Advent Soundtrack: Track 9 (+ Quirky Asia Files!)

Today's song is "Angels We Have Heard On High" -- and I'll bet that you've never heard it performed quite like this. Link via Neatorama. And YES, the fellow is playing BROCCOLI as a musical instrument.

Great Moments in Research: Canadian Professor Finds an Equation for Procrastination

No, really!

Here it is:

Prof Piers Steel, a Canadian academic who has spent more than 10 years studying why people put off until tomorrow what they could do today, believes that the notion that procrastinators are either perfectionists or just lazy is wrong.

Prof Steel, who admits to becoming distracted by computer games himself, argues in a new book that those prone to putting things off suffer from a vice of their own - impulsiveness.

Chronic procastinators, who make up 20 per cent of the population, are more impulsive and erratic than other people and less conscientious about attention to detail and obligations to others, he says in his forthcoming book, The Procrastination Equation: Today's Trouble with Tomorrow.

The psychologist, from the University of Calgary, has subsequently formed an equation for why people procrastinate, which began by studying 250 college students.

The equation is U=EV/ID.

The 'U' stands for utility, or the desire to complete a given task. It is equal to the product of E, the expectation of success, and V the value of completion, divided by the product of I, the immediacy of the task, and D, the personal sensitivity to delay.

Film Culture Commentary: "Twilight" Is Bad, But Is It Harmful?

My contempt for "Twilight" knows no bounds, and I'm even willing to call it "Twilight" Derangement Syndrome.

In terms of quality, the book was an unmitigated flop, and I hold out very little hope for the movie adaptation, though in all fairness, I have to say that I haven't seen it yet (La Parisienne and I are planning, in a fit of morbid curiosity that might just be fatal, to see it soon -- as soon as I can flee from Nerdworld).

Basically, you all know that I've slammed "Twilight" for being bad. Artistic failings aside, the thing also has content issues. David Chen at Slashfilm has a recent post wondering if the "Twilight" phenomenon is actually harmful.

Movie News: Previews of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"

Some Potter news to aid La Parisienne in her convalescence.

Nerd News: Oxford University Press Mangles the English Language

Well, the title is quite critical, no?  How, you ask, has the venerable OUP been mangling the English language?

Gentle reader, it has been doing this:

Oxford University Press has removed words like "aisle", "bishop", "chapel", "empire" and "monarch" from its Junior Dictionary and replaced them with words like "blog", "broadband" and "celebrity". Dozens of words related to the countryside have also been culled.

The publisher claims the changes have been made to reflect the fact that Britain is a modern, multicultural, multifaith society.

But academics and head teachers said that the changes to the 10,000 word Junior Dictionary could mean that children lose touch with Britain's heritage.

"We have a certain Christian narrative which has given meaning to us over the last 2,000 years. To say it is all relative and replaceable is questionable," said Professor Alan Smithers, the director of the centre for education and employment at Buckingham University. "The word selections are a very interesting reflection of the way childhood is going, moving away from our spiritual background and the natural world and towards the world that information technology creates for us."

An analysis of the word choices made by the dictionary lexicographers has revealed that entries from "abbey" to "willow" have been axed. Instead, words such as "MP3 player", "voicemail" and "attachment" have taken their place.

Advent Soundtrack: Tracks 6-8

Time to decorate!

"O Christmas Tree"

"Jingle Bells"

"Deck The Halls"

Congratulations, Newly Elected Representative Joseph Cao (R) of Louisiana!

The American Dream is alive and well.

Louisiana voters have ousted indicted corrupto-crat Bill Jefferson and elected instead a Republican attorney, Vietnamese-American Anh "Joseph" Cao.

Here is a bit more about the loser and the new winner:

Mr. Cao, promising ethics and integrity, offered voters a break from the scandals associated with the incumbent and his siblings, several of whom have also been indicted.

Mr. Jefferson, 61, awaits trial on federal counts of soliciting bribes, money laundering and other offenses. Prosecutors contend that he used his Congressional office to broker deals in African nations, and say he received more than $500,000 in bribes.

Mr. Cao, 41 and known as Joseph, fled Vietnam at age 8 after the fall of Saigon. His father was a army officer who was later imprisoned for seven years by the Communist government. Mr. Cao, who has never held elective office, has been an advocate for the small but prominent Vietnamese community here and has a master’s degree in philosophy from Fordham University.

“Knocking Jefferson off is something you don’t want to bet on,” Elliott Stonecipher, a Louisiana political analyst, said Saturday night. “These elections continue to show us that there is a smaller, different and more progressive New Orleans that is emerging.”

Well, there's some hope and change!  Plus, what a great day for the American Dream, as a former refugee is now a Congressman.  Here is his website.  Mr. Cao, by the way, grew up in Houston, Texas, and also holds a bachelor's degree in physics from Baylor and a law degree from Loyola.

Mr. Cao will be the first Vietnamese-American in Congress.  Congratulations, sir!  Try not to get sucked into DC culture; bring some fresh perspective.

Hm, those Louisiana voters have been interesting indeed.  First they choose Bobby Jindal and now Joseph Cao...

Make Biodiesel From Coffee Grounds!

Il Barista and Noli Me Tangere!, this one's for you.

Great Moments in Research: Study Suggests Teenagers Have Too Much Self-Esteem

The study also suggests that such teenagers have developed feelings of entitlement.

WELL, DUH!

Even When Sick, Capitalism Can Still Kick Communism

Well, well, well, look at this headline: "Red alert as capitalist failings threaten communism." Blurb:

CHINA'S President has issued a rare warning to the Communist Party, telling officials the global economic crisis could shake its 59-year grip on power.

Hu Jintao's remarks, at a weekend meeting of the ruling 25-member Politburo, appeared on the front page of the party's mouthpiece, the People's Daily.

This would be a little silver lining to the dark cloud of the GLOBALFINANCIALAPOCALYPSEWE'REALLGOINGTODIEOMG, would it?

Link xie-xie to awesome Aussie Tim Blair.

Advent Soundtrack: Track 5 -- "O Holy Night"

It's a lovely song performed here by the lovely ladies of the group Celtic Woman. Enjoy:

Obvious Commentary of the Day: Obama's "Campaign Promises... Muted by Reality"

And the source of this stunningly insightful observation? The New York Times, apparently one beat behind the rest of the band.

The analysis in a nutshell: politicians make all sorts of loopy promises in order to get elected, but once in office and faced with grim reality, those loopy promises suddenly disappear.

To this I can say, "Well, DUH."

Nerd Notes: 19th-Century Cambridge Was a Den of Iniquity

The diary of a 19th-century Cambridge student has now been published, and he paints an interesting picture! Blurb:

The spires of Cambridge, its wooden punts, ancient colleges, greens and historic dining halls, do not generally conjure up images of drinking and prostitution.

But for a visiting 19th-century American student, whose diary of his time at the university is being published for the first time in 100 years, the crooked streets of the university city were full of immorality.

Charles Astor Bristed, who spent five years at Trinity College studying classics in the 1840s, said that students would “work hard and play hard”, and his contemporaries saw prostitution as something that was avoided only by those who were “frigid, highly religious or seeking physical benefits”.

O RLY?

Nerd Journal: Laughter Is the Best Medicine

Poor Il Barista is ill, and La Parisienne has just gone to see Dr. Feelgood. Her souvenir? A diagnosis of bronchitis. If I lived closer, I'd rush over and make you both a big steaming pot of silkie chicken soup.

So for my poor companions and for everyone else who needs a little medicinal amusement, I give you the following:

Nerd Notes: Academic Seeks Oxbridge Egg Donor

That's right: a British zoologist is seeking an egg donor, but only if the donor attended Oxford or Cambridge.

Speaking of this topic, I can't resist posting this satire from 2006.

In all seriousness, I've actually seen signs and flyers in Nerdworld asking for egg donors. Apparently you can make a pretty penny if you (or, really, your ovum) is selected by wealthy, infertile couples. I've seen figures ranging from $10,000 on up.

You know, like all nerds I'm always short of cash, but I don't think I'd sell my own ova. That just sounds ... creepy.

Geek Fun: Teddy Bears in Space!

Adorable. Notice the custom-made space suits!

Friday Fun Video: "Star Trek" Meets "Star Wars"

From the Cine-Sib comes this bit of mashup entertainment:

Advent Soundtrack: Track 4 -- "White Christmas"

Track 4 on the Advent Soundtrack is "White Christmas." And who else should sing it for you but the immortal Bing Crosby? Enjoy, gentle reader.

Movie News: "Terminator Salvation"

From the Cinema-Mad Sibling comes this new glimpse at the new "Terminator" film, starring Christian Bale as John Connor:

Great Moments in Higher Education: Scottish University Offers Class on Amy Winehouse

Yes, Virginia, at the University of the West of Scotland you now can take a university course on Amy Winehouse.

They tried to make me go to Winehouse class -- I said, "No, no, no..."