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Anti-depressants research depressing
2008-02-26 15:59:00
The manufacturers tried to avoid publishing it, but a recent study stamps a big question mark on the thousands of anti-depressant prescriptions made daily. A review of clinical trials of new generation antidepressant drugs, including Prozac and Aropax, found they were no more effective than a placebo, or sugar tablet, for most people with depression. The ...
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Horse flu, gambling and related ramblings
2007-11-20 13:07:00
This bout of flu which kept me home today got me thinking about the national crisis we recently experienced. No, it had nothing to do with terrorism (to which we are to remain alert but not alarmed), the environment, or the impending parliamentary elections. We were shaken by a crisis of equestrian dimensions: Equine flu put much ...
More About: Gambling , Related , Horse

Pop star gyration a terrorist threat?
2007-11-20 12:04:00
Apparently so. There’s been an uproar amongst mullahs and government officials in Afghanistan, who found a televised concert by the tightly clad Shakira too provocative, despite her breasts being pixellated.  Gyration may be a humorous word, but when commited by pop stars it joins US foreign policy and Zionism as the “causes” of terrorism, with a pro-government ...
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Have we met?
2007-11-20 11:54:00
A new study has shed light on how new memories are formed. Comparing the short term effect of the drug Midazolam (an anxiolytic and retrograde amnesic which is my bread and butter at work) and saline on memory of studied items, it found that when recollection was relied on, Midazolam impaired memory, whilst when familiarity ...

Caught between a Left and a Right place
2007-05-30 07:33:00
In our increasingly polarised society, we find solace in identifying with extremes. We identify with Conservatives or Liberals, Evangelists or Atheists, the Left or the Right, Aggressors or Pacifists, Traditionalists or Progressives. We brand ourselves with Hip-Hop or Rock and Roll, Geekdom or Emo-ness. It gives us identity and purpose. It gives us someone to ...
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Triple Filter Test
2007-04-15 14:18:00
One day an acquaintance met Socrates and said, “Do you know what I just heard about your friend?” “Hold on a minute,” Socrates replied. “Before telling me anything I`d like you to pass a little test. It`s called the Trip le Filter Test . “Triple filter?” “That`s right,” Socrates continued. “Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be ...

Here, have this tooth.
2007-02-21 12:35:01
If that dreaded root canal was not successful and surgical apicectomy is not your cup of tea, there may yet be hope. Scientists have grown and successfully implanted teeth in rats, in the search for organ generation and replacement by non-stem cell means.
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Pedro in the running, unwittingly
2007-02-08 00:24:02
A review of last year’s Victorian state elections has revealed that Pedro almost made the cut, the  dark horse receiving an unexpected number of votes, despite not contending.  We could probably use some unassuming and sincere types like Pedro in positions of power. He might make all our dreams come true. Apologies if this posting makes no sense to you. Reference: Napoleon Dynamite, the cult comedy classic (of course).
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Congratulations, you.
2007-02-01 12:19:01
Scottish philosopher Thomas Carlyle wrote that “the history of the world is but the biography of great men.” How wrong he was, because he could never have anticipated that you, of all people, would end up moulding human culture and shaping civilisation. Congratulations . In case you did miss the news, you have been named Person of the Year.
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Faithless and stateless in Egypt
2006-12-24 05:50:02
The decision of the Supreme Administrative Court of Egypt to disallow members of the Baha’i Faith to be certified as Baha’is on official documentation will be seen as a giant leap backwards in Egypt’s civil liberties history. Human rights groups as well as members of the Baha’i Faith see it as a gross human rights violation which bears major implications for daily life in Egypt. The law discriminates against Baha’is, Buddhists, agnostics and atheists alike. You can’t get a drivers license, a job, a university placing or even be anywhere without your ID Card. If you are spotted without one, you can face 5 years in jail. You must specify a religion on your card - but only one of the three recognised: Muslim, Christian or Jew. No other religious affiliation is officially admissible. Without state ID stating one of these religions as one’s affiliation, organising something as fundamental as a family member’s funeral becomes a monumental t...
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Inclination to keep quiet
2006-12-18 23:44:02
Friends, I am reticent. Some events over the last fortnight have engaged my reserve and drained the muse out of me. But this blog will reappear out of the woodwork soon. Several postings stand patiently in cue within the cerebral cortex, awaiting the moment when they are finally tapped into the keyboard and brought to life. Be patient, postings. Your time will come.
More About: Nation , Keep , Quiet

Egyptian court upholds discriminative policy
2006-12-18 23:44:02
It’s hard to digest this deplorable news in the face of all international human rights law to which Egypt is supposedly a party: Egyptian court rules against Baha’is, upholding government policy of discrimination 16 December (BWNS)– In a closely watched case that has become the focus of a national debate on religious freedom, Egypt’s Supreme Administrative Court today ruled against the right of Baha’is to be properly identified on government documents. The decision upholds current government policy, a policy which forces the Baha’is either to lie about their religious beliefs or give up their state identification cards. The policy effectively deprives Egyptian Baha’is of access to most rights of citizenship, including education, financial services, and even medical care. […] And this from Reuters and Spero News.
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Dissipation of dust
2006-12-07 23:35:02
Moving Form is soon moving to the West Coast of the Great Southern Land. I regret to inform you that his belongings, for the most part, will not accompany him. It had always been their full intention to accompany him. They had always been so faithful. His sofa had born the brunt of his tired body at the end of a hard day?s work, and laid there night after night, awaiting his return. His mattress had been his support, chiropractic, mental and emotional; the surface upon which he would shut-eye when the hour was late. His bookshelves had held with stoic fortitude, the accumulation of stories, facts and words that nourished his soul. His clothing had clothed him. Day in, day out, sheltering his thin and vulnerable frame from the harsh summer sun or the cold winter sting and preserving his slither of dignity. All these things had been wrapped, taped, packed with zealous care, and been life?s preoccupation for weeks. They are gone now, victim to a fire sparked by the removalist?s faulty ...
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She?ll be right mate
2006-12-07 23:35:02
This thought provoking opinion piece from a SMH reader confronts Aussie identity and the corrosive complacency that tags along with an un-fair dinkum attitude: Time for serious reflection - but she’ll be right, mate Dec 5 2006 The season of frivolity and celebration is here. It brings with it a time for reflection. But on what specifically should I reflect? The need to remain patriotic, proud and positive? Or the unabated complacency and apathy that continue to engulf the collective consciousness of Australia? […]
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It?s smart to be lazy, Pt. 2
2006-11-29 23:27:03
Recently a posting on our need for sleep aroused a few from the slumber of an overworked life. If you have trouble remembering it, maybe you should sleep. I know I should. A new study at Princeton shows that sleep deprivation may prevent neurogenesis by elevation of corticosteroids in the hippocampus (which incidentally, is a region of the brain and not a groovy university grounds). An alternative approach to boosting your memory and mental acuity may be to remove your adrenal glands. That way you don’t produce steroids in response to stress in the first place. Of course you may die as a result, so sleep is probably the go.
More About: Smart , Mart , Lazy

So that?s what the internet looks like
2006-11-26 23:21:02
Let me be the first to admit that the technology sector of my brain is not highly developed. Despite using the internet every day, most of us don’t understand it. It’s an omnipresent mystery, it just is and we use it. Some of us will envisage a bunch of 0s and 1s catapulting down fiber optics and satellites showering us with electromagnetic waves. Somehow, this onslaught of code instantly transforms into a precise detailed communication (of any form) on your monitor, anywhere on the planet and perhaps one day, beyond. Phenomenal stuff. It brings to mind a letter of Shoghi Effendi (1936) which included this in its predictions: “A mechanism of world intercommunication will be devised, embracing the whole planet, freed from national hindrances and restrictions, and functioning with marvelous swiftness and perfect regularity.” So it’s great for a visual person like me to finally have it pointed out by those in the know - the Cooperative Association for Inte...
More About: Internet , Inter , What , Hat , What The

Catch my attitude: Emotional contagion
2006-11-21 23:15:02
Anxiously Concerned,  an insightful Baha’i-inspired blog, discusses a New York Times  essay by Daniel Goleman (author of Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships) on the link between positive relationships and health. Goleman describes the discovery of mirror neurons in the brain that cause us to adopt the emotional state of those around us: Research on the link between relationships and physical health has established that people with rich personal networks ? who are married, have close family and friends, are active in social and religious groups ? recover more quickly from disease and live longer. But now the emerging field of social neuroscience, the study of how people?s brains entrain as they interact, adds a missing piece to that data. The most significant finding was the discovery of ?mirror neurons,? a widely dispersed class of brain cells that operate like neural WiFi. Mirror neurons track the emotional flow, movement and even intentions of the per...
More About: Cat , Attitude , Motion , Catch , Gion

A brain cell, you shouldn?t have!
2006-11-21 23:15:02
Though you may be blissfully unaware, there is a lone brain cell in that lovely cranium of yours that belongs to me. Every single time someone sites this blog or mentions my name, that loyal neuron you hold in trust for me lights up in a dazzling cascade of depolarisation. Ions cross membranes and a current is fired down the Misagh axon. It’s really quite splendid to behold, and modern neuroscience has proven it. The mind-blowing thing is, the neuron won’t fire when you think of another member of my family, or anything else you might associate with me, such as bad writing, hairy (but taut) abdomens or big (but straight) teeth. Only when you think of me. I am truly flattered. That you should have a neuron specially dedicated to me is a civil and kind gesture. That you should feed it with oxygen and glucose to keep it bright and sparky is also appreciated. I only hope that you do not smoke or engage in any frivolous activity that might harm my cell. In return I can guarant...
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It?s smart to be lazy
2006-11-14 11:00:05
After a week of examinations on the sleepy subject of sedation, I have risen from slumber today with sleep on my mind. Sleep, our trustee respite from another day’s toil and trouble, is terribly underrated. As we witness a “wellness revolution” of vitamins, organic food and chiropractic, I wonder why sleep’s importance has escaped our cultural radar. It’s trendy to be attentive when it comes to eating and exercise. We scan nutritional labels and numbers (which only dieticians really understand) with the hawk-eyes of a true consumer, munch on green things to boost our morale and excuse our otherwise bad habits, and pop endless “natural” pills (none of which grow on trees, incidentally) in the hope of looking or feeling younger. We pay half our weekly income to attend a communal space where we lift heavy things with body parts not built for lifting and gyrate curiously to hyperactive rhythms, because it’s more chic than running around th...
More About: Smart , Mart , Lazy

Lost in transition
2006-11-14 11:00:05
Dear esteemed reader, I say reader in singular form because for all I know there is just one of you. Firstly let me state my categorical appreciation for your loyalty in perusing these pages - these opinions, snippets of news, these poor substitutes for wit and insight and the odd attempt at what had previously been known as writing. Secondly, let it hereby be known that this blog, formerly hosted at a location which shall remain undisclosed, is now hosted here. In the rigours of transition, my postings have arrived dishevelled, starved of their former adornment and in a somewhat skeletal form. Nevertheless I am thankful for their arrival alive. I regret, however, to inform you that your fair comments did not survive this frightfully stormy sojourn, though I am sure they are now in a better place. May the ripples cast by your thoughts and comments last eternally, and may you and others continue to grace my postings with more from whence the others so thoughfully traversed. I take th...
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Eat this liver
2006-11-14 11:00:05
In Persian there is a saying, and please don’t ask why it exists. Its literal translation is “May I eat your liver!” Note the punctuation, which is essential to its expression. It is not a question, it is a statement. And believe it or not, it’s highly affectionate and a very nice thing to say, especially to children or to those whose cuteness or cuddle-ability you find endearing. Well now there’s an appropriate rejoin should a kind elderly Persian thrust this phrase upon you. Rather than the vague, mentally disorienting moment that would generally ensue, now you can reach your hand into your pocket, and whilst extracting a small glass vial, demand “Eat this liver instead, I harvested it from my own umbillicus.” Scientists in the UK have made the medical breakthrough of producing miniature livers which can hopefully repair damaged ones, and one day develop into full transplantable livers. Not drinking alcohol, I hope that I should never nee...
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Metamaterialism
2006-11-14 11:00:05
I can just see the signs now: Be alert (but not alarmed), invisible missiles ahead. Though I shudder at the thought of invisible military operations, the development of “metamaterial” cloaks, which can render objects invisible by making light flow around and past them, would certainly make surprise parties more interesting. What other applications could come from this? Up close animal documentaries? Invincible martial artists? Street salesmen you can’t dodge? Leave your suggestions. Science tripping the light fantasticIan Sample, LondonOctober 21, 2006 IT WON’T help you sneak around Hogwarts without being seen, but scientists have unveiled the world’s first cloaking device, a technology designed to make solid objects disappear. Cloaking devices are coveted by the military, which can see a new age of stealth technology that hides planes and other vehicles from radar. More advanced versions could ultimately be good enough to make objects or people invis...
More About: Mate , Meta , Material , Rial , Teri

Pick a tall spouse otherwise your great-great-great-great gr
2006-11-14 11:00:05
According to the predictions of an expert, humanity may split into two sub-species in 100,000 years. The evolutionary theorist behind the call expects a genetic upper class and a dim-witted underclass to emerge, falling in line with HG Wells’ The Time Machine. In a nutshell, smart, bare, coffee-skinned tallies with chin-receded manikin figures will be naturally selected, creating an evolutionary chasm from the miserably shrinking and neuronally-challenged shorties. For every inch the tallies make on their outer temple, they will pass up from their inner temple - losing all virtues such as empathy, love, trust and respect. And they’ll be hopeless at teamwork. We will have a “super” race of micrognathic power forwards who can’t play for the team. To say all this is a far cry may prove to be an astronomical understatement, it being based on limited information and extrapolation from transient, conditioned trends. But it’s a great read and some elemen...
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Hey Delusion!
2006-11-14 11:00:05
Yesterday on a blog I frequent, a certain Neocrat going by the alias Mogogo posted commentary about a pet topic of mine (ask my wife, I get quite animated by it): Why it is that everyone thinks what they think is right? So I had to add my thoughts. Called Hey Delusion! it has sparked some interesting discussion. We don’t know nothing This phenomenon of delusional faith in one?s own grey matter is something that i have pondered on since being a wee lad. Why, I?d ask myself whilst musing over Roald Dahl or body slamming one G.I. Joe into another, is it that everyone believes in whatever it is that they think? The world was flat, definitely flat. And no doubt of its physical centrality in the scheme of all created and no-created things, for why else would Christ grace it with His presence? Those with a hint of melanin in their skin were savages, primitives, sure they were and no buts about it. A woman with a stance was a witch and fit for naught but the infinite abyss of hell (wh...
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Mateship fails ?values? test for Aussies
2006-11-14 11:00:05
Following my posting on ‘Aussie values and mateship’ recently, here’s an interesting update of Australian public opinion on how these values rate. It proves that people have become disillusioned with recent takes on the word, and value tolerance of different cultures and religions as more important. Mate ship fails ‘values’ test Michelle Grattan, Political Editor, The AgeOctober 10, 2006PEOPLE put freedom of speech and tolerance of different religions and cultures much higher in their lexicon of “Australian values” than mateship or a fair go…
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Be young, retire or bust
2006-11-14 11:00:05
Wherever you fit into the growth and decay spectrum of life, tradition has it that you are only as young as you feel. If that rings true, then send a shout out to your Kenyan brothers and sisters. In Kenya, a recent proposal in government is to change the legal definition of youth to anyone aged from 15 to 50. This is a two-decade jump from the current ceiling of 30 years. If passed by parliament, that would put youths within five years of Kenya’s official retirement age of 55. Hmm? The cup of immortal life, the chalice of immortal youth, the receptacle housing skin-with-that-just-face-lifted-zing; whatever the promise of youth is, it seems that for one reason or another, we all seek it. We all want to be forever young. In this case that reason is the aged?s attempt to access government treasury through youth funds. Nonetheless this leaves us with some food for thought: In an age generally confounded for identity, what?s the draw-card of the already identity-challenged youthd...
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A random fiction excerpt: Vignettes of Arms and Legs, Pt. 1
2006-11-14 11:00:05
I thought I’d post a random excerpt from a story I’m working on. If I’m brave enough I might post more in the future! 26 October 1994. Dear Ardeshir, How is your end? I hope your family is good. How is your mother? How is your father? How is your sister? How is your brother? I hope they are all well. I am so glad to be writing in English to you. It has been a long and turning road for me, and it is remaining like this even in this country ? I will explain to you later why. But I am hopeful for a bright and peaceful futures in Perth ? am I too hopeful? Is it really very good? It does not matter that your Farsi is not good. I believe you because I can read it, even though it is not always easy to read it. It does not have the meaning of your English prose at all ? is that the correct word? But you have very beautifully handwriting, like a true poet. You are from Shiraz after all, correct? I am very surprised your handwriting is beautiful. My end is good enough. Wooll...
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Public opinion, meet wisdom.
2006-11-14 11:00:05
Public Opinion is a creature of habit. A long-limbed, colossally influential organism exercising daily reach in all life. She lives, breathes, digests what’s offered before her and as she grows, she grows on you. In the lazy humdrum of the passing days, she is reposed on the couch of heedlessness because apathy is a stupefying disease and her immunity is low. Then at certain magical moments, when the conditions are just right, she unfolds her blinding, blossomed form that embodies the very core of what is perspicacious, potent and wakeful in the world. It is during these moments that she incites revolution - of ideas and thoughts - and lifts us up. And pushes us forward. She is the oppressor at one morrow and the defender of the oppressed at another. And wherever she rests in this spectrum at any given point, she’s a force to be reckoned with. In democracy she is the known voice of the people. This is where she, it’s supposed, is the self-evident truth. But even wh...
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