"Prune-size?" I’m thinking musk melon . . .
By George W. Bush, 27 April 2000:
Let me just give you an example of what I did in Texas. And the only thing I know to do is go by my gut instincts when I get sworn in. But in Texas, one of the first things I did was I went and called upon Democrats.
George W. Bush, 13 April 2004
I don’t think people ought to demean the contributions of our friends into Iraq. People are sacrificing their lives in Iraq, from different countries. We ought to honor that, and we ought to welcome that. I’m proud of the coalition that is there. This is a – these are people that have – the gut leaders have made the decision to put people in harm’s way for the good of the world. And we appreciate that sacrifice in America. We appreciate that commitment.
George W. Bush, 28 June 2004
You know that last Friday we handed over the final ministry to the Iraqi interim government . . . . I thought it was a smart thing to do, primarily because the Prime Minister was ready for it. And it’s a sign of confidence. It’s a sign that we’re ready to go, and it’s a proud moment–it really is–for the Iraqi people. And frankly, I feel comfortable in making the decision, because I feel comfortable about Prime Minister Alawi and President al-Yawr. These are strong people. They’re gutsy.
New York Times, 26 January 2007
Scientists studying stroke patients are reporting today that an injury to a specific part of the brain, near the ear, can instantly and permanently break a smoking habit. People with the injury who stopped smoking found that their bodies, as one man put it, “forgot the urge to smoke.”
While no one is suggesting brain injury as a solution for addiction, the finding suggests that therapies might focus on the insula, a prune-size region under the frontal lobes that is thought to register gut feelings and is apparently a critical part of the network that sustains addictive behavior.