3,000-Year-Old Archeology Find

Hebrew text discovered: http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/10/30/israel.ancient.text/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

Catacombs, Dracula, Etc.

In time for Halloween, a roundup of travel sites classified as odd, uncanny, mystifying, haunted...you get it. Visit IgoUgo online here.

Early Halloween Candy Tips

Epicurious online: Halloween desserts and candy (both to buy and make)

Dylan's Candy Bar Halloween specials

Caring for the Sick and Injured

Several interesting articles appear online today regarding various aspects of health care.

Americans using fewer prescription drugs (and splitting dosages) to cut costs

Insured patients -- not uninsured, as commonly thought -- are responsible for the increased use of emergency departments over the past decade

Dogs with severe combat wounds finally get their own advanced care hospital at Lackland Air Force Base (in San Antonio, Texas)

Purple Cow

Today's vocabulary word:

Palinode

Meaning:

(noun) A poem in which the author retracts something said in an earlier poem.

Etymology:
From Greek palinoidia, from palin (again) + oide (song). It's the same palin that shows up in the word palindrome (meaning a word, phrase, verse, or sentence that reads the same backward or forward).

*Obviously the word has nothing to do with Gov. Palin (VP candidate), but it would be a coincidental turn of events if she were to become known for frequently retracting what she's said in her speeches.

Humorous illustration:

Gelett Burgess (1866-1951) wrote a poem called The Purple Cow:

I never saw a purple cow,
I never hope to see one;
But I can tell you, anyhow,
I'd rather see than be one.

As the poem's popularity increased and his own association with the poem heightened, he later wrote a palinode:

Confession: and a Portrait, Too,
Upon a Background that I Rue!
Oh, yes, I wrote 'The Purple Cow,'
I'm sorry now I wrote it!
But I can tell you anyhow,
I'll kill you if you quote it.

U.S. Poll Shows High Dissatisfaction

Most Americans don't approve of Bush and aren't happy with the current state of the country, a CNN poll/article points out. 75% of Americans are angry, stressed, and scared about the direction of the U.S. right now; apparently that level of dissatisfaction has only been seen three other times in the past 40 years: during Watergate, the Iranian hostage crisis, and the 1992 recession.

Save Some Cash

Coupons galore:
http://www.retailmenot.com/

Celebrate with Mickey

Icing on the birthday cake: Starting in 2009, admission to Walt Disney's theme parks in California and Florida on one's birthday will be free of charge! Sign up now on the Web site. Good thing my birthday will be falling on a Saturday next year!

Better Than Dirty Coal

Wondering what "clean coal" is? Read Slate's take:
http://www.slate.com/id/2201661/

Laugh and Think

The Annals of Improbable Research (a scientific humor magazine) bestows Ig Nobel Prizes (ignoble, get it?) for eccentric but practical achievements that "first make people laugh, and then make them think."

This year they honored armadillo archaeology findings... researchers examined the hugely disruptive effects of these animals' burrowing activity on the distribution of items in an archeological site.

Other winners' work revolve around the placebo effect or the self-fulfilling prophecy. For example, one behavioral economist's study found that more expensive fake medications work better than less expensive fake medications.

To Opine or Not To Opine

The Onion is so amusing that I could post articles from their Web site every single day, but considering that it's a source of "fake news" (although, who knows, some of the stories may really have happened!), I've avoided posting their articles up until now.
Today I'm breaking with tradition. You can read the following article, "Study: 38 Percent Of People Not Actually Entitled To Their Opinion," and then decide its legitimacy for yourself.

Ecce!

(That means "Behold!" in Latin.)

Archeological finds never cease to amaze me. The location of several recent finds, Rome, certainly isn't unexpected given it was the seat of one of civilization's greatest empires.

Under a modern rugby stadium, workers recently discovered an ancient cemetery that is replete with a huge maze of tombs that mirror the houses and streets of a real city. Apparently medieval pottery shards in the necropolis indicate that the cemetery may have been inhabited by the living during the Dark Ages.

And in a different location near the city, archeologists excavated a tomb of a Roman nobleman (and close aide to an emperor) from the second century A.D. The general's identity was deciphered because the decorations and inscriptions in the tomb had fortunately been preserved. A museum next to the mausoleum is planned.

Sweetest Day

Today, October 18, is a day for multiple celebrations. It's officially Sweetest Day, devoted to anyone who is sweet (family, friends, etc.), and celebrated on the 3rd Saturday of October. It's also the day of my friend Carolyn's wedding, taking place in FL~ Congratulations! And last but not least, my friend Alexis is celebrating her birthday (tomorrow) in NYC tonight, so happy early birthday to her!

Oh, for another James Dean

And Marlon Brando. And Paul Newman. And actually the list goes on. Read more about how the leading male movie stars of yesteryear outshine today's.

A Classic's Birthday

Anyone remember Paddington Bear from elementary school days? October 13th marked his 50th birthday!

"A Bear Called Paddington" was first published in 1958 in the United Kingdom. Dozens of books about the marmalade-loving bear have been published since.

In other news, a very happy belated birthday! goes to Michael (19 years on 10/9).

Alcohol Shrinks Brain

Read the article here:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/diet.fitness/10/14/healthmag.alcohol.brain.shrinkage/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

Podcars! No PodPeople, Please

I'd like to try such a podcar out. Anything to beat the NY subway system (and insane taxis).
Even better, why not develop working transporters (teleportation machines like in Star Trek)?
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/10/13/podcar.city.ap/index.html

Elephant Texts

Elephant article here:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/10/12/elephant.text.message.ap/index.html

Hello, Upper East Siders

Spotted: Chace Crawford and friend strolling down a sidewalk in Midtown

At the risk of sounding like a 16-year-old, I must say one of today's highlights was jogging past Chace Crawford, the actor who plays Nate on Gossip Girl, and subsequently turning back and conducting a 20-second conversation with him. (I told him I was a fan, he thanked me and asked where I was from, I told him I hoped to stumble upon them filming in the city sometime, he laughed, then said it was good to meet me and shook my hand, lol.)
It was quite refreshing to meet an unpretentious star, and nice to see that the fame hasn't gone to his head and he didn't just brush me off (I'm sure he has female fans recognize him all the time, but whether they say anything to him or not, I can't say). And he's just as gorgeous in person as on the TV screen. Too bad I didn't have a camera! :-)

XOXO, Elizabeth

Stock Market

Fox News article:

"Trillions Disappear in Stock Market, but Where Did Money Go?"

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,436435,00.html

Tidbits

*Is the public THAT obsessed with Angelina Jolie that a picture of her breastfeeding lands on the cover of a major national magazine (W)? Draw the line for privacy, people!

*If you're in NY and need a fantastic deep-tissue massage, look no further than Green Phoenix Spa (29 West 46th Street, 2nd Floor; (212) 221-1330; www.myphoenixspa.com). $50 for 1 hour. The massage therapist who always works on me really does a great job at attacking all the knots and tight muscles in my neck, shoulders, and back -- and that's not an understatement, because I am extremely picky about getting a stress-relieving deep-tissue massage.

*Celeb sighting: Jeff Goldblum dining at Empire Diner on 10th Ave.

*Funny French film: The Dinner Game (1999). This is a farce, and at times it's hard to watch because one of the bumbling characters (inadvertently) continually sabotages the activities of the other main character. It wraps up neatly at the end...and then closes with a (not wholly unexpected) surprise.

A Short Tale of Mice and Men

This posting is more than about mice, don't worry.

It wasn't until I had begun living in New York City that my view on mice (and rodents in general) crystallized -- it's not uncommon to find them trying to share your residence, and so I don't like them...at...all. Considering my experience with mice as of late (pipes burst outside my apartment building and somehow caused an exodus of mice from said pipes into said building), I instantly noticed when a friend used a mouse for his e-mail account symbol, and had to ask his rationale. His response: "Sometimes I feel like the Town Mouse."

Remember Aesop's fables? (I wonder why anthropomorphism didn't seem so strange back when I was in elementary school!) He was talking about the character from "The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse." I felt like sharing the apt analogy because even though I despise mice and don't identify with that animal, I can relate to the feeling of sometimes putting up with chaos and discomfort to enjoy some of New York City's excitement and finer benefits.

For now, I have the energy and interest to stay in the "Town," but someday I'll probably be ready to agree with the Country Mouse (although he’s fearful, and I’m not fearful living here): "Yes," he replied. "Better beans and bacon in peace than cakes and ale in fear."

When Roadtripping

An "authentic" place, event, or activity to investigate when in each of the 50 states of the grand old U.S.A.

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1840345_1839927_1839875,00.html

Chewy Ice Cream

I'm a little scared to taste ice cream that has a consistency resembling taffy (even though I usually like taffy), but I figure it's my duty as a critic to sample it. I just hope it's nothing like that "astronaut" dehydrated ice cream. Results to be posted soon.

http://www.timeout.com/newyork/articles/restaurants-bars/65751/ililis-chewy-ice-cream

Wake Forest SAT Policy

This summer, Wake Forest University decided to drop the SAT as a requirement for prospective students. Smaller liberal arts colleges have been doing away with the SAT requirement for years; but Wake Forest is one of the top national universities (always ranking below #30 on top university lists), and it's the first time an institution that prestigious on the ranking list has dropped the requirement. So for that reason alone, it's generated buzz.

According to an article from Inside Higher Ed (http://insidehighered.com/news/2008/05/27/wake), the SAT-optional policy can work for smaller liberal arts colleges because of their smaller applicant pool. But the most competitive schools use the SAT as a way to help eliminate applicants — they receive so many applications, one more tool (which isn't perfect, of course, but certainly valuable) to aid the process is sound.

Wake will still allow applicants to submit scores if they want do so. I find it interesting that they will be asking all accepted applicants who took the SAT to submit scores so that Wake can examine the impact of the new policy, which includes studying the success levels of those who had chosen not to submit their scores in the admissions process.

Part of the whole revamping of the admissions process is the increased emphasis on the student interview (and virtual interviews will be accepted in the event the student can’t visit the school — although why a student would want to apply to a school he/she hadn’t visited doesn’t make much sense). Martha Allman, director of admissions, said that the interview will be an important factor, as well as an “expanded written portion of the admissions application. We will also view the high school curriculum and performance with even greater scrutiny.”

It’s smart that Wake will be trying to better understand what a given high school rank means and the rigor of a student’s classes, because different high schools vary so much in terms of class quality (and material difficulty) and even grading standards. If they really scrutinize the rigor of classes a student takes, a 4.0 GPA at one school may be considered a higher achievement because of the strenuous curriculum than a 4.0 GPA at another school.

But why say that high school grades are worthy to be considered screening tools, and the SAT isn't? The SAT actually levels the playing field for students, something high school grades don't do, since it's a standardized test. Unlike the difficulty in comparing students from varied grading system backgrounds, it's relatively easy to compare how students do on the uniform SAT. The SAT and high school grades are both necessary; having more information to go by is not a worse thing.

SAT critics say that doing well on the SAT doesn't reflect intellect or ability to succeed; it just means you take tests well. So by that logic, all tests, even in school, become suspect; a kid who takes a test in chemistry class and gets a D should be able to say, “This didn’t measure my knowledge; it just means I don’t take tests well.” Test-taking ability is part of it, but the standardized test also measures what you already know across a variation of subjects. (Besides, who doesn’t need good test-taking skills in college?)

I didn’t love the SAT and I didn’t relish taking it. It’s not a perfect tool by any means, and it shouldn’t be the only screening tool (extracurricular activities, volunteer work, essays, high school grades and college prep. classes, the ACT, recommendations, and even interviews are important), but it is valuable as an additional tool for competitive colleges to sort through thousands of applications. It just makes sense for a large university to use a measure of standardized testing for narrowing down applications. I’m not saying a low score on the SAT means you can’t go on to be successful in life, of course. But what I do agree with is that the SAT is useful in the college admissions context, particularly for competitive schools — for helping college admissions officers decide what students will likely be capable of handling their college’s quality of education.

And besides, if you’re going to decry the SAT’s reliability to predict success and measure knowledge, why not question the reliability of grades (mentioned earlier — different standards of grading at different schools), essays (teachers helping students write them), and the other screening tools? What's the point of getting rid of just one such screening tool? If you forgo using one, why not the others?

I think Wake will have a harder time with choosing which applicants to accept, despite their increasing the number of admissions officers and devoting more time to examining applications, without the SAT as a tool to show what a student knows. The SAT is a relatively objective tool that delivers an obvious score for the school’s consideration; but an interview is more subjective — factors such as a student’s timidity and the interviewer’s demeanor all come into play. Yes, students could study and practice possible SAT questions; but they can also rehearse for possible interview questions. Some students could claim they don’t take tests well; other students could say they don’t interview well. Why rely on one tool and not the other, too?

But Wake says it wants diversity in the student body, and it’s saying that the SAT is biased against certain socioeconomic groups — so by scrapping the SAT as mandatory, Wake thinks they will attract more diversity. But they’ve also acknowledged that educational levels and socioeconomic status go hand in hand. However, other tools they don't want to forgo — high school grades, essays — are also tied to both education and socioeconomic status.

I don’t have a problem with Wake trying to expand their campus diversity. (One helpful measure to increase diversity would be to start giving significantly better financial aid packages.) But I don’t know how removing the SAT without replacing it with a tool that is even more objective and an accurate predictor of college success (as stated before, high school grades and interviews aren't such tools) is going to help anyone, including the hardworking, poor applicants that the school believes aren't being fairly served by taking the SAT. I think the main point that Wake has missed is that if you're looking to expand diversity in a school but keep the standard of academic excellence, then the problem does not lie merely in standardized testing. The root of the problem lies in the social fabric and educational system itself. Education is tied to socioeconomic status, and so methods of increasing the educational quality for students from less privileged backgrounds need to be emphasized throughout the country. Critics are debating too much about the quality of the SAT as a college success predictor and not focusing enough on raising educational levels across all socioeconomic groups and increasing high school and college graduation rates.

Vagaries and Verbiage

I saw this article posted on my friend Ken's site (http://www.kenvsthecity.com/).
Read about Palin's poetic declarations here: http://www.slate.com/id/2201342/.

Campaign Issues

What do the presidential candidates (and their running mates) think about campaign issues like the economy and stem cell research? Visit this site for a run-down: http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/issues/index.html

Gawker on Journalism

Here's an article from Gawker about the future of journalism. Don't read if you're looking for encouragement.

http://gawker.com/5059589/the-gawker-guide-to-a-journalism-career

When in New York...Good Idea, Bad Idea

(Inspired by the Animaniacs' segment "Good Idea, Bad Idea")

Good Idea: Attending the free improv comedy shows on Wednesday nights at the PIT

Bad Idea: Getting frozen yogurt at Red Mango and Pinkberry: partially frozen sour milk, anyone? No wonder they offer fruit and candy toppings: to disguise the "yogurt" taste! Seriously, who can actually swallow this stuff?

Rachel Getting Married

On Wed. (1st) I went to a free movie screening of Rachel Getting Married at the Regal theater on 42nd St., having printed the invitation from Daily Candy and shown up an hour and a half before showtime to wait in line to get in. (It hadn't hit theaters in NY yet.) A friend joined me and we managed to get pretty good seats.
The film centers on Kym (played by Anne Hathaway), who gets out of rehab for drug addiction for the weekend of her sister's wedding, and basically the camera follows around Anne as she struggles with dysfunctional relationships with her family members and ultimately with herself. Kym could be described as self-centered, but then again, she does have a LOT of problems. It's a bit like a documentary, right down to the large amount of extraneous characters in the film (the wedding party is one big hodgepodge of unnamed dancers, hippie-ish musicians, and family members of the groom and bride) and the jerky, constantly wandering camera movements.
I won't divulge too much of the movie, but I will say the dancing part after the wedding goes on for too long and the groom's singing during the ceremony is both awful and unnecessary. Also, it's not a happy film, and of Kym's various dysfunctional relationships, not many of them have been rectified or improved by the finale. If you like a drama (and that's not an understatement--there's a lot of drama in this film!) that's more psychological- than action-oriented, you may find this one interesting. [picture at top/left: Rachel and her fiance before the wedding]

More spoilers: it becomes more obvious as the film progresses how non-maternal and withdrawn the mother of Kym and Rachel is; she is in denial about some of the family tragedies and represses emotions, distancing herself rather than really connecting to her daughters -- and helping Kym deal with her own problems. I did not like her and found it frustrating (and sad) that Kym never achieves any closure with the mother by the end.