August 25, 2006

Other: Too ... Much ... Stuff!

One thing I've noticed in moving and helping others move is that it's the perfect time to cull your posessions. Not so much when you're packing, but when you're unpacking. When you are packing, you see, the attitude of "how could I leave this behind?" or "I might use this" is dominant. Once you've moved, though, and day three (four, five...) of opening boxes with wild eyes and held breath wondering where all the space had gone, well THEN you're ready to throw shit out. Or give it away. Or break in the new back yard with a bonfire.

You'll be in a proper state of mind to open boxes and say "Why the hell...?"

With this in mind, I'm clearing out some of my bookmarks:


Religion

I had always considered 5% to be fairly constant as far as atheists go as a North American population. That's why this USA Today map gave me a bit of a shock.

With Plan B finally getting approval, I just have to wonder about the sort of things those opposed to it get up to... Between the paedohpelia, rape, incest, and teen sex cults that they present, you've just got to ask what's on their mind? But where are the adolescent sex-cults in Canada and Europe? You'd almost think they were confusing Plan B with Zyklon B or something. Nah, they wouldn't use Holocaust imagery, would they?


Politics

There's a new federal grant program in the United States for students "majoring in engineering, mathematics, science, or certain foreign languages." Except, apparently, evolutionary biology. Gosh, how'd THAT happen? How about checking a few of those folks opposed to the teaching of evolution for the HAR1 gene sequence? I just want to be sure.

This story will tell you more about how real politics works than any Political Theory class.

And how does China end up with unions in Wal Mart when no one else in the world has managed it? The totalitarian regime has finally met it's match, eh?


Sex

Just a bit more on Plan B - wouldn't you think that it's more of an emergency when someone under 18 risks pregnancy than someone 18 or over?

Sex education got a helping hand over in Ohio: at least, the end of wishful thinking did. Of the 409 female students at one school in the 2004-2005 year, 64 of them were pregnant. The school was using an abstinence-only curriculum. This year, another 35 were pregnant, so perhaps the notoriety helped, but even so they are switching to a program that includes discussing birth control.

But then, the entire region looks like it could use help: about 17% of the babies born in the Aultman Hospital and Mercy Medical Center were to mothers between 11 and 19 years old.

Of course, maybe those students got their information from a federally-funded, faith-based pregnancy centre.

I have had a long and abiding lust for red hair (my first love, Marilu Henner!), and now I think I know why.


Science

Speaking of unique genes, it looks like one variety of cancer can actually be considered a form of independent life! Well, a parasite, at least. (Note: if you had a problem watching Alien, you probably shouldn't read this.)

I recently encountered someone mentioning The Politically Incorrect Guide to Science as a credible source. Chris Mooney disagrees. About all you need to know about the book is that it comes from Regnery Press, the folks that published David Horowitz, Michelle Malkin, the Swift Boat folks, and so on. Does William F. Buckley Jr. ever look around at who's now on "his side" and wonder what the hell happened? George Will has.

Motorcycles

If I had (several) million dollars... Vespa is looking for Moto Guzzi dealers for Canada. I'm sure I've mentioned my next bike, right?

Other

Wondering how safe your imports/branch stores/overseas sweatshops are? Just check this handy-dandy map of political and economic risk!

Scared of anthrax? Try compound 1080 on for size:
Odorless, tasteless, water soluble, and without antidote, 1080 blocks cellular metabolism, leading to a quick yet painful death.

For those of us who just don't know our way around the kitchen, here's a hint: the egg you're boiling is done when it says it's done.

That's enough for the weekend.

Labels:

posted by Thursday at 11:07 pm

1 Comments:

Anonymous slow computer said...

nice blog.

11:17 pm  

Post a Comment

<< Home