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Debate Over Terrorist Links Video
The Debate over American Intelligence in Iraq is questioned, reminding us that the rest of the world won't sweep our lies under thier rug. They felt more than accomadating after 9/11 and thier patience is worn thin of U.S. policy. The Debate over American Intelligence in Iraq is questioned, reminding us that the rest of the world won't sweep our lies under t... more
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'Cheerleaders' prove to be smarter than you might think
Think smart not smut - very cool shorts from Hungry Man group
A group of 'cheerleaders', seemingly rejected by the Cowboys, head out into the wide world and get up to some fun, and fight injustice, wrong some rights, and help people...
Beautifully done, some genius touches, and with episodes ranging from the 'Danny Glover cab test' to seeing if they can peddle crap jewellery (yep, literally), there's some gems in there.
Check the specially crafted hip-hop soundbeds as well.
Their site's a bit confusing - click through on episode, and then hit series on the TV (or head straight here for the full collection - http://www.hungrymantv.com/series.php )
Go UC !!!!
d Think smart not smut - very cool shorts from Hungry Man group ... more -
Ex CIA Pleads Guilty To Defrauding Government
SAN DIEGO -- A former top CIA official pleaded guilty today to one count of defrauding the U.S. government for using his influence to steer intelligence contracts to a friend and former college roommate.
Kyle Dustin "Dusty" Foggo, who once held the third-highest position in the CIA, entered his plea in a Virginia federal courtroom, related to his dealings with defense contract Brent Wilkes. He was accused of helping steer agency contracts to companies run by Wilkes.
Foggo resigned in 2006 as executive director of the intelligence agency, and was charged in February 2007 with fraud and other offenses in the bribery case of convicted U.S. Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham.
Foggo was then indicted in May 2007 on charges involving Wilkes, who is serving time in prison for his involvement in the Cunningham scandal.
Foggo faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine, prosecutors said.
"Foggo admitted he allowed Wilkes to conceal their close relationship by adopting false cover stories to hide their relationship and using straw men and shell companies," said U.S. Atty. Karen Hewitt, who prosecuted the case.
Foggo and Wilkes are longtime friends. They attended school together in Chula Vista and roomed together at San Diego State University. Prosecutors say Foggo had been promised a lucrative job by Wilkes once he retired from the CIA. SAN DIEGO -- A former top CIA official pleaded guilty today to one count of defrauding the U.S. government for using his influence to ... more -
Taliban using Skype phones to dodge MI6
A pretty startling example of how a friendly technology like Skype is being used against Western interests. I have nothing but good things to say about Skype. I just talked to my wife, who was out of the country on business, for like an hour for free. But apparently it's too good for national security ... well, at least we know MI6 isn't able to monitor my Skype calls, either. A pretty startling example of how a friendly technology like Skype is being used against Western interests. I have nothing but good t... more
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Spies turn to newspapers, NPR, and Wikipedia for info
A few days ago, a senior officer at the Pentagon called his intelligence officer into his office. The boss had heard a news report about China while driving to his office and wanted some answers. It wasn't a tough assignment, given the news coverage, but there was a hitch. "There was plenty of information in the public domain about the topic," recalls the intelligence officer, a 10-year veteran. "And yet, if there wasn't some classified information cited in my report, the boss would never believe it was accurate."
This is a great story. Read on.... A few days ago, a senior officer at the Pentagon called his intelligence officer into his office. The boss had heard a news report abo... more -
Sharing a bed with a partner can drain your brain
Sharing a bed with someone could reduce your brain power - at least temporarily and if you are a man - Austrian scientists suggest.
When men spend the night with a bed mate their sleep is disturbed and this impairs their mental ability the next day. In addition, the resulting lack of sleep also increases a man's stress hormone levels. Women who share a bed, on the other hand, tend to fare better because they sleep more deeply.
Professor Gerhard Kloesch and colleagues at the University of Vienna studied eight unmarried, childless couples in their 20s. Each couple was asked to spend 10 nights sleeping together and 10 apart while the scientists assessed their rest patterns with questionnaires and wrist activity monitors. The next day the couples were asked to perform simple cognitive tests and had their stress hormone levels checked. Although the men reported they had slept better with a partner, they fared worse in the tests, with their results suggesting they actually had more disturbed sleep.
Both sexes had a more disturbed night's sleep when they shared their bed. But women apparently managed to sleep more deeply when they did eventually drop off, since they claimed to be more refreshed than their sleep time suggested. Their stress hormone levels and mental scores did not suffer to the same extent as the men. Nevertheless, the women still reported that they had the best sleep when they were alone in bed.
Dr Neil Stanley, a sleep expert at the University of Surrey, said: "It's not surprising that people are disturbed by sleeping together. Historically, we have never been meant to sleep in the same bed as each other. It is a bizarre thing to do. Sleep is the most selfish thing you can do and it's vital for good physical and mental health. Sharing the bed space with someone who is making noises and who you have to fight with for the duvet is not sensible. If you are happy sleeping together that's great, but if not there is no shame in separate beds." Sharing a bed with someone could reduce your brain power - at least temporarily and if you are a man - Austrian scientists suggest. ... more -
US intelligence thinks Kim Jong Il may have had stroke...
U.S. officials think North Korea's unpredictable dictator may be gravely ill.
A U.S. intelligence official says there is reason to believe Kim Jong Il is sick after he failed to show up at a North Korean national celebration on Tuesday.
A U.S. intelligence official says it is possible that Kim has suffered a stroke. That official and another U.S. source spoke on condition of anonymity to describe sensitive intelligence gathering.
Kim has not been seen in public for a month and U.S. officials were closely...
(Read at Link) U.S. officials think North Korea's unpredictable dictator may be gravely ill. ... more -
The secret to raising smart kids
* Many people assume that superior intelligence or ability is a key to success. But more than three decades of research shows that an overemphasis on intellect or talent—and the implication that such traits are innate and fixed—leaves people vulnerable to failure, fearful of challenges and unmotivated to learn.
* Teaching people to have a “growth mind-set,” which encourages a focus on effort rather than on intelligence or talent, produces high achievers in school and in life.
* Parents and teachers can engender a growth mind-set in children by praising them for their effort or persistence (rather than for their intelligence), by telling success stories that emphasize hard work and love of learning, and by teaching them about the brain as a learning machine. * Many people assume that superior intelligence or ability is a key to success. But more than three decades of research shows that an... more -
US spies on our allies
From the man that brought us Watergate comes the latest government scandal. Apparently we've been spying on the new Iraqi government and some of the intelligence gained was more instrumental in the reduction of violence than the surge actually was. From the man that brought us Watergate comes the latest government scandal. Apparently we've been spying on the new Iraqi governm... more
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Do I suffer from politicophobia ? Or am I going out of my mind?
Politicophobia is the fear or abnormal dislike of politicians.
Common symptoms include, according to US-based phobia experts CTRN, panic attacks, irregular heartbeat, sweating, nausea and overall feelings of dread.
Now I know what you are thinking: is your dislike of politicians abnormal or about average? At this moment, mine feels severe.
Elections are everywhere. South Africa has just come through municipal by-elections, Mugabe just pulled off another fast one, there has been the Papal election, and the UK is in the grips of election fever. I suspect I am not the only one feeling queasy at the sight of too many grinning politicians kissing babies and pressing the flesh with the masses.
Do I suffer from politicophobia? I suspect not. Phobias are serious business but, certainly, I am feeling the first pangs of distress here in Northern Ireland that accompany the arrival of election posters on lampposts. I imagine I am not alone.
Elections seem to create as much apathy as interest these days. About half of the young people in the UK under 25 voted in the 2001 election. In contrast, ten-million people, mostly under 25, voted in the Big Brother reality TV show. The problem is not as acute in South Africa, but apathy is growing. The turnout of registered voters in 1999 was 89% and in 2004 it had dropped to 77%.
There are many factors, but political campaigning as it currently stands is certainly one of the biggest turnoffs.
I read most elections like this: they are 25% about real issues, 25% about worthless promises, 25% about taking media pot shots at the opposition and 25% about self-promotion.
On top of this, elections imply choice, but political conservatism is slowly robbing the electorate of this. If you are lucky enough to live in a democracy, your ‘choices’ generally range between the centre-right and the right wing, and perhaps the odd lunatic on the fringe (left wing).
*Note from Arcticspirit, that comment was from them, not me. Please don't spam this with anti-lunatic stuff. It's about being tired of or having a mental condition related to politics. Thanks***
Voting is important and we should all do it. Look at the US as an example of where every vote counts. But politicians must realise they are part of the problem and part of the solution to voter apathy. They have a responsibility to transform the plastic distrustful world of politics.
As for the rest of us, if we are feeling a little bit overdosed with politicians right now CTRN offers a 24-hour fear-of-politicians programme with 100% money-back guarantee.
Look at the US as an example of where every vote counts. But politicians must realise they are part of the problem and part of the solution to voter apathy. They have a responsibility to transform the plastic distrustful world of politics.
As for the rest of us, if we are feeling a little bit overdosed with politicians right now CTRN offers a 24-hour fear-of-politicians programme with 100% money-back guarantee.
And, remember, it could be worse – you could live in Zimbabwe.
The above is from the article referenced..
The picture was my unique addition, only because I saw it and laughed by self silly.
NO, I don't want to outlaw SEX. I happen to enjoy getting it on with my bf!
SEX can be awesome if done correctly and can totally relieve stress and stuff.
I personally think the best sex is in Monogamy, because... well, it just gets way better and doesn't stop. Or maybe I am just lucky.
But, seriously, sex is not to be outlawed. Politicophobia is the fear or abnormal dislike of politicians. ... more -
Politics? Global warming? Mind Control Hate Propaganda, Hate Speech & Crimes, ...
This is a little long... but interesting in these political times.
This is about how mind control, hate, propaganda, etc. is used in politics, genocide and war.
My purpose for posting it is simply so that people can be aware that in politics, and other areas, people are paid to pull our strings and make us react.
For example the writers of political speeches have desired outcomes.
The more charismatic the speaker the greater the outcome.
the question is...
How much do you feel and think is a result of how someone else tells you how to feel and think?
In the end... what is it truly yours?
With the violence reported from the crowds at the DNC and now at the RNC (monday) I wonder... what are these people thinking?
Please don't dissect political candidates here. That's not what it's about. I simply wanted to highlight that other people often pull OUR strings. And make us aware.
It's amazing how this is used.
Hate speech and propaganda are protected under our bill of rights. This is a little long... but interesting in these political times. ... more -
Stupid and Random
A short video, demonstrating the stupidity at my school.
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10 Things That Increase Your Intelligence
We're often told that there are three styles of learning and that the way in which we learn new things can fall into one of three areas: Behaviorism, which is the process of learning through the observation of something else, or "seeing it". We're often told that there are three styles of learning and that the way in which we learn new things can fall into one of three... more
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Is your kid really gifted? Probably not.
Did your child walk and talk early? Does she have a brain like a sponge? Scribble magnificently? Love learning? Ask questions that leave you marveling (and scrambling to Google an answer)?
You can't make your child be gifted, but you can help your kid reach his or her potential.
You can't make your child be gifted, but you can help your kid reach his or her potential.
Wow, clearly she's a genius!
Or, um, maybe not.
"Gifted" has become one of the most tossed-about words in the parenting lexicon. Unfortunately -- sorry, but let's get this out of the way right up front -- it's also one of the most misused.
The vast majority of children are not gifted. Only 2 to 5 percent of kids fit the bill, by various estimates. Of those, only one in 100 is considered highly gifted. Prodigies (those wunderkinds who read at 2 and go to college at 10) are rarer still -- like one to two in a million. And despite the boom in infant-stimulation techniques, educational DVDs, learning toys, and enrichment classes, those numbers haven't been increasing. You can't build giftedness; it's mostly built in.
Still, it's hard to resist scrutinizing your child for signs of greatness. (Those "signs" in the first paragraph, by the way? Not one guarantees an intellectual giant.) The growing fascination with giftedness is part natural impulse to see our offspring as special, part wanting to be sure a child's needs are met, and maybe a bit of hoping for a competitive edge in the increasingly cutthroat school-admission process -- or bragging rights.
"There are no average kids anymore," notes Devra Renner, a clinical social worker and coauthor of "Mommy Guilt". "The word 'good' is like the new 'bad.' Why settle for even 'smart' when you could instead call your child 'gifted'?" Did your child walk and talk early? Does she have a brain like a sponge? Scribble magnificently? Love learning? Ask questions that lea... more -
Elephants can count - and are good at simple maths
They are smart, being among a small, elite group of species - including humans, great apes, magpies and dolphins - that have the ability to recognise themselves in the mirror. They show compassion after a death of one of their own species, care about other elephants in distress and have a strong interest in the dead.
Now an Asian elephant named Ashya is among a small group to have shown they are wizards at simple mathematical sums.
When a trainer dropped three apples into one bucket and one apple into a second, then four more apples in the first and five more in the second, the pachyderm recognised that three plus four is greater than one plus five, and snacked on the seven apples.
"I even get confused when I'm dropping the bait," says Dr Naoko Irie-Sugimoto, a researcher at the University of Tokyo, Japan, speaking to NewScientist.com.
Dr Irie-Sugimoto presented her findings last week at the International Society for Behavioral Ecology's annual meeting in Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.
Moreover, Dr Irie-Sugimoto found that as well as summing small numbers with almost 90 per cent accuracy, elephants can discriminate between small numbers.
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They can tell similar quantities apart, when most species are best when there is a big difference.
The four elephants that she tested distinguished between five and six apples as well as they did between five and one. They picked the bucket with the most fruit three quarters of the time, on average, far above 50-50.
The skill now poses a question: why did they evolve the means to count? Mya Thompson, an ecologist at Cornell University who studies elephant communication, points out that studies in India by Raman Sukumar shows that Asian elephants live in close-knit groups of six to eight, and they may count one another to make sure the herd sticks to together. "You really don't want to lose your group members," she says.
"Elephants seem to know where family members are, for which counting them might be quite useful," adds Prof Friz Vollrath of Oxford University.
"These exciting new findings support the idea that numerical information is evolutionarily important and could provide an adaptive advantage in foraging.
"We also know from studies of lion prides and chimpanzee troupes that numerical information is used to decide whether to attack a threatening group - only attack when you outnum They are smart, being among a small, elite group of species - including humans, great apes, magpies and dolphins - that have the abili... more -
Too clever to spell? Wrong spelling can indicate 'too much' knowledge
You might be inclined to think that bad spelling is due to someone's lack of knowledge or even intelligence, but apparently you are wrong: spelling mistakes are not always down to ignorance or stupidity, but they are sometimes made because people simply know too much.
Researchers at Collins Dictionaries found that the most commonly misspelt word was supersede - being wrong on one in ten occasions. The problem arises because people use their knowledge of the words that have a phonetically similar ending, like intercede, precede or cede, from the Latin cedere - to yield. They then wrongly assume that supersede is spelt with a 'c'.
The less scholarly can still slip up if they base their spelling on words that are similar. Many are tempted to spell liquefy as liquify, simply because they know the correct spelling of liquid or inoculate with a double 'n' because they know how to spell innocuous.
Another common reason for misspelling is where words are spelt differently from their pronunciation. The top five misspelt words in this category are conscience, indict, foreign, mortgage and phlegm.
Ian Brookes, the managing editor of dictionaries at Collins, said: "The real spelling problems occur when people have learnt the rules or have a bit of knowledge, but then make mistakes in how they apply this." You might be inclined to think that bad spelling is due to someone's lack of knowledge or even intelligence, but apparently you a... more -
Encefalus just had a serious case of ENCEFALITIS!!! Encefalitis blogzine issue 1!
Encefalitis is a blogzine, that is, a magazine composed of blog posts.
I first thought about piecing together my posts together into a pdf file, so as to be able to classify them and find them easier. But later I discovered that this could make an excellent magazine, that anyone can get and print and read it at his free time at his own leisure. So, there we had the birth of Encefalitis!
Encefalitis issue 1 contains posts from the period 23 July 2008 - 23 August 2008. The first issue is 111 pages long (my lucky number :P ). I will probably make the later issues smaller, since it will be much easier for me to work on the layout and the content :-) . I also found the opportunity with Encefalitis, to make a few corrections to older articles (adding links or correcting bad grammar). So, there you have it! Encefalitis is a blogzine, that is, a magazine composed of blog posts. ... more -
How the Dark Knight, cartoons and video games make you s...
This article describes how popular culture (The Dark Knight, video games, cartoons, tv series etc.) contribute to the general increase in IQ called the Flynn Effect. This article describes how popular culture (The Dark Knight, video games, cartoons, tv series etc.) contribute to the general increase... more
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Shortcut to Becoming a Literary Genius
Don't want to read the books to get an A+ in your exams? - Here's a list of movies that you can watch instead to save yourself a whole lot of time. Don't want to read the books to get an A+ in your exams? - Here's a list of movies that you can watch instead to save yourse... more
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The misshapen mind: How the brain's haphazard evolution left us with self-des...
Evolution didn't quite hit perfection when it comes to human thought processes.
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