"... examines the symptoms and treatments of depression, and gives some tips for how you might help a friend who is suffering."
My food invention of the day: Eurotoast
I've been a fan of some British food for some time, especially beans on toast, which I find makes a nice savory breakfast. I recently bought a nice jar of Amish sauerkraut, and decided to try it as the topping of the day on my beanie toast, and it is a great combination. (I also found this recipe for baked beans and sauerkraut, which I'm going to try soon, although I may just add the sauerkraut after it's cooked, so as not to kill the sauerkraut's probiotics by cooking them).
Here's the recipe:
Here's the recipe:
- Make some toast: I prefer to use a nice hearty sourdough that won't wimp out when covered with wet foods... one of our local stores sells Stone House bread, and it's worth the drive there just for that.
- Butter that toast... I know we're about to put other things on it, but this is important for mouth feel and taste.
- Add a respectable layer of baked beans... I prefer the firmer, more savory nature of Grillin' Beans to traditional, softer/sweeter baked beans; I use them room-temp out of the can or cold out of the fridge.
- Layer on some sauerkraut, letting some of the liquid drain back into the container before putting it on the toast (I use a fork for this).
MitchiriNeko March - Cute cat characters in a marching band [cartoon video]
This is a great song!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAIGb1lfpBw
I think I could watch this happy little tune for 10 hours.
So it’s lucky someone made a 10-hour version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejpMgF1pugQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAIGb1lfpBw
I think I could watch this happy little tune for 10 hours.
So it’s lucky someone made a 10-hour version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejpMgF1pugQ
Create A Perfectly Formatted Resume/CV Easily
"When you're done, you can preview your CV in a number of different layouts and download the finished version as a PDF file. And if you create an account and log in, you can keep your data on the site in order to maintain and update your CV as required."
Must-Watch Video: The War on Science
"Science is AMAZING, but unfortunately, it is currently being defunded all around the world. Fortunately, you can make a difference. "
College Students Falling Apart, Thanks to “Helicopter Society”
"We have raised a generation of young people who have not been given the opportunity to learn how to solve their own problems. They have not been given the opportunity to get into trouble and find their own way out, to experience failure and realize they can survive it, to be called bad names by others and learn how to respond without adult intervention. So now, here’s what we have. Young people,18 years and older, going to college still unable or unwilling to take responsibility for themselves, still feeling that if a problem arises they need an adult to solve it."
Theory vs. Hypothesis vs. Law… Explained
"A TV detective may say “I have a theory that the murderer may be someone in this room.” The way he’s using the word “theory” isn’t the way the word is used in science. The words “fact” and “hypothesis” and “law” suffer from the same difference in perception and meaning between scientists and non-scientists."
Notes from a flood
Heavy rains today, and the water table got a little high (click the pics for full size):
And the storm drain system was overwhelmed:
And this is why they say not to drive into standing water:
And this is the bad news in the basement (water backed up from the drain in the laundry room, mostly, but also came in through the foundation); those "dry" spots are where the carpet has bubbled up:
And the storm drain system was overwhelmed:
And this is why they say not to drive into standing water:
And this is the bad news in the basement (water backed up from the drain in the laundry room, mostly, but also came in through the foundation); those "dry" spots are where the carpet has bubbled up:
And here's the new carpet we just had installed after The Great Flood of August 2013:
Basements are great, until they're not. :-(
The True Size Of...
"It is hard to represent our spherical world on flat piece of paper. Every map projection introduces distortion, and each has its own set of problems. One of the most common criticisms of the Mercator map is that it exaggerates the size of countries nearer the poles, while downplaying the size of those near the equator."
How Trigger Warnings Are Hurting Mental Health on Campus
"In the name of emotional well-being, college students are increasingly demanding protection from words and ideas they don’t like. Here’s why that’s disastrous for education—and mental health."
Sisu Sova Night Guard
"The way it works is that you get a flat piece of plastic that is moldable when submerged in near boiling water for a couple minutes. You take it out, put it in your mouth and let it form around your teeth. This creates a custom fit just for your mouth and teeth. I’ve used it about a month and it has worked just as well as my $500 custom-fitted night guard from the dentist."
How we learn to be helpless—and unlearn it
"Learned helplessness keeps people in bad jobs, poor health, terrible relationships, and awful circumstances despite how easy it may be to escape. Learn how to defeat this psychological trap, thanks to the work of Martin Seligman."
Sometimes a friend with depression will say no to...
"Sometimes a friend with depression will say no to a lot of things and decline all or most of your invitations. This can make you feel like you’re overstepping boundaries and should immediately leave them alone until they reach out to you themselves. Pay attention to this feeling...." Click the title for more.
Adventure Time, Explained
I and my son watch this, it is always entertaining, sometimes amazing, and often incomprehensible. The best episodes are all three.
Checklist of Rationality Habits
"This checklist is meant for your personal use, so you can have a wish-list of rationality habits and see if you’re acquiring good habits. It’s not meant to be a way to get a ‘how rational are you?’ score, but, rather, to help you notice specific habits you might want to develop."
Not lazy, just different: Living with Delayed Sleep-Phase Syndrome
"For more than a decade I thought I sucked as a person and failed at life. I was met with confusion and anger by my parents on a constant basis — they couldn't understand why I would waste the day sleeping as late as 11am."
Why You Should Never Sign a Cell Phone Contract Again
"You can save money by opting for a month-to-month plan instead"
An Adult's Guide to Hygiene (for Those Who Weren't Taught Growing Up)
"There are no classrooms that teach you basic hygiene growing up. Your parents may do what they can, but a surprising number of people make it to adulthood with gaps in their knowledge. "
It's never too early to start thinking about your own death
"This view of death as an "art" or "practice," rather than an emotionless biological process, can be tremendously empowering. There is no Art of Dying manual available in our society. So as a mortician who's worked with the dead and the grieving for seven years, I decided to write my own"
18 Rules for Using Text: If There’s Text in Your Document, Follow the Rules
"You’ll start to see a world of difference in your professional documents, whether they be formal reports, brochures, or even your personal résumé. These rules for using text apply across the board."
You may have to click on the list-image once or twice to see it at regular size.
You may have to click on the list-image once or twice to see it at regular size.
How groupthink gets reality backward
"In his new book, David McRaney explains that You Are Now Less Dumb. Here he makes you even less dumb, by way of explaining social norms you will no longer be defeated by."
10 Ways We Get the Odds Wrong
"Our brains are terrible at assessing modern risks. Here's how to think straight about dangers in your midst."
10 Most Brilliant Social Experiments
“I have been primarily interested in how and why ordinary people do unusual things, things that seem alien to their natures. Why do good people sometimes act evil? Why do smart people sometimes do dumb or irrational things?” –Philip Zimbardo
20 Ways to Fall In Love All Over Again
"But after years of marriage or dating, a significant other can start to feel more like a roommate than a romantic partner. Maybe you've grown apart, you’re busy with work and kids, or the spark’s just not there anymore. For whatever reason you've found yourself falling out of love, here’s how the experts suggest you find your way back in."
Opposing Chiropractic: Persecution or Justified Criticism?
"Any practice that begins with a false premise and a founding father, such as chiropractic, homeopathy, and osteopathy, can never completely eliminate true believers who are bound together by the tenets of cultism. It will be necessary for health-care professionals and public health officials to participate in a never-ending campaign to inform the public about pseudoscientific practices that might be offered as an alternative to appropriate health care."
The Secrets Of Highly Efficient Napping
"Some naps have been shown to rejuvenate where others boost creativity. What's more, when you nap can be as important as how you nap. Here's how to nap like a professional, nap-taking machine."
Why animals eat psychoactive plants
"After twenty-five years of watching stoned mice, drunken elephants, and tripping mongooses, Ronald K. Siegel tells me he suspects he has learned something about this. “We’re not so different from the other animal life-forms on this planet,” he says."
The forgotten history of how automakers invented the crime of "jaywalking"
"Ultimately, both the word jaywalking and the concept that pedestrians shouldn't walk freely on streets became so deeply entrenched that few people know this history. "The campaign was extremely successful," Norton says. "It totally changed the message about what streets are for."
8 Logical Fallacies That Fuel Anti-Science Sentiments
"We need science more than ever, yet many people find it hard to get accurate information about the scientific method and its achievements. Making things more difficult, their misconceptions about science are often driven by logical fallacies, or errors in deductive reasoning. Here are eight of the most common anti-science fallacies."
The Man and me
"Remember the image of the National Guard massed in Ferguson with armored vehicles, tear gas grenades, and assault rifles, ready, if necessary, to quash an uprising of United States citizens. It probably won't be the last time we see it."
Two twin beds is not quite a king bed
For 20 years we've used two twin beds inside of a king bed frame. It definitely made them easier to transport, and do maintenance flips*, and with a memory foam topper the crack in the middle wasn't perceptible, but it turns out that two twin mattresses are as wide as a king mattress, but are 5 or so inches shorter than a king mattress, which is why we've always had trouble with the sheets being very wrinkly.
Our new bed is great, and the frame we put it on is very strong and simplifies things quite a bit (no more box springs, lots of underbed storage space). I'm also happy because I no longer have to deal with the mattress business and their horrible prices and the fact that you can't comparison shop because every manufacturer makes a different model for every store.
* for those that have to flip mattresses: I marked the ends of the old mattresses with the numbers 1-4 so I'd know which way to flip the mattress, 1 and 2 on the top and bottom of one end, and 3 and 4 of the top and bottom of the other end. So if you were at 1, you flipped the mattress so that 2 was in the same spot, etc. That assured that the mattress was flipped upside and end for end as necessary. Some mattresses today don't need to be flipped at all, or only need to be rotated end for end and never flipped over; see your label or instructions for more details.
Our new bed is great, and the frame we put it on is very strong and simplifies things quite a bit (no more box springs, lots of underbed storage space). I'm also happy because I no longer have to deal with the mattress business and their horrible prices and the fact that you can't comparison shop because every manufacturer makes a different model for every store.
* for those that have to flip mattresses: I marked the ends of the old mattresses with the numbers 1-4 so I'd know which way to flip the mattress, 1 and 2 on the top and bottom of one end, and 3 and 4 of the top and bottom of the other end. So if you were at 1, you flipped the mattress so that 2 was in the same spot, etc. That assured that the mattress was flipped upside and end for end as necessary. Some mattresses today don't need to be flipped at all, or only need to be rotated end for end and never flipped over; see your label or instructions for more details.
Insurance and car/home ownership
"Insurance companies use the CLUE report to determine how much you’ll pay for your insurance on your home and car. Here’s what you need to know."
Think you understand the difference between "inpatient" and "outpatient?" Think again.
"If you find yourself in a hospital for more than a few hours, make sure you find out if you have been admitted for inpatient care or if you are merely considered an outpatient under what is called "observation care."
If you haven't been admitted to the hospital, the costs you may have to pay out of pocket for medical services and drugs could be considerable. You could also be denied Medicare coverage for follow-up nursing care."
If you haven't been admitted to the hospital, the costs you may have to pay out of pocket for medical services and drugs could be considerable. You could also be denied Medicare coverage for follow-up nursing care."
Hands Only CPR
"If you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse, call 9-1-1 and push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of the classic disco song "Stayin' Alive." CPR can more than double a person's chances of survival, and "Stayin' Alive" has the right beat for Hands-Only CPR."
Get Your S**t Together: improve your life by planning for your death
"My friend Chanel Reynolds's husband Jose Hernando was killed while cycling in 2009. She's created the Get Your S**t Together website to help you prepare for the worst now so that your family doesn't have the experience that she faced. Get Your S**t Together is a straightforward web guide to the documents, questions and details you should prepare in advance to ease the trauma on your family if the worst happens."
How To Make Difficult Conversations Easy: 7 Steps From A Clinical Psychologist
"Here’s what you’ll learn in this post:
The magic phrase that gets people to stop yelling.
How to stop making the most common mistake in these kind of discussions.
How to switch people from being emotional to being rational.
The mindset that makes dealing with hysterical people easy.
And a lot more."
The magic phrase that gets people to stop yelling.
How to stop making the most common mistake in these kind of discussions.
How to switch people from being emotional to being rational.
The mindset that makes dealing with hysterical people easy.
And a lot more."
Existential Comics
Pretty good stuff, if you are into (or want to learn more about) philosophy. Especially check out the "Didn't get the joke?" link at the bottom of each, for explanations.
How One Doctor And His Menagerie Transformed A Nursing Home
"The most important finding was that it is possible to provide them with reasons to live, period. Even residents with dementia so severe that they had lost the ability to grasp much of what was going on could experience a life with greater meaning and pleasure and satisfaction."
A Fascinating New Idea About What It Means When You Start Forgetting Things
"The researchers propose that over time, you store more and more data in your brain, making retrieving a needed item — whether that's a word, a name, or information to make a decision — harder and slower as you get older."
How to be a great host — for Thanksgiving or any other occasion
"When you have friends or relatives coming to stay from out of town, make their visit a pleasure by thinking ahead and offering the same courtesies you would like to be shown. Elaborate fruit baskets and floral arrangements are not necessary, just a bit of common sense and good planning. "
This Is Your Brain On Scarcity
Scientists have long recognized that poverty can aggravate health problems. Now they're also beginning to understand that the stress of too little income actually changes the way people think.
Why It’s Your Fault There’s Already Christmas Stuff in Stores
"The funny thing is, as much as we complain about holiday promotions pushing into ever-earlier parts of the calendar, retailers are just delivering what customers today seem to want. We might gripe, but we’re still buying holiday stuff as soon as it’s on shelves. "
5 Shortcuts to Keep Data on Risks in Perspective
"We don’t have time to think and research everything through, and come to the perfect balance of knowledge for every little thing – and not even for every big thing that matters to us a lot. We need to take some cognitive shortcuts, but they leave us vulnerable to seeing what we want to see or being led astray when risks are being exaggerated or minimized. Here are my favorite 5 shortcuts to avoid the things that trip me up."
You Are Not a Fruit Fly: Why You Should Side-Eye Science Headlines
"The fruit fly study is only one of hundreds of cases in which science filtered through the popular media fails to provide accurate information, and leaves traces of misinformation behind. "
Where to Start When It Feels Like Nothing Is Going Right in Your Life
"Everyone has times in their life when they feel demotivated, lost, and unhappy. You're in a rut, and you don't know how to get out of it. Life may keep piling it on, but here are a few starting points for how you can climb out of your hole and get back on track."
When the Next Terrorist Attack Comes, Will We Be Capable of Keeping Our Heads?
"If and when that happens, the question will be whether we can see things in their proper perspective and not cast about madly for any new policy that sounds like it will "keep us safe," but will actually do nothing of the sort. "
Silence is the latest trend in luxury resorts
"People will pay a lot of money for some peace and quiet."
What's Wrong with Alternative Medicine?
"If unconventional therapies like acupuncture can make patients feel better by bringing them a vague sense of well being, why not let them? Some scientists say we shouldn't."
Fredkin's Paradox Explains Why You Waste Time On Meaningless Decisions
"Ever notice that you spend a full 15 minutes agonizing about whether to have apple-cinnamon pancakes or banana-walnut pancakes in the morning? Ever had that decision affect your day in any way? Fredkin's Paradox explains why you agonize anyway."
Why Scientists Should Celebrate Failed Experiments
"There’s nothing fraudulent or unethical about dropping an experiment that doesn’t work out as you thought it would, but it does come at a cost. Null results, after all, are still results, and once they’re in the literature, they help other researchers avoid experimental avenues that have already proven to be dead ends."
Why honor causes all of society's problems
"Recent research shows how deep the roots of honor culture go"
7 Habits of Incredibly Happy People
"Happiness is a state of mind. If you're willing to adopt a different approach to your actions, you can achieve it"
Report: Average American Worker Replaced Within 10 Minutes Of Taking Vacation
“All this means is that workers who take advantage of the vacation days offered by their company should just keep in mind that it will cost them their livelihood almost immediately.”
The Science of Depression
"What exactly is going on inside of a depressed person? We look at the scientific basis for depression, and shed light on the fact that it is a disease with biological, psychological, and social implications:"
Dead at noon: B.C. woman ends her life rather than suffer indignity of dementia (with video)
"Gillian Bennett’s final words on personal website make a passionate case for physician-assisted suicide"
Are Water Filters BS?
"The United States has one of the best public water systems in the world, yet its citizens are still shelling out big bucks on water filters. Is it worth the dough or just a waste?"
You Got Fired From a Job, So What?
"Knowing how to deal with the situation is important and although there’s a whole litany of advice out there, let me share what has worked for me:"
Why It’s So Hard to Catch Your Own Typos
"Frustratingly, they are usually words you know how to spell, but somehow skimmed over in your rounds of editing. If we are our own harshest critics, why do we miss those annoying little details?"
Why Focusing On Safety Can Be Very Dangerous
"Why some companies are taking safety to a whole new level."
I Want My Religion Back – You Can Keep the Ugly Baggage
"It’s not that I’m ashamed of being a Christian; I’m not – at all. It is just that the word “Christian” comes with so much ugly baggage."
How Playing an Instrument Benefits Your Brain
How Playing an Instrument Benefits Your Brain: "Playing a musical instrument involves more areas of the brain than other activities. It only makes sense. You have to use your fine motor skills to play, understand the tune, read the music, remember how it’s done, co-ordinate with other players, and watch your timing. All at the same time. And that’s after you’ve learned how to do it!"
Are vitamin pills even necessary?
"Studies have found little value — and some possible harm — in taking vitamin pills. So why are vitamins so popular?"
Proper etiquette for every occasion
Proper etiquette for every occasion: "If you're like most people, you have questions. That's why Real Simple rallied the experts for updated advice on everything from bread plates to bcc."
John Oliver Breaks Down the Dark Side of Dietary Supplements with Steve Buscemi, George R.R. Martin, and More
John Oliver Breaks Down the Dark Side of Dietary Supplements with Steve Buscemi, George R.R. Martin, and More | Splitsider: "Dr. Oz recently got in some trouble for hawking some very questionably safe dietary and nutritional supplements on his medical talk show, so John Oliver took a note from Oz's history of pandering to his viewers with shaky medical information by doing some audience pandering of his own with the help of a very cute puppy, plot-teasing George R.R. Martin, tap-dancing Steve Buscemi, and more."
Why Believing In Astrology Is Not As Harmless As You Think
Why Believing In Astrology Is Not As Harmless As You Think: "Here's why astrology is potentially damaging to our understanding of science, relationships — and even our place in the universe itself."
20 Practical Ways to Help a Grieving Person
20 Practical Ways to Help a Grieving Person: "These pieces of advice are sourced from the book, “Sorry for Your Loss: What People Who Are Grieving Wish You Knew”."
How to Destroy College Education
How to Destroy College Education - The Daily Beast: "From the revolutionary war through contemporary debates about the worth of college, American thinkers have emphasized the ways that broad, pragmatic learning enhances the capacities of the whole person, allowing individuals greater freedom and an expanded range of possible choices. "
10 Scientific Ideas That Scientists Wish You Would Stop Misusing
10 Scientific Ideas That Scientists Wish You Would Stop Misusing: "Many ideas have left the world of science and made their way into everyday language — and unfortunately, they are almost always used incorrectly. We asked a group of scientists to tell us which scientific terms they believe are the most widely misunderstood. Here are ten of them."
Being an organized executor
Being an organized executor: "An executor is the person appointed to administer the estate of a person who has died. Being named as an executor is a privilege, but the title also comes with a significant amount of responsibility. Sometimes it may take several years to finalize an estate if it is complicated or if there are disputes among the beneficiaries."
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