7/4

Didn't we also have this last year?

Maybe next they can work on why my 27 year old nephew keeps calling me "bro".

I noticed the hat a few hours ago.

December 8, 2004 Linguist Deciphers Uses of Word 'Dude' By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Filed at 10:01 a.m. ET PITTSBURGH -- Dude, you've got to read this. A linguist from the University of Pittsburgh has published a scholarly paper deconstructing and deciphering the word ``dude,'' contending it is much more than a catchall for lazy, inarticulate surfers, skaters, slackers and teenagers. An admitted dude-user during his college years, Scott Kiesling said the four-letter word has many uses: in greetings (``What's up, dude?''); as an exclamation (``Whoa, Dude!''); commiseration (``Dude, I'm so sorry.''); to one-up someone (``That's so lame, dude.''); as well as agreement, surprise and disgust (``Dude.''). Kiesling says in the fall edition of American Speech that the word derives its power from something he calls cool solidarity -- an effortless kinship that's not too intimate. Cool solidarity is especially important to young men who are under social pressure to be close with other young men, but not enough to be suspected as gay. In other words: Close, dude, but not that close. ``It's like man or buddy, there is often this male-male addressed term that says, 'I'm your friend but not much more than your friend,''' said Kiesling, whose research focuses on language and masculinity. To decode the word's meaning, Kiesling listened to conversations with fraternity members he taped in 1993. He also had undergraduate students in sociolinguistics classes in 2001 and 2002 write down the first 20 times they heard ``dude'' and who said it during a three-day period. He found the word taps into nonconformity and a new American image of leisurely success. Anecdotally, men were the predominant users of the word, but women sometimes call each other dudes. Less frequently, men will call women dudes and vice versa. But that comes with some rules, according to self-reporting from students in a 2002 language and gender class included in the paper. ``Men report that they use dude with women with whom they are close friends, but not with women with whom they are intimate,'' according to the study. His students also reported that they were least likely to use the word with parents, bosses and professors. Historically, dude originally meant ``old rags'' -- a ``dudesman'' was a scarecrow. In the late 1800s, a ``dude'' was akin to a ``dandy,'' a meticulously dressed man, especially out West. It became ``cool'' in the 1930s and 1940s, according to Kiesling. Dude began its rise in the teenage lexicon with the 1981 movie ``Fast Times at Ridgemont High.'' ``Dude'' also shows no signs of disappearing as more and more of our culture becomes youth-centered, said Mary Bucholtz, an associate professor of linguistics at the University of California, Santa Barbara. ``I have seen middle-aged men using 'dude' with each other,'' she said.

Naked Man Jumps Into Lizard Tank

"Lady, there's a lizard in my meal"

And then people with phone modems might not read the articles.

Bummer!

Ah.

Man...I've heard none of those! Where's the Ayler box???

DAMM KIDS! GET OFF THE GRASS!

Lizard, expelled from school, finds a home Quynh Tran and Emily Seftel The Arizona Republic Dec. 4, 2004 12:00 AM The bearded dragon lizard was supposed to be a temporary member of the Pastor household. Three years ago, it lived in Matthew Pastor's fifth-grade classroom. The Pastors would host the lizard in their Mesa home during school breaks. But during a school inspection, fire authorities said the heating lamp and housing unit for the lizard could be a fire hazard. So the lizard, dubbed Mr. Abbie, became a permanent member of the family. advertisement "He's not that hard to take care of," said Matthew, 13. "You just have to make sure he has water and food." Mr. Abbie eats live crickets and commercial food. The family supplies him with about 30 crickets a week. He's not a particularly active pet, although he does go out in the yard for exercise when the family dogs aren't out. "He just kind of sits there. He's not aggressive," Matthew said. "He's got big old claws so he can hang off your shirt, but he would never hurt you. People think he's pretty cool." "He's a neat critter," Matthew's mom, Monica, agreed. Questionnaire What is your pet's name and breed? Mr. Abbie; bearded dragon lizard. How did you choose your pet's name? When I got him he was named Abbie. Then I found out he was a boy so I named him Mr. Abbie. We bought a book to learn more about him and found out how to figure out if he was male or female. Where did you get your pet? He was donated to my classroom in fifth grade. After we had him a few months, my teacher, Mrs. Massey, was told that his warming light was a fire hazard and we couldn't keep him. Because I was the one who always took care of him, she offered to let me have him. My mom was OK with it, but we had to convince my dad; that's a whole other story. My dad was bent on not getting any more pets. He thought two dogs, two cats, one fish, one guinea pig, one dwarf hamster and one bearded dragon would be too much. What is your pet's worst habit? His poop smells a lot. You just want to run away. The smell stays a few days no matter what you do. We turn on all the fans and everything. It doesn't change anything. Has your pet ever embarrassed you? No. People either think he is cool or you can use him to scare people. How do you celebrate your pet's birthday? I don't know his birthday. I don't even know how old he is. But when he was young, he lost a lot of his tail. I think it is growing back at three-quarters inch per year. What's the best thing about your pet? He is so calm that even my mom likes him. Now my dad thinks he is pretty cool, too. I have seen other bearded dragons, and they are a lot smaller than him. He is 11 inches long, but if he had his full tail, he would be at least 18 inches.

Lizard walking on water is no mystery! Press Trust of India New Delhi, December 1 Does the claim of walking on water by some Indian yogis have a scientific basis? A definite answer to this is yet to come but the US biologists S Tonia Hsieh and George V Lauder at Harvard University have explained how some lizards are able to run on water at speeds of about four kilometres per hour or more. Basilisk lizards (Basiliscus plumifrons) are proficient water runners, regularly dashing across bodies of water to evade predators. The Harvard scientists have made direct measurements of the force produced by the lizards while running across water using "digital particle image velocimetry." The technique involves seeding the water with reflective particles and illuminating the area of interest with a thin laser sheet. Particle movement can then be traced and the forces calculated. Waterfowl are known to slap the water with their feet during flapping take-off. However, they obtain a great deal of lift from their wings. Basilisk lizards that weigh up to 200 grams are unique in that they regularly run across water, using only their feet as a source of both lift and thrust. In their study, five juvenile basilisks were induced to run across a 0.8-m-long water track. Each running sequence was filmed with two synchronised high-speed cameras. They found that the lizards produced greatest support and propulsive forces during the first half of the step, when the foot moves primarily vertically downwards into the water. They also produced large transverse reaction forces that change from medial to lateral throughout the step. "These forces may act to dynamically stabilise the lizards during water running," the scientists reported in the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences. "This study quantifies the forces produced after the foot impacts the water to understand how basilisks are able to produce both propulsive thrust and lift during bipedal locomotion on water," they said. "Our results give insight into the mechanics of how basilisk lizards run across water," they said and added "basilisk lizards, therefore, serve as interesting model organisms for examining the mechanics of this remarkable locomotor feat".

Frequent training for the big event works too.

Steak and caffeine work for me.

December 7, 2004 Raw Eggs? Hair of the Dog? New Options for the Besotted By JONATHAN D. GLATER, NYTimes On the third day of a seemingly endless bachelor party in Cabo San Lucas last year, Hal Walker, 33, woke up with a set of classic symptoms. His head ached. Loud noises made him wince. Bright lights hurt his eyes. Mr. Walker's flight home from Mexico to Colorado, where he is now a co-owner of the Island Grill in Fort Collins, left at 8 a.m., and it was all he could do to get to the airport. "If you can find a remedy for hangovers, that would be great," he said, voicing a sentiment familiar to anyone who has imbibed just a little too much and was sorry about it the next day. In fact, recent studies suggest that help for at least some aftereffects of intoxication may not be too much to ask for. Last summer, a group of doctors reported in The Archives of Internal Medicine that an extract from the fruit of the prickly pear cactus, taken in capsule form, was effective in staving off hangover symptoms like dry mouth and nausea. Perfect Equation of Vista, Calif., financed the research and has patented the extract, which it says is derived from the skin of the prickly pear, Opuntia ficus. Another company, Living Essentials of Walled Lake, Mich., markets Chaser, a pill containing activated calcium carbonate and activated charcoal. The company has financed a study of the dietary supplement, completed in 2002, its marketing director, Carl Sperber, said. The findings have not been published. Experts say that despite such products, a true hangover cure remains elusive. And the hangover itself is imperfectly understood, perhaps because scientists have largely devoted their efforts to understanding alcohol dependence and the health effects of drinking. Dr. Linda C. Degutis, an associate professor of emergency medicine and public health at Yale, said hangovers were "incredibly understudied." Most popular remedies, including those sold over the counter, have no peer-reviewed research to back up their assertions. Some experts argue that even conducting such research raises ethical issues. The development of a foolproof hangover cure, for example, might encourage people to drink more, knowing they could take a pill to avoid suffering the next day. And the prospect of bus drivers' or airplane pilots' popping hangover pills and going to work is enough to give anyone pause. Some researchers argue that hangovers impose such large costs on society that they have to be studied. No one has precise figures, but one study cited in the prickly pear article estimated the cost of alcohol-related problems, including hangovers, at nearly $150 billion a year in the United States. Such studies - focusing on whether remedies for hangover symptoms would also prevent the effects of a hangover on judgment, concentration, motor skills and other critical functions - "are absolutely the next step," said Dr. Michael G. Shlipak, associate professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and an author of the prickly pear report. One obstacle, however, may be that there is no consensus among scientists on how to define a hangover, Dr. Degutis said. Headache, thirst, nausea and muscle aches are probably the most familiar symptoms. Dr. Shlipak's study identified additional symptoms, including soreness, tremulousness and dizziness. The effects of alcohol on the body are well known. When people drink, alcohol is quickly absorbed through the stomach lining. Most of it directly enters the bloodstream. In the body, alcohol dilates blood vessels, creating a warm flush. It also depresses the central nervous system, resulting first in euphoria and then, as the alcohol wears off, anxiety, insomnia and depression. Carried in the blood to the liver, alcohol breaks down into acetaldehyde and other byproducts that leave the body through the urine and the lungs. On average, the body can process about one drink an hour, and sticking to that pace for a limited period should reduce the likelihood of a hangover, Dr. Degutis said. One drink is defined as one 12-ounce can of beer, 1.5 ounces of 80 proof whiskey or 5 ounces of wine. But every person's body is different, she cautioned. What happens when a drinker consumes enough alcohol to result in a hangover is a little less clear. Dr. Shlipak and his colleagues have focused on the possibility that the immune system may react to toxic byproducts of fermentation in alcoholic beverages called congeners. Congeners "are poisons, and the body recognizes them as such," said Dr. Jeffrey G. Wiese, an associate professor of medicine at Tulane and also an author of the prickly pear study. As a general rule, Dr. Wiese said, the darker the alcoholic beverage is, the more congeners it has. So according to studies, vodka generally causes less severe hangovers than, say, bourbon. The researchers theorize that congeners may set off the release of cytokines, molecules that white blood cells release in fighting off viruses or other invaders. Cytokines signal inflammation in the body and cause the achy, tired feelings that people get when they have the flu. Prickly pear extract, Dr. Shlipak and his colleagues suggest, helps by reducing the immune response to congeners. In their study, the researchers found that when graduate student testers drank five hours after taking the pill, they experienced less severe hangover symptoms. Living Essentials says Chaser works by capturing certain congener molecules, preventing the body from absorbing them. "The secret is the activation of the calcium carbonate," said Mr. Sperber, the marketing director. "You can't just take Tums and burnt toast and get the same effect." Dr. Shlipak said that he had not seen any studies on the effectiveness of Chaser but that charcoal, which does not bind to alcohol, could in theory block the absorption of the congeners in alcoholic beverages. That would mean that people who had consumed charcoal before drinking would still absorb all the alcohol, but might experience less severe hangover symptoms. "It's possible," Dr. Shlipak said. "Without commenting on how their product works or if it works, I think the concept is intriguing." Other researchers pointed out that anyone who can remember to pop any type of hangover pill through a night of drinking should be able to remember to drink water or even take the radical step of drinking a little less. Dehydration also plays an important role in hangovers. The body tends to lose water as more alcohol is consumed because alcohol is a diuretic, causing people to urinate more frequently regardless of how much water they are drinking. That is why interspersing water or some other beverage with alcoholic drinks is a good idea, said Dr. Erik DeLue, a doctor of internal medicine at St. Margaret Mercy Hospital in Hammond, Ind., outside Chicago. Not only does the water rehydrate the body, Dr. DeLue said, but it also reduces the desire to consume more alcohol to slake thirst. "It's doubly effective," he said. There is some evidence that the withdrawal of alcohol contributes to some hangover symptoms. The body essentially becomes more excited to counter alcohol's depressant effects, and after the alcohol is removed, the body is left in that somewhat hyper state. That explains why some people with hangovers may experience an accelerated heart rate and become twitchy and sweaty. In serious cases, alcohol withdrawal can lead to "holiday heart," called that because it may occur after a few days of binge drinking. The heart may beat too quickly or, worse, its muscles may beat out of sequence, in extreme instances causing heart failure or, indirectly, a stroke. After drinking too much, people tend not to sleep very deeply, Dr. Wiese said, because the brain also becomes more alert as the depressant effects wear off. While that means that alcohol-fueled dreams may be very lively, it also means that in addition to being dried out and suffering various aches, pains and twitches, hangover victims are quite likely to wake up tired, thirsty and very, very sleepy. Mark Harris, a former dot-com worker who lives in San Francisco, recalled a painful day suffering several symptoms after a company outing in Palo Alto, Calif., about 10 years ago. "There were some bigwigs, and they were all trying to outdrink each other," Mr. Harris said. "We put down a lot of Guinness. There was a lab meeting in the morning, and it was not optional, and all of us knew it. "So the next day, we all dragged ourselves in. I tried the Odwalla blackberry shake to mitigate the circumstances. I thought maybe the fresh fruits and the vitamins would help me out." He paused and added, "That was just horrific." Several people interviewed about their hangovers said they had stumbled across possible cures by chance and every once in a while found a solution that they liked. Sheila Turner, a publicity agent in Washington, said she used vitamin C. Other people swear by tomato juice, raw eggs, carbonated beverages, hot coffee or big greasy breakfasts. Doctors say there is little evidence to support most popular hangover remedies. Tomato juice makes some sense, Dr. Degutis said, because it contains salt, which helps the body retain fluids. But raw eggs make no sense at all, Dr. Wiese said, "unless it's that the pain of eating the raw egg takes your mind off" the hangover. Many doctors recommend drinking orange juice, Gatorade or similar sports drinks that replenish electrolytes and taking pain relievers like aspirin or ibuprofen. Tylenol may not be a good idea, some experts said, because, like alcohol, it is metabolized by the already-overworked liver. One thing that no one advises is more alcohol, the traditional cure known as "hair of the dog that bit you." While drinking to help a hangover may alleviate the problem of alcohol withdrawal, it can also impair mental functioning, contribute to alcohol addiction and a worse hangover down the road, Dr. Degutis said. Many experts agreed that the best cure for a hangover was to avoid drinking too much in the first place. "Ideally, you're not supposed to drink more than three if you're a man, two if you're a woman," Dr. Karin Rhodes, an emergency attending physician for the University of Chicago Hospitals, said. "And you should never drive within four hours of drinking two or more drinks."

From the Yahoo Braxton list: For those in the area, there are two Braxton concerts this week (sorry for the short notice) - hope some of you can make it out: Wednesday, Dec. 8th 2004 - Anthony Braxton Small Ensemble 8pm Crowell Concert Hall Wesleyan University, Middletown Connecticut First set will be small groups playing the "falling water" music (visual notation) with the "diamond curtain wall" music (Braxton's electronic music). Second set will be a chamber ensemble reading of one of the new "accelerator" species of GTM -- Comp. 341, I think (?). These new compositions are really exciting and a blast to play -- they are a giant leap forward (or backward, or sideways?!) in the GTM series. Friday, Dec. 10th 2004 - Anthony Braxton Large Ensemble 8pm Crowell Concert Hall Wesleyan University, Middletown Connecticut I think we will be playing compositions 169, 96 and 91 as primary territories, with many secondary and tertiary things in the mix throughout the night. If you can make it out, these should be great nights of music - it really shines in this hall, too.

Tiny tofo orange?

Shampoo Ingredient Kills Rats' Brain Cells The industry sees no harm to consumers from low concentrations of a chemical found in some common household products. By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter MONDAY, Dec. 6 (HealthDayNews) -- Experiments with the brain cells of rats show that contact with an ingredient found in shampoos, hand lotions and paint causes neurons to die. The chemical, methylisothiazolinone (MIT), belongs to a class of compounds called biocides. These are used in the manufacture of many common household products and industrial water cooling systems to prevent bacteria from developing. According to the National Institutes of Health, brands containing MIT include the shampoos Head and Shoulders, Suave, and Clairol, as well as Pantene hair conditioner and Revlon hair color. "As far as I can tell, no neurodevelopmental testing has been done on MIT," said lead researcher Elias Aizenman, a professor of neurobiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Aizenman said he is concerned that without such testing it is not known if, for example, a pregnant woman who is exposed to MIT could put her fetus at risk for abnormal brain development. People working directly with MIT are those most at risk, he said. In earlier experiments with rat brain cells, Aizenman's team found that direct exposure to MIT in concentrations like those found in hand cream was enough to kill neurons. In the current series of experiments, also with rat cells, the researchers found that a long exposure to low concentrations of MIT caused a malfunction in the ways neurons communicate with each other. "One of the things that this compound was very good at was preventing neurons from communicating with other neurons," he said. Aizenman presented his findings Dec. 5 at the American Society for Cell Biology annual meeting in Washington, D.C. Whether long-term exposure to products containing MIT is dangerous is not known, Aizenman said. "Can I say that these products are safe to use? No," he said. "Can I say that these products are unsafe to use? No." Aizenman believes that testing needs to be done to determine if MIT is harmful to humans in the concentrations found in household products. "It appears that the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] does not require neurodevelopmental testing," Aizenman said. "That is bothersome. Maybe there are substances that have made it into general use that could be damaging to the nervous system. Regulators need to take a hard look this and require more tests." The work that Aizenman has been doing "is important in understanding the things that people are exposed to on a chronic, daily basis," said Beth Ann McLaughlin, an assistant professor of pharmacology at Vanderbilt University. McLaughlin added that people using products containing MIT should be skeptical. "There is a healthy dose of skepticism that needs to come when using any products or being intensely exposed to any compound," she said. "These findings are expected," said Gerald McEwen, vice president for science at the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association. "MIT is a biocide. The purpose of it is to kill bacteria. You would expect it to be detrimental to any type of cells." McEwen said that direct exposure to high concentrations of MIT will be irritating to the skin, because it can damage skin cells. However, he doesn't believe that MIT poses any dangers to consumers in the low concentrations found in household products. "The ability of MIT to cause neurotoxicity has been studied," McEwen said. In animals exposed to MIT, there has been no hint of neuro-damage, because MIT affects only the cells it touches and there is no way for it to get into the bloodstream and go to the brain, he said. "It can't get to your brain cells, period," he emphasized. MIT has been approved as a biocide by the EPA, which looked at the neurological effects, McEwen added. This information was published by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review, an industry program that reviews the safety of cosmetic ingredients, he explained. However, McLaughlin remains concerned. "The quantity of compounds that we can make that make the quality of life wonderful, in the short term, is growing," she said. "But we are lagging in our understanding of what those compounds can do to our health and our children's health." More information The National Institutes of Health has a list of household products containing MIT (householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov ). Copyright © 2004 ScoutNews LLC. All rights reserved. Last Updated: December 06, 2004