LOVE BEER AND COFFEE? YOU MIGHT BE A PSYCHOPATH
A sinister IPA.
Humans have a unique affinity for bitter food, like dark chocolate, coffee, and broccoli. Most other animals interpret a bitter taste as a warning to stay away from a non-edible material, but some humans can’t get enough of it, though scientists have never been quite sure why. How much you like those bitter foods could be a reflection of your personality, according to a new study in the journal Appetite—and people with the greatest affinity for bitter foods may even have more psychopathic and antisocial tendencies.
The researchers found that people who liked bitter foods were also more likely to score highly in measures of psychopathy, sadism, and aggression. In fact, they write, an affinity for bitter foods was a better predictor of personality than any of the other tastes. “Taken together, the results suggest that how much people like bitter-tasting foods and drinks is stably tied to how dark their personality is,” the study authors write.
“How much people like bitter-tasting foods and drinks is tied to how dark their personality is.”
This study adds valuable information to the little-explored question of how personality relates to taste preferences (though researchers have already found that people who are open to new experiences eat more vegetables and fiber, and those who are “sensation-seeking” drink more caffeine).
But as the researchers themselves point out, understanding what makes a person like a particular food is a complex knotof biology and psychology, influenced by her sensitivity to tastes and odors as well as past experiences. The researchers even had trouble deciding which foods to use as examples for bitterness because different people describe the tastes differently. And although the study makes a good case for a correlation between “dark personalities” and a preference for bitter flavors, it doesn’t provide any information about what might cause that preference—is it biology or psychology, or both? Though the researchers don’t mention any intention to conduct any future studies to explore the cause of these preferences, that information might be even more valuable than the study at hand.
From popsci
The Radials – Common Grounds
I like to make flyers.
Holy Smokes – I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues
Goodness,
I have been blogging for my job for so long, that I just realized I have neglected my own for a couple of years. I guess my regular readers have dispersed elsewhere. That’s OK. I do this to get things out of my head anyway. I have recently picked up a new earworm (a song that gets stuck in your head). I can’t get rid of it, so I think I’m going to record it in my studio. Laugh if you must, but it may be the only way I can get relief…
Passion vs. Hobby. Am I Smarter Yet?
Lately I have been struggling with passion vs. hobby. I spent many years pursuing my passion as a musician and worked unbelievably hard promoting myself in an era before websites, digital cameras, cell phones, etc. were affordable. I implemented each of these technologies as they became available to promote music and book gigs. It seemed that the easier it became to conduct business, the harder it became to have business to conduct. The people I was making music with (and myself) became occupied with all of these outside distractions relating to the technology. I did some solo stuff but inevitably desperately missed the musical conversations that occur in an ensemble.
As I grew older and more responsible, gaining a wife and two kids, my passion slowly slipped into a hobby. I have become a monthly weekend warrior likening my band time to bowling night. The problem is that every now and then my hobby reemerges as my passion and I become angry that no one is as dedicated as I am and that everyone’s priorities should be the band.
Then I receive a reminder that it’s only a hobby.
What happens is that my passion has briefly skewed my perspective and I have slipped back into the mindset of a 24 year old hungry for stardom. Luckily it passes as quickly as it comes. I’m still passionate about music but now making music is my hobby. I feel much better seeing that in writing.
CBGB 1993
Vs.
The Station 2013
From the late great Muscadine…
Scooter tricks
I wish I had this energy. I could watch this over and over and over and over…
Make Your Own Chalkboard Paint!
There is no better item for purposeful decoration than something painted with chalkboard paint. There is way to make your own with a color of your choosing! Here’s how…
Supplies:
- 1/2 cup acrylic paint (choose any color you like, or mix colors together to make the perfect shade!)
- 1 tablespoon unsanded grout (this can be purchased at most hardware/home improvement stores)
- mixing cup or bowl
- spoon
- paint brush
- object or board you plan to paint on.
1. Measure out your paint and grout. The unsanded grout is a fine powder so be sure to work in a well ventilated area.
2. Stir the grout into the paint until no lumps remain. 3. Paint your surface with your new custom chalkboard paint! The paint will begin to harden once it is mixed, so only mix what you need at one time as it won’t store as well as other paints.
Once your chalkboard has fully dried be sure to slate the surface before using it for the first time. To slate a chalkboard lightly rub chalk along the surface and then lightly rub it off.
Meat Batter – How Hot Dogs Are Made
I love the term “meat batter.” As one commenter on the video says, “The worst part is, I’m totally going to continue eating hot dogs.” Me too.
Tales From The Stereo – The Fabric
Fabric is the guise of Chicago’s Matthew Mullane and this is his first major release under that moniker, though he has previously surfaced on a number of limited releases as both Fabric and his own name. He describes himself primarily as a guitarist and “computerist,” however A Form of Radiance is a wonderfully spacey, endlessly pulsing bedroom synth epic…that may or may not have been created using actual synthesizers.
This record is a beautiful ambient pulsing mass, reminiscent of Pink Floyd’s ambient synth drones and good Tangerine Dream. I didn’t think I would like this so much.
Radio Acting 