Singularity

Old ways work

singularity — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 01:38:22 GMT

The older methods of math instruction work so much better and shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that this study happened.

New math equals trouble, education expert says

The answer is simple: old math is greater than new math, according to the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.

The study, titled Math Instruction that Makes Sense, "demonstrates conclusively that traditional math education methods are superior to the highly ineffective, discovery-based instructional techniques that are in vogue now in educational curricula," said a news release from the public policy think tank.
On CBC Radio

Saskatchewan's The Morning Edition talks about new math and old math.

The centre suggests that to improve math instruction “schools must place a much stronger emphasis on mastering basic math skills and standard algorithms. Math curriculum guides must require the learning of standard algorithms, and textbooks must contain clear, systematic instructions as to their use.”

Frontier's education research fellow Michael Zwaagstra said discovery-based instructional techniques are not of much use when students move on to college or university programs.
The Frontier Centre for Public Policy says kids should get back to the basics in math.The Frontier Centre for Public Policy says kids should get back to the basics in math. CBC

The study focused on the four Western provinces.

Zwaagstra is quoted as saying that these ineffective, yet commonly used techniques are leaving a whole generation of high school students unprepared for many of their academic or vocational programs.

"In order for students to receive a strong grounding in math, they need to spend more time practising math skills such as basic addition and subtraction along with the standard multiplication tables," Zwaagstra said.

The methods these days, reported CBC's Geoff Leo, include moving to experimental approaches and moving to using blocks, charts, graphs “and even experimentation where they come up with their own math.”

Leo said he spoke with a math professor who said students don't know how to do long division. He said some parents are resorting to hiring tutors to help their kids with the current program.

Zwaagstra said in the report that first-year post-secondary students "are increasingly unprepared for university-level mathematics, and this has led to a proliferation of remedial math courses at universities across Canada."
Not every child learns the same: Saskatchewan

The Saskatchewan Ministry of Education, which has been introducing new math curriculum and textbooks since 2006, said it's good to use a variety of approaches in teaching math because not every child learns in the same way.

"Within our curriculum, direct instruction has its place and so does discovery and problem solving," said Simone Gareau, the ministry's executive director of student achievement and supports.

She cautioned against thinking that the old-fashioned way of multiplying numbers is always the best approach.

"If you do the old-fashioned algorithm, 32 x 48, where students have to carry over and put in a zero to hold the spot ... students can learn to do that by rote, but it doesn't necessarily mean they understand," she said.

"What we're aiming for is that deep understanding. Once they have that in place, they can move to the traditional algorithm if that's a strategy that works for them."

Shocking news story

singularity — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:44:05 GMT

Calgary family negotiates homework ban
Last Updated: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 | 5:48 PM MT

A Calgary family concerned about their children's homework load has signed a contract with their school to eliminate the problem altogether.

Tom and Shelli Milley have signed a formal "no homework" contract with their children's school.

"With two children in school there was just an inordinate amount of homework coming home and a lot of it was busy work," said Tom Milley.

The family has signed what is called a differentiated homework plan with their children's Catholic school. Their daughter, Brittany, and son, Spencer â” now in grades five and seven â” won't have to bring work home. Instead, they'll be marked only on work they do in the classroom.

The homework load kept his children from improving their weak areas, said Milley. He also questioned the value of the homework.

"The way they do grades is by marking certain assignments and homework," he said. "If you're going to mark homework, whose work are you actually marking? Because if you send it home, you don't know who's doing it. It could be their older brothers or sisters or their parents."
Children still study at home

When Milley's children return home from school, they still study for tests and practice what they have learned in the classroom, but they concentrate on the subjects in which they're weak, he said.

More than 40 per cent of nine-year-olds in Alberta schools bring homework home every day, according to Statistics Canada.

The decision to sign a differentiated homework plan is up to each school, which tries to support the needs of the student, said Tania Younker, a spokeswoman for Calgary's Catholic School District.

"It's certainly something we encourage them to discuss with their teacher and their school administrator," Younker said. "Depending on circumstance, we will ensure what is being done is in the best interests of the child."

Vera Goodman, a retired teacher in Calgary, has written a book about too much homework. She expects the idea will catch on with other parents.

"I know there's people who like homework and people who don't want to do it," Goodman said. "And this gives people choice to do whatever they want with their own time."
'Not just busy work'

This deal between the Milley family and their school is unique, said Jenny Regal, who is local president with the Alberta Teachers' Association.

"I've never seen anything quite like this before," she said. "I know that conversations between parents, teachers and students have gone on regarding homework for years, as all three participants in this process try to make sense of what is good for each child."

Sometimes, homework has to be sent home because teachers can't fit the curriculum into a school day, she said. But Regal sees value in homework.

"It's not just busy work," she said. "Sometimes, the best way to get a child to practice a concept may look like busy work to some.

"You need that repetition to make sure â¦ the child [does] get it. That's when conversations can occur: â¦ clearly, they have demonstrated they know it; what's next?"

The Calgary Catholic School District has a committee examining the value of homework and will introduce new regulations next fall.
CBC News

There's just so many problems with this story and after my recent post, even more so. This guy even suggets the thing that we teachers see all the time ""If you're going to mark homework, whose work are you actually marking?" meaning that parents do the work instead of the student. How does that ever help the kid?

One of the biggest problems we have now is that students suffer from severe apathy at times and this will only make things worse. I already have situations where sudents only want to study for a test the night before and if they have something planned that night, won't study at all and expect me to move the quiz or test. This idea is just messed up and will not prepare students for anything after high school. Yes, this article is referring to elementary school. But parents and students often have a habit of expecting high schools to do the same.

The local president of the teacher's association put it best as to why homework exists: ""You need that repetition to make sure .... the child [does] get it. That's when conversations can occur: ... clearly, they have demonstrated they know it; what's next?"".

Just finished earlier

singularity — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 01:51:46 GMT

A teacher introduced me to a book last year (she's done this before and I introduced her to others) and it took some time for me to get to reading it and I did that last month. I loved it so much, I went and purchased the entire series of books and just finished the last one today. It's the Black Jewels series of books by Anne Bishop. Loved it so much that it's probably my second favorite series of books. I know I've heard that a lot of people don't like them, but they really connected with me and I loved all the main characters. Can't wait for the next book to come out next year!

Um, wow?

singularity — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 04:34:23 GMT

The American courts have been odd and very suspect at times. Too many judgments come down that are so laughable to the rest of us. It also makes me very nervous that situations like this are permissible and considered a viable ways of doing things. How can one ever trust their courts to do the right things when stuff like this happens?

US woman who sued Cuba wins $21M, says father was shot, captured on 1963 covert mission

BELFAST, Maine - A woman who alleged that Cuban officials caused the wrongful death of her father while on a covert mission in 1963 has won a $21 million default judgment against the island nation, but her prospects of collecting may be a long shot.

Sherry Sullivan is the daughter of Geoffrey Sullivan, a former member of the U.S. Air Force and Army National Guard who became a certified commercial pilot. She believes he was shot down over Cuba, imprisoned and probably executed by the Cuban government.

Also named as defendants were former President Fidel Castro, President Raul Castro and the Cuban army. They were dismissed by Waldo County Superior Court Justice Jefrey Hjelm because it could not be determined whether they received the court documents.

The Swiss Embassy in Havana served a copy of the suit to the Cuba Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2008. Cuba never responded, leading Hjelm to issue his default judgment on Aug. 10.

Sullivan said the money is less important to her than information about her father.

"I never, never once asked for money," she told the Bangor Daily News. "I was in court asking for information, either from this government or the Cuban government, and I just can't get it done."

Daniel G. Partan, a professor of international law at Boston University School of Law, said prospects of Sullivan collecting the $21 million are "very iffy." Partan, who had not seen the case, said that in general, the law doesn't require damages in cases where a foreign national engages in unlawful behaviour in a country.

Sullivan's lawsuit, filed in May 2007, says her father and a second man "participated in various anti-Castro covert operations in Central America and Cuba" between 1960 until they disappeared around Oct. 1, 1963. The suit says those activities may have included sabotage and subversion. It cites evidence that Sullivan was imprisoned after being shot down during a covert mission in Cuba.

Something to consider

singularity — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 03:00:03 GMT

I've always thought the idea was flawed in some ways and this shows what I've been thinking of

Local food no green panacea: professor

There are lots of reasons somebody might want to buy local food â” freshness, distinct flavour, or even a desire to keep their dollars in their own community.

"But if you're doing it to save the planet," University of Toronto professor Pierre Desrochers says, "you're being misguided."

A geography lecturer at the school's Mississauga campus, Desrochers recently authored a policy paper that calls into question the environmental benefit of buying locally grown food.

As globalization and environmental issues grow in prominence, a "buy local" food movement has arisen that maintains locally produced food is not only fresher and better tasting, but also better for the environment, Desrochers says.

The concept of "food miles" â” the distance food has travelled from production to consumption â” has been adopted as the best way of gauging a food's environmental impact.
Food miles a flawed concept, academic says

The problem, Desrochers says, is that food miles are based on a faulty premise. Namely, that transportation is the major contributor to a food's greenhouse gas output.

"People who've never been involved in agricultural production tend to minimize the requirements," he says. Only about 10 per cent of the energy consumed in food production is related to transportation. "So to argue that the closer you are to your food, the better, is a real over-simplification."

"Food miles are, at best, a marketing fad," Desrochers says in his report.

He uses the example of strawberries. Highly efficient farms in California produce roughly 17 times as many strawberries as a typical Ontario producer using the same amount of land and resources.

"When you're that efficient you can invest in better handling and storage," he says. "The environmental impact of transportation isn't very significant."

Moving that food to consumers via highly efficient rail, ocean freight or even comparatively costly air is a better move, environmentally, than trying to re-create the ideal growing conditions for the fruit in Canada, he says.

His paper is full of similar examples. European studies found that British farmers emit 2,394 kilograms of carbon dioxide for every tonne of tomatoes they produce. But Spanish farmers produce only 630 kilograms of carbon dioxide for the same amount.

Kenyan rose producers emit 6,000 kilograms of CO2 for every 12,000 cut flowers they sell in Europe, whereas their Dutch competitors generate 35,000 kilograms to accomplish the same task.

"Protectionist European farmers have been hiding behind the buy local movement for a while, but Kenya is just a lot better place to grow green beans [and other crops] than Western Europe," he says.

Desrochers is not against the idea of buying local for certain items. "Just be aware of the concept of seasons and geography."

"A 100-mile diet might be quite economical and varied in Vancouver," he says. "But it's quite a different story in Edmonton, for example."

The real enemies of environmentally conscious food consumers, he says, are food subsidies that encourage agricultural production in certain areas for the wrong reasons.

An Environmental Assessment Institute report put the total value of environmental subsidies at $376 billion worldwide in 2006.

Barriers like that, Desrochers's paper says, "end up being harmful to both the environment and the economy."

Oh wow, who can you trust then? Safety should not be about politics

singularity — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 03:00:43 GMT

U.S. agency hid cellphone driving risk data: N.Y. Times

A U.S. federal safety agency is under fire for allegedly suppressing information on the hazards of using cellphones while driving.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration withheld hundreds of pages of research and warnings, a story in the New York Times charges.
Manitoba is one of several provinces and states that have introduced legislation banning handheld cellphone use while driving.Manitoba is one of several provinces and states that have introduced legislation banning handheld cellphone use while driving. (CBC)

In 2003, the body compiled an exhaustive study on safety issues surrounding driving while using a cellphone.

But Dr. Jeffrey Runge, who headed the agency at that time, decided not to publish the data because of larger political considerations, the Times article alleges.

"My advisers upstairs said we should not poke a finger in the eye of the appropriations committee," the article quotes Runge as saying. He said transit officials told him he could jeopardize billions of dollars of its financing if Congress perceived the agency had crossed the line into lobbying.

Auto safety lobby group the Center for Auto Safety obtained the data via a Freedom of Information Act request, and has released it on its website.

The study found that cellphone use by drivers led to 240,000 car accidents in the U.S. in 2002, and some 955 fatalities. The data suggest driver distraction contributes to about 25 per cent of all police-reported traffic crashes in the United States.

A separate NHTSA report estimates that at any given time in 2007, there were more than one million U.S. drivers using a cellphone while driving.

Similar Canadian data from Transport Canada in 2006 found that more than one in 20 Canadian drivers use handheld cellphones. Alberta led the way in cellphone use by drivers, with 11.7 per cent of drivers in rural settings using them, and 10.7 per cent in urban settings.

Many states and provinces have moved to ban the use of handheld cellphones while driving, while allowing hands-free devices. But the study questions those devices' effectiveness at stopping accidents caused by driver distraction.

"Both handheld and hands-free architectures increase risk with driving," the study said. Drivers who have hands-free units tend to use their cellphones in their car more often, the study notes.

Transport Canada officially discourages cellphone use while driving, whether it be hands-free phones or otherwise.

" The use of cellphones, and other distractions, impairs the driver's ability to safely control their vehicle and effectively monitor and respond to events occurring in the road traffic environment," an agency report on the issue reads.

With files from The Associated Press

You're how old again?

singularity — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 02:34:01 GMT

Happy Birthday belladonna! Hope you're having fun today in some way! Even if that can be hard to do on a Monday....I'm confident you can find a way!

Criminal Mastermind

singularity — Fri, 08 May 2009 22:31:07 GMT

U.S. bank robber nabs $3K, leaves wallet behind
Published: Friday, May 8, 2009 | 2:34 PM ET
Canadian Press THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Police didn't have to dust for fingerprints to find this suspect - they just rifled through the wallet he left behind at the scene.

Albert Vincent Perkins is charged with robbing First Federal Bank in Kansas City on Thursday.

Police say he walked into the bank, handed the teller a plastic bag and ordered her to give him all of the $100 bills.

Then he walked out of the bank - but left his wallet sitting on the counter.

The U.S. attorney's office says the teller and a customer in the bank identified the photo on the driver's licence and another photo in the wallet as the robber.

Perkins was arrested Thursday night. Police say he took about $3,100.

Oh, yay

singularity — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 11:52:42 GMT

That didn't take long....McCain supports the idea that the 9/11 attackers came from Canada. Why must Americans view Canada as the bad guy? Why must we be their reason for their troubles? Why must we be at fault for things we have nothing to do with?

And people wonder why I can't stand the American government? Even the new administration is pulling this crap.

Again?

singularity — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:51:58 GMT

Seems even with the change in the US government, it still believes that the 9/11 terrorists came through/from Canada. Once again, we get blamed for the mistakes the US government made. With this happening again and again, is it any wonder why so many regular Americans believe this crap?

Unbelievable

singularity — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 03:13:55 GMT

Quebec dad sued by daughter after grounding loses his appeal
Father's lawyer says they may take case to Canada's Supreme Court

A Quebec father who was taken to court by his 12-year-old daughter after he grounded her in June 2008 has lost his appeal.

Quebec Superior Court rejected the Gatineau father's appeal of a lower court ruling that said his punishment was too severe for the wrongs he said his daughter committed.

The father is "flabbergasted," his lawyer Kim Beaudoin told CBC News.

In its ruling, issued Monday, the province's court of appeal declared the girl was caught up in a "very rare" set of circumstances, and her father didn't have sufficient grounds to contest the court's earlier decision.

The family's legal wrangling started with a dispute over the girl's internet use.

She had been living with her father after her parents split up when he grounded her in 2008 for defying his order to stay off the internet. The father caught her chatting on websites he had blocked, and alleged his daughter was posting "inappropriate pictures" of herself online.

Her punishment: she was banned from her Grade 6 graduation trip to Quebec City in June 2008, for which her mother had already granted permission.

The father â” who had custody â” withheld his written permission for the trip, prompting the school to refuse to let the girl go with her classmates.

That's when the girl asked for help from the lawyer who represented her in her parents' separation, and petitioned the court to intervene in her case.

"Going to court was a last resort," said Lucie Fortin, a legal aid attorney who represented the girl. "The question was that there was a problem between the father and the mother, and the child asked the court to intervene because it was important to her.

"The trip was very important to her."
Legal battle destroyed father-daughter relationship

A lower court ruled in the girl's favour in 2008. She went on the trip, but her father appealed the decision on the principle of the matter.

He doesn't have regrets, his lawyer said.

"Either way, he doesn't have authority over this child anymore. She sued him because she doesn't respect his rules," Beaudoin said. "It's very hard to raise a child who is the boss."

The girl â” who now lives with her mother â” doesn't have much of a relationship with her dad now, Beaudoin said.

"We went from a child who wanted to live with her father, and after all this has been done, they're not speaking anymore."

"We have a lot of work to re-establish a link between those two."

Beaudoin believes the ruling reflects a loss of moral authority in Quebec's court system.

"Is this what we want in our society? Laws are supposed to reflect our values. And if the courts aren't reflecting that, maybe the government will, to prevent children from going this way," she said Tuesday, adding her client may take the case to Canada's Supreme Court.

In its Monday ruling, the appeal court warned the case should not be seen as an open invitation for children to take legal action every time they're grounded.

Ugh, I've always hated the Vatican and this just adds to it

singularity — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 12:48:22 GMT

Vatican backs excommunication of Brazilian MDs over child's abortion

A Vatican cleric is defending a Brazilian archbishop's decision to excommunicate several doctors who performed an abortion last week on a nine-year-old girl who became pregnant with twins after alleged sexual abuse by her step-father.

"It is a sad case, but the real problem is that the twins conceived were two innocent persons, who had the right to live and could not be eliminated,'' Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re told the Italian daily La Stampa.

"Life must always be protected. The attack on the Brazilian church is unjustified," Re was quoted as saying. He also heads the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

The controversy erupted when media reported that a nine-year-old girl from the northeastern Brazilian state of Pernambuco had had an abortion to remove twin fetuses. The girl and her family learned she was 15 weeks pregnant when she went to hospital complaining of pains.

The girl, who has not been identified, told authorities her step-father had sexually abused her since age six. The 23-year-old step-father is currently in police custody.

Doctors performed the abortion Wednesday, saying they feared the pregnancy could kill her because of her slim frame.

Upon learning of the abortion, the regional archbishop excommunicated the doctors, as well as the girl's mother. He did not excommunicate the step-father, saying the crime he is alleged to have committed, although deplorable, was not as bad as ending a fetus's life.

"The law of God is higher than any human laws," Archbishop Jose Cardoso Sobrinho said in an interview on Globo television. "When a human law is against the law of God, that law has no value."

Abortion is illegal in Brazil, which has more Catholics than any other country. However, it can be carried out before the 20th week of pregnancy if the mother's life is deemed in danger or if the baby was conceived through rape.

The controversy has continued up the government and religious hierarchy, with Brazil's president and his ministers coming out in support of the girl.

On Friday, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva denounced the church's strict interpretation of the law.

"The doctors did what had to be done: save the life of a girl of nine years old," Lula told news outlets.

That, in turn, brought out counter-condemnations from the Vatican.

"Excommunication for those who carried out the abortion is just," Cardinal Re said.
With files from the Associated Press

Sillyness

singularity — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 03:46:16 GMT

89-year-old Cincinnati woman arrested for keeping football sues neighbours
Published: Thursday, January 1, 2009 | 6:37 PM ET
Canadian Press NewsItem/NewsComponent/NewsLines/ByLine

BLUE ASH, Ohio - An 89-year-old Cincinnati-area woman arrested for confiscating the neighbour kid's football is now suing the boy's parents.

Edna Jester filed a lawsuit in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court claiming she has suffered emotional distress because footballs and other playthings belonging to her next-door neighbours keep landing in her yard.

In October, Jester refused to return a football, was taken to the Blue Ash police station and charged with petty theft.

The prosecutor later dropped the case.

The lawsuit against parents Paul and Kelly Tanis seeks unspecified monetary damages.

Kelly Tanis calls the suit "very silly" but says she and her husband also worry because they have five children and can't afford a lawyer.
-
Information from: The Cincinnati Enquirer, http://www.enquirer.com
_________________________________________________

Riiiight, suing them is silly, but charging her with petty theft isn't.

For fans of the show

singularity — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 12:58:58 GMT

'King of the Hill' to be dethroned, series to end

Fox TV is cancelling its long-running animated comedy King of the Hill, now in its 13th year.

The network said Friday the final episodes of the half-hour series will air during the 2009-2010 season.

The series chronicles the life of Hank Hill of Texas and his family and friends. The Hills are a blue-collar, suburban family consisting of Hank and his wife, Peggy, a substitute teacher, their overweight son, Bobby, and their niece, Luanne.

The main character is voiced by the series' co-creator and executive producer Mike Judge. Others in the cast include Brittany Murphy and Kathy Najimy.

Judge, with Greg Daniels, conceived the series after Judge's successful run of his earlier animated series, Beavis and Butt-head, on MTV.

King of the Hill became an instant hit in January 1997. It has won two Emmy Awards and was named one of the top TV shows of all time by Time magazine in 2007.

The show has a long list of famous guest voices, including Tom Petty, Johnny Depp, Heather Locklear, Willie Nelson, Brad Pitt and Meryl Streep.

Talk about being mean......

singularity — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 12:54:54 GMT

Michigan woman limits her treats to McCain supporters only
Published: Saturday, November 1, 2008 | 5:12 PM ET
Canadian Press: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

GROSSE POINTE FARMS, Mich. - A suburban Detroit woman decided to scare up the vote among neighbourhood children by just offering treats to John McCain supporters.

Shirley Nagel of Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, handed out candy Friday only to those who shared her support for the Republican presidential candidate and his running mate, Sarah Palin.

Others were turned away empty-handed.

TV station WJBK says a sign outside Nagel's house warned: No handouts for Obama supporters, liars, tricksters or kids of supporters.

Nagel calls Democrat Barack Obama scary. When asked about children who were turned away empty-handed and crying, she said simply: Everybody has a choice.

Fax and phone messages left at numbers for Nagel were not returned.
Â© The Canadian Press, 2008

Interesting time for the cops....

singularity — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 22:37:19 GMT

Vietnam might ban small-chested people from driving motorbikes
Published: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 | 9:54 AM ET
Canadian Press: Vu Tien Hong, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

HANOI, Vietnam - Vietnam is considering banning small-chested drivers from its roads - a proposal that has provoked widespread disbelief in this nation of slight people.

The Ministry of Health recently recommended that people whose chests measure fewer than 28 inches would be prohibited from driving motorbikes - as would those who are too short or too thin.

The proposal is part of an exhaustive list of new criteria the ministry has come up with to ensure that Vietnam's drivers are in good health. As news of the plan hit the media this week, Vietnamese expressed incredulity.

"It's ridiculous," said Tran Thi Phuong, 38, a Hanoi insurance agent. "It's absurd."

"The new proposals are very funny, but many Vietnamese people could become the victim of this joke," said Le Quang Minh, 31, a Hanoi stockbroker. "Many Vietnamese women have small chests. I have many friends who won't meet these criteria."

It was unclear how the ministry established its size guidelines or why it believes that small people make bad drivers. An official there declined to comment.

The average Vietnamese man is 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs 121 pounds. The average Vietnamese woman is 5 feet, 1 inch tall and weighs 103 pounds.

Statistics on average chest size were unavailable.

The draft, which must be approved by the central government to become law, would also prohibit people from driving motorbikes if they suffer from array of health conditions like enlarged livers or sinusitis. The rules would cover the vast majority of Vietnam's 20 million motorbikes. It would not apply to drivers of cars or trucks.

Motorbikes account for more than 90 per cent of the vehicles on Vietnam's chaotic roads, which are among the world's most dangerous.

Nearly 13,000 road deaths were recorded last year, and Vietnam has one of the world's highest rates per 100,000, according to the World Health Organization. The majority of accidents involve motorbikes, which many workers in the nation of 85 million need to do their jobs.

When Nguyen Van Tai, a motorbike taxi driver, heard about the proposal, he immediately had his chest measured. Much to his relief, Tai beat the chest limit by 3 inches.

"A lot of people in my home village are small," said Tai, 46. "Many in my generation were poor and suffered from malnutrition. And now the Ministry of Health wants to stop us from driving to work."

Vietnamese bloggers have been poking fun at the plan, envisioning traffic police with tape measures eagerly pulling over female drivers to measure their chests.

"From now on, padded bras will be best-sellers," said Bo Cu Hung, a popular Ho Chi Minh City blogger.

Newspapers were inundated with letters on Tuesday from concerned readers who worried that they wouldn't measure up.

"I'm not heavy enough, what am I going to do?" Le Thu Huong asked in a letter to Tuoi Tre newspaper. "And what about people whose chests are small? Most of them are too poor to afford breast implants!"
Â© The Canadian Press, 2008

Musical tastes in tune with who you are

singularity — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 14:20:13 GMT

Fans of heavy metal music are gentle, creative people who are at ease with themselves, which makes them very similar to fans of classical music.

That's the finding of a new study at Scotland's Heriot-Watt University of the link between peoples' personalities and their choice of music.

Adrian North, the professor behind the study, said he was surprised at the similarities between fans of classical music and heavy metal, especially their creativity and generally shy natures.

"The general public has held a stereotype of heavy metal fans being suicidally depressed and of being a danger to themselves and society in general. But they are quite delicate things," he said in an interview with the BBC.

North suggests that music lovers tend to identify with the characteristics of the music itself.

"We think, what we think the answer is, that both types of music, classical and heavy metal, both have something of the spiritual about them â” they're very dramatic â” a lot happens."

The study of more than 36,000 people from six different countries found that people had more in common with fans of their favourite music in other countries than they had with fellow citizens who preferred different styles of music.

North describes it as a new kind of tribalism, based on musical taste.

"We have always suspected a link between music taste and personality," North said.

"This is the first time that we've been able to look at it in real detail. No one has ever done this on this scale before."

Jazz fans tend to be creative and outgoing, with high self-esteem, in keeping with the innovative and sociable nature of the music.

Country western fans were found to be hard-working, but introverted, fitting with the blue-collar image of country music.

The research concluded soul music lovers are a well-rounded bunch â” creative, outgoing, gentle, at ease with themselves and with high self-esteem.

Rap fans are outgoing and far from gentle, while indie music lovers lack both self-esteem and the work ethic.

"Researchers have been showing for decades that fans of rock and rap are rebellious, and that fans of opera are wealthy and well-educated," North said.

He also made a link between income bracket and musical tastes, with more affluent consumers liking more exciting, punchy music while those lower down the pay scale preferring more relaxing sounds.

North said his research might have applications in commercial marketing of music.

I wonder if it might work the other way for people who have a wide range of musical tastes. Like myself, I'm a fan of most of that music listed but only really dislike one. So maybe I have several of those attributes but not the one for the music I dislike? Anyway, fun study.

Science rap?

singularity — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:50:35 GMT

I'm way too amused by this. It's called the Large Hadron Rap that was posted on Youtube. All the science is real and just fun to listen/watch.

Extremely bad taste

singularity — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 18:13:17 GMT

I haven't been a fan of PETA....they do stupid things and make stupid statements. I've been reading up on some news articles I missed while on my trip and found this story about PETA that just makes me angry. They tried to take advantage of a shocking and horrible murder and use it to promote their cause and then the family of the vicitm was shown the video that PETA put together which is absolutely disgusting. PETA manipulates the truth and tried to use this horrible act as a comparison? PETA needs to be shut down and it's members deserve some punishement even though I'm sure they haven't broken any laws.

The article is behind the cut if you want to see it.

PETA ad compares Greyhound bus attack to slaughtering animals

An animal rights group has posted an ad on its website comparing the recent stabbing and decapitation of a young Winnipeg man to how humans kill animals for food.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said the advertisement is meant to make people understand how animals suffer when they are killed in slaughterhouses. The group posted the imageless advertisement on its blog site Wednesday.

"PETA's adâ¦is meant to spur people to think about the terror and pain experienced by animals who are raised and killed for food. The group aims to demonstrate that animals â” just like humans â” are made of flesh, blood, and bone and deserve protection from needless killing," said a statement on PETA's website, also posted Wednesday.

Tim McLean, 22, was stabbed and then beheaded by a fellow passenger as the two rode an eastbound Greyhound bus across Manitoba last Wednesday. The man accused of second-degree murder, Vince Weiguang Li, allegedly engaged in cannibalism during the attack, which occurred just west of Portage la Prairie.

Designed using large, bold type, the ad compares McLean's struggles to those endured by an animal being slaughtered for its meat. It then refers to Li's alleged act of cannibalism before saying, "It's still going on!"

In its statement, PETA said it intended to run the notice in the Portage Daily Graphic, the local newspaper in Portage la Prairie, Man. PETA also sent out a news release to major media outlets across Canada announcing its plan to run the ad in the Manitoba paper, according to a story on the newspaper's website Wednesday.

The paper's publisher Barry Clayton, however, said the advertisement is in bad taste and will not be allowed to run.

PETA acknowledges in the ad itself that the notice may be offensive to some, but spokesman Bruce Friedrich said the goal is to inspire people to think about what they can do to stop violence against animals.

"We can't do anything to bring Tim back or bring his family relief from their suffering. But all of us can ask what we personally can do to decrease our support for this sort of violence," Freedrick said.

PETA said it will discuss later this week whether to attempt to run the ad in other publications.

Cholesterol drugs recommended for kids as young as 8: pediatricians

singularity — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 04:16:45 GMT

For the first time, an influential U.S. doctors group is recommending that some children as young as eight be given cholesterol-fighting drugs to ward off future heart problems.

It is the strongest guidance ever given on the issue by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which released its new guidelines Monday. The academy also recommends low-fat milk for one-year-olds and wider cholesterol testing.

Dr. Stephen Daniels, of the academy's nutrition committee, says the new advice is based on mounting evidence showing that damage leading to heart disease, the nation's leading killer, begins early in life.

It also stems from recent research showing that cholesterol-fighting drugs are generally safe for children, Daniels said.

Several of these drugs are approved for use in children and data shows that increasing numbers are using them. "If we are more aggressive about this in childhood, I think we can have an impact on what happens later in life … and avoid some of these heart attacks and strokes in adulthood," Daniels said.

He has worked as a consultant to Abbott Laboratories and Merck & Co., but not on matters involving their cholesterol drugs.

Drugs would target obesity, high blood pressure
Drug treatment would generally be targeted for kids at least eight years old who have too much LDL, the "bad" cholesterol, along with other risky conditions, including obesity and high blood pressure.

For overweight children with too little HDL, the "good" cholesterol, the first course of action should be weight loss, more physical activity and nutritional counselling, the academy says.

Pediatricians should routinely check the cholesterol of children with a family history of inherited cholesterol disease or with parents or grandparents who developed heart disease at an early age, the recommendations say. Screening also is advised for kids whose family history isn't known and those who are overweight, obese or have other heart disease risk factors.

Screening is recommended sometime after age two, but no later than age 10, at routine checkups.

The academy's earlier advice said cholesterol drugs should only be considered in children older than 10 after they fail to lose weight. Its previous cholesterol screening recommendations were less specific and did not include targeted ages for beginning testing.

Because obesity is a risk factor for heart disease and often is accompanied by cholesterol problems, the academy recommendations say low-fat milk is appropriate for one-year-olds "for whom obesity is a concern."

Daniels, a pediatrician in the Denver area, agreed that could include virtually all children. But he said doctors may choose to offer the new milk advice only to one-year-olds who are already overweight or have a family history of heart problems.

The academy has long recommended against reduced-fat milk for children up to age two because saturated fats are needed for brain development.

"But now we have the obesity epidemic and people are thinking maybe this isn't such a good idea," said Dr. Frank Greer of the University of Wisconsin, co-author of the guidelines report, which appears in the July edition of Pediatrics, the group's medical journal.

Very young children are increasingly getting fats from sources other than milk, and Greer said the updated advice is based on recent research showing no harm from reduced-fat milk in these youngsters.

© The Canadian Press, 2008

Um, wow. 8 year olds?

What?

singularity — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:49:27 GMT

Swedish school cites discrimination in seizing birthday party invitations
Published: Sunday, June 29, 2008 | 3:43 PM ET
Canadian Press: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Officials at a school in Sweden have confiscated birthday invitations handed out in class by an eight-year-old boy.

The reason: they see it as a matter of discrimination.

A Swedish newspaper says the school in Lund, southern Sweden, seized the invitations because the boy failed to invited two boys because they were not his friends.

The newspaper Sydsvenskan quotes officials as saying they had a duty to prevent discrimination.

The newspaper did not identify the boy or his family, but says his father has filed a complaint with the parliamentary ombudsman.

The father told the newspaper that the two classmates were not invited because one had bullied his son and the other had not invited him to his birthday party.

"My son has taken it very hard," the father told Sydsvenskan of the school's decision. "It's like taking someone's mail."

The parliamentary ombudsman has asked the school board to decide on the issue before Sept. 8.

A thought

singularity — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:54:06 GMT

How is it not humane for an animal to die from one of it's natural predators?

Scary

singularity — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 13:37:20 GMT

This is not justice:

One juror said the verdict was a political statement.

"Basically, all of us decided that we all wanted to send a message to the world that countries don't mess around with U.S. citizens," said Thomas Crews, one of six jurors.

How is that justice? How can anyone expect it when you see jusdgements like that? Political statement? Revenge?

I hate big business

singularity — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 13:48:28 GMT

We all know oil companies are over charging us for oil/gas/etc. Then they keep making record profits. The latest by Exxon setting a record for biggest profit ever by a company, $40.6 billion last year (eclipsing their own record from the year before of $39.5 billion). What is truly annoying is how they treat their employees. In each of the last few years they keep telling their employees that they are losing money and can't increase their pay or benefits and that they can't increase safety/replace aging equipment/reduce gas emissions/etc at refineries because they are losing money. Riiiiight.

Um, what?

singularity — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 12:15:56 GMT

Use of 'Canadian' as possible racial slur may be part of Texas probe
Last Updated: Tuesday, January 29, 2008 | 11:27 AM ET
CBC News

A Texas prosecutor who was accused of using the word "Canadian" as a racial slur in an e-mail could be part of the focus of an ongoing probe into the actions of another district attorney.

The e-mail, sent out in 2003 by Harris County assistant district attorney Mike Trent, has recently come to light as part of an investigation of Harris County Texas District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal, who is accused of sending racist and sexist e-mails.

In 2003, Trent sent a staff-wide e-mail congratulating his colleague Robert Freyer for winning a conviction.

In the e-mail, Trent wrote: "He overcame a subversively good defense by Matt Hennessey that had some Canadians on the jury feeling sorry for the defendant and forced them to do the right thing."

In fact, there were no Canadians on the jury, but there were some African-Americans.

The e-mail drew criticism from some who said the word "Canadian" is a racial slur against African-Americans, and questioned Trent whether he was using it in that context.

Trent denied the charge, saying he had been speaking with Freyer earlier and that Freyer had used the word Canadian in a conversation about the case.
'Do you guys think I'm crazy?'

From that conversation, Trent said he believed there were actual Canadians who had sat on the jury. When Trent asked Freyer what he meant by Canadians, Trent said Freyer told him he had used "Canadians" to describe "liberals" on the jury, the Texas Lawyer reported.

"Do you guys think I'm crazy?" Trent wrote recently in a blog post. "Am I insanely stupid enough to send a racial slur to 250 lawyers? Litigious, complaint-ready lawyers, some of whom are African-American? That is just absurd."

Trent has suggested it was reasonable to believe Canadians may have been on the jury because all that is needed to be a juror is to have a valid U.S. driver's licence.

But the Harris County District Clerk's Office told the Texas Lawyer that Canadians could only sit on a jury if they also have U.S. citizenship or they slipped through the system designed to eliminate non-U.S. citizens as prospective jurors.

"In retrospect, I realize I should have questioned this more," Trent wrote.

Trent has apologized to those who were offended by what he wrote. He has also noted that in 2006 he received an award from the Anti-Defamation League for prosecuting a hate crime.