Interesting Links for 23-11-2024

[andrewducker]

1. Venting Doesn't Reduce Anger, Calming Distraction Does

(tags:anger psychology )

2. Why Is It So Tricky to Accurately Show the Sun, Earth, and Moon in a Diagram?

(tags:space visualisation )

3. Farming tax row - BBC Verify on which figures are more reliable and why

(tags:farming death tax UK )

4. Why Edinburgh isn't as prepared for snow as Montreal

(tags:snow Canada )

Comments

[wenchpixie]

That snow clearing thread is fascinating (having just driven through ghastly slush and grossness this afternoon. Do not recommend, but that clearance would completely destroy whatever surface our roads have left, I think).


I'm coming through your way tomorrow, what like is it there?

[andrewducker]

Today was pretty awful, buses were entirely out of action, but it's going to be warm overnight and it should be fine tomorrow.

[wenchpixie]

Thank goodness for that! Thank you :)

[armiphlage]

When I visited the UK (not in winter), your asphalt seemed thinner than what I'm used to in Canada. That might make a difference (although we still spend all summer doing road repairs).

[wenchpixie]

We end up with a lot of dot and dab fixes, too (so basically just sticking a bit more asphalt on top), which isn't structurally sound at all.

My road is actually ancient cobbles covered in about half an inch of asphalt, which very friable (the cobbles are actually a lot more stable, but they can get very slippery)

[channelpenguin]

Winter tyres (not spikes or chains, just softer compound that doesn't slip at much on wet, cold, mud ice or snow). And just drive. Works over here in German and in many other places. It used to work in the Glasgow area back in the 70s and 80s too. Maybe all tyres just more natural rubber in them back then?

Plus maybe it snowed more often? So people got more practice?

In need, I've even ridden my motorbike on snow (but I don't recommend that. Corners are not fun at all and I came off a few times even at no speed).

My country road here never gets cleared and it's actually annoying if one of the farmers eventually decides to do it because the more packed ice or refrozen slush is worse than just snow.

It's hit and miss if the Autobahn gets done too, actually. I've driven a couple of times to Hamburg or Berlin on ice and snow.

We have some cobbled roads too, VERY slippery. Don't like.

[bens_dad]

Dad had winter tyres in the UK Lakes in the 70s. IIRC they had a larger tread pattern.

[andrewducker]

I hope you survived! Ad maybe even had a nice time!

[yalovetz]

I'm side-eyeing that research on anger very hard.

I've been doing a lot of work in therapy on learning to express anger over the past couple of years, on the theory that a lot of my chronic pain is due to suppressing/repressing it and holding it in my body. I spent many years using calming distraction methods, which worked wonderfully for helping me feel less angry/anxious/distressed in the moment, but they did nothing for my chronic pain and overall wellbeing long term. It's only been much more recently, since I've learnt how to constructively express my anger verbally and physically (eg. through exercise) that I've had some shifts in my physical pain.

So yes, calming distraction might make people feel less angry in the moment. But where is that anger going? What are the long term effects of distracting oneself from one's anger, and not using it as a signal or guide to speak up and set proper boundaries? We feel angry for a reason, we don't want to just get rid of anger.