Square dance promotion on the web: I’m interested in websites that actually try to sell modern western square dancing to the general public. Here’s Jeff Gorbutt’s: Good reasons to join in the craze and come square dancing.

When I first started this weblog, I came across Circle Left, an (at the time) relatively content-free but attractive site on square dancing. It’s been worked on since then, and the databases have been filled in, so it’s no longer content-free. Unfortunately, it’s also no longer as attractive; the owners have decided to put up some advertising on the front page (and other pages too). I guess ya gotta understand people trying to recover their web-hosting costs, but advertising sure junks up a site.

Anyway, the databases (callers, clubs, events) have been populated, although I’m not sure where the data is coming from. The caller directory has 1432 entries as of now…compare that with Vic Ceder‘s 851. That means that it’s unlikely that all the callers listed in Circle Left have requested inclusion. I know I’m in there twice (once as Kris and once as Kristin). The club directory has 2378 entries, but out of the three for New Mexico, two of the clubs no longer exist. Hmmm….the numbers look impressive, but I don’t trust the quality.

Does playing bridge boost the immune system? A new study indicates that playing contract bridge leaves people with higher numbers of immune cells. The researcher said:

“Bridge players plan ahead, they use working memory, they deal with sequencing, initiation and numerous other higher order functions with which the dorsolateral cortex is involved.”

Maybe we need a study that measures T-cells after square dancing.