Renowned Master of Wine Jeannie Cho Lee Appointed Professor of Practice (Wine) by PolyU

Jeannie Cho Lee, Asia’s foremost expert in wines, has been appointed by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) as Professor of Practice (Wine) at its School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) commencing 1 November 2012.

(PRWEB) December 26, 2012
Jeannie Cho Lee, Asia’s foremost expert in wines, has been appointed by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) as Professor of Practice (Wine) at its School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) commencing 1 November 2012.
The first Asian Master of Wine (MW), Professor Jeannie Cho Lee is also an award-winning author, wine and food writer, wine critic, judge, educator and consultant. A graduate of Smith College and Harvard University, Professor Lee holds a Certificat de Cuisine from Cordon Bleu. She is also a Master Sake Sommelier from Japan’s Sake Service Institute and a Certified Wine Educator from the United Kingdom’s Wine & Spirits Education Trust as well as the US Society of Wine Educators. Professor Lee was born in Korea and has lived in Hong Kong since 1994.
In her capacity as Professor of Practice (Wine), Professor Lee will be able to contribute to the School in different ways, including offering special lectures to both students and industry executives, advising SHTM on curriculum development in relation to wine studies, and facilitating the School’s collaboration with the wine industry through a number of dedicated platforms such as The Food and Wine Academy.
Speaking about the appointment, Professor Kaye Chon, Dean and Chair Professor of SHTM said, “Professor Jeannie Cho Lee has demonstrated excellence and leadership in her field of practice. She will no doubt bring a unique depth of experience to this new position and help bridge the gap between academic and professional practice.”
PolyU’s School of Hotel and Tourism Management is a world-leading provider of hospitality and tourism education. It was ranked No. 2 internationally among hotel and tourism schools based on research and scholarship, according to a study published in the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research in November 2009.
With 65 academic staff drawing from 19 countries and regions, the School offers programmes at levels ranging from Higher Diploma to Ph.D. Currently a member of the UNWTO Knowledge Network, the School was recently bestowed the McCool Breakthrough Award by the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (I-CHRIE) recognising its breakthrough in the form of its teaching and research hotel – Hotel ICON – the heart of the School’s innovative approach to hospitality and tourism education.

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Innovative VPN Routers Help Increase Internet Privacy for Home Users

As concerned consumers turn to VPN for privacy, Sabai Technology puts easiest to use VPN Routers on post-holiday discount.

Simpsonville, SC (PRWEB) December 26, 2012
December has been a tough month for internet security geeks. Between the authoritarian win at Dubai’s International Telecommunication Union conference and the continued crack down of the “Great Firewall” in China, even everyday users are beginning to take notice that big brother could be watching.
These trends are causing a rise in consumer Virtual Private Networks (VPN) use from providers like StrongVPN. Traditionally used for business, the privacy, security, and anonymity VPN affords can also appeal to home users looking to protect themselves from the prying eyes of the government or the hacker next door.
However, to extend this privacy to an entire network requires a specialized VPN Router, which historically, are a user’s nightmare in both usability and price. Bucking that trend is Sabai Technology, using brand-name favorite’s like the Linksys E4200 and installing a customized VPN operating system, Sabai OS, with features like Dual Gateway which allows a user to run local and VPN connections from a single router.
For users looking to increase the security of their home network in 2013, Christmas isn’t quite over. Sabai Technology is featuring two of their most popular models, the E3000 and E4200, both manufactured by Linksys, in a post-holiday sale. All Sabai Technology routers come with the Sabai OS pre-installed and boast a 5-minute setup process, extending a single VPN service account to every networked device in the user’s home.
One security conscience Sabai customer says, “I recommend Sabai Technology VPN Routers to everyone and anyone. They are very reliable and the tech support is one of the best I have ever seen.”
Sabai Technology has been called one of the “Technologies That Will Change the World,” and consumers seem to agree. The company has reached record sales in 2012, which they are using to fuel the development fire. “We are looking forward to 2013. Customers new and old are going to see increased functionality and brand new offerings. People will want to be a part of this,” says Sabai President William Haynes. With just a handful of sales promotions a year, it appears that now is a great time to check on your home internet security.

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Colts, Bengals make playoffs with wins

One year after putting together the NFL's worst record, the Indianapolis Colts are headed to the playoffs.
Joining them on Sunday were the Cincinnati Bengals, finishing out the field in the AFC.
The Colts (10-5) equaled the 2008 Miami Dolphins as the only teams to win at least 10 games after losing 14 or more the previous season. Top overall draft pick Andrew Luck completed a 7-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne late in the fourth quarter for a 20-13 victory at Kansas City.
Cincinnati qualified for a second straight postseason berth for only the second time in franchise history, edging archrival Pittsburgh 13-10. The Bengals have never gone to the playoffs in successive years that did not involve a strike-shortened season.
Luck finished with 205 yards passing to break Cam Newton's year-old rookie record of 4,051 yards in a season. He also extended his rookie record for fourth-quarter comebacks to seven by leading his team downfield in the closing minutes.
"Mission accomplished. That's all I can say," Colts interim coach Bruce Arians said. "Without getting emotional again, knowing that (coach Chuck Pagano) is going to be back Monday, the work week shouldn't be as stressful."
Pagano has been sidelined since a loss to Jacksonville in Week 3.
For the Bengals (9-6), Andy Dalton hit A.J. Green with a 21-yard pass in the final moments, setting up Josh Brown's 43-yard field goal with 4 seconds remaining. The loss eliminated the Steelers from contention.
"A lot of people talked about we hadn't been in in back-to-back seasons in 30 years," Green said. "I don't worry about that stuff. I've been here two years and we made the playoffs all two years. That's all we can control."
Minnesota's 23-6 win at Houston prevented the Texans from earning home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. AFC South champion Houston (12-3) still can get that by winning at Indianapolis in the season finale.
New England has won the AFC East, Denver the West. Baltimore clinched the North by beating the New York Giants 33-14, sending the defending Super Bowl champions to the brink of elimination.
Washington's 27-20 win at Philadelphia, combined with New Orleans beating Dallas 34-31 in overtime means the Redskins (9-6) will win the NFC East by beating the Cowboys next week.
But Dallas (8-7) takes the division by winning that game at Washington, which the league has flexed to prime time.
"They know what it means," coach Mike Shanahan said. "They've been working toward this opportunity to win the division. Any time you win the division, everybody knows you have a home game in the playoffs. We talked about that from Day 1. They knew what we had to do to get there. We haven't accomplished anything yet."
Green Bay clinched at least the third seed in the NFC when it routed Tennessee 55-7. The NFC North champs (11-4) still could wind up second overall in the conference and get a bye and moved into the No. 2 slot when Seattle romped over San Francisco 42-13.
"We have momentum going for us, particularly what we've done over the last nine weeks, 10 weeks," coach Mike McCarthy said of Green Bay's nine wins in the last 10 games. "So we wanted to take the next step as a football team and I felt we were able to accomplish that today."
The 49ers (10-4-1) will win the NFC West by beating Arizona next weekend. Seattle (10-5) earned at least a wild-card spot and finishes at home against St. Louis.
On Saturday night, NFC South winner Atlanta won 31-18 at Detroit to clinch home-field advantage throughout the conference playoffs.
Minnesota (9-6), Chicago (9-6), the New York Giants (8-7) and Washington could wind up with the final NFC wild card. Dallas can't get a wild card.

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UPDATE 2-NFL-National Football League playoff picture

Dec 23 (Reuters) - The National Football League playoff picture with one week remaining in the regular season:
Already qualified: (10) Atlanta Falcons (NFC South*) New England Patriots (AFC East*) Denver Broncos (AFC West*) Houston Texans (AFC South*) Baltimore Ravens (AFC North*) Cincinnati Bengals (AFC North) Indianapolis Colts (AFC South) Green Bay Packers (NFC North*) San Francisco 49ers (NFC West) Seattle Seahawks (NFC West) * Division champion
In contention for remaining two spots (5): New York Giants (NFC East) Washington Redskins (NFC East) Dallas Cowboys (NFC East) Chicago Bears (NFC North) Minnesota Vikings (NFC North)
Eliminated (17): Philadelphia Eagles (NFC East) Detroit Lions (NFC North) Carolina Panthers (NFC South) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFC South) New Orleans Saints (NFC South) Arizona Cardinals (NFC West) St Louis Rams (NFC West) Cleveland Browns (AFC North) Pittsburgh Steelers (AFC North) Buffalo Bills (AFC East) New York Jets (AFC East) Miami Dolphins (AFC East) Jacksonville Jaguars (AFC South) Tennessee Titans (AFC South) Kansas City Chiefs (AFC West) Oakland Raiders (AFC West) San Diego Chargers (AFC West) (Compiled by Julian Linden and Gene Cherry

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NFL standings

Dec 24 (Infostrada Sports) - Standings from the NFL on Sunday
AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
AFC EAST
W L T OTL PF PA PCT
1. New England 11 4 0 0 529 331 .733
2. Miami 7 8 0 2 288 289 .467
3. NY Jets 6 9 0 1 272 347 .400
4. Buffalo 5 10 0 0 316 426 .333
AFC NORTH
W L T OTL PF PA PCT
1. Baltimore 10 5 0 1 381 321 .667
2. Cincinnati 9 6 0 0 368 303 .600
3. Pittsburgh 7 8 0 1 312 304 .467
4. Cleveland 5 10 0 1 292 344 .333
AFC SOUTH
W L T OTL PF PA PCT
1. Houston 12 3 0 0 400 303 .800
2. Indianapolis 10 5 0 0 329 371 .667
3. Tennessee 5 10 0 1 292 451 .333
4. Jacksonville 2 13 0 3 235 406 .133
AFC WEST
W L T OTL PF PA PCT
1. Denver 12 3 0 0 443 286 .800
2. San Diego 6 9 0 1 326 329 .400
3. Oakland 4 11 0 0 269 419 .267
4. Kansas City 2 13 0 1 208 387 .133
NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
NFC EAST
W L T OTL PF PA PCT
1. Washington 9 6 0 0 408 370 .600
2. Dallas 8 7 0 1 358 372 .533
3. NY Giants 8 7 0 0 387 337 .533
4. Philadelphia 4 11 0 1 273 402 .267
NFC NORTH
W L T OTL PF PA PCT
1. Green Bay 11 4 0 0 399 299 .733
2. Minnesota 9 6 0 0 342 314 .600
3. Chicago 9 6 0 1 349 253 .600
4. Detroit 4 11 0 2 348 411 .267
NFC SOUTH
W L T OTL PF PA PCT
1. Atlanta 13 2 0 0 402 277 .867
2. New Orleans 7 8 0 1 423 410 .467
3. Tampa Bay 6 9 0 0 367 377 .400
4. Carolina 6 9 0 1 313 325 .400
NFC WEST
W L T OTL PF PA PCT
1. San Francisco 10 4 1 1 370 260 .700
2. Seattle 10 5 0 0 392 232 .667
3. St. Louis 7 7 1 0 286 328 .500
4. Arizona 5 10 0 1 237 330 .333
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30 FIXTURES (GMT)
Tampa Bay at Atlanta (1800)
NY Jets at Buffalo (1800)
Baltimore at Cincinnati (1800)
Chicago at Detroit (1800)
Houston at Indianapolis (1800)
Carolina at New Orleans (1800)
Philadelphia at NY Giants (1800)
Cleveland at Pittsburgh (1800)
Jacksonville at Tennessee (1800)
Kansas City at Denver (2125)
Green Bay at Minnesota (2125)
Miami at New England (2125)
Oakland at San Diego (2125)
Arizona at San Francisco (2125)
St. Louis at Seattle (2125)
MONDAY, DECEMBER 31 FIXTURES (GMT)
Dallas at Washington (0120)

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UPDATE 2-NFL-Bengals and Colts claim playoff berths

* Colts complete turnaround season as AFC playoff list set
* Ravens claim AFC North title, top-seed not yet decided
* Seahawks crush 49ers to make postseason (Adds Seahawks' win in paras 6-7)
Dec 23 (Reuters) - The Cincinnati Bengals edged the Pittsburgh Steelers to reach the NFL playoffs, and the Indianapolis Colts joined the postseason party by capping their remarkable turnaround in pressure-packed action on Sunday.
The advancement of Cincinnati (9-6), 13-10 winners over their bitter AFC North rivals, and Indianapolis (10-5), who beat the Kansas City Chiefs 20-13, completed the playoff list in the American Football Conference, though seeding issues remained.
The Houston Texans (12-3) failed to capitalize on a chance to clinch top seeding in the AFC by losing 23-6 to the Minnesota Vikings (9-6), who stayed alive for an NFC playoff berth.
AFC North title honors went to the Baltimore Ravens (10-5), who ended a three-game losing streak by dominating the New York Giants 33-14.
Playoff hopes for the Super Bowl champion Giants (8-7) hung by a thread after losing their last two games by an aggregate score of 67-14.
Playoff berths remain up for grabs in the NFC, with the East Division title and a wildcard spot still at stake.
The Seattle Seahawks grabbed one of the NFC wildcard berths with a crushing 42-13 victory over the San Francisco 49ers as quarterback Russell Wilson threw a career-high four touchdowns.
The Washington Redskins (9-6) maintained the upper hand in their quest for the NFC East title by hanging on for a 27-20 win against the Philadelphia Eagles (4-11), while the Dallas Cowboys (8-7) suffered a 34-31 overtime loss to the New Orleans Saints.
Next week the Redskins, riding a six-game winning streak, host the Cowboys with the winner capturing the division title.
DOUBLY SATISFYING
In Pittsburgh, it was a doubly satisfying result for the Bengals whose three-point victory on Josh Brown's 43-yard field goal with four seconds left to play not only put them in the playoffs but also knocked the Steelers (7-8) out of contention.
It was the first victory for the visiting Bengals over their bitter AFC North rivals in six meetings.
For the Colts, victory over the Chiefs gave them their 10th playoff trip in 11 years but first in that span without Peyton Manning as quarterback.
This postseason berth came one season after a woeful 2-14 record that put them in position to take quarterback Andrew Luck from Stanford with the first pick of the 2012 NFL Draft.
Luck led the Colts to victory over the Chiefs (2-13) by hitting a leaping Reggie Wayne in the back of the end zone for the winning touchdown with 4:08 left in the game.
That connection capped a 73-yard drive that marked their NFL record-tying seventh fourth-quarter comeback victory.
"I'm very proud to be a part of this team, to be associated with a playoff team. What a great win for us," Luck told reporters.
Luck set the league record for passing yards in a season for a rookie, finishing the game with 4,183 yards to eclipse the mark of 4,051 yards last season by Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers with one regular season game still to play.
Houston slowed down league-leading rusher Adrian Peterson, but the Minnesota Vikings held the Texans to just a pair of field goals in their road victory.
Peterson was held to 86 yards, but quarterback Christian Ponder threw a touchdown pass, Toby Gerhart rushed for a score and Blair Walsh kicked three field goals to lift the Vikings.
Peterson, who had a streak of eight 100-yard games snapped, finished the game with 1,898 yards this season and still needs 208 yards to break the NFL single-season rushing record set by Eric Dickerson in 1984.
GUT-WRENCHER
Washington, who welcomed rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III back to the lineup after being sidelined a week with a knee injury, escaped a scare when Philadelphia had a first-and-goal at the five-yard line with 11 seconds left but failed to score a touchdown that would have sent the game to overtime.
"Winning always cures all ills. It was just good to be back out there with the guys," said Griffin.
"We're playing the best ball we've played all year at the right time. We're rolling. We know that we can win any kind of game we have to, whether it's a high-scoring game or a low-scoring game or a gut-wrencher at the end."
Dallas rallied with 14 points in the last four minutes to send their game against the Saints into overtime, but they failed to mount a threat with their first possession in extra time and New Orleans (7-8) won on a 20-yard field goal.
The Chicago Bears (9-6) stayed in playoff contention with a 28-13 victory over the Arizona Cardinals (5-10).
NFC North champion Green Bay Packers (11-4) maintained their strong form with a 55-7 thrashing of the Tennessee Titans as Aaron Rodgers threw for three touchdowns and 342 yards.
Tom Brady threw a pair of interceptions in the first quarter but recovered to lead the AFC East champion New England Patriots (11-4) to a 23-16 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-13).

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UPDATE 1-NFL-Surging Seahawks hammer 49ers, take title race to wire

(Adds quotes, details)
* Wilson throws four touchdown passes
* 49ers suffer injuries to Davis, Manningham
Dec 23 (Reuters) - The Seattle Seahawks ensured the NFC West title race will go down to the final week with a playoff-clinching 42-13 home rout of the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
The Seahawks dominated the 49ers from the start in rainy Seattle to remain unbeaten at home and move within half a game of division leaders San Francisco.
The 49ers entered the game with a chance to clinch the division but found themselves on the wrong end of a beating by surging Seattle (10-5), who have won four straight games including the last three by a combined 120 points.
San Francisco (10-4-1) can still claim the crown with a home win over Arizona while Seattle need to beat St Louis and hope for a 49ers loss to leapfrog their rivals.
"When we wake up tomorrow we're still a half-game up on the division," shellshocked 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters. "I know what to expect in terms of how our team will handle (the loss)."
Marshawn Lynch triggered the rout with two touchdowns in the first quarter before Richard Sherman returned a blocked field goal attempt 90 yards to give Seattle a 21-0 lead at the start of the second.
Rookie quarterback Russell Wilson had touchdown passes in all four quarters, finishing the game with four, to emphatically outplay San Francisco's signal caller Colin Kaepernick.
Wilson is one touchdown pass short of tying Peyton Manning's NFL rookie record of 26.
"My goal is just to continue to grow. I'm on that constant quest for knowledge and our team is too," Wilson said. "We've had a great year so far, we have to keep moving forward we have a lot to look forward to."
Kaepernick often appeared flustered because of the deafening crowd noise and struggled to break down a stout Seahawks defense which is dealing with injuries to their defensive backs but was still too strong for the 49ers.
"We have amazing depth," Sherman said. "We have great players that are going to be starters in this league. They stepped up and were big for us tonight."
Seattle may have to rely on their depth more than ever as Sherman is currently appealing a four-game suspension for violating the league's performance enhancing drug policy.
It was no only San Francisco's pride that took a beating on Sunday. Tight end Vernon Davis (concussion) and receiver Mario Manningham (knee) were both knocked out of the game.
Seattle's Lynch finished with 111 yards on the ground as the Seahawks gave the 49ers a taste of their own medicine with a bruising ground game.
Wilson threw a six-yard scoring pass to Anthony McCoy in the second quarter, and touchdowns of four and six yards to Doug Baldwin in the third and fourth to put Seattle out of sight.
The stunned 49ers could only manage two field goals in the first half and a touchdown reception Delanie Walker in the final minutes with the game out of reach.

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Video game shares down in wake of shooting

Shares of video game makers and sellers fell Thursday in the aftermath of a mass shooting at a Connecticut elementary school, which has renewed debate about violent games and their potential influence on crime.
Shares of GameStop Corp., whose stores sell video games as well as systems like the Xbox and Wii, fell 5 percent in afternoon trading.
Investors are seen as being increasingly concerned that the government may impose tougher rules on the sales of games rated for "mature" and older audiences.
Investors may be worried that parents will also avoid buying first-person shooter games like "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2" after the tragedy Friday morning at Sandy Hook Elementary, in which 20 children and six adults were shot and killed by 20-year-old Adam Lanza.
"Maybe there will be more stringent efforts to make sure youth are not playing games that they're not old enough to play," said Mike Hickey, an analyst with National Alliance Securities. "Maybe there will be a greater effort by parents in managing the content their kids are playing."
Shares of companies involved in the video game industry, many of which had been dropping since the shooting, declined further Thursday.
— GameStop stock lost $1.37, or 5 percent, to $26.18. Shares have barely changed since last Thursday's close, the day before the shooting, to Wednesday's close.
— Shares of Activision Blizzard Inc., the publisher of "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2," fell 9 cents to $10.70. The stock had already dropped 5.6 percent.
— Electronic Arts Inc. shares fell 41 cents, or 2.9 percent, to $13.99. Shares had dropped 5.6 percent.
— Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. shares slipped 29 cents, or 2.5 percent, to $11.69. The stock had dropped 8 percent.
The declines came as broader markets rose. The Dow Jones industrial average was up 0.3 percent at 13,295.

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North Korea’s first video game: A boring version of ‘Crazy Taxi’ that nitpicks your bad driving

In theory, a driving game set in North Korea could be fun — it could revolve around delivering kidnapped movie stars from the airport to Dear Leader’s headquarters, for instance. In reality, though, it looks as though playing a driving game set in North Korea is about as much fun as actually living in North Korea. Business Insider’s Gus Lubin has posted his first impressions of “Welcome to Pyongyang,” an online game that’s “produced by Nosotek, a western IT company based in North Korea,” and he’s found that it’s pretty lame.
[More from BGR: Years after cashing out, MySpace cofounder mocks people who work for a living]
The goal of the game is to drive around the North Korean capital of Pyongyang and become familiar with all the great tourist attractions it has to offer. But unlike action-driving classics such as Crazy Taxi and the Grand Theft Auto series, Welcome to Pyongyang is annoyingly authoritarian and won’t put up with you crashing into cars or mowing down civilians. To make matters worse, the game doesn’t even give you the satisfaction dying at the hands of bloody-minded authorities if you break the rules too often — rather, it sends out a fascistic meter maid to simply tell you that you have been “stopped for bad driving.” We’re not sure what the actual penalty is for reckless is in North Korea, but we get the feeling it’s more severe than getting nitpicked by an annoying digital character.

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Brain Benefits for the Holidays? Stuff the Stocking with Video Games

Happy holidays! As the year draws to a close, one thing I'm celebrating is the fun I've had helping put together the magazine I edit, Scientific American Mind. I am looking forward to working on new articles and projects in 2013. (We have some surprises in store.) I'm pleased about my growing and attentive audience for Streams of Consciousness, too. Thank you for reading, thinking and, when you have to, taking me to task!
This post introduces the January/February 2013 Scientific American Mind, which debuted online Wednesday. If I sound a little giddy with optimism, it's because I truly am excited about the magazine, this blog, and what I get to do at my job everyday--and because that mood suits this post. It doesn't seem to hurt. In fact, I may have just managed to cheer myself up.
Wow, This Is An Amazing Story!
Optimism. Not everyone is upbeat about it, and the whole idea may be unproven. It could even have serious drawbacks, which we've detailed in previous stories (see "Can Positive Thinking Be Negative?" by Scott O. Lilienfeld and Hal Arkowitz). Still, I am often trying to fight my way over to the sunny side--and I think I'm going to keep at it. Why? For one thing, I like it over there. Plus, there is at least some data suggesting that my struggle to smile is worth it.
The health benefits of positive thinking may be tenuous, and some realistic pessimism is often warranted. But from a psychological standpoint, thinking everything is (or will be) fine is what resilience is all about. And on the flip side, wearing a dark lens puts us at risk for mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. In my experience, it's also more fun to believe in the positive, or at least emotionally neutral, aspects of a situation than to presume that the world is out to get you.
As Elaine Fox reports in "Tune Your Subliminal Biases Toward Optimism," a nervous person giving a speech has a choice: she can glob on to the person in the front row who is dozing in his seat or focus on the majority who are mesmerized. If your boss rushes by you impatiently one morning, you could assume she is mad at you--or simply running late. My latest favorite example from my own life comes from a colleague who told me that she loved going to the dentist, a dull and unpleasant task if there is one. "What exactly do you like about the dentist?" I asked, thinly disguising my incredulity. Her answer: "It's like a spa for your mouth." The feeling of clean teeth delighted her.
Some people, like my coworker, are predisposed toward positivity, others not so much. If you are in the not-so-much group, you can train yourself to adopt a more positive outlook using a simple computerized method called Cognitive Bias Modification. It uses a subliminal process to repeatedly direct attention either away from unpleasantness or toward appealing or happy stimuli or thoughts. A CBM app is not yet available for your smart phone, but you can still try some lower-tech tricks for worming out of your gloomy mood. Find out more by reading the story.
Value to Video Games?
If you are looking for other ways to spruce up your mind, check out an electronics store. Head straight for the first-person shooter video games, pick out a few and plan on spending your downtime practicing. Your arduous efforts ducking behind shipping containers and blasting enemy soldiers and aliens will pay off in mental currency. You will see with sharper eyes. You will reason in three dimensions with greater speed and clarity. And you will make better on-the-fly decisions in response to visual input. Training to be a laparoscopic surgeon or a pilot? Playing these games is perfect preparation.
Should we all run out and buy these electronic atrocities? I haven't--yet. I do worry about the violence, which can make people more aggressive, although the strongest effects wear off within half an hour, experts say. Some 8 percent of kids seem to get addicted to gaming, too, although I think if my kid had a problem with too much gaming, I'd have seen it already.
Allowing moderate use of these types of games might be reasonable in some cases, because the research on their benefits is strong and compelling (see "How Video Games Change the Brain," by Lydia Denworth). That said, as with anything you put in a child's (or adult's) hands, the person needs to be prepared to use it responsibly. People with emotional issues or who tend to be aggressive anyway may not be good candidates. And a child should be old enough to clearly understand the difference between fantasy and reality. Nobody wants to take chances with something as troublesome as violence, especially in light of the recent tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut. Scientists and game designers are now trying to figure out how to create electronic entertainment that benefits the brain in a more peaceful fashion. When that happens, I'm on-board for sure.
Courtroom Justice
In another feature in the issue, a psychologist and a lawyer team up to show how psychological science can improve the accuracy of courtroom decisions, preventing miscarriages of justice in which the wrong person is put behind bars. They present evidence-based solutions for incorrect eyewitness accounts, false confessions, racial bias, prejudicial courtroom procedure and picking innocent individuals in subject line-ups. It's an important story with widespread implications and clear prescriptions for change (see "Your Brain on Trial," by Scott O. Lilienfeld and Robert Byron).
The issue also features a book excerpt describing a psychologist's tour of a high security prison. The goal of this terrifying trip: to extract advice from psychopaths. These conscienceless criminals, it turns out, have a lot to teach us. Their tendency toward ruthlessness, charm, focus and fearlessness can be astoundingly useful--although these traits must be tempered to avoid troublesome side effects (see "Wisdom from Psychopaths," by Kevin Dutton).

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