In the news

Yes, I agree with you. I'm well aware of the dangers of tarring everybody with the same brush. I've been to the States, and have American family. But I think what's equally dangerous is to mince your words and shroud your opinion. That's the double-bind we all face.

I'm in a no-man's land...

I 1+ on that.

it's stupidly easy to generalised, an example would be the police, there's always bad one and good one, so the best 'side' to be on is simply neutral.

Behaviourism has a lot to answer for. The only good thing that can be said about this 'school' is that it appears to be the only one of its kind.

The thinking behind the kind of consequentialism involved is confused in the extreme, but it is essentially a cost argument. The fool who runs the school may claim the effectiveness of his 'treatment', but ultimately, the sales pitch to government will run along the lines of cost. I don't know how much a less aggressive approach to the students would cost, but I'm sure it would be higher.

Why? The problem is that there are a lot of conditions that are very poorly understood. The portmanteau diagnosis of 'autism/autistic spectrum disorder' is among them. Many conditions are highly individual, unique sets of problems that even if they were to be found in someone else would only ever be experienced by a handful of people. Not only would it be unlikely that such knowledge would be found, but it would also be unlikely for it to easily become widespread, and indeed for the requisite understanding to develop.

Now suppose you come along with something that basically 'works' (i.e., causes everyone involved who's supposed to be 'responsible' to be able to stop worrying) for a wide range of people with poorly understood conditions. You just subdue them and cause them to obey. The 'problem' remains completely unsolved, the causes misunderstood, and the symptoms and subjects clobbered into submission. If you're a politician, that's what you go for. There's a lot more to say about the politics behind disability.

I would approve though if it was shown that electric shocks could keep Dammit away from the Any Question Answered thread for more than a day.

To inject a bit of good news: the pie turned out okay. Eventually.

Not crazy about eating kidneys but the wife is Spanish so anything within the animal is fair game.

The stuffed mushroom side was nice.

Still think Skinner's ideas have no place in therapy.

I would approve though if it was shown that electric shocks could keep Dammit away from the Any Question Answered thread for more than a day.

please start a "dammit's questions answered" thread. please.

It's rather slow at the moment, but this page seems to have lots of information about the Fukushima Daiichi and Daini reactor situation.

^ that is quite interesting

Why I am not worried about Japan's nuclear reactors. Seems he's being linked to from just about everywhere...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/mar/12/electric-shock-school-matthew-israel

I am lost for words.

I thought I was reading a script for an old Simpsons episode for while.

@rhowe

Interesting read, that... thanks.

There seems to be some critique of the guy's qualifications in the comments, so assume it's biased and factually incorrect and make your own mind up I guess.

It wouldn't surprise me if it were possible for something to go badly wrong, but by and large it looks like they're just about coping.

Flatmate just got back from the US where the news coverage is apparently basically "OMG WE'RE ALL GOING TO MUTATE AND DIE". I haven't watched the news here, but expect something similar.

Why I am not worried about Japan's nuclear reactors. Seems he's being linked to from just about everywhere...

Really good read that.

Thanks.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/25/rabbit-cartoon-chinese-new-year

I think the iPlayer has always gone up to 11 :)

80's reggae artist smiley culture dead today after police raid in which he suffered a 'self-inflicted' stab wound.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jOjZKDoo08

What the fucking hell is a 'celebrity dentist'?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-12749906

The blog article I posted about the reactor situation is now hosted by MIT's dept of Nuclear Science and Engineering and is being updated.

Not read it yet, but probably a good source of information.

I watched the BBC news at 10 earlier. Total trash.

The last thing Japan needs now is another disaster

...

but everywhere else people are just itching for a big disaster to hit? The standard of news reporting makes me seeth almost as much as Question Time.

So it seems this new 2012 comedy, that was on last night, is very similar to an australian show aied before the sydney games http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/mar/16/bbc-olympics-comedy-twenty-twelve. So I looked it up, "the games", and it's funnier too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teoL6FKEtCY

Poor old Smiley.
He was brilliant.

Am I missing something here??? Is this for real?

NASA's humanoid robot unveiled on space station

This little snippet is the first I've heard of it. So I google and get this gimp:

A really odd cross between a Power Ranger and a hood ornament.

Am I the only person who thinks that releasing a robot dude that looks like this:

is DEFINITELY going to end in mayhem and death?

I'm calling bullshit...

I have a mate that is living in Japan ... Took his Family straight out of Toyko after hearing the Nuclear Reactor stuff ... sensible choice.

YouTube - 2011 Japan Quake Central Park Cracks Liquefaction

amazing too see the earth move like that