WIRED FOR INGRATITUDE

Caption: Venus is the ultimate ingrate.

One of humanity's many character defects is a tendency towards ingratitude. In some respects, we can't help it. Bad is louder than good.

By that I mean that we seem to be wired to notice and take action when faced with a threat or a need. Hunger, heat, cold, fear, pain, whatever.

Everybody notices it when they have a toothache. But how often do you notice when you don't?

El Cabrero's perspective on all that changed a few years back when I woke up in a hospital with a respirator going down and a catheter going up. I'm not sure which was worse.

Ever since then, I've tried to make it a practice to notice and be grateful when I wake up and those things are gone.

Happy Thanksgiving!

SPEAKING OF TURKEYS, here are some observations about the ethics of our culture warriors.

DON'T HATE THE PLAYER. According to a new study, violent video games are great teachers--of aggression.

HATE CRIMES went up by 8 percent in 2006.

GOT WOLF MILK? Archaeologists think they may have located an ancient Roman shrine venerated as the cave where legendary founders Romulus and Remus were nursed by a she wolf.

NOT A SHOCK. A new study links lower test scores with declines in reading.

GOAT ROPE ADVISORY LEVEL: ELEVATED