OMG soooooooo cute!!!!!
Embedded:
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Featured Article - Short-term school closures may worsen flu pandemics
Featured Article - Short-term school closures may worsen flu pandemics: "Closing schools for less than two weeks during a flu pandemic may increase infection rates and prolong an epidemic, say University of Pittsburgh researchers in a study published ahead-of-print and online in the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice. The findings, developed from a series of computer simulations based on U.S. census data, indicate that schools may need to be closed for at least eight weeks in order to significantly decrease the spread of infection."
Monday, December 28, 2009
Love. Why We Should All Get Some, How To, and I Heart Salon | Cleavage
Love. Why We Should All Get Some, How To, and I Heart Salon | Cleavage: "I think we have collectively lost faith in our ability to survive rejection and heart-break so we try and risk-manage the process up front, and in so doing, we neuter love. We clip its wings. Love requires abandon, irrationality, surrender, butterflies, feeling, vulnerabilty, risk. Get over the fear. It will all be fine. I know I will get rejected; it sucks; it hurts; but I will always be just fine. I have complete faith in my own resilience. I’ve recovered from heartbreak before and it was never pretty, but I’ve never regretted a love, even when I’ve suffered for it. Love is always a risk. The good stuff always is."
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Dr. John Salerno: Why I Recommend Organic Foods To My Weight Loss Patients
Dr. John Salerno: Why I Recommend Organic Foods To My Weight Loss Patients: "I recommend organic foods for my weight loss patients because I want them to eat nutrient dense foods, thus you have to begin with the dirt. The overuse of pesticides, herbicides, and other chemical additives for the growth of monoculture genetically modified crops, including corn, soy, rice, canola, and others have wreaked havoc with the soil."
WP: Tiger does not stand alone - Washington Post- nbcsports.msnbc.com
WP: Tiger does not stand alone - Washington Post- nbcsports.msnbc.com: "Tiger Woods has an emotional void in his life. This void must be huge. For him to be where he is today, this deep emptiness must have consumed him, must be something he has been living with for a long time. Moreover, he has to live with his emptiness while being fully aware that everyone in the world knows just what a manufactured lie his image has been."
Monday, December 21, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Boola Boola, Boola Boola - Yale Says Yes, 4 Times - NYTimes.com
Boola Boola, Boola Boola - Yale Says Yes, 4 Times - NYTimes.com: "The Crouches’ perfect batting average represents a first for Yale — the first time in anyone’s memory that it has offered admission to quadruplets. It is also, of course, no small milestone for the siblings, who were born more than two months premature. (Ray was the last to be released from the neonatal unit, more than four months later.)
They made up for that rough start. Their class rankings range from 13 out of a class of 632 (Kenny) to 46 (Martina) — and they have sky-high SAT scores (including Carol’s perfect 800 on the verbal part of that exam)."
Friday, December 18, 2009
Dying man tried out his own coffin first - Healthzone.ca
Dying man tried out his own coffin first - Healthzone.ca: "'I've seen (critically ill) people in their 70s, some of them incredibly wealthy, pursuing the next deal. When I ask why, they say: `Because that's what I've been doing all my life.' I tell them, `It's not too late. What makes you happiest – that's what you need to focus on the most.'
Those things can be shockingly simple – fishing, writing poetry, spending time with family."
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Featured Article - Couples who do the dishes together stay happier
Featured Article - Couples who do the dishes together stay happier: "A new study published by The University of Western Ontario reveals that couples who share the responsibility for paid and unpaid work report higher average measures of happiness and life satisfaction than those in other family models."
And, in the No S%^# I Told You So, Sherlock category:
"Researchers suggest that the shared roles model is advantageous to society in terms of gender equity and its ability to maximize labour force participation by all adults. It also leaves women less vulnerable in the case of separation, divorce or death of a spouse."
Featured Article - Valuable, rare, raw earth materials extracted from industrial waste stream
Featured Article - Valuable, rare, raw earth materials extracted from industrial waste stream: "Researchers from Leeds' Faculty of Engineering have discovered how to recover significant quantities of rare-earth oxides, present in titanium dioxide minerals. The rare-earth oxides, which are indispensable for the manufacture of wind turbines, energy-efficient lighting, and hybrid and electric cars, are extracted or reclaimed simply and cheaply from the waste materials of another industrial process."
Ancient Amazon civilisation laid bare by felled forest - life - 10 December 2009 - New Scientist
Ancient Amazon civilisation laid bare by felled forest - life - 10 December 2009 - New Scientist: "Signs of what could be a previously unknown ancient civilisation are emerging from beneath the felled trees of the Amazon. Some 260 giant avenues, ditches and enclosures have been spotted from the air in a region straddling Brazil's border with Bolivia."
China’s 863 Program, a crash program for clean energy : The New Yorker
China’s 863 Program, a crash program for clean energy : The New Yorker
A fascinating article I hope to finish reading someday when I'm not supposed to be studying for exams. :->
What is Conservative Culture?: Observatory: Design Observer
What is Conservative Culture?: Observatory: Design Observer: "And they certainly will not mention the John Birch Society meetings in suburban parlors nationwide, in which chapters no bigger than two dozen members — a cell structure ostensibly to prevent Red infiltration but that, as it happened, was also the ideal size for a cocktail party — plotted how to forestall the Communist takeover of the PTAs by taking them over first. 'I just don't have time for anything,' a Dallas housewife told Time in 1961. 'I'm fighting Communism three nights a week.'"
BBC News - Octopus snatches coconut and runs
BBC News - Octopus snatches coconut and runs
Wow, you have to check this out. Video is very cool, but even cooler is the evidence of invertebrates USING TOOLS. :->
Monday, December 14, 2009
'Greatest mayor we never had,' David Pecaut dies at 54 - thestar.com
'Greatest mayor we never had,' David Pecaut dies at 54 - thestar.com: "'His heart and passion are with Toronto, and he always finds ways to make things happen,' says the Mayor. 'It was impossible to say 'no' to him because he worked miracles to find common ground where the only answer was 'yes.'' Inspired by Pecaut, more than 6,000 people became involved in Alliance projects, tackling everything from immigrant integration to income security reform to cultivating emerging leaders.
'He taught us all civic responsibility and engagement,' explains Deans. 'I have never met anyone with David's intellectual curiosity, his passion for serving others well and creatively, and his ability to convene people and facilitate solutions that lead to action and change.'"
Featured Article - Math goes viral
Featured Article - Math goes viral: "The approach is a marriage of science and math, subjects the researchers say seem to exist in separate worlds at a secondary-school level, but that when brought together can effectively bring real-world scenarios into the classroom to enhance learning and understanding.
Not to mention answering that ages old high-school student question: 'why do I need to know this?'"
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Drug money saved banks in global crisis, claims UN advisor | World news | The Observer
Drug money saved banks in global crisis, claims UN advisor | World news | The Observer: "Drugs money worth billions of dollars kept the financial system afloat at the height of the global crisis, the United Nations' drugs and crime tsar has told the Observer."
Drug money saved banks in global crisis, claims UN advisor | World news | The Observer
Drug money saved banks in global crisis, claims UN advisor | World news | The Observer: "Drugs money worth billions of dollars kept the financial system afloat at the height of the global crisis, the United Nations' drugs and crime tsar has told the Observer."
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Featured Article - Facebook profiles capture true personality, according to new psychology research
Featured Article - Facebook profiles capture true personality, according to new psychology research: "Online social networks such as Facebook are being used to express and communicate real personality, instead of an idealized virtual identity, according to new research from psychologist Sam Gosling at The University of Texas at Austin."
Featured Article - Aspirin, tylenol may decrease effectiveness of vaccines
Featured Article - Aspirin, tylenol may decrease effectiveness of vaccines: "With flu season in full swing and the threat of H1N1 looming, demand for vaccines is at an all-time high. Although those vaccines are expected to be effective, University of Missouri researchers have found further evidence that some over-the-counter drugs, such as aspirin and Tylenol, that inhibit certain enzymes could impact the effectiveness of vaccines."
Featured Article - Aspirin, tylenol may decrease effectiveness of vaccines
Featured Article - Aspirin, tylenol may decrease effectiveness of vaccines: "With flu season in full swing and the threat of H1N1 looming, demand for vaccines is at an all-time high. Although those vaccines are expected to be effective, University of Missouri researchers have found further evidence that some over-the-counter drugs, such as aspirin and Tylenol, that inhibit certain enzymes could impact the effectiveness of vaccines."
Sunday, November 29, 2009
The power of natural medicine
The power of natural medicine: "Naturopathic medicine is based on the scientific assertion that the body, when given the appropriate support, has the potential to heal itself. This isn't a 'magical and transcendent anomaly of physics.' It's how the body works -- and we've known it for centuries. Each time you heal from a cut, a cold or a broken bone, you're seeing vis mediatrix naturae, or 'the healing power of nature' at work. It's not magic, just good science. And this naturopathic approach has been regulated in Ontario for 85 years."
Thursday, November 12, 2009
You or someone you know needs to read this
“It’s great to see someone who takes care of their teeth,” my dentist told me today, glumly.
Since my dentist works in a pricey part of town where presumably his patients have the education and resources for good dental hygiene, I had to ask what would prompt such a comment.
He told me how so many of his patients drink diet sodas instead of water, and that the acidic nature of these drinks wear away at people’s teeth. Not only that, “everybody’s an athlete these days”, and they’re drinking sports and endurance drinks that are an enamel-eroding blend of acids and sugars. Furthermore, many people are on SSRIs (a category of antidepressants including Prozac, Zoloft, Lexapro, and Paxil) which often have the side-effect of teeth-grinding and clenching. (The increased incidence of grinding and clenching he’s noticed in his patients could also be due to increased stress.) He’s seeing patient after patient (some in their thirties) whose teeth are visibly shorter and worn due to these practices. Many of them are in denial and don’t accept there’s a problem until thousands of dollars of damage has been done to their teeth.
I believe he called the required dental repair work “dental remodeling”, and he said it cost between $15,000 and $30,000 to do. He clearly did not enjoy doing this type of work, despite the obvious financial benefit he could enjoy if more of his patients needed such procedures.
So, here are a few things I would like to suggest, if you aren’t already doing them:
- STOP regularly drinking acidic drinks (especially sodas [even diet ones], sports drinks, etc.). Just think … if these drinks are doing this to your TEETH, what are they doing to the REST of your body????? DRINK WATER.
- IF you must continue drinking garbage, brush your teeth afterwards or at least drink a glass of water afterwards to rinse your teeth and gums.
- Ask yourself if you grind your teeth or clench your jaw. Do your teeth show unusual wear? If you look at photos from just a few years ago, do your teeth look different, smoother, or shorter? Do you wake up with headaches in the morning? If you have a partner who complains that you grind your teeth while you sleep, take it seriously. It’s a big deal.
- If you suspect you do grind/clench your teeth, talk with your dentist about getting a mouth guard to use while you sleep. Like my dentist says, a mouth guard can be replaced at ~ $400 a year (if you really do damage to it), but remodeling your mouth will be very expensive and never quite satisfactory. (Teeth grinding will damage or even shatter the porcelain used to replace your natural enamel.)
Your enamel will not grow back. Take care of your teeth so they can take care of you. This is all common sense, right?
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Friday, November 06, 2009
Guest Blogger Starling: Schrödinger’s Rapist: or a guy’s guide to approaching strange women without being maced « Kate Harding's Shapely Prose
FANTASTIC column. Excellent points and writing. Please read.
Guest Blogger Starling: Schrödinger’s Rapist: or a guy’s guide to approaching strange women without being maced « Kate Harding's Shapely Prose: "Let me start out by assuring you that I understand you are a good sort of person. You are kind to children and animals. You respect the elderly. You donate to charity. You tell jokes without laughing at your own punchlines. You respect women. You like women. In fact, you would really like to have a mutually respectful and loving sexual relationship with a woman. Unfortunately, you don’t yet know that woman—she isn’t working with you, nor have you been introduced through mutual friends or drawn to the same activities. So you must look further afield to encounter her.
So far, so good. Miss LonelyHearts, your humble instructor, approves. Human connection, love, romance: there is nothing wrong with these yearnings.
Now, you want to become acquainted with a woman you see in public. The first thing you need to understand is that women are dealing with a set of challenges and concerns that are strange to you, a man. To begin with, we would rather not be killed or otherwise violently assaulted.
“But wait! I don’t want that, either!”
...
When you approach me in public, you are Schrödinger’s Rapist. You may or may not be a man who would commit rape. I won’t know for sure unless you start sexually assaulting me. I can’t see inside your head, and I don’t know your intentions. If you expect me to trust you—to accept you at face value as a nice sort of guy—you are not only failing to respect my reasonable caution, you are being cavalier about my personal safety.
Fortunately, you’re a good guy. We’ve already established that. Now that you’re aware that there’s a problem, you are going to go out of your way to fix it, and to make the women with whom you interact feel as safe as possible."
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Darfur Peace and Development » Solar Cooker Program
Darfur Peace and Development » Solar Cooker Program: "The task of preparing a meal in Darfur brings a challenging set of problems and risks. The persistent conflict in Darfur has led to the deforestation of areas around IDP camps. Shortages of fuel wood have had severe negative impact on the safety and survival of Darfuri women, the primary collectors of firewood. Each month they must travel increasingly long distances to find wood for fuel. The personal danger inherent in the chore is formidable: women are at high risk of attacks and sexual abuse once they leave the camp. And as households consumes the limited energy source, the deforestation of Darfur advances.
With over two million displaced people — mainly women and children — the cycle of degradation and shortages will continue in Darfur unless effective alternatives are implemented."
Read more about how solar cookers - at $30 a piece - can address these problems. It's really quite remarkable.
Monday, November 02, 2009
Two books to be released about Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt
Two books to be released about Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt: "The other book comes from Ian Halperin, the same dude who just a couple of months ago published a Michael Jackson bio, like, 5 minutes after he died. Halperin’s work focuses on “Brangelina” and he too put a lot of emphasis on “new details of (Jolie’s) volatile relationship with and estrangement from her father Jon Voight, her struggles with suicidal impulses, her heroin use, her sexual exploits and her remarkable rise to become an Oscar-winning actress.' According to Halperin, Angelina’s 'personal lifestyle choices are not only affecting her growing family but causing serious and potentially irreparable tensions with Pitt.'
Great. Blame the bitch. Can’t wait.
Because that’s how you sell it, right? Whatever problems may or may not exist between the Brange, it is certain that Brad Pitt has been an active participant. It is well understood in the industry – he is a control freak, he can be ruthless, he is not a pushover, and he plays the media just as often, and maybe more, than anyone else. In this sense, they are made for each other."
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.
Skip over this content
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
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Jon Stewart shows CNN up
TheComedyNetwork.ca - Online Time Well Wasted - The Daily Show with Jon Stewart - Show Details
Genius comedy and exposition.
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
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!!!!
- Clean water
- Sunny days
- Nature - its beauty and restorative powers
- Camping around beautiful Georgian Bay this year
- Did I mention camping???
- Safety
- People I can trust
- President Barack Hussein Obama
- The privilege of learning what I’m learning – so one day, I can truly help people
- Adaptogenic herbs to help me do what I gotta do
- Good food
- The Big Carrot
- My camera, and my car that takes me places I can indulge my photography hobby
- People who live according to their conscience
- 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.
- My friends and family
- Technology like Facebook and Twitter that help me keep in touch with friends (and family) and to make new friends :)
- Angels and answered prayer. So incredible.
- That we’re never really alone, and that there’s so much more to this world than what first meets the eye
- 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.
- That my rights as a woman are recognized here in North America, thanks to the many years of struggle and insistence of previous generations
- My access to education – a privilege that the majority of women (and men) in this world can’t even dream of.
- Books!
- Knowledge!!!
- The CBC
- 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
- Music
- My MP3 player – makes working out at the gym and doing chores so much easier!
- Passion – in all its forms – it makes life exciting!!!
- Creativity. Life is complex, multilayered, and we need every last bit of fresh thinking to address the issues of our day. But we can!
- Potential – each of us has SOOOO much. Which leads to …
- Hope. Thank goodness we have hope.
- Wit – Oh how I love wit. It just tickles me so! For this reason, I’m also thankful for Rick Mercer … :)
- Laughter – needs no elaboration, amirite?
- My classmates – so talented, such amazing human beings!
- My professors – what a privilege to learn from them, such generosity on their part to share their vast experience and knowledge.
- 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!!!
- 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.
- 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
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.
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Saturday, October 03, 2009
Incredible football players: "Pick me"
What a celebration of skill, ego, testosterone, and phenomenal talent. Wow. Really worth a watch.
Friday, October 02, 2009
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."
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Reminder: Roman Polanski raped a child - Broadsheet - Salon.com
Reminder: Roman Polanski raped a child - Broadsheet - Salon.com
Excellent article. She changed my mind.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
hitler's children
hitler's children
"I don't hate the Germans [Nazis] - no. If I hated them, I'd be no better than them."
Such a profound hurt around this. I really hope these people get the help they desperately need.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
CHAITEN VOLCANO ERUPTS IN CHILE - UPI.com
Amazing photos. That photographer has more nerve than I do!!!!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Balloon Juice » Balloon Juice Dictionary
Lefty blogger dictionary. Probably only of interest to myself. Posting it here so I can find it later. Feel free to ignore.
Balloon Juice » Balloon Juice Dictionary
Monday, September 21, 2009
YouTube - She without arm, he without leg - ballet - Hand in Hand
YouTube - She without arm, he without leg - ballet - Hand in Hand
This is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. The first time I watched it, I didn't even notice she had only one arm.
These people obviously are not sitting around feeling sorry or making excuses for themselves. So inspiring.
The Alternative Medicine Cabinet: Arnica for Pain Relief - Well Blog - NYTimes.com
The Alternative Medicine Cabinet: Arnica for Pain Relief - Well Blog - NYTimes.com: "One randomized study published in 2007 looked at 204 people with osteoarthritis in their hands and found that an arnica gel preparation worked just as well as daily ibuprofen, and with minimal side effects. Another study of 79 people with arthritis of the knee found that when patients used arnica gel twice daily for three to six weeks, they experienced significant reductions in pain and stiffness and had improved function. Only one person experienced an allergic reaction."
Alternative Medicine Soars as Pharmaceuticals Sour
Alternative Medicine Soars as Pharmaceuticals Sour:
Despite a ruinous economy, dietary supplement sales in particular have seen continued growth over the past several years. According to research conducted by Nutrition Business Journal, dietary supplement sales increased 6 percent to $25.2 billion in 2008. The year prior also saw a 6 percent increase, despite slowing growth in most other product sectors.
Meanwhile, growth in prescription drug sales has been rapidly declining for the past eight years, slowing by 52 percent in 2007 over 2006 figures, and plunging a whopping 65 percent in 2008. Overall, growth in pharmaceutical drug sales has been dwindling since 2001, a sign that the tides may definitively be turning in favor of alternative and natural remedies.
Many insurance companies are also now covering alternative therapies including chiropractic care, acupuncture, massages, biofeedback, and herbal remedies. Some even offer discounted memberships to health clubs and other wellness incentive programs to encourage disease prevention and healthy living. After all, prevention is the best medicine as far as insurance companies are concerned as it saves them money in the long run.
Integrating medicine is proving to serve as an amiable catalyst for educating the public about the legitimacy and superiority of a natural, preventive approach to health care. It is guiding public thought away from the reactional symptom management paradigm towards natural disease remediation and prevention. As a result, what was once considered alternative is quickly becoming the new conventional.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
The Daily Coyote » Blog Archive » Untitled
The Daily Coyote » Blog Archive » Untitled: "But then, years later when I was living in New York City, my tattoo’s meaning revealed itself to me after a profoundly beautiful encounter with a bum on the Alphabet Streets.
Fever Fatale, literally, means fatal fever. Death by burning. Hell. And I saw time as a landscape, as in Slaughterhouse 5. And I saw how we are so often apt, when someone slights us - whether it be an unkind word or cutting us off at an intersection - to snap at the next person we see, and the negativity is perpetuated, on and on, travelling further and gaining momentum. And I decided to do my best, when on the receiving end of meanness or negativity, to keep it at my wrist, to stop it there instead of passing it on to someone else."
This weekend - flow of consciousness style
Late, late, late (of course) to pick up Daisey and Renée to go camping.
Too much – way too much – stuff (of course) in the car.
Panic.
Lock keys in trunk.
Spare car key is also locked in trunk.
CAA comes quickly to save the day.
Whoops, now Daisey and Renée are running an errand.
Wait.
Okay, FINALLY on our way! WOOT.
Make planned stop at medical supply store.
Which stethoscope would be best balance of cost and functionality?
Which colour of stethoscope best suits me?
Choices are:
black (boring);
grey (almost as boring);
raspberry (too girly – who will take me seriously with a gum-coloured steth?);
forest green (tempting, but perhaps too dark);
burgundy (so 80s);
bright orange (hmm, not in the clown unit);
Caribbean blue (Renée picked this one too, but with 100+ classmates, there’s bound to be some redundancy).
Retail personnel take not-so-secret pleasure informing med student she’s wearing the steth incorrectly.
Going with the Caribbean blue – after much indecision.
(Yes, eventually I’ll post photos.)
Okay, on the road now finally.
Wait – is that an LCBO? Do we have any booze to take with us?
A bottle of wine is definitely in order.
Okay, NOW we’re on the highway.
We stop somewhere along the way and rip apart the cold roast chicken that was supposed to be our dinner.
Apples, grapes, rice cakes too.
We talk and we dream and we make lists!!!
Pitching tent, buying firewood.
Someone – not me – suggests all three of us will fit nicely and warmly into the (borrowed) three-person tent.
Watching the sunset from the rugged Georgian Bay coastline. Beautiful.
Dinner is somewhat burned, but still delicious.
Sitting by the fire for hours, talking talking talking
Telling stories
Sharing
Laughing
We’re each wearing multiple layers against the cold, and I’m draped in a warm blanket too.
Finally we go to the shore again.
Stars stars stars stars stars …
In the tent, Renée gets middle spot.
Poor Renée.
With all the layers and body heat and down-filled sleeping bag, it’s hot.
I try to open my sleeping bag, etc. to cool off a bit, but we’re packed in like sardines.
Manage to sleep
At least more than Renée probably did.
Morning
Sunrise is beautiful.
Daisey and I are up to enjoy it.
Relaxing breakfast.
Studying a little on the rocky beach.
Pack up, travel home.
Renée tries to sleep in the car.
Short hike on the beautiful Hockley Valley trail, north of Orangeville.
Back in the city
Tired and nursing another sore ankle
But feeling great.
Can’t wait to go again!
Chicago Mom Breastfeeds in Public - The Doctors Next Door
Chicago Mom Breastfeeds in Public - The Doctors Next Door: "Did you see the Sun Times last week? The picture on the front page, of all places, showed two moms nursing their babies in public.
According to the article, Lauren Trost was nursing her 7 month old son, Hank, outside in a public plaza in Lincoln Square. Another mom walking by with her two young children noticed that Lauren was doing this outside in public and threatened to call the police. She told others gathered in the plaza that it was indecent and illegal.
So, guess what Lauren did? Not only did she continue to nurse her baby, she also rallied other breast feeding moms and their nursing infants to join in on a breast feeding protest, again, outside in public.
What a nervy, gutsy, and inconsiderate thing to do."
Personally, I think Trost's transgression was naming her child Hank. However, the rest of the article is definitely worth a read. Breastfeeding needs not only to be accepted but ENCOURAGED whenever possible.
Oh, and interesting note in the article: the World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding until age two. So if you want to get all uppity about a woman breastfeeding once her child has grown teeth, please keep your prejudices to yourself. :)
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Daily Kos: Think the Teabaggers Are Crazy Now? Just Wait.
Daily Kos: Think the Teabaggers Are Crazy Now? Just Wait.: "We have to marginalize and ultimately ignore these people now--and that goes for everyone from top to bottom: Democratic legislators, organizational activists, traditional media figures, bloggers, and regular voters. These crazies are already taking up far too much of our valuable time, attention and discourse. And it's only going to get worse. Much, much worse.
Glenn Beck is right about one thing: this is just the beginning of the road for these people. It's only going to get more depraved, more delusional, more psychotic and more potentially violent from here.
The sooner they are ignored and forgotten, the better. Otherwise this freak show, like a train wreck in slow motion, will be all anyone can focus on, to the detriment of our body politic and of the regular Americans who voted for President Barack Hussein Obama in overwhelming numbers."
Monday, September 14, 2009
Bill Gates, Sr.: HuffPost Review: Half the Sky
Bill Gates, Sr.: HuffPost Review: Half the Sky: "what I find remarkable is that more men around the globe don't realize how much stronger they would be if partnered with a strong woman. Way too often and in too many corners of the globe, women are denied the opportunity to reach their full potential. It's wrong and it's backward, and of course, the irony is that by keeping women down, men lose out too."
Friday, September 11, 2009
Op-Ed Contributor - Big Food vs. Big Insurance - NYTimes.com
Fantastic, insightful read. Dead on.
Op-Ed Contributor - Big Food vs. Big Insurance - NYTimes.com
Monday, September 07, 2009
Alive quotes & quotations
Alive quotes & quotations: "“When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds: Your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great, and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and your discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be.”"
Green Leafy Vegetables - 5 Reasons to Eat Your Dark Green Leafy Vegetables
Green Leafy Vegetables - 5 Reasons to Eat Your Dark Green Leafy Vegetables
Have you had your dark green leafy vegetables today???
If yes, congratulations for being a savvy eater! WOOT WOOT for you!!!! :) Tell me how you like to eat them! Looking for more great recipes! :)
Friday, September 04, 2009
Thursday, September 03, 2009
Gonzales_Libretto.pdf (application/pdf Object)
Via Rachel Maddow, this is very very cool. For junkies of U.S. politics. :)
Gonzales_Libretto.pdf (application/pdf Object)
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Summary of the day
With the exception of going to school to pay my tuition for the upcoming term, a lovely visit with Vivian, and a few other errands, I have spent HOURS today working on the "fall" cleaning of my apt. Dusted + rearranged books and bookshelves, cleaned out the cupboards under every sink, reorganized storage, swept, mopped, vacuumed, scrubbed. Still some leftover bits to do, but, I feel both beat up + accomplished. :)
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
An amazing reversal
Took my cat Cleo in for a 2nd opinion this afternoon. Unlike the first vet's dire diagnosis, THIS vet thinks it's entirely possible she's totally healthy. Thinks the low WBC count may have just been stress b/c I'd been away, esp. ...since Cleo has GAINED weight with the new food and responded very quickly to the antibiotics last week. I SOBBED in her office with relief. I think I may need a drink now.
Monday, August 31, 2009
The reason some girls stay single - very funny! - melodymaker's posterous
Funny, or jaw-droppingly arrogant/delusional? You decide ...
The reason some girls stay single - very funny! - melodymaker's posterous
Sunday, August 30, 2009
YouTube - Edward Kennedy Memorial Service - Caroline Kennedy
Wonderful, moving tribute for a beloved uncle.
YouTube - Edward Kennedy Memorial Service - Caroline Kennedy
Thursday, August 27, 2009
chapters.indigo.ca: Luanne Ollivier's Review of Six Months In Sudan: A Young Doctor In A War-torn Village: James Maskalyk: Books
This is what I'm currently reading. Recommend.
chapters.indigo.ca: Luanne Ollivier's Review of Six Months In Sudan: A Young Doctor In A War-torn Village: James Maskalyk: Books
Monday, August 24, 2009
Norwegian UN diplomat slams Ban Ki-moon | FP Passport
Norwegian UN diplomat slams Ban Ki-moon | FP Passport: "Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's fruitless visit to Burma in the beginning of July is indicative of a Secretary-General and an organization who are struggling to show leadership. In a time when the UN and the need for multilateral solutions to global crises are more needed than ever, Ban and the UN are conspicuous by their absence. During the last six months, where the follow-up to the many crises that left their imprint on the General Assembly during the fall should have brought the Secretary-General and the UN into play at full force, the opposite seems to have happened."
There's more ... click on the link.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
A School Bus for Shamsia - NYTimes.com
A School Bus for Shamsia - NYTimes.com: "And so unfolded one of the mysteries not only of Shamsia but also of the Mirwais Mena School and perhaps all of Afghanistan. Women in Afghanistan are held to be lesser beings than men; they are accorded fewer rights and fewer opportunities. But build a school for girls, and the girls will come. They will face down death to come. And their illiterate parents will support them. Their illiterate parents will push them out the door."
A School Bus for Shamsia - NYTimes.com
A School Bus for Shamsia - NYTimes.com: "And so unfolded one of the mysteries not only of Shamsia [a young Afghan woman who was sprayed with battery acid for attending school] but also of the Mirwais Mena School and perhaps all of Afghanistan. Women in Afghanistan are held to be lesser beings than men; they are accorded fewer rights and fewer opportunities. But build a school for girls, and the girls will come. They will face down death to come. And their illiterate parents will support them. Their illiterate parents will push them out the door."
A Victim Treats His Mugger Right : NPR
What a great story!!!
A Victim Treats His Mugger Right : NPR: "'He wants my money, so I just gave him my wallet and told him, 'Here you go,'' Diaz says.
As the teen began to walk away, Diaz told him, 'Hey, wait a minute. You forgot something. If you're going to be robbing people for the rest of the night, you might as well take my coat to keep you warm.'
The would-be robber looked at his would-be victim, 'like what's going on here?' Diaz says. 'He asked me, 'Why are you doing this?''
Diaz replied: 'If you're willing to risk your freedom for a few dollars, then I guess you must really need the money. I mean, all I wanted to do was get dinner and if you really want to join me ... hey, you're more than welcome."
Roger Ebert's Journal: Archives
Roger Ebert's Journal: Archives: "Having read through some 600 comments about universal health care, I now realize I took the wrong approach in my previous blog entry. I discussed the Obama health plan in political, literal, logical terms. Most of my readers replied in the same vein. The comments, as always, have been helpful, informative and for the most part civil. My mistake was writing from the pragmatic side. I should have followed my heart and gone with a more emotional approach. I believe universal health care is, quite simply, right.
It is a moral imperative. I cannot enjoy health coverage and turn to my neighbor and tell him he doesn't deserve it. A nation is a mutual undertaking. In a democracy, we set out together to do what we believe is good for the commonwealth. That means voluntarily subjecting ourselves to the rule of law, taxation, military service, the guaranteeing of rights to minorities, and so on. That is a cheap price to pay."
Great column. I hope you click on the link to read the whole thing. :)
Op-Ed Columnist - Food for the Soul - NYTimes.com
Op-Ed Columnist - Food for the Soul - NYTimes.com: "One of my childhood memories is of placing a chicken egg in a goose nest when I was about 10 (my young scientist phase). That mother goose was thrilled when her eggs hatched, and maternal love is such that she never seemed to notice that one of her babies was a neckless midget.
As for the chick, she never doubted her goosiness. At night, our chickens would roost high up in the barn, while the geese would sleep on the floor, with their heads tucked under their wings. This chick slept with the goslings, and she tried mightily to stretch her neck under her wing. No doubt she had a permanent crick in her neck.
Then the fateful day came when the mother goose took her brood to the water for the first time. She jumped in, and the goslings leaped in after her. The chick stood on the bank, aghast."
Click on the link to read the rest of the story ... :->
Friday, August 14, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Saturday, August 08, 2009
Professor Main Target of Assault on Twitter - NYTimes.com
Professor Main Target of Assault on Twitter - NYTimes.com: "The cyberattacks Thursday and Friday on Twitter and other popular Web services disrupted the lives of hundreds of millions of Internet users, but the principal target appeared to be one man: a 34-year-old economics professor from the republic of Georgia."
Friday, August 07, 2009
Class photo
DSC_3117
Originally uploaded by Noisypond.
Taken today with my camera, set up on a tripod. The man in the orange shirt is our beloved anatomy professor, Dr. T.
The Queen of England
Thanks to my friend Welah for this laugh:
The Queen of England was showing the Archbishop of Canterbury around the Royal Stables when one of the stallions close by farted so loudly it couldn't be ignored. "Oh dear," said the Queen, "How embarrassing! I'm frightfully sorry about that." "It's quite understandable," said the Archbishop, and after a moment added, "as a matter of fact I thought it was the horse."
Monday, August 03, 2009
The Peekaboo Paradox - washingtonpost.com
The Peekaboo Paradox - washingtonpost.com
This is a fascinating portrait.
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Op-Ed Columnist - How to Lick a Slug - NYTimes.com
Op-Ed Columnist - How to Lick a Slug - NYTimes.com
"A British study found that children could more easily identify Japanese cartoon characters like Pikachu, Metapod and Wigglytuff than they could native animals and plants, like otter, oak and beetle.
Mr. Louv calls this “nature deficit disorder,” and he links it to increases in depression, obesity and attention deficit disorder ...
One study of three generations of 9-year-olds found that by 1990 the radius from the house in which they were allowed to roam freely was only one-ninth as great as it had been in 1970."
Gotta share this
Tonight I went out with my classmates to celebrate two birthdays. It was a good time, but the funniest part of the evening happened on my way home sometime after midnight. I was sitting on the subway at Yonge & Eglinton, waiting for the train to take off. A pair of friends (a man and a woman) said their good-byes, and the man got in the subway car and sat down. However, the woman's subway (going in the opposite direction) had not yet arrived, so she hovered just outside the door of our train, and starting calling into the car after her friend in a saccharinely maternal voice: "I love you, John!" Then: "Don't pee in the subway like you normally do!" The poor guy looked embarrassed and amused at the same time.
It was so outrageous and clever that I grinned the rest of my way home.
Saturday, August 01, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Let's Make a Deal
For health reasons, I've had to start eating meat again. :( Is there anyone who's willing to forego ~ 5 servings of meat/week so it all balances out? Or are there five people who are willing to give up ONE serving of meat/week? I'll share some awesome veggie recipes with you! :)
Martin Luther King, Jr. - Wikiquote
Martin Luther King, Jr. - Wikiquote:
"When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds of despair, and when our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, let us remember that there is a creative force in this universe, working to pull down the gigantic mountains of evil, a power that is able to make a way out of no way and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows. Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice."
I heard this quote today in class and it inspired me. I hope you enjoy it too. :)
Thursday, July 23, 2009
YouTube - JK Wedding Entrance Dance
YouTube - JK Wedding Entrance Dance
MUST watch. It will make you smile. :)
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Dr. John Neustadt: A Vital Part of Healthcare Reform: Change How We Educate Our Doctors
Dr. John Neustadt: A Vital Part of Healthcare Reform: Change How We Educate Our Doctors: "I have the privilege of working with primary care docs all over the country. Many report to me with frustration that their education doesn't give them the tools they need to provide the highest possible care. While no one can dispute that these professionals work exceedingly hard, they are hampered by two major failings of conventional medical education philosophy: 1) it focuses on suppressing symptoms with drugs, which are considered the primary and only legitimate treatment modality; and 2) it doesn't teach how to treat the underlying causes of disease."
Kuroshio Sea - 2nd largest aquarium tank in the world - (song is Please don't go by Barcelona) on Vimeo
Kuroshio Sea - 2nd largest aquarium tank in the world on Vimeo
So awesome - especially with full screen.
Op-Ed Columnist - Whirling Dervish Drivers - NYTimes.com
Op-Ed Columnist - Whirling Dervish Drivers - NYTimes.com: "Studies show that drivers who talk on cellphones are four times more likely to be in a crash and drive just as erratically as people with an 0.08 percent blood-alcohol level.
In one study cited by the highway safety agency, “drivers found it easier to drive drunk than to drive while using a phone, even when it was hands-free.”"
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Watching Whales Watching Us - NYTimes.com
Watching Whales Watching Us - NYTimes.com: "The sperm whale, for example, which has the largest brain on earth, weighing as much as 19 pounds, has been found to live in large, elaborately structured societal groups, or clans, that typically number in the tens of thousands and wander over many thousands of miles of ocean. The whales of a clan are not all related, but within each clan there are smaller, close-knit, matriarchal family units. Young whales are raised within an extended, multitiered network of doting female caregivers, including the mother, aunts and grandmothers, who help in the nurturing of babies and, researchers suspect, in teaching them patterns of movement, hunting techniques and communication skills. “It’s like they’re living in these massive, multicultural, undersea societies,” says Hal Whitehead, a marine biologist at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia and the world’s foremost expert on the sperm whale. “It’s sort of strange. Really the closest analogy we have for it would be ourselves.”"
It's a long article, but utterly, utterly magical.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
bgr spring 2008 -Food Rebellions.pdf (application/pdf Object)
Thought-provoking article, though a bit dated.
bgr spring 2008 -Food Rebellions.pdf (application/pdf Object)
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Nalini Nadkarni on conserving the canopy | Video on TED.com
Nalini Nadkarni on conserving the canopy | Video on TED.com
This presentation just gets better and better. LOVE the way she's partnered with some very unlikely groups to make a difference. Inspiring.
YouTube - Brasseur & Eisler (CAN) - 1994 Canadian Pros, Pairs' Artistic Program
YouTube - Brasseur & Eisler (CAN) - 1994 Canadian Pros, Pairs' Artistic Program
A very different pair of figure skaters, VERY different routine, but quite entertaining, good for a laugh! :)
Friday, July 10, 2009
Gordeeva & Grinkov, Vocalise
I hadn't seen this routine in years, but I've NEVER forgotten it. Breathtakingly beautiful.
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Developed Countries Must Address Global Warming To Prevent Disease, Hunger In Developing World
Developed Countries Must Address Global Warming To Prevent Disease, Hunger In Developing World: "Pollution from the world's wealthiest countries is spreading disease and hunger in developing countries, according to a new Oxfam International report, which calls on developed countries to address global warming when G8 leaders meet in Italy, the Globe and Mail reports. The report, titled 'Suffering the Science: Climate Change, People and Poverty,' says, 'It is in the tropics where the bulk of humanity lives - many of them in poverty - that climate change is hitting now and hitting hardest' (Bailey, 7/6).
Shifting seasons are destroying harvests resulting in widespread hunger, according to the report, which warns that multiple climate effects could reverse 50 years of work to end poverty, Xinhua reports. The report, which 'combines the latest scientific observations on climate change, and evidence from the communities Oxfam works with in almost 100 countries around the world,' predicts that by 2020, maize yields will drop by 15 percent or more in much of sub-Saharan Africa and in most of India, Xinhua writes (Ooko, 7/6)."
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
The Female Orgasm
This is actually a very good and informative video. I'd encourage you (women AND men) to go ahead and watch it - even if just for future reference or "for a friend". :)
You can't know too much about the female orgasm! ;->
The Female Orgasm (Love & Dating: Sex Problems)
Shared via AddThis
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
United breaks guitars
Cynthia Beernink This is GENIUS. You gotta watch it, even if you don't like country music. I read about this video here.
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Happy 5th of July
Happy 5th of July
Originally uploaded by MikeJonesPhoto.
Click on the photo to see the photographer's backstory to how he got this shot. Pretty cool.
The Best Kids’ Books Ever! - Nicholas D. Kristof Blog - NYTimes.com
The Best Kids’ Books Ever! - Nicholas D. Kristof Blog - NYTimes.com
For the parents* out there - this may help with the summer boredom. :)
(* Also for the teachers and those who simply enjoy children's literature for themselves.)
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Getting behind curtain of purdah no easy task - The Globe and Mail
Getting behind curtain of purdah no easy task - The Globe and Mail
Stephanie Nolen, again - one of my heroes.
Pakistan's female refugees live between freedom and fear - The Globe and Mail
Pakistan's female refugees live between freedom and fear - The Globe and Mail
Stephanie Nolen is an amazing journalist.
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Op-Ed Columnist - How Long Is Long Enough? - NYTimes.com
Op-Ed Columnist - How Long Is Long Enough? - NYTimes.com: "The treatment of the young captive was so egregious that the decorated U.S. Army officer assigned to prosecute him — a man gung-ho to secure a conviction against a defendant he believed had committed a serious crime against the American military — ended up removing himself from the case and declaring that he could no longer “in good conscience” participate in the military commissions set up to try accused terrorists."
Dear God, when will this end? For this young man and for Omar Khadr?
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Iranian youth practicing non-violence
This is where the rubber really hits the road. I am so humbled by the courage of the Iranians.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Video of Romancing the Road by Growing Bolder, at growingbolder.com
Video of Romancing the Road by Growing Bolder, at growingbolder.com
You'll want to click on this link to watch a pretty cool video of a woman with an amazing car.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan
The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan: "A reader recalls a similar phenomenon - in the violence after the assasination of Indira Gandhi - as captured by Amitav Ghosh in 'The Ghosts of Mrs. Gandhi':
'And then something happened that I have never completely understood. Nothing was said; there was no signal, nor was there any break in the rhythm of our chanting. But suddenly all women in our group - and the women made up more than half of the group's numbers - stepped out and surrounded the men; their saris and kameezes became thin, fluttering barrier, a wall around us. They turned to face the approaching men, challenging them, daring them to attack. The thugs took a few more steps toward us and then faltered, confused. A moment later, they were gone.'"
The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan
The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan: "Today in Haft-e Tir, there were so many members of basij that they outnumbered the demonstrators 3 or 4 to 1. They were less focused on women. This must be related to the murder of poor Neda. And this was also why whenever they got hold of a man, women would surround them and shout don’t beat him, don’t beat and they would turn and anxiously say we didn’t beat him. It was astonishing."
Monday, June 22, 2009
ConsiderThisNews
Just for fun, here's an example of someone whose cranium appears to have solidly breached his anal sphincter: ConsiderThisNews
Note to self
To Do: Create some gloriously positive memory on a day like today with a gorgeous cloudless azure sky, so I'll stop being reminded of 9/11.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
She finally has a home: Harvard - Los Angeles Times
She finally has a home: Harvard - Los Angeles Times
What an incredible story of triumph over adversity.
Twitter ripped the veil off ‘the other’ – and we saw ourselves - Times Online
Twitter ripped the veil off ‘the other’ – and we saw ourselves - Times Online:
As I did so, it was impossible not to feel connected to the people on the streets, especially the younger generation, with their blogs and tweets and Facebook messages – all instantly familiar to westerners in a way that would have been unthinkable a decade or so ago. This new medium ripped the veil off “the other” and we began to see them as ourselves.
All the accumulated suspicion and fear and alienation from three decades of hostility between Iran and America seemed to slip away. Whatever happens, the ability of this new media to bring people together - to bring the entire world into this revolution on the streets of Iran - has already changed things dramatically.
Of course, the technology also helped to organise and sustain the resistance in ways unavailable during the 1979 Islamic revolution. Here is how Mohsen Makhmalbaf, film-maker and overseas spokesman for Mir Hossein Mousavi, the focal point of the protests, put it in an interview with Foreign Policy magazine: “In the [1979] revolution, there were young people in the streets who were not as modern as the people are today. And they were in the streets following the lead of a leader, a mullah - in those times Ayatollah Khomeini.
“Now the young people in the streets are more modern: they use SMS [text messages]; they use the internet. And they are not being actually led by anyone, but they are connected to each other.”
This was, as Clay Shirky, the internet guru, put it, the “big one”. The unprecedented eruption from below on the streets of Iran was met with an eruption of new media to cover it. Shirky elaborates: “This is the first revolution that has been catapulted onto a global stage and transformed by social media.
. . . and people throughout the world are not only listening but responding. They’re engaging with individual participants, they’re passing on their messages to their friends and they’re even providing detailed instructions to [allow] internet access that the authorities can’t immediately censor. That kind of participation is really extraordinary.”
The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan
The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan: "And I've seen a lot. Just watch this pitched battle in the streets between a crowd and the riot police (via BBC Farsi). And watch it to the very end, as the police suddenly turn tail and run. Yes, you can hear the shouts 'Hurrah!' and I confess I found myself yelling it at my lap-top as well. Let us hope this is a microcosm of the whole thing. Faced with so many with such determination, the will of the regime will crumble."
Saturday, June 20, 2009
The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan
The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan: "I wrote a couple weeks back that something is happening in Iran. But it is not the only place where something is happening. The rejection of al Qaeda in Iraq and Afghanistan; the ground-up election of Obama in America; and now the rising up of Iranians for freedom and civility with their neighbors: these are the green shoots of recovery from 9/11 and its wake. Empowered by new information technology, chastened by the apocalyptic conflicts of the last few years, determined to shift course away from civilizational warfare, the people of many countries are grasping for a new order and a new peace. It will not be easy; and it will not be short. But it is the only path worth taking.
And these Iranians are now leading the rest of us."
Op-Ed Columnist - A Supreme Leader Loses His Aura as Iranians Flock to the Streets - NYTimes.com
Op-Ed Columnist - A Supreme Leader Loses His Aura as Iranians Flock to the Streets - NYTimes.com:
TEHRAN — The Iranian police commander, in green uniform, walked up Komak Hospital Alley with arms raised and his small unit at his side. “I swear to God,” he shouted at the protesters facing him, “I have children, I have a wife, I don’t want to beat people. Please go home.”
...I don’t know where this uprising is leading. I do know some police units are wavering. That commander talking about his family was not alone. There were other policemen complaining about the unruly Basijis. Some security forces just stood and watched. “All together, all together, don’t be scared,” the crowd shouted.
I also know that Iran’s women stand in the vanguard. For days now, I’ve seen them urging less courageous men on. I’ve seen them get beaten and return to the fray. “Why are you sitting there?” one shouted at a couple of men perched on the sidewalk on Saturday. “Get up! Get up!”
Another green-eyed woman, Mahin, aged 52, staggered into an alley clutching her face and in tears. Then, against the urging of those around her, she limped back into the crowd moving west toward Freedom Square. Cries of “Death to the dictator!” and “We want liberty!” accompanied her.
There were people of all ages. I saw an old man on crutches, middle-aged office workers and bands of teenagers. Unlike the student revolts of 2003 and 1999, this movement is broad.
Iran Updates (VIDEO): Live-Blogging The Uprising
Iran Updates (VIDEO): Live-Blogging The Uprising:
Barack Obama, in an interview, takes my breath away with his clear reasoning and long view of things ...
SMITH: People in this country say you haven't said enough, that you haven't been forceful enough in your support for those people on the street -- to which you say?THE PRESIDENT: To which I say, the last thing that I want to do is to have the United States be a foil for those forces inside Iran who would love nothing better than to make this an argument about the United States. That's what they do. That's what we're already seeing. We shouldn't be playing into that. There should be no distractions from the fact that the Iranian people are seeking to let their voices be heard.
What we can do is bear witness and say to the world that the incredible demonstrations that we've seen is a testimony to I think what Dr. King called the 'arc of the moral universal.' It's long but it bends towards justice.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Featured Article - Most polluted ecosystems recoverable
Featured Article - Most polluted ecosystems recoverable: "Most polluted or damaged ecosystems worldwide can recover within a lifetime if societies commit to their cleanup or restoration, according to an analysis of 240 independent studies by researchers at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies."
Op-Ed Columnist - Tear Down This Cyberwall! - NYTimes.com
Op-Ed Columnist - Tear Down This Cyberwall! - NYTimes.com
One of my favourite journalists, Nicholas Kristof, writes about the protests in Iran being coordinated/communicated via Twitter and other social networks, and how software written to empower Chinese dissidents is being used by the Iranians to circumvent blocking ordered by their government. Cool.
La Vida Locavore:: Hunger Is a Global Warming Issue
La Vida Locavore:: Hunger Is a Global Warming Issue
If you care about people's health around the world, you need to be concerned about climate change. It's just that simple.
Annals of Medicine: The Cost Conundrum: Reporting & Essays: The New Yorker
Annals of Medicine: The Cost Conundrum: Reporting & Essays: The New Yorker
This is a very well-written and -considered article re. costs of medical care in the U.S. The author, a surgeon, takes time to build up the scenario of why some areas of the US are more expensive than others, but it's fascinating throughout, and REALLY interesting at page 6/7 ...When you look across the spectrum from Grand Junction to McAllen—and the almost threefold difference in the costs of care—you come to realize that we are witnessing a battle for the soul of American medicine. Somewhere in the United States at this moment, a patient with chest pain, or a tumor, or a cough is seeing a doctor. And the damning question we have to ask is whether the doctor is set up to meet the needs of the patient, first and foremost, or to maximize revenue.
I find it particularly interesting how the lower-cost areas actually seem to provide BETTER care, and the steps doctors in those areas have taken to ensure that this is the case.
Well worth reading.
Healthcare CEOs Shoot Themselves in the Foot | Mother Jones
Healthcare CEOs Shoot Themselves in the Foot | Mother Jones
No wonder a recent poll indicates 75% of Americans want a "public option" ...
Monday, June 15, 2009
A quote suitable for my day today
All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another.
~Anatole France
Saturday, June 13, 2009
A therapeutic relationship in the fitting rooms
Note: Update below, at the end of this post.
She was in her late fifties, perhaps, and came into the fitting room area to try on some blouses. I encouraged her to come out and show them to me as she tried them on.
First blouse: short-sleeved semi-tailored lilac pinstripe. I suggested to her it was too big in the shoulders. She told me that she’d had breast surgery, and now her breasts were asymmetrical in size, shape, and even direction, so she needed the blouse to be loose to hide this fact. She was subtle about it, but I could tell she was gauging my reaction. Which was: Acceptance. I’m not afraid of your condition. Let’s deal with what we’ve got here. I will hold this as a safe space for you.
She went deeper: The blouse fit just fine around the middle, and would be too tight if she wore a smaller sized blouse. She’d gained some weight. Her confession was loaded with shame, frustration, self-anger. Her hands spread out as she explained her increased girth. Well, it sounds as though you’ve had a lot going on lately. She smiled with palpable relief. Yes, I certainly have.
So we discussed how the blouse was a good colour for her, and what bras might work to provide a better appearance of balance without causing her pain. She was very concerned about her nipples showing through her tops, and shared how she had always been offended when she’d seen other women who hadn’t dressed in a way to hide their nipples. Had their mothers not raised them properly? My mother's no longer here, so I have to tell myself I can't leave the house looking like that!
We talked about how the blouse could be tailored to take in the shoulders so it could better fit her. She had a job working with the public, so she wanted to look respectable and professional. She was playing around with the shoulder seam, and at one point I felt compelled to mention that she shouldn’t shorten the sleeves at all, as they would look a little odd if she did. Well, maybe they could, she started to say, and then she saw how shortening the sleeve would expose the loose skin on the back of her arms, and strenuously vowed that she would never wear something that would make them visible to the public. It’s normal, I said. She shared with me that when she was in school, she had a teacher who had loose skin around her arms, and as a young woman she couldn’t understand how her teacher – a strong, active woman – had let this happen to herself. And yet now here she was. I nodded and told her I understood, that I had started to stop myself whenever I found myself thinking, “Oh God, please don’t make me work with that person, or let THAT happen to me”, because sure enough …
Did you ever hear the joke about how to make God laugh? she asked. I hadn’t. Tell Him YOUR plans, she said.
She went back into the fitting room to try on another blouse. The next one, another extra large, was too big in every way, but the same one in a smaller size fit her beautifully. Her eyes had a little more sparkle now, and her posture was a little straighter. She asked me whether the seams that went over the breasts and down the sides looked improper or would draw too much attention to her chest. No, it gives you an hourglass shape, and generates the impression of symmetry. It looks wonderful on you. Sincerely. The colour is fantastic on you too.
Red’s my colour. A smile with new confidence.
Another blouse, another conundrum. This time, the neck was wide enough that some scarring above her breast was exposed. If I looked closely, I could see the scarring, but it mostly looked like some broken blood vessels. When they tell you that you need some tests, she said, you do everything they suggest. I never thought to ask whether they would leave a scar. I had more people look at my breasts in one month than in the rest of my life combined. Gets to the point you walk into a room and open up your shirt. No modesty left.
But it went further. I don’t want to be seen as showing off my scars or wearing a sign on my chest that will make people offended or feel uncomfortable. When I was going through all this my family didn’t want to talk about it. At all.
My heart wanted to break for her. I couldn’t imagine going through everything she had, and the subsequent painful insecurity and shame, and not having the support of her loved ones. They were probably just caught up in their own … Fear, she said, finishing my sentence. She knew. While I despaired of this woman’s judgment of herself (and other people), I marveled at her incredible resilience. A true survivor.
In the end, after kind words were exchanged, she left with three new blouses and new confidence. And, I hope, just a little more self-acceptance.
UPDATE: I wrote this in a hurry this morning, because it touched my heart. But I probably didn't put the emphasis where it should have been, which is how the situation allowed me to see from the outside (rather than listening to the "itty bitty shitty committee inside my head") how incredibly HARSH and JUDGMENTAL we can be to ourselves and other people. And what's the sense? Why do we hold ourselves to these ridiculous, meaningless standards of acceptable appearance/status/whatever when we're actually these amazingly strong and yet beautifully vulnerable beings?
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