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Greetings, Quotaholics:
I
love science. When I come across interesting research, I like to share
it with you.
Recently I told you about a study that showed the shape of a woman’s
chin could indicate whether or not she was likely to cheat on her husband.
Now I have found a study that claims that people who live on a street
lined with trees are happier, healthier and less likely to be victims
of crime.
Thirty years ago, when I first moved to Santa Fe, I met a World War II
veteran who had fought in the jungles of the South Pacific. He told me
how the biggest fear the troops had was of the snipers who hid up in the
trees.
When he returned to his home in the Midwest, he found that he couldn’t
walk under trees anymore. He had moved to Albuquerque because there weren’t
many trees tall enough for someone to hide in.
I’m sure the researcher, Frances Kuo of the University of Illinois,
didn’t have the benefit of meeting the man from Albuquerque so I
won’t totally dismiss the study. However he certainly didn’t
feel happier or safer around trees.
Ms. Kuo reported her findings to the American Association for the Advancement
of Science conference in Chicago last week. According to an article at
UPI.com,
“‘Nature calms people and it also helps them psychologically
rejuvenate," she said. ‘They are better able to handle challenges
which come their way.’”
“Kuo said study after study shows benefits from living near trees
and grass. In Japan, researchers found that the elderly have higher life
expectancy if they live within walking distance of a park.”
“‘In our studies, people with less access to nature show relatively
poor attention or cognitive function, poor management of major life issues,
and poor impulse control,’ she said. ‘The relationship between
crime and vegetation is very clear: the more trees, the fewer crimes.’”
Now I don’t doubt that “getting away from it all” and
taking a walk in the forest is a great way to unwind. I love the outdoors
and always have. What I have trouble with is the suggestion that trees
somehow lower crime.
Could it be that trees are more likely to be found in suburban areas where
crime rates are lower anyway? Could it be that people who live near parks
live longer because they walk to the park and not just because the park
is there?
What do you think about this? Is this another researcher who had some
funds that needed to be spent and couldn’t think of anything useful
to study? Do you think that the presence of trees could make a difference
in the crime rate? If the government planted trees in the inner city,
would crime go away, or would the criminals hide in the trees like the
snipers did?
Do you think there is any validity in this study? Do you live on a tree
lined street? Do you think that makes a difference in how you feel? Do
you feel safer because of the trees?
Nesting,
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“He that falls in love with himself will have no rivals.” - Benjamin
Franklin
“A lie told often enough becomes truth.” - Vladimir Lenin
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Dating Artifacts
[Thanks to Dora
in Denver]
A tourist is traveling
with a guide through one of the thickest jungles in Latin America,
when he comes across an ancient Mayan temple. The tourist is entranced
by the temple, and asks the guide for details. To this, the guide
states that archaeologists are carrying out excavations, and still
finding great treasures. The tourist then queries how old the temple
is.
"This temple
is 2503 years old", replies the guide.
Impressed at this
accurate dating, he inquires as to how he gave this precise figure.
"Easy",
replies the guide, "the archaeologists said the temple was 2500
years old, and that was three years ago."
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“Fear is the oldest and strongest emotion of mankind.” - H. P Lovecraft,
American author (1890-1937)
“Cowards die many times before their actual deaths.” - Julius Caesar,
Roman general and statesman, (100-44 B.C.)
“The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted.” - James
Madison, 4th US President (1751-1836)
“The censor’s sword pierces deeply into the heart of free expression.”
- Earl Warren
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E-Mail
the Imp
There was a woman who was rushed into the hospital to give birth. She
was about a week early and her husband was away on business, so her
“stoner” brother brought her in. There were a few complications, but
the delivery of fraternal twins, a boy and a girl was successful. When
she came out from under anesthesia, she found out that her babies had
already been named by her brother.
Worried about what names her “druggie” brother might have chosen, she
asked the nurse, “What’s the name of my daughter?”
The nurse replied, “Denise”.
The woman thought, that’s not too bad, I guess my brother wasn’t stoned
when he provided the names for the birth certificates. She then asked
the nurse, “What’s the name of my son?”
The nurse replied, “Da Nephew”.
(Denise/Da Nephew as baby names is part of urban legends
and is addressed by Snopes.
The link has an entry that is a reprint of a 1917 joke that is in bad
taste in these PC days. Considering the hoopla that was raised the last
time an old comment was duplicated in RGQ, I don’t want to go through
that again. If you can’t accept what has occurred in the past as not
applicable to today, don’t open the link. If you open it and take umbrage,
pick someone else to jump on…I didn’t write it, I wasn’t even born until
over two decades later. What you will find are quite a few supposed
names that resulted from misinterpretations of the written word. My
favorite is vagina [va-GEE-na]. Let’s keep the slings and arrows to
a minimum, please.)
Picking a name for a baby can be difficult, it can be traumatic, and
it can even cause family trouble. Imagine the rich uncle that has a
nephew named after him and changes his will, laving the bulk of his
estate to the nephew and not his son. Forget Kissing Cousins, you now
have Family Feud.
Picking a name for a baby can cause the child to suffer psychological
pain and suffering. If your last name is Sochs, don’t name your son
Jim. If your last name is Fudd, by all means refrain from choosing Elmer
for your son and heir.
I went to school with a girl named Mary Christmas. School was bad enough,
the kids always teased her, but she dreaded going on job interviews
or visiting government offices. Responding with what sounds like “Merry
Christmas” when asked for her name, no one really paid attention or
took her seriously after that even when she showed her ID.
There was a time many, many years ago, when children were either given
biblical names or family peculiar names. Mary, Ruth, or Sarah; John,
Joseph, or Luke were typical monikers for kids, as were their ethnic
variations. Sometimes the last name of an ancestor or respected elder
was used as a first name, most often to curry favor with the elder.
Sometimes that “weird” given name became a tradition in the family long
after the elder it represented had passed on along with his estate.
I have a friend who has the same middle name as his sister…Carslyle.
It’s a common first or middle name in his family, which was the last
name of a really rich great grandmother. He bitches that the family
fortune didn’t survive as well as the family name.
We’ve gone through a spate of what I call “cutesy” names, particularly
for girls. We’ve had a lot of “Toni’s, Honi’s, Bambi’s, and other "-i’s”,
and a plethora of “-isha’s”, over the past few years. There even appears
to be a bunch of made-up names…they seem to have been assembled from
three or four random syllables.
On my first trip to Korea, I mentioned how different Korean names sounded
compared to Japanese and Chinese names since regular conversation in
all three languages sounds quite similar to an occidental ear. An Old
Gunny told me that when a Korean family has a baby they take the pots
and pans in the kitchen and hold them above their heads. They drop them
and the sound they make when they hit the floor becomes the baby’s name.
People with a limited vocabulary have in the past heard a word for the
first time that sounded “nice” and chose that for a baby name. How many
and how often I don’t know, and Snopes doesn’t either. Most instances
that we hear about are usually jokes in poor taste about Blacks, Rednecks,
Yuppers, Newfies, or others. But I’m sure somewhere out there is someone
named “Le-MON-juhlo” (Lemon Jello). But a favorite of mine, and a real
name, is “Shanda Lear”, the daughter of Bill and Moya Lear (of Lear
Jet fame).
Maybe some day I’ll meet the Genster kids, Lina and Peter. Or perhaps
the Bright twins, Knotso and Knottoo. Or a Native Indian girl named
Squattoopee.
Which reminds me of the Native Indian boy complaining to his mother
about his name. He says, “My brother is named Soaring Eagle and my sister
is named Gentle Fawn, but my name is very different, why?” His mother
replies, “We name our children after the first thing we see beyond the
teepee after the child is born. Now do you understand Two Dogs Screwing?”
The Bad Sied 
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Tammy had something to share with her extended RGQ Family, and asked for
her 15 minutes.
My
cousin is a good and kind person. She and her husband have served their
small community as volunteer firefighters and paramedics for years. They
have a young son, who is growing up to be sweet and caring (and all-boy,
climbing to the top of various appliances).
She sends handmade birthday cards to the whole extended family. She plans
elaborate – but not extravagant – birthday parties for her
son, with a theme cake (baked herself) and games.
They have a modest home. They work. They spend time with family. They
are, as we say in the South, good people. I don’t get to see her
nearly as often as I would like.
The last time I saw her was at her baby shower. A roomful of friends and
family gathered at the church for silly baby shower games, punch and cake,
and gifts. The future big brother was there, enjoying all the attention.
The pregnancy had gone fine, and her due date arrived. And passed. The
process had begun, then stalled. The baby was fine, though, and so they
waited, hoping labor would begin naturally.
After a little more than a week they decided they would induce on Wednesday,
and they scheduled admission to the hospital. Again, baby and mom were
fine, and no complications were expected.
When caller ID showed my mother’s number, I expected to hear length
and weight and hair color. To my great sorrow, that is not what I heard.
It appears that during the night Tuesday the umbilical cord became wrapped
around the baby’s neck. The baby was delivered – stillborn
– on Wednesday afternoon.
How can one day make so much difference? In less than 24 hours joyous
expectations have turned into tears. What do you say? Do they want to
hear you say anything at all?
I have prayed often today, since that phone call. To ask why such things
happen? For comfort for my family. To ask that their older son understand
– to the extent that he can – why his little brother will
not come home.
I don’t have any answers now. I have to trust that I will know one
day why such things occur. - Tammy in Alabama
Tammy, I know that words seem inadequate at times
like this. I’m sure your cousin is in great pain and nothing you
say will stop the pain, but knowing you are there for her will help. Just
knowing others care is a big help. My thoughts and prayers are with you
and your cousin. If there is anything I can do please contact me.
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On
this day in history, A new
worldwide standardization group is founded. Headquartered in Geneva,
Switzerland, the ISO began as an idea proposed in October 1946. At a
meeting at the Institute of Civil Engineers held in London, delegates
from 25 countries saw a need for "international coordination and
unification of industrial standards." A meeting held in Paris in
April 1947 produced a list recommending 67 ISO technical committees.
The early "Recommendations" they produced were derived from
standards that had been developed nationally and then were to be re-introduced
nationally.
ISO is neither an acronym nor initialization of the full name of the
group. The official languages for the entity are English and French.
The full name in English is the International Organization for Standardization.
In French, it is Organisation internationale de normalisation. ISO,
pronounced eye-sow (rhymes with how), is from the Greek word isos, which
means equal. Since the name changes according to the language, the Organization
chose to represents itself with ISO. The logo is a blue background with
a globe marked with longitude and latitude lines and ISO covering the
globe itself, all in white.
We looked at that bad experience and said this is a great opportunity
to use a problem solving strategy we’re going to use in the future under
ISO, a process to resolve issues related to quality. - Tom Hicks
In addition, we have external auditors. The most important technologies
applied to improve the refinery production are safety, health, and the
environment. Thirteen new systems were applied to achieve the ISO Certification.
- Husain Ismail
We designed the facility from the customers’ perspective, investing
heavily in new shop capabilities and making sure the layouts would be
more conducive to efficient, timely work flows. Our ISO-9000 initiatives
and Kaizen innovations have helped along the way. We have room on this
new site to grow in place literally for decades to come. - Dave Ford
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Email Kirsten
“Don’t
let your mind bully your body into believing it must carry the burden
of its worries.”
~ Astrid Alauda ~
The nature vs. nurture debate has been going on for a long, long time
now. It’s a discussion that we’ve all heard of, and at times participated
in. Those on the “nature” side believe that genetics accounts for
what kind of personality someone has. Whether they are aggressive
or gentle, kind or mean, good or evil, is all determined by the DNA.
Those on the “nurture” side believe that genetics has very little
to do with it, and that it all comes down to how a person is raised.
These are the people who tend to blame someone’s parents for all of
their mistakes, and who try to claim that bad parenting is the cause
of such things like autism, paranoid schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder.
Most people - experts and laymen - now believe that who a person is
can be attributed partly to genetics, and partly to environmental
factors. The debate is no longer which of these two things gets the
credit (or blame, depending on what kind of person we’re talking about).
Now the debate centres around the questions of how much influence
each factor has.
My understanding of the whole issue has been this: the parts of our
personalities that are down to genetics are fixed. There’s nothing
we can do to change them. They are the parts of us that are “hardcoded”,
they are intrinsic to who we are. On the other hand, the elements
of ourselves that result from our environments can be changed. Sure,
if something has been ingrained into us from a very early age, it
can be very difficult to alter it or reverse its effects, but as long
as it’s not actually coded into us from conception, it is possible
to change them.
And now, according to a study
that will add a whole new dimension to this whole debate, my understanding
would appear to be dead wrong. Scientists had already proven some
time back that regular, systematic child abuse can permanently alter
the structure of the neural pathways in the brain. This makes some
sense, since the neural pathways are determined by a great variety
of things including memories and feedback into our sense of self-esteem.
A team of neuroscientists at McGill University has taken this one
step further by showing that child abuse actually causes genetic changes.
The team studied the brains of young men who had experienced major
episodes of physical or sexual abuse as children, and then gone on
to commit suicide in their thirties. They found that the experiences
of these unfortunate men had changed the expression of an important
gene that is involved in a person’s response to stress. The marks
on the gene reduce the amount of protein produced in the stress response
pathways, thus reducing the individual’s ability to cope with stress.
The implications of this could be huge. For a start, reading about
this has certainly clarified my understanding of genetics. More importantly,
though, the findings of this study could lead to potential genetic
treatments for people who have gone through traumatic experiences.
If this path of study continues, maybe the survivors of abuse will
be given ways to cope better with the memories of their experiences.
Maybe they will not get to the point of feeling so desperate that
they want to take their own lives. It is completely worth pursuing
hope for people who would otherwise feel hopeless.
Kaleidoscopically yours,
Kirsten
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You’ve all heard about the job in Australia taking care of some island.
Sied would be better for the job, as he has all sorts of toys that “walk
on water” and I sink in water. I didn’t apply for the job, but I think
Sied did. Sied, I hope you get it and a budget that will allow you to
“patrol” the area. I don’t know if Chris in Utah (I think) is looking
for a job, but, well, that’s none of my business.
I don’t know if you’ve heard about the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit
issue, but pretty much every person that has graced the cover has
on to fame and fortune. Kathy Ireland. Those eyes. Man, I’m telling
you, if she didn’t marry that doctor, I’d be all over that. Sure,
I would need earplugs because she has a rather annoying voice, but,
hey, we all have to deal with things in life that aren’t “just right”.
Now of course, since regrettably Kathy is out of the picture, I’d
like to introduce you to Bar.
I’m sorry Kathy, but she has this certain quality of being single.
And she has a unique name. Bar? Jeez, even if she were ugly I would
love her more. I’m afraid I’m going to have to stop pursuing you,
Kathy. I’ve found someone else.
Now the only reason I brought that up is so I can bring this up.
Models go to places like that island in Australia. It costs money
to fly “their people” in for a shoot. Sied can handle the transportation,
I’m sure.
I’ll be the lowly island “bathing suit adjuster”. It’s a tough job,
but somebody has to do it. 
Tim a’Musing
Having a Ball with Yarns
Sorry
Tim, the job of bathing suit adjuster has already been taken by Mike.
He doesn’t bite his finger nails when he gets close to the job and
therefore
leaves no scratches to mar close ups. I do have an opening
for a Bikini Line
Trimmer and Hot Wax Assistant if you’re up
for the job.
- sied
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Uses
For Old Newspaper
Use to
raise height of child at table. - NorCalKat |
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Light turnout this time, but I got some make ups to fill in.
Try
this line from Julian.
Next opening line…
An American (not very wise)…
Hints:
Here’s a great new rhyming/composition tool. http://www.writerhymes.com/
There’s also a great rhyming dictionary at http://www.rhymezone.com/
Limerick rules. http://freespace.virgin.net/merrick.sheldon/limerickrules.htm
Submit
Opening Line
Submit
Limerick
A
lady from Botany Bay…
was a wiz making pots out of clay.
But the best knack she had,
That drove all the men mad,
Was the magic she made in the hay. - Lola |
A
lady from Botany Bay
Found she could whip men for pay
It can’t be denied
Such things happen worldwide
(Except in the U.S. of A.) - Julian, England |
A
lady from Botany Bay—
went to the plant store yesterday—
she was feeling lazy
and so bought some daisies
which she planted next to the hay. - Cassandra in New York |
A
lady from Botany Bay
Went out sightseeing for the day
She was looking for culture
Instead found a vulture
Who said he’d "escort" her for pay. - Bonnie |
The
stock that I bought was a flop
I put all my cash on the corn crop
Then came the intense heat
Making my cash deplete
When all the corn on the stalk did pop. - Anne Onimous |
The
stock that I bought was a flop
Thought I invested in a sweetshop
Then came the police raid
Biggest of the decade
It turns out it was a sweatshop. - Anne Onimous |
The
stock that I bought was a flop
I invested in a donut shop
The along came some brats
Who warned of transfats
And now weight people want to drop. - Anne Onimous |
The
stock that I bought was a flop
The lift firm was going to the top
Though it had downs and ups
There were a few shakeups
Right after that, the bottom did drop. - Anne Onimous |
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Re:
Forensics
The forensic
evidence problem is a huge one. Again, I’m a cop in Utah. We’re within
10 miles of Salt Lake City, but we’re a small town. We have 38 sworn
officers working for the city. Salt Lake has there own full time forensic
team. That’s all they do, go from one crime scene to the next processing
what they can.
When you work for a small town, you wear a lot
of hats. I’m an "expert" traffic accident investigator, (I
actually do pretty good work there, I have a background in physics,
which really helps…), I’m a SWAT negotiator, I’m a certified dispatcher,
a financial crimes detective, and a crime lab technician (CSI tech).
Each one of those positions requires quite a bit of training. And they
do send us to a lot of training. (Ok, the DID send us, until the sky
fell and our budget bottomed out…)
Getting to the point, we’ve used Salt Lake’s crime lab team for a homicide
we had recently. We figured that since they do this all the time, and
since this is all they do, we could learn from them and make sure the
scene was handled appropriately. As it turned out, we all get the same
training, and we all do the same work. They just do more of it. We found
the same evidence that they did before we turned it over to them, we
would have found the same prints and would have lifted the same DNA.
While it is pretty technical, CSI isn’t really rocket science. And while
fingerprint evidence isn’t nearly as reliable as DNA, it IS reliable.
What your article was talking about is what is called a partial fingerprint.
If you are lucky enough to find what is called an "AFIS" (Automated
Fingerprint Identification System) quality fingerprint, and it matches
your suspect, it is so close to the reliablilty of DNA that the difference
is not worth mentioning. But we very very rarely get that quality of
fingerprint. We do find partial prints. They say that they are of comparison
quality, if you find a suspect, you can match it to that person, but
you can’t run it through the AFIS system. Those prints are not nearly
as reliable as DNA. Those prints are the ones that cause problems. I
could go on and on…
The bottom line is that the problem that is being reported is more on
the side of police relying too heavily on forensic evidence to make
their case, and juries not being educated in the rules of evidence.
The cost would be prohibitive to mandate a CSI team for every jurisdiction,
and the benefits would not be there. The system isn’t broke if the investigators
and the prosecutors keep it honest. - Chris in Utah
Re: Isolation and Loneliness
I’m on-line almost all the
time; I guess I have time to comment. I had few friends in school, but
one of the best relationships was based on passing notes. Email is like
that - it gives time to reflect, and respond when ready. I have seldom
had many face-friends, and have been quite disappointed in many of them.
When I wound up in an isolated situation, I discovered email, and it
gave me enough of a social outlet, possibly averting a fatal case of
cabin fever. However, it is hard to guess what opportunities I might
have found, spending my time differently. I maintained my on-line relationships
while moving to a community where I will always have a hard time socializing;
it will matter a lot if the lines go down, and already I miss having
face-time and the skills that go with it. - Bob of the North
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Disclaimer- All quotes printed in this publication are believed to be accurately
attributed, but no guarantees are made that some incorrectly attributed,
or even outright false quotes won’t get in here from time to time.
I assure readers that I will do my best to weed out incorrect quotes, and
will print a retraction as soon as I become aware of any errors. |
Click here to see the archives of past issues, or go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/reallygoodquotes/messages.
If you run across something really outstanding when perusing the archives,
I’d appreciate it if you’d mail me at TheBestOfRGQ@yahoo.com
and point it out to me. I’m in the process of compiling an e-book
called, not surprisingly, The Best of RGQ, and I’d like to hear from you
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