Pet people

As a former pet owner I shouldn't be surprised at the degree to which people are attached to their pets. We shared our life with a cute-to-us but weird-to-others mixed (to say the least) dog for fifteen years. She warmed her way into our hearts during a visit to the local SPCA with the idea - not necessarily the act thereof - of of adopting a pooch. In order to make her presence known she stuck her front paw out of the cage as we walked by, causing us to stop in front and comment "awwwwww..." Changing paws a few times to underline her desire/desperation to go home with us, our resistance was weak and the rest, as they say, is history. It took more than five years to even be able to talk about her when she was gone, without my eyes welling up with tears and a period of nose-blowing.

Some people would rather be an adoptive "parent" to a pooch, as is the case with a family member. As the caregiver/slave to her daughter's lap pooch, she admits to being a 'grand-dog' care-giver. In a recent Facebook posting, she shared her feelings admitting to a friend, "I am dog crazy...we had our dog growing up but now I have my Grand Dog, Winston, to dote on! The older I get...the crazier I become...Go figure!"

In England at Christmas time, a man was threatened with a fine for afixing posters of his lost dog on trees, in the middle of the night. That's how desperate dog owners become in being re-united with their best and lost friend.

Statistically, Canadian pet owners would rather deal with their furry friends than other people, according to a recent study by Harris/Decima. A study revealed that 53 per cent of Canadians who own pets find them more reliable than people. Ninety per cent of Canadians talk to their pets and one-third have confided their deepest, darkest secrets to Fido or Milo or Hero.

Furthermore, 73 per cent believe pets can sniff out illness.
- Women more likely to confide in pets (33 per cent) than men (18 per cent).
- 44 per cent would bring their pets to a hotel if allowed.
- 86 per cent believe pets can help lift a bad mood.
- 82 per cent of retirees (65 plus) feel less alone in their home because of pets.
- 67 per cent believe their pets help to keep them active.

The survey was conducted for Purina and its pet connection website, PawsWay.ca.
http://www.canada.com/life/Pets+more+trustworthy+than+people+Survey/3980862/story.html

What does all this mean in the scheme of things, you might well be asking yourself. We need our pets as much as our pets need us. Or to put it into perspective: "Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms" (George Eliot) Ain't that the truth!

Stuff you need to know...like...whatever

It's one of those surveys that make you wonder how they reach these conclusions. More to the point, why did poll takers bother going around asking Americans what their most annoying word is. In the end, will it have any effect, anyway?

Again for the second consecutive year no less, the word 'whatever' topped a Marist poll for being the most annoying word or phrase in the English language. Who wants to know this and why?

To discover the answer to this question, one must go to the source of the question, the Marist Poll, for a further explanation. To break it down, 39% of Americans actually despise(!) the word followed by 'like' coming in at 28%. Following close behind, 'you-know-what-I-mean' is deemed the biggest verbal gaffe by 15% of the population. Close on the heels is 'to-tell-you-the-truth' at 10% and 'actually' is irritating to a mere 5% of the population.

Come to think of it (a term I use very often and probably bugs a lot of people) these are phrases that most people utter regularly. My choice is you-know-what-I-mean. There is something about that phrase...

Interestingly, among younger Americans in the 18 to 29 category, 44% wouldn't mind if 'like' was eliminated for everyday conversation, while 37% of those in the 30-44 age category claim the usage of the word 'whatever' bothers them the most. Finishing it off, 46% of Americans in the 45-59 age group and 40% of those in the 60 years old category agree.

In case anyone was wondering, "The Marist Institute for Public Opinion (MIPO) is a survey research center at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York. Founded in 1978, MIPO is home to the Marist Poll and regularly measures public opinion at the local, state, and national level. The Marist Poll is highly respected and is often cited by journalists and analysts around the globe."

Your most annonying word(s)?

Whatever...

The line up - Brits don't like it

Love those surveys! Yet another one out of Britain, a country that appears to enjoy doing surveys scientific and other-wise, focusing on an act we all do and yet many of us despise doing it. A busy day at the supermarket is a common place where people of all ages gather in large numbers while doing it. The "it" in this case is having to wait in line to pay or do anything, actually.

According to the survey conducted on-line, the average British adult is able to line up for 10 minutes and 42 seconds before expressing their frustration. How, one wonders, did they calculate that 42 seconds but I digress. It's sort-of surprising given the Brits tolerance for things. The most disliked line ups were - surprise - at the supermarkets in addition to the post office and airport check-in and security.

People in the 55 years of age and over category become restless 3 minutes before younger people, however, those 35 years of age and under were more likely to take their frustration out on whoever happens to be handy at that time. This could mean, one presumes, getting verbally nasty. Seems what really aggravates those surveyed is when people dawdle. This is logical if, for example, a cashier and customer discuss and plan social events while the line grows and grows, or when the person in front has a conversation on her/his cell phone and loses track of time, or when people decide to get rid of all that heavy, pesky change... Ask me about it! But again I digress.

To avoid having to wait in line, most Brits prefer to pay their bills on-line, something that is popular with people living in North America and most likely all over the planet.

The on-line poll of 2,006 adults found that one in five people do their shopping at night to avoid the lines. It would be interesting if somebody would conduct a similar poll to see how people living in other countries feel about lining up. Would, for example, culture play a part in how people would react? Weather conditions? So how do people reading this feel about lining up?

The hills are alive with haggis

Those Brits - never fail to surprise us! Most stories that include statistics are usually cut-and-dried factual reports focusing on a subject that attracts readers specifically interested in the topic. On occasion, statistics have entertainment value. Okay - I find these particular stats entertaining.

An on-line take-out food service, Just-Eat.co.uk, recently commissioned a survey, which revealed that one in five people in Britain believes that haggis, a traditional Scottish dish made from the lung, liver and heart of a sheep, is an animal that roams the Scottish Highlands. Yet another fifteen percent believe it's a Scottish musical instrument and another four percent believe it's a Harry Potter character.

The purpose of the survey, which questioned 1,623 people, was to ascertain how many Brits were aquainted with traditional Scottish food. Even more surprising was the revelation that 14 percent of the 781 Scottish people polled didn't even know what haggis was.

Actually, when it comes down to it, how many people reading this have ever tasted haggis, seen it on offered on a menu or would recognize it if placed on a plate? I know I wouldn't. Here is a photo of the dish in case somebody serves it to you and you don't want to appear ignorant:

http://www.freefoto.com/images/09/35/09_35_3---Haggis_web.jpg

Thinking further on this subject many countries have their own culinary specialties. For example poutine with cheese curds and gravy on top of french fries, is a dish loved by Canadian Quebecers:

http://www.voir.ca/blogs/nouvelles_musique/poutine.jpg

There's some great pics of unusual (to say or write the least) food items here:

http://damncoolpics.blogspot.com/2009/01/weird-things-people-eat-around-world.html

As an aside, in the name of a community TV program, I've indulged in sucking on a bug lollipop, crunched on a chocolate covered grasshopper. Declined fried maggots in tomato sauce. There was something about the way they moved too realistically in the frying pan that bugged me.

Aliens are among us - at least 20% of people believe

The topic of aliens - the interplanetary visitors kind - with friends and aquaintances tends to be a conversation ender. For the record I'm of the belief that given the enormity of our solar system, there have to be other life forms. Maybe not humans as we know them...perhaps they take the form of - I dunno - worms or ants or crows (crows are very smart so they could be one of "them") but I digress.

I'm not the only one to believe the existence of aliens since a Reuters Ipsos global survey of 23,000 adults in 22 countries reveal that more than 40% of people in India and China believe that aliens are here on planet earth disguised as humans (or ants...or...), while those least likely to believe this possibility live in Belgium, Sweden and Netherland (8%). However, the majority of people polled or 80% don't believe they're living amongst us.

A while back while discussing this topic with an aquaintance, she swore me to secrecy and shared her belief that she may have come accross an alien while shopping at the supermarket. The supermarket no less! Anyway, the reason for this belief is that this particular female's ('it' was in female form) skin was a definite shade of grey that sort-of glittered plus she had a protruding forehead. She didn't approach the woman/alien because, I mean, what would you say? 'Hi there - you look like an alien'?

The survey also disclosed that more men than women — 22 percent vs 17 percent — believe that alien beings are on earth. The majority of the believers are under 35 years of age.

Personally, I'm open to the possibility that aliens are amongst us. Just keep your eyes on the crows - they know.

Brits suffer cookie injuries

Why anyone would want a survey focusing on cookie accidents is puzzling but then this story comes from England, where scientists produce some very "interesting" studies.

According to a new survey written up in the Daily Telegraph, more than half of all Britons have been injured by biscuits. You read it right: good, old cookies. We're not talking anything physical like angry tea drinkers tossing biscuits at each other. Britons are a civilized lot and would never deem to such actions. It appears that an estimated 25 million adults have been injured while dunking their biscuits or breaking a tooth. Go figure that dunking a biscuit could be dangerous but I digress. What's more, 500 people have actually gone to the hospital as a result of their injury.

"Well doctor – I was dunking my chocolate biscuit in my tea, not realizing that the water was scalding hot and burned my lip," a tea drinker might offer in the way of an explanation. Or "well doctor - I was digesting the remnants of my vanilla cream, my favorite biscuit and suddenly some crumbs got caught in my throat. I choked so much that my dog, Cedric, became alarmed and barked, which alerted my wife, Priscilla, who gave me CPR. Unfortunately, she broke a few ribs not knowing that the problem area was my throat."

It seems that custard creams are deemed the most dangerous risk at 5.63 according to The Biscuit Injury Threat Evaluation. Does this group really exist and if so, why haven't North American companies been using their services? Jaffa cakes on the other hand, are rates the safest biscuits at 1.16. This important stuff we all should know!

Research company, Mindlab International were commissioned by Rocky, a chocolate biscuit bar, to conduct the research. So this begs the question as to why Rocky would pay a company to rate biscuits, period.

According to the results, it found almost a third of adults said they had been splashed or scalded by hot drinks while dunking or trying to fish the remnants of a collapsed digestive. Presumably, "fish the remnants" can be interpreted as inserting one's forefinger down one's throat in an attempt to dislodge a stuck piece. It also revealed 28 per cent had choked on crumbs while one in 10 had broken a tooth or filling biting a biscuit.

Now here's the big reveal: three per cent had poked themselves in the eye with a biscuit and seven per cent bitten by a pet or "other wild animal" trying to get their biscuit.

And you thought cookies were a safe food.

Finger length an omen of future earning success

One has to ponder how much money was allotted to the group conducting this study. More to the point it strikes me that British researchers seem to have access to a cache of funds for - how shall we say - unusual studies.

In this case scientists at Cambridge University, presumably through close-up studies, have deduced that a man's fingers could predict his future success. The researchers who studied the forefingers of financial traders, concluded that those whose ring fingers are longer than their index fingers make the most money.

Say what?

The link could be down to testosterone exposure in the womb, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences says.

This exposure may improve rapid decision-making skills and has been linked with aggression.
The same ring-to-index finger ratio, which is determined in the womb, has previously been
associated with success in competitive sports.

Researcher John Coates and his team reported last year that testosterone seemed to boost short term success at finance after they found City traders with higher levels of the male hormone in the morning were more likely to make an unusually big profit that day.

He said studies suggested similar associations with finger length are also seen in women.

The article on http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7825890.stm states that "when the researchers looked only at the experienced traders, those with longer ring fingers earned far more than those with shorter ring fingers - £838,000 compared to £154,000 on average, respectively."

Seems that Belgian researchers, not to be outdone by the Brits, have discovered that "men with longer ring fingers become less "socially minded" - less willing to give money to a fellow participant - after watching aggressive movies."

Who cares? Gimme a break!

I dunno. Given the current state of the economy around the world with people starving, becoming homeless and the loss of employment, why on earth would someone waste/conduct a study that focuses on fingers and their potential for whatever?

Experts study the line up...as in queuing

There are all types of queuing or lining up but it's doubtful that people would assess it as enjoyable...or interesting. For many of us having to wait in a line, for example, at the supermarket or buying fast food, is not a pleasurable experience especially when interlopers attempt to squeeze in front. But I digress.

Unbeknownst to most of us, lining up is now a subject of a study by experts in the field of queuing psychology.

Say what? Yup. Actually, one wonders what type of background would be required to be a line-up-psychologist.

A study is currently being done focusing on the psychology of the reaction of your ordinary people to lining up...and waiting for whatever.

The director of the Center for Engineering Systems Fundamentals at MIT, Richard Larson, believes that their findings may not always reduce wait times, but they can cut frustration and make people feel better . He should know having researched queuing psychology for more than twenty years.

Eliminating empty time, for example, makes waits seem shorter, Larson found in his research.

Visitors lining up for attractions at theme parks see this principle at work with queues that often use clever design and technology to make the line itself entertaining.

Read more about Larson's findings and theories here: http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/11/20/queuing.psychology/index.html

Personally, "line-jumpers" are the worst offenders but here's some basic queuing pschology 101:

- Occupied time feels shorter than unoccupied time

- People want to get started

- Anxiety makes waits seem longer

- Uncertain waits are longer than known, finite waits

Unexplained waits are longer than explained waits

- Unfair waits are longer than equitable waits

- The more valuable the service, the longer the customer will wait
- Solo waits feel longer than group waits

(Source: David H. Maister, "The Psychology of Waiting Lines")

Go figure that waiting in line is now considered a science!

Heavy metal...C&W? Taste in music indicates personality type

Playwright William Cosgrove wrote, "music has charms to sooth a savage breast" and according to Professor Adrian North of Heriot-Watt University, musical taste is an indicator of personality type.

Sounds plausible.

The good professor recently conducted a study involving 36,000 people around the world and he found that a person's taste in music is related to her/his personality. In Professor North's words, the research is "significant" and "surprising."

It suggested classical music fans were shy, while heavy metal aficionados were gentle and at ease with themselves.

Participants in the study were asked to rate 104 musical styles and questioned about aspects of their personality. So why conduct the research you're probably asking yourselves?

"If you know a person's music preference you can tell what kind of person they are, who to sell to.

If you have some spare time, the study is continuing and Prof North, who is head of the university's department of applied psychology, is still looking for participants to take part in a short online questionnaire here:

http://www.peopleintomusic.com/

Interesting that the questionnaire has two categories for those people between the ages of 16-23 and those older than 24.

Here are some of his findings:


MUSICAL STYLES VERSUS PERSONALITY TRAITS
BLUES
High self-esteem, creative, outgoing, gentle and at ease

JAZZ
High self-esteem, creative, outgoing and at ease

CLASSICAL MUSIC
High self-esteem, creative, introvert and at ease

RAP
High self-esteem, outgoing

OPERA
High self-esteem, creative, gentle

COUNTRY AND WESTERN
Hardworking, outgoing

REGGAE
High self-esteem, creative, not hardworking, outgoing, gentle and at ease

DANCE
Creative, outgoing, not gentle

INDIE
Low self-esteem, creative, not hard working, not gentle

BOLLYWOOD
Creative, outgoing

ROCK/HEAVY METAL
Low self-esteem, creative, not hard-working, not outgoing, gentle, at ease

CHART POP
High self-esteem, not creative, hardworking, outgoing, gentle, not at ease

SOUL
High self-esteem, creative, outgoing, gentle, at ease

There's gold in them thar California hills...again

Price of gas got you bloated? Running a little short of cash? You might consider visiting or even moving to California where there's a new Gold Rush, 160 years after gold fever struck.

It hit a new high of in excess of US$1000 per ounce earlier in the year and some believe there is money to be made from this precious mineral once more.

"You can pay your bills, if you live meagrely," says John Gurney, who gave up his job six months ago to become a full-time gold prospector.

John is standing in a shallow river in Jamestown, California, in the heart of Gold Country: in 1849, the same dream brought hundreds of thousands of people to towns like this.

He is panning for gold: he shovels rocks and dirt from the river bed into a bucket, sifts out the bigger pieces, transfers what's left into a ridged plastic panning bowl, and then, using a light movement back and forth, shakes the bowl, separating the lighter material from the heavier, including gold.

Each 20-minute session usually turns up a few tiny flecks.

"It's not a lot of money," John says, "but it adds up quite a bit... But you never know - you may hit the jackpot sometime."

This is the simplest way of gold prospecting.

The original 49ers - as they've become known - used this technique, as well as mining. Fortunes were made - and lost - in the wild towns that sprang up almost overnight along 200 miles of central California, an area they called the Motherlode.

Tourism is big business in the former gold-mining areas. Places like Jamestown and Columbia - which, in its heyday, nearly became California's state capital - have been mining tourists ever since. But now these ghost towns are stirring again, as more and more amateur prospectors try their luck.

Read the full story here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7378281.stm

Given the precarious financial situation with people losing homes and no income, perhaps gold fever will strike again.

Writers & Friends
www.jrslater.com/forum

PRESS 1 IF YOU'RE A PARENT OF A STUDENT

Can't take credit for writing this but I bet many people especially the teaching profession reading this will relate.


"Hello! You have reached the automated answering service of your school. In order to assist you in connecting to the right staff member, please listen to all the options:

"To lie about why your child is absent, press 1.

"To make excuses for why your child did not do his work, press 2.

"To complain about what we do, press 3.

"To swear at staff members, press 4.

"To ask why you didn't get information that was already enclosed in your newsletter and several fliers mailed to you, press 5.

"If you want us to raise your child, press 6.

"If you want to reach out and touch, slap or hit someone, press 7.

"To request another teacher, for the third time this year, press 8.

"To complain about bus transportation, press 9.

"To complain about school lunches, press 0.

"If you realize this is the real world and your child must be accountable and responsible for his or her own behaviour, class work, homework and that your child's lack of effort is not the teacher's fault, hang up and have a nice day."