Stockholm Syndrome

There was a morbidly fascinating story on the psychological dynamic between captor and captive in today's New York Times.

One would think that the captive would be overjoyed at being freed; but it's not that simple. People held for a long time in captivity like Jaycee Dugard develop ambivalent feelings towards their captors.

Excerpt from the article:

David Wolfe, professor of psychology and psychiatry said:

“The child is frightened, and the perpetrator works to gain or regain the child’s confidence, to come across as a really good person: ‘I’m not going to hurt you, everything’s going to be O.K.’ and so on.

“So the child never knows when to fight or run,” he continued. “Do I wait and it’ll get worse? Or do I believe him and I won’t be hurt?”

Humans are wired to form social bonds, and such scraps of kindness can deepen even a relationship built on manipulation and abuse.

The Eiffel Tower @ 120 years Old

It was supposed to be torn down, but survied to capture the imagination of millions.

You and your brain might not be in agreement.

You and your brain might not be in agreement.

Studies have shown that while artificial sweeteners may taste sweet, only real sugar can both taste sweet and stimulate an area of the brain called the caudate. There is apparently a difference between the perception of sweetness and the detection of the nutrient value of sugar.

image at http://www.healthnode.org

Pretty in Pink

Shaquille O'Neal promised to don a pink speedo if he lost a game of volleyball to Olympians Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh. Well, guess what, he lost. Check out the video.

Twins Born In Different Years

Twins born in different years?

Yes!

One twin born 15 weeks premature, in October 1994; the other twin was born 14 weeks later, in January 1995.

Other "strange but true" pregnancy tales here.

Colbert Treadmill in Space

Finally, NASA is sending Stephen Colbert's treadmill to space.

What do these have in common? (Part 2)

Q. What do the following have in common:

Miley Cyrus
Jessica Simpson
Britney Spears
Rhianna
Jessica Biel

A: They're all singers of questionable talent. Just kidding! Jessica Biel doesn't sing, we all know that. No, what they have in common is that they are all rated by McAfee, the computer security company, as being "dangerous" search terms. Enter these names into an internet search, and you're likely to be led to a site that contains viruses.

The total list is here.

Image of Jessica Biel at http://www.rtvchannel.tv

What do the following have in common?

Q: What do the following have in common:

• Diazepam (Valium)


• Lorazepam (Ativan)


• Lidocaine (Xylocaine)


• Midazolam (Versed)


• Propofol (Diprivan)

A: These were all drugs Michael Jackson was given by his doctor and used during the three days before his death. They're sedatives, anesthetics, and tranquilizers used in the treatment of insomnia. The coroner's report states that he died due to toxic levels of propofol (brand name: Diprivan).

MLB's 2nd unassisted triple play

The Phillies Eric Bruntlett ended the game Sunday with only the second unassisted triple play in the history of Major League Baseball. That's pretty stunning! Even though my Mets suffered a loss, it is an amazing sight.

Watch TV when you open your magazine

Some are asking if si-fi is now reality. You can now find a video player in Entertainment Weekly. It holds up to 40 minutes of video. For now these ADs will only be seen in NYC and LA.

The Summer of Death™

Above: Some of the Notable People who have died in the summer of 2009

NYmag.com has named 2009 The Summer of Death™. There have been 21 deaths of "notable people" between June 2009 and now. The previous Summer of Death was 2003, when there were 15 deaths of notable people.

Read the full list here.

Persepolis 2.0

I loved the movie Persepolis, which is why I'm excited for a continuation of the work - although it's not done by Marjane Satrapi, but rather her compatriots (expatriots both) Payman and Sina, who live in Shanghai. The continuation is called Persepolis 2.0, and tells a story based on the recent elections in Iran.

Is She Really a She?

That's the cloud over this woman's breakout track and field breakout performance. Fascinating story.

Bikini Clad Britney Spears on Letterman

Funny or pathetic attempt at staying in the spotlight? You decide.

Who Says Frozen Isn't as Good as Fresh?

So maybe you heard that Celine Dion is pregnant with an embryo that's been frozen for 8 years.

But you know what else? That's okay! Frozen embryos make healthier babies than fresh embryos!

Good Samaritan Beaten up

Milwaukee mayor beaten up after helping a grandmother.

Joe Six-Pack: Out

Apparently, the latest must-have accessory for cool guys in New York is: a pot belly.

Out:

In:

Image of Benicio del Toro courtesy of http://i.dailymail.co.uk

Health Care with a French Accent

We've been discussing health care reform for the past couple of weeks. Many have tossed around socialized medicine. Take a look at how health care works in France.

This Job Pays $40,000 - $50,000

This article in the New York times -- about a blogger who wrote that a recent murder in Pensacola, FL was not a robbery gone sour but was, in fact, a contract killing -- got me thinking. The hitmen in the case were allegedly paid between "$20,000 and $50,000." I was thinking, is this the market price for this sort of thing?

Simplyhired.com says (chillingly) yes: the average salary for a hire-to-kill job is $44,000. It also notes that "average hire to kill salaries can vary greatly due to company, industry, experience, and benefits."

You can always play a lawyer

In these tough economic times, it seems even actors are looking for something to fall back on. Hey, we'll always need lawyers. Actor Jerry O'Connell is going to law school. He has already been to orientation and starts classes next week.

Most Expensive Food in the World

From time to time, we all enjoy indulging in good foods. What would you splurge on? Is it the world's most expensive dessert (@ $25,000) or Kobe beef @ $150 a pound. A mere steal.

Check them all out here while you salivate. Enjoy!

The Dirty Dozen

Fruits and vegetables are good for you, right? What about the pesticides on your fruits? There is a list called the dirty dozen. Check out this story with all the details.

Take THAT, iFart!

iFart is an application that generates different fart noises which you can download to your iPhone.

Now the competition gets even dirtier with Pee Now, an application which... well, let's let the developer's own words do the describing:

"This application is true urinary fun. The application allows you to play pranks on friends or foes. Use Pee Now to shock your friends and embarrass your enemies in public. Mark your territory as you choose your peeing terrain. If you are in a class room with tile floors just click"Pee on Tile". If you are standing next to someone in your driveway just click"Pee on Gravel" Dont worry, if your driveway is paved, just click on "Pee on cement" Have you ever been the butt of a joke? We all have trouble trying to express ourselves sometimes,we use our hind site and wish we had thought of a witty come back line. No need to panic while coming up with a great comeback line any longer. PeeNow includes Pee related comebacks at the touch of a finger. You dont even have to open your mouth. Your iphone will do the talking for you. The creators of PeeNow say why spend time laughing at passing gas, when you can laugh so hard you will pee your pants. "

Nora, the piano playing cat

She's so talented! Nora is a star in her own right. She just got a huge column in USA Today.

Angelina Jolie Breastfeeding Statue

Some say this statue of Angelina Jolie raises awareness for breastfeeding. Others say it's too sexual. You decide. You can see the statue in person in Norman, Oklahoma.

You Too Can Be Kenyan!

Have you heard of the "Birthers"? They are obstensibly a group of people who are challenging whether Barack Obama was born in the United States. They claim he was born outside of the U.S., in, say, Kenya.

Now you can get your own Kenyan Birth Certificate (false, like all the ones attributed to Barack Obama) from kenyanbirthcertificategenerator.com. Enjoy!

Hillary Clinton gets testy

Former President Bill Clinton scored big when he negotiated the release of two journalists from North Korea.
At the time, many wondered if he was making his wife look bad. This was the result of bad translation, but Hil didn't know that when she answered this question from a university student in the Congo.

Sony Pictures to produce Michael Jackson film

Michael Jackson's "This Is It" concert series was being directed by Kenny Ortega, director of "High School Musical". Does anyone else find that weirdly fitting?

And although we will never see the concert series, we will get to see the next best thing. More than 80 hours of rehearsal footage for the "This Is It" tour will be edited into a feature-length film to be released by Sony Pictures Entertainment.

TSA went home. Passengers trapped on a plane

9 hours on a small plane with no place to go. The pilot landed in Rochester due to bad weather. TSA workers were gone for the night so the passengers were stranded on the plane for 9 hours.

Facebook for Real

Ever wonder what Facebook might look like in real life... Check this video out.

Murderer Gets 15 Years in Prison

Image: Japanese public education poster about jury duty.

We in the United States may begrudge jury duty, but (speaking as an American) I can't imagine how the American justice system would ever function without it.

Japan has not had a jury system since 1943. Instead of a jury, panels of 3 or more judges would hear cases, decide guilt or innocence, and sentence the guilty. But the jury system was reintroduced by legislation in 2004. I was living in Japan at the time and can recall the public education effort, in the form of posters and TV commercials.

Now finally the first trial by jury in 66 years in Japan has ended, resulting in a verdict of "guilty" for a 72 year-old man accused of fatally stabbing his 66 year-old neighbor. But what I thought was remarkable was the punishment: 15 years in prison. The family of the victim wanted 20 years. I am surprised that no one asked for the death penalty, which does exist in Japan.

A Slimmer, Trimmer PJ

Two images of the same man: Academy Award-winning director, Peter Jackson. The top image is a newer one, screen capture from "The Lovely Bones" trailer on Apple.com.

3 women + 1 man +glue= REVENGE

Three women, one man... he was cheating on his wife... the women found out and got even. Now they're in trouble with the law. Check out this GMA report.

Dog crashes into mirror over and over again

Rambo the dog keeps crashing into his image. Poor guy. He's fine though.

Halal-to do about something...

A posting on the slightly more serious side (for verysmalltalk, anyway)... this very interesting post by Robyn Eckhardt at EatingAsia, a wonderful and award-winning travel and food blog that Robyn and her husband Dave Hagerman author together. In this posting, Robyn observes how in some countries, like Thailand and Indonesia, halal and non-halal food stalls coexist side by side in the marketplace, but in Malaysia, the non-halal stalls are generally hidden away. There is a very interesting discussion about religion, politics, and national identity which follows her posting. Check it out!

image: http://www.iconceptbiz.com

Snuggie for Dogs

Here is special contributor Patrick Baldwin

Apologies to all dog folks out there, but this one may be too far. Sweaters and team jerseys for Fido were one thing. No your labor doodle can have its own Snuggie. Yes, the infomercial craze that is sweeping couch potatoes across the nation has jumped the shark.
The creators say "With an estimated 74 million family dogs in the United States, it only made sense to keep those almost 300 million chilly paws warm this season." So, apparently your dog's fur coat isn't enough to stand up to the rigors of air conditioning.
You can get one for the low low price of $9.99

Slice of Your Wallet

This caught my eye: $5.00 for a slice of pizza in Brooklyn, at Di Fara pizza.

What?

Isn't that a little too much for a slice?

One of Di Fara's founders states that they use only the best ingredients, and that's why they charge $5.00.

Around where I live in Southern California, the going rate for a New York-style slice of pizza is $2.50. How much would you expect to pay for a slice?