Impact of noise on your brain and ability to think clearly

Did any of you read this article in yesterday's NY Times? It's about the impact of noise -all kinds- on the brain and one's ability to think well and clearly. I must say that while reading this piece, I felt both validated and as if someone had written what I've long tried to articulate.  After several hours of the boys' talking/squabbling/singing/other wildness, my brain literally feels like it's been jack-hammered with an assault tool for way.too.long. Very interesting, for parents and all of us who are surrounded by fairly constant noise.

More on meat

Alarming, though not surprising. Factory farms are no good for anyone or anything except their profit-loving owners who, I bet, don't eat the meat they sell consumers. If you need a tantalizing excerpt, here goes. A recent FDA study found that "about 10 percent of all chicken breasts sold at retail are contaminated with a form of salmonella that’s resistant to at least one antibiotic, and nearly half of all chicken that’s sold is contaminated with antibiotic-resistant campylobacter." Disgusting.

Yes!

As he does so often, Klinkenborg makes a beautiful case for his point: the preservation of something infinitely worthwhile and meaningful, studying the humanities.