Popular Myths
Glad to learn these are myths. I've always wondered if my year in Peru was wasted just because I could never determine if the water swirled in the wrong direction in my basin. I still can't tell you which way it flows when I flush.
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Never Did Like That Note
Seconds before they explode, giant stars hum middle C.
Whispering to the Wind
It must have been at Herald Square, where I was transferring onto the <a href="http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/nyct/service/bline.htm">B</a>, that I realized JA had left a message on my cell. I couldn't listen to the message below the ground — no service down there — but the display let me know that the call arrived at 7:58am. Why in the world would John be calling me at 7:58 in the morning? It was now almost 8:30. Shit:
The Origin of Funk Is the Chicken
Or is it? <I>www.moistworks.com</I> is an aggregator site and a darn good one. Here, it explores the relationship between the chicken and funk—although it does omit the superb "Chicken Stuff" by slide guitarist Hop Wilson. And who could ignore Amos Milburn's rocking "Chicken Shack?" OTOH, any place that posts Swamp Dogg's "Eat the Goose Before the Goose Eats You" is well worth visiting.
Amiens Cathedral
I've posted a lot of text today, so take a tour of Amiens. Chill out, look around. Beautiful place.
Who Really Won the Superbowl?
Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain responses to the Superbowl commercials. Your amygdala was not as amused by that FedEx ad as you were.
Tabletop Fusion?
Scientists at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a tabletop particle accelerator that confirms and improves upon an earlier experiment conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) that produced nuclear fusion at room temperature.
Tips for Non-Writers
Are there really non-writers anymore? These are good guidelines, though—although I'd quibble about the semicolon advice.
Meet the Prion
Prions (proteinaceous infectious particles) challenge the central paradigm of contemporary molecular biology. Hint: Think non-Mendelian transfer of hereditary information.
Things I Learned From My Patients
Australian ER residents share their lessons. Sad, funny, and profane, but they ring very true to this former ER orderly. Biggest lesson: If you're minding your own business and see "some guy" or "some dude" headed your way, get gone. Those guys are trouble.