My new favourite blog

Barking up the wrong tree blog just asks really cool questions and then presents evidence toward an answer. Simple as that. Also, the answers usually have some research paper backing, so there's at least some credibility to them, theoretically.

For example:

How important is physical attractiveness to a happy marriage?

Physical appearance plays a crucial role in shaping new relationships, but does it continue to affect established relationships, such as marriage? In the current study, the authors examined how observer ratings of each spouse's facial attractiveness and the difference between those ratings were associated with (a) observations of social support behavior and (b) reports of marital satisfaction. In contrast to the robust and almost universally positive effects of levels of attractiveness on new relationships, the only association between levels of attractiveness and the outcomes of these marriages was that attractive husbands were less satisfied. Further, in contrast to the importance of matched attractiveness to new relationships, similarity in attractiveness was unrelated to spouses' satisfaction and behavior. Instead, the relative difference between partners' levels of attractiveness appeared to be most important in predicting marital behavior, such that both spouses behaved more positively in relationships in which wives were more attractive than their husbands, but they behaved more negatively in relationships in which husbands were more attractive than their wives. These results highlight the importance of dyadic examinations of the effects of spouses' qualities on their marriages. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved)

Source: Beyond initial attraction: Physical attractiveness in newlywed marriage. By McNulty, James K.; Neff, Lisa A.; Karney, Benjamin R. Journal of Family Psychology. Vol 22(1), Feb 2008, 135-143.

Here are other good recent ones:

Yes, even Grandma had premarital sex:

Does feeling like a victim make you selfish?

Can living like you're young prevent aging?

How to make good experiences even more pleasurable (and bad ones even worse)? Hint? Interruption... just stop for a second and think. Refocusing on the task at hand really does the trick!

A silly trick I use all the time to remember the moment forever in and out of the moment. Thoughts, feelings, things left unsaid.

The Southwest, part 1

Playing with the idea for a year or so, Adam and I finally took the plunge and flew out to Vegas... only to drive to New Orleans, and back again.

Scheduled to take place over roughly 10 days, we stayed two nights in Las Vegas to kick off the festivities.


Milan booked us into the Mandalay there, conveniently right next to the airport..


Vegas is great, but these days, how much more than two nights does one need. In fact, if Milan wasn't there we'd surely be on the road after one night.



The building above look familiar? Libeskind strikes again.


I call this: Milan, looking sketchy on a cell phone. What a great dude.

We were then off on our first leg: Las Vegas, NV to Williams, AZ.

Approximately 216 miles, or 348 kms. A relatively easy early drive.

Speaking of sketchy, our Hyundai Sonata did not have plates for the duration of the trip. We had a 30 day temporary permit lacquered on our front windshield, and a Budget dude telling us "yeah, that's how it's supposed to be." While we were nervous this could cause some issues in Texas, it turned out that this isn't that far out of the norm down there...


First stop, El Pollo Loco.

Adam sent me this tidbit: Apparently Pollo Loco started in Mexico, and still has ambitions to conquer KFC. But I think this is the best part of its Wikipedia entry: The chain's most recent marketing efforts, featuring a Mexican playing a character named El Caliente (Spanish for 'The Hot One') (played by Matt Cedeño), have drawn fire from Chicano advocacy groups who claim that the ads depict a stereotypical view of Latinos. Generally, however, El Caliente is seen as less offensive than previous Latino mascots, such as the Frito Bandito.

The meal was judged unanimously delicious. Honestly, it wasn't that bad at all.

For reference, it is here:

View Larger Map
It, ummm, obviously hadn't been built yet at the time of this photo, but when you see an A&W and a KFC, you'll know you're about to have a better meal than both of those.

For more pointless information about El Pollo Loco, please visit, as I just have, www.elpolloloco.com.


Now, only about 40 miles outside Las Vegas was the Hoover dam!

Or, more specifically in this photo, the bridge above, The Hoover Dam Bypass, for those with too many dams in their lives.

An aerial shot of the project should help make this somewhat sensical:



On the other side of the dam we entered Arizona.








Take a look down...

Btw, doesn't the picture with Adam look so much better than the picture of the bridge and dam alone? Now, obvious the additional subject matter helps - hell, those shots from a $20/hour Hotel 6 bed in Amarillo look phenomenal - but, a photo with a person in it adds context and greater expression. I love taking photos of people. Front or back, side, alone, together. Body language, instant freezing of a thought expressed through every ounce of your body with an unlimited time period to read into it. Ugh... I get shivers.

Or, chalk it up to different exposures, angles, and colours. Your call ;)



The actual dam, not being done justice by the shot, and overshadowed by the bypass.






Back on the road...




It wasn't too late as we entered Williams, AZ. With a population of around 3,000 and about an hour from the Grand Canyon, this seemed like the ideal stop as it would be our first feel of old Route 66.

But before that, dinner and sleep, and explore tomorrow.

Hmmm... I'm sure I recognize her from somewhere...*

*The line I wish I thought of here? Before dinner, we decided to hit up the local wax museum where Adam decided to pose with his ex-wife. (Thanks Tyler!)


We get all the way down to Williams AZ and decide to eat at a place called "Pancho McGillicuddy's".

There will be more...

Jowi Taylor speaks tonight

MASS LBP is pleased to announce MASS Talk no. 8 with Jowi Taylor

During his decade-long tenure at CBC Radio, Jowi Taylor was host, writer and co-producer of such notable series as Global-Village, The Wire (winner of a 2006 Peabody Award, and AWESOME), The Nerve (currently re-running Sunday nights on Radio Two, and right up my alley) and Invisible Cities.

Jowi's independent project Six String Nation explores history, geography, identity and the shifting parameters of Canadian culture through the lens not just of music but of one very special guitar.

Please join host MASS LBP and Jowi Taylor in a discussion about what his work has revealed about the nature of Canadian identity.

Direct link to free tickets: http://masstalk8.eventbrite.com/




I've seen Jowi speak before when he released his Six String Nation book, and even shared the pleasure and privilege of a road trip down to NYC with him and his loving woman Sarah. I can guarantee you a special Monday evening here. Print your free ticket from the link above as space is limited, and see you there.

Stephen Fry Podcasts

Stephen Fry's podcasts were first brought to my attention by my sister Anna last summer, and slow to get to things important, I'm now catching up.

Making dinner? Cleaning up? Listen to this.

http://www.stephenfry.com/2008/12/22/series-2-episode-3-language/

It's a bit thick in the first 11 minutes, but the ideas expressed thereafter are really worth the buildup. It runs just over 33 minutes.

"Is it weird that silkworms exist, or is it weird that only the silkworm will do when it comes to silk and only the cotton plant when it comes to cotton. To put it again in an accidental line of decasyllabic verse, "None would be missed if they didn't exist". And if language didn't illicit pleasure, if it didn't have its music, its juiciness, its jouissance, would we notice, or would we always be destined to find pleasure in it because that's a thing we humans can do?"

He then goes on to speak of Chomsky's innate language vs. evolution.

And more:

"There's no right or wrong in language anymore than there's no right or wrong in nature. Evolution is all about restless and continuous change. Mutation. Variation... Convention exists, of course it does. But convention is no more a register of rightness or wrongness than etiquette is. It's just another way of saying "usage", really. Convention is a privately agreed usage than a publicly evolving one. "

Up next?

A six minute short one: Stephen Fry discusses why Oscar Wilde’s Fairy Tales continue to exert the same pull over the imagination and emotions as they did when he first read them to his children in the 1880s.

http://www.stephenfry.com/2008/12/03/series-2-episode-2-beauty-of-soul-oscar-wilde/

I really don't know enough about Oscar Wilde, at the moment.

Also, new Cuff the Duke video!

Joel Plaskett redux.

Happy Friday!

Remember the previous video to "You Let Me Down"? Finally, a better one!



I love the lights, the maracas, and how he ends up singing the girls parts, kinda because, when singing along, I do to.

Memory

Thinking of origami, is improving your memory a blessing or a curse?

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-01/acs-fet012010.php

More specifically, and less dramatically, is memory loss really connected with neurodegeneration? Is it just our best indicator of neurodegeneration?

----

Is improved memory a sign of a healthy, able to process, mind (correlation)? How does memory affect an otherwise healthy mind (causal)?

Three points come to mind for me at the moment: that it depends on the kinds of memories, whether you can make them voluntarily, and once made, how do they effect your judgement /actions, or could they be causal in their own right.

To address the last point first, obviously memories will lead to certain actions (ie. That chick was crazy; I'm avoiding her at all costs). But, it's also pretty obvious that certain memories will lead to no action whatsoever (ie. hmmm.. I really should try to get more sleep). And thirdly, some memories will only lead to temporary actions (ie. I'm so hungover.. I'm never drinking again.)

So, does it matter if the memory is connected to a physical cost / benefit? Does this influence how we interpret the memory? Of course. Here we go with perception again... Let's move on.

Back to the three points, the first one (does possessing a good memory causally influence neurodegeneration? And does it depend on the kind, or type of memory?) This seems like a giveme. I mean, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) seems to be caused (at least partially by) the repetition of a negative memory put into action. I say negative because OCD is rarely diagnosed for people that put positive memories to use (or, at least their interpretation /perception of said memory). So, yes, neurodegeneration /neurohealth is dependent on the type of memory, and moreover, how it is interpreted.

So, for me, the middle point is the kicker here. How is one's neurohealth connected with the measured ability to make voluntary memories. I think the distinction between explicit and implicit memory needs to be made here first.

Implicit learning/memories are things like riding a bike, swimming, whistling, typing. They are typically things that you find difficult to explain, but can do and repeat even after long bouts of neglect. They can be taught, improved and practiced, but the slope is normally slow and involves a high amount of trial and error (because it is so hard to define). However, a benefit is that the 'unlearning' slope is also slow. (I say benefit because they may be negative implicit memories or associations, like biting your nails or picking your nose).

Explicit learning/memories are things like where your mother went to school, what you wore yesterday, or what the capital of Poland is. These are easily taught, usually through repetition, and easily forgot without proper reference or repetition.


Ok, that was a bit complicated, and really not well written. hmmm... I sometimes equate implicit vs. explicit learning to a piece of paper. I equate origami to implicit learning, and writing to explicit learning, with a pencil on a piece of paper.


http://threesixty360.wordpress.com/2008/05/

It's gonna be hard to get those folds out of the paper. It is possible though, and new shapes can be made out of that piece of paper, but it's gonna take time and effort presumably.

Explicitly, I can write anything on a piece of paper and have it erased minutes later...




So, where does that leave us.

This kind of memory system reminds me of the Jim Carrey movie "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind". Some things you want erased, some things you don't, some things need to be?

Is it voluntary? Which one of implicit/explicit is voluntary? Can they be (I mean voluntarily)? Does the state of your mental health (going back to the original thought here... ) depend on learning and relearning? Is it affected by your neurohealth? Do new experiences help you learn, relearn, and change?

Yes.

But only if you want them/it to. Which, in its own right, is another thought.

Now, how it can be a curse? That's pretty self explanatory... ;)

Did I get that right?

So yeah, how do you connect your neurohealth with the ability to make voluntary, explicit memories? I'm not sure that you do. I mean, it's always important to remember where you left your keys, BUT, is it important enough to diagnose your brain?

I'm not sold. Memory is not, I think, a diagnosis of processing ability. At least, not connected to.

In saying that, yes, I've been on a perception kick of late, which I still believe is the most influential factor while forming experience, BUT, I don't think it is connected with you losing yourself, or your mind.

I hope that makes some sense.

AN ASIDE* (see bottom of post for more on explicit vs. implicit learning)


--

*The aside: Decades later the difference between implicit versus explicit learning was highlighted for me by the unexpected success of the Ball-Stick-Bird reading system. The system demonstrates how the reading and language game is played without ever requiring the memorization of rules. Instead of being asked to learn phonics by rules and rote, the student is merely shown a phonic pattern and a list of similar words. These similar words are then immediately used in goofy science fiction adventures.



This process is repeated for each phonic pattern in subsequent books, allowing the brain to draw implicit conclusions about reading and spelling. The unexpected success of this method in teaching not just reading, but writing and even spelling to dyslexic and even very low IQ students demonstrated the possibilities and effectiveness of implicit teaching and learning.

----

In many ways the concept of implicit learning seems like a contradiction. How can you learn something when you don't know the rules of what you are learning? The answer is that the human brain is a most extraordinary pattern detector.

When presented with a scenario, the brain doesn't have to be given all the components (ie. the rules) in order to figure out what to do. In fact, if given all the components, the brain often has great difficulty in combining these parts to make a whole. It's like being given all the pieces of a puzzle without knowing the picture the pieces are supposed to make.

With Bells On

The expression? - To be somewhere with "bells on" refers to a practice peddlers had when they roamed the area west of the Appalachians selling wares. To avoid Indians, they traveled as silently as possible until they reached a settled area. Then they unmuffled bells hung around their horses necks to announce their arrival to outlying cabins. Hence, "I'll be there with bells on." The peddlers' arrival was a much anticipated major event in the mostly tedious and hard lives of settlers, not only for the goods they sold, but also for the news, letters, and messages they carried from the outside world.

There are other interpretations.

goes back to the days before automobile, when it was the custom to deck out with the fanciest harness the horse that drew the carriage for special occasions. That, of course, was the harness ’with bells on.’" From the "Morris Dictionary of Word Phrase Origins" by William and Mary Morris (HarperCollins, Publishers, New York, 1977, 1988). Sources: http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/19/messages/411.html



The band? Sloan. Download Twice Removed here.

Or, OR, or... listen to this cover, which is actually pretty good.



I love that too.

(C. Murphy/Sloan)

While I'm at this funeral
You're in New York
I've been dividing my grieving
You're sleeping with a mutual friend

I dreamed that I kissed your mouth
And you thought about me
Over Christmas
Oh, you might know who I am
But I know who you are
Your heart is in your art
And mine's in New York

I'm wearing my heart on my sleeve
You're sleeping with a mutual friend
And I want to be with you again
And again
And again
I've thought about you a lot lately
So flash me your metal smile

I'm thinking about you
You're thinking about
New York
Though to you your friend was hurt
To him I owe him money
Will you pay back the thirty dollars
That he thinks I owe him?
But I don't owe him anything

If you had a funeral
I'd be there with bells on
La la la la la...

If I had a funeral
Would you even care?
Would you wear your silver dress?
Would you actually wear lipstick?
Would you lie upon my grave?
And be there with bells on
So you could ring me from this life?
From this life
From this life
So you could ring me from this life

And, while I'm here, another Sloan song that ends with "la, la, las... ", my favourite Sloan song... same album.





"I've seen you hair down at least five times, I've always wondered what makes a man commit crime... when even I would sometimes, if it weren't for the likes of you. "

(C. Murphy/Sloan)

I suppose I've seen you three times now
And I guess that I'm
Wondering how
You keep the boys at bay
I have a feeling that they
Are wondering too

I've seen you with your hair down at least five times
And always wondered
What makes a man commit crimes?
But even I would sometimes
If it weren't for the likes of you

And your glasses
Your hideous glasses
When you remove them
I would rather skip my classes and be caught
Than to entertain the thought
That someday you'll just put them on again
But I can make the best of it until then

Still I know you go deeper than your beauty
You go well above and beyond
The call of duty
To your country and your school
But I grew up too cool

I'm like the rest of them
With our thumbs up our asses
If you call I will come
But I'm about as quick as molasses
When I dream of you
You're not wearing your glasses
La la la la...

Both are required listening.

Cosmic Music: Astronomy Through the Eyes of the Billboard Hot 100

Lecture Description:

The passion for astronomy is universal and even plays itself out in music. In this talk, I (Mubdi Rahman) will be looking at tracks from the Billboard Hot 100 and the astronomy concepts they evoke: from general relativity to the birth of stars. Come join us for a whimsical take on North America's favourite music and Astronomy!

Speaker Biography:

Mubdi Rahman is a PhD student in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Toronto. His primary research interests include understanding the effects of star formation on the environment of the galaxy as a whole. An avid astronomer from even his earliest of years, Mubdi is active not only in research but also in the promotion and outreach of Astronomy and Science as a whole.

Time: 8:10 PM
Date: Thursday February 4, 2010
Room: BA 1160
Building: Bahen Centre for Information Technology (BA)
Address: 40 St. George Street, Toronto, ON

Back at home..

Organizing thoughts and photos, and listening to music. Also trying to catch up on what's been happening in the last week and a half...



Here's a great one by Woodpigeon, a band Jeremy's been trying to get me listening to.

Woodpigeon has paid tribute to the passing of Kate McGarrigle with a cover of what is probably their most famous song to those of a certain generation who grew up watching NFB shorts – “The Log Driver’s Waltz”. Woodpigeon plays the Drake Underground on February 11 and have an in-store at Soundscapes on February 14.

MP3: Woodpigeon – “The Log Driver’s Waltz” (live) (via Chromewaves)

When asked about the band's name, Mark Hamilton explains: "I've always been in love with the word Woodpigeon for as long as I can remember. When you write it in cursive, it looks like a rollercoaster". (Wikipedia)

Heading home

Over the last 9 days and nights, Adam and I experienced almost 7000 kilometers of southern America. 4312 miles officially; apparently the measured flight distance for Warsaw, Poland to Toronto, Canada.

Just a great trip. A really great experience; gorgeous and fun, and travelling with Adam was something really, really special for me; thanks buddy.

I'm gonna share some real pictures (and stories) over the next day or two, but for now, from the Vegas runway, from what we figure our only pic together from the trip...