Quoting from this site:

LONDON (Reuters) – Keeping a full social calendar may help protect you from dementia, researchers said on Monday.Socially active people who were not easily stressed had a 50 percent lower risk of developing dementia compared with men and women who were isolated and prone to distress, they reported in the journal Neurology."In the past, studies have shown that chronic distress can affect parts of the brain, such as the hippocampus, possibly leading to dementia," Hui-Xin Wang of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, who led the study, said in a statement."But our findings suggest that having a calm and outgoing personality in combination with a socially active lifestyle may decrease the risk of developing dementia even further."An estimated 24 million people worldwide have the memory loss, problems with orientation and other symptoms that signal Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.Researchers believe the number of people with dementia may quadruple by 2040, underlining the importance of better understanding the condition.The Swedish study involved 506 elderly people who did not have dementia when first examined. The volunteers were given questionnaires about their personality traits and lifestyles and then tracked for six years.Over that time, 144 people developed dementia with more socially active and less stressed men and women 50 percent less likely to be diagnosed with the condition."The good news is, lifestyle factors can be modified as opposed to genetic factors which cannot be controlled," Wang said. "But these are early results, so how exactly mental attitude influences risk for dementia is not clear."(Reporting by Michael Kahn; Editing by Alison Williams)

 

I finally broke down and bought an iPod Nano.  Now I've entered the world of digital downloads.  I resisted for so long because I fancied myself as a quasi-luddite, who preached the virtues of the good 'ole vinyl album (and later the CD).  

 

It doesn't help matters when I am now faced with this empty device staring at me, saying: "Feed me music."  I did what was necessary and I fed my Nano a healthy 3.5 GB meal of bossa nova, rock and roll, pop, and classical music. 

 

Listening to my Nano with ear buds was not good enough, so I then purchased an m-Station to dock it and to share my selections with my household. 

 

 

It's amazing how schizophrenic my musical tastes seem when I use the "shuffle" setting.

SURREALestate.com, and organization that has proclaimed itself the official registrar of the collective unconscious is offering parcels of the collective unconscious. Some naysayers claim that this is impossible, but intellectuals and experts on both sides of the issue maintain that it is, indeed, possible to own a piece of this psychic territory, and applaud SURREALestate.com's bold move.

SURREALestate.com , a Minnesota-based company, and Official Registar of the Collective Unconscious (TM), has begun offering parcels of the collective unconscious at a fair-market price. The President of SURREALestate.com, Benjamin Hanivers explains, "'Collective Unconscious' is a term introduced by psychiatrist Carl Jung to represent a form of the unconscious (that part of the mind containing memories and impulses of which the individual is not aware) common to mankind as a whole and originating in the inherited structure of the brain. It is distinct from the personal unconscious, which arises from the experience of the individual. According to Jung, the collective unconscious contains archetypes, or universal primordial images and ideas."  The collective unconscious is also known as "a reservoir of the experiences of our species." In his earlier writings, Jung called this aspect of the psyche the collective unconscious. He later changed the term to objective psyche.

Some naysayers claim that it is impossible to "consciously" purchase a part of the "unconscious." Some naysayers argue that such a paradox relegates such transactions to the realm of the impossible. "I admit our operation lies on the verge of the inconceivable, but it is still an historic offering that has mass appeal. It is designed for masses. Judging from our current success, the masses have embraced our unique concept," says Hanivers.

Interested persons can visit the website ObjectivePsyche.com where there are parcels for sale in the following regions:  The Over-Soul, The Self, The Shadow, The Anima, and The Animus .  There is a sixth region, The Seahorse Frontier, in which 40-pixel parcels can be claimed at no cost.  

SURREALestate.com is a St. Paul, Minnesota based company, a division of Transit Gloria Media.  It is located on the web at: http://www.surrealestate.com. 

What's in a (Sur)name?
I just watched an rerun episode of the old sitcom Leave it to Beaver (1957-63) on TV Land. The aquatic symbolism and Roman mythological references are obvious. Before we get to those, we have to set the foundation. The family's surname is "Cleaver." A "cleaver" is a "heavy, broad-bladed knife or hatchet" that is used to "split or separate." As an intransitive verb, the word "cleave" is defined as "to penetrate or pass through something, such as water or air."


Ward Cleaver: The Guardian/Separator

The father of the family is named "Ward," which is defined as "the act of guarding or protecting; guardianship." It also is defined as "the projecting ridge of a lock or keyhole that prevents the turning of a key other than the proper one."

 

A cleaver is also a broad-bladed knife that is used to split or to separate.

The combination of these definitions fits Ward Cleaver's, the patriarch of the family, role: He is there to protect his sons and to help them separate good from bad behavior and to instill a sense of morality in them. After all, every episode is a morality tale. Episodes range from cautionary tales that warn against everything from lying to stealing.

 

June Cleaver has a Beaver

Now, onto his wife June. Her name is very close to the name of "Juno," who in Roman mythology was the goddess of the "hearth and home.
 

 

 

 

 

In Roman religion and mythology, she was also the wife and sister of Jupiter. She and her husband were in an incestuous marriage. The types and degrees of mythological punishments are many. So, what better punishment for this incestuous relationship is there than to have progeny that is an an aquatic rodent commonly know as Castor canadensis Kuhle—a "Beaver"?

Larry Mundello:  the Cackerel

So, what do we make of Beaver's pudgy sidekick, Larry Mundello? His surname is very similar in pronunciation to "mendole," which is also known as a "cackerel," which is a word of Old French origins. The dictionary definition of "cackerel" is "a small worthless Mediterranean fish considered poisonous by the ancients." Again, the aquatic reference is evident. Saying that Larry is worthless and poisonous may be a little harsh. But after all, in one episode, he does manage to goad Beaver into smoking coffee grounds in Ward Cleaver's collectible, ivory pipe, which leads to the development of Beaver's monumental stomach ache. Larry's companionship is, in a larger sense, worthless and poisonous to Beaver's moral and ethical growth.

Hubert 'Whitey' Whitney: Merlangus Merlangus

Another of Beaver's recurring friends in the television series is Hubert "Whitey" Whitney. He is always referred to by his nickname "Whitey," which is unmistakeably a reference to the common name of the Merlangus merlangus, the "whiting," which is a fish that is related to cod that is indigenous to the European Atlantic waters.

Gilbert Bates: Another Fishy Friend
Another of Beaver's playmates is Gilbert Bates. The aquatic reference is quite obvious. The first three letters of his first name are "gil," one letter short of the word "gill," which is defined as "the respiratory organ of most aquatic animals that breathe water to obtain oxygen, consisting of a filamentous structure of vascular membranes across which dissolved gases are exchanged." To find the relevant significance of his last name, we need to look no further than it's homonym, "baits," which means "to place a lure in (a trap) or on (a fishing hook)." The defintion of "bait" is "an enticement; a temptation." Even though Whitey was a minor ensemble character, he did manage to become a voice against reason during several of Beaver's moral conundrums, which "baited" Beaver into making unwise decisions.

Tooey: The Enabler
Child actor Tiger Fafara played another of Beaver's friends in various episodes of the show. His name is derived from the word "tew," which in provincial English is defined as "rope or chain for towing a boat; also, a cord; a string." Again, the aquatic reference is seen. Even though Tooey was a minor character in sporadic episodes, he did, when present, manage to "tow" Beaver and his friends toward treacherous waters as an enabler.

The Ward/Beaver Dynamic
So, now we have a Beaver (an aquatic rodent) who gets into all sorts of predicaments that are presented as tests of his moral fortitude, his sense of ethics, and common sense. Whenever he faces one of these tests, or learning experiences, it is his father, who protects him (as a "ward") from harm and provides lecturing sessions at the end of each episode in which he helps his sons to differentiate ("cleave") between right and wrong, in an effort to ensure that Beaver makes the "proper" choice if faced with a similar situation in the future.

Wally Cleaver—Sander Vitreus?

In keeping with the aquatic analogy, Beaver's sibling, Wally, is also an aquatic creature. His name is quite similar in pronunciation to "walleye," which is a freshwater food and game fish also known as Sander Vitreus.

 

Clarence 'Lumpy' Rutherford: Cyclopterus Lumpus

If we were to search for an aquatic reference for Wally Cleaver's husky, and slightly dopey friend, Clarence Rutheford, we need only to look at his nickname: "Lumpy."

This nickname can then be seen as a reference to another aquatic creature, the lumpfish, which, by dictionary definition, is "a clumsy soft thick-bodied northern Atlantic fish," also known as Clyclopterus Lumpus.

 

Edward "Eddie" Haskell: The Contrarian

So what should we make of Wally Cleaver's mischievous friend Eddie Haskell. He seems to always encourage both of the Cleaver boys to engage in activities that are contrary to the teachings of their father, Ward. Speaking aquatically, what is an "eddy"? It is, by definition, it is "a current, as of water, moving contrary to the direction of the main current." This definition fits his character precisely. After all, young Mr. Haskell does, by his very nature, introduce an anti-establishmentarian attitude or "contrary" views and encouragement that the Cleaver boys must try to resist (but seldom do). His influence runs counter to the sense of morals and ethics that Ward Cleaver tries to instill in Beaver and Wally.

The Evolutionary Process: Shedding Marine Vestiges
At this point, we can introduce a bit of Darwinian theory. This is to say that all of the children of Mayfield are on an evolutionary path of sorts. Through the trials and tribulations of their youth, they are expected to evolve morally and ethically. This process can also be likened to the time when fish and other aquatic creatures crawled onto land, terra firma. The educational institution, the Mayfield School, that all of the children attended, there was a process for holding them in place, while providing guidance for them to shed their aquatic features and to evolve into land dwellers. Outside of their respective family settings, they received assistance from their school. Mayfield, which, when analyzed alludes to "may," which is a noun that means "the springtime of life; youth." The children of Mayfield are, in a sense, undergoing an evolutionary process during the "springtime" of their youth.

Miss Canfield: To Teach and to Contain

The actress, Diane Brewster appeared early in the show for the first two seasons, from 1957-1958, as Miss Canfield. Her last name is a compound word. The first component of her last name is "can." When we look at the etymology, we find that the word "can" originates from the Middle English word "canne," which is "a water container."  In addition to the aquatic reference, there is the realization that, as the teacher of Beaver and friends, her role was, two-fold: to "contain" and to educate them. She was responsible for their intellectual, moral, and ethical growth in the context of the educational institution, and she provided the proper environment ("aquatic") for them to thrive and to grow.

        

Mrs. Landers: The Evolutionary Siren

Sue Randall was the actress who played Mrs. Landers from 1958-62, the successor of Mrs. Canfield, in the previous seasons. If we look at her surname, we can see that it describes her role in the children's lives. A "lander" is "one who brings something (or someone) to land." In the children's later years, she serves as the force that promotes their evolution into a higher order of "land-dwelling" creatures.

Principal Rayburn: It Felt Good to Burn
At the Mayfield school, there was also the matronly principal, Cornelia Rayburn, played by actress Doris Packer. She served as a beacon of righteousness in the education of Beaver, Wally, and the children of Mayfield. Her role was also to help them along the evolutionary journey by enabling them to become "land-dwelling" creatures. An analysis of her surname provides clear proof when dissected. The first part of her surname, "ray" is a noun that is defined as "any of various marine fishes of the order Rajiformes or Batoidei, having cartilaginous skeletons, horizontally flattened bodies, and narrow tails." In addition to this obvious aquatic reference, we must also consider the zoological definition of the word "ray," which is "one of the bony spines supporting the membrane of a fish's fin." When paired with the second half of her surname, "burn," it becomes clear. "Burn" is a verb that means "to dispel; dissipate" as in The sun burned off the fog. When we consider both parts of her surname, it is evident that her role is to "dispel" or to "dissipate" the "bony spines supporting the membrane" of the children's "fins," thus preparing them as land-dwelling creatures that would have no need for such anatomical accoutrements.


Insidious Undercurrent
The elements in Leave it to Beaver that are seemingly created randomly in the making of a show are not so random. In this instance, it is evident that the creators of this sitcom intentionally embedded allusions and symbolism that are far more sophisticated than the simplistic veneer of this television show would suggest. "Leave it to Beaver," in all of its benignancy, is much more than a middle-brow television show, but rather an intellectual confluence of aquatic and evolutionary analogy that springs from a foundation of mythology.

            

By ROB GILLIES, Associated Press Writer

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Quoting from this site:

(08-06) 13:28 PDT TORONTO, Canada (AP) --Greyhound has scrapped an ad campaign that extolled the relaxing upside of bus travel after one of its passengers was accused of beheading and cannibalizing another traveler.The ad's tag line was "There's a reason you've never heard of 'bus rage.'"Greyhound spokeswoman Abby Wambaugh said Wednesday a billboard and some tunnel posters near a bus terminal in Toronto are still up and would be removed later in the day."Greyhound knows how important it is to get these removed and we are doing everything possible," Wambaugh said. "This is something that we immediately asked to be done last week, realizing that these could be offensive."Vince Weiguang Li, who immigrated to Canada from China in 2004, is charged with second-degree murder in the death of 22-year-old carnival worker Tim McLean. He has yet to enter a plea.Thirty-seven passengers were aboard the Greyhound from Edmonton, Alberta, to Winnipeg, Manitoba, as it traveled at night along a desolate stretch of the TransCanada Highway about 12 miles from Portage La Prairie, Manitoba. Witnesses said Li attacked McLean unprovoked, stabbing him dozens of times.As horrified passengers fled the bus, Li severed McLean's head, displaying it to some of the passengers outside the bus, witnesses said.A police officer at the scene reported seeing the attacker hacking off pieces of the victim's body and eating them, according to a police report.Wambaugh said the ads only appeared in Canada and that some in Ontario and western Canada have already been removed. About 20,000 inserts of the Greyhound ads were scheduled to be put into an Alberta Summer Games handbook but they stopped the presses.