Be of good cheer?

I think some of you will appreciate this story.

It discusses a recent series of experiments that started by inducing happy or sad moods in people through watching a certain type of movie or thinking about positive or negative events.

It turned out the sad people were then less likely than the happy people to believe urban myths and rumors, less likely to make snap decisions based on racial or religious prejudices, and less likely to make mistakes when recalling an event.

The authors conclude, "Positive mood is not universally desirable..."


I'm thinking some of those depressing movies that never quite make it to the top of my Netflix queue should start moving up.

Happy (?) Pneumonia Day.

Today, November 2, is World Pneumonia Day.

Pneumonia causes more than 4 million deaths every year, and is the leading cause of death worldwide in children under age 5. Unfortunately it is too often thought of as a forgotten plague, too common and mundane to gather much attention or advocacy. But, it now has it's own day. Great article by Orin Levine, a leading expert on vaccine-preventable pneumonia.

Don't know much about pneumonia? Here's some info.

I am (unapologetically) a morning person.

If my daily schedule was solely dictated by my body, I would be to sleep by 11 and up at 7. Unfortunately, as a young single adult, I find that generally accepted social patterns do not conform to that schedule.

Still, I have never had a problem exiting social functions early to go to bed. Not because I'm particularly self-disciplined, I'm usually just out of steam. I also don't think I've ever slept past 10:30am, and even that's rare. Again, not because I'm particularly self-disciplined, I'm just awake.

Some observations, as a member of the morning set:

I prefer sunrises to sunsets. While I agree sunsets are also beautiful, they're common. Anyone can watch a sunset. You have to actually do something to watch a sunrise.

A favorite part of my time in Boston was my morning walk to work. I would take the bus halfway, but rather than transfer to the crowded campus shuttle, I would walk the last 2.5 miles, through the Back Bay, across Copley, and down through the South End to my office. After a while, I found myself usually choosing to walk even if it was raining, snowing, or really, really cold. I just loved walking through the city when it wasn't quite awake yet. I tried the same walk home after work several times, and it wasn't nearly as satisfying. Most of the day was behind you then, and you were tired and/or cranky. The city is also crowded and loud then, full of shoppers and tourists.

Occasionally, I find a kindred spirit. My friend Christy and I used to regularly meet for breakfast before work when I still lived in Boston. So often socializing occurs over lunch or dinner, but days get busy and those fill up fast. Mornings are almost always free, because outside of weekends, who meets for breakfast? Only morning people.

I at least have non-human animals on my side. The other morning, I stepped out into my backyard and startled some creature off to the side of the yard. Thinking it was the usual squirrel or something, I looked over and was instead surprised to see a large falcon or osprey or something spread its wings and fly up to my roof. It eyed me suspiciously for a while (what are you doing out here at this hour?) and then flew off.

No, you can't get flu from the flu shot.

Allow me to narrate a hypothetical conversation which approximates those I have or overhear on a regular basis. Including a 4 day span last week, where this came up with almost everyone I talked to. Maybe you will find it helpful. (Or pedantic. But I'm going to do it anyway.)

"I don't get the flu shot. I get the flu when I get a flu shot."

Me: No you don't. The virus in the vaccine is dead. Dead, as in not biologically possible that it can give you flu. I promise.

"But I know, Carrie. The one time I got the flu shot, I got sick."

Me: Really? That one time? You know that lots of people are getting sick every day, right? So, when lots of people also get vaccinated there's bound to be some overlap, just by chance. How do you know you wouldn't have gotten sick anyway?

"Because I never get sick."

Me: Well, clearly you do sometimes get sick, you just told me about a time you got sick.

"But I just got the vaccine."

Me: Again, correlation is not the same as causation. Unless you could go back in time, not get the shot and see what would have happened otherwise.

Which is obviously not an option. This is why I have a job. We ask questions like that and try and find a way answer them (sans time machine). Instead, we find unexposed people who are as similar as possible to exposed people and compare what happens to them. Since people are getting sick all the time, I'm not really concerned that some sick people happen to have recently had a flu shot. I would, however, be concerned if vaccinated people were more likely to get sick than non-vaccinated people.

It's true that I can't know if you personally would have gotten sick that one time if you didn't get a flu shot. But, so far in the hundreds upon hundreds of studies involving millions of people and decades of flu shots, the answer is no, you are not more likely to get the flu after the flu shot. In fact, people are much less likely to get the flu if they get the flu shot. That's why we tell people to get their flu shot. Because it prevents flu.

If you don't think you need the flu shot, fine, that's your business. Although especially if my employer will give me a free chance not to get flu this winter, I don't know why I wouldn't take them up on it. But maybe that's just me.

Just don't tell me it gives you the flu. Because it doesn't.

:)

Summer reading.

Over the summer, Nicholas Kristof wrote one of his Sunday columns in the NY Times on "The Best Kids’ Books Ever".

In a follow-up piece three days later, Kristof responded to the then 2,350 comments at his online column:

"I’d never had a column achieve 1,000 comments, and that one has topped 2,350...

"What struck me is how passionate so many readers were about their choices. Clearly, they were profoundly shaped by these books, just as I was by my favorites. Some people in their 80’s talked about books they had read as children, speaking of them as their dearest friends. That’s the relationship that I had with books as a child, and yet I’m not sure that many kids these days have the same glorious relationship with books that we did. I hope I’m wrong, for great children’s books are truly magical."

That resonated with me when I read it. I was one of those kids. So why am I thinking about it again today? I heard on NPR this morning that, after 26 years on the air, Reading Rainbow comes to an end today. I was feeling a little nostalgic.

So, what were some of your childhood favorites?

Finished?

Once upon a time, my sister Emily and I embarked on the quest for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. We ate a lot of cookies that summer. And while there were some very good ones, I was never quite satisfied.

Last summer my (true) friend Brooke sent me this link. (Also, you should read the explanatory piece, under 'Related')

I (finally) just made them, and I think the quest may be over.



(On an unrelated-to-cookies note, I also made this recipe for the second time today. I highly recommend. It's been a good week.)


Finally, to borrow from Sara for the day... Thing I'm thankful for: That other people come up with really good recipes so I can eat yummy food. I'm not terribly creative, but I follow directions well.

Some things Chileans like.

(in no particular order)

Avocados
Ice cream
80s music
Wine
Mayonnaise
Hot dogs
Mayonnaise on hot dogs

(Re #3: True story. One of my co-workers was down here shortly after Michael Jackson died, and one of the first conversations he had with the local lab folks involved them offerring him condolences for our loss. Also, one of our taxi drivers was very excited about his tickets to an upcoming Depeche Mode concert.)