I'm a heathen, but maybe you're not

I'm not religious, but I am most definitly against the war. Anyone who calls themselves "Christian" (or any religion for that matter) should realize that this war goes against the teachings of all major religions. I decided to post this just in case

Click here to endorse this call to the churches to continue to resist war with Iraq. >>speak out now!

An urgent appeal to the churches: 'We must resist this war'

Anyone know JavaScript?

Looks like it's time to figure out what this is all about.

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Anxiety/Depression sufferers look here

Where dread registers in the brain

By LEE BOWMAN
Scripps Howard News Service
04-MAY-06

"The worst part of it is the waiting."

It's a sentiment shared in such varied circumstances as soldiers preparing for an assault to civilians bracing for a turn in the dentist's chair.

Now, for the first time, scientists using brain-imaging technology have locked on the corner of the brain that fills us full of dread as we anticipate pain or another bad outcome _ and often makes us act irrationally just to get it all behind us.

The research has applications for economic theory as well as for health and pain management. It found, perhaps not surprisingly, that the area of brain activity related to dread overlaps areas of the organ known to be associated with pain.

"Most people don't like waiting for an unpleasant outcome and want to get it over with as soon as possible," said Dr. Gregory Berns, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta and lead author of the study, published Friday in the journal Science.

"The only explanation for this is that the dread of having something hanging over your head is worse than the thing that you're dreading. It is a commonplace experience, but standard economic models of decision-making don't deal with this issue," Berns explained.

"So, we decided to take a biological approach and see what happens in the brain that might cause people to make such rash decisions."

The study participants included 18 men and 14 women, ages 19 to 49. The volunteers had their brain activity monitored by a functional magnetic resonance imaging scanner. Each person received a series of low-voltage shocks to one foot, with different levels of intensity and time delays for each jolt.

Each participant was screened to determine his or her maximum pain threshold. While in the scanner, each person got a total of 96 shocks. But before each zap, the subject was told how painful the shock would be (as a percentage of the person's top threshold) and how long he or she would have to wait for it.

After the scanning, each volunteer was then given another round of shocks. He or she was given a choice between different intensity-delay combinations, with the choice always between more pain sooner or less pain later.

For instance, the choice might be 90 percent of the top jolt in three seconds, or 60 percent in 27 seconds. The degree to which an individual picked a higher voltage sooner served as an indicator of the dread he experienced from waiting.

Most volunteers _ 27 _ chose shorter delays more than half the time, indicating that they dreaded the wait. But nine participants dreaded the wait so much that they consistently were willing to take a lot more pain just to avoid waiting. Berns labeled these the "extreme dreaders." Those who disliked the delay but were more cautious about trading off to a worse jolt were dubbed the "mild dreaders."

In the brain scans, dread was found in areas of the brain's pain network linked to attention. That's significant, Berns said, because it suggests that dread is not as simple as fear or anxiety _ emotions controlled by different brain regions.

The mild and extreme dreaders had different patterns of brain activity associated with the pain. The extremes showed more intense and earlier activity in the attentional parts compared to the mild dreaders.

"The key factor seems to be that extreme dreaders devoted more attention toward the part of their body that was about to be shocked," Berns said. "Taken together, the anatomical locations of dread responses suggest that the subjective experience of dread that ultimately drives an individual's behavior comes from the attention devoted to the expected physical response, and not simply a fear or anxiety response."

As George Loewenstein, a researcher in human decision-making at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, put it in an accompanying commentary: "The information that one is going to receive a shock, like the shock itself, seems to be a source of misery."

Although the time frames of seconds in the experiment may not be the same kind of interval that people normally take for making economic decisions, Loewenstein said it does challenge the economic tenets that people prefer to expedite things that are expected to have a pleasant outcome while deferring events they expect will be unpleasant.

Berns said the findings also show that dread can be lessened by diverting attention.

"The dread associated with things like medical procedures or public speaking, while real, can probably be alleviated by diverting one's attention during the waiting period," he said, citing tools that might range from meditation to exercise or even taking in a movie.

On the Net: http://www.sciencemag.org

(Contact Lee Bowman at BowmanL(at)SHNS.com. Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.shns.com)

FARK - Hilarity

Your air conditioner may be making you fat. Still no cure for sitting on the couch eating junk food instead of going outside and exercising

FARK always amusing

Speaking of...Here is an article from Toronto Star

Web Celebs

Jun. 27, 2006. 11:57 AM

SHAUNA REMPEL

TORONTO STAR

"The Internet can make you famous. Ric Romero has more at 11." If you just drew a blank at the mention of KABC-TV consumer reporter Ric Romero, you've never been to Fark.com. Then you would know that Romero, he of the sleek moustache and eerie resemblance to anchor Tim Tucker on The Family Guy, is regularly lampooned on the site for hopelessly out-of-date stories on Web trends, such as a recent one on "the exploding blog community." On Fark, the man is a star. By now, we all know anyone with dial-up can become famous online. As platforms, there's MySpace, YouTube, and as Ric taught us, a whole exploding world of blogs.But, sometimes involuntarily, people already in the public eye morph into a strange hybrid of real-life and online fame. And in doing so, they become bigger stars online than they ever were in their original medium. This creature is called ... The Web Celeb.Along with Ric Romero on Fark, Web celebs include quirky actor Christopher Walken and Wil Wheaton from Stand By Me and Star Trek: The Next Generation. Another prominent Web Celeb is '80s action man Chuck Norris, who has been credited with an impressive list of feats in addition to his black belt — such as speaking Braille and counting to infinity, twice. Norris doesn't even work much as an actor these days — but his celebrity is thriving online. While Tom Cruise and others shut down unauthorized fan sites, explains Jennifer Brayton, an assistant professor of sociology at Ryerson University, celebs in the know can use the Net to secure a fan base. For example, she says Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson has helped ensure that fans of the LOTR franchise are forever loyal by endorsing and appearing on fan sites. But as Romero knows, the Web Celeb meme is not always positive. For the last eight months or so, whenever Romero does a story involving the Web at his Los Angeles ABC affiliate — a piece highlighting "Google search engine shortcuts," for example — Farkers post a link to his story. Then they tear it apart. Romero has become so well-known online that "Ric Romero" has become a euphemism for, "This is completely and totally obvious to anyone who is conscious more than 20 per cent of their lives.""The celebrity he's gotten is kind of infamy," agrees Drew Curtis, Fark.com founder. "Ric Romero (is) the guy nobody would probably know outside of Los Angeles until recently." Romero really didn't want to talk about his not-so-stellar online reputation (see sidebar). Neither did his bosses, or anyone at the station for that matter. And Curtis says he hasn't heard any feedback — good or bad — from Romero, either. But Ric should know he isn't alone: Plenty of others, whether they like it or not, have gotten a nasty 15 minutes of fame on Fark or in the blogosphere. Not even Norris, who can slam revolving doors, by the way, is immune. His official website's chat room was closed down due to "abuse." As one Farker said, "Everyone is put on Earth for a purpose. Unfortunately, for some of us, it's ending up as fodder for Fark." Curtis knows his baby is sometimes evil. "We've had to be really careful. I've had to warn the guys who help me pick the links about being too mean to anybody with any notoriety because it's always getting back to them now," says the First Farker. But Fark, like the Internet itself, also uses its power for good. A favourite is former Star Trekker—turned-blogger/online poker player Wheaton, a man who escaped the shadow of his old Wesley Crusher role by kick-starting his career online."These days when people come up to me they tell me they are fans of my writing," he says. "People still talk to me about the movies and the TV shows I've done, but primarily people talk to me about my blog," says Wheaton of his site at wilwheaton.net.Web Celebs are frequently the not-so-popular celebrity, the ones who appeal to a more selective — and let's admit it, geekier — audience. Just look at Kevin Smith, a.k.a. Silent Bob, who has kept his career growing in part because of his online efforts over at viewaskew.com. "I think the Internet definitely has star-making potential," says Steve Rubel, senior vice-president of public relations firm Edelman. But "Class-A" celebs don't benefit as much, he explains. Fans of more mainstream stars are also frequently mocked mercilessly online — anyone seriously trying to defend Tom Cruise or Paris Hilton on Fark, for instance, would wind up flamed repeatedly. If there's a common denominator among Web Celebs, it's that there's a lot of online cheering for either unlikely heroes or delightfully oddball ones. Case in point: Walken, an eccentric but consistently employed actor, recently got caught in an online hoax that illustrates just how big he is online. Without any involvement, Walken was campaigning for president of the United States with a website full of platform info and his own campaign manager (the website is still up at http://www.walkenforpres.com). Walken didn't even know about it until news of the hoax reached his publicist, who promptly issued a release to put a stop to all of it. It could've been a make-or-break event in a lesser celeb's career, but not for the Online Patron Saint of the Cowbell. His publicist Toni Howard summed up the bid: "It was a non-event for him." Rubel says Web Celebs tend to appeal to a smaller, more specialized audience because the Internet is still a medium that not everyone can access. Think Friday the 13th crew and electro-pop pioneer Thomas Dolby, both happy to be subjects of Fark Photoshop contests. Wheaton is a self-proclaimed geek and a Total Farker himself (Total Fark being an elite status on the site, meaning, yes, it costs money). He says his level of fandom suits him just fine. "I really want the opportunity to do the right kind of acting. What I don't want to have to do is all the celebrity bullshit that seems so important to people."Paid-up Total Farker Tim Shaw says it's all about rolling with the online attention. "Something will get a life on the site and it will become a cliché. And what I found if it's something that's very laudable — like someone like Wil, who appears to be genuinely a very cool guy who doesn't appear to take himself too seriously and was on a very popular show and will participate in stuff like that — then it will go the positive direction."But if it's someone like Ric Romero, then it will go the negative direction."As for Canadian Web Celebs, they're out there: Pam Anderson's numerous online fans aside, Canuck comedian Colin Mochrie has found himself literally the poster boy for a style of animation called animutation. Essentially, a picture of his face is stuck on a cartoon body which then moves around to a soundtrack of pop songs, usually Japanese, usually with incorrect subtitles.A classic is Andrew Kepple's three-part Flash series Colin Mochrie vs. Jesus H. Christ, found through http://tmst.twu.net/sluggy/ which Mochrie says is his favourite. "I thought he would make an unlikely and, therefore, lovable hero," Kepple explains in an email, of why he chose Mochrie. "There was absolutely nothing whatsoever about Colin Mochrie that made it seem like he would want to battle against an evil plastic replica of the son of God, Jesus H. Christ. Which is why I decided that those two would make good enemies." Mochrie still seems a bit baffled by the whole thing. But he says a public figure has to expect some image manipulation. "For me, as long as nobody is making fun of my family ... I'm fine with that." says Mochrie, who has his own site at colinmochrie.com. "It's free publicity," says the former regular on Whose Line is it Anyway? "I started to get a new audience, young people who had never heard of Whose Line wondering who this fellow is in these animutations," Mochrie explains. The Web Celeb does have detractors. "Offline media still kicks butt," writes full-time P.R. guy and part-time blogger Rubel, because TV and radio are more accessible and respected by people of all ages. "As (the) generation that grew up with the Web their whole lives hits the 18-34 demo I bet this will change," he writes on micropersuasion.com. It's true many Web Celebs are usually only popular in a relatively tiny corner of the universe. Much of their appeal comes from in-jokes. "It's often restricted to people using the Internet," says Fritz Holznagel, editor of Who2.com, an online encyclopedia of celebrities. "It's possible to be very famous among millions of people ... but Joe Microbrew on the street just won't get it," he says. Wheaton says he likes it that way. The Internet in general, and Fark in particular, have been good to him. "It kind of lets me make my own rules, I guess," he says. "Before the acceptance of my blog I would have never been able to go to a literary agent and say, `I've had this really great career as an actor but I'm really interested in writing now,'" says Wheaton, who has penned his memoir, Just a Geek, and other titles. As for Romero, though, Farkers can only guess what he has to say about their handiwork. Chances are it involves another F-word.

---

ID@thestar.ca

Elect Chief Wana Dubie

Chief Wana Dubie - Yes sir, I do.

Put a hippie to work in '06'!

I am running for State Representative of the 150th District of the State of Missouri, as a Libertarian candidate.
"Liberty and justice for all" means "tolerance of all."
If it's not JUST, it's not JUSTICE.
The people need a voice so they can have a choice.
"United we stand, divided we fall."
So help Put a Hippie to Work in '06'!
For interviews, public speaking engagements, or to contact me you can e-mail me here.
For my stance on some of the current issues, visit my Views page!



To donate by credit card online, click the link above.
You may also send checks or money orders payable to:
Circle of Friends For Chief Wana Dubie
121 E. 4th St.
Salem, MO 65560
Please include your name, address, and employer with each contribution.
Contributions are limited to $325 per individual or legal entity.
Thanks for your support.
I'm ready to work for you Missouri!
Sincerely,
Chief Wana Dubie

How to keep THE MAN from putting his thumb on you

I saw this on Boing Boing.

As Americans we (especially these days) need to protect our rights as much as possible. I'll admit, I haven't had the chance to watch the video yet, but I'm sure the general idea is there at least.

HOWTO protect yourself from cops when pulled over
The ACLU A former ACLU staffer has produced a great, 40-minute video on understanding your rights when you get pulled over by a cop. Josh sez,

I came across this "flex your rights" video which uses dramatizations with actors to illustrate how you can protect yourself using 4th, 5th, and 6th ammendment rights during commonplace encounters with police.

The film seems pretty cheezy, but the info in it is great. The info conveyed in the film is extremely useful to avoid nasty searches, seizures, and mishaps which could land a well-meaning person in jail or just ruin their day.

Link (Thanks, Josh!)

Update: Kris sez, "I believe that the video is not from the ACLU, just that the narrator used to work for them."

Update 2: Thomas sez, "The ACLU has several pamphlets available for download that explain your rights when stopped by the police. One is pocket-sized to keep in your glove compartment. They are available in several different languages, including Spanish and Arabic."

Putting Damn Small Linux (DSL) on USB Flash Pen Drive

This walkthrough will illustrate how to install Damn Small Linux (DSL) to a USB memory stick through windows.

You'll need the following:

• 64 MB or larger USB memory stick

• Damn Small Linux

• HP USB tool (for formatting the stick)

• Syslinux V2.11

The Process:

1. The first step is to Download the HP USB tool and format your stick with the tool using the FAT option (quick format is fine)

2. Download the dsl-embedded.zip (you can get it Here)

3. Extract the files from dsl-embedded.zip to your USB memory stick.

4. Download and extract syslinux.zip to a directory on your computer.

5. Run the command prompt in windows (start/run/cmd) and CD to the syslinux directory. Once there simply type syslinux.exe F: (F: being the example drive letter of the USB stick in this system)

6. Reboot your PC, go into your system BIOS and set your boot order to boot from any selectable USB device. (example USBZIP)

7. Save your BIOS settings. On the next reboot, you should have a sucessful launch of Damn Small Linux from your USB memory stick.

Enjoy!

_________________

Author: ~The Pendrive Doctor~

Article Source: http://www.pendrivelinux.com

Google Toolbar Help

Google Toolbar Help

Cardboard box smoker - From "Good Eats", Alton Brown

Cardboard Box Smoker - FoodTV

September 9, 2003

The Good Eats Custom Corrugated Vapor Colloid Applicator (Cardboard Box Smoker) Key: a) heavy-duty corrugated box (no interior painting) b) flap door c) electric hot plate d) small cast-iron skillet e) hardwood sawdust (no pressure-treated wood or plywood allowed) f) small battery-operated fan (optional) g) 2 quarter-inch wooden dowels inserted through box in parallel fashion h) oven rack i) target food (fish skin-side down) j) thermometers (although probe styles are shown, standard stem models may be used in a pinch) k) thermometer probes (one in the box, the other in the fish)

DYI Flower Pot Smoker

This is an great idea for those in apartments that are not allowed any sort of grill that isn't electric

Check it out

Never Trust a Skinny Chef...: Little Brown Egg I: Condo-Q