Re: Remarkably indeed!

1

i wonder if the survey corrected for the fact that those who have iphones get used to USING their (um, i guess i should say 'our') iphones to distract ourselves. the question then becomes: do we get iphones because we are naturally prone to distraction and want a tool to help us enjoy said distraction? or to we get iphones and therefore become more easily distracted?


Posted by: Elizamuqin | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 11:48 AM
horizontal rule
2

I used to be in touch with the universe. Then they added the CAPTCHA and I don't see any of those characters on my keyboard.


Posted by: Moby Hick | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 11:49 AM
horizontal rule
3

"Remarkably, some participants were prepared to answer the survey even when making love."

"In a followup survey asking these respondents whether they lied in the first survey, 92% responded, 'No'."


Posted by: JP Stormcrow | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 11:56 AM
horizontal rule
4

do we get iphones because we are naturally prone to distraction and want a tool to help us enjoy said distraction? or to we get iphones and therefore become more easily distracted?

The answer, I am prepared to state, is obvious, and the answer is also, I am prepared to state, both.


Posted by: nosflow | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 12:03 PM
horizontal rule
5

I mentioned it in a thread here recently, but another excuse for folks to go read Brautigan's Dreaming of Babylon. If your mind tends to wander, it's short.


Posted by: JP Stormcrow | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 12:18 PM
horizontal rule
6

My 8 year old was opening a tin on Friday, and got distracted halfway through that and wandered off.


Posted by: asilon | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 12:27 PM
horizontal rule
7

Insert unsurprising comment here to the effect that the combination of the information onslaught we experience, or subject ourselves to, combined with our disaffection from, if not downright annoyance with, our daily work results in boredom and dissatisfaction. Our minds wander.

The question is what to do about it.

Reports of happiness were most likely among those exercising, having a conversation or making love, whereas unhappiness was reported most while people were resting, working, or using computers.

Posted by: parsimon | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 12:33 PM
horizontal rule
8

If your mind tends to wander, it's short.

If your mind tends to wander, anything can be short.


Posted by: Jesus McQueen | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 12:44 PM
horizontal rule
9

Is it too soon to threadjack? Balloon Juice indicates that there's a NYT You Fix the Budget interactive game device available. It's to see how the budget deficit might be reduced.

Tom Levenson says he did in it 4 moves! Not really. But anybody who's more savvy than I about economic matters might give it a try.

I think we need some broad pushback against and engagement with the Bowles-Simpson co-chair deficit reduction proposal, and the more people who engage, the better.


Posted by: parsimon | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 1:05 PM
horizontal rule
10

The Dr Killingsworth mentioned in the article really should have been an anesthesiologist.


Posted by: LizSpigot | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 1:13 PM
horizontal rule
11

Back in my hometown there were Drs. Savage, Slaughter, and Deathrage. Not in the same practice.


Posted by: Turgid Jacobian | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 1:23 PM
horizontal rule
12

My orthodontist -- for braces -- back when I was a kid was Dr. Fee.


Posted by: parsimon | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 1:27 PM
horizontal rule
13

11: Deathrage?! How is that possible. What a great last name.

I have a client whose last name is the combination of two alien species from Star Trek. I instantly liked him after seeing his name.


Posted by: LizSpigot | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 1:28 PM
horizontal rule
14

I was delivered by Dr. Bottoms.


Posted by: heebie-geebie | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 1:28 PM
horizontal rule
15

14: So his specialty was breech birth, right?


Posted by: LizSpigot | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 1:29 PM
horizontal rule
16

One of my mom's colleagues in the forensic pathology biz was a Dr. Coffin.


Posted by: Jesus McQueen | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 1:47 PM
horizontal rule
17

My old doctor was S. Plint. And my daughter's Home Ec teacher is Mrs Cook.


Posted by: asilon | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 1:49 PM
horizontal rule
18

A teacher in my HS was Mr. H/appy Fick. Yes, that was his real first name. And yes, the German exchange students were greatly amused.


Posted by: Kwithanr | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 1:52 PM
horizontal rule
19

Somewhere I have a photo of a brass plate outside an OB-GYN's office in France with the name Anne-Marie Bastard.


Posted by: Jesus McQueen | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 2:03 PM
horizontal rule
20

13: Mr. Volkkenborg?


Posted by: foolishmortal | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 2:27 PM
horizontal rule
21

My son's pediatrician is Dr. Softness.


Posted by: Mr. Blandings | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 2:47 PM
horizontal rule
22

21: That name is . . . almost creepy. I am glad s/he isn't a gynecologist. I guess it's still better than Dr. Smoooth or something.


Posted by: oudemia | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 2:49 PM
horizontal rule
23

So awesome. Do you just want to squeeze him/her?


Posted by: Jesus McQueen | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 2:52 PM
horizontal rule
24

Wow. Dr. Deathrage. That makes me think of, oh, every character Rob Liefeld ever came up with.


Posted by: x. trapnel | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 2:58 PM
horizontal rule
25

And really, you all should click that link. Sample:

The most important thing you need to know before reading about all the terrible things Rob Liefeld has drawn is that he has never seen or talked to a woman in his life and has no idea what they look like or how their bodies operate. If you asked Rob Liefeld to draw a diagram of the uterus he'd put on a pair of gauntlets and punch the shit out of your chalkboard. This is how the man operates, and though I know it sounds like a lot, you have to believe me. I don't want you looking at the stuff he's drawing and think he's a conscious adult male with a creative job who can and has influenced the minds of young artists. The man is a pair of blue jeans with a face. He has on a backwards cap, and when he turns it around, it's still backwards.


Posted by: x. trapnel | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 3:01 PM
horizontal rule
26

According to my browser I've already clicked that link, but I don't remember why.


Posted by: nosflow | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 3:06 PM
horizontal rule
27

I'm pretty sure it's been posted here before (by Helpy-Chalk, maybe?).


Posted by: Mr. Blandings | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 3:10 PM
horizontal rule
28

26: Me too. I think snarkout posted it, actually.


Posted by: oudemia | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 3:12 PM
horizontal rule
29

Back in my hometown there were Drs. Savage, Slaughter, and Deathrage.

Those sound like they should be Kiwi names.


Posted by: Minivet | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 3:20 PM
horizontal rule
30

Snarkout did post it. Though I had seen it somewhere long before that. Possibly the ISB linked to it.


Posted by: essear | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 3:26 PM
horizontal rule
31

Some things need to be appreciated anew every once in awhile. Besides, c'mon, Deathrage? That's the most Liefeldy/Image Comics name ever.


Posted by: x. trapnel | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 3:31 PM
horizontal rule
32

31: Indeed. Could have been an "oops, I don't own the rights to Deadpool, so... um... Deathrage!" sort of thing. (There probably was a character like that, but I'm proud to not know.)


Posted by: essear | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 3:33 PM
horizontal rule
33

I'm wondering if Deathrage is actually Deatherage, which name comes up a few times.


Posted by: | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 4:17 PM
horizontal rule
34

33: Me taking the wonder out of the world since teo's not around.


Posted by: JP Stormcrow | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 4:17 PM
horizontal rule
35

I've probably linked to this famous pair of authors before.


Posted by: essear | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 4:22 PM
horizontal rule
36

Shockingly on-topic: "Between social awareness and productivity: Results of a survey about real-time microblogging"

"In April 2010, we conducted a survey of 256 users of real-time microblogging platforms, mostly Twitter users, in order to analyze usage of those platforms and evaluate induced cognitive impact. In this article, after reporting and discussing the results of this survey, we identify opportunities to reduce information overload and frequent disruptions. We propose a novel approach for filtering status updates from real-time microblogging platforms based on contextual relevance between their authors."

Could these results perhaps revolutionize comment-parsing ... at The Mineshaft?


Posted by: x. trapnel | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 4:38 PM
horizontal rule
37

Err, that was supposed to have a link to this First Monday article.


Posted by: x. trapnel | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 4:38 PM
horizontal rule
38

We propose a novel approach for filtering status updates from real-time microblogging platforms based on contextual relevance between their authors. Never read the comments.


Posted by: JP Stormcrow | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 4:47 PM
horizontal rule
39

Some things need to be appreciated anew every once in awhile.

True. I was actually thinking of the Liefeld illustrations recently, apropos of some Boris books that crossed my desk. Boris looks like a pretty happy guy in that later life picture; in younger life he looked like a version of the young Arnold Schwarzenegger, which is kind of weird.


Posted by: parsimon | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 4:51 PM
horizontal rule
40

I had an oral hygienist named N. Brush.


Posted by: Light Rail Tycoon | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 4:52 PM
horizontal rule
41

A true gentleman never tells.


Posted by: Moby Hick | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 4:53 PM
horizontal rule
42

39: Boris' 2nd wife: "She has painted the covers for 2 albums by rock-icon, Meat Loaf--Bat Out Of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose and Hang Cool Teddy Bear."


Posted by: x. trapnel | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 5:05 PM
horizontal rule
43

I just thought the titles--in particular, the contrast between the two titles--were worth drawing attention to.


Posted by: x. trapnel | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 5:06 PM
horizontal rule
44

42, 43: Without clicking through to see in what periods of Meatloaf's life those albums were put out, uh, yeah, looks like everything has worked out okay. Hang Cool Teddy Bear. add emoticon here.

I really am surprised that Boris looks so fine in later life. I've tended to think that artists depicting he-men and she-women in distorted proportions must be kind of fucked up in the head, and while Boris is no Liefeld in that regard, still, it's there.

People are attracted to all manner of genre kitsch, though, and Boris is an icon. Apparently does mostly erotica now.


Posted by: parsimon | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 5:20 PM
horizontal rule
45

I've tended to think that artists depicting he-men and she-women in distorted proportions must be kind of fucked up in the head, and while Boris is no Liefeld in that regard

Well, if his 2nd wife is representative, Boris was painting from models who were in fact competitive bodybuilders, so that gives him some excuse. "If a real human can look like so, then surely a fantasy person could look 30% more ripped!"


Posted by: x. trapnel | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 5:30 PM
horizontal rule
46

34: no.


Posted by: Turgid Jacobian | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 5:30 PM
horizontal rule
47

In my textbook-selling days, I noted that our U offered an introductory Econ class using a textbook by Professor Boring.


Posted by: Rah | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 5:31 PM
horizontal rule
48

I think. But I'll ask my folks if he's still around. And if he wants to ruin my fun.


Posted by: Turgid Jacobian | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 5:33 PM
horizontal rule
49

he-men and she-women

Se-men?


Posted by: heebie-geebie | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 5:35 PM
horizontal rule
50

Damn you, Stormcrow. There is a third, central "e" in he surname. Your skepticism RUINED one of my fondest memories.


Posted by: Turgid Jacobian | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 5:38 PM
horizontal rule
51

45: I know.

It's just the implied "And if only people did look 30% more ripped than we do! In fact it would be an awesome world!" aspect that seems, well, unrealistic. But it's fantasy.

I forgive a lot to the fantasy illustration world, to be honest. It's just a(n) historical fact now: this is how we've depicted heroic personages in that genre, for better or worse. It's done some damage.

I recall a remark by what's-her-name who starred in the Terminator movies. Linda Hamilton. In the second Terminator movie she was in incredible shape, and very hot; she was asked in an interview whether she was interested in doing a third film, and she replied along the lines of "No way. It took extraordinary, daily work to be in that kind of shape, and I have no interest in maintaining that."


Posted by: parsimon | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 5:54 PM
horizontal rule
52

50: My work here is partially complete.


Posted by: JP Stormcrow | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 6:06 PM
horizontal rule
53

20: That's actually pretty close. We must not speak any further!


Posted by: LizSpigot | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 7:06 PM
horizontal rule
54

52: that is some remarkable and narrow-bore evil, you old
coot.


Posted by: Turgid Jacobian | Link to this comment | 11-14-10 7:15 PM
horizontal rule
55

Those sound like they should be Kiwi names.

So if I get to look after some beasties that look like a cross between a fat kitten and a humming bird with some chicken in its ancestry, I have to give them really threatening names to keep their morale up?


Posted by: chris y | Link to this comment | 11-15-10 1:03 AM
horizontal rule
56

A guy I know sees a marriage counselor named Dr. Rampage.


Posted by: di kotimy | Link to this comment | 11-15-10 4:51 AM
horizontal rule