Headlines of the Week (Or Whatever)

The ghazal is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain.

Automaticity is the ability to do things without occupying the mind with the low-level details required, allowing it to become an automatic response pattern or habit. It is usually the result of learning, repetition, and practice. Examples of automaticity are common activities such as walking, speaking, bicycle-riding, assembly-line work, and driving a car (see Highway hypnosis). After an activity is sufficiently practiced, it is possible to focus the mind on other activities or thoughts while undertaking an automatized activity (for example, holding a conversation or planning a speech while driving a car).

A demonym is a term for the residents of a locality. It is usually but not always derived from the name of a locality. For example, the demonym for the people of Canada is Canadian; the demonym for the people of Sweden is Swede. Some locations have double forms; for example, the demonym for the people of Britain can be either British or Briton. Here is a list of demonyms for U.S. states, including derogatory demonyms such as "Massholes" for people from Massachusetts.

Headlines of the Week (Or Whatever)

In which I spend way too much time on Wikipedia.


Human Hunting

Regression Toward the Mean

Teleology

Perestroika

The Judgement of Paris

The Internet is for... Kids.

I was recently involved in a discussion regarding how we allow our children to use the Internet. I was surprised to see so many negative responses, especially concerning viruses and pornography. Many parents cited protective reasons to severely restrict their children’s Internet usage, and made with clear (with their terminology, concerns, etc.) that they, themselves, were not strong Internet users. This attitude strikes me as ridiculously short-sighted. Just like with other boring or worrisome topics, we have a responsibility to educate ourselves about Internet usage so that we can educate our children.