Vintage Gun Ads Recall a Simpler Time

My, how times have changed...

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Anatomy of a Brain Fart

You've driven home the same way every day for the last 10 years, but today you missed your exit. Don't worry. You're not going senile. You just had a brain fart:

The latest research seems to indicate that brain farts are a unique type of cognitive mistake. Unlike errors caused by lack of information or experience, or by distractions, brain farts are innate. They have a predictable neural pattern that emerges up to 30 seconds before they happen. When you are absorbed in inward-focused thinking such as daydreaming, a collection of brain regions jointly called the default mode network (DMN) starts furiously popping away. Neuroscientists don't agree on exactly which parts of the brain compose this network, but they now believe it is one of the busiest neurological systems. All that activity may help explain why the adult brain, which represents only about 2 percent of the body’s total weight, consumes up to 20 percent of its energy. The DMN, while still somewhat mysterious, seems to play many critical roles in overall brain function. It may facilitate the processing of external stimuli by acting as a sort of bushwhacker, carving out communications pathways in the brain. It may foster imagina­tion and creativity. It also appears to be the main culprit in brain farts. Recent findings begin to explain why we are so prone to dumb goofs. Basically, the brain is a lazy beast; it will take any opportunity to shut down some of its processing systems. "Brains love to pick up regularities, patterns, rules," says Vince Calhoun, an expert in MRI analysis at the University of New Mexico. "As you generate an expectation, you become less attentive."

Read more on this all-too-common phenomenon here.

What Global Warming?

You mean our planet's climate actually fluctuates? Some scientists are just now figuring that out:

The bitter winter afflicting much of the Northern Hemisphere is only the start of a global trend towards cooler weather that is likely to last for 20 or 30 years, say some of the world’s most eminent climate scientists. Their predictions – based on an analysis of natural cycles in water temperatures in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans – challenge some of the global warming orthodoxy's most deeply cherished beliefs, such as the claim that the North Pole will be free of ice in summer by 2013. According to the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre in Colorado, Arctic summer sea ice has increased by 409,000 square miles, or 26 per cent, since 2007 – and even the most committed global warming activists do not dispute this.

Just wait. Al Gore will take the credit for this.

Ten Sci-Fi Shows from the '80s You May Have Forgotten

In no particular order:

1. Manimal
   
   
   
2. Voyagers
   
   
   
3. Misfits of Science
   
   
   
4. The Phoenix
   
   
   
5. Alien Nation
   
   
   
6. Starman
   
   
   
7. Max Headroom
   
   
   
8. Streethawk
   
   
   
9. Automan
   
   
   
10. Blue Thunder
    

Tree-Hating Squirrels Invade Clemson University

Clemson University has declared war on gray squirrels, spending the month of December trapping and euthanizing the evil rodents which have been responsible for killing about 100 mature trees by chewing on the bark for food and making their territory. Around 10 percent of the trees on campus have been damaged, costing the university approximately $1 million over the last 10 years.

It is estimated that Clemson has two to three times the normal population of squirrels per acre. A birth control program (no doubt involving sex education classes and the distribution of free condoms) didn't work, so university officials were forced to employ more drastic measures.

While I wish the folks at Clemson luck in their fight, I can't help but think that they brought this on themselves. As we all know, universities are notorious hotbeds for political correctness. I'm sure the school's stance on violence prevention helped drive out the squirrels' natural predators, and it's "green policies" most likely encouraged students and faculty to welcome the cute and cuddly invaders with open arms.

It's nice to see them finally waking up to reality.

The Miracle of Flight

Takuo Toda, an engineer from Japan, recently tried to break his own flight record. He fell short by a mere 1.8 seconds. (Full story here.)

Still, at 26.1 seconds, it was the best time on record for a paper-only airplane. Toda, who heads the Japan Origami Airplane Association, hopes to one day realize the dream of every paper airplane pilot: breaking the 30-second barrier.

"I will get the 30-second record," he said. "It's just a matter of time."

Godspeed, Mr. Toda. Godspeed.

The Lost Ending to a Holiday Classic

Merry Christmas, everyone!

My Face Is Tingling...

My Kind of Cheese

Yeah, it's expensive, but I'd still love to try some of this:

A 15-year-old Wisconsin cheddar that's possibly the most mature such cheese for sale continues to fly off the shelves, even at $50 per pound. The cheddar is produced by Hook's Cheese Co. in Mineral Point. Owner Tony Hook says he started with 1,200 pounds of Hook's 15-year Sharp Cheddar but it could be gone by the weekend.

You can visit Hook's Cheese Co. here.

First Church of Tiger Woods Disbands

From TigerWoodsIsGod.com:

After several days of evaluation, I have decided to disband the First Church of Tiger Woods (as indicated by the graphics at the top of this web site) and I will not renew the TigerWoodsIsGod domain name when it expires in a couple of months. Any future commentary on this site (which may not happen at all) will be regarding Tiger's failings in relation to his affair/accident debacle which continues to unfold almost by the hour.

Because the First Church of Tiger Woods has been in existence since late 1996 and this web site has been around since early 2000, you might think that such a decision might be difficult. In this case, it was not. Unfortunately, Tiger Woods has made it all to easy to realize that he is no longer worthy of any special admiration.

It seems having these escapades brought to light has been a healthy dose of reality not only for Tiger but for his fans as well.