Take the cilantro, leave the zamboni

Mirror neurons control erection response to porn, reported New Scientist, last year.

I'm sorry, I need to go sit on the floor and laugh for a while. It's... just... oh I can't even explain why it's funny, excuse me....

*falls apart*

Ahem.

Anyway.

I notice in the article that they say they ran subjects in the fMRI WHILE showing them either explicit or boring educational videos WHILE having them hooked up to a penile plethysmograph. That is a LOT of equipment to be hooked up to while watching porn! Those were some brave subjects, yo.

PS: Lest you think I'm only reading science trash, I got this article from this lengthy critique of bad social neuro methodology and bad imaging study methodology.

Respectful Insolence takes on the phenom of scientists using their kids as research subjects. Go, Orac, go!

I'm in a CAS E-seminar about new enhancements in the web version of SciFinder.

Their example of a saved search alert is an author search for the author Andrew Maverick.

I... look, I am SO tired of that word even when it appears in a name, okay?

My mind goes back to CAS getting Ralph Regula all fired up to try and stop PubChem a few years ago, and I just have to roll my eyes....

Meanwhile, back in the real world, I was listening to this seminar while answering an email, and I poured myself a cup of coffee from my thermos, and about 2 minutes and half the cup later, I realized I was tasting soap more than coffee. *sigh* I thought I rinsed that thermos out.

I'm starting this beading kit tonight, just the boring prestringing-beads-on-thread part.

They evolved.

They rebelled.

There are many copies.

...you can see where this is going can't you?

Dr Lowery's benediction flew right over my head like a flock of birds today. I had NO idea what that was. I have now familiarized myself with something other than the first 4 lines of that hymn. The end, however, I TOTALLY got. AMEN!

For more commentary, ladysisyphus breaks the opening prayer and the benediction down for us a little more. The comments are good too-- her f-list is good people!

Oxlahun, just now: "Best speechwriting team since Sam and Toby."

I'm watching http://wgby.org/inauguration2009/index.html and it is AWESOME. (I'm also watching MSNBC with the sound off on my other computer.)

You can also get that info at http://www.pbs.org/vote2008/livestream/ which requires an applet but is also awesome. You can hear David Brooks gasp and say "oh WOW" every time they show a shot of the crowd, which is, of course, stupendous.

At work, we have CNN in the courtyard, MSNBC streaming down in the art department, and I forget what network streaming in the MEWS.

I love my workplace. I love this day.

And the "Obama! Obama!" cheers start up as I send this post....

Give me an alternative to the yuck that has been much of this weekend (my apologies to those of you who are working today-- at least it's a holiday, I'm not sure I could have gone today, regardless).

How are you going to observe or attend the inauguration tomorrow? I will be at work, but I'm expecting to have it streaming from WGBY at my desk, and hopefully I'll get the chance to check out the CNN/Microsoft "The Moment" photocollage thing when it's up, too. They're aiming to make it the most documented moment in history. Hey, if they can beat 9/11, go them.

Are there other forms of media coverage y'all would recommend?

Today: up at 10:30.

Kitchen: still clean! As predicted, cleaning the kitchen made me feel less like I was slowly going crazy. It also makes me want to cook, and to that end, last night I made broccoli soup, and right now I'm baking whole wheat bread. After this? Quite possibly, there will be black beans in the slow cooker, and maybe this time I won't make the n00b error of putting lemon juice in BEFORE cooking (the beans won't soften in the presence of acid).

Self-review document: working on it still makes me hunch my shoulders up around my ears, but I'm working on it. 2 paragraphs have been written today. I'll give it a good try and then go do something silly.

So apparently the world was _not_ actually falling apart the way it felt like it was, yesterday. At least it looks like I will make it until Tuesday....

The smell of whole wheat bread helps too. So does fresh snow, which looks really really pretty outside!

ETA: The hollow thump of a fresh hot loaf of bread helps SO MUCH. I may start doing this more often!