Monday Meanderings - 9.19.2011

If you saw part of this blog entry a few days ago, it's because the Blogger software has a mind of its own and will release works-in-progress into the wild on a whim. I probably should consider that if I ever start to write something libelous, planning on retracting it later. Oops! Too late!

The newspaper is a wonderful source of interesting and educational items. For instance, consider:

Austin American-Statesman
Sept 10, 2011Letters to the Editor

Calling all sinners: We need rain.

It's pretty clear that we're not going to get any rain unless a hurricane makes it our way, but we're not going to see a hurricane unless we get our act together. It is not a "high-pressure weather system" over Texas that's making all the Atlantic hurricanes veer away from us. It's high-pressure godliness, brought on, I fear, by Gov. Rick Perry's prayer meeting in Houston.

More than one of the preachers who shared the spotlight with the governor has warned that God sends hurricanes to punish us for sinning — and that means you don't get a hurricane unless you've earned it. The governor's revival was so successful that we're all haloed up to the point that no wind is mighty enough to break through.

I hate that it's come to this, but my trees need the rain, so I plan to sin like hell for the remainder of the hurricane season. Won't you all join me?

HUGH LOWE
Austin

I don't know Hugh, but I can't fault his logic. And then there was this item the other day:

Austin American-Statesman
Sept 12, 2011

TV Study Faults SpongeBob

Four-year-olds who watched nine minutes of the fast-paced cartoon SpongeBob Squarepants showed temporary attention and learning problems, researchers found. The study compared 60 children who were randomly assigned to watch SpongeBob, the slower-paced PBS cartoon Caillou or to draw pictures as a control.

After nine minutes, the children did four tests to tap their "executive function" — such as attention, problem-solving and delay of gratification — which allows people to set goals and implement them. Executive function is important for helping children to learn and function in school and be creative, the researchers said.

"Just nine minutes of viewing a fast-paced television cartoon had immediate negative effects on four-year-olds’ executive function," Angeline Lillard and Jennifer Peterson of the psychology department at the University of Virginia concluded in Monday's issue of the journal Pediatrics.

Obviously, our government leaders have been watching Sponge Bob Square Pants. A Lot. Just in case you missed it, the program causes problems with "executive function" — such as attention, problem-solving and delay of gratification — which allows people to set goals and implement them.

Do you suppose that we are too predictable and set in our ways?  When we went into Chuy's the other evening and asked for a particular waitress, the hostess said, "Yes, she told me to save this table for you. She's expecting you."


Read an article on the dangers of eating bacon. It scared me so much I vowed to stop reading.


Bumper sticker: "My honor student has a career in the service industry."


And sometimes life takes a little effort: