Snow's
Vanity, whimsy, and foolishness site...
Articles
| 'GREEN' BURIAL OFFERS A PLOT WITH A VIEW | |
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> 'GREEN' BURIAL OFFERS A PLOT WITH A VIEW It sits on the eastern fringe of New York's Finger Lakes region and is bounded on three sides by 8,000 acres of protected forests: a perfectly natural place to spend an eternity. ... http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/06/27/green.burials.ap/index.html Articles item Posted: 7/3/06; 9:26:14 AM |
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| SURGEON GENERAL: NO SAFE LEVEL OF SECONDHAND SMOKE | |
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> SURGEON GENERAL: NO SAFE LEVEL OF SECONDHAND SMOKE Steer clear of smokers and any of their drifting fumes. That's the advice of the surgeon general, who on Tuesday declared the debate about the dangers of secondhand smoke over. http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/06/27/involuntary.smoking.ap/index.html Articles item Posted: 6/28/06; 9:48:29 AM |
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| Christian Virgins Are Overrated -- Mark Morford | |
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I always like Morford's take on the world. He's very often right. Here's a great quote from the middle. And I couldn't agree more. ~Snow "Very well. Let us now trace the path of imminent cultural destruction: Virgin girl has zero experience with the joys of her own body, with orgasm, with men, with sex toys or shower heads or good gynecological gizmongery. She then marries a man who will very likely have not the slightest clue (as he has had the same dreadful sexual miseducation as our fair virgin) as to what to do with a woman's body, who will, by most all accounts, be unable to tell an erogenous zone from an elbow, a clitoris from a belly button. Voilà, the standard recipe for emotional, physical and spiritual catastrophe, for roughly 17 years of vague marital misery capped off by divorce and much therapy and four unhappy children and the profound and aching need located somewhere deep beneath the pelvic bone to try something, anything new and different and sexually liberating." Articles item Posted: 5/12/06; 2:31:12 PM |
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| Michael's Birthday Party | |||
Articles item Posted: 4/8/06; 7:12:23 PM |
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| How Influenza Spreads | |
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I thought this was a good article on how flu spreads around the world and across the country. In particular:
"In an average year, seasonal flu kills about 36,000 Americans and puts up to 200,000 in the hospital. Globally, between 250,000 and 500,000 die each year of influenza. Those rates can more than double in a pandemic, but the last pandemic was in 1968." "The regional spread of infection correlates more closely with rates of movement of people to and from their workplaces (workflows) than with geographical distance," they wrote. "This is not necessarily contrary to the current consensus that children drive the local spread of influenza (within schools, households and cities in general). At the same time, the long-distance dissemination of influenza, between cities or states, is captured by movements linked to adults." Articles item Posted: 4/2/06; 12:10:24 PM |
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| Nero Wolfe (Season 2, disc 3) (2002) | |
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Watched 3/10/06 3 Episodes: 1. Too Many Clients (double episode) 2. Before I Die 3. Help Wanted, Male These are fun to watch, but after watch 3 hours of it in one sitting I reallized that can overdose on it. It's more fun in smaller bites. I think this is because it's a bit fluffy. The characters are great, but they aren't personally challenged, they don't change or grow at all. They do what they do, and they are perfectly predictible. Which is fine, just good to know. Articles item Posted: 3/23/06; 8:20:03 PM |
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| Happy Spring! | |
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"The ancient goddess, Eostre, a Saxon deity who marked not only the passage of time but also symbolized new life and fertility, was the key symbol of this celebration which was also known as Ostara. Legend has it that the goddess was saved by a bird whose wings had become frozen by the cold of winter. This process turned the bird into a hare. Yet this was no ordinary cottontail; this long-eared rabbit could also lay eggs! The main symbols for Easter are the egg, for new life or beginnings, and the rabbit/hare, for fertility." Articles item Posted: 3/21/06; 1:42:05 PM |
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| History of the Holiday: St. Patrick's Day | |
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Happy Green Day! You'd think that I'd know more about this saint, since as a kid I attended a Catholic school named "St. Patrick's", but no, they didn't really go out of their way to teach us anything about his life, why he's a saint, or do anything particularly special for the holiday. Seems odd. I find the history behind these odd little holiday's we have much more fascinating than the modern traditions. Enjoy! Articles item Posted: 3/17/06; 11:16:15 AM |
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| The New Yorker Cover That Wasn't | |
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Here is a cover that was supposed to be on the New Yorker, but it bumped for a cover about Cheney shooting his hunting buddy. It's about post-Katrina New Orleands, and Mardi Gras. The more I looked at the details, the more it got to me. Articles item Posted: 2/25/06; 3:23:16 PM |
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| New Research regarding Depression | |
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This sounds like promising news. "Scientists say they have pinpointed a protein which they believe may play a pivotal role in depression. A team from Rockefeller University in New York found mice deficient in the protein - p11 - showed signs of depression-like behaviour." And we all know someone, more likely many people, who are affected by depression. Could be good news indeed. Articles item Posted: 1/6/06; 6:35:17 PM |
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| Wedding Saga, Finished | |||
Articles item Posted: 12/8/05; 7:28:51 PM |
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| Wedding Saga, Part III | |||
Articles item Posted: 12/5/05; 11:54:20 PM |
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| Wedding Saga, Part II | |||
Articles item Posted: 12/2/05; 7:41:31 PM |
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| Cutest Squirrel Story I've Seen in a Long Time | |
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Sent to me by a friend, I found the source on the Seattle Times website. It starts: "For about as long as she can remember, Debby Cantlon says, friends and strangers have brought her animals in need. So it wasn't much of a surprise when someone asked her if she'd care for a newborn squirrel found at the base of a tree somewhere near Renton." But goes on to tell you about how her small pregnant dog adopted the squirrel. It's great. Articles item Posted: 10/30/05; 11:23:42 AM |
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| Random summer pics | |||
Articles item Posted: 10/9/05; 10:37:31 PM |
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| Cemetary Walk | |||
Articles item Posted: 4/16/05; 6:19:44 PM |
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| iCopulate | |
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"Pod On Pod Data Transfer Action! It's not easy being single. At ThinkGeek we believe everyone deserves a little lovin'... Geeks can't survive on technology and BAWLS® alone. But how about your iPod®? It's sleek and sexy, but has probably never had a date. If you looked half as good as your smooth glossy white pod, you'd have to beat folks off with a stick. It's almost unfair." (It's started! This made me laugh, I can be such a geek. ~Snow) Articles item Posted: 4/1/05; 9:58:25 AM |
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| Sex And The Disgruntled Teen | |
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By Mark Morford, SF Gate Columnist "Did you see this story? It's the latest finding, the outcome of the most recent and quite thorough nonpartisan study, from Texas A&M no less, surveying teens in 29 Texas schools and all proving once again that these insidious and dangerous programs have absolutely zero effect on curbing teen sexual appetites and activity, and, if anything, actually induce teens to have more sex. It's an outcome the likes of which we have all seen a thousand times before and for which we all can already pre-emptively guess the results, and that makes any moderately enlightened or sexually aware or even slightly educated human anywhere on the planet only say, well, duh." Articles item Posted: 3/28/05; 10:57:50 PM |
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| Tiger snaps back at hidden camera | |
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15 March 2005 "A camera hidden in the Sumatran rainforest has survived the rage of a tiger attack unscathed, and captured some fascinating images of the nocturnal assault." Articles item Posted: 3/16/05; 9:11:15 AM |
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| New Year's Eve (04/05) | |||
Articles item Posted: 2/3/05; 8:20:26 PM |
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| Artana's Birthday 1/30/04 | |||
Articles item Posted: 1/30/05; 5:25:57 PM |
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| The 10 Worst Corporations of 2004 (Alternet.org) | |
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By Russell Mokhiber and Robert Weissman, AlterNet. Posted January 26, 2005. "The year's most egregious price gougers, polluters, union-busters, dictator-coddlers, fraudsters, poisoners, deceivers and general miscreants. It is never easy choosing the 10 Worst Corporations of the Year - there are always more deserving nominees than we can possibly recognize. One of the greatest challenges facing the judges is the directive not to select repeat recipients from last year's 10 Worst designation. The no-repeat rule forbids otherwise-deserving companies - like Bayer, Boeing, Clear Channel and Halliburton - from returning to the 10 Worst list in 2004. Of the remaining pool of price gougers, polluters, union-busters, dictator-coddlers, fraudsters, poisoners, deceivers and general miscreants, we chose the following - presented in alphabetical order - as the 10 Worst Corporations of 2004: 3. Coca-Cola: KillerCoke.org vs. CokeKills.org On KillerCoke.org, you'll find a raft of information on Coke and its bottlers' operations in Colombia. There is extensive documentation of rampant violence committed against Coke's unionized workforce by paramilitary forces, and powerful claims of the company's complicity in the violence. 10. Wal-Mart: The Workfare Company Wal-Mart faces a class action lawsuit on behalf of 1.6 million women workers, alleging rampant employment discrimination at Wal-Mart. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) has announced plans to spend $25 million a year with the ultimate goal of unionizing Wal-Mart, the largest private U.S. employer. And the company - which has already lost more than 200 site fights - faces an even more-intensified resistance to its efforts to locate new stores, as it increasingly seeks to enter markets in more urban areas." The full-length version of this piece can be found at The Multinational Monitor. Articles item Posted: 1/27/05; 9:23:48 PM |
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| New sub-species of tiger found | |
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"Bengal tigers appear to be a valid sub-species. A new genetic study of the tiger family has uncovered a previously unknown sub-species of the big cats, researchers report in the journal Plos Biology. Evidence suggested previous attempts to classify tigers may have been flawed. So the team sampled DNA from 130 tigers from eastern Russia, China, India and countries in south-east Asia. TIGER SUB-SPECIES
In Plos Biology, the team write that its results "will lead to the improved management and conservation of these recently isolated but distinct geographic populations of tigers"." --- I find this amazing. I didn't realize that the catagories that exist are not based on science, but more on visual markings and locations. This seems like a better system. ~Snow Articles item Posted: 12/8/04; 1:19:44 PM |
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| Yet Another Email Virus | |
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Why are people still using Outlook for their email? Does 90% of the email using population still not know that there are safer options out there, that are *free*? Personally, I use and highly recommend Eudora. There are version for PC and Mac available. And I've certainly heard of many others. If you are still using Outlook, dump it and most of your virus worries will go with it. Articles item Posted: 10/30/04; 2:02:17 PM |
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| ACLU Pocket Card on Police Encounters | |
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"Police abuse is a serious national problem -- and one that especially affects young people and people of color. While many police officers do strive to be courteous, and while we all understand the stress and danger involved in policing, each of us has the right to be treated with respect -- and without abuse -- by the police. To fight police abuse effectively you need to know your rights." * * * * * On the page linked to above you will find a download for an "ACLU Pocket Card On Police Encounters". I've never had a serious problem with cops personally. But I know that the two times I got pulled over for speeding, that politeness really worked. "Yes sir, I understand, I'm sorry, I'll be more careful in the future, sir." The Do's and Don'ts on their card are sound and logical. ~Snow Articles item Posted: 9/24/04; 6:25:47 PM |
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| Public Opinion Watch: Aug. 30 to Sept. 5 | |
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By Ruy Teixeira, The Center for American Progress and The Century Foundation. Posted September 9, 2004. "Did the convention really deliver a bounce for Bush? How does likely voter polling work anyway? Bush's Convention Bounce Worst Ever for Incumbent President The new Gallup poll, conducted entirely after the GOP convention and therefore the first poll that truly measures Bush's bounce, shows Bush with a very small bounce indeed: two points, whether you look at registered voters (RVs) or likely voters ( LVs). His support among RVs has risen from 47 percent before to 49 percent after the convention, so that he now leads Kerry by a single point (49-48) rather than trailing by a point." Articles item Posted: 9/17/04; 9:17:11 PM |
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| Fahrenheit 9/11 is the Ultimate Republican Buzzsaw | |
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By Michael Moore, AlterNet. Posted September 8, 2004. A Republican pollster tells Moore: ""Here's the bad news for Bush: Though 80% going in to your movie are Kerry voters, 100% of those coming out of your movie are Kerry voters." * * * * * * * * * * I think this is wonderful news. Makes me want to do my part to get a few more people to watch this in the next few weeks. Some things are just worth spamming all your friends over. But maybe I'll wait until it's available for home rental. ~Snow Articles item Posted: 9/8/04; 4:33:39 PM |
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| DrugReporter: The Ultimate Anti-Drug | |
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By David Borden, AlterNet. Posted August 10, 2004 "Biotech corporations are formulating the drug to end all drugs - a vaccine against the "disease" of drug-induced euphoria. A government-convened panel of scientists in the UK is considering what the Independent properly termed "a radical scheme" - a proposal to use vaccines, currently under development by pharmaceutical corporations, to immunize children against "euphoria" from drugs such as heroin, cocaine and nicotine. Panel members say the plan would target children who are at risk of becoming drug users in the future. They have not said how it would be determined who is at risk. It's only a matter of time until some of our own drug war zealots or anti-drug mad scientists take the idea up here in the US, no matter how dangerous and immoral it is." Articles item Posted: 8/14/04; 11:23:36 AM |
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| Time To Get Out The Bush | |
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How do you know it's time for a major change in American leadership? Let us count the signs.
By Mark Morford, SF Gate Columnist "You know it's time for a serious change when the president of the United States actually mutters the infantile, instantly infamous line, "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we," just after finishing phonetically spelling out his name, in his favoritest red crayon, on yet another budget-reaming $417 billion defense-spending bill." * * * * * This guy is brilliant. I most nod sadly as I read this. I wish everyone was so clear on how bad things are. I wish I felt like there was even a majority of the people who were. It's hard to say. It's crazy and frustrating. Articles item Posted: 8/12/04; 11:46:02 PM |
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| Not the brightest bulb | |
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From an article on CNN.com: Thursday, August 5, 2004 Posted: 2:19 PM EDT (1819 GMT) Bush misspeaks during signing ceremony McClellan: 'This president speaks with clarity and conviction' WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush offered up a new entry for his catalog of "Bushisms" on Thursday, declaring that his administration will "never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people." Bush misspoke as he delivered a speech at the signing ceremony for a $417 billion defense spending bill. "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we," Bush said. "They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." Articles item Posted: 8/5/04; 3:23:36 PM |
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| The De-Sperm-inator | |
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By Audrey Schulman, Grist Magazine. Posted August 19, 2003. "Lack of access to birth control increases the burden on already strained parents and on the global ecosystem. Sujoy Guha, professor of biomedical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi, believes he has the answer to this problem. Highly regarded in India for his work on everything from disability rights to drinking-water purification, Guha has spent the last 25 years perfecting his invention; Reversible Inhibition of Sperm Under Guidance, better known (thankfully) as RISUG. RISUG, he says, has all the advantages of the perfect contraceptive -- and, some would say, a surprising bonus: It's made for men." * * * * * This sounds really amazing. I hope it works out. Wow: "...the world's population [is] growing by 77 million people per year..." And some people wonder why I won't be having any kids. Articles item Posted: 7/28/04; 11:16:41 PM |
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| British Sex Education Research | |
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Sex lessons trial 'disappointing' "In an experiment, students aged 16 and 17 gave lessons to 13 and 14 year olds in English schools. It was thought safe sex messages would carry more weight coming from people the younger children could relate to. Fewer girls went on to have sex before they were 16 - but there was no effect on the boys' behaviour. The UK has the highest under-18 pregnancy rate in western Europe, with 90,000 pregnancies a year. Researchers at University College London and the Institute of Education carried out the study among 8,000 pupils from 27 schools." * * * * * At least in Europe they realize that education is the way to fix the problem, and they are researching the best ways to deliver that education. Articles item Posted: 7/25/04; 5:56:43 PM |
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| When Ignorance Isn't Bliss | |
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By David J. Sirota, In These Times. Posted June 15, 2004. "Straight from the you-can't-make-this-stuff-up file, the five congressional votes that everyone in America should know about. Between Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Chris Matthews, John Ashcroft's terror warnings, "The Bachelor," the final episode of "The Sopranos" and those incessant injury lawyer commercials, voters in November are somehow expected to cast informed votes for Congress. We are supposed to base our decision on talking points parroted to us by inane TV reporters or, worse, paid political ads. Many people, of course, simply tune out and do not vote. Those who do head to the polls often vote with little knowledge of what their elected representatives are doing. So, in an effort to cut through the din this year, here are five congressional votes that everyone in America should know about. They come straight from the you-can't-make-this-stuff-up file, and capture how soundbite politics hide the troubling reality behind conservatives' bumper-sticker slogans." * * * * * This stuff makes me crazy. Click the title (as always) for the full article. Articles item Posted: 7/2/04; 8:41:51 PM |
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| Gem; electric car | |
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It's so damn cute! Wow, I want one. I think that I've seen one in Seattle and wondered what it was. I'll have to search around a bit and see if I can find any local reviews of how it does on these hills. Unfortunately it has a top speed of 30 mph. I will hope for great improvements in the next year or two, by the time I will want to trade my current car in for something more efficient. I will either go for a Hybrid type car or a straight electric if they improve. Articles item Posted: 6/19/04; 2:25:47 PM |
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| As Satan Scrubbed My Toilet... | |
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... It's a slew of new, disposable products that really scream "Screw the planet, I'm an American!" Life is good
By Mark Morford, SF Gate Columnist "Pity the poor beleaguered housewife, still struggling like a haggard dog through her array of thankless daily chores. Just look at her, hair pulled tight and life a-shambles, saddled with all manner of horrible bristly toilet brushes and horrible sponges and horrible cloth towels to wipe down the horrible countertops and then topping it all off with being forced to use one of those horrible old-fashioned bristle brooms to sweep the floor. Horrible! Thank God, then, for modern ultraconvenience. Thank God for the corporate household-product industry, so thoroughly glutted on excess merchandise and overinvention they can't possibly think of things we actually need anymore. And thank God for our concomitant complete lack of any real environmental conscience. Yay America! See, now, the happily narcotized, entirely sexless, vaguely bulbous modern housewife in the recent TV commercial as she finally tosses away her angry, growling, animated (!) toilet brush (see how it snaps and snarls at her like a drunken deadbeat dad! See her toss it into the trash can and then plop her butt down on it in satisfied glee!) in favor of -- say it with me -- disposable toilet scrubbers you use once and throw away!" * * * * * Morford is a genius. Michael introduced me to his column recently, and this one hits a nerve for me. I hate disposable consumerism, and it just gets worse every day. All I can do is make wise choices, buy stuff that lasts, and stuff that is made from recycled paper/plastic/etc... And recycle as much of the stuff I consume, as I can. Here's the rest of this article. You can subscribe to Morfords column, The Morning Fix, via email too. Articles item Posted: 5/31/04; 7:03:30 PM |
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| Battle of the Photographs | |
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By Juan Cole, tomdispatch.com "The war of guns is only part of any great military enterprise. It is always supplemented by a war of words and, in the modern world, a war of images. The Bush administration, despite the savvy of its spinmeisters and Hollywood-trained publicists, has lost the war of images abroad. Although it has had more success in managing war images at home, cracks have increasingly opened up on the domestic front as well." * * * I'm glad that the pictures are making it back into the states, and around the world. I'm glad to see some truth filtering into the mass media. ~Snow Articles item Posted: 5/5/04; 10:52:03 PM |
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| Do Pregnant Women Have Rights? | |
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By Lynn M. Paltrow, AlterNet "Imagine a law declaring that upon becoming pregnant a woman loses her right to bodily integrity, life and liberty. Such a law would undoubtedly result in strong opposition across party lines. But in fact such laws are being passed ˆ though rather than presented as an attack on women's fundamental rights, they are advanced as fetal rights measures such as the Unborn Victims of Violence Act recently signed into law by President Bush. Increasingly, fetal rights are being used to undermine the legal status of pregnant women. " * * * Is anybody out there paying attention. What the hell is going on in this country? ~Snow Articles item Posted: 5/5/04; 10:31:14 PM |
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| What's Wrong with Curves? | |
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By Ruth Rosen, San Francisco Chronicle "Physical fitness chain Curves is the fastest-growing franchise in the world, helping some 2 million women get easy and accessible exercise. Yet, despite the pro-woman outlook, its owner has given at least $5 million to anti-abortion groups." * * * This is so appalling, I'm nearly speechless. ~Snow Articles item Posted: 5/5/04; 10:28:17 PM |
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| The Battle Over the Pledge | |
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By Elisabeth Sifton, The Nation "The loss of precision in spoken or written language is not, I suppose, the worst problem we face, compared with so many other distressing developments in our national life. But the consequences can include real political harm. Take, for example, a pesky case on which the Supreme Court will hear arguments on March 24: Elk Grove Unified School District v. Michael A. Newdow, which has generated a great deal of linguistic chaos." --- This is a really good article, very long, but worth it. When this court case first popped up in the news a couple years ago I went and found information on the history of the pledge, and it's original text and added it to my rotation of email signitures.
I Pledge Allegiance to my flag http://www.vineyard.net/vineyard/history/pledge.htm I think that this is of particular interest to me because 1) I learned the pledge, as it is now, at the age of 4 for some sort of Independence Day celebration, and 2) I learned in high school that I had the right to choose not to say it, so long as I stood silently and was not disruptive of those who chose to join in. 1. Looking back now I feel like I was no better then a trained bear, performing a trick that adults thought was really cute. I couldn't possibly have understood what I was reciting. But then I didn't understand all the stuff I learned to recite in church over the years after that either. Not until later, and when I was old enough to question it all I did, and I stopped going to church and I stopped reciting the pledge too. 2. I feel lucky about the time I live in because in 1954 when they added "under god" they were looking for Commies, and if you didn't say those words you were in big trouble, or your parents were. Even some of my high school friends, who were raised athiest, told me that they had gotten in trouble in grade school for not reciting the pledge. It seems that even though the law has said for quite some time that we have the right to not join in, some teachers and school officials still mentally reside in 1954. Anyway, right now I really hope that the guy who is taking his objections to the supreme court isn't too much of a looney. If he is, then he will lose and so will the rest of us who like living in a place where we have the right to think for ourselves and make choices, like whether or not to recite the pledge, for ourselves. There are definitely bigger things happening in the world, but I think it's important to pay attention to the little stuff like this because if we don't it'll lead to much bigger things. Articles item Posted: 3/28/04; 12:23:44 PM |
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| UK Coke: Dasani | |
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Things get worse with Coke
Felicity Lawrence, consumer affairs correspondent "So now the full scale of Coke's PR disaster is clear. It goes something like this: take Thames Water from the tap in your factory in Sidcup, Kent; put it through a purification process, call it "pure" and give it a mark-up from 0.03p to 95p per half litre; in the process, add a batch of calcium chloride, containing bromide, for "taste profile"; then pump ozone through it, oxidising the bromide - which is not a problem - into bromate - which is. Finally, dispatch to the shops bottles of water containing up to twice the legal limit for bromate (10 micrograms per litre)." --- This makes me wonder how "pure" bottled water in the US is. ~Snow Articles item Posted: 3/20/04; 11:30:07 AM |
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| Pretty faces make men stupid | |
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Now we have proof. "Pretty Women Scramble Men's Ability to Assess the Future 10 December 03 NewScientist.com news service Psychologists in Canada have finally proved what women have long suspected - men really are irrational enough to risk entire kingdoms to catch sight of a beautiful face. Biologists have long known that animals prefer immediate rewards to greater ones in the future. This process, known as "discounting the future", is found in humans too and is fundamental to many economic models. Resources have a value to individuals that changes through time. For example, immediately available cash is generally worth more than the same amount would be in the future. But greater amounts of money in the future would be worth waiting for under so-called 'rational' discounting." Articles item Posted: 2/26/04; 8:04:08 PM |
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| The B-Word | |
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By Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu, Africana.com "What is it with this word? Everywhere I turn my ear I hear it. For a while, women tried to reclaim the word, just as black people tried to reclaim the word "nigger." It didn't work. Instead, use of the word - not by women to empower women, but by men to demean women - has multiplied, in music, on television, in books, in movies, in arguments, in everyday life as a whole. The B-word crosses color and age and class lines. It seems like everyone feels entitled to use it." - - - This essay is interesting and thought provoking for me. I swear a lot, I know I do, but I don't think I use "bitch" much. I think I mostly say "fuck" a lot, with a smattering of several others here and there, including "bloody" because this is America and most people won't even blink if you say it. I don't expect "fuck" to offend anyone in particular. I'm not all that P.C. if I can help it, it's just that I swear mostly to let out frustration, or irritating, not usually at anyone in particular. Oh, and I hate it when people get mad at me because I swear near a child. Grow up people, they are going to hear it somewhere, you can't protect their precious ears forever. And it's not my responsibility to help you pretend you can. I know there is a time and place for everything, and if I spill something, or your dog jumps on me unexpectedly I'm likely to swear. It isn't part of my casual conversation with your child, so get over it. Articles item Posted: 2/15/04; 11:05:17 PM |
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| San Francisco weds first gay couple | |
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2/12/04: "SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP) -- In a bold political and legal challenge to California law, city authorities officiated at the marriage of a lesbian couple Thursday and said they will issue more gay marriage licenses. The assembly-line nuptials began with longtime lesbian activists Phyllis Lyon, 79, and Del Martin, 83, who were hurriedly issued a marriage license and were wedded just before noon by City Assessor Mabel Teng in a closed-door civil ceremony at City Hall. The two have been a couple for 51 years. The gay marriages were timed by city officials to outmaneuver a conservative group. The group had planned to go to court on Friday to stop the mayor's announced plans to issue marriage licenses to gay couples. But city officials struck first." Articles item Posted: 2/12/04; 11:22:59 PM |
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| Sex is not just for grown-ups | |
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This is a great article about age of consent. ~Snow "The age of consent has been set at 16 for the past century. Now, the Government wants to tighten the law. In this provocative and personal argument Miranda Sawyer says the Home Office is wrong: it would be better for everyone if we lowered the age to 12
Sunday November 2, 2003 Teenagers, eh? Clogging up the buses, jacking mobile phones, laughing at your shoes, frightening the world as they flip between aggression and affection like Sunny Delight-ful psycho killers. If they're not screeching, they're talking in grunts, or moaning, or bullying each other, or running away together to hang out in the dance section of Milton Keynes record shops. Why do they have to be so adolescent? Let's ban them." Articles item Posted: 11/26/03; 7:55:47 PM |
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| Dave Barry on the Do Not Call Registry | |
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Posted on Sun, Oct. 05, 2003, in The Miami Herald
So what's their hang-up?
"So in my August column, I printed the toll-free telephone number of one of these groups, the American Teleservices Association. My thinking was: Hey, if the ATA feels its members have a constitutional right to call you, then surely the ATA feels that you have an equally constitutional right to call the ATA. Well. It turned out that a lot of you were eager to call up the telemarketing industry. Thousands and thousands of you called the ATA. I found out about this when I saw an article in a direct-marketing newspaper, the DM News, which quoted the executive director of the ATA, Tim Searcy." (click link above for the full article) Articles item Posted: 10/18/03; 4:19:56 PM |
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| Unleashing Your Erotic Intelligence | |
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By Esther Perel, Psychotherapy Networker "Sexual excitement is politically incorrect, often thriving on power plays, role reversals, unfair advantages, imperious demands, seductive manipulations, and subtle cruelties. The writer Daphne Merkin writes: "No bill of sexual rights can hold its own against the lawless, untamable landscape of the erotic imagination." " Articles item Posted: 9/27/03; 1:18:31 PM |
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| A Real Hero | |
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Michael sent this to me this morning and I think it's a really great story, worth sharing. Posted on Sun, Aug. 10, 2003, By Mary Rogers (Star-Telegram Staff Writer) "But if Gary O. Gardner had to name the moment it [his story] began, he would point to the day in 1999 when a black man named Joe Moore was sentenced to 90 years in prison. From then on, Gardner was hellbent to fight the justice system of Swisher County." Articles item Posted: 8/10/03; 2:36:08 PM |
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| Astronomical Incomes | |
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This is fascinating. I didn't get what he was saying at first. I had to keep reading and absorb the idea a little and keep looking back at the map, and then I got it and it was a bit of a shock. An eye opener. So, I want to encourage others to read it as well. More people should know about this. Articles item Posted: 8/2/03; 10:35:14 PM |
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| Abolish Marriage | |
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By Michael Kinsley, Posted Wednesday, July 2, 2003, at 8:25 AM PT "If marriage were an entirely private affair, all the disputes over gay marriage would become irrelevant. Gay marriage would not have the official sanction of government, but neither would straight marriage. There would be official equality between the two, which is the essence of what gays want and are entitled to. And if the other side is sincere in saying that its concern is not what people do in private, but government endorsement of a gay "lifestyle" or "agenda," that problem goes away, too." I'm all for this one! ~Snow Articles item Posted: 7/2/03; 4:46:40 PM |
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| Waste Makes Haste | |
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By David Wann, AlterNet, Posted June 16, 2003 "Speed is irrelevant if you're traveling in the wrong direction." - Mohandas Gandhi "When the phrase "Haste makes Waste" was first uttered, back in the 14th century (also when the mechanical clock was invented), it meant, "Go slowly, take care. Do it well, so you don't have to do it again." That advice is even more compelling today, at a time when haste and time pressure are contributing to growing mountains of waste, and growing threats to ecological systems. And when it comes to mega-challenges like species extinction, global warming, and the contamination of global water supplies, we may not get a chance to do it again. The sobering - and let's hope, rallying - fact is, we're running out of time." This is a really good article. I often wonder why we consume so fast and I try to slow down the intake in my life, the amount of trash that will need to hauled out, the amount of time in the car. I want to go wander slowly around the zoo, Greenlake, the Arboretum, instead of so many movies even. I want to get off my ass Saturday morning and take a long walk around my neighborhood and shop at yard sales. In the hopes that I get good deals on stuff that is used and could end up in a landfill while I buy new items that kill the earth and everything on it faster. It's hard to change the way we are taught to be, but it is possible, right? Articles item Posted: 6/17/03; 8:33:47 PM |
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| In Contempt of Courtship | |
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By Elizabeth Austin, Washington Monthly, June 3, 2003 "It's time for all of us to admit that this courtship model simply doesn't work. If lightning doesn't strike by Date Three, you can end up walking away from a perfectly lovely person who might just be a little shy, or having a bad hair day. Or worse, by rushing headlong into a "committed relationship" with someone you've met only a few times, you can end up wasting weeks, months, sometimes even years of your life on someone you don't really like very much, on the grounds that you're already "invested" in the relationship." I mostly skimmed past the first section, which talks about Lewinsky hosting some sort of dating game show, and the rest of it is a really good article. I haven't been actively dating for a couple years now, but when I did I never went out with a stranger. I always had dates with people that I knew a little bit socially, I'd have friends in common who spoke well of them first. Then if I found them interesting and intriguing there might be dates. The author here describes the third date: sex or call it off rule and under the pressure of having to decide after such a short time I would find dating a loathsome thing too. Unbelievable. I've found that getting to know people in a group setting, seeing them interact with others is a much better first step. Will I be writing a book on the subject? No, I hate writing. Articles item Posted: 6/7/03; 1:32:26 PM |
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| Patriot Raid | |
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By Jason Halperin, AlterNet (Posted: April 29, 2003) "Two weeks ago I experienced a very small taste of what hundreds of South Asian immigrants and U.S. citizens of South Asian descent have gone through since 9/11, and what thousands of others have come to fear. I was held, against my will and without warrant or cause, under the USA PATRIOT Act. While I understand the need for some measure of security and precaution in times such as these, the manner in which this detention and interrogation took place raises serious questions about police tactics and the safeguarding of civil liberties in times of war." Another example of just how out control things are. Articles item Posted: 4/29/03; 11:14:55 PM |
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| Workplace Flexibility | |
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By Molly Ivins, AlterNet (Posted: April 24, 2003) "Consider the Family Time and Workplace Flexibility Act (Senate version) and the Family Time Flexibility Act (House version). The Bush administration is leading the charge with proposed new rules that will erode the 40-hour workweek and affect more than 80 million workers now protected by the Fair Labor Standards Act." Things are so completely out of control that my head spins just trying to think about it all. What's that bumber sticker I see occasionally? Oh yeah, "If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention." Or something close to that. Articles item Posted: 4/29/03; 11:02:17 PM |
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| Don't Be Fooled by Corporate Greenwashing | |
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Michael Gaworecki, WireTap - April 21, 2003 "Corporations employ legions of marketing and advertising professionals to help them exploit trends and separate people from their disposable income. So it≠s nice to know that there are groups like Boston≠s Earthday Resources for Living Green out there working on behalf of the consumer." This is for Earth Day, even though I am a little late. For years now I have tried to pay attention to this sort of thing. It galls me that consumers insist on more earth friendly products but then the corporations don't change their ways, they just use advertising to pretend that they have. Many consumers don't have time to figure out who's telling the truth to them. So, I am grateful for this information. Articles item Posted: 4/26/03; 12:14:17 PM |
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| Easter, Spring celebration part II | |
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Eastre, dawn goddess; 1. An annual Christian festival celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, held on the first Sunday after the date of the first full moon that occurs on or after the equinox (usually March 21). There is more here about colored eggs, egg hunts, traditional foods, new clothes, etc... Articles item Posted: 4/20/03; 8:03:46 PM |
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| Gourmet Chocolate | |
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This is a strange place to find an article about the World's Best Chocolates. It's in the Money section of the CNN website. But it's a good article nonetheless. More important then the spendy, top of the line gourmet chocolatier's listed in the article is that they point us to Chocophile.com! Articles item Posted: 4/19/03; 4:51:22 PM |
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| Debunking the Oscar 'Backlash', by Michael Moore | |
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"Not only have neither I nor others been silenced, we have been joined by millions of Americans who think the same way we do." (Posted on April 14, 2003.) In this article Michael Moore is letting us know just how badly he hasn't been hurt by speaking out against the war in Iraq at the Oscars ceremony a few weeks ago. Articles item Posted: 4/16/03; 10:34:43 PM |
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| A Crippled Home Front, by Rick Anderson, Seattle Weekly | |
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"The Department of Veterans Affairs is being targeted for billions in cuts. Evidently, President Bush's support for the troops doesn't include their health care." (Posted on April 10, 2003.) It seems like anytime anyone mentions that that they don't support the war in Iraq there is someone around to accuse them of not supporting the troops fighting this war. I wonder if those folks who are so quick to point that finger know anything about this. Articles item Posted: 4/16/03; 10:20:40 PM |
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| Self Evident, by Ani Difranco | |
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This is a beautiful poem by Ani Difranco. At the top there are a couple of links to "listen" to her perform it. She brings tears to my eyes. Articles item Posted: 3/28/03; 12:19:25 PM |
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| Uncovering autism's mysteries | |
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"Mention autism to parents, doctors and scientists these days, and among an earful of different theories will emerge a common nod of agreement: The perplexing condition is not nearly as rare as once was thought." I found this article fascinating. Aside from the profile of autism, this bit of news is apalling: "Autism even ended up in a debate over a last-minute provision attached to Homeland Security legislation enacted last fall. The provision, aimed at protecting drug makers from lawsuits over vaccine-related injuries, prompted vocal protests in Washington in January by parents who think childhood vaccines cause autism." Unbelievable. Articles item Posted: 3/2/03; 2:34:30 PM |
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| Latest ID Theft Scam: Fake Job Listings | |
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"Internet job board Monster.com, acknowledging a growing problem for online career sites, is e-mailing millions of job seekers, warning that fake listings are being used to gather and steal personal information." This CNN article is just disturbing enough that I have to share it. I'm glad that Monster.com is helping make their user aware of this potential problem. Articles item Posted: 3/2/03; 1:58:41 PM |
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| Elric movie trilogy? | |
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Wow, I never expected this! If they do it, they had better do it right. It will be devastating if it comes off half baked and flops. After the LotR I hope there will be money out there for another great fantasy trilogy. One snippet of info in this article that gives me hope is the idea that Michael Moorcock (the author) will be co-producing. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed. Articles item Posted: 2/24/03; 9:53:39 PM |
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| The Detroit Project | |||
Articles item Posted: 1/20/03; 10:36:07 AM |
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| Activists release 'green sex' guide | |
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"The Greenpeace Green Sex guide Articles item Posted: 1/9/03; 10:25:09 PM |
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| Bumper Mentality | |
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By Stephanie Mencimer, Washington Monthly (December 20, 2002) "Have you ever wondered why sport utility vehicle drivers seem like such assholes?" This is a great article. I knew I hated those oversized vehicles that never actually went 'offroad' for their self centered gas guzzling ways. But I now I know why. There is actual research that says these people are vain and insecure. They really don't care about anyone else on the road let alone the environment. Articles item Posted: 1/9/03; 9:25:48 PM |
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| Hoaxers vs. Rocket Scientists | |
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Here's an interesting article from CNN. "CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (AP) -- Is that the moon or a studio in the Nevada desert? How can the flag flutter when there's no wind on the moon? Why can't we see stars in the moon-landing pictures?" I think that NASA should actual make some official statement about these hoaxers, folks who don't believe that men have walked on the moon. Apparently these beliefs have hit prime time and it seems me that's getting out of hand. They can't just continue to ignore it. Articles item Posted: 12/25/02; 3:12:02 PM |
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| Early universe may have had snowflakes | |||
Anything about snowflakes interests and amuses me. There really isn't any way to know if this is true or not, imho, but it's certainly fun. Articles item Posted: 12/1/02; 5:42:33 PM |
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| Buy Nothing This Year! | |
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By Michael I. Niman, AlterNet "While Buy Nothing Day is primarily about getting people to think about the impacts of their conspicuous consumption, it's also a holiday celebrating personal liberation." This is a good article. Every year I try to think of something I can give to the folks on my list that I made and didn't cost a lot of money. Something that I spent time on instead. I crochet, I paint, I sew and I bake. I still end up at a mall for one or two items before Xmas but I don't go into massive dept over it. That's not what I want the people I love to do for me and I can't imagine they want me to do it either. Articles item Posted: 11/25/02; 9:41:30 PM |
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| The Morality Police, By Charles Taylor | |
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Here's a great article about how damaging it is to 'protect' children from the world. This is something that I rant about on a regular basis, but this guy is much more articulate about it. Articles item Posted: 11/11/02; 8:41:03 PM |
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| Demand for UFO information | |
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This is cool. Here are some folks demanding that the Pentagon declassify information about UFOs and they aren't talking about little green men. They just want the facts. They want scientists to be able to look at the stuff the government has been hiding for decades. Articles item Posted: 10/23/02; 2:39:58 PM |
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| God and I | |
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"Myself, I got hauled up in front of an ecclesiastical court this summer and formally excommunicated. Really. A genuine heretic, anathematized by the grace of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, also known as the Mormons." (article by Teresa Nielsen Hayden) I love this sort of thing. I was raised Catholic for the first dozen years of my life (but I have recovered) and I like to talk to people, or read about their experiences with various churches. Fascinating stuff. Articles item Posted: 10/10/02; 7:55:09 PM |
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| Ig Nobel Awards | |
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"BOSTON (AP) -- The definitive study on bellybutton lint, a dog-to-person translation device and an inquiry into what arouses ostriches were recognized with Ig Nobel prizes for dubious contributions to science and cocktail-party conversations everywhere. " This is great. The picture of the guy in his Grizzly-Proof suit is especially fun, he looks too serious for his own good. Articles item Posted: 10/5/02; 12:22:40 PM |
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| The School of Safe Sex | |
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The fact that schools are pretty much only teaching abstinence to students these days really scares me. Makes me seriously worry about my 13 year old sister that I haven't seen in too long. My favorite line from this article on Alternet.org is: "...part of an abstinence program, a trend in public schools to abstain from comprehensively educating kids about sexual safety." Which is indeed what they seem to be doing. Articles item Posted: 10/3/02; 5:57:06 PM |
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| The race to make needle alternatives | |
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This is an article on CNN news. I hate needles myself, so I find this very interesting. They seem to be working on inhaled versions of insulin and flu vaccines, but still have to prove that it isn't going to do long term harm to your lungs. Articles item Posted: 9/30/02; 11:17:02 AM |
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| Real Snow Crystals | |
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Someone taking amazing photographs of actual snow flakes. I love this! Articles item Posted: 9/22/02; 6:31:51 PM |
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| Forbidden Thoughts About 9/11 | |
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This is a great article (From Salon) that gives voice to a wide range of human reactions to 9/11 that were stifled and ridiculed. Articles item Posted: 9/22/02; 2:57:50 PM |
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