Nobody loves an athiest. Well, at least according to a University of Minnesota study.
The study found that Americans: "rate atheists below Muslims, recent immigrants, homosexuals and other groups as 'sharing their vision of American society.' Americans are also least willing to let their children marry atheists," according to a story in the Minnesota Daily.
I suppose the purpose of this study is to inform you that if you were thinking of choosing atheism as a career path, you might want to think again. Perhaps you could pretend to be some other religion, or homosexual, so that you get more feel good vibes from the rest of the population.
It's just un-American to not believe in some sort of God, the article continues:
"Americans traditionally have been a religious people and associate faith with being a good citizen. The survey results indicate that this belief hasn't changed.
...
Those surveyed tended to view people who don't believe in a god as the 'ultimate self-interested actor who doesn't care about anyone but themselves,' said Penny Edgell," author of the study.
So much for separation of church and state, eh?
Cheers,
-SueVo
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Monday, November 5, 2007
Oh the evils of "Power Rangers"
I pity the researchers in this University of Washington study, who must have had to watch endless hours of horrid children's television programs.
The results? "Arthur" and "Barney" good, "Rugrats" and "Power Rangers" bad.
Good thing somebody is looking into this. Of course, there's also this more novel thing called "going outside to play."
Here's some tidbits from the Associated Press story:
"Every hour per day that kids under 3 watched violent child-oriented entertainment their risk doubled for attention problems five years later, the study found. Even nonviolent kids' shows like 'Rugrats' and 'The Flintstones' carried a still substantial risk for attention problems, though slightly lower.
On the other hand, educational shows, including 'Arthur,' 'Barney' and 'Sesame Street' had no association with future attention problems.
Interestingly, the risks only occurred in children younger than age 3, perhaps because that is a particularly crucial period of brain development.
...
The researchers called a show violent if it involved fighting, hitting people, threats or other violence that were central to the plot or a main character. Shows listed included 'Power Rangers,' 'Lion King' and 'Scooby Doo.' "
Damn that violent Scooby!!!
Cheers,
-SueVo
The results? "Arthur" and "Barney" good, "Rugrats" and "Power Rangers" bad.
Good thing somebody is looking into this. Of course, there's also this more novel thing called "going outside to play."
Here's some tidbits from the Associated Press story:
"Every hour per day that kids under 3 watched violent child-oriented entertainment their risk doubled for attention problems five years later, the study found. Even nonviolent kids' shows like 'Rugrats' and 'The Flintstones' carried a still substantial risk for attention problems, though slightly lower.
On the other hand, educational shows, including 'Arthur,' 'Barney' and 'Sesame Street' had no association with future attention problems.
Interestingly, the risks only occurred in children younger than age 3, perhaps because that is a particularly crucial period of brain development.
...
The researchers called a show violent if it involved fighting, hitting people, threats or other violence that were central to the plot or a main character. Shows listed included 'Power Rangers,' 'Lion King' and 'Scooby Doo.' "
Damn that violent Scooby!!!
Cheers,
-SueVo
Look! It's a tree!
OK, this may fall in the not quite so stupid study category, but it's interesting.
Apparently kids would prefer to hang out online or play video games than go outside, hike or camp.
I admit, I resemble that remark, but I do like the occasional hiking or camping trip.
According to a Scripps Howard News Service story:
"National polls indicate that children and teenagers play outdoors less than young people did in the past. Between 1997 and 2003, the proportion of children ages 9 to 12 who spent time hiking, walking, fishing, playing on the beach or gardening declined 50 percent, according to a University of Maryland study.
The lack of outdoor activity is more pronounced in minority and lower-income communities. Latino parents, for example, were twice as likely as white parents to say their child never participated in an outdoor nature activity and three times more likely to say their child did not go to a park, playground or beach this past summer, according to the Public Policy Institute poll.
...
Children between the ages of 8 and 18 spend an average of nearly seven hours a day with electronic media, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. The trend starts early. A 2002 study found that 8-year-olds could identify 25 percent more Pokemon characters than wildlife species."
All you really need is to pull out one of those hunting games and it's almost like being there in real life. Almost, but not quite, exactly unlike it, in fact.
Cheers,
-SueVo
Apparently kids would prefer to hang out online or play video games than go outside, hike or camp.
I admit, I resemble that remark, but I do like the occasional hiking or camping trip.
According to a Scripps Howard News Service story:
"National polls indicate that children and teenagers play outdoors less than young people did in the past. Between 1997 and 2003, the proportion of children ages 9 to 12 who spent time hiking, walking, fishing, playing on the beach or gardening declined 50 percent, according to a University of Maryland study.
The lack of outdoor activity is more pronounced in minority and lower-income communities. Latino parents, for example, were twice as likely as white parents to say their child never participated in an outdoor nature activity and three times more likely to say their child did not go to a park, playground or beach this past summer, according to the Public Policy Institute poll.
...
Children between the ages of 8 and 18 spend an average of nearly seven hours a day with electronic media, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. The trend starts early. A 2002 study found that 8-year-olds could identify 25 percent more Pokemon characters than wildlife species."
All you really need is to pull out one of those hunting games and it's almost like being there in real life. Almost, but not quite, exactly unlike it, in fact.
Cheers,
-SueVo
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