When damage is a remedy

For all you smokers out there. Scientist (or Doctors) has discovered a damage spot in the brain that could somehow help prevent the craving for smoking. That this insula discovery, if it's damaged inside the brain, the urge to quit smoking prompts those smokers whose insula has been damaged to not feel anything like smoking. They lose the feeling of wanting to smoke. Confused?

According to this report

Damage to a silver dollar-sized spot deep in the brain seems to wipe out the urge to smoke, a surprising discovery that may shed important new light on addiction.

Clearly brain damage isn't a treatment option for people struggling to kick the habit.

But the finding, reported in Friday's edition of the journal Science, does point scientists toward new ways to develop anti-smoking aids by targeting this little-known brain region called the insula.

Smokers, if you really want to quit that nicotine habit, don't even wait to have part of your brain to be damaged or get sick.

Thirteen of the insula-damaged patients had quit smoking, 12 of them super-easily: They quit within a day of the brain injury, and reported neither smoking nor even feeling the urge since then.

Well, if there's a brain injury, wouldn't it be natural for that person whose got the injury to not smoke? I mean, are there really people (smokers at that) who still smokes even with brain injury? Or is that silly ignoramus question? Aye. Man, I brain my damage and I don't even smoke! Sheesh.

It is definitely good discovery to expound and worked on for making new ways to stop the dilemma of smoking and the smokers who can't seem to kick that puffing huffing nicotine drive into their lungs. Smoking is foul smelling killer addiction.

Doomed Clockers

All aboard the funnies and satire express....

Yubanet's Andy Borowitz piece about scientists moving the dooms day clock is freaking hilarious. Just read it it.

And this from Pittsburg Tribune

The scientists decided to move the minute hand forward during a high-level meeting near Sbarro at the mall food court while employees at the nearby It's About Time watch kiosk diagnosed the clock's problem.

Heh. Well, clock here says it's early morning. *yawns* I'm blogging off.

War and consequence

I don't even know why I'm blogging about it. I don't even care. But anyhow...

So President Bush made his Iraq speech earlier. He acknowledges failure in Iraq...

He described the situation in Iraq as "unacceptable" to the American people and to himself. "Our troops in Iraq have fought bravely. They have done everything we have asked them to do," he said. "Where mistakes have been made, the responsibility rests with me." (Washington Post)

Bush said he would like to send more troops --more than 20,000. Congress which now has Democrats in control doesn't like the idea and are opposed to it. They will block by means of bipartisan legislature (is that the right term?) and it's pretty obvious majority thinks sending more troops only worsens the situation and will only drag the U.S. further in the escalating civil war that Iraq seems to have turned into.

I've seen (from telly and internet news) a lot of polls that Americans don't like what's happening in Iraq and the sending of more military men. But what about the military itself? The soldiers, the Marines, Army...the whole troops. Perhaps I don't really read or watch t.v. that much and I have no idea but... are they willing to be deployed there? I remember reading something about this one soldier who refused to be deployed in Iraq. Is he in the majority, I wonder. Maybe.

Sending more troops will mean more casualties but it will mean also that they will be there to help Iraqis. Rebuilding that country is major herculean task.

If troops are there to help to train to rebuild to reconstruct then they should be supported. Boost the morale of soldier Don't cut funding...or something.

I don't make sense, I know. I'm just blogging my thoughts!

Iraq's success lies in getting helped from Americans. That's what's Bush wanted the people to understand. It's noble thing but at the expense of the troops ..well it doesn't seem be working anymore. American people basically tired of the Iraq war. That's how I see it..from an Asian perspective of course.

Apple iPhone unveiled

Talk of the tech industry right now, the new iPhone that was launch at the Mac Expo. As expected it illicited ooohhs and aahhhs from salivating consumers and the fanatic Apple/Mac/ iPod disciples. So much to enumerate why it looks promising but plenty of reasonswhy it's just like another iPod with cell phone capabilities. Dang 2megapix or gig? Yay!

Owning and having an iPhone (here, anyway) is just like showing status symbol. Just like owning a Mac and having an iPod is still a damn status symbol here!

The way I see it. Apple is first and foremost a computer company. They're not a cell phone one. They don't make phones. They make computers. They don't make mobile devices like Nokia or SE. Then again success of iPod has prompted Steve Jobs to procceed with launching the iPhone which is also now being called smartphone. It can do a lot of computer based stuff (which Nokie and SE and company already integrated to their mobile phones). The thing with iPhone and it's features..one probably has to have a Mac in order for the other features to work. Right. And then there's the price. Ugh. I'd rather have Mac than an iPhone (I'm wishful thinking here. Ha!) because like I said iPhone looks sleek and delicious and so fragile like.. the touchscreen- I have no keypad- type is cool. But.. I like having tactile buttons to touch instead of the screen. You know a lot of people use their phones with one hand especially while walking or on the move or something. The touch screen probably doesn't serve it's purpose. Brilliant interface though. The rest is alright.

I think Sony Ericsson and Nokia is still will lord it over the Cell phone market. But of course I could be wrong. I mean look at what happened with iPod.

Links via Apple and Gizmodo: Everything you need to know about iPhone

Jetson life once again

Computer Electonic Show and Mac Expo on going now in Las Vegas and San Fransico showcasing what life would be like with new electronics and technology living. If you want to know the latest digital life, that's where you need to be. I wonder what new products will emerge as the must haves for the year. Hmm...

Pink Barbie DVD players. Touch-screen HP computers. Software that turns your iPod into a karaoke machine.

Apple's highly anticipated iTV, a set-top box that wirelessly streams movies, television shows and music from the computer to the television. Read more or view the gadgets from Gizmodo

Ah yes, the products of digital lifestyle . I think I'll just go watch Jetsons (I'd rather be at the CES and Mac gathering..but me is poor and hlafways around the word!) now and see the future once more.

It's beginning to look a lot like May

And we're only in the first week of January. First Friday too, today. May is the national elections here and most news now seems to focused on who's running for whom and what postion and which party. I'm not sure exactywhen campaign period will start but this early, the potential hopefuls starting to make noise. It's alright I guess. People will have name recall of who the candidates are and what they can do to make this nation an even better progressive country. How to alleviate poverty should be main focus of campaign. But this early, I know, 'cheese' gets my vote. Hah!

Cellphone video controversy

And no it's not some porny phonecam vid!

That Saddam execution having been viewed on You Tube (and other video sites) was shot using cellphone and showing to the world a hanged lifeless body of his. Many broadcast network chose not to even air the video. But of course..if you don't see it on the telly, there's You Tube. Apparently an Iraqi official filmed the whole thing using cell phone and well, it's been leaked and shown to the web audience at large.

You know what, maybe I have ESP or something, when the news of execution broke, I was like I bet there will be cellphone shot. I'm so fricking right! The minute I saw footage (just the ones shown on t.v.). I was pretty sure because maybe I know it's the easiest thing to use.

Technology is supposed to be good. Innovative in ways that we consumers get to use but for useful purpose, say... in mostly emergency cases. But once we have tech tools in the palm of our hands we can do anything as we so pleases...like film something secretly. Eeek!

By the cold stone she sat down and wept

"I think about him all day, every day," she said. "I'm lucky, though, because I don't think a lot of people get to fall in love the way I did. I'm glad I had him, even if it wasn't for very long."-- Kira, 19

Washington Post article about young Marine's romance and the sad painful reality of love and war

On Aug. 30, as she sat restlessly in class at Radford University, she wrote a poem about the month Colin was to return to her.

"To miss rough hands, stern eyes so much, They knife the heart with thoughts . . . of sweet February."

On the other side of the world, Colin had volunteered for a midday mission in the town of Habbaniya. His Humvee hit a roadside bomb. The blast ignited the gas tank, then the ammunition. He died instantly. Read more

You gotta. It's long article. Tugs the heart. It might be sap for some but I guess even cynics get sappy once in while.