Showing posts with label left. Show all posts
Showing posts with label left. Show all posts

First-NIght-Effect Means Little Sleep at New Hotel

SAnthropology: we have evolved to be on guard on the first night when sleeping in a new place.
Man is still a hunter. We may live in cities and believe we are advanced but our genes have evolved to survive in the wild outdoors beneath the starlit night sky. If we move into a new environment getting a good night's sleep on the first night is a problem. Our brain is "on-guard" against unknown dangers.
Primitive man sleeps
This phenomenon is in all animals. One hemisphere of the brain will sleep while the other remains on sentry duty. This "first-night-effect" is permanent. There is no cure because it isn't an illness. After the first night the brain adapts, records the new environment and deems it to be safe.

Tests show that the left hemisphere sleeps lighter in a new situation. Slow-wave activity is weaker than the right hemisphere. Furthermore, the default-mode network which involves mind wandering is more active. This indicates that the brain is checking the environment. Sleeping test subjects were played some normal and some unusual sounds. The left hemisphere became even more alert when it heard unusual sounds or even loud sounds. After the first night the brain became "normalized" then no such activity was observed.
 Anthropolgy by Ty Buchanan 
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Gender Equality in Australia Is Not on Mate!

The main problem with our Prime Minister is her gender. Australia still remains an "ocker" society where males see themselves as superior. Just how John Howard would have behaved in opposition to Julia Gillard is anyone's guess, because he epitomizes the Aussie male. Most lie in the center politically.

Australia's cultural heritage has left us with a very odd political system. There is a Coalition of a so called centrist party and a right wing party derived from pastoralists. Even in the centrist Liberal Party there are ultra-conservatives, mainly as they have nowhere else to go.

Labor is accused of being splintered into factions, but the Coalition is truly split between centrists and rightists. To put it bluntly they hate each other just as much as Labor factions. Some parliamentarians have left the National Party claiming that their rightist and in some cases center (tariff protection) policies are totally ignored by members of the Liberal Party. This is the main reason we have a Labor government. Two disaffected Nationals, now independents, joined with Labor to create the governing temporary coalition.

Getting back to gender problems, Joe Hockey, shadow treasurer, recently said about Julia Gillard that she “has never deserved respect and will never receive it.” This is arrogant. Even when John Howard ruled with an iron fist, he was respected by Labor politicians. Unfortunately, the present leader of the Coalition, Tony Abbott, tends to blatantly ignore Julia Gillard in parliament, sometimes not even responding.

Of course, he knows that he can behave this way. He has the next election in the bag. As a Labor politician said years ago: even a drover's dog could win.

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Conservation
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Government Spending Has to Be Reduced

Many people in developed countries rely on welfare to live their lives. The welfare state has been accepted as the only way for government to go - until now. Britain where the welfare state began is making major cutbacks in government payments.

Even in the US, where government support is perceived as low by non-US citizens, middle class welfare is rife. The term middle class is a widely misused term. Everyone knows it means the rich. It seems everyone has the their hands in the government feed trough.

In Australia the baby bonus was introduced by a right wing Howard government. It is ironic that it has been virtually abolished by a left wing government. It was available to all, rich and poor. No means testing was ever done.

The problem is political parties keep giving in order to be elected. This happens until a major deficit occurs and cutbacks are forced onto prevailing government.

If redistribution of income was not done the rich would get richer and the poor would be used as "serf" labor. Unfortunately, political parties "look after their own" when they are elected to government. Right wing governments do have a heart and do redistribute mainly to the poor. However, middle class welfare tends to creep up over time.

It is now accepted by the average voter in developed countries that the time has come for significant cuts in government spending. People do "squeal" when spending is cut specifically to them. There are immediate consequences when recipients no longer receive benefits. The Salvation Army has had a major increase in single mothers wanting food assistance.  This is due to single mothers being forced onto the dole by recent government changes.

A direct problem to hard government cutbacks, when public servants are dismissed, is an increase in unemployment. Of course, this means a higher demand for unemployment benefit support. There is always the danger of pushing the economy into recession. If this is the consequence of spending cuts voters soon change their tune and blame a government. Rationally, continuous priming of an economy by more spending must ultimately end. The piper must eventually be paid.

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Economics
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People Line Up to Pulverize the Left Brain

It's amazing - show something in a documentary and people want it quick smart. Sorry about the pun. People are having high voltage electricity pumped into the left side of their brain to make them more creative and it is excruciatingly painful.

The theory goes: pulverise the left brain until it no longer functions then the right side takes over and you can draw and paint better. That's just about it. And people are lining up in droves to try it.

It doesn't do a thing for your intelligence and damage to your brain has not been determined yet. Apparently, it not only improved your artistic faculties, you can do sums better as well. But it's creator Allan Snyder of the University of Sydney says it makes you child-like, hardly something you really want.

No, it's probably better if the left side of the brain controls the right side - better for society that is!
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