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<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="http://www.slate.com/discuss/utility/FeedStylesheets/rss.xsl" media="screen"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"><channel><title>The Spectator</title><link>http://www.slate.com/discuss/forums/2161049/ShowForum.aspx</link><description>The Spectator</description><dc:language>en</dc:language><generator>CommunityServer 2.1 SP2 (Build: 61120.2)</generator><item><title>brain usage vs. stimulation</title><link>http://www.slate.com/discuss/forums/thread/1646535.aspx</link><pubDate>Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:19:12 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">8e55aff1-63ee-4857-a1e9-69fccb83d317:1646535</guid><dc:creator>ncwebguy</dc:creator><slash:comments>0</slash:comments><comments>http://www.slate.com/discuss/forums/thread/1646535.aspx</comments><wfw:commentRss>http://www.slate.com/discuss/forums/commentrss.aspx?SectionID=2161049&amp;PostID=1646535</wfw:commentRss><description>&lt;P&gt;This might be too complicated for the "honor society Yale alum" (confirming many people's assumptions about low standards in New Haven's ivory towers) but here is a quick and dirty equation for brain usage:&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt; puzzles &amp;gt; reading &amp;gt; TV&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;Reading is better than the idiot box, in that your brain has to paint a picture, but it is generally pulling off the shelf components to create a powerpoint presentation based on the author's words.&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;In puzzles, there is a need to make connections between words with crosswords or the potential locations for numbers in the various numbers puzzles.&lt;/P&gt;
&lt;P&gt;There is a corelation with logic and jazz, an appreciation for what is there and what *isn't* there.  In a book, if it isn't there, it isn't there.  Is that stimulating?  Not so much.&lt;/P&gt;</description></item></channel></rss>