One of my fave songs, ever! Can you dig it?

Friends Of Distinction - 'Grazing In The Grass'

I also like this version. Although, I think it needs more cowbell.



Hugh Masekela - 'Grazing In The Grass'

Holy...

I had a funky dream that I worked at Subway last night.

It was a stressful dream because I didn't know why I was working at Subway, in an actual store and not corporate.

I remember it being busy and things kept going wrong.

Then through a series of events, I became manager.

Eventually, the mess, the suck-ass employees, and asshat customers got to me, and I just walked out and quit.

I was perplexed by that this morning.

Now I just realized, duh, I am covering for my boss all next week [on call with a pager and everything].

Maybe it's just my subconscious prepping me for what is hopefull going to be a quiet week next week.

Cross your fingers.

Ricky Nelson is still dreamy, though.

'I Got A Woman'

I like this version more than Ricky Nelson's [ack!].

Billy Stewart - 'Summertime'

Hee hee.

I have a dirty mind.

Neato Coolville

Sometimes it pays to be a beeyotch.

There was an aspect of The Project that would have made me come in to work on Sunday, and I quickly nixed that.

I told The Crew and The Project Manager that that, was not an option.

Luckily, with some out of the box procedure changes, I should not have to come in.

It pays to put your foot down and stay firm.

[Knock on wood].

The Beyoncinator

Virtual Bubble-Wrap!

Thanks to Lioux!

Virtual Bubblewrap

Belinda Carlisle - 'Circle In The Sand'

Bah! Shoosh already!!

You're not helping your cause.

Ex-'Grey's' Star Cites Racism for Firing

'LOS ANGELES -- "Grey's Anatomy" star Isaiah Washington said racism was a factor in his firing from the hit ABC series after he twice used an anti-gay slur.

Washington, who initially used the epithet during an onset clash with a co-star, told Newsweek magazine that "someone heard the booming voice of a black man and got really scared and that was the beginning of the end for me."

He tried to make amends by expressing remorse and volunteering to enter a counseling program to understand how the confrontation got out of hand, he told Newsweek.

"My mistake was believing that I would get the support from my network and all of my cast mates across the board. My mistake was believing I could correct a wrong with honesty and sincerity," he said in the interview posted online Thursday.

"My mistake was thinking black people get second chances. I was wrong on all fronts," he said.

His unwillingness to act like a submissive black at work was part of the problem, Washington said.

"Well, it didn't help me on the set that I was a black man who wasn't a mush-mouth Negro walking around with his head in his hands all the time. I didn't speak like I'd just left the plantation and that can be a problem for people sometime," he said.

"I had a person in human resources tell me after this thing played out that `some people' were afraid of me around the studio. I asked her why, because I'm a 6-foot-1, black man with dark skin and who doesn't go around saying `Yessah, massa sir' and `No sir, massa' to everyone?

"It's nuts when your presence alone can just scare people, and that made me a prime candidate to take the heat in a dysfunctional family," he said.'

Fack!

That big project is not completed and is a big mess.

I might have to even come in tomorrow.

Some days they just don't pay me enough.

XTC - 'Generals And Majors'

Creepy

Neato Coolville

Today In - 'Bad Hair'

Mugshot Mondays

Who's 'Bob'?

I was just rummaging through my wallet trying to find my Rx card, and came across two numbers I got at Pride.

While I know who I got one card from, I have no idea who 'Bob' is, and why his cell is scribbled on a cocktail napkin.

I have this nagging feeling I made out with more than one person at Pride.

Maybe it's 'Bob'.

Too bad I don't remember him, and it's past the statute of limitations on the follow-up call.

Looks like I had more fun than I thought.

Today In - 'Luke Chueh'

Sharp Tongue

Lindsay Visits The Netherlands

Cocaine-addled driver destroys entire cornfield on run from police

Live Free Or Die Hard Deleted Scene

Interesting

Scout says:

'This response to Tom Cruise's movie is not surprising to me. I became aware of the Germans' hatred for Scientology over 10 years ago. I mentioned it to my mom (a native German) during a casual conversation, and I was really shocked at her powerfully negative response. This was way before Tom Cruise was publicly associated with it and it wasn't mentioned in the US media, at all.

Even then, the Germans considered the group a money-grabbing-cult. And the Scientologists were pissed at the Germans because they refused to give Scientology status as a religion, thus obligating them to pay taxes as a corporation, instead of being exempt as a religious institution. Since then, during my visits, I've asked multiple friends and family members and it is a unanimous opinion that Scientologists are greedy charlatans only after your money and nobody wants them anywhere in the country.

So the idea of Mr. Scientology portraying a man who is very famous and who is considered an enormous hero to the German people is revolting to the entire populace. The son of the man hates that Cruise is involved at all.

Another public relations disaster for Tom Cruise, Inc.'

Government Opposes Tom Cruise's Plan To Assassinate Hitler On German Soil

Go-Bots: The Movie

Why I HATE flying.

The way the whole industry is set up, can suck it.

'Smoke yourself thin!'

'From chimpan-a, to chimpanzee.'

Mile High City, Indeed

Pot petitions seek reduced enforcement

'A pro-marijuana group Wed nesday turned in well over the number of signatures needed for a ballot issue that would make marijuana possession Denver's "lowest law-enforcement priority."

"People here are sick and tired of their city police and prosecutors punishing adults for using a drug less harmful than alcohol," said Mason Tvert, spokesperson for SAFER (Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation) Denver.

The initiative, which will be on the ballot in November if enough of the more than 10,000 signatures are verified, applies to adults over age 21 and possession of 1 ounce of marijuana or less.

In 2005, the group spearheaded the measure that made it legal for adults in Denver to carry a small amount of the drug.

But people continue to be arrested and prosecuted for marijuana possession in Denver, a citation that according to state law carries a $100 fine.

Denver police follow Colorado state law, said Sonny Jackson, a Police Department spokesman.

"A law violation is a law violation," he said.

But the proposed initiative could change how police approach marijuana possession. SAFER is asking that they ignore a marijuana infraction as they would jaywalking, Tvert said.

Similar laws have been adopted in cities in Washington, California, Montana and Arkansas.

In Seattle, the law led to a significant drop in marijuana arrests and allowed police to focus on more-serious crimes, Tvert said.

While crimes against people take priority, Jackson said, there is no pecking order when it comes to crime.

"You don't turn your head on one crime versus another," he said.'

WTF?

Did everyone take a stupid pill today?

Every call I have received so far has been a dumb question.

Geesh.

XTC - 'Mayor Of Simpleton'

Virus 2.0

Is Web 2.0 Safe?

'As users store more data online, hackers are finding ways to break into the new service sites. experts say the problems are deep-seated.

Samy Kamkar was really just trying to impress girls. Instead, he made Web hacking history.

Kamkar created what is considered the first Web 2.0 worm--a virulent bug that no firewall could block, and which ultimately forced MySpace.com to temporarily shut down. The Samy worm (named after Kamkar) was among the more prominent of a new generation of Web attacks that some security experts fear may slow the fast-evolving collaborative model of Internet development known as Web 2.0.

Kamkar was looking for a way to circumvent MySpace's content-posting restrictions to jazz up his profile when he found a bug that essentially allowed him to control the browser of anyone who visited his MySpace page. "A Chipotle burrito and a few clicks" later, Kamkar says, he created the fastest-spreading Web-based worm of all time.

Within 20 hours, the worm had spread to approximately 1 million MySpace users, forcing them to select Kamkar as their "hero" in their profile page. News Corporation, the site's owner, had to pull down MySpace to fix the problem, and Kamkar later received three years' probation in Los Angeles Superior Court.

As a Web 2.0 worm, Samy signaled the start of a shift in Web security concerns. Past worms such as MyDoom and Sobig clobbered systems and caused days of technical problems for system administrators to contend with. Kamkar's worm didn't do anything to harm MySpace users' computers, but it threatened their data online. And though the affected MySpace users couldn't apply a patch or update their antivirus software to handle the problem, once MySpace fixed the issue on its servers, it was fixed globally.

To security experts like Robert Hansen, the CEO of Web security consultancy firm Sectheory.com, the Samy worm is an example of the kind of unexpected consequences that can arise when Web site operators let users become contributors to their Web properties. Hansen and other like-minded researchers believe that we have only begun to see what can go wrong when the security of Web 2.0 programs gets tested.

Without a radical change in the way that browsers interact with the Web, these experts say, the Web 2.0 security problem will only get worse. And with more and more of our critical data stored by Web 2.0 applications like Google Calendar and Zoho Office Suite, such security holes could do a lot of damage.

Currently, two major types of Web attacks have security researchers concerned: Cross-site scripting attacks, and cross-site request forgeries.

Cross-site scripting attacks come in different varieties, but the result remains the same: The attacker finds a way to make unauthorized code run within a victim's browser.

Web sites that allow visitors to post their own content employ filtering software to keep the users from posting unsafe code to their MySpace profiles or eBay auctions, for example. But in the case of the Samy worm, Kamkar found a way to sneak his JavaScript past the MySpace.com filters.

In another type of cross-site scripting attack, the Web site is tricked into running JavaScript code that's included in a Web page's URL. Normally Web designers make it impossible for such ploys to work, but programming errors can open the door to an attack.

As Web sites integrate new partner- and user-generated components, administrators must worry about the security of those interconnected pieces as well as the security of their own sites, says Seth Bromberger, information security manager with Pacific Gas & Electric in San Francisco.

"Now you've got multiple gates to defend," he explains.
Bromberger is concerned that many Web-based services are being built before their security risks are fully understood. The full risks of cross-site request forgery attacks on local networks are only just now being examined, he says.'

Thursday Tracks

powered by ODEO

Here's a little ditty from an underrated album.

It's 'Party Happenin' People' from Deee-Lite.

Off of their third, and final studio album, 'Dewdrops In The Garden', this track shows their mastery of using a sample in a clever way.

It's a nifty album that if you haven't already, should check it out.

If the player doesn't work, try this link.

Bulli!

Holy Shnikes!

So I take two days off, and come back to 125 new posts according to Bloglines!

Bear with me as I try and catch up.

Tom Tom Club - 'Genius Of Love'

Tom Tom Club - 'Wordy Rappinghood'

First Meeting With Another Blogger

...and come to find out, I already knew him. Or knew of him, at least, from the Tracks days. Ladies and germs, Bobby Whispers [center].

Yo Bobby,

Sorry didn't get to chat more.

It got kind of crazy with everyone in our group.

Hope you had fun!

Big Daddy

Primus - 'Jerry Was A Race Car Driver'

I'm back!

Due to a lot of factors coming together, I have been out the last two days.

Once I get caught up, I shall return and extrapolate on what was Pride weekend, and my mystery cold/allergy.

Be back shortly.

I saw one of these today....

scoping out the Dawgs 'hood.

Northern Harrier Hawk

Today In - 'Press Releases'

Hmmm. Sounds interesting. I would actually like to try it.

S'mirnoff Source™, the new premium malt beverage offering from Diageo North America that combines pure spring water with alcohol is now on beer retailers’ shelves and high-end bars throughout the Northeast. At 3.5 percent alcohol by volume (ABV), this new premium malt beverage, with a hint of citrus, has fewer calories and lower alcohol by volume than most popular domestic beers.

Smirnoff Source™ is the first malt beverage in the U.S. to contain pure spring water and a malt-based alcohol. The beverage is light, crisp and perfectly balanced to deliver the ultimate in refreshing taste. With a suggested retail price of almost $10 for a 4-pack, Smirnoff Source™ will provide adult consumers with a new choice – an ultra-premium alternative to domestic beer.

“This new lower-alcohol malt beverage delivers to consumers an ultra-premium product with the cache and provenance of the Smirnoff Brand,” said Mark Breene, vice president, Diageo Progressive Adult Beverages. “We are creating a new experience for adult consumers with a lower-alcohol product that fits in with today’s contemporary adult lifestyle.”

Available in a stylish, 16-ounce glass bottle and 16-ounce 4-packs, the packaging, labels and all marketing materials are clearly labeled ‘Smirnoff Source™ contains spring water + alcohol,’ as approved by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Tax and Trade Bureau, the federal agency that regulates the alcohol beverage industry and oversees and certifies all alcohol beverage labels in the U.S.

This new beer-based alternative is now available in 15 northeastern U.S. states including Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Washington, DC, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Source will also begin appearing in nightclubs in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Miami.

“Smirnoff Source™ is a new way of thinking about the beer category, “ said Guy L. Smith, Executive Vice President of Diageo.

“Smirnoff Source™ is the first lower-alcohol flavored malt beverage on the market that fits modern lifestyles and offers adult consumers sophisticated new drinking experiences,” he said.

“It responds to consumer demand and answers alcohol policy groups’ desires to bring a lower-alcohol beer product to the marketplace,” Smith said, adding that non-government organizations in the U.S. and around the world have been suggesting that this type of lower alcohol beverage should be made available to consumers of legal purchase age.

“And it’s all supported by a responsible marketing campaign that articulates precisely what Smirnoff Source™ is – and what it is not,” he added.

As with all of Diageo’s adult beverages, the marketing and promotion of Smirnoff Source™ is governed by Diageo’s marketing code, which is one of the most stringent in the industry.

The launch of Smirnoff Source will be supported by an integrated marketing plan including a new TV and digital advertising campaign in early July and new point-of-sale displays and visuals in stores this month.'

W.T.F?

Bad Joke

From the Black Sheep website:

Why do Scotsmen wear kilts?

Because sheep can hear a zipper.

It's Lionel Richie!

Investigators hope face model leads to name

'COMMERCE CITY - If police investigators can help someone put a specific name with a specific face then they can say they have done their job in trying to solve a big mystery.

"This is a very important case to us in the (department)," said Det. Mike Saunders. "At this time everything has reached a dead end."

On Thursday, Saunders, along with Mike Chavez, the chief deputy coroner in Adams County, revealed a facial reconstruction made with the help of a skull found in a Commerce City field in November.

"We're sure within a 95 percent probability that this is what he looked like," said Chavez.

In November, a man walking his dog in a field near 64th and I-270 came across the skull. He picked it up and hand-delivered it to the police department.

"It was not buried. It was pretty much found on top of vegetation," said Saunders.

During the next two days, members of the Commerce City Police Department searched the field looking for other bones. They ended up finding almost all of them. They also found the man's boots and a belt buckle.

"We would like to know how he ended up (there)," said Saunders.

Police believe the man was in his early 20s to early 30s. They believe he may have been African-American, but confess they cannot say that for sure. They also believe he was anywhere from 5 feet 1 inch to 5 feet 6 inches tall.

Anyone with any information about the face is being urged to call the Commerce City Police Department at 303-227-8840.'

Ack!

What's grody is how to stand in line for this ride, you line up in a circle around the base. Wonder if people saw the feet plop on the ground?

Teen girl’s feet severed while on thrill ride

Limbs cut above ankles at Kentucky Six Flags amusement park, officials say

'LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Six Flags has shut down four thrill rides at parks around the country after a gruesome accident at an amusement park in Louisville.

A 13-year-old girl's feet were severed just above the ankles Thursday as she rode the Superman Tower of Power ride, park officials said. The ride lifts passengers 177 feet straight up, then drops 154 feet, reaching a speed of 54 mph, according to the park's Web site.

Investigators from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, which inspects amusement park rides, returned to Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom on Friday to examine the ride, said Bill Clary, a spokesman for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.

The accident happened around 4:45 p.m., Six Flags spokeswoman Wendy Goldberg said. It was unclear at what point during the ride the girl was injured, Goldberg said.

The girl was taken to a hospital, but her name was not released and her condition was unavailable Friday morning.

Six Flags has shut down similar rides at parks in St. Louis; Gurnee, Ill.; and near Washington, D.C., as a safety precaution, Goldberg said.

Six Flags Over Texas, near Dallas, also has a Superman Tower of Power ride, but it is not the same ride, Goldberg said.

There were no reports of injuries on the ride before Thursday, Goldberg said.

"We're conducting an investigation now," Goldberg said. "Millions of people have safely ridden this ride in our parks."

The accident led Cedar Fair Entertainment Co. to shut down and inspect drop tower rides at five of its amusement parks, company spokeswoman Stacy Frole said.

Frole said the company spoke with the maker of the ride and then decided to inspect its similar rides as a precaution.

The five rides that will be shut down are at Kings Island near Cincinnati; Canada's Wonderland, in Toronto; Kings Dominion in Doswell, Va.; Carowinds, in Charlotte, N.C.; and Great America in Santa Clara, Calif.

Intamin, a Swiss company, made both rides, said Craig Ross, a spokesman for Cedar Fair.

"We're going to keep these things down until we're certain it's safe," Ross said. "We'll wait and see."

An e-mail message sent to Intamin was not immediately returned Friday morning.'

Since I haven't heard this in a while.

Well, except on those car commercials.

Morningwood - 'Nth Degree'

Jack Penate - 'Spit At Stars'

Jack Penate - 'Torn On The Platform'

Freaky

Bones stolen to make ashtrays, police say

Gravedigger rejects charges as ‘bogus’

'FITCHBURG, Mass. - Police say a gravedigger stole body parts — including a skull and a thigh bone — from a broken casket at a church cemetery and took them home to make an ashtray.

“While he was digging a grave, a casket was broken open, so (investigators) believe he took the body parts to make an ashtray and a pipe,” Police Lt. Kevin O’Brien told the Sentinel & Enterprise of Fitchburg.

Police discovered the theft when they went to his apartment Wednesday after his wife complained that her husband, Keith Chartrand, killed her dog. She said she found the body parts among his belongings.

Police charged Chartrand, 30, with removing a body from a grave and cruelty to animals.

Fitchburg District Court Judge Arthur Haley III ordered Chartrand held on $50,000 bail at a court hearing on Wednesday where Chartrand told the judge the charges against him was “bogus.”

Chartrand’s lawyer, Martin Maynard, did not immediately return a call to The Associated Press on Thursday.

The Rev. Edward Chalmers of St. Bernard’s Cemetery said he believed the remains probably were taken from an older part of the cemetery where many graves did not have vaults.'

The Orb - 'Little Fluffy Clouds'

Extreme Ironing!

There's a city named 'Coolville'!

Coolville, OH

Diva

Since Eric The Red Seven's comments mentioned it:

'All About Eve'

I finally saw it not too long ago.

For an old-timey movie, I really liked it.

Mini-Ladytron Kick [Sorry].

'Playgirl'

Ladytron - 'Destroy Everything You Touch'

Ladytron - 'Sugar'

Book Of Love - 'Pretty Boys And Pretty Girls'

Kinda creepy close up.

Drunk bicyclist.

Drunk dude.

Drunk squirrel.

Poor squirrel.

Poor cow.

Cow rescued from pool

Ha.

'I'm going out on a limb here and guessing if my kid were mauled by a bear last weekend, I wouldn't be trolling the Defamer website for laughs a few days later.

Just a hunch.'

More 'Captivity' Ad Fun: Elisha Cuthbert Vs. The Grizzly Bears

Kate Bush - 'Cloud Busting'

And just for fun...

Utah Saints - 'Something Good'

[they sampled 'Cloud Busting']

Video is 'Fritz The Cat' which is a big thing from when I was a kid, that I will have to post about later.

They Might Be Giants - 'Ana Ng'

Strangers With Candy Quote Of The Day

Jerri Blank: 'God's a little bland.'

From episode 'Blank Stare: Part 1'

Hubba Hubba

Please say this is a joke.

I like Eames as much as the next guy, but you don't see me getting a Le Corbusier chair tat'd on my forearm [or elsewhere].

Ha. This song pops in, and then gets stuck in, my head randomly.

Jay & The Americans - 'Come A Little Bit Closer'

'I'm a crotch watcher, I'm a crotch watcher...'

Thanks to Lioux!

So this:

Men stare at crotches

'The Online Journalism Review reports on Jakob Nielsen's use of an eye-tracker to look at how different people read the Web -- particularly news. There are lots of interesting findings, but the best is the revelation that men fixate on any visible genital areas in photos -- even animals' crotches come in for a good eyeballing.


Although both men and women look at the image of George Brett when directed to find out information about his sport and position, men tend to focus on private anatomy as well as the face. For the women, the face is the only place they viewed.

This image of George Brett was part of a larger page with his biographical information. All users tested looked the image, but there was a distinct difference in focus between men and women.

Coyne adds that this difference doesn’t just occur with images of people. Men tend to fixate more on areas of private anatomy on animals as well, as evidenced when users were directed to browse the American Kennel Club site.'

made me think of how a friend an I went all Wierd Al style, and made an alternate version of 'Girl Watcher' by the O'Kaysions. We changed it to, of course, 'crotch watcher'.

Here's the original:

Social Distortion - 'I Was Wrong'

Yah, but what about The Gays?

Study: Men look at faces more in sexy photos

'ATLANTA (AP) - Contrary to popular opinion, men are more likely to look at a female's face before other areas when looking at pictures of naked women, according to a study by Emory University researchers. And women will gaze at pictures of heterosexual sex longer than men, the study found.

Both findings, published in the journal Hormones and Behavior, shed light on sexual attitudes that really aren't all that mysterious when considered in a scientific light, Emory psychologist Kim Wallen said.

Wallen and his former graduate student, Heather Rupp, showed still photos of couples having sex to 30 women and 15 men between the ages of 23 and 28. Each was rigged up with a high-tech eye-tracking device to measure where his or her gaze went first, and how long it stayed there.

Men went straight to the face and lingered awhile, but most of the women were more interested in the sexual activity. How much so depended on whether they were taking hormone-filled birth control pills.

Those who were, Wallen said, were interested in the overall view of the photos and "background" items like jewelry, but women not on the pill were more interested in areas normally covered by clothing.

"Eye-tracking data suggested that what women paid most attention to was dependent on their hormonal state," said Rupp, now at Indiana University's Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction.

Wallen and Rupp said their study suggests that men's increased attention to faces may be related to higher activation in the amygdala, a portion of the brain that processes emotional information and excitement.

Women can tell by looking at naked men whether they are aroused, Wallen said, but female bodies don't reveal much.

"It's cryptic, but facial expression is one way of showing an indication of interest in and enjoyment of sex," Wallen said.'

2bad.

Pair told not to name son '4real'

'WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) - New Zealand authorities have blocked a couple's bid to officially name their new son "4real," saying numerals are not allowed.

Pat and Sheena Wheaton said they decided to name their new baby "4real" shortly after having an ultrasound and being struck by the reality of his impending arrival.

"For most of us, when we try to figure out what our names mean, we have to look it up in a babies book and ... there's no direct link between the meaning and the name," Pat Wheaton told TV One on Wednesday. "With this name, everyone knows what it means."

But when the parents filed the name with New Zealand's Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, they were told names beginning with a number were against the rules.

The government office has opened negotiations with the parents about the name under a policy that says all unusual names must be given case-by-case consideration.

"The name has not at this stage been rejected," Registrar-General Brian Clarke said in a statement Thursday. "We are currently in discussions with the parents ... to clarify the situation."

Clarke said the rules are designed to prevent names that are "likely to cause offense to a reasonable person." Satan and Adolf Hitler were proposed names that have been declined, he said.

If no compromise has been reached by July 9, the baby will be registered as "real," officials say.

New Zealand law requires all children born in the South Pacific nation to be registered with the Births, Deaths and Marriages registry within two months of birth.'

Today In - 'Strange Cravings'

Besides hasbrowns, I have had a hankerin' for crab.

Last weekend, while at the store, they just got in some Alaskan King Crab legs.

I succumbed.

I bought two legs, and they were huge!!

Seriously, each was probably almost 30 inches in length.

They looked like pinkish/red basball bats.

Honestly, if I saw a live crab with that size legs, I'd be a little freaked.

Like a big spider coming to get you.

The only thing I hate about eating shelfish, is dismembering the body.

I had to crack the legs at it's joints in order to get it to fit in the pot.

But alas, my craving was more powerful than my ick factor.

Which got me to thinking, what is the nutritional value of crab?:

Alaskan King Crab - 'Rich in vitamin B-12, low in fat, contains zinc, magnesium, folate, vitamin C and omega's-3's which can reduce the amount of 'bad' cholesterol and triglycerides that are running around in your system. Unleash the power with crab!'

Serving size: 3 oz. -- Cooked Edible Portion

Calories 82
Protein 16.45g
Total Fat 1.31g
Saturated 0.113g
Monounsaturated 0.157g
Polyunsaturated 0.456g
Carbohydrates 0g
Sodium 911mg
Iron 0.640mg
Cholesterol 45mg

Dead Milkmen - 'Punk Rock Girl'

Ha.

How your mouse works via Zombie Fights Shark.

This graphic actually accompanies the story.

When sex toys turn green — for health, that is

Concern about effects of common chemical leads consumers to seek options

'It is, perhaps, a measure of just how mainstream sex toys have become that there are now budding consumer and environmental awareness campaigns being waged over them.

The biggest controversy is about the materials from which many toys are made.

Most vibrators, dildos and “love dolls,” for instance — especially the soft, pliable “jelly” type — use some form of plastic. In an effort to make the materials softer and more lifelike, PVC plastics suppliers incorporate one or more members of a family of compounds called phthalates (FAY-lates). To hear some environmentalists tell it, using a vibrator that includes phthalates is akin to bathing in DDT. Alarmed, some sex toy retailers, most prominently San Francisco-based Good Vibrations, are banning toys that include phthalates. But to hear the chemical industry tell it, phthalates are about as benign as mountain spring water. So what is a sex toy consumer to do?

Phthalates are ubiquitous. They are used in perfumes, hair sprays, plastic raincoats, carpet backing, paints, medical devices and many other items. They are responsible for that “new car smell,” which goes to show you how much plastic is used in cars.

Now they are showing up in people. As the fact of new car smell indicates, phthalates “off-gas,” meaning that they escape from the plastic in the form of a gas. So we breathe them. They also can escape their bond with the plastic by seeping out in an oily film, and we can absorb this through our skin, our mouths, our mucous membranes. A 2004 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of urine samples from 2,540 people ages 6 and older found phthalate metabolites (what’s left after our bodies chew it up) in more than 75 percent of the subjects.

What scientists cannot yet say is whether or not all this exposure is bad for us. “There is consensus that exposure is widespread in the general population,” explains Antonia M. Calafat, whose CDC lab did the study. While there is no cumulative buildup — phthalates are metabolized quickly by the body and excreted — “there is also consensus that phthalates are toxic in animals. There is no consensus at present whether the phthalates are causing adverse health effects in humans.”

Part of the uncertainty lies in the absence of human testing. You can’t ethically give people a dose of something you think might harm them, after all. And much of the testing done in animals, or on cells, uses doses of phthalates many times the typical exposure people experience. Further complicating matters is that there are grades of PVC-phthalate combinations (including food grade), with the lower the grade usually meaning the more smell and oily feel.

Despite the uncertainty, concern over phthalates has created a quiet revolution in the sex toy business. Fueled by Internet chatter and some media stories (including an article on About.com), sex toy consumers are asking questions of store owners and managers.

“When you open a jelly toy that reeks you have a visceral response to it,” says Anne Semans, marketing director of Babeland, a chain of sex shops based in Seattle. “And people say ‘Well, why take a chance?’” Semans says that in lieu of reliable expert opinion, the employees try to educate consumers about the ingredients of toys and point out alternative options, but leave the ultimate decisions to shoppers. Given the preference some consumers have for the jelly-style toys, she says, there are no plans to ban phthalate-carrying items from the shelves.

Not so at Good Vibrations. Since 1994, Good Vibrations has recommended the use of a condom over many phthalate-containing toys not only because of the phthalates, but because they can be difficult to clean, and has decided to phase out the material.

Now, says Carol Queen, staff sexologist, “There is enough [science] there to make us say, ‘Let’s be on the safe side and not worry anymore.’” She expects the stores will be phthalate-free in several months.

Richard Longhurst, founder of U.K.-based LoveHoney, a major online retailer, believes fears are overblown. “Despite the brouhaha, the issue is more important to the media and some vocal retail outlets in the U.S. than to consumers,” he argues. “You could chop eight of my fingers off and I could still count on one hand the number of customer inquiries we’ve ever had about phthalates.”'

Doogie Patel M.D.

15-year-old performs surgery in India

Outrage over boy's attempt to gain spot in Guinness Book of World Records

'NEW DELHI - The 15-year-old son of two doctors performed a filmed Caesarean section birth under his parents’ watch in southern India in an apparent bid to gain a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records as the youngest surgeon.

Instead, the boy’s father could be stripped of his licenses and may face criminal charges, officials said Thursday.

Dr. K. Murugesan showed a recording of his son performing a Caesarean section to an Indian Medical Association chapter in the southern state of Tamil Nadu last month, said Dr. Venkatesh Prasad, secretary of the association. The video showed Murugesan anesthetizing the patient.

“We were shocked to see the recording,” Prasad told The Associated Press, adding that the IMA told Murugesan that his act was an ethical and legal violation.

Murugesan owns and runs a maternity hospital in the city of Manaparai, Prasad said in a telephone interview from Manaparai. The family could not be immediately reached for comment.

Murugesan, who could possibly be prevented from practicing and face criminal charges for allowing his son to perform the operation, expressed no regret and accused the Manaparai medical association of being “jealous” of his son’s achievements, Prasad added.

“He said this was not the first surgery performed by his son and that he had been training him for the last three years,” said Prasad.

Murugesan told the medical association that he wanted to see his son’s name in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Prasad said that his team had reported the surgery to the state’s top medical association in state capital, Chennai.

State health secretary V.K. Subburaj told reporters Thursday that the government would investigate.

“We’ll get the report and then we’ll see whether there are any violations ... prima facie it looks like there is a big violation,” he said.

“We will definitely take action against the concerned medical officers.”'

I definitely have the 'Loop' one.

Narcissistic Blog Disorder

'This disorder is characterized by the creation of a blog in which the individual consistently denigrates not only the opinions of others, but the very fact that others have opinions, saying things like "nobody cares what some overpaid starlet has to say about global warming" and "nobody cares what some crusty career politician thinks is wrong with society today." Simultaneously, the individual assumes that people do care about what he or she has to say, in spite of the individual's only political or activist experience being watching the movie 'Dave' twice.

Bookmark Loop Disorder

Web bookmarks remain a popular way to waste time when one should be working. You check a site or two, get something done for a little while, then check your bookmarks again. Careful research, however, has shown that at a certain point the list of bookmarks grows, the "get something done" period shrinks, until the reader goes directly from the end of the list back to the top, just in case there are new updates. Once entered, this "bookmark loop state" often cannot be broken until a couple hours after a sane bedtime.

Atemporal Fad Disorder

The desire to participate in an internet fad is considered by psychologists to be a natural, if sometimes unfortunate, aspect of human nature. Some individuals, however, appear to have a clinical inability to recognize the fleeting nature of fads, and continue to attempt to participate after everyone else is sick to death of the whole thing. The current diagnostic criterion is "the use of the phrase 'all your base are belong to us' in any non-ironic context" but in 2010 it is expected to be expanded to include any suggestion that a photo depicts a cat interacting with an invisible object.

Pugilistic Discussion Syndrome

In this curious form of aphasia, the subject is unable to distinguish between a discussion and a contest. The subject approaches any online forum as a sort of playing field, and attempts to "win" the discussion by any means necessary. The rules of the imaginary contest are apparently clear to the individual as he or she will often point out when others break them, but when asked to outline these rules the individual is reluctant, perhaps not wishing to confer an "advantage" on any "opponents." The conditions for winning are similarly difficult to pin down, although in some cases the individual will declare himself the winner of a discussion that, to all others, appears to be ongoing.

Amusement Identify Disorder

This is a sort of inverse cousin to Pugilistic Discussion Syndrome, in which the individual has difficulty distinguishing between an online game and real life. The individual sees his or her online character as being as "real" as the individual's real-world self, if not more so. One manifestation of this disorder is the tendency to treat game accomplishments such as impressive magic items or guild leadership as the equivalent of real-life accomplishments like pursuing a successful career or raising a family. In addition to impairing the individual's personal growth in the real world, this disorder also makes them extremely boring at parties.'

Narcissistic Blog Disorder and Other Conditions of Online Kookery

A Flock Of Seagulls - 'Wishing'

Jamiroquai - 'Little L'

X-Press 2 Feat. David Byrne - 'Lazy'

Facial contusions are the new tattoos.

So remember how I talked about how I am prone to facial injuries?

Well, yesterday, not only did I bump my noggin once....

I did it three times!

First up was I was looking down at my audio player, and misjudged the distance between me and a glass door.

Twhack!!!

My forehead hit the glass.

Later, while exiting the bus station, I thought the sliding glass door was going to open further than it actually did.

Thud!!!

My face and shoulder bang in to the door.

Then while getting in to the tanning bed....

Bonk!!!

I hit my forehead, again, on the top door.

Luckily, all of the impacts left no marks.

Let's Do The Time Warp Again

Didn't have time to make food for today, last night, and I was being punished by my empty belly, so I had to get food quick.

Since nothing was really open, my only option was Waffle House.

Talk about a trip back to the 70's.

The one by my work hasn't been renovated since then!

We're talking faux-wood laminate paneling, burnt orange pleather seating, and terracotta tile floor.

What's funny, is after being served an undercooked over-easy egg as a kid, I have avoided the Waffle.

But recently, Clinton at Zombie Fights Shark was talking about the Waffle, and I figured I'd give them another shot.

I still find it odd that everything comes with hashbrowns.

But that's ok, between Clinton's post, and that chick on Hell's Kitchen being unable to make hasbrowns, they seeped in to my subconscious and gave me a craving for them.

I am highly suggestible after all.

My friend said I should change my dress back-asswards, y'all.

I thought Naomi Watts dropped that calf ages ago[?].

Nice tube socks.

Caption this.

What ever happened to....

Fred Durst?

Actually.

Wait a minute.

I don't care.

The Methane Gas Facial never really caught on.

Three die as women's baths explode

'TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- An explosion at a women's spa in central Tokyo on Tuesday killed three people and injured at least three others.

The afternoon explosion appeared to have been triggered by methane gas that seeped from the ground beneath the popular "Shiespa" hot spring and caught fire, according to police.

Authorities had earlier said a boiler at the spa had exploded. The main building apparently did not sustain major damage, but was being examined.

Police and fire officials said three people had been confirmed hurt in the explosion. Police said one of the three killed was a woman, but could not confirm the gender of the other fatalities.

News reports said three other people had been injured, including passers-by.

After dousing the flames, fire officials swarmed the blasted shell of the building, which was destroyed except for the mangled iron frame.

Debris had been blown in to the street and against the neighboring apartment houses, shattering windows.

"I heard a huge boom. When I jumped outside, I saw a plume of smoke," said Miki Yamagishi, a clerk at a nearby convenience store.

Shiespa is a women's only spa with a natural hot spring, an open-air bath, a sauna and salon, according to its Web site.'

Doesn't look like Suri at all.

Not Asian, or Chris Klein looking enough.

TomKat must have switched baby agencies.

Thank god for linen.

It's supposed to be upper 90's [maybe even in the 100's] for the next five days.

I would die if I didn't have linen to make the commute bearable.

Next to refrigeration, it has to be the best invention, ever.

Awesome.

One of my fave Spongebob episodes ever.

Holy.....

From The Consumerist

Whua?

Culture Club and Dolly Parton - 'Your Kisses Are Charity'

Hee Hee

Dolly and Kenny - 'Islands In The Stream'

I'm a big fan of the word 'retarded'.

Not in a derogatory make-fun-of-the-mentally-challenged 'retarded'.

More along the lines of the French word 'retard', meaning 'delayed' or 'lateness'.

Basically, something that is odd, or full of nonsense.

But I read somewhere on some blog the term 'touched in the head', and I love it.

I think I will begin using this term when discussing people who aren't playing with a full deck.

Like crazy needs-to-peel-off-stickers-on-the-bus guy, who occasionally rides my route.

I think he's touched in the head.

For the entire bus ride, he will sit there and completely pull off the announcement stickers, and then work dilligently to re-apply the sticker, and lovingly push all the air bubbles out.

The thing is, everytime he rides I say to myself, 'remember to sit in the back of the bus next time he rides'.

The problem is, he rides so infrequently, that it's not until his sticker fetish is underway, do I remember him.

People are freaks.

'What's all the hubub, bub?'

One of my fave Bugs cartoons.

I love the gremlin.

Bugs Bunny - 'Fallin' Hare'

Ha.

'Die-a-bo-lick-al'

Oh Gawd, The 80's - 'Members Only'

Huh.

Coral Smith, a cast member on The Real World 10 and numerous Challenges, has come out as a lesbian.

'In an interview with Outlook magazine, she starts by saying her sexuality is “very cloudy at this point in time. I’m definitely venturing toward my lesbian qualities. It’s been a long time coming. At that time, I was really unsure. That was not the proper venue, the proper platform. To come out to your parents on a f*cking reality show, I think that’s just mean, so I didn’t.” She says that in response to a question about dating men on her various shows; previously, she said she and Abram “were never a couple.”

Later, she says, “I’m attracted to beautiful women. Beautiful women tend to be attracted to me. It really seems to work out for me.” Talking about the LGBT events and community, Coral uses the third-person plural, saying, “I just felt it was something I belonged to and had to show up for. I love doing this kind of thing. It’s really positive and shows we’re capable and can run sh*t.”

Coral now “work[s] at a rape crisis center,” and says that while she rejected Challenge producers’ offers to return to the show, she may soon change her mind. “For every challenge, they call me back. For the last two, I’ve declined. I was working on other projects. Right now I’m contemplating going on the next one. Honestly, they’re very stressful. I just don’t feel like going to Mexico to cuss a bunch of people out. It’s not worth my time. Plus, I’m old. They’ve got 19-year old girls on there.” Coral is 28.'