He Never Noticed?

In the spring of 2000, it was reported that a 25-year-old Tehran transsexual, who had just undergone extensive surgery to become a woman, said he wanted to change back to a man after realizing just how poorly women are treated in Iran.

Did Not Know This

When you have a black eye, you have a bilateral periorbital hematoma.

Yikes!

Penicillin causes about 300 deaths in the United States every year.

Well, OK

It was reported in January 2000 that ostrich producers were attempting to lure CBS personality David Letterman to become a spokesman for their product. They said that less-fatty ostrich meat made into "ostrich and tortellini soup" was perfect for someone like Letterman, who was then recovering from quintuple-bypass heart surgery.

Stephen Fry

I love Stephen Fry. He was brilliant in Jeeves & Wooster and A Bit of Fry and Laurie. He and Hugh Laurie have been friends for decades and worked together seamlessly. This shows another side of him - his intelligence and logical thinking as an author, documentarian, and erudite speaker. It's long but worth every second.

The Intelligence² Debate - Stephen Fry (Unedited)
by Xrunner17

In the late 1970s, the Coca-Cola Company boycotted the NBC late-night comedy show Saturday Night Live for several years. The giant soda company was retaliating against a frequent character of comedian John Belushi, a Greek restaurant owner who repeatedly said to customers, "No Coke - Pepsi," thus saying the rival company’s name dozens of times within each skit.

OK, Thanks

An airplane’s black box recorder actually isn’t black but orange.

Give Peace A Chance

On November 23, 1969, four years after receiving it, John Lennon sent back his Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) award. He stated that he was returning the MBE in protest against British involvement in Biafra, Nigeria, and Vietnam.

Golf Trivia

Before 1850, golf balls were made of leather and stuffed with feathers.

Roids

Is he a strong lover? Men who take steroids to build muscles are believed to have extremely low sperm counts. So reported a British Center of Reproductive Medicine study, which revealed that, after giving up steroids, it takes 1-3 years for a man to recover enough to father a child.

Olympics

I think I've become an adrenaline junkie when it comes to the Olympics. I prefer speed skating, downhill skiing, ski and snowboard cross, moguls, snowboarding, super-g, and other skiing to figure skating and ice dancing. The luge, skeleton, and bobsled are scary and hard to understand how they guide them and all. Too much hurtling around that sheet of ice track. The Winter Olympics events are more dangerous than the summer ones.

What a deplorable thing to happen to the Netherlands speed skater all because his coach told him to get in the other lane! I hate for someone to be disqualified especially when it was his coach's fault. Bob Costas said his coach needed to go to something like the witness protection program. The whole country hates him, I'm sure!

Kudos to Apolo Anton Ohno! Way to go! Also to Shaun White, Lindsey Vonn, and Bode Miller! I'm in awe of every athlete in the Olympics. What dedication, sacrifice, hard work, and talent!

Poor Planning

Napoleon appointed three scientists to create a device that would preserve rations for his troops as they attacked Russia. Their brainchild: canned food. In the French team was Louis Pasteur, the inventor of the pasteurization method. The technique they developed for canning is virtually the same process used today. Unfortunately, the scientists didn’t also invent a can opener. So by relying on knives and bayonets to pierce the thick metal cans, many soldiers severely wounded themselves, some even cutting off a finger or two!

Brithday Greetings

Happy Birthday, Miss Ginger!! Love you! Love your blog! You are my inspiration! Hope you have the best year ever!

Laissez le bon temps roulet, Miss Ginger!

Pre-Copernican

Aristarchus, a Greek astronomer living about 200 B.C., reportedly was the first person to declare that the Earth revolved around the sun. His theory was disregarded for hundreds of years.

American Pets

According to a pet owner survey, 79 percent of Americans give their dogs holiday and/or birthday presents, and they dole out more cash for dog chow than baby food. Meanwhile, an American Animal Hospital Association poll showed that 33 percent of dog owners admit that they talk to their dogs on the phone or leave messages for them on an answering machine while away.

Progress Report

I've lost 5 pounds and 2" from my so-called waist since I've been working on my health these last two weeks. I feel better, have more energy, sleep better, and am ready to exercise. At first I was weak and dizzy part of the time because my blood sugar was down in the normal range and hadn't been for too long. That was scary. It was erratic for a while but is settling down now. Two more inches and my waist will be smaller than my hips. I need to lose about 10" from my waist though because I look like those men who wear their pants down below their fat bellies and have no butts. Not a good look. And extremely dangerous. I'm tired of being this shape.

I knew Dr. Oz scared me enough to last a couple of months and then hoped I could make enough progress to keep up the momentum. Seems that might happen. I haven't been tempted to stray from the diet and don't want shards of glass destroying my circulatory system. I've even been getting things accomplished in the house. Not easy since I can't quit the Olympics.

Any of You Gorillas?

Gorillas do not know how to swim, and they sleep about 14 hours a day.

3 Beatles and Ringo

Ringo Starr started out as Richard Starkey. While Starkey was in the band Skiff le, their front man Rory Storm dubbed him Rings because he wore so many rings. Storm eventually changed the nickname to Ringo to give it a cowboy flavor.

By A Nose

Mozart once composed a piano piece that required a player to use two hands and his nose in order to hit all the correct notes.

Zoo Fatality

Sadly, when the Allies dropped their very first bomb on Berlin, it wound up landing right in the Berlin Zoo, instantly killing the Nazis’ only elephant.

O2

The brain comprises about 2 percent of a person’s total body weight. Yet it requires 25 percent of all oxygen used by the body, as opposed to the 12 percent used by the kidneys and the 7 percent used by the heart.

Lent

I'd like to give up celibacy for Lent but probably need to choose something more realistic.

Wow!

A pulsar is a small star made up of neutrons so densely packed together that if one the size of a silver dollar landed on Earth, it would weigh approximately 100 million tons.

Einstein Quote

Common sense is nothing more than a deposit of prejudices laid down by the mind before you reach eighteen.

Interesting

Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak earned money in college by selling "blue boxes" to other students. A blue box attached to a pay phone created the proper signals to allow a user to make free phone calls.

Einstein Quote

As our circle of knowledge expands, so does the circumference of darkness surrounding it.

Cosby Trivia

Comedian Bill Cosby became the spokesperson for Jell-O pudding in 1974. His upbeat, childlike personality worked well with on-screen youngsters, and he later began the "Kids Love Pudding" TV campaign. By the late 1980s and early 1990s, Cosby became the uncontested king of product endorsements. By 1992, he was earning approximately $125,000 an hour, or $1 million a day, and he is still going strong today.

Valentine's Dinner

Holly did it again and prepared a delicious meal! Our usual group went and had such a good time. Oh, Hollemy went to Kevin Gillepsie's restaurant the Woodfire Grill in Atlanta and had the chef's tasting for dinner. They said it was excellent. Like me, they wanted Kevin to win Top Chef. They said we need to make a point of making reservations and then going to Atlanta to eat there. Holly and Jeremy hoped they could meet him but it didn't happen. I'll go back and ask them what they had and get descriptions.

Click to embiggen.

Sheesh!

In ancient Egypt, when a woman’s husband was convicted of a crime, she and her children were punished as well. They were usually enslaved.

What's in a Name?

Teabaggers Finally Google 'Teabag'

by Andy Borowitz | February 13, 2010 - 10:18am

WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report) - One week after their first national convention, the self-styled Teabaggers are facing an identity crisis after one of their members finally Googled the slang term "teabag."

"I was wondering why every time I told people I was a Teabagger they kind of started giggling in an embarrassed way," said Tracy Klugian, a Teabagger from Elyria, Ohio. "I was like, what the heck? Maybe I should use the Google and see what this is all about."

After Mr. Klugian Googled the word "teabag," he was shocked by what he discovered and shared his information with the Teabaggers' leadership, who are now actively looking for a new name for the group.

"We want a name that suggests we're out to give the Democrats a good fight," he said. "So far what we've come up with is the Donkey Punchers."

Andy Borowitz is a comedian and satirist. That might explain the last line and reference that I had to google to understand.

Bald Monkeys

Male monkeys lose the hair on their heads in the same manner men do.

Oh, Guys!!

During the mating season, competing male porcupines bristle their quills at each other and chatter their teeth in rage before attacking. All porcupines at this time become very vocal: grunting, whining, chattering, even barking and mewing at each other.

Fear - A Powerful Motivator

I'm not a fan of using fear to get people to do what they're supposed to; however, there are times that it works. Take me for example. I've been really lax for way too long taking care of myself. As a result, my blood glucose levels were dangerously high over a week ago when I checked them after a couple of months of not. As if on cue, enter Dr. Oz. No matter what your opinion of him might be, in this case you need to be grateful to him (Brian) because he scared the hell out of me when I was already in a panic. His show was followed by Oprah's that had him and others on there discussing "Diabetes: The Silent Killer." What really got to me was when he said that high blood sugar is like shards of glass coursing through your arteries. Then he showed an animation of what it does. YIKES!!! PANIC! I started making deals with my body - begging it not to do anything outrageous and give me time to take care of it again.

I got my copy of Protein Power out, made a grocery list, and am following it. My internist told me to read that book and do what it said. I figured that this fear would last at least a month and by then I'd have made enough progress that I'd keep on with it. I don't want to have a heart attack and die. I don't even watch Oprah and Dr. Oz that often but needed to that day and am glad I did. Obviously, I hadn't been testing regularly and at all for too long. Back on that now.

Carbs are kept at or below 30 grams a day with at least 27 grams of protein at each meal. Back to being a science fair experiment. With diabetes you have to eat enough food, often enough, and in the right combination. My readings are in the normal range, but for several days when they were down even in the mid-100's, I had symptoms of low blood sugar during the day because it had been really high. Based on those first morning readings, I know it was higher than it's ever been since I've been testing. It's still too high in the mornings even though it's good during the day. It's been 130-139 the last several mornings which is too high. Any suggestions from any of you who deal with this?

My idea is that I need much more exercise. The treadmills, elliptical machines, and stationary bicycles at my gym have TV's mounted on them right at eye level with cable. I can watch the Olympics while I work out. When the Olympics are over, there are some good choices.

I'm feeling better but not there yet. That took quite a toll on me, and I've been feeling like crap for a long time. Now that I've followed this for a week and am still fearfully motivated, I thought I'd let you know. I haven't even been tempted to deviate. Tomorrow night is the Valentine's House Blend dinner. I'll be careful for sure. Not even tempted. But I will enjoy a delicious meal.

Let the Games Begin!

Those of you who have been around me a while know that I LOVE the Olympics! I'm excited that they are beginning and am watching the introduction to them now and looking forward to the opening ceremonies and every minute of the Olympics. It will be great to watch Apolo Anton Ohno and Shaun White and also some I will get to know during the Olympics in Vancouver. I really enjoy learning about the lives of the athletes and their stories. This is a highlight I look forward to every two years.

This morning was tragic when a luge athlete from the Republic of Georgia, Nodar Kumaritashvili, was killed in a crash during training. Twelve lugers have crashed on that course, which seems that it needs modifications. It is too dangerous. As one of the officials said, he is not as concerned for the top athletes as for the more inexperienced ones. They were going around 90 miles per hour. Source HERE. This definitely casts a pall over the competition and is a sad beginning.

Snow Post and Buzz

Jackie posted a new entry on our collaborative blog Observations from the Knee-Deep South. Check it out HERE.

Have any of you checked out Google Buzz? Looks interesting enough to consider. If it works on my Blackberry, I'm there. Apparently it coordinates gmail, pictures, Twitter, and other sites. Is it a replacement for Facebook? That sounds promising if it is.

What?

In 1996, former Beatle drummer Ringo Starr appeared in a Japanese advertisement for applesauce, which coincidentally is what his name means in Japanese.

Geek Trivia

The first technology corporation to move into California’s Silicon Valley was Hewlett-Packard, in 1938. Stanford University engineers Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard started their company in a Palo Alto garage with $1,538. Their first product was an audio oscillator bought by Walt Disney Studios for use in the making of Fantasia.

This Is True

On his way home to visit his parents, a Harvard student fell between two railroad cars at the station in Jersey City, New Jersey, and was rescued by an actor on his way to visit a sister in Philadelphia. The student was Robert Lincoln, heading for 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The actor was Edwin Booth, the brother of the man who a few weeks later would murder the student’s father.

Read more about it HERE.

House Blend

Chef Holly and my son Brian

Jeremy Spencer

House Blend, my favorite coffee place, has a blog HERE. It's also on my blog list. They've had it since November, but I just realized it tonight when I was on their FB page to start my checking on the menu for Saturday evening. Once again, they're having a Valentine's meal. Our usual group is looking forward to getting together and to more of Holly's wonderful cooking.

Holly and Jeremy = celebrity name: Hollemy.

Super Bowl

I never watch it but am today for some reason. Well, sort of watching, part-time. It's probably because I hope the Saints win. I just really like New Orleans and want the win for them. Geaux Saints!

Teabags, Anyone?

This isn't from her speech at the "Tea Party" but sums up how I felt trying to watch it. I couldn't get through the whole speech but saw parts of it including her notes on her hand. What I did hear was composed of lies, sarcasm, and drivel.

Temple Grandin Movie

Claire Danes stars as Temple Grandin in the movie about her tonight on HBO. Sounds really good. Here's an interview with Temple Grandin that is interesting.

About Time!

From Autism Watch:

The Lancet has retracted publication of a 1998 paper [1] whose authors—led by Dr. Andrew Wakefield—suggested that the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine might be linked to autism. The paper didn't declare that cause-and-effect had been demonstrated, but at the press conference announcing its publication, Wakefield attacked the triple vaccine; and he has continued to do so ever since.

The full retraction came five days after The British General Medical Council (GMC), which registers doctors in the United Kingdom, reported that Wakefield had acted dishonestly, irresponsibly, unethically, and callously in connection with the research project and its subsequent publication [2]. Wakefield's misconduct was brought to light by Brian Deer, one of the world's toughest investigative reporters.

In 2004, ten of the study's authors issued a "retraction" which stated: "We wish to make it clear that in this paper no causal link was established between MMR vaccine and autism as the data were insufficient." [3] Lancet editor Richard Horton—after Deer provided the incriminating evidence—said he should not have published the study and that Wakefield's links to litigation against the manufacturers of the MMR vaccine were a "fatal conflict of interest." [4] But full retraction had to wait nearly six more years.

The GMC hearings, which began in July 2007, centered on Wakefield's 1998 report. Many studies have found no connections [5,6], but sensational publicity caused immunization rates in the UK to drop more than 10 percent and have left lingering doubts among parents worldwide.

The GMC began investigating after learning from Deer that Wakefield had failed to declare he had been paid £55,000 to advise lawyers representing parents who believed that the vaccine had harmed their children. The GMC found that Wakefield had:

• Improperly obtained blood for research purposes from normal children attending his son's birthday party, paid them £5 for their discomfort, and later joked during a lecture about having done this.
• Subjected autistic children to colonoscopy, lumbar punctures, and other tests without approval from a research review board.
• Failed to disclose that he had filed a patent for a vaccine to compete with the MMR
• Starting a child on an experimental product called Transfer Factor, which he planned to market.

The GMC panel concluded that the allegations against Wakefield could amount to "serious professional misconduct." During the investigation, Wakefield relocated to Austin, Texas, where he helped found Thoughtful House Center for Children, a "nonprofit" clinic that offers many unsubstantiated treatments for autism. He does not have a medical license but oversees the clinic's research program. The clinic's latest (2008) tax filing lists his salary as $270,000 [7].

One more time, just so nobody misses the point here—Andrew Wakefield lied to you. He lied, and because of his lies, children are dead [8].

Did Not Know About Franz

Dennis Franz (NYPD Blue) was the manager of the Bates Motel in Psycho 2. TV news personality Jane Pauley is married to Doonesbury cartoonist Garry Trudeau.

Useful Trivia for Some of Us, Right?

THE FIVE FASTEST BIRDS ARE

1. the peregrine falcon-175 mph


2. the spine-tailed swift-106 mph


3. the frigate bird-95 mph



4. the spur-winged goose-88 mph


5. the red-breasted merganser-80 mph

Tires

One of my tires was low, so I went by a place near my house to get air in it. The guy asked if I knew my tires were worn out with the steel showing through. No, I didn't because I forget to check them, so I went to this place where I buy tires. New owner. That turned out well because he used to work at the place where I get my car serviced. I wondered what happened to him. He ordered some good tires that are Korean - Kumho brand. I went by Friday morning to have them put on and the oil changed. That's good because now they're on the same schedule. That sticker on the windshield will remind me, and I'll go there and get the oil changed and tired checked at the same time. Maybe I'll finally keep up with this and not erase the tread on my tires because they are out of alignment and haven't been balanced and rotated. I'm not a responsible car owner and must change my evil ways!

Getting Back to Abby-Normal

I got behind reading and commenting on blogs during the last week. Since I heard about my ex-husband's death, I stressed out about the weather prediction and did my best to get ready for Brendan to be here. I drove Brian crazy during a time he definitely didn't need any extra stress since he was dealing with not only his father's death but had an important deadline at work. We needed a contingency plan in case the snow got here, so fortunately I emailed him about that and wasn't that much in touch until the next two days. We got things worked out, and I felt better as soon as Brian was OK with everything. It will take time, and he's doing pretty well.

FB Gestapo

One of my former students disappeared from Facebook. Someone else who thinks he's hilarious and outrageous and fun asked me about him. Somehow she got in touch with him in YouTube (how do you even do that?), and he told her that FB deactivated his account with no explanation. What we wonder is since Fred is very liberal, an atheist, and outspoken, did others complain? If so, why don't they do what I do and click "Hide" beside his name or unfriend him. It's like they can't leave us alone but want our shows canceled.

He was also funny and spoke the truth a large percentage of the time. I don't understand why FB wouldn't warn him or give him reasons. He wasn't stalking kids, posting porn, or anything like that. Have you heard of this happening to anyone else? Some of you might have seen his posts - Fred Toler. I miss his presence on there.

More Size Trivia (Not That Kind - Sorry)

A bird’s eye takes up about 50 percent of its head; our eyes take up about 5 percent of our head. To be comparable to a bird’s eyes, the eyes of a human being would have to be the size of baseballs.

No Tea

The newsletter in the previous post was from a few days ago. This one was today. Actually I like to drink tea but not in this context. I still think it's hilarious they named their movement what they did. The visuals!


The TNDP invites you to a FUN event in Nashville this Thursday to celebrate our hope for Tennessee's future.

Unlike another event that night which costs $549, THIS PARTY IS FREE ! (Cash bar)

PLEASE JOIN US, and our Fired-up Speakers, for anything BUT tea with Like-Minded Progressives

TNDP

This is from the newsletter I get from the TN Democratic Party. Thought some of you would be interested in this. You might not realize that the Tea Party Nation is holding a convention in Nashville next weekend. That's all we need - Sarah Palin and other misguided wingnuts in town.

Nashville Tea Party convention falling apart

Two of the convention's scheduled speakers, Republican Congresswomen Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, have bailed out of the Feb. 4-6 event. Both claimed the House Ethics Committee advised them against attending the convention, organized by the for-profit entity Tea Party Nation. Most Tea Party activists claim they are part of a grassroots movement advocating less government. Multiple media reports have linked the movement, however, to vested corporate interests and prominent Republicans like former Congressman Dick Armey of Texas, who has lobbied on behalf of some of the biggest corporations in America. Tea Party Nation is led by Franklin attorney Judson Phillips, who has reportedly had past financial problems including a bankruptcy and federal tax liens. It appears the Tea Party movement has been duped by a bunch of greedy and extremely partisan Republicans trying to co-opt the movement and use it to feather their own nests and fund their deceitful campaigns. Most Republicans, including Bachmann and Blackburn, supported the very measures of the previous White House administration that got us in this economic mess in the first place. In fact, we went from record budget surpluses during the Clinton and Gore administration to record deficits under the Bush and Cheney administration. Phillips and his organization have been criticized about the event's $549 ticket prices and limited media access, as well as a reported $100,000 speaking fee for the keynote speaker, former Alaska governor and Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Palin has indicated she plans to attend despite Blackburn and Bachmann's abrupt pull outs, as well as that of several sponsors.

Used to Buy These for My Son

In 1966, Elliot Handler, one of the cofounders of Mattel, was also the inventor of Hot Wheels". The innovative gravity-powered car had special low-friction styrene wheels. Tiny Hot Wheels’ vehicles have been clocked at speeds of up to 300 miles per hour.

Not Sure What to Think About This

Does marriage stink? A Swiss study found that a majority of women unconsciously choose mates with a body odor that differs from their own natural scents, which, as a result, ensures better immune protection for their children. Longevity magazine reported that the genes that battle disease-provoking substances also influence body odor.

Now We Know Reasons

The largest cell in the human body is the female ovum, or egg cell. It is about 1/180 inch in diameter. The smallest cell in the human body is the male sperm. It takes about 175,000 sperm cells to weigh as much as a single egg cell. Hence, even in the beginning, women have more substance than men.