(no subject)

Presumably, the best thing to do in the world is not worry about things. Next best is to not worry about them when worrying about them is detrimental to actually doing something about them, i.e. solving the problem, reacting calmly to stressful situations, etc. Statistically, everybody's going to be in a car wreck at least once in their lives -- is it possible that having mentally run through the procedure of having a car wreck previously will allow you to handle an actual car wreck with a greater degree of calm and control? Previous study shows that thoroughly visualizing shooting a basket successfully improves your probability of making a shot almost as much as actually practicing the shot. This thing about rehearsal, it's interesting to me.

In other news, it's a national Day of Silence in schools for awareness of LGBT issues -- somehow this never happened when I was in school. Our big action of protest was SADD week before prom, when some of the students came in painted in whiteface to represent the statistical probability of being killed by a drunk driver. The biggest gender/sexuality/etc. discrimination thing I can recall in high school was two girls in my senior class trying to buy prom tickets as a couple, which they weren't allowed to do. I don't think they were actually a couple, just trying to raise awareness. I remember wondering why people who weren't gay would even bother trying to mess with the system. Wow, the ol' worldview has changed.

(no subject)

Presumably, the best thing to do in the world is not worry about things. Next best is to not worry about them when worrying about them is detrimental to actually doing something about them, i.e. solving the problem, reacting calmly to stressful situations, etc. Statistically, everybody's going to be in a car wreck at least once in their lives -- is it possible that having mentally run through the procedure of having a car wreck previously will allow you to handle an actual car wreck with a greater degree of calm and control? Previous study shows that thoroughly visualizing shooting a basket successfully improves your probability of making a shot almost as much as actually practicing the shot. This thing about rehearsal, it's interesting to me.

In other news, it's a national Day of Silence in schools for awareness of LGBT issues -- somehow this never happened when I was in school. Our big action of protest was SADD week before prom, when some of the students came in painted in whiteface to represent the statistical probability of being killed by a drunk driver. The biggest gender/sexuality/etc. discrimination thing I can recall in high school was two girls in my senior class trying to buy prom tickets as a couple, which they weren't allowed to do. I don't think they were actually a couple, just trying to raise awareness. I remember wondering why people who weren't gay would even bother trying to mess with the system. Wow, the ol' worldview has changed.