Saturday, October 31, 2009

Forever a family of four | dooce®

Forever a family of four | dooce®: "Jon is out of breath, sweating, clutching my hand, and I am doing everything I can not to laugh. Because the doctor has not even touched him yet. And I'm trying SO HARD to be the support that he needs when suddenly the doctor gently drops a wet, sanitary wipe directly ON THE AREA (notice: I have not once used the word NADS, BOW BEFORE MY RESTRAINT) and Jon jumps three feet into the air."

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Robbins-Madanes Coach Training

Robbins-Madanes Coach Training

I just finished watching this video and am so moved and uplifted. It's over an hour, and there are some points and language that might make you cringe, but I would sooooo recommend watching this video until the end. You don't have to agree with everything that's said, but it's amazing to see what is possible.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Interview With Nicholas Kristof: Traveling and Tweeting Under 'Half the Sky' - Features - World Hum

Interview With Nicholas Kristof: Traveling and Tweeting Under 'Half the Sky' - Features - World Hum: "World Hum: The issues explored in “Half the Sky,” from sex slavery to violence against women to health, are often dire, but you and your wife temper that reality with a message of hope. How do you manage to stay optimistic?

Nicholas Kristof: I’ve encountered brutally depressing atrocities from Congo to Cambodia, but side by side with the worst of humanity I always seem to encounter the best. In a violence-filled nook of Congo, surrounded by war and rape, I found a Polish nun who was struggling singlehandedly to save orphans from warlords. At that moment I wanted to grow up to be a Polish nun. And when I return from the hellholes, I’m typically less depressed by the warlord types than inspired by the Polish nun types. In fact, what does depress me sometimes is when I come back to the United States and find many people uninterested in any cause larger than themselves."

Study Finds McCain Voters Lost Testosterone After Presidential Election

Study Finds McCain Voters Lost Testosterone After Presidential Election: "Young men who voted for John McCain lost more than a presidential election last November. A study says their testosterone level plummeted.
As polls closed on election night, researchers at Duke University and the University of Michigan had 183 men and women chew gum and spit into test tubes and analyzed their hormones.
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A few hours later, as Barack Obama supporters began celebrating, they tested hormone levels again, and then later, at two more intervals.
Men who voted for Obama maintained stable testosterone levels, while men who voted for McCain saw those levels drop more than 25 percent."

Behind the Scenes: Still Wounded - Lens Blog - NYTimes.com

Photos from Pine Ridge reservation in SD, where men have same life expectancy as in Somalia -- 48 years. Behind the Scenes: Still Wounded - Lens Blog - NYTimes.com

Sunday, October 18, 2009

John Kerry on the AHIP report



I find this deliciously funny, but that's just me. ;->

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Hands

Knock knock - a MUST-watch

Riveting, powerful, moving, inspirational.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Monday, October 12, 2009

Matt Taibbi - Taibblog – Congressman who went werewolf on me now spooks Fed officials - True/Slant

Matt Taibbi - Taibblog – Congressman who went werewolf on me now spooks Fed officials - True/Slant

If you don't know about MattTaibbi's remarkable reporting of the Wall Street financial crisis, or of the outstanding rookie congressman Alan Grayson from Florida, this might not mean very much to you. But if you do, a fun read.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Joe Biden, White House Truth Teller | Newsweek Politics | Newsweek.com

Joe Biden, White House Truth Teller | Newsweek Politics | Newsweek.com

The details of your abortion online? - Broadsheet - Salon.com

The details of your abortion online? - Broadsheet - Salon.com

YouTube - Women Senators Speak Out on Gender Equity in Health Care

YouTube - Women Senators Speak Out on Gender Equity in Health Care

Thankful

In honour of Canadian Thanksgiving, here is a quick list of the things for which I'm thankful today. I'd love it if you'd take the time to post your own. Either way, happy Thanksgiving one and all!!!!

  1. Clean water

  2. Sunny days

  3. Nature - its beauty and restorative powers

  4. Camping around beautiful Georgian Bay this year

  5. Did I mention camping???

  6. Safety

  7. People I can trust

  8. President Barack Hussein Obama

  9. The privilege of learning what I’m learning – so one day, I can truly help people

  10. Adaptogenic herbs to help me do what I gotta do

  11. Good food

  12. The Big Carrot

  13. My camera, and my car that takes me places I can indulge my photography hobby

  14. People who live according to their conscience

  15. People who inspire me – there are giants in my life – ones I know, others I know of. Their importance in my life can’t be overstated.

  16. My friends and family

  17. Technology like Facebook and Twitter that help me keep in touch with friends (and family) and to make new friends :)

  18. Angels and answered prayer. So incredible.

  19. That we’re never really alone, and that there’s so much more to this world than what first meets the eye

  20. My freedom – we all go through some struggle to be free, even here in North America. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t recognize how incredibly blessed we are here.

  21. That my rights as a woman are recognized here in North America, thanks to the many years of struggle and insistence of previous generations

  22. My access to education – a privilege that the majority of women (and men) in this world can’t even dream of.

  23. Books!

  24. Knowledge!!!

  25. The CBC

  26. The freedom of religion and the separation of Church and State, trusting each person to live according to his/her conscience without fear or interference

  27. Music

  28. My MP3 player – makes working out at the gym and doing chores so much easier!

  29. Passion – in all its forms – it makes life exciting!!!

  30. Creativity. Life is complex, multilayered, and we need every last bit of fresh thinking to address the issues of our day. But we can!

  31. Potential – each of us has SOOOO much. Which leads to …

  32. Hope. Thank goodness we have hope.

  33. Wit – Oh how I love wit. It just tickles me so! For this reason, I’m also thankful for Rick Mercer … :)

  34. Laughter – needs no elaboration, amirite?

  35. My classmates – so talented, such amazing human beings!

  36. My professors – what a privilege to learn from them, such generosity on their part to share their vast experience and knowledge.

  37. My body – I breathe, move, heal, digest, etc. without conscious control from my mind, which is a good thing – it is far too wondrous and complex for me to control it consciously!!!

  38. Community – we’re all in this together – we learn from each other, we shape each other’s views and experiences, we take care of each other. Life = relationships.

  39. That we live in a truly TRANSFORMATIONAL age, and that things can change on a dime. There is nothing holding us back except ourselves, and it's entirely possible that small, concentrated efforts can lead to very large, powerful movements that radically change the world, and with technology, one's reach is greater than EVER before. It's a privilege to be alive in this day and age!

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Daily Kos: Get Off Obama's Back ...second thoughts from Michael Moore

Daily Kos: Get Off Obama's Back ...second thoughts from Michael Moore

Rachel Maddow - Why Obama deserved the Nobel



This is a wonderful look at WHY Obama deserved to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

We are honestly so fortunate to have such a transformative figure in our world today, because the possibility of a continued Bush trajectory under McCain would have been apocalyptic. Truly. Obama brought the world back from the brink. Now it's up to ALL of us to make it work.

Friday, October 02, 2009

Pretty Lights Save 100,000 Birds

Pretty Lights Save 100,000 Birds

Fighting Biopirates in the Public Domain

Fighting Biopirates in the Public Domain

Ridiculous that this needed to be done, but I'm glad it was.

Fellow grammar snobs will know what I mean

Course/module objective: "Define ICD-10. Describe it’s use in clinical practice."

I'm thinking there should be learning objectives and competencies for instructors, and one should read: "Determine proper use of apostrophes and contractions. Describe its use in clear, professional communication."

Earth Shots » Morning Symphony by Lukas Ondrousek

Seriously beautiful photo.