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POPSClues to Why We Dream at All ... In a recent paper in Psychological Bulletin, Dr. Nielsen and Dr. Levin proposed that dreaming served to create what they call “fear extinction memories,” the brain’s way of scrambling, detoxifying and finally discarding old fearful memories, the better to move on and make synaptic space for any novel threats that may show up at the door. “The brain learns quickly what to be afraid of,” Dr. Nielsen said. “But if there isn’t a check on the process, we’d fear things in adulthood we feared in childhood.” Ordinary bad dreams rarely recapitulate unpleasant events from real life but instead cannibalize them for props and spare parts, and through that reinvention, Dr. Nielsen explained, the fears are defanged. “A bad dream that doesn’t lead to awakening is successful in dealing with intense emotion,” he said. “It’s disturbing, but there is some kind of resolution to the extent we don’t wake up.” ...
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POPSGoogle still kicking Yahoo and Microsoft's ass! The part I actually find most surprising is that over 40% of the U.S. search market doesn't use Google. But considering how hard Microsoft and Yahoo are trying to catch them, it's amazing that they haven't been able to make any progress.
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POPSGod Sabotaged The LHC, Say Scientists Neilsen added: “It must be our prediction that all Higgs producing machines shall have bad luck. rather hates Higgs particles, and attempts to avoid them.” What an odd twist of events in the hunt for the illusive Boson! *LOL* I've seen several lectures by Holger Bech Nielsen and the man has a BRILLIANT mind, there's no doubt about that, although you would be excused, if your first impression of him was, that he was mentally challenged. He's a genius bordering insanity kind of fellow. Anyway, when I first read this article, I thought he must be kidding and making a joke, but that he'd actually write a paper on this theory, makes me think he's deadly serious. Stay tuned, people. Reality is so much weirder than fiction. .:)
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POPSMan Wakes Up After Family OK's Disconnecting Life Support The human body never ceases to amaze me. She found her husband slumped forward in his easy chair, a half-eaten bowl of Raisin Bran in his lap, in the living room of the couple's Vista apartment. At 6 feet 8 inches and more than 250 pounds, Connelly is not easy to move. His wife was unable to get him out of his chair and onto the floor by herself. "I found him totally unconscious," she recalled Monday. "I couldn't find a pulse. I couldn't find any air. He wasn't breathing." Fearing her husband was dead, Loris Connelly called 911. According to NorthComm fire dispatch records, the call came in at 6:10 a.m. and paramedics arrived at the apartment on Shadowridge Drive at 6:16 a.m. Nielsen said that when paramedics arrived, Connelly's heart had stopped beating.
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POPSTechnothrillers vs. Science Fiction "I'm not sure this explains the sales figures-- after all, people don't generally know the details of the ending before they buy a book-- but I thought it was an interesting remark, and pretty accurate given my limited reading of thrillers."
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POPSAssorted Quotes from a blog sidebar... MORE: “Never believe in a meritocracy in which no one is funny-looking.” (Teresa Nielsen Hayden) “True religion invites us to become better people. False religion tells us that this has already occurred.” (Abdal-Hakim Murad) “To live is to war against the trolls.” (Henrik Ibsen) “No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” (Samuel Beckett)
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POPSCalifornia To Ban TV: But Not For Good Reason (like there’s nothing decent to watch) Of course, television sets, just as with dishwashers and refrigerators, are getting more efficient all the time, a process that the free marker excels at on its own - at least it used to, before the age of AIG, bailouts, and executive compensation caps. But, rather than let nature and consumer choice take its course, the CEC must be seen as acting. For bureaucracies that don’t act are soon acted upon by politicians. Unsaid is the fact that, if anything decent were being produced for television, emissions would skyrocket. On this basis NBC should make out like a bandit with a carbon cap-and-trade program since their sole show in the prime-time top-20 Nielsen ratings is rated an energy-saving #20, translating weak viewership into an Earth-friendly virtue, and a few million tons of valuable carbon credits.
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POPSIt's not about truth More than anytime in American history the truth is an endangered expectation. I find it alarming that Olbermann can so blatantly engage with this these lies. We know the Left are generally ignorant and uniformed, but this kind of stuff is an entirely different thing. The minds of these materialist fascists are quite an anathema to common decency.
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POPSTNH: "Some things I know about moderating conversations in virtual space" It’s an inescapable truth that for some people, the most interesting way to participate in online discourse is to kick holes in the conversation. Others—many of them young, but some, alas, old enough to know better—have a sense of entitlement that leads them to believe that their having an opinion means the rest of us are obliged to listen to it. Still others plainly get off on verbally abusing others, and seek out conversations that will offer them opportunities to do so. Teresa Nielsen Hayden, who has been dubbed "the troll whisperer" for her moderation skills, on the dynamics of trolls and flamers, and how to moderate a discussion to encourage participation and discourage rudeness and abusive behavior.
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POPSBig Beck: Goes Over 3 Million Viewers Robert Seidman / TVbytheNumbers: Big Beck: Goes over 3 million viewers, beats O'Reilly in demo: Cable News Ratings for Wednesday, August 26, 2009 " Though a little scandal might alienate advertisers, it's pure ratings gold. Last night Glenn Beck had over 3 million viewers at 5pm, second only to O'Reilly for the night. Memeorandum Discussion: Kevin Allocca / TVNewser: Fox Tops Ratings During Kennedy Coverage; CNN Sees Boost Hal / Conservatives4Palin.com: Glenn Beck Goes Over Three Million Viewers for Wednesday Show Allahpundit / Hot Air: Glenn Beck to Michelle: Is Obama building his own massive civilian … Joe Garofoli / SFGate: Anyone had enough Ted Kennedy coverage? Noel Sheppard / NewsBusters.org: Glenn Beck Wins Wednesday's Cable News Ratings Battle Erick Erickson / Erick's blog: How's That Glenn Beck Boycott Working Out For You Pathetic Leftists? http://www.memeorandum.com/
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POPSExploding comet draws attention The comet has grown larger than Jupiter, and can now be seen with the naked eye in the constellation Perseus.It is said to be, like the shoemaker levy collision with Jupiter, a once in a lifetime event. I'don't know how far away it is, but I'll paste to a link in comments with more technical details, (and a better picture) in comments.
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POPSMSNBC Removes Matthews And Olbermann From Anchor Seat So this new move is supposed to offer Olbermann and Matthews more freedom of expression. Olbermann’s strong left views and his harsh exchanges of words with other MSNBC hosts have been in the headlines all summer. He had no sympathy when GOP expressed anger at Internet news about Sarah Palin’s personal life. He also sarcastically dismissed Republican pundit Pat Buchanan on the air, after Buchanan said he thought the GOP had been enlivened by Sarah Palin’s vice presidential nomination. Moreover, he also couldn’t help mocking his own colleagues. As Joe Scarborough was discussing the positive developments in McCain’s campaign, Olbermann could be heard in the background, saying: “Jesus, Joe, why don't you get a shovel?” Representatives of New York Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and, more recently, Republican presidential nominee John McCain, have objected to NBC executives about the two commentators.
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POPSNielsens: Record Lows for the Networks Anyone watch network TV? I watch the History Channel, HGTV, Food Network, Discovery, and occasionally PBS. All that's on the networks seem to be trash. I'd rather have my internet on all day than the TV. What am I missing?
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