Conformity

Thanks Brian G!

A response to Variablast’s science study tag:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FAnYi…

Had to include more than one study! Sorry Variablast — couldn’t help myself!

Sherif, M. (1935). A study of some social factors in perception. Archives of Psychology, 27(187), pp.17-22.

Asch, S.E. (1951). Effects of group pressure upon the modification and distortion of judgment. In H. Guetzkow (ed.) Groups, leadership and men. Pittsburgh, PA: Carnegie Press.
Asch, S.E. (1955). Opinions and social pressure. Scientific American, 193(5), pp.31-35.

Berns, G.S., Chappelow, J., Zink, C.F., Pagnoni, G., Martin-Skurski, M.E., and Richards, J. (2005) ‘Neurobiological Correlates of Social Conformity and Independence During Mental Rotation’ Biological Psychiatry, 58(3), pp.245-253.

Weaver, K., Garcia, S.M., Schwarz, N., & Miller, D.T. (2007) Inferring the popularity of an opinion from its familiarity: A repetitive voice can sound like a chorus. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(5), 821-833.

Despite his alien wife

According to NPR, “Despite [last Illinois Governor] George Ryan’s alien wife, he won’t be released from prison early”

That’s what they said. I’m not making it up.

Hipstamatic bbq crispies

These were the BBQ crispies available at Jewel just moments ago. If you act now, you could get yourself these very crispies.

Imagine that, Bill O’Reilly would justify wealth in this way

This is priceless. Bill O’Reilly ignores passages that clearly say sell all you’ve got to quote a parable, that Jesus himself admits he used because it was confusing.

Bill O’Reilly chose a confusing parable over a direct order. That’s just what I’d expect. How about you?

Via

Boston Job

This is the job we did in Boston last week. I know, spectacular, right?

It’s what it is. It’s exactly what the client wanted. Enjoy.

“Peaceful” religious group executes Santa, asks, “Any last words? No? Of course, because you’re imaginary!”

This is an amazingly effective video. It shows how religious people are reasonable, well adjusted individuals with lots to offer the world.  It shows just how sane religious people are.

There are three things that stuck out to me. Well, there were more things that stuck out, but let’s work with three.

1. He’s reading from a scroll made from Santa-style Christmas Crayons. Red and green are colors that represent the pagan beliefs of Christmas, don’t they?
2. He bends over and asks Jesus Santa for any last words, and says, “You don’t have anything to say because you don’t exist.” Wow. What does he say to the baby Jesus when he asks him the same thing? How does killing one icon/idol while keeping an icon/idol on his chest acceptable? Is it just a little ironic that he asks in the first place?
3. He says that they are a peaceful organization just after shooting 15 rounds or more into a stuffed Santa. Guns = Peace? Can someone remind me how this equals peace? How non-violence is peaceful when guns and murdering a stuffed animal are involved?

Name just three things you wonder about after watching this video. Just three. I don’t want you to overwhelm yourselves.

I bet this video is taken down before the end of the week.

Tonsil Hockey

This morning, we were listening to NPR and the local news show 848 had a panel of people talking about the year in review. They talked for a moment about the Black Hawks. When one of the personalities said, “Blah blah blah blah blah Hockey blah blah blah blah,” Tina says, “Tonsil Hockey?”

I walked three steps before I laughed. I never heard that term before. Of course, I thought it meant felatio.

I grew up in the south. We didn’t know what hockey was. I knew what felatio was. 🙂

I looked it up about an hour later, and it just means making out.

Here’s the Urban Dictionary entry.

I’m off to practice tonsil hockey and then I’ll be back later.