Scientific studies never cease to amaze this boy.

There�s a new bit of research surrounding dopamine. You know? Dopamine? The goody we carry around that gives us the big (Hi-Ho-Silver, And AWAY!) BANG of pleasure when we are stimulated by something?

Now, it�s a given that we all differ here--and have varying pleasure stimuli. Some of us get really jazzed by that masochistic thing called running (not this boy.) Others find solace or joy in stimulants or depressants (just coffee for me, thanks.) Food is a major source of wriggling nerve endings for many (ah, the texture and taste!) While still others find friction a fascinating FunDaMental. Yep. Sex actually gets some folks rolling. Really!

Now from all this...one might infer through their normal daily dealings with peeps that we-humans get all het up and happily agitated by the mere prospect of pleasure, yes?

Sometimes anticipation is equal to or greater than the actual pleasure? Aren�t we all awash in NEED AND WANT AND EXPECTED FUN in regard to the teasings of smells, the thought of a pleasantly-or-even-rigorously-sweaty-hump-for-two, the preparation (from grinding to decanting) of good coffee, and even the stretching before a long run (according to those who actually like this particularly sordid activity. Grin.)

This makes sense, yes?

We all understand that, right?

Foreplay (and yes, even the PREforeplay of one�s noggin�s hopes and anticipatory JONESINGS) make the play of ForNIKphuckingCation FanPhuckingTastic.

Human nature, eh?

Well, the journal Nature has a study today that tells us that cocaine users get dopamine bursts in anticipation of the hit�as part of the ritual of preparing for same.

Forgive DaDullard, But NO FUCKING SHIT.

Can�t we just take it as a given that shit rolls downhill when given a push and an unobstructed venue?

Do we really have to do studies on stomach acid�s prepatory increase when leaning over a plate of steaming-and-soon-to-be-et-yum?

Jesu-Phreaking-Christos� this whole thang smacks of a big ol� Duh to DaDiarist.

Once again, wouldn�t it be nice to spend these monies on something truly groundbreaking rather than just telling us shit we already know? How about putting your effort into instantaneous transport so my dumb ass can be in Europe working and be home for my kid on the same day?!? Asswipes.

Yeah. Those are nice charts. Swell. Sub-Second-Timescale measurements of dopamine? Terrific. Great work.

By the way, boys get hard sometimes when they see a dame walk past. Really! Nature ought to do a study about anticipation of the fantasy sort having an impact on dopamine production� And girls? Yeah. Sometimes they get all drippy and stuff when someone reads a sexy story aloud. They do! Promise. Study that as well?

--SauceOfCompleteAstonishmentAtSpendingOnStudies