The Winter edition of Sociological Quarterly included some interesting results about church attendance and performance in high school.   In fact, results showed that church attendance has as much influence on a student's GPA (grade point average, a measure of academic performance) as does whether the parents themselves are college graduates.  The study concluded that the reason for the influence of church was as follows:

• They develop friendship with peers who have similar values
• They're more likely to participate in extracurricular activities
• They regularly contact with adults who provide role models
• The students' parents are more likely to be in contact with their friends' parents

Other studies show that church-goers have less stress and tend to live longer.

Jennifer Glanville from the University of Iowa and colleagues form the University of Notre Dame, David Sikkink and Edwin Hernandez, analyzed data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a statistically representative sample of students from the seventh to the twelfth grade that started in 1994.

Most people agree that humans can discern only four tastes: sweet, sour, salty and bitter.   Everything else that seems like a taste, is actually a smell.  Check it out for yourself.  Hold your nose and eat food: flavor disappears.  However, scientists now believe that we now have five and possibly six tastes.

So, I have some insight into Joseph Biden not shared by many.  On August 16, 2006, I flew form LAX to SFO on Alaska Airlines.  Since I bought the ticket at the last minute, a few minutes before departure, I wasn't surprised to receive the special SSSS treatment.