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October 18, 2008
God bless medical science. This from Science Daily piece on different stress responses in male and female mice: "Using female mice in research is complicated by the females' oestrus cycle - it impacts on neuro-physiological parameters, including behaviour and perception of stress. For these reasons, and because of the additional time and cost involved in taking such variations into account, people often avoid using females in their research." Bottom line: Female "problems" (see menstruation, see being female) make it more complicated to study females, scientifically-medically speaking. What to do? How 'bout just avoid complexity and the majority of the population and use the simpler (see non-menstruating, see male) model. And then, unless people really read stuff like "Science Daily," scientists can report and publish to their (mainly male) hearts' content, just so long as they avoid disclosing their gender-specific shortcuts (except maybe in some buried footnote somewhere). Ah. I remember a male engineering friend reciting the following acronymious mantra in college: "KISS -- Keep it simple, stupid." Which works for some things some of the time. Otherwise maybe let's try this for a change: "ACS -- Acknowledge complexity, simpleton." But then, this requires more work, as stated above, and is not, at least in the short run, cost-effective. But isn't the short run kind of short? We wonder. Posted by Melissa Price at 10:53 AM'Tis the season for sweets terrorism. It's that time of year when it gets cold outside and lady friends get to baking, bless their buttery hearts. Whatever it is they're baking, if not devoured in good time by husband and children will, inevitably, find its way to my doorstep. For instance, a good friend who attends monthly meetings of the Ladies' Poker Night (only the "Night" part is accurate) recently summoned a vanilla cake and brought it to a meeting where its moist deliciousness was picked at by extremely thin women. Its wholesome remains were then left with me, hostess, as a token of kindness. And it was kind. And it was good. And even though I insisted part of it be toted back to her hopeful husband who had initially mistaken the loaf-baker's intentions, the bulk of it wound up with me. It sat amid piles of grapes and strawberries and crudite, whole grain crackers, goat cheese, and other lowfat savories. It sat and gloated. Not for long. This being harvesttime soon spilling cornucopialike into Thanksgiving, Chanukah, Christmas, New Year's, vanilla cake was merely the first shot over the bow. Next meeting is Halloween-themed sheerly due to the laziness of aforementioned hostess. No doubt there will be waxy orange confections, sumptuous chocolates and other sugary treats. Maybe too some caramel apples and ghost cookies. I welcome it all. But ladies being ladies, I don't especially welcome being left with the king's share of sweets at the end of the evening. Especially as this king embarked upon a "lifestyle change" some time ago and is slowly making progress toward her goal of becoming less treacle, more salt and vinegar. Social eating is important. So for now, what they eat, I eat. Though it often seems to turn out that what they don't eat I also eat. Posted by Melissa Price at 10:29 AMOctober 17, 2008 Sounds like a pirate. Dances like a seahorse. Posted by Melissa Price at 11:49 AMOctober 15, 2008 Arrrrrrrrrrrrrgh! Re Prop 8: You should be able to marry who you want to marry, of course. The question I'd like to ask people who oppose: What is it you're not doing while you're spending so much time and energy hating gay people? What? Is there not one thing you can imagine that's more worthy of time and effort? Even perfecting your spitball technique would ultimately, I think, be so much more satisfying. Re No on Prop 8 commercials, specifically the one where the hot woman is playing the constitution: The No woman and No man are so sanctimonious I wind up kind of liking the sexist doofus a bit ... especially at the end when he says, feebly, "I'm on Facebook." Not the result they were looking for, I'm guessing. Posted by Melissa Price at 05:52 PMAnd another. Posted by Melissa Price at 02:35 PM London trip video bit A bit queasy, but Ron was not at the pub before he shot this. Posted by Melissa Price at 02:26 PMIt's about money. Bottom line. Race, gender figure in, of course. But the bottom line, as always, is economics. Posted by Melissa Price at 10:26 AMOctober 14, 2008 Hitchens on Palin The most insulting thing that a politician can do is to compel you to ask yourself: "What does he take me for?" Precisely this question is provoked by the selection of Gov. Sarah Palin. I wrote not long ago that it was not right to condescend to her just because of her provincial roots or her piety, let alone her slight flirtatiousness, but really her conduct since then has been a national disgrace. It turns out that none of her early claims to political courage was founded in fact, and it further turns out that some of the untested rumors about her—her vindictiveness in local quarrels, her bizarre religious and political affiliations—were very well-founded, indeed. Moreover, given the nasty and lowly task of stirring up the whack-job fringe of the party's right wing and of recycling patent falsehoods about Obama's position on Afghanistan, she has drawn upon the only talent that she apparently possesses. Full column here. When he's right, he's right. I just wish he wasn't so right. Though here he gets it wrong (except for the "boring affairs" bit): On "the issues" in these closing weeks, there really isn't a very sharp or highly noticeable distinction to be made between the two nominees, and their "debates" have been cramped and boring affairs as a result. And his "funny women column"--among others and on the other foot--misses the mark largely by imagining there is one. Posted by Melissa Price at 10:02 AMOctober 13, 2008 Ladies' Poker Night October 29 At my place, unless I find an alternative convivial uncrowded space. Beer, wine, snacks, stories and 700 laughs. At least. Bring something Halloween or Autumn-y, large or small, whatever. It could be an orange shoelace, say, or a pro-pumpkin button. Yay! See you soon! http://www.oldfashionhalloween.com/ Posted by Melissa Price at 12:14 PM
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