... or maybe not

Well duh, as anyone who is bi-lingual can tell you....

Switching languages can also switch personality: study

Tue Jun 24, 11:33 AM ET

Reuters

People who are bicultural and speak two languages may unconsciously change their personality when they switch languages, according to a U.S. study.

Researchers David Luna from Baruch College and Torsten Ringberg and Laura A. Peracchio from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee studied groups of Hispanic women, all of whom were bilingual, but with varying degrees of cultural identification.

They found significant changes in self perception or "frame-shifting" in bicultural participants -- women who participate in both Latino and Anglo culture.

"Language can be a cue that activates different culture-specific frames," the researchers said in a study published in the Journal of Consumer Research.

While frame-shifting has been studied before, they said this research found that people who are bicultural switched frames more quickly and easily than people who are bilingual but living in one culture.

The researchers said the women classified themselves as more assertive when they spoke Spanish than when they spoke English.

"In the Spanish-language sessions, informants perceived females as more self-sufficient and extroverted," they said.

In one of the studies, a group of bilingual U.S. Hispanic women viewed advertisements that featured women in different scenarios. The participants saw the ads in one language - English or Spanish - and then, six months later, they viewed the same ads in the other language.

Their perceptions of themselves and of the women in the ads shifted depending on the language.

"One respondent, for example, saw an ad's main character as a risk-taking, independent woman in the Spanish version of the ad, but as a hopeless, lonely, confused woman in the English version," said the researchers.

Exotic flavors

Recently I cam across two things that justified a blog posting. First is the recently discovered lost 32^nd flavor of Baskin Robbins, Sweet Corn. I saw this sign outside a local KFC, and had to take a pict since I knew no one would ever believe me if it told them. Now a corn-ice-cream-sundae seemed quit normal to my Thai friends, while an Indian mutton curry seemed disgusting. “Who eats goat?” they asked. Apparently not the same people who eat sweet corn sundaes…

The second event is the release of a new Thai film called “Som Tam” aka “Papaya Salad”. Those of you who have enjoyed Thai papaya salad know it’s a little bit spicy, and on occasion, a lot o` bit spicy, but completely bearable. The premise for this film, is a kind-hearted giant falang in Thailand, who after being “jumped” by tiny Thai street thugs, is helped by two Thai girls who try to teach him Mutai kick-boxing. The girls accidentally discover that spicy Som Tam salad brings out the “beast” in him. They then continue on some rampage of violence that I’m not to sure about, but they rip apart a plane which is cool.

After seeing the trailer for “Som Tam”, I understand the concerned looks and cautious warnings Thais' give me when I order Som Tam. They are afraid of me hulking out and tearing their stalls apart…

2,000 Hits and counting!!!

In case you didn't notice, my blog has officially passed the 2,000 hits mark. Thank you all for showing an interest, I hope to keep you interested.

Sadly, today we lost one of the great modern American comedians, who pushed the limits of humor and free speech. George Carlin was one of the few comedians who could proudly say their skits got all the way to the US Supreme Court. Since I wasn't planning on this posting, and didn't prepare any treats for you, I thought maybe I could end with a tribute to good old George Carlin... Enjoy

News from the Streets

As some of you, my loyal readers, may have heard, Thailand is going through a period of political unrest. There are constant whispers of an eminent coup, change of government, or royal intervention. When I ask Thai people to explain the reason for this, I never get the same answer, but I am repeatedly told it is "complicated".
Basically the situation is this: right now the People’s Power Party (PPP), the new incarnation of the since banned party of ousted former PM Thaksin, is in power. The current government is coalition of several parties, with PM Samak at the head. He is neither the best nor the sharpest tool in the shed, and is generally disliked. Despite his many faults, what really invokes the ire of the people is that he openly claims to represent Thaksin and the interests of his cronies. Enter the opposition – the Peoples Alliance for Democracy (PAD) – a coalition of anti-government (i.e. Thaksin) forces, who have been staging large protests around Bangkok over the last few weeks. Now don’t be confused by the repeated use of the words “people” and “democracy”, as they have little correlation to the subjects they describe. Rather, they are more palatable then “rich capitalist cronies” or “nationalists”.

In the background of all this, is the beloved Monarchy. There is some bad blood between the monarchy and the PPP, after the King sanctioned (to put it mildly) the military Coup that ousted Thaksin from office in 2006. The big unknown is current relationship between the monarchy, the military and the PAD. Nor is it clear what exactly has changed politically since the elections in December `07 and what all the excitement is really about. In my opinion, Thais just like a good drama, and what constitutes normal, albeit dysfunctional, parliamentary politics is seen here as the end of the world.

As I said, the PAD has been organizing over the past few weeks large protests around the government district of Bangkok, where many government offices are located, including the parliament and the PM’s house. On Friday (June 20), the PAD outsmarted local police and managed to move 10,000 protesters outside the government house, demanding the resignation of PM Samak. This created a new flurry of speculation regarding coups and military crackdowns. Faced with the possibility of a second possible coup, I did what anyone would do, grabbed my camera and headed down to see what’s going on for myself.

After walking past some very relaxed looking policemen, I cam across hawkers selling all the types of food and snacks Bangkok has to offer, which is a lot. I would recommend the fresh mango, but I digress... Beyond the food stands were the protesters.

It was more of a rally then protest, with a large stage, live music and the occasional speaker to get the crowd riled up. It seemed more like the open-air World Cup screening then an “immanent threat to Thai National Security” as one news source called it. Women and children, the old and the young, students and farmers were all present. What was missing however, was the open support of Bangkok's urban middle-class , who set the tone for Thai politics. When I had dinner a few blocks away, people seemed completely oblivious to the several thousands merging on the Government House down the street. Another night in Bangkok…

A Lark or an Owl, my genes decide

I dont commission the research, I just report it.....

Swab test to tell if you're a late sleeper or early riser

By Roger Highfield, Science Editor

The Telegraph (UK)

A simple genetic test could reveal if someone has a body clock that is badly out of step with the ones that tick in other people, so they can refute charges of sloth. Revealing a genetic propensity to like lie-ins, burn the midnight oil or get up at the crack of dawn can also be crucial for shift workers, since most human-made disasters, such as Chernobyl, the Titanic or the Exxon Valdez oil spill, take place in the early hours, when "lark types" are particularly likely to make mistakes. The pioneering cheek swab test was demonstrated by researchers from the School of Medicine, Swansea University on visitors to the Cheltenham Science Festival yesterday. The swabs, which collect cells from inside the cheek, can now be used to identify their natural sleep-wake pattern. Discussions are now under way with Boots to develop an over the counter version, where the swabs are sent off for testing. "The novel technique we have developed at Swansea is entirely non-invasive, so we can use it at a public event", explains Dr Sarah Forbes-Robertson, who did the work with Dr Adeel Siddiqui and Ms Alison Baird at Swansea University. "Previously you needed to take blood sample. Our technique allows us to get a useable sample just by swabbing the inside of an individual's cheek." In recent years, scientists have found that genes can influence a person's preference for rising extremely early, when they are known as "a lark", or late in the day, "an owl". Now the simple test to diagnose people's use of these genes at different times of day has been devised which can help assess whether jet lag cures, such as melatonin tablets, actually do anything. In the longer term, it could help develop new treatments. The test can reveal the activity of a number of different genes that control an individual's 'natural' pattern of wake and sleep - circadian rhythm - that is set by the "body clock." The instructions in the clock genes are carried out in the cell by a kind of genetic material called RNA and testing for the RNA levels shows how active clock genes are at different times of day. One gene, known as Per2, produces the highest levels of RNA at around 4am, and is the gene that is associated with sleeping. "One interesting finding is that food affects gene expression, so after lunch Per2 has a small peak, leading to that post lunch slump," says Dr Forbes-Robertson. Like any curious scientist, she has tested her own circadian rhythms. "My peak of Per2 - the 'sleep' gene - is at 6am rather than at the usual 4am. So I really do have a genetic excuse for not being able to manage early morning meetings." Another gene examined at the festival, known as REV-ERB, seems to work in opposition to Per2 having its peak activity at around 4pm, and is thought by researchers at Swansea to be the gene associated with wakefulness. Festival goers were invited to take part in an experiment to test this. "To get a full and accurate picture of someone's natural circadian rhythm you would need to take samples four hourly over a full day and night, and also look at all the genes involved," explains Dr Forbes-Robertson. "But by taking samples at 4pm and 5pm to assess the activity of the REV-ERB gene, we will be able to see if patterns of peak gene expression are shifted forwards or back in time from the norm of 4pm. "If your peak is earlier than 4pm it would indicate that you are a natural early bird, if you peak later than 5pm then you are more of a night owl." One key finding from this work, now in use by Prof Johannes Thome's research team in the Department of Neuroscience and Molecular Psychiatry at Swansea, is that humans differ significantly to mice, even though they are very similar at a genetic level. "It has always been assumed that human genes would work in the same way as those for mice where two genes Per2 and Bmal1 work in opposition, Per2 peaking for sleep and Bmal1 peaking for wakefulness. However, in humans these genes appear to work together with both peaking around the same time," she says. The researchers are now looking at various conditions such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder to see if this may be linked to disturbed circadian rhythms. Further work is being carried out to identify if the activity of these genes can be permanently altered through unnatural sleep patterns - in shift work, for example. "Gene expression can be altered by external factors, such as jet lag", says Dr Forbes-Robertson. "That is why jet lag is only temporary." The technique may also have applications in other areas of research. "It has been suggested that chemotherapy for cancer patients may be far more effective if administered at certain times of the day. Our techniques might be able to confirm this and explain why", says Dr Forbes-Robertson. Earlier work by Prof Till Roenneberg of Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, found that the traditional classification of people as either "larks", who like to rise and retire early, and "owls" who are slow risers and burn the midnight oil, is too simplistic. People fall into a spectrum of "chronotypes" between these extremes, depending on a range of factors, notably their genetic makeup and the amount of light they are exposed to during a day, which is much less than many people realise.

Information appearing on telegraph.co.uk is the copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/earth/2008/06/06/sciclock106.xml

How's your commute?

It is always good to look at how they do things in China to put our own lives into proportion.
The really crazy thing is that some guy seems annoyed that he didn't get on in the end...

Yes He Did

After many primaries and long nights waiting for votes to come in, the Democratic party finally made the right choice, and chose Barack Obama as the their nominee for President. Now all we need to do is take back the Presidency....

Stil funny after all these years

I recently saw this Saturday Night Live clip, from April 1978, and thought it was hilarious.

For those who like me missed it the 1st time around (I was busy gestating in the womb - I'll leave it to the US Supreme Court to decide if I was a living being or not), here it is again.

Enjoy!!!

Keeping in Touch

I went to Cambodia last weekend on a visa-run, and spent several days in Phnom Phen and Siem Reap (home of Angkor Wat). It felt like returning to a familiar place, since I had been there two years ago. That feeling helps when traveling, cuts back on the anxiety, and lets you see things you didn’t notice before.

I had some work to do over the weekend so I decided to take my laptop with me. I thought I would be sitting in my hotel room typing away, but was surprise to find free Wifi accesses in my hotel room in Siem Reap, and an internet café where I could just plug my laptop in across the street from my guesthouse in Phnom Phen. This allowed me to email, IM, and even skype with friends and family while there. I found this surprising for two reasons. First, Cambodia, as wonderful as it is, is not the most developed country in the world, so such technological facilities are not expected. Second, I remember a time when it was hard to find even a 56k dial-up modem (if anyone remembers that horror) connection, while now high-speed internet cafes are common, even in the most remote places. Now I can travel with my lap-top, surf the web, and stay connected no matter where I am...

Perhaps this isn’t a shocking realization after all, but still I think it puts an interesting perspective on what the future holds.