I learned 3 fascinating things on public radio this morning

In the space of 20 minutes, I learned three fascinating things this morning, all of which seemed directly relevant to me and my concerns, listening to KQED on my drive to work. (I normally bike, but I have a lot of stuff to carry today.) According to a story on NPR’s Morning Edition, autism may be caused, at least in part, by an interconnectivity problem between different parts of the brain.  From KQED, I learned that one in every $3 donated to California state campaigns since 2000 came from a tiny group of just 100 individual and group donors who together gave over $1 billion, and that more than 40% of registered voters in California are new voters, or people who only turn out occasionally.

The latter two facts/figures obviously reflect troubling trends in our political system that are only getting worse, and are skewing politics dramatically to the right.  The autism study seemed particularly fascinating to me because it held out the hope of limited treatments in the present, which was discussed in the story on NPR, and because it suggests that possibility of discovering why there has been an apparent increase in the prevalence of autism; if improperly functioning fibres in the brain are to blame, in whole or in part, we can begin to investigate what might be damaging the formation of these fibres or discover which genes regulate their structure and function. It’s pretty exciting.

I felt charged up in different ways and different directions by these three fascinating facts – but definitely charged up, and grateful to have learned them. So I joined KQED.  I get more out of KQED and NPR over the course of a year than I do from a lot of the other media and entertainment I pay for. Easily more than any five books I might buy during the course of a year. So donating $100 seems the least I could do.

That’s what I feel good about this morning.

For more…

• What’s Different About The Brains Of People With Autism? : Shots – Health Blog : NPR.
• Epidemiology of autism – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
• In State Politics, Big Money From Few Donors: Forum | KQED Public Media for Northern CA.
• Finding Ways to Motivate the Occasional Voter: The California Report | The California Report.
• Donate, Join, Renew | KQED Public Media for Northern CA.

Filed under: Feel Good, autism, different parts of the brain, election, KQED, NPR, Politics, prevalence of autism, public radio, state campaigns, voting

The Tumblr-ization of Pinterest: Fish Fingers and Custard!

There’s a board on Pinterest called Fish Fingers and Custard!. If Pinterest is your first major foray into social networks beyond FaceBook, it will look a bit strange.  But if you’ve spent any time on Tumblr, it will look very, very familiar.

And I think that’s a good thing.  To a large extent, Pinterest feels like the product pages and ads from House Beautiful, Martha Stuart Living, Cosmo, Fine Cooking, FHM and… wel,l all those other magazines that are little more than glorified catalogues.

The intrusion of a quirkier, less product-placement mentality from the world of Tumblr is a welcome development.

What is still lacking, though, is an intrusion from the world of journalism – with all the stunningly pictorial events happening around the world, from tornadoes and other climate change catastrophes to war and famine (and even the odd nice thing) this is a still a lack of boards and pins reflecting any kind of political or social awareness and interest.

For more…

• Pinterest – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
• fish fingers and custard | Tumblr.
• I go ‘ding’ when there’s stuff..

Filed under: Feel Good, Interweb, Doctor Who, Pinterest, Tumblr

You know that thing in movies where women take off their glasses…

You know that thing in movies where plain looking women take off their glasses and suddenly become beautiful?  My favorite example of it comes from The Big Sleep when Humphrey Bogart is hanging out in a bookstore and the schoolmarmish clerk…  Well, watch:

These TUMBLRers have explored the truth behind the myth. If you only look at one TUMBLR post this year, it has to be Magical Deductions ⚡☂:

And why? Because “Men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses.”

For more…

• The Big Sleep on Amazon.com
• The Portable Dorothy Parker (Viking Portable Library)
• Dorothy Parker Rothschild.

Filed under: Feel Good, Interweb, Movies, girls, glasses, Tumblr

Furniture made from Golden Gate Bridge steel

If you are not a native San Franciscan, perhaps this won’t seem that special to you, but for me I find myself lusting after furniture in a way I haven’t done since I discovered the work of the Eames Brothers.

You remember that passage in Neal Stephenson’s Cryptonomicon when one of the characters is writing about Gomer Bolstrood furniture and his wife’s erotic fixation on heirloom furniture? Like that.

Golden Gate Bridge Furniture Co.

Filed under: Feel Good, San Francisco, deskporn, furniture, Golden Gate Bridge, lust

Animal Cam: Condor Chick at the San Diego Zoo

This Condor chick is only two weeks old. You can visit her at SDZ Global Wildlife Conservancy – Video – Condor Cam and vote between now and April 2nd on her name.

And here’s mom:

#animalcam #raptorcam

Filed under: Feel Good, animal cam, nature, raptors

Animal Cam: Red-tailed Hawk Nest at Cornell University

Live! Red-tailed Hawk Nest at Cornell University, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

This is the female, Big Red, who just laid her third egg on March 22 and the clutch is likely complete. Incubation lasts 28-35 days, so hatching should be around the week of April 13.  You can also vote on a name for her male partner.

The sounds are not anything special, compared to those of the Bald Eagle Cam, but the site has a chat feature which can be fun.

#animalcam #raptorcam

Filed under: Feel Good, animal cam, nature, raptors

Animal Cam: Bald Eagle Feeding

More pics from Alcoa Bald Eagle Camera at Davenport Works.

#baldeaglecam

Filed under: Feel Good, animal cam, nature

Animal Cam: Bald Eagles [updated]

I haven’t figured out yet how to just watch the cam of these bald eagles without the surrounding corporate material, but this is nonetheless wonderful: Alcoa Bald Eagle Camera at Davenport Works.

The sounds are also wonderful.  I’ve had it playing all morning in the background – it’s really made a change to the feel of my office.

Update: I think the eagles might be onto us:

Filed under: Feel Good, animal cam, nature

What’s making me happy this morning: Ancient warrior’s helmet

 

Ancient warrior’s helmet is found off Israel – Technology & science – Science – LiveScience – msnbc.com.

Filed under: Feel Good, archeology, history

We love… moss graffiti

Mosstika’s living graffiti is amazing | Grist.

Filed under: Feel Good, Urbanismo, art, environment, NYC

We love… Hannah Hart and My Drunk Kitchen

Check it out: Hannah Hart – Home – Harto & Co.

The official homepage for the latest happenings with Hannah Hart.

Come and take a load off! Have a drink, have a think, buy a shirt, couldn’t hurt.

Big fans of poetry here. Be prepared for intermittent limericks.

Find out about floor pizza, and how all food containing cheese is really just an excuse to eat cheese – and watch Hannah cut out the middleperson – in her latest video.

Filed under: Feel Good, Food, cooking, humor

We still love… Animal, from the Muppets

Animal—from The Muppets—driving a British Audi while speeding through a German road.
(via The Muppets’ Animal Caught Speeding, Driving Police Crazy.)

Filed under: Feel Good, Muppets, TV