May 20, 2009, 5:07 AM CT

People who can speak two languages

People who can speak two languages are more adept at learning a new foreign language than their monolingual counterparts, as per research conducted at Northwestern University. And their bilingual advantage persists even when the new language they study is completely different from the languages they already know.

"It's often assumed that individuals who've learned multiple languages simply have a natural aptitude for learning languages," said Viorica Marian, associate professor of communication sciences and disorders at Northwestern University. "While that is true in some cases, our research shows that the experience of becoming bilingual itself makes learning a new language easier".

In the first study to explore a possible advantage in bilinguals who learned a second language at a parent's knee, Northwestern scientists asked three groups of native English speakers -- English-Mandarin bilinguals, English-Spanish bilinguals and monolinguals -- to master words in an invented language that bore no relationship to English, Spanish or Mandarin.

They observed that the bilingual participants -- whether English-Mandarin or English-Spanish speakers mastered nearly twice the number of words as the monolinguals.

And they believe the bilingual advantage is likely to generalize beyond word learning to other kinds of language learning, including learning new words in one's own language and a very basic ability to maintain verbal information......... Posted by: Tom      Read more         Source

May 19, 2009, 8:18 PM CT

Hawaii Car Rentals

If you are on vacation to the Big Island, Hawaii car rentals is one of the best options you have to reach your favorite destinations. You can find affordable Hawaii car rentals that suit your needs, without much effort. Hawaii car rentals also offer several car classes, which include economy, compact, convertible, jeep wrangler, SUV, premium, luxury, 12 or 15 passenger van, pick up truck or cargo van. Also, if you have reserved a Hawaiian cruise vacation on your itinerary, you can even consider Hawaii cruise ship car rentals.

Hawaii Car Rentals: Vacationing

The paradise island of Hawaii is every vacationer's dream, given its natural beauty. The impressive altitude and latitude of the island and the several telescopes mounted on Mt. Mauna Kea makes it an astronomer's delight. Tourists can also enjoy activities, such as whale watching cruises, air tours, snorkeling and deep-sea diving. The island comprises black sand beaches, formed of lava eruptions from Kilauea volcano, which is the world's most active volcano. Some of the best and the most popular vacationing spots in the Big Island are Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Mauna Kea, Akaka Falls, and its various botanical gardens.

Hawaii Car Rentals: Other Benefits

A glimpse into certain exciting discounts and waivers offered by Hawaii Car rentals:........ Posted by: Jim      Read more         Source

May 19, 2009, 5:14 AM CT

Judges' backgrounds matter in high court selection

Some federal judges are tossing out civil cases based on their own opinions, a disturbing trend that makes background checks even more important in the search for a new associate justice for the U.S. Supreme Court, a University of Illinois legal expert says.

A study by law professor Suja A. Thomas observed that judges improperly dismiss cases based on their own view of evidence because legal standards - which require them to gauge whether evidence is sufficient to sway a reasonable jury - are "fatally flawed".

"This idea that judges could actually determine what a reasonable jury would do is impossible," she said. "One of the reasons that they're using their own opinion of evidence is that the current standards call for an impossible determination".

Thomas hopes her research, reported in the Boston College Law Review, yields new guidelines that weed out opinion and also steers decision-makers toward deeper background checks as they mull candidates to replace retiring U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice David Souter.

"Judges are using their own opinions to decide cases, and their opinions are shaped by their background," she said. "So background really matters, from their experiences to where they grew up. We also need to look at the background of the other justices and try to find a background that's different and adds to the court's diversity"......... Posted by: Tom      Read more         Source

May 13, 2009, 5:19 PM CT

Buy email list

When looking to buy email lists, many customers are unsure of what to look for to ensure they receive a quality product they can trust. At Data Depot, we offer the most information for the best value. Our professionals have established a proven track record of excellence through our expertise in marketing strategies and optimization efforts. If you’re interested in buying email lists that produce effective and reliable results, then Data Depot is the resource you’ve been waiting for. As a well known leader in the industry, Data Depot is proud to have earned a reputation for enhancing its customers’ bottom line while remaining an economical option. To stretch your advertising dollars to the limit, we provide you with multiple options to buy email list. Our comprehensive list collection covers reams of valuable data on getting in direct touch with your most prized customers as well as exploring new markets.

We offer lists that include household member age, residence type, home age, estimated home value and income, whether the individual owns or rents, and length of residence. These pieces of information can make a significant difference in the trajectory of your company’s marketing plan and we at Data Depot are pleased to offer such in depth research. Our business recognizes the importance of relevant consumer information and our services are aimed at fostering smart growth and strategic development........ Posted by: Tom      Read more         Source

May 13, 2009, 5:21 AM CT

Feeling cramped while shopping?

When consumers find themselves in stores with narrow aisles, they react in a surprising way: they seek variety. As per a newly released study in the Journal of Consumer Research, confined spaces might help people diversify their choices.

Authors Jonathan Levav (Columbia University) and Rui (Juliet) Zhu (University of British Columbia, Vancouver) built on previous research on "psychological reactance," behaviors consumers employ to attempt to regain their freedom in situations where they perceive it to be threatened.

"For example, when consumers' freedom of choice is limited by stock-outs, they might exhibit reactance by evaluating the unavailable options as more appealing," the authors explain. "Extending this line of research, in this paper, we investigate an important yet overlooked factor that can also limit consumers' freedom: physical confinement".

As per the authors, in Western cultures, choice is viewed as a way to exert control over one's environment. And when people feel confined, apparently their shopping habits change.

The scientists designed a series of laboratory experiments to test the hypothesis that confining spaces lead to greater variety seeking. In the first study, participants shopped for candy in a laboratory space modified to create both wide and narrow aisles. The participants in the narrow aisle chose a greater variety of candy bars than consumers in the wide aisle. In a subsequent study, the authors observed that participants in narrow aisles were more likely to choose unfamiliar and unique brands. The results were amplified among people who tend to have high reactance tendencies. In a real-world study, the scientists observed that increased customer density led to more varied choices among supermarket customers......... Posted by: Tom      Read more         Source

April 30, 2009, 9:47 PM CT

Mysterious disappearance of explorer Everett Ruess

The mysterious disappearance of Everett Ruess, a 20-year-old artist, writer and footloose explorer who wandered the Southwest in the early 1930s on a burro and who has become a folk hero to a number of, has been solved with the help of University of Colorado at Boulder scientists and the National Geographic Society.

The short, compelling life of Ruess, who went missing in 1934 after leaving the town of Escalante, Utah, has been the subject of much speculation. His story has spawned two documentary films, as well as plays, books, magazine and newspaper articles and a T-shirt line, and his name now graces an annual art festival in Escalante.

Ruess is well known for his artwork -- including watercolors and woodcuts of Southwest landscapes -- as well as extensive, romantic journaling of his travels. He was photographed by famous American documentary photojournalist Dorothea Lange, exchanged photos with Ansel Adams, and even merited a chapter in John Krakauer's book "Into the Wild," about another young wanderer, Chris McCandless.

An investigative article in the April/recent issue of National Geographic Adventure by David Roberts, who had been probing the Ruess disappearance for years, indicates a Navajo man, Aneth Nez, told his granddaughter, Daisy Johnson, in 1971 that he witnessed the murder of a young white man near Bluff, Utah, in the 1930s by Ute Indians. Nez told her he buried the body in a crevasse on nearby Comb Ridge......... Posted by: Tom      Read more         Source

April 30, 2009, 9:45 PM CT

Mexicans more sociable than Americans

Stereotypes often paint a partial or false picture of an individual or group.

But now scientists have found evidence that supports a stereotype held by a number of in the United States that Mexicans are more outgoing, talkative, sociable and extroverted. The finding also contradicts the way a number of Mexicans view themselves as being less extroverted than Americans.

A team of social psychology experts from the two countries explored this paradox by having students from Mexico and the U.S. wear small digital audio recorders the size of a cell phone for two days and then analyzing their interactions. The students also filled out questionnaires that measured their sociability. The differences the scientists found are primarily cultural.

"Mexicans and Americans differed in the way they behaved socially," said Nairan Ramirez-Esparza, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Washington's Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences.

Ramirez-Esparza is a native of Mexico and began exploring the stereotype of Mexican sociability when she moved to the United States. She could see a difference in behavior while attending college.

"In Mexico people are outside a lot more and are in groups more than Americans are. The University of Texas has a lot of very nice outdoor places where students could get together. But American students didn't do that as much," she said......... Posted by: Tom      Read more         Source

Fri, 01 May 2009 02:22:08 GMT

Calibrate your thermometer

Don’t you hate it when you find out that because you weren’t properly informed you wasted money?  I’ve long been a fan of metal probe-style instant read thermometers. As I’ve written before, they help you to cook meat not only safely but also to the perfect level of doneness. I knew these thermometers need to be tested frequently (especially after being dropped) but whenever I found one to be on the fritz, displaying a temperature out of whack with normal  temperature standards, I threw it away.

At an average of $15 each, that means that over the last few years, I’ve thrown out well over $100 worth of instant read thermometers!  That’s money I could have spent on dinner out at a nice restaurant, a facial, bonbons, beer or some other necessity of life. (Or, I guess I could have saved it,  but whatever.). 

Essentially that cash went into my trash can and then into land fill since almost all instant read thermometers can be calibrated. I learned this info when I took a safe food handling course on Sunday and I’ve been mad at myself ever since for not knowing that these tools are easily adjusted.

As I got over the initial embarrassing sting of how I’ve wasted money, I realized that if one person doesn’t know about something, there are likely others who aren’t informed either. So, today, just in time for grilling season, I’m going to teach you how to check your instant read thermometer for accuracy and how to fix it if it fails the test. 

• Step One - Testing:  Fill a glass with equal parts cold water and ice cubes to make an ice slush mixture. Insert the instant read probe into the centre of the mixture being sure not to touch the sides or bottom of the glass. If the thermometer does not read 0 degrees celsius (or 32 degrees fahrenheit) move on to step two.  Otherwise, clean the probe and put it away.
• Step Two - Calibrating: Turn the thermometer so that the face is away from you. On the underside of the thermometer, look for the nut that attaches the probe to the casing that holds the face. Use a small adjustable wrench to turn this nut gently. Retest the temperature and readjust the nut until you get the appropriate reading. Note:  Many models have a wrench built right into the same holder that keeps the probe clean and protected!

Did you know how to test and calibrate an instant read thermometer before reading today’s post?  Or, am I the only one who didn’t know how to do this task?

NB: If you need info about how to use an instant read thermometer, check out this post from last spring. Posted by: danamccauley      Read more     Source

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 04:50:29 GMT

10 Top Photography Composition Rules

The only rule in photography is that there are no rules. However, there are many composition guidelines which can be applied in almost any situation, to enhance the impact of a scene. Here are ten of the most popular and most widely respected composition "rules". Posted by: Gerard      Read more     Source

April 23, 2009, 5:27 AM CT

"Congestion pricing" could solve the problem of airport delays

In London, motorists pay a fee to drive into certain parts of the city during peak traffic hours, and the idea has been considered for implementation in New York as well. Now Dr. Itai Ater, an economist from Tel Aviv University's Faculty of Management, is suggesting that introducing "congestion pricing" at airports could save travellers time and airlines money.

"What I propose is a policy to reduce the amount of delays in the airline industry," says Dr. Ater. Airlines that want to use an airport's runways during the busiest times of the day, he says, should pay an additional fee. This price for premium access to the runway could reduce airport congestion - and the inevitable delays, as well as the risks, linked to crowded skies.

Dr. Ater will present his advice at the National Bureau of Economic Research conference in Boston this May. His aim is to spare airlines from future catastrophes as airports, and skies, get busier.

How the Pennies (and Minutes) Add Up

"Airport congestion is a big problem in the U.S. and around the world," says Dr. Ater, who reviewed flight records from America's busiest airports for his doctoral thesis at Stanford University. "The estimated annual costs of delays are $10 billion. When there are delays on take off or landing, a cascading effect is created, with lots of associated problems, risks and financial costs," he says......... Posted by: Jim      Read more         Source