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Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe has opted not to seek re-election. What'll her party do about that?
Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe has opted not to seek re-election. What'll her party do about that? (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Posted: February 29, 2012

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Jonathan Takiff Gizmo Guy

Uh-oh, there's a new study, just released by Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, that undermines the allure of video games promoting physical activity.

Researcher Tom Baranowski has even given the media a damning quote, declaring that "there's no public-health benefit from having those active video games."

But the man had to come up with something strong to rationalize the research bucks that Baylor got from the National Cancer Institute and the United States Department of Agriculture/Agriculture Research Service, for this flawed (to my perspective) study.

One set of 9-to-12-year-olds was given Nintendo Wii systems (to keep) and their choice of two (of five) games promoted for getting users off their butts and sweating - like "Wii Fit Plus" and "Dance, Dance Revolution." Another group was given the Wii and their choice of two (from five) game titles more likely to turn users into couch potatoes.

All the subjects were required to wear a belt that measured their activity. Some attempt was also made to compare the habits of users who live either in a safe or a "bad" neighborhood.

After 12 weeks of studies, the researchers "found" that subjects given the passive games exercised just as much, maybe even a tad more, than those with the active.

But really, all they proved was the adage that "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink." There was no pressure, no forced regimen to actually make them play the "healthy" games.

In fact, the research team said it was perfectly fine for the subjects to acquire and use games with no overt beneficial value - luring them away from the ones that might have done 'em good.

philly.com/gizmoguy

Will Bunch Attytood

What a winter! First there was no snow. Now, the long-range political forecast calls for . . . no Snowe.

(Maine Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe won't seek re-election this year, the Washington Post reported yesterday.)

This is major political news - all "as Maine goes, so goes the nation" jokes aside. Snowe - along with her state's other senator, Susan Collins - has been one of the last couple of moderate Republicans in Washington. It will be interesting to see what her stated reasons are for deciding to not seek re-election; whatever the official story line, it won't escape notice that she leaves as her Republican Party is lurching to the extreme right, and as GOP lawmakers increasingly pursue an agenda that is hostile to women.

The GOP will be eager to prove in November that the party is not anti-female, but it's going to be harder to make that case now that Snowe is not in the picture.

Attytood.com

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