Dr. X's Free Associations

Vintage Photos: New York City c. 1915

DrX — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:01:00 -0600

R.C. Beadle, A.H. Brown, and suffragists. Left-click image to enlarge. Beadle and Brown were members of the Men's League for Women's Suffrage.

Causes of Death

DrX — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:55:25 -0600

Actuarial tables with a McSweeney's list twist.

From Sanctuary to Snake Pit

DrX — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 15:48:56 -0600

New Scientist has a photo gallery of images from Christopher Payne's book Asylum: Inside the closed world of state mental hospitals. via GoodShit, which is not safe for work and not okay if you're offended by images of nude women. If that's not a problem for you, the site also has many excellent links and is a regular feeder of visitors to this site. And if you like photos of nude women, you'll probably like this site.

Witness to Suicide

DrX — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:03:52 -0600

Recently I heard that Chicago averages more than two suicides every month by individuals who leap from from buildings and other tall structures. We don't hear about many of these deaths because the press generally avoids reporting on suicides. I'm not sure if that is out of respect for families members, concerns about copycats or some other reason. Today's story in the Tribune about a 23-year-old man who jumped from the roof of a downtown hotel on September 12 of...

Sunday Links

DrX — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:43:56 -0600

Someone with a guilty conscience returned two library books to a Phoenix library with a $1,000 check to cover the fines. The books were 51 years overdue. A little doubt is a good thing says writer Michael Prescott. Did religious ideologues at the V.A. try to throw Iraq veterans under the bus? The United States of Genentech: Lobbyists for the Swiss biotech company Genentech have been writing a lot of speeches for American lawmakers. Too Much Time on His Hands:...

Vintage Photos: 1917

DrX — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:52:28 -0600

The National Zoo, Washington, DC. Left-click photo to enlarge.

Hopey-Changey Envy

DrX — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:58:11 -0600

Over the transom: page 225 of Going Rouge.

Not So Vintage Photos: 1977

DrX — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:01:00 -0600

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Hugh Hefner & Wilt Chamberlain. Left-click photo to enlarge.

Behavioral Genetics

DrX — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:47:22 -0600

We're all familiar with the vulnerability hypothesis of behavioral genetics. This approach to genetics and psychopathology emphasizes genetic vulnerability to psychiatric conditions. If you're depressed, it's because you've got a defective genetic makeup that makes you less viable. In this view, genetic vulnerabilities are only considered to be liabilities. David Dobbs (The Atlantic) writes about a provocative alternative hypothesis. This newer hypothesis views so-called "risk genes" not simply as liabilities, but as liabilities in some contexts and advantages in other...

Vintage Photos: Washington DC

DrX — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:01:00 -0600

National Zoo (date unknown). Left-click photo to enlarge.