Saturday, June 27, 2009

Odious Number: 69


The aliquot sum of sixty-nine is 27 within the aliquot sequence (69,27,13,1,0) 69 being the third composite number in the 13-aliquot tree. 69 is a semiprime. Furthermore, since the two factors of 69 are both Gaussian primes, 69 is a Blum integer. Adding up the divisors of 1 through 9 gives 69. Because 69 has an odd number of 1s in its binary representation, it is sometimes called an "odious number." Of note is that 69² (4 761) and 69³ (328 509) uses every digit from 0-9. 69 is equal to 105 octal, while 105 is equal to 69 hexadecimal. This same property can be applied to all numbers from 64 to 69. On many handheld scientific and graphing calculators, the highest factorial that can be computed within memory limitations is 69! or 1.711224524*1098. The number 69 can be rotated 180° and remain the same...

Friday, June 26, 2009

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy : 'no return' policy?

Research co-led by an academic at the University of Hertfordshire, concludes that Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is of no value in schizophrenia and has limited effect on depression.
Professor Keith Laws, at the University's School of Psychology, is one of the lead authors on a paper entitled: Cognitive behavioural therapy for major psychiatric disorder: does it really work? A meta-analytical review of well-controlled trials, which has just been published online in the journal Psychological Medicine. The paper reviews the use of CBT in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression.
The results of the review suggest that not only is CBT ineffective in treating schizophrenia and in preventing relapse, it is also ineffective in preventing relapses in bipolar disorder.
The review also suggests that CBT has only a weak effect in treating depression, but it has a greater effect in preventing relapses in this disorder.(read more...)

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Pride of Australian Manhood in Trunks and Surfing In Gaza


This trophy, for the March Past competition, was won by the 2/1 Australian Machine Gun Battalion at a surf carnival held at Gaza beach on 21 September 1941. Whilst serving in Palestine the men of the battalion were proud of their reputation on the sports field. Apart from having fine boxers the unit had a strong hockey team. The battalion's rugby league side had also enjoyed success in England where they won every match they played. The strong surf life saving team won four events at the Gaza carnival including the March Past and two Rescue and Resuscitation events. The trophies were presented to the battalion by Lady Blamey, wife of the Australian commander. One of the team members, Private Arthur Ford, also won the Sack Race that day. (read more...)

Monday, June 22, 2009

Immigrante Manifesto/E Nechin


• I have decided to be silent no more. That is why I bought a loud typewriter.

• I sat down to write the next great American novel, but then I realized I was Russian

• I sat down to write a Russian masterpiece, but then I realized I wasn't suicidal

• I bought a typewriter because I am a romantic. It's a pity however that I need to use the computer spell check in every sentence I write.

• I want to write as well as Kafka. I just don't want to turn into a bug.

• I want to be influential as Marx. The only problem is I can't grow a beard.

• I write to reach catharsis…at least that's what my analyst says.

• I love bob Dylan, I just can't stand his voice.

• I would have wanted to be born black. I just wouldn't want to go through the hardships.

• I would like to be a freedom fighter. I just don't want to get killed.

• I want to be a trend setter. I just don't want to be an outsider.

• I advocate the redistribution of wealth. The only condition is that it will start with me.

• I want to direct a movie. The only problem is I don't like giving out orders.

• I love foreign movies. The only thing I don’t have patience is reading the subtitles.

• I would like to be a stand up comedian. The only problem is I can't tell a joke.

• I would like to teach a in the university. I just don't want to study ten years before I start.

• I write to attract women. Well, that's it. That's the whole point.

• I sat down to write the next great novel but then I realized I don't have anything to write about.(from First Light)

Monday, June 1, 2009

Philippe Hirschhorn: He was a tragic man


One lesson to be drawn from ''The Winners,'' a searching, melancholy Dutch documentary about the lives of four classical musicians who won the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels, is that victory is not a guaranteed ticket into the classical music pantheon. Politics, personal health, changing musical fashions and the mysterious vagaries of personality, not to mention sheer luck, can be as strong determining factors as raw talent in the trajectory of a career.
The movie's most compelling and saddest case history is the downward spiral of Philipp Hirschhorn, a gifted Russian musician who upon winning the 1967 violin competition was hailed by many as a new Paganini. Vintage film clips show the dashingly handsome Hirschhorn (who died in 1996, shortly after his interviews were filmed) in his youthful glory, when he embodied the classical virtuoso as a fiery Byronic hero.
Interviewed nearly three decades later and shown old film clips of himself, Hirshhorn is bitterly scornful of his youthful naivete, yet retains a spark of his old fervor as he recalls the ''euphoria'' of performing and compares that feeling to driving a racing car at high speed and taking LSD. After he emigrated to the West in 1973, his career never took off, and it was undermined by an unspecified illness. The film, directed by Paul Cohen, contrasts Hirschhorn's burnout with the more gradual ascent of Gidon Kremer, who came in third in 1967 but eventually became an international star. more... and more...and more...