Peruse some of these links. Pretty interesting stuff. Occupied me for a good long while.
Enjoy.
Carnivore Sex Off the Menu
Sexual Atrocities in the Congo
Police in Ocean City Search for More Tiny Corpses
And covered again here.
Girl Living in Animal Filth Shoots Dad in the Face
A Snapshot of a Would-Be President
No work required.
PC World Magazine has compiled some of the best sites/sights on Google Earth. Peruse, enjoy, stalk in complete anonymity.
In Pictures: The Strangest Sites on Google Earth
It's been awhile since I took the Myer's Briggs personality test and low and behold, I'm still the same.
Your Type is
ENFJ
| Extraverted | Intuitive | Feeling | Judging |
| Strength of the preferences % | |||
| 22 | 12 | 38 | 44 |
Lane tagged me in the 7 Random Things meme and I just found out. Lucky me, I am bored at work today. I'll get right on this! Yea!
The Rules:
Here are my seven randoms:
"Oscar has a habit of curling up next to patients at the home in Providence, Rhode Island, in their final hours.
According to the author of a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, the two-year-old cat has been observed to be correct in 25 cases so far.
Staff now alert the families of residents when he sits down next to their ailing loved one.
Oscar was adopted as a kitten at Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Centre.The cat is said to do his own rounds, just like the doctors and nurses at the home, but is not generally friendly to patients.
Although most families are grateful for the warning Oscar seems to provide, some relatives ask that the pet be taken away while they say their last goodbyes to their loved ones.
When put outside the room, Oscar is said to pace up and down meowing in protest.
Thomas Graves, a feline expert from the University of Illinois, told the BBC: "Cats often can sense when their owners are sick or when another animal is sick.
"They can sense when the weather will change, they're famous for being sensitive to premonitions of earthquakes."
A doctor who treats patients at the home said she believed there was probably a biochemical explanation, rather than the cat being psychic. "They'll mow your lawn almost naked! So far, there have been no requests for the male version. Probably because men mow the lawn sans shirt anyway. Why pay more?
And, you know, should I ever have to go to prison...I hope it's something like this...
I don't think so.
It's just not appropriate.
"But it’s the right thing to do, to provide age-appropriate sex education, science-based sex education in schools." -Barack Obama
When Obama was put on the spot as to what exactly the sex education to 4 to 6 year olds would consist of, he really couldn't answer except to say this...
He "moved to clarify" that he "does not support teaching explicit sex education to children in kindergarten. . . 'Nobody's suggesting that kindergartners are going to be getting information about sex in the way that we think about it,' Obama said. 'If they ask a teacher 'where do babies come from,' then providing information that the fact is that it's not a stork is probably not an unhealthy thing. Although again, that's going to be determined on a case by case basis by local communities and local school boards.'"
I honestly believe that children that young should be taught that boys and girls have different "parts" and that's it. There's really no reason to burden them with more information than that.
Let them play with their dolls, play Indians and Chiefs or whatever else kids play these days. If they ask questions, answer them openly and honestly. Don't hide anything or make sexual things sound dirty.
But for God's sake, don't sit them down in a classroom and teach them more than they need to know about sex a good 6-9 years before puberty even hits.
Look at the kids to the right. Can you honestly tell me that these children need to know the intricacies of sex? Let them learn the ABCs and ask questions like "Why is the grass green", "Why is the sky blue", before we start in with sex. They'll have the rest of their lives to worry about sex.
Let them be innocent...even if it's just for a little while.
Japan has come out with a new study claiming that producing 2.2 lbs of beef generates as much as driving a car non-stop for three hours.
"That means that 2.2lb of beef is responsible for greenhouse gas emissions which have the same effect as the carbon dioxide released by an ordinary car travelling at 50 miles per hour for 155 miles, a journey lasting three hours. The amount of energy consumed would light a 100-watt bulb for 20 days.
Su Taylor, the press officer for the Vegetarian Society, told New Scientist: 'Everybody is trying to come up with different ways to reduce carbon footprints, but one of the easiest things you can do is to stop eating meat.'"
Remember, I just went vegetarian in May. So far, so good. I've had recent cravings for meat...but nothing too bad or uncontrollable. There are definitely some good alternatives out there if you choose to go meatless.
-Boca Burgers (I tired the Flame Grilled one) are delicious, absolutely delicious.
-Cedarlane is tasty with a plethora of product offerings.
-Morningstar Farms is ah-mazing. Simply delicious. I have had a ton of their products and have not been disappointed with one of them so far.
And then, of course I am not full on vegetarian since I still eat fish, milk and eggs. But you know, I do what I can and every little bit helps and makes me feel better about what I eat.
So, so sad.
LONDON - A teenager whose teachers had stopped her wearing a “purity ring” at school to symbolize her commitment to virginity has lost a High Court fight against the ban.
Lydia Playfoot, 16, says her silver ring is an expression of her faith and had argued in court that it should be exempt from school regulations banning the wearing of jewelry.
“I am very disappointed by the decision this morning by the High Court not to allow me to wear my purity ring to school as an expression of my Christian faith not to have sex outside marriage,” Playfoot said in a statement Monday.
Playfoot’s legal challenge was the latest in a series of disputes in British schools in recent years over the right of pupils to wear religious symbols or clothing, such as crucifixes and veils.
Playfoot’s parents are key members of the British arm of the American chastity campaign group the Silver Ring Thing, a religious group which urges abstinence among young people.
Those who sign up wear a ring on the third finger of the left hand. It is inscribed with “Thess. 4:3-4,” a reference to a Biblical passage from Thessalonians which reads: “God wants you to be holy, so you should keep clear of all sexual sin.”
Lawyers for the school denied discrimination and said the purity ring breached its rules on wearing jewelry.They said allowances were made for Muslim and Sikh pupils only for items integral to their religious beliefs and that, for the same reason, crucifixes were also allowed. But it argued that the purity ring was not an integral part of the Christian faith.
Yes...
(hahaha)
Japanese men are finding it increasingly difficult to partner with a women that will please them. So...as any natural person would do, they turn not to dating sites or prostitutes...but to plastic.
Plastic sex dolls.
These dolls are life like and are anatomically correct and range in price from $800-$5,500 a piece. The more expensive models are made of silicone (more life-like and have, get this, 35 movable joints).
Please read the attached article...it makes me really sad for this one guy who goes by "Ta - Bo".
"Each has a name. Ta-Bo often watches television with his toys before bathing them, powdering them so that their skin feels more human, dressing them in lingerie and then taking them to bed.
'A human girl can cheat on you or betray you sometimes, but these dolls never do those thing. They belong to me 100 percent,' says the engineer who has spent more than 2 million yen ($16,000) over the past decade on the dolls."
Ha. Ha. Ha. "Bass"inine! Ha. Ha. Ha. Get it?! Like asinine?! Only with a bass?! Oh, keep reading, you'll get the correlation in a minute.
Oh, it's early...and sometimes...when I'm tired...I crack myself up.
Anywho.
Well, I read an article this morning, while sipping some java and perusing my Google Reader, about Albert Gore.
Good ole Al.
His efforts at environmental conservation and reducing carbon footprints - when his is incredibly large - are well intended. And his Live Earth celebration stirred up much criticism regarding all the air travel and waste that was produced because of the concerts.
It's just, well...you've got to walk your talk...or well, you'll reap what you sew.
Anyway, he's in a new hot-bed of environmental hypocrisy.
Apparently, at his daughter's wedding over the weekend he served Chilean Sea Bass. What's the big deal, you ask? Well, it's only one of the most endangered fish in the world. (Although, you can read this article for a dissenter's opine).
Why do I care? Well, my dad's a fisheries biologist/conservationist...and I, well...dislike hypocrites very much.
Oh well. I just want Gore to be a real conservationist. A real giant for the green. A green giant...if you will.
Happy Wednesday. That's what I've got for this morning. Will be in touch and hopefully not bitter later. :)
With the development of a birth control that allows women to never have their periods, Karen Houppert, a NY Times columnist, has some things to say.
It's really good. Read it. I dare you. Period.
But here's one more. I need to get my mind on other things today!
NY Times - Positive Trends for Today's Teens
Take Aways:
*The teenage birthrate hit a record low. The teenage birth rate in 2005 was 21 per 1,000 young women ages 15 to 17 — an all-time low. Comparatively, the rate in 1991 was 39 births per 1,000 teenagers.
*In 2005, 47 percent of high school students — 6.7 million — reported having had sexual intercourse, down from 54 percent during the 12 years between 1991-2003
*Of those who reported having had sex during a three-month period in 2005, 63 percent — about 9 million — said they used condoms. That is an increase from the 46 percent reported in 1991.
“I think the H.I.V./AIDS epidemic and the efforts in the ’80s and ’90s had a lot to do with that,” Mr. Wagoner said of the improved numbers on teenage sexual activity, condom use and births. “We need to encourage young teens to delay sexual initiation, and we need to make sure they get all the information they need about condoms and birth control”.Honestly, I just can't imagine 54 percent having sex in high school. I mean, I know they did...and I know that I was sheltered...but come on! None of my girlfriends had sex back then and not many of my guy friends did as far as I know...and I am pretty sure they would have talked/bragged about it...because I got to hear everything else. Whatever, though. Perhaps I was just friends with the other 46 percent.
Also, this brings up the condom issue. Thank God the number of teenagers using condoms is going up.
I understand that it might be embarrassing to look for and perhaps even, buy condoms. But don't be stupid.
If it's the cost, suck it up. Your $5 dollars (or whatever condoms cost) is a lot cheaper than caring for a child. And after all, you think you are old enough to have sex, therefore you are old enough to have a job and pay for your condoms.
If it is the embarrassment, you should only be embarrassed if you look like a baby about to engage in a sexual act...which you probably do because you're in high school. Even still, you need protection. I would imagine that going to the doctor to find out that you had herpes and/or gonorrhea would be pretty embarrassing too...only it lasts a lot longer than your check-out with the other pimple-faced teenager at Target.
A recent research study found 235 reasons why people get it on between the sheets.
Sure!
The US Food and Drug Administration would have you believe that eating raw fish during pregnancy is as bad as ingesting Pine Sol. And it's not limited at fish, women that are preggers are also supposed to avoid like the plague, unpasteurized cheeses and alcohol.
Well, the French and the Japanese eat all of these things...and we all know how smart Japanese babies are.
Apparently, according to this NY Times article, the US is missing the boat.
The risk of falling ill from eating seafood (not including shellfish) is 1 in 2 million servings while the risk from eating chicken is 1 in 25,000.
Raw fish is generally safe, baring any cross contamination and assuming that the restaurant follows good safety practices, it is the shellfish that you have to watch out for.
"Most species used for sushi don’t have parasites anyway. Fish like tuna are not particularly susceptible to parasites because they dwell in very deep, very cold water, and sushi restaurants typically use farmed salmon to avoid the parasite problems wild salmon have. Most of the fish likely to have parasites, like cod and whitefish, aren’t generally used for sushi. Nor does pregnancy increase susceptibility to parasites. Healthy women who’ve been eating sushi are not at increased risk when they become pregnant. The same resistance and immunities function before, during and after pregnancy."
In other words, eat up ladies!
Does the Harry Potter series deserve as much credit for motivating young readers as has been given?
According to this NYT article, no.
Studies have shown that interest in reading peaks with every new installment of HP and then reverses back to the previous interest level. Meaning that children don't pick up other books while waiting for the next HP. Is reading one book every two or so years enough?
One researcher at Stamford said that we put too much interest on reading for pleasure. He says children should read for information in preparation for what they will need to survive the real world. He poses the question, when will reading literature be a necessary skill/pass time?
What do you think?
Should children be encouraged to read for pleasure? Is reading a fundamental skill that should be developed? Or, as the one researcher suggests, should reading for information be the skill that is developed in school?
I just finished reading The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides and it will be far too hard for me to convey to you how much I loved this book.
Loved, loved, loved.
Eugenides' combines the common elements of humor and grief into something beautiful and rare.
I definitely recommend this book.
Here are some quotes that I found particularly captivating:
"All wisdom ends in a paradox." (p. 246)
"They had killed themselves over the dying forests; over the manatees maimed by propellers as they surfaced to drink from garden hoses; they killed themselves at the sight of used tires stacked higher than the pyramids; they had killed themselves over the failure to find a love none of us could ever be. In the end, the tortures tearing the Lisbon girls pointed to a simple reasoned refusal to accept the world as it was handed down to them, so full of flaws." (p. 245)
"The essence of the suicides consisted not of sadness or mystery but simple selfishness. The girls took into their own hands decisions better left to God. They became too powerful to live among us, too self-concerned, too visionary, too blind." (p. 248)
"What my yia yia could never understand about America was why everyone pretended to be happy all the time." (p. 175)
Writing about prostate self exams: "And so we lie on our backs, probing, recoiling, probing again, and the seeds of death get lost in the mess God made us." (p. 170)
"We felt the imprisonment of being a girl, the way it made your mind active and dreamy, and how you ended up knowing which colors went together. We knew that the girls were our twins, that we all existed in space like animals with identical skins, and that they knew everything about us though we couldn't fathom them at all. We knew, finally, that the girls were really women in disguise, that they understood love and even death, and that our job was merely to create the noise that seemed to fascinate them." (p. 44)
Just because it's a newly discovered, fantastic word...one worth knowing.
Portentous (por-TEN-tus)
adjective
1. Foreboding; foreshadowing, especially foreshadowing ill; ominous.
2. Marvelous; prodigious; wonderful; as, a beast of portentous size.
3. Pompous.
Family is a weird thing.
From birth, you’re placed into this unit of people and told to love them because they are your blood – and because family is all you really have in this world. These people, to whom you are inexplicably tied, come to your major life events, share your holidays, and perhaps, know your deepest family skeletons. They are people who you might not get along with, might not like and might not want to love. But for some reason, you do.
That being said, my mom’s mom and I were never close. She was always cold, brusque, and more than often, curt. She never read to me, never let me curl up on the couch with her and never cooked the dinners she knew I would like. She was vain, opinionated and always stubborn. I begged my parents to not leave me alone with her. It was always awkward and boring.
Though it may seem this way, my grandma has not passed away, at least not physically. She has Alzheimer’s and has slowly been slipping from my family’s grip for a little over two years.
The degenerative process didn’t start the way they say. Loosing keys, forgetting names, and places. She forgot weird things, like how to use the phone, the microwave and the oven. We would call her on the phone, talk for a bit and at some point, she would set the phone down, and walk off calling your name…trying to find you.
One hot,
She would talk to you normally, then look to your side, and ask Fred what he thought, or ask you to take a look at Fred, look at him napping. Fred was my grandpa who died when I was in fourth grade. Being alone with her at this point was far from boring as it had been in my younger years, now it was just far too creepy.
The mind is a scary and wonderful thing.
Recently, she slipped into what can be likened to a coma-like state. She’s alive and doing all of the needed bodily functions on her own. But she rarely opens her eyes, she never sits up, and when she speaks, it is barely audible or understandable.
On the way to the beach last week, the Genius wanted to know the reasons behind my desire to see my grandma. What I came up with made me feel confused. I wanted to go and see her, but why?
Was it for me? Yeah. I’m not sure that I would be okay with myself having passed through the very town she was in, and not stopped. And honestly, there was a little part of me that was curious. Was she really as bad as my mom had said?
Was it for her? Sure. If there was any glimmer of hope that she was in there, somewhere in the depths of her mind, I wanted her to know that her family was there. Loving her, supporting her, and praying for her.
Because that’s what family does, that’s what we’re here for.
We may not get along and we may not have chosen the individuals that make up our unit, but this is who we have. The members of our families represent our pasts and our futures.
We are tied to these people as we are tied to no one else in this world. Sure, you can leave them…but they will always be there in your history and I can pretty much guarantee that you will always think of them, be it fondly or not.
ABC news reports,
"...Among other things, the capsule contained membership lists for the 1937 school board, an American Legion post, the Masonic Lodge, the Methodist Church and a band that played at that year's Kansas State Fair. It also held copies of the Kiowa County Progressive Signal and the Greensburg News."
Really? The time capsule contained the Masonic lodge, the Methodist church and an entire band?? That surely is amazing!
Update: I just reread the above article that I was making fun of...and, well - I am reading it correctly now. They found membership lists from those places! GOT it. I don't see how that's something so great that it should be included in a time capsule, though. Oh well. Call me crazy.
"They went to sleep in a manure pit but woke up in Heaven."
Manure deaths called baffling...
You know this is the coolest thing you've ever seen. Yeah, the coolest...
Two words...
Google Pedometer
On the left column, click "Usage Instructions". I needed the help; you might not.
