Strangers really do look sexier when you drink booze, science confirms Someone tell Obama that tax rates have just been proven to be too high.
For the first time, scientists have proven that "beer goggles" are real other people really do look more attractive to us if we have been drinking. So all I have to do is get Joan Blondell hammered and it's off to the races, right?
Surprisingly, the beer goggles effect was not limited to just the opposite sex among the ostensibly straight volunteers recruited for the study they also rated people from their own sex as more attractive. No problem. I'll just invite Joan over to my house alone before we start drinking.
Scientists in England gave 84 heterosexual college students chilled lime-flavored drinks that were either non-alcoholic or given a dose of vodka equivalent in alcohol to a large glass of wine or a pint-and-a-half of beer.
After 15 minutes, the volunteers were shown photos of 40 other college students from both sexes. Both men and women who drank booze found these faces more attractive, "a roughly 10 percent increase in ratings of attractiveness," said researcher Marcus Munafo, an experimental psychologist at the University of Bristol in England.
The researchers also asked volunteers to rate their mood, "and there were no differences on those measures in the alcohol group compared to the no-alcohol group," Munafo added. "This suggests that the effect we observed wasn't due to a general change in mood."
It did not escape Munafo that the results are rather obvious.
"Everyone knows about beer goggles," Munafo said. "But some of our results suggest that there's more going on than we might have thought." Worked for the government, anyway.
The discovery that the effect is not specific to the opposite sex was surprising. One possibility is that alcohol generally makes us see things as more attractive, but when this occurs in social situations, such as at a bar, "this might become targeted at opposite-sex faces," Munafo said. By repeating the experiment with video clips shot at bars, the scientists hope to recreate those social cues and see what happens. Maybe that's why ugly hookers hang out outside bars!
"The main question is whether these effects are specific to faces, or whether we would rate anything as more attractive after a drink," Munafo said. Want to put this theory to the test? Bring out the pictures of Pelousi and Halfbright!
Future research could expose people who have been drinking to landscapes or the faces of puppies and other animals, "to see if alcohol has a more general effect on perceiving beauty in the environment." Sayyy, that goat sure has got a purty mouth!
"It's also surprising to see this effect is happening at lower doses than you might think," Munafo said. "We're trying to build up a more complete picture of what happens when people go out for a drink, and we're interested in certain behaviors that are more common after drinking, such as unsafe sex, or violence. If this effect is happening at lower doses than expected, it might be helpful for people who are predisposed to such behaviors to anticipate those situations and prevent them." Men shouldn't walk by bars I guess.
The scientists would also want to vary the levels of alcohol that volunteers receive, "but there are practical and ethical constraints around how much alcohol we can give people in the lab!" Munafo told LiveScience. OK, go to a bar then.
Munafo and his colleagues detailed their findings online August 6 in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism.
1.) A date where one may acquire a coyote arm.
2.) Usually follows a state of inebriation wherein one person finds him/herself waking up next to someone that he/she would rather chew off his/her own arm than risk removing it and waking the fugly person.
3.) A person one would only go out with drunk, and result in a coyote arm the next day. 1.) Person 1: Whoah! What happened to your arm?
Person 2: "I went to the bar last night, and ended up on a coyote date."
2.) Person 1: What happened to you last night?
Person 2: I don't know. I went out, had a few drinks...the last thing I remembered was ording 3 more shots of tequila. Then this morning I woke up next to this fugly creature...I wanted to chew my arm off and not risk waking it up.
Person 1: Ah...you had a coyote date.
3.) Person 1: If you have any more drinks, man, I'm gonna hook you up with that coyote date over there.
www.urbandictionary.com
A retired major general who led the Army's Green Berets in the early days of the Bush Administration is stumping for Barack Obama. Geoffrey Lambert, who took over the U.S. Army Special Forces Command on Fort Bragg three days before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, returned to Fayetteville on Tuesday to make the case that Obama would be a great commander in chief. He said what Obama lacks in military experience he makes up in intelligence and leadership skills. He studies the issues and surrounds himself with expertise.
"It's not who is the toughest," Lambert said, "but who is the wisest."
Lambert is among several retired generals and military commanders who have broken ranks with the Republican White House and sided with Obama or his former Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. In March, retired Gen. Hugh Shelton, the former Joint Chiefs of Staff, endorsed Clinton before Obama had sowed up the nomination.
Lambert said the U.S. was more unified, right after the 2001 terrorist attacks, before the country went to war against Iraq in 2003. "I saw that unity squandered with a hasty, ill-conceived, ill-timed, ill-planned invasion of Iraq that caused a dissolution of resources," he said.
Lambert spoke before about 75 people inside VFW Post 6018 on Chance Street near downtown Fayetteville. He spoke that morning at another veterans group in Charlotte. The 61-year-old redhead wore a black suit and a button that said "Veterans for Obama." The 34-year military veteran now lives in Tampa. In 2003, he took command of the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School before retiring.
In an interview before his speech, Lambert said the Iraqi war has taken a toll on soldiers and their families at Fort Bragg. "Families are tired," he said. "Equipment is all worn out. The cost of recapitalization will be enormous."
Lambert said he never would have gone to war against Iraq -- a war he estimates will cost more than $1 trillion when factors such as wounded vets are considered.
He said he joined the Obama team this year and now is an unpaid adviser for the senator's Iraqi policy. He said he supports Obama's plan to withdrawal most of the troops there over 16 months as Iraqis assume more sovereignty.
#3
And news about another retired military man moving into the thoughts of insightful thoughtfulness of those in the know......
Wesley Clark to be announced as the VP choice.... Yep -- heard this today... on talk radio, so it must be true.
Looking for clues on Barack Obama's pick for a running mate? Consider the Democratic convention's theme for the night the vice presidential candidate speaks: national security.
It could happen. Come to think of it, Wesley has been really, really quiet lately. What was that last gaft of his? And, he was chosen by Bill Clinton, headed up NATO (two items demos and press won't mention, almost started WWIII by calling out the Russians, and was fired by Clinton)and has the look that the media wants in this Campaign by Media election.
Come to think of it, this is the Clinton's convention until the night The One speaks... Wesley is a Clinton man. Maybe a part of the "agreement" between the Obamas and the Clintons?
Wesley standing next to The One, they do look pretty. A southern, white general.
#8
Tipper's sources suggest he might have felt singled out when blame was pointed for pre-9-11 failures to follow up intelligence leads. The FBI was particularly unhappy with DI concealment - or downgrading - of internal security data. After 7 years of wallowing in bitterness he...
#11
Come to think of it, this is the Clinton's convention until the night The One speaks
Hillary Clinton isn't done yet. The Clintons have been working their minions hard to put forth the idea that Obama isn't eligible to serve based on his dual citizenship to Indonesia. Don't laugh. More disturbing, Obama has refused to release any factual evidence to dispute them. He can only hide behind arrogance and calls of "racism" for so long before he will eventually need to provide copies of his birth certificate and passport information. Right now, behind the scenes, they are threatening to grind this country to a halt by issuing challenges in all 50 states should he get the nomination.
Just the fact that they seated her delegates shows that there is an outright war going on behind the scenes.
#12
I little credance to any CLintonian coupe de grass..... but! Obama is going to allow the seating of the Michigan and Florida delegations. Which was tactically a stupid ass move.
As to the Clinton dead-enders: we mods won't post any of their nonsense here, particularly the nonsense about birth certificates, dual citizenship, etc. But we shouldn't underestimate the anger these wackos have and their potential ability to tie state election boards in knots, particularly if they time their challenges for, oh, late September or so.
And all it takes is success of any kind in one of 50 states for the Obama campaign to have a major PR problem.
So while the rest of you invest in popcorn, I'm going long in goobers and raisinets.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/16/2008 10:04 Comments ||
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#15
General Clarke almost started WW3 over Kosovo. McCain would just need go get the British General Sir Michael Jackson to do an add explaining what happened and Clarke would go down, and Obama with him. A security credentialed VP whose credentials place him as a risky warmonger who is despised by the military of one of our closest allies, and further reminds people of a war started by Democrats that currently is in the news as a semi-justification of the war in Georgia.
NOt gonna happen. I know Obama's folks are really bad at vetting people but I have to assume they'll look a bit closer at the VP choice and General Clarke is tainted goods all around.
#16
How has BO shown that he is wiser than anybody? Judging by the number of backtracks he has done so far, he is still pretty low on the learning curve. I appreciate the fact that when he sees he's wrong that he changes his mind. That's good, but the number of times he has had to reverse himself, that's telling. I also would feel a bit more confidence in the guy if he could acknowlege that he had made a mistake. Can't seem to do that.
Posted by: Richard of Oregon ||
08/16/2008 10:29 Comments ||
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#17
Rich, Rich, Rich....when are you going to GET IT, bud? THE ANOINTED ONE can't make mistakes. Those are for lesser life forms, not lightbearers. Lightbearers make the oceans start to subside and begin the healing of the planet. Did you miss the APB sent out on that? You really need to try to keep up on this stuff!
#18
Or get a copy of that children's book we saw yesterday
Posted by: john frum ||
08/16/2008 12:15 Comments ||
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#19
Jack is Back!: "Gents and Ladies, if Obama picks Clark as his VP then I am heavily investing in Orville Redenbacker."
.5MT: "I'm investing in Barb"
Thanks, .5. The Industrial Strength Popcorn Popper™ has just come out of PM with flying colors, and I've got boxcars of popcorn sitting in my backyard. (Thanks to Alaska Paul for getting the rail spur approved by the Zoning Board in record time. I'm sure no gifts of beer and Alaskan salmon were involved.)
I'm ready for whatever comes.... :-D
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
08/16/2008 12:39 Comments ||
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#20
Did you see the military contributions to Obama? Much higher than McCain's totals. But they only counted contributions over $200, so that leads me to believe they came mostly from officers. Now several high ranking former officers are turning up to shill for Big O. I think I'll keep watching for this trend to develop. Very interesting.
Cairo - Iraqi President Jalal Talabani is recovering from heart surgery in the United States, his office announced on Thursday. The 74-year-old president had been treated in a hospital in Rochester in the US state of Minnesota. He had been released from hospital but was still recovering in the US, his office said in a statement.
ÔThe medical team conducted a full check-up and discovered that Talabani was suffering from a narrowing of one of his heart's valves. The matter was dealt with by a surgical operation which was a complete success,Õ said the statement reported by the independent Voices of Iraq news agency.
The announcement noted Ôthe president left the hospital on Thursday and would return to Iraq after completing a recovery periodÕ.
Talabani, 74, has not been seen in public since travelling to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota on August 2. His office said the heart problem was discovered by doctors while preparing to perform the knee surgery.
Posted by: Steve White ||
08/16/2008 00:00 ||
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I know of some Baptist's fights, but nothing like this...
A disagreement over religious views at the Khadeeja Islamic Center in West Valley City Friday afternoon escalated into a 100-person melee, police said.
The fight started about 2:30 p.m. after the midday prayer, which routinely draws large crowds to the mosque, located at 1019 W. Parkway Ave., said West Valley City Police Lt. Bill Merritt. Two different groups whose "religious views vary a little bit" attend the mosque, Merritt said, and sometimes get into verbal spats.
As the crowded parking lot emptied Friday, one such disagreement between a 26-year-old man and a juvenile turned violent when the man pulled out a box cutter, Merritt said. Another man drew a knife to defend the juvenile, starting the fight. Nearly100 people were pulled into the conflict before police broke up the fight, which resulted in a few minor wounds.
The three people who started fighting were arrested on suspicions of aggravated assault; the two men were booked into the Salt Lake County jail while the juvenile was taken to a juvenile detention center. Attempts to reach the mosque for comment on Saturday were unsuccessful.
#3
Enough of this violent Muzzie horsecrap. Teach them a lesson. Deport all 100, along with their families, back to country of ethnic origin, and raze the mosque. Pay for the costs of deportation with assets confiscated from the deportees. They'll get the message.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
