Rebecca's Pocket

Is the Internet making us stupid?

That's what I said (and said and said).(via waxy)

Ben Stein - When You Weren't Looking, They Were Working

Too true - and important - not to post: When You Weren't Looking, They Were Working

Get it in your heads that if you throw away your moral duties to your parents, you are thieves. You were born on third base and your parents put you there, and you think you hit a triple. It's not true. It's time to give back.

Thanks Mom and Dad, and parents everywhere, for taking such good care of us.

Book Recommendation: Basic Economics

Can anyone recommend a good basic book on economics? Something for an interested layman (me) that will clearly explain the basic concepts? Please email me.

Things may be quiet around here....

I have sustained a minor injury that restricts my ability to type. If this weblog is slow or even silent over the next month or so, please don't worry. I'm away from the keyboard taking care of myself. Update: I'm going to have to avoid the computer completely for a while. See you in a month.

Photos of earthquake damage in Beichuan Qiang County, Sichuan, China

Unbelievable photos of the devastation from the May, 2008 earthquake in Beichuan Qiang County, in Sichuan, China. (via s1a-tweet)

Haiku Torah

The Torah in haiku. (via br)

What's in Season across the US, month by month

What's seasonal in your area? Browse the Epicurious Peak Season Map - select a month and click on your state. (via se)

Generation Y: Dumber than Gen X - or More Agile?

Is Generation Y really The Dumbest Generation?

[T]here is no empirical evidence that being immersed in instant messaging, texting, iPods, videogames and all things online impairs thinking ability. "The jury is still out on whether these technologies are positive or negative" for cognition, says Ken Kosik of the University of California, Santa Barbara, codirector of the Neuroscience Research Institute there. "But they're definitely changing how people's brains process information."

Does Time Run Backward in Other Universes?

Scientific American: Does Time Run Backward in Other Universes?

2008 Summer Reading Lists

Worth Reading marks the beginning of summer reading season with the first list of lists for 2008. Because of my injury, I won't be able to maintain a master list of summer reading lists this year - perhaps they can take up the mantle?

Update: They have! This list is growing every day. Keep checking back for additional summer reading ideas.

Book suggestions for those who like House

Book suggestions for readers who enjoy the television series "House". Especially intriguing: A historical thriller series set in the 12th century about a cynical, smart female physician/coroner, Adelia Aguilar, who is brought to England to solve murder mysteries for King Henry II.

Portion sizes, then and now

Even I was surprised by the differences: Portion Sizes, Then and Now. (via se)

What is normal memory, and how to avoid Alzheimer's

Sue Halpern on what the latest medical research can tell us about "normal" memory, and how to avoid Alzheimer's.

Misogyny I Won't Miss - Marie Cocco

Marie Cocco on things she won't miss about the Democratic primary race.

I will not miss walking past airport concessions selling the Hillary Nutcracker, a device in which a pantsuit-clad Clinton doll opens her legs to reveal stainless-steel thighs that, well, bust nuts. I won't miss television and newspaper stories that make light of the novelty item. [...]

I won't miss Citizens United Not Timid (no acronym, please), an anti-Clinton group founded by Republican guru Roger Stone.

Political discourse will at last be free of jokes like this one, told last week by magician Penn Jillette on MSNBC: "Obama did great in February, and that's because that was Black History Month. And now Hillary's doing much better 'cause it's White Bitch Month, right?"

It really has been appalling. We've come a long way, baby.

The Pentagon's Five Step Plan For Making Iron Man (for real!)

Brookings Institution: A Look at the Pentagon's Five Step Plan For Making Iron Man Real. (via tl)