Spare the Rod?

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How to discipline the next generation is a hotly debated topic. In 2012, a national survey showed more than half of women and three-quarters of men in the United States believe a child sometimes needs a "good hard spanking."

Science tells a different story. Researchers say physical punishment actually alters the brain -- not only in an "I'm traumatized" kind of way but also in an "I literally have less gray matter in my brain" kind of way.

"Exposing children to HCP (harsh corporal punishment) may have detrimental effects on trajectories of brain development," one 2009 study concluded.

Harsh corporal punishment in the study was defined as at least one spanking a month for more than three years, frequently done with objects such as a belt or paddle. Researchers found children who were regularly spanked had less gray matter in certain areas of the prefrontal cortex that have been linked to depression, addiction and other mental health disorders, the study authors say.

The researchers also found "significant correlations" between the amount of gray matter in these brain regions and the children's performance on an IQ test.

-- Sarah Kovac at CNN

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The 2013-2014 Mideast Peace Talks (3)

Netanyahu wants something tangible before beginning peace talks as well.

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Benjamin Netanyahu and John Kerry first met each other in the mid-’70s, in Boston, when Netanyahu (better known as Bibi) worked there as a management consultant. Years later, during Kerry’s frequent trips to Israel as a senator, the two would typically get together for catch-up dinners; it never seemed to bother them that their politics were so different. “There’s a sense [on Netanyahu’s part] that Kerry has an emotional commitment to Israel,” said Israeli Ambassador to the United States and longtime Bibi confidante Ron Dermer.

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Friday Night

A late shower, really late. I didn't get started until 10:45. Pop didn't take Kay out today, just as he did not yesterday. He must be feeling squeezed, needing to save a few dollars. He cooks her big dinners, though, steaks, pork chops, all the trimmings, which must cost almost as much as, say, going out to Furr's. And they don't settle in the big room for TV until ten o'clock. Despite my short hair, I was feeling to greasy for me to hold off on my shower until tomorrow.