Hmm...Interesting

What an ugly picture on Hillary!

2006-02-04T12:36:00.000-08:00

I wonder if the photgrapher who took this picture celebrated with wine, or just went "Uugh!" and sold it to the highest bidder on the internet??

Media Over-Hype in Hurricane Katrina

2005-09-27T20:47:00.000-07:00

Oh, boy. Even the LA Times is reporting there have been some “mistakes” over the media coverage in the first few days after the hurricane. Read this and please pass on the link. Spreading the word via blogs seems to be the only way we can keep the major news outlets accountable.

Hurricane Rita

2005-09-22T20:27:00.000-07:00

Why is it that it takes a disaster to bring people together? Why couldn't something else less dangerous bring the best out of people? Well, that's true, Hurricane Katrina bought the worst out of people too, as seen by the looting on CNN. But I mean, does God know the only time we really band together and become decent human beings is when death is nearby?

Sad, isn't it?

And is that why God allows disaster to come about is to remind us to stop looking out for "number one" and give a little compassion? I don't mean to be bitter and just vent, but hey, I'm just sending the question out there.

10,000 steps a day???

2005-07-24T11:47:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the inspiration from one of my co-workers, I bought a pedometer (Sportscraft, model #05416) at the local Rite-Aid. You know, those little electronic devices that hook on your belt and counts every step you take? She told me that you need to take 10,000 steps a day to be considered "active".

10,000 a day???

That intrigued me. Working at a hospital, I do a fair amount of walking eight hours a day. I only sit for approximately three hours a day, which includes breaks and lunch. Just how many times do my feet pound the ground on any given day?

The morning after I bought the pedometer, I set it to record only steps. I didn't care how far I walked or the number of calories I burned. I slipped the pedometer on at 6:00 am, and then went about my day.

The results were interesting. By 9:30 am, right at my first break, I had reached 2,500 steps. By lunchtime, I was up to 6,000. And when I clocked out at 3 pm, I was over 8,000 steps! I kept the pedometer on for the rest of the afternoon, and I reached 10,000 by 6 pm that night! Whew! No wonder I need a nap after work.

These results were obtained on a typical Wednesday when the workload was average. I didn't workout or make a trip to the grocery store. This day consisted of being at work, going home, talking a nap, and doing housework. I continued to wear the pedometer for the next few days, and I got the same results. 10,000 steps a day should be the norm for everybody, right?

Wrong. According to this article, the average number of steps for women is just over 5,000, and for men over 7,000. I'm assuming most of the people in that study are office workers. Very sedentary people took just 3000 a day. And according to this, just adding 2,000 steps a day would mean you will never gain another pound.

So is this the answer to the obesity problem? A pedometer? I say yes! Everyone should wear one! Everyone should see just how much or how little they move. Everyone should walk! If not in the gym, then to the mall, to the grocery store, to walk the dog, to anywhere but your couch! If you don't believe me, read this.

Looks good enough to eat...

2005-06-26T19:52:00.000-07:00

Lawn Mower Racing???

2005-06-25T16:36:00.000-07:00

Now that I've finally stopped laughing, you have to read this.

Strip off the cutting blades and give it room to run, though, and the tame gardening tool is transformed into a rumbling racer that can burn some serious sod. Capable of reaching speeds up to 90 mph, even NASCAR enthusiasts have to appreciate these "mowchines." Go ahead, snicker all you want. What started as a whim 13 years ago has grown so popular there are now more than 100 races a year all over the United States. The U.S. Lawn Mower Racing Association will have 14 points races this year, and local chapters run dozens more, including divisions for children 8-15.

Business School

2005-06-25T09:52:00.000-07:00

I've been reading the Wall Street Journal lately (lucky me!) and while my husband learns the hard stuff while getting his MBA, I'm learning about on-going sagas of the corporate world from a newspaper. Now, being of dull senses when it comes to anything business related, I'm getting a great orientation into why business and large corporations do the things they do. And I don't get the notion that corporations are just damn greedy bastards (although cheating, greedy bastards do exist and are going to jail one by one, according to the WSJ). Now I'm not inclined to go and get an MBA myself, but this just raises me from the almost-clueless to the somewhat-informed status when my husband comes home and tells me what he's learned that day.

Photoblogging

2005-04-11T11:51:00.000-07:00

My car in a nice spot

Just testing out my photoblogging abilities. We went camping last year in our brand new Honda Element. I don't think we need our tent anymore...

Our Cat

2005-04-11T00:05:00.000-07:00

"Deaf Kitty"

Let me introduce our cat. Well, our stray cat. We think it's deaf. It only responds when it sees you, not when you make any sounds. And no, we don't know its sex, because it won't let us near it long enough to find out. It began hanging out at our house about six months ago. We gave it food and a bed, and as some of our cat-owner friends have said, Deaf Kitty adopted us.

Terri Schiavo

2005-03-28T13:43:00.000-08:00

I sometimes find myself wondering why I don't comment about the Schiavo case. Truth of the matter is, this case hits too close to home. I have a family member who suffered irreparable brain damage years ago and he was never the same since. He was no where near as bad as Terri Schiavo, but my family still had to go through the task of caring for a sick loved one. If anything, I do wish that Terri's husband and parents just locked themselves in a room and have at it. Do all the yelling, sreaming, fighting, and crying in the same room, but they would not be allowed to come out until they have a clear, mutual understanding of what's best for Terri. Too often, people are quick to involve a multitude of people (lawers, judges, the media, etc.) in a situation where it's strictly a family affair. In this case, they involved the whole country! Was that necessary?

IMHO, I disagree with Michael Schiavo's desire to remove the feeding tube. I agree Terri might not want to continue living that way. But the key word is "might," and I can't play GOD and take matters into my own hands. Let God take her when He wants to, not when we want to.

The Study of Blogging

2005-03-13T14:29:00.000-08:00

It's official. Blogging has become a topic of serious study.

Lada Adamic and Natalie Glance have authored a paper called "The Political Blogoshere and the 2004 U.S Election: Divided They Blog"

In our study we witnessed a divided blogosphere: liberals and conservatives linking primarily within their separate communities, with far fewer cross-links exchanged between them. This division extended into their discussions, with liberal and conservative blogs focusing on different news articles, topics and political figures. An interesting pattern that emerged was that conservative bloggers were more likely to link to other blogs: primarily conservative blogs, but also some liberal ones. But while the conservative blogosphere was more densely linked, we did not detect a greater uniformity in the news and topics discussed by conservatives.

TiVo is Awesome!

2005-03-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

My husband and I just bought a TiVo about three weeks ago, and to tell you the truth, I can't live without it anymore. That thing is great! It's like having dial-up all your life and then suddenly discovering broadband. It's the only way to watch TV.

It has a feature called a "season pass", where it allows me to record every episode of CSI whenever it's playing (I watch all three, and that includes the ones in syndication). The commercials are easy to fast forward through. I can also look forward about two weeks to see the upcoming movies. For instance, last night I recorded "Gladiator", which I programmed about 10 days ago. It's so liberating because I don't have to plan my nights around the TV schedule. And yes, you can pause live TV!

Right now, the box cost about $100 at Best Buy, after a $100 rebate, and $13 a month for the TiVo service. (Do I sound like a commerical? I don't mean to.) It's worth the investment if you have a very busy life, still need your CSI kick (or whatever you're in to).

Newspapers sink in elections

2005-03-06T17:34:00.000-08:00

This story seems very fitting. I found it at MSN today.

"Eighteen percent of American adults cited the Internet as one of their two main sources of news about the presidential races, compared with 3 percent in 1996

Well that makes sense, since there wasn't a lot of things on the 'net at 1996. Then it goes on:

"Meanwhile, the influence of newspapers dropped to 39 percent last year, from 60 percent in 1996, according to the joint, telephone-based survey from the Pew Research Center..."

So, what does the LA Times do for an encore?

The Wasteland of Walmart

2004-11-30T17:19:00.000-08:00

I didn't realize how many people hated to shop at Walmart until I read this.

I dread going into a Walmart. I've had many, many converstations with friends and family about which Walmart was filthier. The absolute worst one I've been in is the Walmart at Cerritos Towne Center in Cerritos, CA. There is definately a lot of children-rolling-on-the-ground-and-tossing-everything-every-which-way factor take makes shopping there very unpleasant. I make it a rule not to use a shopping cart in there because I have to fight with everyone else's cart to go down the ailse. As big as the building is, I feel like I'm shopping in a sardine can. Does anyone else feel that way?

Woe is me! No wait, that's the Democrats

2004-11-21T17:35:00.000-08:00

I've been reading a lot of sad, dejected blogs by professed Democrats since November 2nd election, and after 3 weeks, I think they should realize something:

The world did not end.

The world did not stop spinning on its axis, the entire continent of North America did not sink in the depths of the ocean, and the environment did not burst into fire when George Walker Bush was re-elected into the White House.

That being said, the Democrats should wipe their tears and forge onward towards 2008. However, I don't want to sound like all those other pundits who were attacking the Democrats one minute, and then giving them advice the next, all in the attempt to say "There, there, we won. Didn't I tell you we would win?" The Democratic party knows what to do. And in four years they'll be ready. Don't count them out yet. Three weeks ago, 48% the Americans didn't.

Nov 4, 2004....relief!

2004-11-06T16:24:00.000-08:00

Okay, how many of you can breathe a sigh of relief now that the election is over? (Me! Me!)

I have to say election night was an absolute nailbiter until the wee hours of the morning. I can't even begin to tell you the last time I was that riveted to CNN (usually those guys are kind of dull; MSN seems to have more life in their reporters.) But it was exciting, wasn't it? Kind of like watching a thrilling Super Bowl game, or the U.S. trouncing Russia in an Olympic event. But in the end, I think the best man won. Kerry was frightening. Newsweek is reporting that during the campaign, Kerry would call all his friends every time his aides made a campaign decision to see if it was the right move. He had his cellphone taken away twice! Now would you put the country in his hands?

As an aside, here is a hilarious story of the Brit's attempt to influence the election.

On your mark, get set....

2004-11-01T20:46:00.000-08:00

This is it, folks.

Tomorrow is election day.

This has been a gruelling, muddy campaign, with many casualties on both sides (Dan Rather may be one of them.) I just want to wish you all short lines at the voting polls. To those absentee voters, God speed to the mail man. We've been waiting long and hard for this day, the day when we all have the collective responsibility for the direction of our country. But more importantly, we share the burden of the world. For the world looks to our country for leadership, and tomorrow our leadership will look directly at us. What will we tell them? What will we tell the world? It is an awesome responsibility, one that can't be taken lightly.

Many men have died fighting for my right to vote. What have I done to earn that right, except to be living in the greatest country in the world? It is a humbling prospect, to think that I have inherited the privilege of doing something so highly valued in terms of lives lost, and at the same time so crucial to the fate of planet Earth. I shudder to think about it sometimes.

I want my flu vaccine!

2004-10-16T22:44:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't you know the Democrats had a hand in this one too?

Seems like a decision made way back in 1995 by Clinton Administration (aka Hillary) has lead to this year's flu vaccine shortage. Here's a blurb from an op-ed piece written by Robert Golberg of the Washington Times:

"The current mismatch of immediate demand and available supply can be blamed on the federal Vaccines For Children Program — Hillary Clinton's dry run for national health care. The vaccine program buys up nearly 70 percent of all childhood vaccines at government-set prices and then distributes them to states according to a federally set formula. The result is no surprise to those of us who lived through the policy-induced gasoline crises of the 1970s. Vaccines have gone to where the outbreaks aren't, and price controls have discouraged vaccine makers from producing more than what the government orders and blocked the purchase of more than 4 million doses of an easy to administer vaccination through the private sector. "

Now it really irks me that the country that supposedly has the best health care system in the world can't even produce enough flu vaccine for its own people. The flu is not just a medical nuisance that comes around every winter. It's far more deadlier than SARS and West Nile will ever be, killing on average 36,000 people a year in the U.S. alone!

This year, if we have a bad flu season, we "spring chickens" will just have to bear with it. But please make an effort to vaccinate the kids and the older folks. There is no sense in dying over something as preventable as the flu.

Kerry can do what?!!

2004-10-12T19:52:00.000-07:00

John Edwards on a recent campaign stop:

'We will stop juvenile diabetes, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and other debilitating diseases... When John Kerry is president, people like Christopher Reeve are going get up out of that wheelchair and walk again.'

Excuse me??

Okay, normally, I don't blog about campaign issues, but I have to say something about this one.

First of all, Christopher Reeve was years away from walking, bless is heart. Sorry to say, but research can only move so fast, especially when you're dealing with the FDA and the gargantuan process of clinical trials. Second, embryonic stem cells make up only one kind of stem cells -- they just happen to be the most controversial. There are also cordblood stem cells (from a newborn baby's umbilical cord), bone marrow stem cells -- and of all things -- FAT stem cells.

Yes, you too can contribute to science with your liposuction!

The suspense is killing me!

2004-10-08T21:33:00.000-07:00

It's Friday night, and I'm listening to the 2nd presidential debate. I tell you, this election have been giving me heart palpatations in my young age. This side is winning the polls, that side won the debate, etc, etc....Now I think Bush is winning this debate.

'Sigh'

Okay, how many more days 'till the election?
Let's get this over with, I say!
Let's vote now!
Let's get back to normal life!

Egad, I've never watched so much CSPAN in my life!

SpaceShipOne

2004-10-05T16:19:00.000-07:00

Yeah! They won!!

I've always known that someday, space would be a place where people would pay money to visit. It's just the natural progression of things, no matter how much NASA hates the idea.

Yes, yes, I remember the grand notion of the "Right Stuff" from the 1960's. And the long, arduous training astronauts have to go through to even get to space have made space travelers noble and heroic. But just like Lewis and Clark, they have to make way for those who are following them, even at the cost of $200,000 a ride.

Didn't P. Diddy spend that much on his tuxedos?

Return of the King, Extended Edition

2004-10-04T20:06:00.000-07:00

I have to wait until December 14th?! Nooooo!

That's too long -- way too long. Now, I'm very picky when it comes to buying DVDs. It has to meet several critieria. 1) How good is the movie? 2) Is it a classic? and 3) How often can I stand watching it over and over again? I think I would have worn out Fellowship and Towers if it were tapes a long time ago.

Thar She Blows!

2004-10-04T19:45:00.000-07:00

I'm eagerly awaiting the news that Mount St. Helens has finally blown it's top. Not that I want hundreds of thousands of acres devastated again, but just the spectacle of a gigantic blast spewing thousands of feet into the air should make for an awesome sight. Now, if only those lookie-loo's camped out at the mountain's base would get out of the way (excluding scientists.) If just one person got hurt, that would ruin the whole thing.

If you see us on the road...

2004-09-26T09:05:00.000-07:00

Sticker on our car

CBS and Dan Rather inspired my husband, too!

Hurricane Jeanne

2004-09-25T22:10:00.000-07:00

I sit in front of CNN and Fox News watching these poor, wet reporters covering the forth hurricane to hit Florida in the past, what, month? Haven't we seen these images before? They could have just played a tape from one of the previous hurricanes and stayed high and dry. I pity those poor Floridians, but after three hurricanes, I would think they would have gotten the message by now. And the same goes for those reporters.

Welcome!

2004-09-25T21:22:00.000-07:00

In light of recent events (the Dan Rather fiasco), I decided to join the ranks of bloggers in their "pajamas". Should be fun!

Anyhow, I'm not out to bring down any major news organization, just state my own personal view on things at the end of each day: news, movies, science, personal experiences, etc. I know that's a short intro, but I'll have more to say as the days come. So with that, I bid you all a good night's sleep.