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How do I just give up and go to sleep?
November 1, 2010
Up late, overwhelmed, and panicking about life. What do I do to mitigate the damage, and what do I do to stop this from happening again?
It's about 1:15am, and I've managed to stay up, thinking about how much I haven't done this weekend, and driven myself to panic. This, in turn causes me to stay up, not sleeping, and panicking. A vicious, awful fucking cycle that I keep going through about once a week.
It usually goes like this - 9pm rolls around, I realize I still have some stuff left to do. No big deal. I can get it done before 11 or so if I start now. I don't. I screw around, avoiding doing the work, usually because it's stuff I don't want to do. Then it's 11. Oh man, it's late. I should already be in bed, and I haven't started. I'm useless. This is where the spiral begins.
Usually, at this point, my wife goes to sleep, asking me to go with her. I don't, saying I'll just stay up to work a little, and then come in. It doesn't happen. I stay up until some late hour, still screwing around, getting nothing done, feeling guilty. My stomach gets in knots, I feel awful, and start thinking about how worthless I am.
That's where I am now.
I have two questions:
1) How do I mitigate the damage for tomorrow? I'm a graduate student, and on Tuesday, I teach two courses in the morning, have a rehearsal around lunch, and then have a class of my own after that. I'm all but ready to e-mail the students and cancel the class (it would be my first time doing it), but I feel even more nauseous about that. I haven't prepped for the class, and if I don't cancel, my plan is to wake up at 4 or so and try to make some sort of lesson.
2) How do I stop doing this? If you go through this pattern or spiral, how do you break yourself out of it? I feel like I had about 3 chances tonight to stop this (get work done at 9, go to sleep with with at 11, give up and get some rest at 11:30ish), but I ignored all of them, lying to myself that I'd get something done.
This is coming from a panicky, tired place, so it may be a bit rambly. I don't want to wake my wife up in the midst of a panic attack, so talking to her is out for now, at least. If you go through my posting history, you'll know I have problems with depression, anxiety, and ADHD, all of which I'm working on getting treated.
Right now, though, I need some help dealing with this very familiar pattern.
posted by
Health & Fitness
(31 answers total)
36 users marked this as a favorite
I do this all the time. I think I'm doing it right now.
I try to wake up early and drink as much coffee as I can stomach. The next night, I collapse onto my bed at around 10 which means I'll wake up early the next day. That usually keeps me pretty well for a week or so.
I don't, however, have early-morning responsibilities, so I can't really help with that. Still, I sympathize. Best of luck.
posted by
on November 1, 2010
If it makes you feel any better,
everybody in grad school does it
posted by
on November 1, 2010 [
1 favorite
Is there a way that you could focus your lessons on group discussions for tomorrow? Introduce the topic, expand on it some, and then have them discuss some questions amongst themselves for a period of time before asking them to share some of their results? You could use that to move on further into the topic, and it would reduce your burden to be lecturing for the entire class. It probably wouldn't take you too long to come up with three or four engaging questions. If this isn't an option, adding some element of interactivity might still make your teaching tomorrow a little bit easier.
As for the larger problem of procrastination, I think everyone deals with this to some degree. Is your wife aware of your "to do" list? Maybe if she was aware ahead of time of what you have to complete on the weekend, you might feel more motivated to work on it and get it out of the way. Or your wife might give you a few friendly reminders to get your work done!
posted by
on November 1, 2010 [
1 favorite
I should also add, I have sat through some preeeeeeeetty lame university classes. I think you can deliver one lacklustre class without beating yourself up about it.
posted by
on November 1, 2010 [
1 favorite
Don't cancel class.
Right now, write down two or three main points that you can talk about in each class tomorrow. Write them down as a single sentence or two, no more detail than that.
Then go to sleep.
Set your alarm for a time that will give you a solid hour of prep time for each class, with time for a shower and a good meal with some protein, on top of your realistic transit times etc.
Classes where you are a bit underprepared often go *better* as long as you're able to give the students some good jumping-off points and let them talk and work together to figure things out. (I teach philosophy, maybe your subject is different)
posted by
on November 1, 2010 [
2 favorites
Welcome to my life. Also, my gf's life, and the life of probably 1/2 the people in the Western world ;-)
I'm a procrastinator, so much so I've learned (or, more likely, put off telling myself otherwise ;-) that I do my best work at the last minute. For me, the only way I've found that works to avoid the 'OMFG! 11pm!" night-before panic is to convince myself that deadlines are earlier than they actually are. A load of stuff that needs to be prepped for Monday morning? I convince myself that it's actually due Saturday lunchtime, plan to do it before Friday, and actually end up doing it Friday night or Saturday morning.
Of course, deep down somewhere I know I'm actively fooling myself, and it doesn't
stop the "OMFG! 11pm Friday night! It's due tomorrow lunchtime! Even though it's actually due Monday morning!" panic, but it works for me. Mostly. And then you also get to enjoy a nice "hey, I don't actually
to do anything!" feeling the night before…
(Hell, just today I've taken the morning off from Uni so I could prep some materials. Didn't start doing that until 4pm, and it only took me an hour, but at least now it'll be ready for when I need it on Thursday ;-)
And, yeah, your classes tomorrow? Do the basic prep now, and wing it from there. Remember the pain & anxiety this has caused you, don't just fob it off with "oh, that was crap, but I'll prep better next time", and
remember the gut-turning fear and self-hatred you're currently feeling
time you even
about putting stuff off until later…
posted by
on November 2, 2010 [
1 favorite
Don't beat yourself up. Do not. Beat yourself up. It makes things worse, and more importantly, as others have pointed out - everyone does this.
I would go to sleep right now. You're not going to get anything done in your condition and you'll just make yourself more anxious, more tired, and more useless. Seconding Nightman that you shouldn't worry about your classes tomorrow. In the shape you're in, it might not be a terrible idea to cancel this time so you can recover a bit tomorrow. If you decide to teach, your students will survive if you're not prepped - every class can't be a gem. Dividing them up into groups is a good teaching tactic regardless, so if you can get the students to work towards some kind of symbolic goal like a debate between groups or something like that, it will probably be just as good for them as for you.
Are you sure you can't wake up your wife about this? Mr. Walla has helped me through some difficult, stress-filled nights, and it's important your wife know what you're going through if she's going to help you through it in the long term. I would want to know if he were going through something like this while.
For breaking the pattern long-term, you need to deal with your insomnia if you're not already because that makes everything so much worse. People say exercise is great, but if that doesn't work, get pills, and get the right ones (sometimes it takes time to find them). It is amazing what sleeping well will do for anxiety and general quality of life.
As for procrastination - well, I'm sure you know this is the bane of every grad student's existence. There are a couple tools like
Write or Die
Don't Break the Chain
that can help you get started and tackle jobs in small chunks, but there might be tools better suited to your discipline. In general, lowering your expectations about what you can get done in a given period of time is the best way to get started. Even doing 15 minutes of work will be so much better than doing nothing, and it might jumpstart you to do more.
The point is to know your limitations and work with them instead of trying to pretend you're someone you're not who can do things you can't. Fool yourself into working the right way - structure your time in a way that takes account of your tendencies instead of trying to change them.
I'm so sorry you're going through this. I've been there (and I'm sure I will be again) and it SUCKS. It will pass even though it seems like it won't. For now, be kind to yourself, f*&k your students for one day, and go get some sleep.
posted by
on November 2, 2010 [
1 favorite
The trick for me is to do something
the very moment
I have the thought about putting it off. It serves as a big FU to the thoughts, and the sheer relief I feel once I start doing whatever it is, seems to push me through. All the rumination seems to inflate the task into something much bigger than it really is.
Also, on preview, seconding what LobsterMitten said. Some prep, is better than no prep at all, seriously. Jot those notes now!
posted by
on November 2, 2010 [
4 favorites
Hey all, thanks for the advice. I tried to crawl into bed and sleep, but that wasn't going to happen, so I came back out.
Some follow up.
The class I teach is kind of nuts and bolts - there's some room for discussion, but not much. I know every class doesn't have to be a gem, but I feel like this might be really awful. I'm leaning towards cancel, even if I feel shitty for doing it. The problem is that I have a rehearsal I have to show up for, and some of my students will probably see me there. So, unless I have a good explanation, I'm afraid I'm going to look like a complete flake.
walla - I could absolutely wake my wife up right now, and she'd sit and talk to me. We've done this before, though, and I'd rather not deprive her of sleep to rehash the same thing I always manage to dig myself into.
If anyone needs any other clarification, I'll be up for a bit to provide it.
posted by
on November 2, 2010
Well, given I'm posting this on a Tuesday morning at 3 a.m., I have one suggestion for you in the future. When you first get the inkling of a feeling that you're going to be very tired, and thus very useless,
go to sleep.
Immediately. Otherwise, you're going to
be useless (come on… realistically you know you're not going to get much accomplished in that state of mind) but you'll also be useless
later on
because you will
be exhausted. Even if it's 9 PM and you just finished dinner and haven't even turned on the TV. Listen to your body.
At least if you go to sleep immediately, you will be far more able to tackle whatever problems you might have when you awake. It took me years of being stupid and staying up before I figured this out, and I still occasionally have to force myself to fight against
"just a few more minutes…"
posted by
on November 2, 2010
Have books around. Books you like. Not new books, but books you've read before. Then read them. Read them to distract yourself. Read until your eyelids get heavy, then drop the book, hit the light, and hit the pillow as fast as you can. It is the only thing I've ever found that works for me in the same recurring scenario -- because it's old, familiar books, I never wonder about the ending, so I won't end up reading for hours because I want to know the ending, and I never have to worry that it's a book I won't like, and since I know what's coming, it's BORING, so I get sleepy faster.
posted by
on November 2, 2010
Oh, and for the record, I went to sleep early and am now awake early. If I had something that needed doing for the morning I'd still have plenty of wakeful hours to prepare. That's the benefit of going to sleep immediately. Had I just forced myself to stay awake, I'd have tacked on several additional hours of snacking, procrastinating, and worrying—but not actually getting much accomplished—and I'd
be here at 3:30 in the morning. But instead of being dead-tired, I'm well-rested.
posted by
on November 2, 2010 [
1 favorite
Oh, as for the planning: it is time for you to accept that you will accomplish your best work when you wake up in the morning. Set aside a specific amount of work to get done the night before, to be started at a specific hour, and do it. Then go to bed without guilt, knowing that the remainder of the work will be done in the morning when you wake up -- and if you manage to squeeze a bit of extra work in the night before, so much the better for the morning.
posted by
on November 2, 2010 [
1 favorite
I don't know how you work, but in your situation, I would feel much worse for cancelling class than I would for being sleep-deprived. Plus, in my procrastinatory days, I would only just now be getting the perfect clarity of mind that I. Must. Do. This. Work. No more ways to avoid it.
So, just do it. It's not going to take forever. Turn off Metafilter, and write that damn lesson plan. Do it as a sprint; give yourself 45 minutes to an hour. You'll be miserable; it'll suck; you'll feel all the anxiety that you procrastinated this long just to avoid. But whatever, you'll survive. At the end of the hour, look at your draft, and spend just enough time polishing it up to feel good about it. Go to sleep, maybe setting your alarm so you have some time in the morning to give it one last proofread. This lesson plan is not that big of a deal. If you can actually
the class, then doing a half-baked job is not that horrible.
It's so nice and quiet in the house now. Your tiredness gives you focus. What is the bare minimum you have to do? Just get it done.
posted by
on November 2, 2010 [
1 favorite
Oh yeah, and definitely don't cancel class. There be dragons down that path. Don't cave in to your inner 4 year-old or you'll do it again in the future. Once the class is over you will be grateful you sucked it up. And in the future you'll have just a smidgen more confidence that yes, you
do it.
posted by
on November 2, 2010 [
4 favorites
Every single one of us does this from time to time.
Some of us are just better at fooling ourselves, but damn is it just human nature.
posted by
on November 2, 2010
thinking about how much I haven't done this weekend, and driven myself to panic. This, in turn causes me to stay up, not sleeping, and panicking.
Can you maybe work on why you're not getting as much done as you'd like over the weekend? Is it because you simply have too much stuff to do in 2 days? Or are you procrastinating and then being consumed by the post-procrastination guilt/shame spiral? (because oh man, that sucks so bad.) If it's bad enough to keep you up and night and negatively affect all aspects of your life, it's a really good idea to think about getting medicated for your ADHD.
I feel like a crazy drug pusher recommending meds all the time here, but they can really and truly and seriously change your life so dramatically that you might kind of want to cry the first day you realize that you too can behave like a "normal" human being. It is satisfying and emotionally empowering and awesome.
posted by
on November 2, 2010
Against the best advice of almost everyone in this thread, I pulled the trigger and canceled class. I just. Couldn't. Do. It. This is less of a factor of "OMG I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING READY AND COULDN'T TALK FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF" and more of a factor of I feel completely awful. I'm going to try to lick my wounds this morning. I'm trying to rationalize taking the coward's way out - I know. I'm not proud of it.
Talked to my wife when she woke up, and she helped me get my head on a little more straight. I still think I'm going to throw up from stress. I'm truly a mess right now, and hopefully, I can turn myself into less of a mess before my obligation at 1pm.
Thanks for the advice. Hopefully, I'll be able to use some of this next time before this doom spiral sets in again. While it makes me feel better than I'm not alone, I still feel helpless and a bit useless.
To those suggestion medication - not sure if I mentioned it, but I'm just starting treatment for depression, and have been on treatment for anxiety for a while. The ADHD will be taken care of once these two drugs decide if they play nicely or not.
Thanks again for the advice. The night's over, at least.
posted by
on November 2, 2010
Don't make work a priority in your life. Make sleep a priority in your life. If you don't get work done because you had to go to sleep, you'll learn to adjust your schedule accordingly.... and then you'll be able to get some work done.
posted by
on November 2, 2010 [
1 favorite
I still think I'm going to throw up from stress. I'm truly a mess right now,
You are a grad student, right? Go to the counseling center, or whatever they call it at your school. Ideally you would ask around a bit first and find out from word of mouth who is the go-to person there for grad students (there's usually someone who is a bit better at speaking grad student stress language), but don't delay because of that. Your anxiety is severely impacting your life and is getting worse -- you need to avail yourself of the help available before this gets to the point of creating serious harm for you.
You did say "[I] have been on treatment for anxiety for a while" so perhaps instead of what I just suggested you could follow up with whomever has been treating you for the anxiety, because your current treatment is obviously not working. Either way, get your ass in there ASAP, before this gets worse.
posted by
on November 2, 2010 [
2 favorites
Oh, by the way -- if you're concerned about your ability to teach a class when you're ill-prepared, you might want to take the long view (that this might happen to you from time to time) and take some improv classes. I've managed to teach for more than an hour, successfully, with no lead time and no advance prep thanks to my improv training.
posted by
on November 2, 2010
I had a really stressy bad day yesterday, for pretty much the exact same reasons you're describing, and I completely forgot about the HALT acronym. Are you:
Now, of course, the answer is, "Well, DUH, Mads!" But sometimes when you're in this state you need to force yourself to remember those things point-by-point.
--I had had a giant chai for "breakfast," which I thought would make me feel better, but it probably didn't have enough protein (and the sugar isn't great either). So I ate a sub for lunch and it eventually calmed me down.
--I was really angry at myself for being such a fuckup and not finishing my work. It took me a while to realize that even if I can't get out of this responsibility, it IS hard. It requires a much more difficult recruiting process than anyone else in my office has to do.
--I had driven myself to work early in the morning, and it was Monday (after my similarly tortured weekend wondering when I would get things done), and I hadn't gotten my usual morning snuggles and affirmations that I get when my sweetie drives me to work. So I met him at lunch and we had an extended holding session.
--Sweet Jesus, yes.
You're probably "in it" by now, and I hope that you'll never be in this situation again... but hey, you probably will. We both will. So what's the worst thing that could happen if you sleep in? You won't be any less prepared than you are now, and you'll have a good period of at least lying in bed and letting your body rest on something soft instead of trying to hold itself up against all odds :P
Give yourself a break. We're all human. Your students, and even your colleagues and mentors and bosses, probably don't have as high of an expectation for you (note: FOR you, not OF you) as you think they do. I guarantee it.
posted by
on November 2, 2010 [
4 favorites
"extended holding session" geez, that sounds stupid. IT FELT GOOD, OKAY
posted by
on November 2, 2010 [
4 favorites
Definitely go to the counseling center, and try to get a referral or set of appointments with someone who can walk you though CBT or something of the sort to build better habits. The book "The Now Habit" addresses good anti-procrastination strategies.
In general:
Avoid thinking of your procrastination in moralistic terms. ("I suck, what's wrong with me" etc), since that will just lead you down a self-defeating road of "I must punish myself for doing this wrong thing, so will sit awake worrying. I don't deserve to have a good night's sleep, I don't deserve a nice relaxing dinner away from the computer, etc." which of course leads to you being tired the next day, less able to do things that need doing etc.
Avoid thinking of class as something that's within your discretion to cancel. I've always found that when I'm in your position, I am tempted to cancel -- and when I don't cancel, the class usually goes okay and I feel real relief or mild embarrassment; but when I do cancel I feel temporary relief but it makes things worse down the road.
Figure out which of your commitments are non-negotiable - you have to show up. Eg classes you're teaching. Then lay out an achievable plan about how you will meet those:
1. Make a plan of how you're going to get done the minimum for your classes. It's easy to get into a mindset of trying to plan a really great class, but set that aside. How much time does it take you to plan a minimal class -- one or two hours per class hour? Longer? Be honest with yourself about this, don't inflate or deflate it. Set aside that time, your base prep time, more than 24 hours ahead of class.
2. Go to a good work space -- a work space with no internet. Go to the library and don't bring a laptop with wireless. Prep using just pen and paper if you have to. Be honest with yourself about what spaces are good for you to work in. For me, home is comfortable but I don't actually get much done there; I need to force myself to go to the library, and set a limit of how long I will work - a solid hour just on this one project, then I can think about other things on my to-do list, or go get a coffee or whatever.
3. Set a firm bedtime - stop thinking of the night as infinite "reserve" time you can draw on if you need to. Maybe your firm bedtime is midnight. Might be later; I would aim to always get at least 6 hours of sleep, non-negotiable, no matter what. Then do what you need to do to always be in bed by that time: warm milk, hot shower, whatever. This is perfectly possible - you CAN organize your life this way, by working more efficiently with the time you have during the day. Work expands to fill the time you give it, so mark out some time that work can't have (meals, sleep, at a minimum) and you will figure out how to work around it.
4. If you follow this plan, you'll have your minimum prep done ahead of time, and you'll have a set number of hours the day before where you can work on making your lesson plans better-than-minimum. Just remember the firm bedtime. There's no reason to violate the bedtime rule, because you've got your minimum done. You will be basically ok, even if the class won't be as good as it could be. You will get sleep and be better ready to teach because of it -- and more to the point, this schedule is sustainable over a whole semester, rather than going from one weekly crisis to another.
This system is hard to get into, it takes building good habits. There's no shortcut or magic bullet - the study strategies that work as a bright undergrad (doing things at the last minute) won't work sustainably as you continue in grad school and teaching. So you just have to change those habits. It's not a moral thing - you're not bad. You have strategies that worked in another environment, and they're not working in your new environment (plus as you get older it will be harder to work productively in the middle of the night, so if you're up you'll just be fretting and not getting anything done) so it is rational to change your strategy. So that's what you're going to do. It will take some time, you might have set-backs, but that's ok - you'll stick with it and change those habits to ones that work better for you.
posted by
on November 2, 2010 [
8 favorites
Now that I'm a better, more reasonable mine, I'd like to thank everyone for what's been said.
LobsterMitten: You're absolutely right about the class. I canceled, and I felt awful about it. Even though I got some other work done during class time, knowing that I canceled made me feel pretty bad afterward. It's not something I'll be doing again soon. That's what I get for going against the advice of the majority. I also need a better work space. I have an office at school, but for some reason, I just can't get work done in there. Same for at home. I haven't found a space where I feel truly productive yet, but that may be because I'm always connected.
Madaima: I definitely forgot to check my HALT last night . My wife and I have been using that, especially as I start getting pissy when I don't eat or don't sleep well. By myself, it was tough to see that those were some very valid points as to why I was feeling so awful. I could have fixed several things.
To everyone who suggested that I teach today off the cuff: I probably could have. I've done things like that before - had only the vaguest outline and turned it into a pretty good lesson on my feet. I just didn't have that reserve this morning. I didn't have that place to reach into and pull it out. Usually, I do. I just reached for it, hoping something was there, and nada.
To those suggesting medication: I have an appointment with my doc in a week or so to check in. I may ask for an uppage in the dose of my anxiety meds, or just some more fiddling. We'll see.
The problem is that right now, in the light of day, reading back on my panicky, rambling post, it seems silly. That was worlds away, and it's hard to do things for myself now, while I'm of sound(er) mind, that will help me the next time something like this comes my way. For example, right now, instead of clicking away on something for tomorrow, I came home, ate a snack, and decompressed.
I'll try to stick to at least 7 hours of sleep, and because I have to be early, that limits what I can do tonight. Guess that's the trade off.
posted by
on November 2, 2010
You are really not alone. I don't have anything to do with the
PhinisheD forum
, but I do remember it as a place people hashed this stuff out and helped each other cope.
posted by
on November 2, 2010
The only way to get stuff done is to do it. It sounds trite or dismissive, but it isn't. I know exactly what you mean and it happens to be me too both at home and at work. It seems so overwhelming and you don't know where to begin and you hate the task so much. But it has to be done eventually, so soonest begun is soonest done. Just. Start.
posted by
on November 3, 2010
I quit taking anxiety meds after getting my ADHD sorted out. Before then I was upping them constantly. My anxiety (and depression) weren't due to my brain...they were do to the huge, stressful messes that were created by my ADHD.
Something to consider if you never seem to get the anxiety meds to work right.
You have a lot of issues, okay, but you know what's within your power?
How you treat yourself.
Man, once I admitted that sometimes staying up and not going to bed is a THING I DO sometimes, I actually started sleeping better.
Fuck it, if I'm gonna stay up until 2am, I'm going to play Zelda or do something on my computer or whatever.
I spent years, YEARS, being berated, punished, lectured, sighed at for things I had little to no control over, and I carried that over and was doing it to myself. Then I realized that it was an inappropriate way to treat 10-year-old me, and it's still inappropriate.
Be kind to yourself while you get this figured out.
(No need to feel awful about your class. Presumably if you'd been up all night with the stomach flu it would be perfectly acceptable to cancel class. Sometimes your brain gets the flu! One class? Big deal. You've never done it before and you're working on it. I presume your students are allowed to miss class if they're sick, too.)
posted by
the young rope-rider
on November 3, 2010
The ADHD will be taken care of once these two drugs decide if they play nicely or not.
I've recently started taking ADHD meds (Strattera) so it is too early to start definitively attributing things to them. But one of the first things I have noticed is a big reduction in the pattern of lying awake at night unable to sleep because my mind is racing (this after years of sleep problems that make most people's jaw drop when I describe them). I also seem better able to just sit down and just do something without all the messing aroud first.
posted by
on November 3, 2010
tallus: I tried Adderall XR (allergic) and Strattera (didn't work). I haven't had time to try something else quite yet. The problem with my schedule is that I really, truly don't have time during the day to go to a doctor appointment or therapy.
posted by
on November 3, 2010
This may be useful. Try taking one cod liver oil pill a day or 1000 IU of vitamin D a day. If this helps please let me know. I've found it helps concentration, focus and helps eliminate depression. :) Just saying.
posted by
on January 9, 2011
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QE3 and Low Interest Rates Help Savers? Bernanke Thinks So
U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke wants you to believe his cheap money, low interest policies like QE3 actually have benefits for savers.
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With median income levels at averages not seen since the mid-90s, U.S. households need to prepare their savings to survive higher prices - especially while interest rates remain near zero.
Unfortunately, it appears this environment is exactly what Ben Bernanke has in mind.
"Not only will they tolerate higher inflation, not only will they wish for higher inflation, but they actually may target higher inflation," PIMCO CEO Mohamed El-Erian told CNBC ofthe Fed. "This is a historical bet that our kids will be reading about in history books."
Here's what Bernanke has planned.
To continue reading, please click here... Read More...
U.S. Stocks 2012: Can Bulls Keep the Charge Into Q4?
Historically, September hasn't been kind to stocks.
But a noticeable trend is emerging.
In the past seven Septembers, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has risen five times. And while the last trading day of September 2012 ended down, it was an up month for the Dow.
In fact, the Dow has now risen in 11 of the past 12 months (May saw a 6% decline). The last time markets enjoyed that kind of stellar streak was in 1959.
For the third quarter, the Dow tacked on 4.3%, the Standard & Poor's 500 Index rose 5.8% and the Nasdaq climbed 6.2%
Year-to-date, all three major indexes have enjoyed robust gains. They headed into the fourth quarter up 10%, 14.6% and 19.6% year-to-date, respectively.
Commodities also ran higher in the third quarter. Gold glowed, gaining 8%, oil gushed higher by 8%, and the Dow Jones-UBS Commodity Index surged 15%. Gold, up 11% in 2012, and silver, up a sterling 24% so far this year, are both expected to benefit further as the Fed's free monetary stance weighs on the value of the dollar and inflation worries are amplified.
Most of September's gains came during the first two weeks as markets anticipated a third round of quantitative easing. The Fed delivered at the Sept. 13 Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, and stocks muddled through the rest of the month suffering from a case of buy on the rumor and sell on the news.
"The third quarter story was really simple. The performance was propelled by the generosity of global central bankers," Rex Macey, chief investment officer at Wilmington Trust told USA Today.
Now let's take a look at if this momentum will surge into the fourth quarter.
To continue reading, please click here... Read More...
QE3 Not Required: Three Stocks Thriving Without the Fed
When U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke opened the floodgates of easy money with quantitative easing (QE3), Wall Street staged a party.
But even though the market quickly jumped to five-year highs, stocks fizzled shortly thereafter.
And that leaves investors wondering whether this market has staying power.
"The question now is if investors feel brave enough to continue to buy stocks at such elevated levels," Fawad Razaqzada, market strategist at GFT Markets wrote in a note to investors. Investors looking for a safer route should focus on companies that can thrive on their own merits -- even without an intoxicating shot of QE3.
Companies that make products we have to have - the necessities of life, in other words -- tend to be more resistant to market ups and downs.
Let's take a look at three companies that have delivered steady, reliable returns for decades -- with or without QE1, QE2, QE3 or, someday, QE99.
To continue reading, please click here... Read More...
The QE3 Dangers Bernanke Isn't Telling You About
Hoping the third time is the charm, the U.S. Federal Reserve voted on Sept. 13 to launch another bond-buying program, QE3.
Equity and commodity markets cheered the Fed's move. Stocks rallied and analysts raised precious metals price forecasts.
QE3 differs from the first two rounds in that it is an aggressive open-ended purchase program of $40 billion per month of mortgage-backed securities. The buying is slated to continue until we reach substantial and sustained improvement in the U.S. economy, which won't be a short-term achievement.
The program aims to lower long-term interest rates, stoke consumer demand and bring down the elevated unemployment rate.
But some opponents think the latest stimulus measure from Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke will fail to achieve any of that.
In fact, the QE3 doubters have a lot to say - and anyone with money in the markets right now should pay attention to what could happen.
To continue reading, please click here... Read More...
QE3 Is Strong Medicine for Dr. Copper
With QE3, Ben Bernanke just gave Dr. Copper a shot in the arm that should carry prices to new highs.
In fact, shortly after the U.S. Federal Reserve announced its decision to launch a third round of bond buying, copper rallied to $3.84 a pound on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, up from around $3.35 in mid-August.
But that is only part of the story...
As "the only metal with a Ph.D. in economics' because of its widespread use in industrial applications copper is an excellent bellwether for the state of global economic activity.
And right now copper is predicting a major global rebound.
"Investors' expectations for global economic growth in the fourth quarter are rising and Dr. Copper is rallying," Andrew Rosenberger, senior portfolio manager at Brinker Capital told MarketWatch.
"Copper and other assets which are linked to global growth are taking the approach of rally now, ask questions later," he said.
For investors, there are lots of reasons to like copper right now.
Let's take a look...
To contiune reading, please click here... Read More...
Forget the Punch Bowl, With QE3 Ben's Party is Open Bar
Everything changed on September 13. It's the day Ben Bernanke promised not to take away the punch bowl.
Last Thursday, Helicopter Ben announced that the Fed would start buying $40 billion in mortgage-backed securities -- for as long as it takes. He also announced the Fed will keep rates between 0-0.25%, until mid-2015.
The goal is to keep supporting the mortgage bond market until the employment level improves "sufficiently."
But given that the last several rounds of multi-hundred billion dollar stimulus didn't accomplish that goal, it's hard to see why they'd expect this time to be any different.
Maybe it's just because Paul Krugman was right: They didn't spend enough the first two times (sarcasm intended). Or then again, maybe that's not really their goal...
Consider this: At Jackson Hole just a few weeks ago Bernanke said that, historically, there has only been limited experience with quantitative easing. Therefore central banks, including the Fed, "have been in the process of learning by doing."
Excuse me, but are you freaking kidding me?...
Did Ben skip all his history classes? Has he ever heard of the demise of Rome or Weimar Germany?
More recently, even Argentina and Zimbabwe have had plenty of experience with quantitative easing. Their zealous over-printing led to major devaluation and/or outright currency collapse.
Couldn't Bernanke have checked in with Cristina Kirchner or Robert Mugabe?
The only real difference, and I'll admit it's a substantial one, is that the U.S. dollar is the reserve currency for the world's central banks. But that won't change the outcome.
Instead it may just delay the day of reckoning. In the meantime, it's very likely going to make the situation much, much worse.
So what's the Fed really up to?
Well, here's what I think...
To continue reading, please click here... Read More...
QE3 Delivers Fresh Ammo for Both Romney and Obama
U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke never intended his latest stimulus program, QE3, to become an issue in the 2012 presidential election, but he had to know what would happen.
"We have tried very, very hard, and I think we've been successful...to be nonpartisan and apolitical," Bernanke said at a news conference Thursday after the official Fed announcement of QE3. "We make our decisions based entirely on the state of the economy....So we just don't take those [political] factors into account. And we think that's the best way to maintain our independence and maintain the trust of the public."
In case you missed it, the Fed's third round of quantitative easing entails the purchase of $40 billion of mortgage-backed securities each month until unemployment shows a marked improvement.
In other words, for as long as it takes.
But with QE3 arriving less than 60 days before a bitterly contested presidential election, the Fed move was bound to get caught up in the campaign.
Both sides reacted immediately, with Republicans criticizing QE3 as unnecessary while Democrats applauded.
A few Republicans even accused Bernanke of timing QE3 intentionally to boost President Obama's re-election chances.
For the record, Bernanke is himself a Republican, appointed chairman of the Federal Reserve by President George W. Bush in 2006 and re-appointed by President Obama in 2010.
But with the Fed becoming a GOP bogeyman in recent years (thanks largely to the attacks from Rep. Ron Paul, R-TX), QE3 was bound to become weaponized in this year's increasingly acrimonious campaign.
Don't be fooled when each political party throws out the following QE3-fueled lines to get your vote.
To continue reading, please click here... Read More...
How QE3 – Like QE1 and QE2 – Will Trigger Inflation
The traditional safe haven assets of gold (NYSE: GLD) and silver (NYSE: SLV) have surged in price due to the announcement of the latest round of quantitative easing, QE3 - but those aren't the only assets QE3 will push higher.
While QE3 might seem harmless to U.S. consumers, it is present every time they gas up their cars or buy food at the grocery store.
In fact, all three rounds of quantitative easing have led to higher priced commodities.
Whether you realize it or not, QE3 - same as the stimulus programs before it - is adding greatly to the costs of everyday life. QE3 is directly leading to higher prices for oil, food and the cost of imported goods.
Over time, that results in a tremendous consumer expense in all product and service categories.
To continue reading, please click here... Read More...
When it Comes to QE3, Ben Should Have Tried the Helicopter
At last Thursday's Fed meeting, Ben Bernanke finally played his last card.
With an open-ended promise to buy $40 billion a month in agency-guaranteed mortgage bonds, the Fed Chief turned QE3 into a much larger gift called "QE Infinity."
But the truth is he would have been better off if he had tried the helicopter.
For those who forget the reference, Ben's first foray into national fame came in November 2002, when he delivered his famous "helicopter speech" at the National Economists Club in a Washington, DC Chinese restaurant.
Little did I know that day that I was about to witness history as Bernanke said the risk of deflation was so great that the Fed should drop interest rates to zero and consider using further measures -- such as dropping $100 bills from helicopters -- to "stimulate" the economy.
Of course, I blotted my Fed copybook for the next decade by asking a snotty question since I objected to his central premise that the risk of deflation was either imminent or would be disastrous when it happened.
The idea that deflation was imminent at the time was simply ridiculous. Consumer price inflation, on official BLS statistics which consistently understate it by about 1%, was 2.5% in 2002, 2.0% in 2003 and 3.3% in 2004.
Even then, Bernanke's economics weren't that well connected with reality.
The Problem with QE1...QE2...QE3 and QE Forever
The reality today is that it just doesn't work.
Bernanke's various "quantitative easing" policies have benefited primarily Wall Street; the mechanism by which they have fed through to the real economy is at best very indirect.
Currently for example, the Fed is now set to buy a total of $85 billion a month in long-term bonds, through the new mortgage bond purchases as well as the remains of his "Operation Twist" strategy.
This is supposed to lower interest rates, which in turn is supposed to support the housing market and produce jobs.
However the principal effect of all this Fed activity is to support stock prices, commodity prices and other asset prices. That's why gold prices went on a tear after QE3 was announced, while interest rates have actually risen.
Traders have seen the limit of what the Fed can do to support the bond market and have begun to wonder whether the Fed's activities will bring inflation. The question is what will happen to the bond market once Fed purchases slow. If the Fed's efforts burst the bond bubble, $85 billion a month is nowhere near enough to begin to reflate it.
Meanwhile, in the real economy-the one where you and I live-- not much changes.
To continue reading, please click here... Read More...
Jim Rogers On QE3, Gold, Silver and Oil
The U.S. Federal Reserve is ready to launch a third round of quantitative easing, dubbed QE3 or QE Forever - but legendary investor Jim Rogers is shaking his head.
In fact, Rogers said repeating the same program the Fed has already attempted will make policymakers "look like fools again."
In an interview with CNBC before the Fed's announcement, the chairman of Rogers Holdings said he was skeptical that additional stimulus measures could have any meaningful effect on the U.S. economy. He added that despite his reservations, he expected the Fed to unveil QE3.
The iconic financier also lashed out at the new developments in Europe, including a move from Germany last week to funnel taxpayer cash into the European Central Bank's OMT program, their own version of quantitative easing. Rogers maintained they are not addressing the root of the problems plaguing the Eurozone area.
On Europe's move to implement a euro version of QE, Rogers said it affords the Western world "unanimity towards mutual destruction."
Any relief will be temporary, warned Rogers.
"We're all going to pay a horrible price for this in a year or two or three," he said.
As for why the Fed will continue its ineffective stance of zero to 0.25% interest rates through at least mid-2015, and the tossing good money after bad, Rogers advised the reasons are simple.
It's an election year and "Mr. Bernanke wants to keep his job."
That's why Rogers is getting defensive with commodities.
To continue reading, please click here... Read More...
What QE3 Means for Markets and the U.S. Economy
We finally know that a third round of quantitative easing, or QE3, is here, but it has left investors asking what it means long-term for the markets and the economy.
First, let's look at what QE3 is meant to do.
QE3 is meant to encourage economic growth and improve the U.S. employment picture.
On Sept. 7, the Department of Labor reported that only 96,000 jobs were created in August. Not only was that far below expectations, it was well under the 141,000 increase from July.
In addition, the underlying foundation is even weaker as income is down and more Americans are leaving the labor force. Of the jobs that are being created, most are poorly paying ones in the service sector.
From that, economic growth for the United States slowed to 1.7% in the second quarter, down from 4.1% in the final three months of last year.
This new QE3 - or QE Forever, since it has no expiration date - is the most intense program initiated by the Fed to goose the economy since the crisis.
Noted Julia Coronado, the head economist for North America at BNP Paribas and former Fed economist, "This is definitely a significant shift in FOMC policy. This is a very aggressive commitment to success on its mandates."
Here's what QE3 means for the markets and the U.S. economy.
Read More...
Stock Market Today: QE3 Sugar High Boosts These Stocks
The major headlines in the stock market today include the markets' reaction to QE3, consumer prices rising, and shaky retail sales.
- The QE3 rally climbs higher - After the Federal Reserve announced its latest stimulus measure, QE Forever, as some are calling it, the markets soared, all reaching multi-year highs. Commodities and financials in particular did well. Oil is approaching $100 a barrel, gold is nearing $1,800/oz., Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) has gained over 10% this week and JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NSYE: JPM) has now made up all its losses since the "London Whale Trade." The dollar as expected took a beating, falling to its lowest level since May, and the euro is now over $1.31. Yet, the question is whether QE3 will be a short-term or long-term rally. "It was a strong signal from the Fed and a very welcome move but we'll have to wait and see if this is more than a one or two-day wonder for the market," Mike Lenhoff, chief strategist at Brewin Dolphin Securities Ltd. in London told Bloomberg News. "All of this central-bank policy removes a degree of uncertainty that has been plaguing markets."
- Retail sales rise but outlook grim - The Commerce Department reported that retail sales increased 0.9% in August from a month earlier following a 0.6% gain in July. This was spurred by better auto and gasoline sales, but outside of those categories there was little good news. Excluding those two items, retail sales inched up 0.1% with weak electronic, clothing, and appliance sales. Core retail sales, which exclude automobiles, gasoline, or building materials fell 0.1% and is more closely related to consumer spending within the U.S gross domestic product calculation.
QE3 Becomes QE Forever
Welcome to unlimited quantitative easing, or QE Forever.
The U.S. Federal Reserve goosed equities, Treasury yields, gold, silver, oil, platinum, palladium and investor sentiment on Thursday when it announced additional stimulus to spur economic growth.
The central bank said it will continue to buy mortgage-related debt and other securities until the job market shows significant signs of improvement so long as inflation remains tame.
"The market got what it wanted. Stocks immediately shot up," James Meyer, chief investment officer at Tower Bridge Advisers told Reuters.
In fact, the markets got more than expected.
As part of the Fed's new scheme, a marked difference from the first two rounds of QE, it will buy $40 billion of mortgage debt per month. Additionally, the Fed reiterated its stance of keeping interest rates at historic low levels, extending the time frame out until at least the middle of 2015.
"This is definitely a significant shift in FOMC policy," Julia Coronado, chief economist for North America at BNP Paribas in New York and a former Fed economist told Bloomberg News.
Plus, the Fed said it would continue Operation Twist, its action to bring down long-term interest rates.
Collectively, the Fed moves will flood some $85 billion a month into the struggling U.S. economy for the rest of 2012.
The Fed has always set a determined amount of Fed purchases. This time, however, it let America know that easing will endure and no tightening will occur until confidence recovers.
That's why QE3 is a game-changing move for the U.S. economy.
To continue reading, please click here... Read More...

subset: commoncrawl


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Possible Storm Scenarios for Friday
By Quincy Vagell on February 5, 2013, 11:50am Last modified: February 6, 2013, 11:23am
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An upper level system swinging south from Canada may combine with a coastal storm to bring wintry weather to Connecticut for Friday into early Saturday.
With the storm being three days away, there are still several possible scenarios. The exact track and evolution of this complex weather set-up will determine exactly what type of precipitation and how much of it Connecticut receives.
Major storm scenario: If low pressure passes further northwest and completely phases with an upper level system, this would bring heavy precipitation and warmer air into Connecticut.
The end result would be a major storm with heavy snow and a wintry mix inland, but more of a wintry mix trending to heavy rain along the shoreline.
Significant storm scenario: If low pressure moves up the coast, but only partially phases with an upper level system, precipitation would still impact Connecticut, but more cold air would stay in place.
The end result would be a significant storm with mostly snow inland, but more of a wintry mix near the shoreline.
Minor storm scenario: If low pressure stays further offshore and does not phase with an upper level system, only light amounts of precipitation could impact Connecticut.
The end result would only be a minor storm with light snow and perhaps some mixed precipitation along the shoreline.
The reason for the uncertainty is that the computer models have been all over the place with their forecasts for this potential storm. The European (Euro) computer model has been pretty consistent with a major East Coast storm, with enough cold air in place for mostly snow inland and some mixed precipitation near the coast. While the GFS computer model had been showing a solution further out to sea, the latest run from this morning now shows a significant storm for the area. Although high pressure is expected to lock in cold air to our north, if the storm track is too close to the coast, warmer air would be drawn in.
The ensembles and other computer model forecasts also show a lot of variability, ranging from light snow to a storm that brings so much warm air into the area that precipitation might even change to rain.
Stay tuned to WXedge.com for the latest forecasts and discussions.
Interact with me via Facebook or Twitter for my most up-to-date input:
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Read by Hollywood's finest, professional narrators and authors too. At Audible you own your books. Audible is not a streaming or rental service.
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Sarah Shelter has lived in West Kootenai for the last 10 years and wonders if she will ever fall in love. Since the tragic death of her best friend, she carries her memories in a jar along with the small items connected to them. For just as long, she's also been carrying around her emotions instead of allowing them to penetrate deep into her heart. Now she's met a kind and gentle man who may be able to break down the wall. But can Sarah risk her heart to finally achieve her dreams?
"Amish romance in an unexpected setting"
Much of the focus of this book is on the impact of two girls' friendships. So in a way this is almost a women's or girl's fiction book but with a rom..Show More »ance. The Memory Jar is an interesting device to employ in the story. The book had a simple quality to it that some might find appealing. A good listen and my first book by Tricia Goyer. She is a very popular author.« Show Less
Lydia Wyse, a book editor from Seattle who grew up Amish, returns to the small community of West Kootenai to give comfort to her father after her mother's death. Lydia soon finds herself falling in love with Amish bachelor Gideon Hooley. She wants nothing more than to forget her past and look forward to a future as an Amish bride. But will the pain of her childhood - and her potential betrayal of her community - keep her from committing her whole heart?
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backsgl's Profile
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|Read. This. NOW! (17 titles)
Take my advice. A good book is priceless, so this list may just be worth infinite money.
|backsgl's Comments
|The art of war
by Sunzi, active 6th century B.C.
You owe it to yourself to read this. This is "The art of War" people. You are automatically a more intelligent person for reading it, thinking about it, and understanding it. posted May 25, 2013 at 10:18PM
|Live from New York : an uncensored history of Saturday night live
by Shales, Tom.
How do people pull off SNL? This is your answer. Its really interesting, even if you're not a fan posted May 25, 2013 at 10:17PM
|Rise of the ogre, Gorillaz
by Browne, Cass.
I love the music, but don't let that stop you from reading this. The trials and tribulations of the cartoon band are funny, weird, british, and full of awesome songs. I wish they had continued the audiobook, which was narrated by Joss Ackland, because it was great posted May 25, 2013 at 10:16PM
|The hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy
by Adams, Douglas, 1952-2001
Its loony humor that revels in its absurdity IN SPACE! A classic that deserves your attention, if only for endless quotability posted May 25, 2013 at 10:14PM
|The Oedipus cycle
by Sophocles
Greek tragedy. Nuff said. Get your classic fix here. Oedipus Rex is great, Colonus is ok, and Antigone is good. it works, even with some continuity issues. posted May 25, 2013 at 10:12PM


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Finger Soccer
Posted by Break.com Staff on May. 24, 2006
Posted by Break.com Staff on May. 24, 2006
haha: Usa would kill anybody in football and they are also good at soccer!
VIVA PORTUGAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!: USA win the world cup...thats about as bad as greece managing to accomplish confederation....it'll never happen..sorry...north america can't produce players like Europe and South America can although i would say mexico has a chance....but then again Portugal is goin all the way so dont worry about it....VIVA... Portugal vs. Brazil in the finals...haha...most amazing finals ever....
PORTUGAL!!!!!!: Oh my god, are you forgetting PORTUGAL!? We are the kick ass team, we owned spain, England, Russia in the last euro cup and we are going to own this world cup, no jet lag this time, we have deco, cristiano ronaldo, Figo Ricardo Carvalho...... you people are always forgetting about us. LONG LIVE "FUTEBOL"!!!!!!!!
HAHAHAHAHA: Oh man whoever wrote the comment to this pic, I love you so much. That's whats truly funny about this. He/she wrote it just to fuckin piss you guys off and get the reaction you all gave. He/she must be sittin in his chair laughing just as hard at you guys as I am hahahaha
us sucks soccer balls: they dont kick them (btw football IS a better name then soccer)
USA World Cup Champions?: There is no chance ever that the US will win this world cup! sorry, this one is for Europe
soccer....: is the most popular sport in the world. there is only one place in the entire world where soccer is generally not popular, the dumbfucks here in the US.
Football rules all: idiots went to all the trouble of painting their hands with argentina and brazil kits and couldn't even spring for a decent ball, gd idea tho. Go England! altho brazil prob is better. oh yeh and pro evo rules.
t baggin u: Soccer football is the most popular game in the world, so go fuck your self with your baseball World Serie? only in your dreams, soccer has the only real World Championship, I know why you say that soccer is a stupid game, bacause USA is a looser team for soccer, between Brazil, Argentina, Germany or Holland is the next Champion, and Mexico will be a good revelation
fuk usa: argentina mexico and brasil alwayz own every1 at soccer and u dumb shits that say football its spelled futbol if ur ganna bitch bout sumthin learn 2 spell it
.: pir4t, go fuck yourself. that's all i need to say
Soccer? Yea, it blows.: Soccer is a stupid fucking sport. I'd rather watch fucking bowling than this bullshit.
Look.. God Speed USA but...: Sorry but USA winning the Soccer Championship is about as likely as South Korea winning the NBA and NFL Championship in the same day. I love my Country but Im not delusional.
USA: yeah, USA looks like they have a good line up this yeah.
...Why usa?: The USA suck at soccer..
WTF!: soccer? fuck off! just coz the rest of the world calls it football doent mean you dumb americans have to change it to somthing you understand. PLUS! U.S.A r shit at football! Go ENGLAND!!!!
Fuck u writing guy!: The U.S.A. is not going to win. They are going to suck horribly and everyone knows it.
agentina and brazil: w00t
huh: reminds me of knox
haha: thats actually really funny


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A Sydney research team has developed a sun and wind driven ventilation system to cool commercial buildings on the hottest summer days. They hope that the new system will reduce the power requirements of a commercial ventilation system by 15 to 20 per cent.
A research team in Sydney has created molecules that mimic those in plants which harvest light and power life on Earth.
The bane of all wedding videos-that picture of the bride in front of the window where her face so dark that you can't see the features-may soon be a thing of the past.
The cleaning power of sound waves on the back of a truck
A young researcher in Sydney is cleaning up contaminated soil by blasting it with ultrasound.
Andrea Sosa Pintos from CSIRO Industrial Physics has shown that toxic and carcinogenic pollutants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), can be decomposed quickly, easily and cheaply using a portable treatment unit.
"Chemical analysis of the soil and water after we've treated it confirms that more than 90 per cent of pollutants have been destroyed," she says.
Present soil remediation techniques such as landfill disposal, incineration and bioremediation, have many limitations. "None of these provides a complete or cost-effective solution. And some of them can be time-consuming." says Sosa Pintos.
"Our process is very simple. We generate high-power ultrasound waves in a slurry of the contaminated soil in water," Sosa Pintos explains.
The soil and water are mixed and the slurry is pumped through a treatment unit where it is exposed to the ultrasonic waves. The whole process only takes a matter of minutes, as opposed to hours and days, or even months using other techniques.
"Ultrasonic waves travelling through the mixture create micro-bubbles. When these bubbles burst on the surface of the soil particles, they release intense shock waves which can generate temperatures of up to 5000 degrees Celsius. Any chemical contaminants on the surface of the soil particles bear the brunt of these bursts of energy and are blown apart," she says.
Importantly, the surrounding liquid stays cool, eliminating the possibility that the remnants of the toxic compounds can recombine to form dangerous by-products, as sometimes happens using other technologies. Dioxins are formed during incineration, for instance.
The pilot plant Sosa Pintos and her colleagues have developed can already process about a tonne of soil a day. For a commercial scale system a more efficient feeder unit including a higher capacity pump would be required.
Sosa Pintos says. "If the right engineering company were interested, within a couple of years we could develop a commercial treatment unit able to be hauled to contaminated sites on the back of a truck."
The combination of high destruction rates, very low energy costs, and the convenience of on-site treatment, makes high-power ultrasound a promising option for soil remediation.
Andrea Sosa Pintos is one of 16 Fresh Scientists who are presenting their research to school students and the general public for the first time thanks to Fresh Science, a national program hosted by the Melbourne Museum and sponsored by the Federal and Victorian governments, New Scientist, The Australian and Quantum Communications Victoria. One of the Fresh Scientists will win a trip to the UK courtesy of the British Council to present his or her work to the Royal Institution.
A research team at the University of Adelaide has found a way to reduce brain swelling, the most common cause of death after stroke. [click to continue…]
(before NT and SA collided two billion years ago)
TWO BILLION years ago, the Australia we know today existed only in pieces. Northern, western and central Australia all belonged to different continents. [click to continue…]
RESEARCHERS in Sydney have discovered that an enzyme only found in immune cells plays a key role in promoting rheumatoid arthritis. The work raises the possibility of new and better treatments for the painful and debilitating condition, which affects about one in a thousand Australians of all ages.
A young Melbourne researcher has discovered that a compound
which attracts white blood cells to areas of inflammation also plays an
important role in attracting human embryos to the womb, supporting the establishment of a healthy pregnancy.
Approximately 1 in 6 Australian couples will experience infertility. A large part of this may be due to faulty coordination and guidance of the embryo to the mother's womb.
Natalie Hannan, of Prince Henry's Institute, has found that the compound fractalkine is also produced by the uterus. To ensure a healthy pregnancy, the lining of the uterus must produce factors that attract the embryo to implant and begin to grow. Fractalkine may help the placenta to form and tap into the mother's blood supply, by guiding the cells from which it develops to their right destination.
"In short, fractalkine plays an important role in the establishment of a healthy pregnancy," says Hannan of the Uterine Biology Group at Prince Henry's whose work led to the unravelling of the compound's role.
"The problem for many infertile couples lies in failure of the embryo to become properly embedded in the mother's womb. A better understanding of this complicated process should advance treatments for infertility.
"Although infertility treatment has dramatically improved over the past few years, more than 75 per cent of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) attempts will fail. A large part of this may be due to faulty communication between the mother and the baby, involving compounds such as fractalkine."
Hannan says that fractalkine is produced by the lining of the uterus at the time of implantation, when the embryo makes a special receptor that enables it to respond to fractalkine.
Using advanced technology that allows the movement of cells to be measured, Hannan discovered that human placental cells migrate towards fractalkine. Without fractalkine and many other similar compounds involved in the control of the essential processes of early pregnancy, implantation will fail.
"This exciting finding may improve IVF success rates by providing new targets for infertility treatment. It also aids our understanding of what makes a healthy pregnancy, which is ultimately a successful start to life," Hannan says.
Natalie Hannan is one of 16 Fresh Scientists who are presenting their research to school students and the general public for the first time thanks to Fresh Science, a national program hosted by the Melbourne Museum and sponsored by the Federal and Victorian governments, New Scientist, The Australian and Quantum Communications Victoria. One of the Fresh Scientists will win a trip to the UK courtesy of the British Council to present his or her work to the Royal Institution.
Research by a Perth forensic scientist is helping to
stem the flood of forgeries entering the international
antiques market.
A Perth forensic scientist is employing lasers to help trace pottery back to
the kiln site of its production, thus exposing ceramic forgeries, a multi-million
dollar criminal business.
Emma Bartle from the Centre for Forensic Science at the University of Western Australia has developed a scientific method to authenticate porcelain, based on a technique known as elemental fingerprinting originally used to establish where gold came from. It employs lasers to vaporise a minute amount of material, which can then be analysed for the elements it contains, and how much of each is present. The process causes no visual damage to the ceramics.
"Over the past decade a multi-million dollar industry has grown up in South-East Asia, Cambodia and Laos to forge Chinese Ming and Japanese Imari porcelain," Bartle says. "These modern fakes are so detailed and sophisticated that gone are the days whereby trained experts can authenticate pieces using visual examination alone.
"By analysing the porcelains' chemical composition we can establish the geographical origins of an artefact and trace it back to the kiln site of its production in China or Japan. Each site has a different combination of trace elements, such as strontium and lanthanum, which is unique."
The accepted conventional method of authentication at present uses emitted radiation to estimate the age of the porcelain; the idea being the older the object the less likely it is to be a fake. However, the process causes visible damage to the ceramics, decreasing both their cultural and monetary value. "Even worse, forgers have now caught up with the science and are artificially aging their imitations", Emma remarks.
Elemental fingerprinting, pioneered by Prof John Watling for establishing the provenance of gold, is now routinely used in forensic applications. However, its adaptation and application to ceramics is new.
This unique research has sparked both local and international interest. Already museums, auction houses and private collectors have come forward to loan items from their collections for analysis. "We are working in collaboration with The Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art (London), Bonhams Auction House (London) and the Kyushu Ceramics Museum (Japan)."
"We have also analysed some of the ceramic artefacts recovered from Dutch shipwrecks along the Western Australian coastline, which were kindly loaned by the Western Australian Maritime Museum. Private collectors from the US and UK have also sent porcelain shards from their own collections for us to investigate," says Emma.
Emma Bartle is one of 16 Fresh Scientists who are presenting their research to school students and the general public for the first time thanks to Fresh Science, a national program hosted by the Melbourne Museum and sponsored by the Federal and Victorian governments, New Scientist, The Australian and Quantum Communications Victoria. One of the Fresh Scientists will win a trip to the UK courtesy of the British Council to present his or her work to the Royal Institution.
Fish make omega-3 from noxious weed
Australian scientists have found that fish fed oil extracted from one of Australia's most damaging noxious weeds, Patterson's curse, produce health-giving omega-3 oils for human consumption. [click to continue…]
A young Sydney researcher hopes to develop a way to diagnose and monitor diseases by analysing how the brain responds to colour.
Why are some males faithful, stay-at-home partners while others sleep around, with no strings attached? In mountain brushtail possums, it turns out to depend on how disturbed their home is.
A potential new treatment for septic shock and other inflammatory diseases has been discovered by Monash Institute researchers.
Could Australia rise to the top of the diamond pipe again? Macquarie University researcher
Craig O'Neill believes his research could open new diamond fields across Australia.
Salads, shampoos and mining to benefit from theoretical
research into droplets
How much effort does it take to understand the behaviour of oil droplets?
A multi-disciplinary team of six researchers from the University of Melbourne
has spent the best part of two years, and used $300,000 of equipment to crack
the problem.


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