Thanks everyone who sent me pointers to pop-up ad elimination software. I try to keep my browser “clean” since the product I work on runs in one and I don’t want conflicts, but I will take a look at whether some can operate unobtrusively.

Researchers at Boston University created an interesting study that proved that subconscious learning is possible. Subjects performed a letter-naming task with seemingly random moving dots in the background. One in twenty dots were actually going in the same direction. These subjects were then given the task of identifying dots moving in a pattern or recognizing if two were traveling in the same direction. Those who had unconsciously observed a specific direction during the letter-naming task were better at picking out dots moving in that direction. The conclusion is that attention is not absolutely necessary in order to learn things. But I think everyone can agree that concentration makes for much more effective learning. It was also noted that advertisers would be pleased to hear about the study. Sometimes I get the feeling that advertisers are behind the funding for much of the psychological research taking place these days.

The San Jose Symphony, which I have actually donated money to in the past few years, suspended operations this past week and is planning to restructure in order to survive. The musicians will be paid up to October 19th, and I wish I could have my donation back to give to the musician’s emergency relief fund instead. Living in this area on a musician’s salary, even supplemented by teaching and other gigs, has got to be difficult enough without losing your symphony wages.

No weblog entries today. I’m running into too many popup ads and the one for Microsoft XP with Madonna singing “Ray of Light” pushed me over the edge. I think I need a web surfing break.

The J.W. Westcott II sank on Tuesday, losing two crew members. The tugboat was a U.S. marine post office that traveled the Great Lakes delivering mail. It had its very own zip code, 48222.

Usually, I steal links from Yahoo’s Daily Picks. But today, they got one from me (the Berkeley Breathed site). You may think I am just blowing smoke, but I have friends in high places. OK, just one very well-placed friend. Thank you, you know who you are. I am pleased to have given something back to the Picks.

When I was a kid and got bored on long car trips, I thought that a way to contact people in other cars using their license plates would be useful and exciting. Now that I am a driver and have experienced both sides of road rage (mild cases, thank goodness), I’m not so sure I would sign up for DriverSMS if it were available where I live.

GirlHacker’s Random Log is honored to be among the many fine sites in The September 11 Web Archive. (Even if I never get a book published, at least I can say I was archived by the Library of Congress.)

Amongst the Low Fashion galleries is a set of ads which “speak of the unbelievable lameness of generic modern American life”. This cigarette ad was the scariest one for me. I recognize a lot of these from when my mom got Better Homes & Gardens about 15-20 years ago. (via the happy return of Pop Culture Junkmail)

After I stopped my regular checking to see if it was finally up, Berkeley Breathed launched his own website, accessible via bloomcounty.com and berkeleybreathed.com. His selection of favorite strips includes my all-time fave: pear pimples for hairy fishnuts.