How can musicians keep playing despite amnesia?

Scientists are trying to understand how amnesiacs can lose all memory of their past life - and yet remember music. The answer may be that musical memories are stored in a special part of the brain.

When British conductor and musician Clive Wearing contracted a brain infection in 1985 he was left with a memory span of only 10 seconds.

The infection - herpes encephalitis - left him unable to recognise people he had seen or remember things that had been said just moments earlier.

But despite being acknowledged by doctors as having one of the most severe cases of amnesia ever, his musical ability and much of his musical memory was intact.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15791973 

Ear stretching: Why is lobe 'gauging' growing in popularity?

Ear stretching goes back a long way.

But you don't have to visit a museum or travel to a remote-ish part of the world to see it because the practice has been adopted in many Western countries.

However, it is not so common that it goes unnoticed. Stretched piercings do tend to stick out like the proverbial sore thumb, particularly if the hole is substantial enough to hold a small object.

For many people, there is an "ouch" or an "eugh" factor when they see someone with a substantial ear lobe stretch but for those that have it done, it is a thing of beauty.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15771237 

Will Your Mall Be Tracking Your Cellphone Today?

Some shoppers looking for Black Friday deals will find a surprise waiting for them at the mall—sensors that track their every move.

Read more: http://techland.time.com/2011/11/25/will-your-mall-be-tracking-your-cellphone-today/#ixzz1etgNmHgD

Black Friday Thursday: Will Shoppers Really Show Up at Stores on Thanksgiving Night?

One of the biggest stories to emerge this holiday shopping season is the expansion of Black Friday. In years past, retailers pushed the envelope by opening at 4 a.m., or even 3 a.m. the morning (if you want to call it that) after Thanksgiving. That’s just not cutting it this year, when many stores will open their doors to Black Friday shoppers at midnight, or, in the case of Walmart, at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving night.

Toys R Us, which opened at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving night of last year, decided it was necessary to open an hour earlier, at 9 p.m. on Turkey Day 2011. Most Toys R Us stores will remain open until 11 p.m. on Black Friday, making for a 26-hour shopping marathon.

Read more: http://moneyland.time.com/2011/11/16/black-friday-thursday-will-shoppers-really-show-up-at-stores-on-thanksgiving-night/#ixzz1ecbGPwqE

Takeout’s Attempted Takeover of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving has a long-standing tradition as the ultimate home-cooked holiday. But 14 million Americans are expected to dine out on Turkey Day, and another 16 million households will use ready-to-eat takeout foods for some or all of their “home-cooked” Thanksgiving dinner.

The cost of Thanksgiving dinner is rising: A traditional home-cooked feast for 10 costs just under $50, on average, up 13% compared to a year ago.

Dining out, of course, is even more expensive. Perhaps due to the sad state of the economy, fewer Americans are expected to eat the big meal at restaurants this year: Just 6% of the population (14 million people) will dine out on Thanksgiving, according to the Nation’s Restaurant Association, compared to 11% of Americans last year.

Read more: http://moneyland.time.com/2011/11/23/takeouts-attempted-takeover-of-thanksgiving/#ixzz1ecazqrHS

Black Friday 2011: Toys R Us, Target Thanksgiving hours spark protests

Black Friday shopping fever is close at hand, and several large retailers are attempting to get a leg up on the competition by opening on Thursday evening, much to the chagrin of some employees. As Bloomberg reported:
Anthony Hardwick says he resents working at Target Corp. on Thanksgiving and has garnered more than 37,000 signatures on an online protest petition.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/black-friday-2011-toys-r-us-target-thanksgiving-hours-spark-protests/2011/11/22/gIQAW2x4lN_story.html?tid=pm_business_pop 

Black Friday 2011: Chain stores opening earlier and offering deeper discounts than in the past

Every Black Friday, there’s a staring contest between retailers and shoppers over price. This year, the stores may have blinked first.

Chains such as Toys “R” Us Inc. and Gap Inc. are opening earlier and offering more markdowns than ever on the day after Thanksgiving, said Mary Delk, a director at Deloitte Consulting. The result may be higher sales and lower profits for retailers over the holiday season.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/black-friday-2011-chain-stores-opening-earlier-and-offering-deeper-discounts-than-in-the-past/2011/11/23/gIQALgXRoN_story.html