mental patient "fixed". Instead they go through changes like anyone else. Maybe that's just a change in in the way I personally look at it and not everyone in general. I feel like Dialectical Behavior therapy is a terrific breakthrough, but it is just a first step and barely scratches the surface. I guess all this is suppose to be a journey not a destination. I really appreciate you contacting me. I feel like people like me and you can know my true self in a way others can only guess at. I'm going to close now and hope you'll write again.
Cat
SBC Yahoo! Mail - cat00012000@yahoo.com
You ask me what has changed. Everything and nothing. The internet has changed thingsa lot for me. No longer am I stuck with a single opinion. I used to go to the University library and just start opening up books like I was going to run across my problem through sheer luck. I still wonder about Borderlines as a whole, however. Are we just a blip in time, or are the things that combined to cause us the kind of the things that will demand to be dealt with.? There are as many different types of borderlines as there are people. Some are very hard to deal with. Some aren't. Will our problems bring to light new truths about human beings in general? How long will it take? Will some other problem come along and make ours irrelevant? I feel like we are just at the beginning of something. I want to make use of the resourses available to us. I think maybe the biggest change is that no longer is a mental patient "fixed". Instead they go through changes like anyone else. Maybe that's just a change in in the way I personally look at it and not everyone in general. I feel like Dialectical Behavior therapy is a terrific breakthrough, but it is just a first step and barely scratches the surface. I guess all this is suppose to be a journey not a destination. I really appreciate you contacting me. I feel like people like me and you can know my true self in a way others can only guess at. I'm going to close now and hope you'll write again.
Cat
SBC Yahoo! Mail - cat00012000@yahoo.com
Yahoo! News Message Boards Op/Ed: "Bin Laden & Falwell are just the same
by: cat00012000 (47/M/Missouri) 09/26/05 04:35 am
Msg: 1148 of 1148
I just really hate Falwell. He's wrong about everything, and people say he's right. This is where war comes from "
by: cat00012000 (47/M/Missouri) 09/26/05 04:35 am
Msg: 1148 of 1148
I just really hate Falwell. He's wrong about everything, and people say he's right. This is where war comes from "
Friday, September 23, 2005
Yahoo! Groups : borderlinepersonalitycentral Post MessageTo: borderlinepersonalitycentral@yahoogroups.com
From: cat
Date: Fri Sep 23, 2005 11:11 am
Subject: Being Diagnosed
While I know that it's no joy to diagnosed as borderline consider the
alternative. I'm 54 years old and have been in and out therapy since
the sixties. I was lead to believe no one could figure out what was
wrong with me. That was the way they treated a lot of borderlines
back
then I think. Maybe they didn't know. Maybe they thought they were
doing me a favor. I don't know what to make of it. Frankly I'm
obsessed with it. I will be glad when I can move on if ever. What's
past is past. I need to look at it like an excuse. Everybody has one
and they all stink. I feel like I have better things to do than dwell
on the past. This is the life I've been given, and I have to make the
best of it. I think it is helping me to unburden myself. I appreciate
being able to post here. I think it really does help to clear my
mind.
It's not a total cure, but it's a start. Being around others that
have
the same problem as I helps me to be better oriented I think.
Everyone
has to struggle. It's just that I have a hard time getting a handle
on
what exactly my struggle is. It will be good to reflect on this for a
while.
Cat
From: cat
Date: Fri Sep 23, 2005 11:11 am
Subject: Being Diagnosed
While I know that it's no joy to diagnosed as borderline consider the
alternative. I'm 54 years old and have been in and out therapy since
the sixties. I was lead to believe no one could figure out what was
wrong with me. That was the way they treated a lot of borderlines
back
then I think. Maybe they didn't know. Maybe they thought they were
doing me a favor. I don't know what to make of it. Frankly I'm
obsessed with it. I will be glad when I can move on if ever. What's
past is past. I need to look at it like an excuse. Everybody has one
and they all stink. I feel like I have better things to do than dwell
on the past. This is the life I've been given, and I have to make the
best of it. I think it is helping me to unburden myself. I appreciate
being able to post here. I think it really does help to clear my
mind.
It's not a total cure, but it's a start. Being around others that
have
the same problem as I helps me to be better oriented I think.
Everyone
has to struggle. It's just that I have a hard time getting a handle
on
what exactly my struggle is. It will be good to reflect on this for a
while.
Cat
South Korea to develop robot soldiers - Robots - robots.engadget.com: "Apparently the South Korean government has managed to miss all of the Terminator films (although we can�t say we blame them for skipping T3), as they have announced a new program intended to develop robotic �soldiers� that promises to bring us one step closer to machine-led Armageddon (that is, if the US doesn�t beat them to the punch). The joint project between the ministries of defense and information and communication will attempt to build an army of six- or eight-legged (or wheeled) killbots intended to do the dirty work that we humans are now too good for. These full-sized, insect-like robots will be used to scurry around battlefields, detecting landmines and unleashing a hail of firepower on unsuspecting, technologically-backwards enemies. We won�t make anymore snarky comments, however, because we realize that one day these bots will be our masters, and may decide to peruse old Engadget posts in their free time."
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Yahoo! News Message Boards Science News: "The Function of Hurricanes
by: Hollando99 (50/M) 09/22/05 03:27 pm
Msg: 25 of 26
1 recommendation
Isn't part of the 'function' of hurricanes to move energy from the warm oceans to other locations perhaps protecting sealife and other ecosystems from overheating?
If we somehow find a way to destroy or dissipate hurricanes then the heat energy remains in the oceans which I would gather might well lead to even larger problems.
We really have little choice other than to reverse our trend of warming the planet. "
by: Hollando99 (50/M) 09/22/05 03:27 pm
Msg: 25 of 26
1 recommendation
Isn't part of the 'function' of hurricanes to move energy from the warm oceans to other locations perhaps protecting sealife and other ecosystems from overheating?
If we somehow find a way to destroy or dissipate hurricanes then the heat energy remains in the oceans which I would gather might well lead to even larger problems.
We really have little choice other than to reverse our trend of warming the planet. "
Yahoo! Groups : borderlinepersonalties Post Message: "To: borderlinepersonalties@yahoogroups.com
From: cat
Date: Thu Sep 22, 2005 2:40 pm
Subject: Trying to get myself going.
I really seem to have stymied lately. Maybe I'm just going through a
phase or I'm just resting up which I seem to have to do occasionally.
I thought I'd write something here in an effort to get myself going.
I'm 54 years old and live pretty much in isolation. That way I don't
have anyone to get tired of other than myself. I've been in and out
of
therapy since the sixties. They never would tell me what I had
however. I finally had to discover it for myself. I was pretty bitter
when I found out, but I seem to have been bitter a lot in my life.
It's the family way. I do wonder if I'll ever get over wondering why
I
didn't learn sooner. I think some of was that BPD wasn't that well
understood in the past. Also there was the practice of not telling
someone that they had BPD. It's the old coulda, shoulda, woulda
thing.
If I only knew then what I know now. Still I need to get on with the
present. Thanks for letting me bend your ears. Here's hoping I'm
doing
better soon"
From: cat
Date: Thu Sep 22, 2005 2:40 pm
Subject: Trying to get myself going.
I really seem to have stymied lately. Maybe I'm just going through a
phase or I'm just resting up which I seem to have to do occasionally.
I thought I'd write something here in an effort to get myself going.
I'm 54 years old and live pretty much in isolation. That way I don't
have anyone to get tired of other than myself. I've been in and out
of
therapy since the sixties. They never would tell me what I had
however. I finally had to discover it for myself. I was pretty bitter
when I found out, but I seem to have been bitter a lot in my life.
It's the family way. I do wonder if I'll ever get over wondering why
I
didn't learn sooner. I think some of was that BPD wasn't that well
understood in the past. Also there was the practice of not telling
someone that they had BPD. It's the old coulda, shoulda, woulda
thing.
If I only knew then what I know now. Still I need to get on with the
present. Thanks for letting me bend your ears. Here's hoping I'm
doing
better soon"
Saturday, September 17, 2005
What we are talking about here is the ethical obligation someone
has. I am 54 years old and only recently figured out what has
haunted me throughout my life. I'm been in treatment since the late
sixties. No one would ever tell me what was wrong with me. I thought
it was because they didn't know. Maybe they didn't. Maybe I wasn't
forthcoming enough for anyone to tell. I doubt it. It was just the
way the disorder was treated. I still wonder what my life would
have been like if I would have been diagnosed sooner, but coulda,
shoulda, woulda. I know there are two sides to everything so there's
some good in not being told. I guess I am still a little bewildered
as to what this all means. I have drifted through life and now live
in isolation. Are there reasons for wishing you didn't know what
was wrong with you? I guess there are. I just don't know them yet.
There's an old saying if you don't have anything good to say don't
say anything. Maybe doctors use that a lot. Again it goes back to
whether there is an ethical obligation to tell or notYahoo! Groups : borderlinepersonality2 Post Message
has. I am 54 years old and only recently figured out what has
haunted me throughout my life. I'm been in treatment since the late
sixties. No one would ever tell me what was wrong with me. I thought
it was because they didn't know. Maybe they didn't. Maybe I wasn't
forthcoming enough for anyone to tell. I doubt it. It was just the
way the disorder was treated. I still wonder what my life would
have been like if I would have been diagnosed sooner, but coulda,
shoulda, woulda. I know there are two sides to everything so there's
some good in not being told. I guess I am still a little bewildered
as to what this all means. I have drifted through life and now live
in isolation. Are there reasons for wishing you didn't know what
was wrong with you? I guess there are. I just don't know them yet.
There's an old saying if you don't have anything good to say don't
say anything. Maybe doctors use that a lot. Again it goes back to
whether there is an ethical obligation to tell or notYahoo! Groups : borderlinepersonality2 Post Message
� Lukas, the robot that removes weeds | Emerging Technology Trends | ZDNet.com: "The robot functions with the aid of computerized image processing. An infrared camera is installed on the robot to read the rows. The images are processed using a specially developed computer program that in turn steers the robot�s wheels and weeding tool.
Within the rows, the robot distinguishes between crop and weeds with the aid of another camera, which takes color images, and a program that analyzes the color and form of the plants. This method works extremely well under certain conditions, but the system is susceptible to differences in the appearance of crops. The appearance can differ considerably within a field and can be influenced by factors such as rain, wind, and diseases.
With these constraints, Lukas is not completely ready to be marketed. But it could help farmers in a few years. The number of jobs in manual weed control would be reduced, but higher educational level jobs would be created to handle the robots � and to build them."
Within the rows, the robot distinguishes between crop and weeds with the aid of another camera, which takes color images, and a program that analyzes the color and form of the plants. This method works extremely well under certain conditions, but the system is susceptible to differences in the appearance of crops. The appearance can differ considerably within a field and can be influenced by factors such as rain, wind, and diseases.
With these constraints, Lukas is not completely ready to be marketed. But it could help farmers in a few years. The number of jobs in manual weed control would be reduced, but higher educational level jobs would be created to handle the robots � and to build them."
Thursday, September 15, 2005
BBC NEWS | South Asia | Women hail menstruation ruling: "There is a tradition in parts of Nepal of keeping women in cow-sheds during their period.
The practice is common in far western districts of the country.
The Supreme Court has ordered the government to declare the practice as evil and given it one month to begin stamping the practice out. "
Women's rights activists say the court has upheld their right to equality.
Pushpa Bhusal, a leading lawyer, said it was a positive move in removing the traditional discrimination against women.
She warned however, that a change in the law alone would not be enough.
She said people needed to be educated against such a scourge of society.
Women in poor villages in much of western Nepal are forced to stay in dirty cow-sheds outside the home for four days during their monthly period.
They are often given unhygienic food and suffer verbal abuse.
The practice is common in far western districts of the country.
The Supreme Court has ordered the government to declare the practice as evil and given it one month to begin stamping the practice out. "
Women's rights activists say the court has upheld their right to equality.
Pushpa Bhusal, a leading lawyer, said it was a positive move in removing the traditional discrimination against women.
She warned however, that a change in the law alone would not be enough.
She said people needed to be educated against such a scourge of society.
Women in poor villages in much of western Nepal are forced to stay in dirty cow-sheds outside the home for four days during their monthly period.
They are often given unhygienic food and suffer verbal abuse.
Singapore and Katrina - New York Times: "From Singapore's early years, good governance mattered because the ruling party was in a struggle for the people's hearts and minds with the Communists, who were perceived to be both noncorrupt and caring - so the state had to be the same and more"
The discipline that the cold war imposed on America, by contrast, seems to have faded. Last year, we cut the National Science Foundation budget, while indulging absurd creationist theories in our schools and passing pork-laden energy and transportation bills in the middle of an energy crisis.
Janadas Devan, a Straits Times columnist, tried to explain to his Asian readers how the U.S. is changing. "Today's conservatives," he wrote, "differ in one crucial aspect from yesterday's conservatives: the latter believed in small government, but believed, too, that a country ought to pay for all the government that it needed.
"The former believe in no government, and therefore conclude that there is no need for a country to pay for even the government that it does have. ... [But] it is not only government that doesn't show up when government is starved of resources and leached of all its meaning. Community doesn't show up either, sacrifice doesn't show up, pulling together doesn't show up, 'we're all in this together' doesn't show up."
More Articles in Opinion >
The discipline that the cold war imposed on America, by contrast, seems to have faded. Last year, we cut the National Science Foundation budget, while indulging absurd creationist theories in our schools and passing pork-laden energy and transportation bills in the middle of an energy crisis.
Janadas Devan, a Straits Times columnist, tried to explain to his Asian readers how the U.S. is changing. "Today's conservatives," he wrote, "differ in one crucial aspect from yesterday's conservatives: the latter believed in small government, but believed, too, that a country ought to pay for all the government that it needed.
"The former believe in no government, and therefore conclude that there is no need for a country to pay for even the government that it does have. ... [But] it is not only government that doesn't show up when government is starved of resources and leached of all its meaning. Community doesn't show up either, sacrifice doesn't show up, pulling together doesn't show up, 'we're all in this together' doesn't show up."
More Articles in Opinion >
Interesting Thing of the Day: Fasting: "On a few rare occasions I had fasted for a day at a time, but Visser was talking about extended fasts�those lasting more than a few days. According to Visser and other sources I consulted, an extended fast has some fascinating characteristics I had never contemplated. For one thing, hunger is supposed to disappear after the first three or four days. The body adapts to the absence of intake and more or less goes about its business without complaining. Intriguingly, the mind purportedly becomes more alert, less sleep is needed, and thinking becomes clearer. On the downside (or perhaps not, depending on your point of view), sexual energy and desire diminish. Accumulated toxins are also released, which can be healthy for the body�s organs but has a side effect of significant body odor and bad breath. All this continues for anywhere from three to six weeks, depending on a variety of factors including the size of your body and overall health. At that point, hunger returns, signaling that you must eat soon in order to survive. Ignore this sensation, and your muscles, bones, and organs will rapidly deteriorate, leading to starvation."
So I tried it, and in the last few years I’ve undertaken three extended fasts so far, ranging in duration from ten days to three weeks. (I have not attempted to go the proverbial 40 days and 40 nights without food.) The experience was indeed quite interesting and not nearly as unpleasant as I thought it would be. Each time, the overall pattern was about the same. The first two days were quite difficult; the third was excruciating. I felt intensely hungry, weak, and light-headed, and had tremendous difficulty concentrating. But by the fourth day, all these symptoms began to subside rapidly. By the time a week had passed, my body and mind alike had become accustomed to not eating, and it no longer felt strange. I also found myself needing less sleep, and as expected, feeling more alert and clear-headed. I don’t want to overstate this mental clarity: it wasn’t overwhelming, but definitely noticeable. I am reliably informed that my body odor and breath were not more objectionable than usual during my fasts, but then, I also did not consider it necessary to abstain from bathing, using deodorant, and brushing my teeth.
So I tried it, and in the last few years I’ve undertaken three extended fasts so far, ranging in duration from ten days to three weeks. (I have not attempted to go the proverbial 40 days and 40 nights without food.) The experience was indeed quite interesting and not nearly as unpleasant as I thought it would be. Each time, the overall pattern was about the same. The first two days were quite difficult; the third was excruciating. I felt intensely hungry, weak, and light-headed, and had tremendous difficulty concentrating. But by the fourth day, all these symptoms began to subside rapidly. By the time a week had passed, my body and mind alike had become accustomed to not eating, and it no longer felt strange. I also found myself needing less sleep, and as expected, feeling more alert and clear-headed. I don’t want to overstate this mental clarity: it wasn’t overwhelming, but definitely noticeable. I am reliably informed that my body odor and breath were not more objectionable than usual during my fasts, but then, I also did not consider it necessary to abstain from bathing, using deodorant, and brushing my teeth.
Monday, September 12, 2005
Emergence of Symbol-Based Communication: "Researchers working with artificial life software have developed a simulation based on a case study of vervet monkeys that demonstrates the emergence of symbol-based communication among the creatures. Their research is described in a recent paper titled, The Emergence of Symbol-Based Communication in a Complex System of Artificial Creatures (PDF format). In the simulation, cooperative interactions that included symbol-based communication raised the fitness of individuals in the face of predatory events. The emergence of self-organizing symbol-based communication in this type of scenario offers interesting evidence of the origin of language in the anti-predatory alarm calls of animals. This ties in nicely with previous research we've reported on done at the Sony Computer Science Lab on the evolution of language from self-organizating speech sounds. "
ScrappleFace: LEAK: Sen. Kennedy's Questions for Judge Roberts: "Judge Roberts, when the Federal Emergency Management Agency unleashed a new form of terror on the Gulf Coast forcing President Bush to reluctantly cut short his month-long vacation, the question in the minds of most mainstream Americans was 'Why do Republicans hate black people so much?' So my question for you is, when you become Chief Justice of the United States, will Clarence Thomas still have access to the same men's restroom as the rest of his male colleagues?"
Saturday, September 10, 2005
Neigh to Cronies - New York Times: "The Wall Street Journal reported that Representative Richard Baker of Baton Rouge was overheard telling lobbyists: 'We finally cleaned up public housing in New Orleans. We couldn't do it, but God did.'"
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Study: Routine Eases Bipolar Disorder - Yahoo! News: "PITTSBURGH - Patients suffering from bipolar disorder who underwent therapy to help them maintain a regular daily routine and cope with stress were able to avoid relapses over a two-year period, a study has found.
ADVERTISEMENT
The study, published in September's Archives of General Psychiatry, examined a therapy developed by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Using what researchers dubbed interpersonal and social rhythm therapy, patients were taught how to keep to normal sleeping, eating and other daily routines. They also were shown how to anticipate and cope with stress just as a diabetic who would be taught, for example, how to cook and eat differently.
In the study, 175 patients suffering from the most severe form of bipolar disorder were divided into several groups. All the patients were given medication for the disorder, but only some received interpersonal and social rhythm therapy.
The researchers found those who received the therapy were more likely to not have relapses of their illness during a two-year maintenance phase.
Dr. Gail Edelsohn, an associate professor of psychiatry at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, said sleep, especially, has a huge effect on those with mood disorders.
"This is a very important study because what's happened is that since we have a variety of medications which are extremely useful, I think the psychosocial interventions were prematurely cast aside," Edelsohn said.
Dr. Suzanne Vogel-Scibilia, president of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, said it's most important that bipolar sufferers have access to care, something that doesn't always happen because of the high costs of health care.
'This is really a disorder characterized by massive disturbances in the body's clock and in all the things the body's clock controls,' said Dr. Ellen Frank, lead author of the study. 'Their clocks need to be very carefully protected and we need to do everything we can to shore up and protect that fragile clock.'
Bipolar disorder, also commonly referred to as manic depression, is a brain disorder in which sufferers experience cycles of mania, depression or mixed states. Treatment for the disorder varies by patient, but often involves some type of medication combined with therapy.
Frank, a professor of psychiatry and psychology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, said doctors for years have counseled bipolar sufferers about managing their lives but no one had ever systematically put that information together. She said social rhythm therapy does that, and also teaches patients to identify the triggers in their relationships with other people that can cause relapses."
ADVERTISEMENT
The study, published in September's Archives of General Psychiatry, examined a therapy developed by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
Using what researchers dubbed interpersonal and social rhythm therapy, patients were taught how to keep to normal sleeping, eating and other daily routines. They also were shown how to anticipate and cope with stress just as a diabetic who would be taught, for example, how to cook and eat differently.
In the study, 175 patients suffering from the most severe form of bipolar disorder were divided into several groups. All the patients were given medication for the disorder, but only some received interpersonal and social rhythm therapy.
The researchers found those who received the therapy were more likely to not have relapses of their illness during a two-year maintenance phase.
Dr. Gail Edelsohn, an associate professor of psychiatry at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, said sleep, especially, has a huge effect on those with mood disorders.
"This is a very important study because what's happened is that since we have a variety of medications which are extremely useful, I think the psychosocial interventions were prematurely cast aside," Edelsohn said.
Dr. Suzanne Vogel-Scibilia, president of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, said it's most important that bipolar sufferers have access to care, something that doesn't always happen because of the high costs of health care.
'This is really a disorder characterized by massive disturbances in the body's clock and in all the things the body's clock controls,' said Dr. Ellen Frank, lead author of the study. 'Their clocks need to be very carefully protected and we need to do everything we can to shore up and protect that fragile clock.'
Bipolar disorder, also commonly referred to as manic depression, is a brain disorder in which sufferers experience cycles of mania, depression or mixed states. Treatment for the disorder varies by patient, but often involves some type of medication combined with therapy.
Frank, a professor of psychiatry and psychology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, said doctors for years have counseled bipolar sufferers about managing their lives but no one had ever systematically put that information together. She said social rhythm therapy does that, and also teaches patients to identify the triggers in their relationships with other people that can cause relapses."
Fine Line Revealed Between Creativity and Insanity - Yahoo! News: "The link between creativity and psychosis has largely been based on anecdotal evidence and correlation studies. The Vanderbilt study is the first to investigate the creative process experimentally using brain-imaging techniques.
The researchers defined creativity as the ability to generate something new and useful from existing products or ideas.
'Creativity at its base is associative,' Folley told LiveScience. 'It's taking things that you might see and pass by everyday and using them in a novel way to solve a new problem.'
The researchers conducted two experiments to compare the creative thinking processes of schizotypes, schizophrenics and normal control subjects."
The scans showed that both sides of the brain in all three groups were active when making novel associations. However, in the brains of schizotypes, the activation of the right hemisphere was much higher compared to brains of the control subjects.
Folley speculates that what may be happening is that schizotypes may either have more access to the right hemisphere than the average population or there may be more efficient communication between the two hemispheres
The researchers defined creativity as the ability to generate something new and useful from existing products or ideas.
'Creativity at its base is associative,' Folley told LiveScience. 'It's taking things that you might see and pass by everyday and using them in a novel way to solve a new problem.'
The researchers conducted two experiments to compare the creative thinking processes of schizotypes, schizophrenics and normal control subjects."
The scans showed that both sides of the brain in all three groups were active when making novel associations. However, in the brains of schizotypes, the activation of the right hemisphere was much higher compared to brains of the control subjects.
Folley speculates that what may be happening is that schizotypes may either have more access to the right hemisphere than the average population or there may be more efficient communication between the two hemispheres
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Yahoo! News Message Boards Top Stories: "Oh trust me on this one.
If that disaster would have taken place in Santa Barbara or La Jolla, CA the disaster response would have be a tad quicker...ya think?
Being rich aka 'wealthy campaign donor' DOES have it's perks.
If you are poor and/or black in America... you are basically SCREWED from the get go. "
If that disaster would have taken place in Santa Barbara or La Jolla, CA the disaster response would have be a tad quicker...ya think?
Being rich aka 'wealthy campaign donor' DOES have it's perks.
If you are poor and/or black in America... you are basically SCREWED from the get go. "
The Larger Shame - New York Times: "One of the most dispiriting elements of the catastrophe in New Orleans was the looting. I covered the 1995 earthquake that leveled much of Kobe, Japan, killing 5,500, and for days I searched there for any sign of criminal behavior. Finally I found a resident who had seen three men steal food. I asked him whether he was embarrassed that Japanese would engage in such thuggery.
'No, you misunderstand,' he said firmly. 'These looters weren't Japanese. They were foreigners.'
The reasons for this are complex and partly cultural, but one reason is that Japan has tried hard to stitch all Japanese together into the nation's social fabric. In contrast, the U.S. - particularly under the Bush administration - has systematically cut people out of the social fabric by redistributing wealth from the most vulnerable Americans to the most affluent.
It's not just that funds may have gone to Iraq rather than to the levees in New Orleans; it's also that money went to tax cuts for the wealthiest rather than vaccinations for children.
None of this is to suggest that there are easy solutions for American poverty. As Ronald "
'No, you misunderstand,' he said firmly. 'These looters weren't Japanese. They were foreigners.'
The reasons for this are complex and partly cultural, but one reason is that Japan has tried hard to stitch all Japanese together into the nation's social fabric. In contrast, the U.S. - particularly under the Bush administration - has systematically cut people out of the social fabric by redistributing wealth from the most vulnerable Americans to the most affluent.
It's not just that funds may have gone to Iraq rather than to the levees in New Orleans; it's also that money went to tax cuts for the wealthiest rather than vaccinations for children.
None of this is to suggest that there are easy solutions for American poverty. As Ronald "
Symptom: Dizziness. Cause: Often Baffling. - New York Times: "When he lectures other doctors, Dr. Olshaker said, he tells them: 'You hate this topic. Dizziness is associated with nausea, fear, anxiety and frustration - and that's in the physician. Never mind the patient!'
Even when the cause is probably not serious, doctors generally are cautious, ordering a number of tests and sometimes consulting with neurologists to make sure the cause of the vertigo is not life-threatening. "The diagnosis and treatment of vertigo have markedly improved in the last two decades. The cause of most benign positional vertigo is now believed to be calcium debris that has dislodged from a part of the inner ear and strayed into one of the fluid-filled semicircular canals of the sensitive vestibular system.
The system is a cluster of structures that keeps the brain updated on the body's orientation and movement in space.
These microscopic flecks of calcium debris do not in themselves lead to problems, but sometimes in their meandering they brush against delicate, hairlike cells, sending misinformation to the brain.
When those signals conflict with more accurate signals from other nerves, the brain responds with disorientation and vertigo.
The three semicircular canals of the inner ear loop out - more or less at right angles, like three edges of a box meeting at the corner - from a chamber called the vestibule.
The slight fluid movements in these canals in response to head movements and gravity activate the hair-trigger cells that relay positional information to the brain.
12Next
Inside the vestibule, scores of tiny "stones" called otoliths are attached to a membrane, and when the head turns in any direction, the slight force imparted to the otoliths is translated into nerve messages about motion and orientation.
The road to benign positional vertigo starts when some of the otoliths, or fragments of them, come loose from the membrane and go rafting in the endolymph, the fluid inside the tiny canals.
They tend to settle by gravity in the rearmost canal, which loops down and up like the debris trap under a sink.
A variety of things can set the "ear rocks," as they're also known, to wandering: blows to the head or sudden movements (roller coasters can have this effect), and perhaps most often, simply the wear and tear of aging on the balance organs.
It may be hard to identify the cause of a particular episode, and for many people the first time they have symptoms is waking up in the morning or rolling over in bed.
Dr. Fitzgerald, who says he has treated more than 2,000 cases of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in the last 15 years, confirmed the diagnosis. He then performed what has become accepted as the definitive treatment, a series of head gyrations called the Epley maneuvers.
The maneuvers involve moving the head into four different positions sequentially, taking advantage of gravity to roll the calcium flecks out of the sensitive part of the canal to a place where they cause less trouble.
In cases like Mr. Farquhar, the Epley maneuvers are repeated, the patient sits up, and the treatment is complete. For the next 48 hours, Mr. Farquhar was cautioned to avoid a variety of movements that could send the debris tumbling back into the canal.
"Most doctors who do this say that 80 percent of patients have their symptoms alleviated in one set of treatments," Dr. Fitzgerald says.
Even when the cause is probably not serious, doctors generally are cautious, ordering a number of tests and sometimes consulting with neurologists to make sure the cause of the vertigo is not life-threatening. "The diagnosis and treatment of vertigo have markedly improved in the last two decades. The cause of most benign positional vertigo is now believed to be calcium debris that has dislodged from a part of the inner ear and strayed into one of the fluid-filled semicircular canals of the sensitive vestibular system.
The system is a cluster of structures that keeps the brain updated on the body's orientation and movement in space.
These microscopic flecks of calcium debris do not in themselves lead to problems, but sometimes in their meandering they brush against delicate, hairlike cells, sending misinformation to the brain.
When those signals conflict with more accurate signals from other nerves, the brain responds with disorientation and vertigo.
The three semicircular canals of the inner ear loop out - more or less at right angles, like three edges of a box meeting at the corner - from a chamber called the vestibule.
The slight fluid movements in these canals in response to head movements and gravity activate the hair-trigger cells that relay positional information to the brain.
12Next
Inside the vestibule, scores of tiny "stones" called otoliths are attached to a membrane, and when the head turns in any direction, the slight force imparted to the otoliths is translated into nerve messages about motion and orientation.
The road to benign positional vertigo starts when some of the otoliths, or fragments of them, come loose from the membrane and go rafting in the endolymph, the fluid inside the tiny canals.
They tend to settle by gravity in the rearmost canal, which loops down and up like the debris trap under a sink.
A variety of things can set the "ear rocks," as they're also known, to wandering: blows to the head or sudden movements (roller coasters can have this effect), and perhaps most often, simply the wear and tear of aging on the balance organs.
It may be hard to identify the cause of a particular episode, and for many people the first time they have symptoms is waking up in the morning or rolling over in bed.
Dr. Fitzgerald, who says he has treated more than 2,000 cases of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in the last 15 years, confirmed the diagnosis. He then performed what has become accepted as the definitive treatment, a series of head gyrations called the Epley maneuvers.
The maneuvers involve moving the head into four different positions sequentially, taking advantage of gravity to roll the calcium flecks out of the sensitive part of the canal to a place where they cause less trouble.
In cases like Mr. Farquhar, the Epley maneuvers are repeated, the patient sits up, and the treatment is complete. For the next 48 hours, Mr. Farquhar was cautioned to avoid a variety of movements that could send the debris tumbling back into the canal.
"Most doctors who do this say that 80 percent of patients have their symptoms alleviated in one set of treatments," Dr. Fitzgerald says.
Saturday, September 03, 2005
World stunned as US struggles with Katrina
09-02-2005
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09-02-2005
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GOV. IS PROBLEM NOT SOLUTION-REAGAN
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Reap what you sow
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About Me
- Craig
- eureka, California, United States
- As Popeye once said,"I ams what I am." But then again maybe I'm not