Haha, ladies, it's science
A new study has shown that
nagging actually has pretty much the exact opposite effect than intended. People tend to ignore or respond in opposite ways to instructions that seem like they could be a threat to their autonomy. So even using a signifigant person's name and telling the people that they wanted them to work hard made people do worse in simple trials, as opposed to saying that person wanted them to have fun.
At the end of the article, it has 2 quotes from a married couple who thought of the study:
"Not surprisingly perhaps, Chartrand and Fitzsimons, as wife and husband, also take home some slightly differing messages from their experiments.
Chartrand believes her husband 'should now be better equipped to suppress his reactant tendencies.' Fitzsimons, however, believes the results 'suggest that reactance to significant others is so automatic that I can't possibly be expected to control it if I don't even know it's happening.'"
I say women, just quit nagging.
Labels: Current Events, Humor, Things of Interest
So somone finally catches a sea monster/alien...and then eats it
Some Russian fisherman caught this weird looking green shark-like creature that was squeaking and acting weird, and they thought it was an alien, so they filmed it on a camera phone. Then they decided that it wasn't scary or dangerous, so they cooked and ate it, dissappointing scientists everywhere. They said it was the most delicious meal they ever had.
Apparently scientists don't think it was an alien, but one said it was the most interesting thing he'd ever seen in his life, and the picture they had of it was very interesting as well. I want to watch the video but it's on Fark.com, which is blocked by WebSense.
ArticleLabels: Current Events, Things of Interest
Anna Nicole Smith dies in hospital
Anna Nicole Smith collapsed in a hotel room in Florida Thursday and was found around 1:38 p.m. She was given CPR and taken to Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood at 2:10 p.m., where she died.
Article.
I now sort of know what older people mean when they talk about all the famous people of their day dying. I've
never cared about anything to do with her, but her entire career and the big scandal junk and everything else to do with her happened during my lifetime, within my memory, so it's just sort of a weird feeling. Hm.
Labels: Current Events
Firefox
After listening to all the hype for a year or two, I've decided to give FireFox the old college try ("doesn't that involve a lot of alcohol?"). I was planning on discussing in this post how I plan on doing this, and what my testing will entail, all that jazz, but right now I have one question: IS THERE ANY WAY TO FREAKING CHANGE THE WAY FAVORITES/BOOKMARKS ARE SET UP?
There are a couple features I have enjoyed in the 5 minutes I've been using it, such as it underlining "alchohol" in red when I spelled it like that accidentally, but that is one thing that will completely kill my experience. If I can't find a way to get folders set up and do something other than a drop-down menu for my favorites, I'm am definitely going back to Internet Explorer 7.0, which I enjoy very much. So now is your time, all you John Edwards of FireFox: if you want to win another convert, help me out here.
Another feature I just discovered is missing, at least from my basic version right now (I haven't installed add-ons yet), is a way to open a new tab without going through the menu or hitting ctrl-t. I know that seems really simple, but I've gotten used to just reaching up with my mouse and hitting the button to open a new tab in IE, especially when I'm going to have to use the mouse to put the cursor in the Google search box anyway like I was when I was trying to remember who preached "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" for my previous reference. One thing I did like was the suggestions that dropped down in the Google search box. I only had to type "sinners i" before "sinners in the hands of an angry God" was the first suggestion.
So give me something here. FireFox users (and I know at least one of my 4 or so readers is one), tell me what I should do. Tell what you like about it, and some cool add-ons to grab (I've seen some good ones, and that's one of the things that would be a big factor if I do end up switching). I'll use it on and off for a bit, but unless something can be done about my favorites, this trial is dead before it's started. I use them way too much to surf around to just give them up, and I really like the way they're set up in IE.
-edit-
After I wrote this post, I messed around with options and found the option to show the tab bar all the time, which makes it slightly easier to open a new tab with the mouse, but still not the way I want it. I have to right-click and select "New Tab," instead of just clicking a new button, like I want. That probably won't be a deciding factor in my decision, especially since I discovered that, but it will color my view of the entire browser.
-30-
Labels: Technology
Brilliant Advertising
Recently,
two men were arrested in Boston for placing electronic signs (shown above) featuring "mooninites" promoting Cartoon Network's "Aqua Teen Hunger Force." Although the signs had been placed in
9 other cities around the nation, it appears that only those people in Boston were worried enough to call it a bomb threat and close down the areas around the signs.
Apparently the two
were hired by a New York marketing company, which was in turn hired by Turner, a unit of Time Warner Inc. Now prosecutors are saying they may sue the company for the "bomb scare"
The two men were charged with placing a hoax device and disorderly conduct and released on a $2,500 bail each. Apparently Turner Broadcasting will pay their legal fees.
The best part is, in an appearance in front of reporters, they insisted on talking about 70s hairstyles instead of anything else. The
video is hilarious, because anytime a reporter would ask a question, they'd say "That's not a hair question, sorry," and go back to talking about hair. Then a reporter asked if they were worried that if they went to jail they would have to cut their hair, and they said that was an excellent question but they felt that the law was comfy enough to let them feel that their hair was safe for the moment, whatever happened.
And the thing is, the media is playing right into Turner's hands. This huge story, reported all over the place, is just getting the name "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" out there, and I doubt that they could have planned it better. Even if they get sued, I doubt anything will happen more than a fine of some sort, and they would get even more publicity. This huge fit about it just multiplies whatever publicity the promotion would have gotten initially. I love stuff like that.
Labels: Current Events, Things of Interest
Harry Potter date announced
I'm dedicated to bringing the most
important news from around the world to my few readers, and so, with no further ado, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" is set to be published on
July 21.
Woohoo.
ArticleLabels: Current Events, Things of Interest
