Intelligence reduces risk of death--Duh.

Sometimes scientists find results that most of us already know intuitively.

This study links High IQ with reduced risk of death.

In my opinion, stupidity is nothing more than "Darwin in Action." You know, the human version of natural selection or survival of the fittest.

We all shake our heads when some idiot decides to play chicken with a train.

In my mind, stupidity serves a very useful purpose. It weeds out the weak and unfit from our gene pool. The immediate result may suck, but over time, the accumulation of stupid actions by many individuals improves the quality of our species leaving only the best and brightest around to reproduce.

Darwin was right.

These results may be a no-brainer, but sometimes it helps to verify with reproducible results.

Rihanna is apparently willing to sacrifice her career to save Chris Brown's--huh?

I normally stay away from items featured prominently on TMZ.com or PerezHilton.com, but I must add my meager voice to the growing throng against this mess.

As a former victim of domestic abuse, I cannot help but think this crap Rihanna is purportedly doing, like recording a duet or staying at Sean Combs house, is just further evidence of Chris Brown's abuse.

It is no secret that abusers exercise considerable control over their victims. They cajole and apologize and use everything to prey upon the low self-esteem of their victim. The victim often falls for it and forgives. Sometimes when it's too late.

Rihanna is obviously being further victimized by Brown and his camp because it helps his case.

I think she needs to wake up.

Furthermore, I think her father and brothers should have an aggressive conversation with Mr. Brown behind locked doors. If you catch my meaning. This may be why Rihanna has apparently cut all ties from her family. It's common for abusers to isolate their victims from family and friends; it's the same thing a cult does when they gain new recruits.

I'm calling out Sean Combs on enabling this mess. He's an idiot and deserves an ass-whipping too for being such a moron. I thought he billed himself as being smart? This doesn't seem to bright to me.

Rihanna is going to kill her career and for what? To save Chris Brown's? How stupid is that? Why is his career worth more than hers?

World economic downturn shows political fragility of some nations.

Failing U.S. economic health has unintended consequences on immigrant labor. Without the steady flow of cash from a booming U.S. economy, many Central American immigrants are forced to return home for the security of family.


Jobs often filled by immigrants, legal or otherwise, are the first to go when times get tough and the economy shrinks.

Wholesale job losses by immigrants reveal just how dependent their home countries' are on U.S. dollars.

Currently, Mexico is in danger of becoming a failed state. Right next door, we have a country that has depended upon direct infusions of cash by immigrant workers in the U.S. sending money home.

Without any thought for economic security and future prosperity, Mexico has maintained a status quo for years and the corruption resulting from its inability to change its policies is beginning to show.

Drug cartels are the primary power source operating in the country. The government has little ability to stand up to the demand for drugs in the U.S. so on the one hand it needs the cartels, but on the other the drug cartels threaten the legitimate power in the country.

I'm afraid the failed policies began by Nixon, promoted by Reagan, and endorsed by all succeeding presidents are coming home to roost in a major way.

Survey highlights the fall of religion in America due in large part to the Religious Right--Ironic isn't it?

The results of this recent survey underscore the same trend that has happened in Europe. It also highlights the founding father's warning in the Establishment Clause to the Constitution.

When politics and religion mix, religion loses.

The Germans have a state supported church and few Germans identify themselves as Christian or even attend service anymore.

In our country, the Religious Right have driven many people from religion altogether with their emphasis on prosaic matters above that of the spirit. Their striving for worldly power leaves a bad taste in everyone's mouth.

Even the bible says not to cast your pearls before swine, but that's exactly what happens in the marriage of politics and religion.

Personally, I welcome the decline. I've predicted it for years. You can't push a religious political agenda in a country with a long history of separation between church and state and expect faith to come out ahead.

Science regains its rightful place--being unmolested by politicians.

Obama is undoing the anti-intellectual crap spewed all over science by the Bush administration.

All I can say is: "Thank God!"

Irony is intended.

My problem with the whole selling out to the Religious Right boils down to this:

Insecure faith is the cause of the anti-intellectualism and fear of knowledge that governed such policies.

There, I said it.

Those intolerant of conflict with their world view are the last people to consult when making science policy. Bush screwed the pooch big time with that policy and it's time for the Galileo's of the world to be set free from the yoke of faith.

Despite what the faithful might think, the world isn't constrained to one particular worldview.

The rest of us adults realize this and accept that forcing others into our own circumscribed reality might just be the worst "tyranny over the minds of men" that Thomas Jefferson was referring to when he said it two centuries ago.

Reason has returned and the idiots are being shown the door. Our forefathers saw the dangers of mixing religion and politics, but for the past eight years we've had to endure the result they warned against.

High time for secular society to return to American politics and government.

New service may be the answer to little choice in cable television

Here's new service that I would definitely jump on.

Any opportunity I can find to get rid of cable while keeping a good supply of tv entertainment on the cheap is my kind of product.

The only thing keeping me from dumping cable is the broadband.

DSL sucks because you must have a phone line.

Since Tennessee passed a law prohibiting municipalities from putting in free, citywide, WiFi (thanks to the generous contributions to our venal state legislature by wireless providers who didn't want the competition...) we've been left with cable broadband (from one provider!) dsl, dial-up, or wireless broadband with low download limits. None of the above cut it except the cable broadband, but then you have only one choice.

I don't know about you, but I'm a big fan of competition in communications and any service that gives me the choice of paying for shows or accepting advertising sounds good.

Sign me up.

Morality is a primitive emotion without need for a higher power.

A new study mentioned in Science Daily shows that morality might arise from rather primitive brain functions.

The importance of this find cannot be understated for the simple fact that some philosophers and theologians have contended for centuries that morality comes from some higher source.

I've been in arguments with people who argued that morality couldn't exist without some higher authority, viz., God. I always found that position weak and opted for the more parsimonious view, viz., morality is innate.

The argument goes that without God, one can't be moral with the implication that atheists and agnostics lack morality.

I call bullshit on that view because the facts show otherwise. Furthermore, is it moral to be scared into doing right or doing right because it's the right thing to do? I think the latter is the higher morality, while the former is the view of the religious moralists.

Many of the atheists and agnostics I know have a better grip on morality than a lot of the religious folks running around.

Interesting study that scores another point for secular humanism.

NationaL Rifle Association's ideological blinders leads to alienation of Democrat allies--idiots.

Here's a new fun fact that I'm sure will get few mentions from the bloviators in the Right-wing media.

Pelosi and Reid both oppose the Assault Weapon Ban.

Personally, I agree with them. Who gives a crap about some guy with a cache of AK-47s? Hell, I'd like to have a few machine guns myself.

If you'll note, the National Rifle Association says nothing about Pelosi and Reid on their legislative website.

Their failure to support politicians who support the 2nd Amendment begs the question: Is the NRA really in favor of politicians that support the 2nd Amendment or is their ideology so strong that they cannot imagine a Democrat actually being in favor of gun rights?

Who knows. I do note that most of the bozos touted by the NRA come from the right-wing of the Republican Party, so the NRA isn't exactly a paragon of balance.

Why do you suppose that is?

Personally, I don't think either party has a lock on the personal freedom and protection of rights agenda.

Personal beliefs cannot trump quality of medical care--ever.

Finally, the President is bringing some Constitutionality back to health care.

The Bush administration pushed through a regulation that allowed health care workers to refuse health care that violated their beliefs. Now, Obama is proposing to rescind such a reactionary, unconstitutional, and morally suspect piece of right-wing pandering.

Why do I oppose this regulation?

Health care professions are similar to the legal profession in that we assume the duty to perform to the best of our skills and to subordinate our personal interests to those we serve--it's known as a fiduciary obligation. Someone entering a field where people's lives are on the line has a fiduciary duty to subordinate their personal feelings and beliefs to the standard of care required in their field.

As a lawyer, I took an oath to uphold the Constitution. I represented defendants in criminal cases that I found personally repugnant, but I took an oath to uphold the law even for those I thought should be locked up. The law is not some suggestion to be discarded in favor of our own predilections despite what medical school may teach.

Health care workers incapable of providing the highest standard of care due to personal beliefs have a moral obligation to leave the profession, since they obviously cannot give the best quality of care due to a personal issue.

Similarly, if I could no longer uphold the law because I disagreed with it, even for those most deserving of its punishment, then my fiduciary duty is to remove myself from its practice in order to protect the law from my personal failings.

No one argues that medical providers should sacrifice their beliefs, but they have a legal and moral duty to avoid placing themselves in situations where they will be forced to choose between their beliefs and the highest quality of care for their patients.

No one, even a doctor, has the authority to elevate their personal beliefs above that of their patients' well-being. That's the height of arrogance and self-righteousness.

Welcome back to some sanity.

Eat less, exercise more: The only true diet that works.

This study confirms what most of the world has known for years.

Fad dieting and tricks to lose weight don't really work.

Losing weight depends on a simple formula: Eat less and Exercise More.

Weight loss boils down to burning more calories than one consumes.

Diets don't work. Lifestyle change does.

Cut calories by changing what you eat and how much you eat. Burn calories by increasing activity.

Simple huh?

There are no quick fixes to years of overeating and inactivity.

Bankruptcy for automakers would make public executive compensation: The Real Reason for avoiding bankruptcy

For the past few months I've been wondering why the Big 3 automakers have assiduously avoided any thought of filing bankruptcy.

The stated reason is that it would undermine their market share since consumers wouldn't buy cars from companies in bankruptcy.

I find their reasoning a little off and have for awhile. Bankruptcy would allow the auto makers to renegotiate ALL their contracts with the unions while providing some protection for the already retired workers. This falls under 11 U.S. C. Section 1113 of the Bankruptcy Code.

After thinking about it, I've figured out the real reason the car companies don't want bankruptcy.

Executive Compensation.

Under the bankruptcy code, when a company enters Chapter 11, all executive compensation must be approved by the Bankruptcy Court. Insider compensation must be disclosed in the bankruptcy too so the public would find out the extravagant pay packages paid out.

With the economy in such shape and their companies in such a state, these executives know the court will deny them millions of dollars a year after balancing that with layoffs and bad business decisions.

Of course the public would rise up in anger over the millions of dollars paid for executives who made bad decision. That's ultimately the reason why the big 3 would lose market share. I'm sure the creditor's committees in these bankruptcies would also complain about the excessive salaries too.

This begs the question: What's more important? The bottom line for the executives or their fiduciary obligation to their companies and the economy as a whole?

Privatization of exclusive government functions leads to corruption and erosion of our rights.

This story underscores a basic fact about privatization of government functions, viz., that it leads to corruption and rights violations for our citizens.

When companies, like private prisons, make their profits based on the number of beds they fill, then increasing the number of inmates becomes incentive-ized.

It's that simple.

In my opinion, there are three exclusive government functions that are non-delegable:

1) Administration of justice

2) Collection of taxes

3) National Defense.

If you'll check your recent history, and by that I mean since Bush was elected, then you'll note an increase in privatization of all those functions. The news stories of those failures are ample.

Privatization is code for tolerable corruption.

Keeping our government answerable to the people means that privatizing certain functions intimate to the running of our country must never occur.

This case is a prime example of why. These judges give law and order a bad name.

Venality of this sort deserves public flogging.

Weed use linked to lower rates of workplace injury.

Here's an interesting scientific study that produced some counter-intuitive results.

(It's a pdf..)

Basically, the Swiss study showed that alcohol use while on the job led to greater workplace injury.

Here's the kicker: Marijuana use on the job was linked to lower rates of workplace injury even lower than that of workers not under the influence!

My suspicion is that the stoners are avoiding work while on the job so they have overall lower risks on the job.

Guess we'll need another study to find out.

Government is getting out of faith-based funding--The Constitution is finally on top again.

This story is good news.

I've always had my doubts about the Constitutionality of government funding of faith-based organizations. It violates the Establishment Clause in my opinion.

Furthermore, I don't think it fair that organizations who get tax-exempt status under the 1st Amendment should get tax money from those of us without the same benefits. Why should those groups who don't pay expand at the expense of those who do?

It's unfortunate for the populations these organizations serve, but we can ill-afford to fudge even a single time on the Constitution. It is inviolate.

The law is the law and to allow any exceptions sets a bad precedent.

Holder calls the nation out on matters of race--Excellent!

I give kudos to the Attorney General for his blunt assessment of race issues in America. We needed calling out on it.

For too long we as a nation have tiptoed around race, when what we need is an open and honest discussion. No group has a claim on being correct on this.

Here's what I know: Every single person has a race issue on some level. Failure to acknowledge that keeps our head in the sand.

Refusal to accept that simple fact will get us nowhere.

The mere fact that all of us suffer from prejudice is what makes us more alike than different.

Racism is inappropriate, but until we openly discuss matters of race without fear of political correctness or fear of labeling then we cannot grow as a nation.

Race is an outdated concept and I think most people are willing to explore the opportunity to move beyond it.

New drug shows how stupid pharma can be with their cash

Stories like this make me wonder why all the money spent to develop such a drug wasn't spent on things like, oh let me think...CANCER!

I have few problems with drug companies making a profit, but this takes the cake.

I have restless legs, but I don't take drugs for it. Likewise, why do we need a drug for improving eyelashes?

Screwed up priorities if you ask me. I'm sure they'll claim it's to help those who lost eyelashes and so on to give it some veneer of medical necessity.

So many people can't afford such a drug in today's economy that I doubt the market will support such a stupid call from the drug company who makes it.

Aggregate unemployment will result in widespread chaos.

Jobs are the fundamental resolution to our global problems.

Failure to realize this simple point will doom us all to chaos and diminishing returns in any of our attempts to fix the economy.

When companies make micro-economic labor choices, viz., layoffs, etc. then it may stave off that particular company's demise. When many companies do so globally, then it aggregates to profound effects. This is the micro-economic decisions having macro-economic effects.

Keeping employment up is the best prophylactic against protests and social turmoil. Working people have no time to protest and worry about the precariousness of their economic position.

We're in for trouble on a global scale because out-sourcing of labor will not save companies when the market is full of the unemployed. The unemployed have no means to purchase even cheap goods and services.

We're now in a time where the global economy is a zero-sum game.

Court finds no link between vaccines and autism--Jenny McCarthy needs to move on.

Finally a court has evaluated the evidence presented by parents of autistic children about the alleged link between vaccines and autism.

The findings?

The weight of the evidence shows no link between autism and vaccines.

That's what the science has said for years, but despite the evidence and the facts, many have continued to believe in a fantasy.

I suppose a fantasy is better than accepting the truth, when the truth is unpalatable.

My concern: As long as people prefer their delusions to facts, then we'll get nowhere.

Jenny McCarthy will probably complain about conspiracies and such.

Suppose time will tell.

Science gives men help for Valentine's Day.

In the run up to Valentines Day--that most dastardly event created by greeting card companies and florists--many outlets are publishing stories about love.

It seems Science news sources are no different.

Recent studies have shown what it is men need to know about women.

All I seem to know is that women never lose an argument, even when they're wrong.

They place much emphasis on grand gestures rather than the small and steady dependability some of us show.

Happy Valentine's Day.

See "The Wrestler"

I saw 'The Wrestler" this evening. I was blown away

The movie is sparse, but excellent.

It shows blue collar entertainers (wrestlers & strippers) and their troubles.

Loved it.

Marisa Tomei doesn't look 44.