If you don't recognize yourself in this one, you've been doing all your shopping online (good for you!)...

h/t QOAE

Posted by: caltechgirl at 09:38 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Some people should have their license to think REVOKED.  Ladies and Gentlemen I bring you another example of a brilliant IDIOT:

A devil food is turning our kids into homosexuals

"There's a slow poison out there that's severely damaging our children and threatening to tear apart our culture. The ironic part is, it's a "health food," one of our most popular.... I have nothing against an occasional soy snack. Soy is nutritious and contains lots of good things. Unfortunately, when you eat or drink a lot of soy stuff, you're also getting substantial quantities of estrogens.

Estrogens are female hormones. If you're a woman, you're flooding your system with a substance it can't handle in surplus. If you're a man, you're suppressing your masculinity and stimulating your "female side," physically and mentally.

... If you're a grownup, you're already developed, and you're able to fight off some of the damaging effects of soy. Babies aren't so fortunate. Research is now showing that when you feed your baby soy formula, you're giving him or her the equivalent of five birth control pills a day. A baby's endocrine system just can't cope with that kind of massive assault, so some damage is inevitable. At the extreme, the damage can be fatal.

Soy is feminizing, and commonly leads to a decrease in the size of the penis, sexual confusion and homosexuality. That's why most of the medical (not socio-spiritual) blame for today's rise in homosexuality must fall upon the rise in soy formula and other soy products. (Most babies are bottle-fed during some part of their infancy, and one-fourth of them are getting soy milk!) Homosexuals often argue that their homosexuality is inborn because "I can't remember a time when I wasn't homosexual." No, homosexuality is always deviant. But now many of them can truthfully say that they can't remember a time when excess estrogen wasn't influencing them. "[emphasis mine - Ed.]

I don't care what you believe about homosexuality and its origins in an individual, but this guy has his science completely bass-ackwards. Don't let this idiot scare you off of a very healthy food that is a good source of protein for those of us NOT allergic to it.

h/t Boi From Troy

Posted by: caltechgirl at 08:21 AM | Comments (10) | Add Comment
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Shamelessly stolen from Armed Liberal at Winds of Change:

Over at HuffPo, Alec Baldwin, (of the "Film Actors Guild") speaks out on what's wrong, and what we need to do about it. One of these is real, and one is a line from a puppet movie. Can you tell which is which?

Quote #1: "By following the rules of the Film Actor's Guild, the world can become a better place; that handles dangerous people with talk, and reasoning; that, is the fag way. One day you'll all look at the world us actors created and say, "wow, good going, fag. You really made the world a better place, didntcha, fag?" "

Quote #2: "There is an answer to this problem. There is a way to defeat terrorism while building new and better alliances in the Arab world. It will be an enormously complex and difficult diplomatic puzzle. But the first step might be oddly simple. Get rid of the CIA, which has outlived its usefulness and is an embarrassment to this great country, and rebuild and reform US intelligence capabilities to fight this new type of threat. I think our hopes must begin there."

Posted by: caltechgirl at 09:39 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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The Vice President's daughter is pregnant and due in late spring.

I am overjoyed for what seems to be a close and loving family, by all accounts, to be adding a new member.  I am beyond happy for Mary and her partner Heather that they are about to realize their dream of becoming parents.

Seems a lot of people can't feel that way.  On one side, they're too busy blaming the VP for supporting policies that go against his daughter's (and her partner's) interest.  On the other side, they're panicking because a conservative leader is about to have a grandchild with homosexual parents.

Every article I've seen on this goes out of its way to point out that Gays and Straights are both up in arms over Mary Cheney's bundle of joy.

You'd think it was the second coming, or at least a new Brangelina baby for all of the fuss going on out there today.  Or maybe that you'd picked up an old newspaper.  Didn't we go through this when Melissa Etheridge and her (then) partner Julie Cypher had children a decade ago?

Can't we get past this and just say that a healthy baby is a blessing to a family, no matter how traditional?  Can we admit that two stable parents are always better than one, whether it's two moms, two dads, or one of each?  Can we agree that this child will have some wonderful role models for strength and integrity?

I am disgusted.  These opportunistic political vultures have taken what should be a happy occasion for the entire family and turned it into a political fracas.

For myself, I will say this much:  Congratulations to Mary and Heather and their families.  I wish you a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby, and all the joys that come with that.  Anything else that anyone has to say on the subject is bullshite.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 01:59 PM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
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1 I agree with you 100%.

Posted by: Fausta at December 07, 2006 02:10 PM (ANpp6)

2 You said it. Conservatives need to stop screeching long enough to see what asses they're becoming. And yes, that's coming from a far right wing Christian conservative. I think both parties need to take a timeout and cut the mindless rhetoric. Idiots.

Posted by: Janette at December 07, 2006 02:22 PM (hkz5l)

3 Leave it the polcats on all sides to make an ISSUE out of non issue. Really...and of course the media is eating this one right up. I say- let the baby come in peace and leave the Cheney's alone. We have more important things to be concerned with.

Posted by: Raven at December 07, 2006 02:55 PM (5FCgi)

4 Exactly right. Mary is not in politics (at least as far as I know - maybe I missed something) so she should be left alone, with the possible exception of congratulations. Just as I would never say anything about Chelsea Clinton - unless she went into politics. Her life is her own to live - regardless of what her father does or doesn't do.

Posted by: Teresa at December 07, 2006 03:32 PM (5UR9t)

5 I agree.

Posted by: Sissy at December 07, 2006 03:34 PM (e+8WB)

6 "I am disgusted. These opportunistic political vultures have taken what should be a happy occasion for the entire family and turned it into a political fracas." Well said. VERY well said. And on another note, do you realize how long it took me to figure out who in the hell "ctg" was?? I was like, this person seems to know me really well, but I have no idea what these letters stand for. I'm blaming it on finals. It only took me three days to figure it out. Not bad, for a major dork, eh?

Posted by: Mia at December 07, 2006 07:54 PM (MxZ0R)

7 Well said. You are right on the money on this one (as usual).

Posted by: Greta at December 07, 2006 08:09 PM (yy954)

8 I may not necessarily agree with Mary's and Heather's lifestyle choices, but as you say, there is NO need to turn it into a 'political fracas' by either gays OR straights. And the fact that the Cheney political family neither pushes Mary into an active role nor tries to 'hide' her, shows how much they love her, and respect and support her.

Posted by: Mrs_Who at December 09, 2006 10:03 AM (ororX)

9 I mostly agree ... except I'm still trying to figure out how Heather got Mary pregnant, or how Mary convinced Heather that she got Mary pregnant ...

Posted by: IB Bill at December 11, 2006 12:40 PM (6WcMd)

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(cross posted over at my little blog)

It's a lengthy rant full of profanity, so I'll put it into the extended entry. more...

Posted by: writersblock at 07:23 PM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
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1 My ex-gf was a size 12, and I thought she was awesome. Most of her mass was in her ass, so her hips were thick and she had plenty of cushion to grab onto. She was not a tiny girl (I should know, since I did lift her and scrape paint off the walls during some wild sex sessions), but she had a great body. I'm sure most people wouldn't consider that size appropriate, sexy, or whatever, but what they don't like is irrelevant. Do what you want, with whom you want, when and where you want. Well, just make sure they're legal.

Posted by: Thomas Warlock at November 29, 2006 10:40 PM (Y1qMM)

2 Babe, it's you. I think you looked great. But we see all of our own flaws. We know what to look for, after all. The thing is, in the world of fashion, plus-size is size 8. EIGHT!!!!! One of the skinny flat chested models on Project Runway this year was considered a "large, difficult" model because she was a size 6!! The average American "fit" woman is a size 10. So I guess by that definition, plus-sized is normal.

Posted by: caltechgirl at November 29, 2006 11:10 PM (Gk+J0)

3 Oh man, you spewed my words here. I hate that I'm "Plus Size" please . . . I'm a big girl, no hiding that, but I agree, size 12, not plus size!

Posted by: oddybobo at November 30, 2006 05:57 AM (mZfwW)

4 Now you know why I refuse to watch that garbage. And it is garbage... I've been a size 12 for years. There is even a magazine called More for plus sized women - those over size 10. Screw 'em. You do what you have to do to keep yourself feeling good. All the rest is Hollywood BS. They're so twisted, they could hide behind spiral staircases without a problem.

Posted by: Teresa at November 30, 2006 05:59 AM (5UR9t)

5 When I was nineteen, some guy I'd just met told me I was fat (I'm 5'5" tall, and weighed 125 lbs.). I started dieting, eating 300 calories, or less, a day. I exercised two to four hours daily. After three months I got down to 110 lbs. My brother told me that I had no more ass, and I was so happy. I wonder what would have happened to me if appendicitis hadn't interrupted my "diet." Who defines "beauty," and why do we all follow along like brainless idiots? Wish I had some answers.

Posted by: Carol at November 30, 2006 07:03 AM (dkSde)

6 Marilyn Monroe was a 14, if I remember correctly. And yeah, Hollywood sucks!

Posted by: Lisa at November 30, 2006 07:27 AM (S64wG)

7 Cindy Crawford, at her height in popularity, was a size 8. I always considered her, in my adolescent mind, to be perfect. "Plus Size" (like many things in life) is a matter of perspective. If you're 100kg and 1.5 meters tall, that's overweight; if you're 50kg at the same height, you're considered adequate. Still, most people ignore height and focus entirely on mass, regardless of the fact that it is irrelevant without a frame of reference. 50kg may be "ideal" in the minds of some, but if the person in question is 2 meters tall, they would be little more than a skeleton.

Posted by: Thomas Warlock at December 01, 2006 08:40 PM (DrJ3w)

8 Excellent post. Excellent.

Posted by: Richmond at December 02, 2006 06:32 PM (e8QFP)

9 Hate to break your bubble, but you look like you weigh 220 pounds in that picture. You are obese, accept it and move out of denial.

Posted by: Ellen at December 08, 2006 10:47 AM (5f5DF)

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I don't know about his heart, but certain other organs sure seem to respond to food:

Thirty-one men, aged 18 to 64 years... underwent olfactory testing with the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT), a 40-item, forced choice, scratch and sniff odor detection and identification test...  The effects of 30 odors on penile blood flow were assessed by comparing a subject's brachial penile index while wearing an odorized mask to his average index while wearing an unodorized mask. This was done for each subject for each odor.

1.  Lavender and pumpkin pie
2.  Doughnut and black licorice
3.  Pumpkin pie and doughnut
4.  Orange
5.  Lavender and doughnut
6.  Black licorice and cola
7.  Black licorice
8.  Doughnut and cola
9.  Lily of the valley
10. Buttered popcorn

Posted by: caltechgirl at 11:17 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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Oh wait.  It sure as hell does:

Posted by: caltechgirl at 10:56 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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The two things I hate most are ignorance and hypocrisy. This event promises to deliver both. IN SPADES.

Since when is a health system that is so short on drugs that patients must get drunk rather than have an anesthetic held up as a model of what to do in this country?

I realize that the residents of South Los Angeles are USED to substandard health care (witness emergency room closings and the state of the former King-Drew hospital), but to actively seek to model a health system that looks good on paper, but in reality provides no relief to the suffering is inexcusable.

This is a real Cuban hospital. Do we really want to look to this for answers to our healthcare problems?

Posted by: caltechgirl at 10:07 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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It's a subject we haven't visited on this blog since The Breck Girl™ and Ketchup Boy lost the election, but the hypocrisy of John Edwards is back in the news again.

Of course he says it's all just a mistake made by an underling.

Wal-Mart had noted in a news release Thursday that on the same day Edwards was criticizing the company in a conference call with union-backed activists, the volunteer staff member had asked a Raleigh, N.C., electronics department manager to obtain a PS3 for the ex-senator's family.

Earlier Thursday, Edwards had said in a statement e-mailed by spokeswoman Kim Rubey: "We instructed no one to contact Wal-Mart on our behalf."

From Wal-Mart headquarters in Bentonville, Ark., company spokesman David Tovar said the Edwards staff member left a voicemail at the Raleigh store and identified himself as an Edwards staff member.

When the manager returned the call, the staff member again identified himself as working for Edwards, and Wal-Mart said it confirmed it with Edwards' office. The retailer issued a written statement Thursday accusing Edwards of not wanting to wait his turn.

"While the rest of America's working families are waiting patiently in line, Sen. Edwards wants to cut to the front," the Wal-Mart statement said.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 11:34 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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USC REALLY DID beat Texas in last year's Rose Bowl National Championship game.

...although this is a DAMN close second. Oh my......

Posted by: caltechgirl at 08:20 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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The Dixie Chicks got you down?  CMA awards hijinks too much to handle?  Why not write your own country songs???

Here's mine:

I met her outside Fresno in September;
I can still recall that little hat she wore
She was drinkin' Dr. Pepper in the twilight,
and I knew I'd have to scrape her off the floor;
She asked me if I'd stay a dwarf forever;
She said to me that Rolaids made her high;
But who'd have thought she'd wind up with a robot;
I pushed her off the bridge and waved goodbye.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 01:31 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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One of my girly pals was visiting from out of town, so we all went to get pedicures together, and as I chose the color for my toes, I couldn't help but think of Rob....

Posted by: caltechgirl at 11:36 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Happy birthday wishes to the Random Penseur as well!

Enjoy your birthday lunch and your half day off!

Posted by: caltechgirl at 11:45 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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John Kerry is a Tool. A rusty, squeaky, useless TOOL.

Many liberal gasbags have jumped up to defend his dubious honor and attempt to point out that this remark is actually aimed at President Bush:

Because, OF COURSE a US Senator would NEVER insult our brave men and women in uniform, right?

It's not like he's never questioned their intelligence or called our troops terrorists before.....

And as for President Bush, lets not forget that someone else's medals aren't the only things Ketchup Boy would like to throw at the President.

Here's my advice for John Kerry: Go away. Go quietly. No one cares about you anymore, even the idiots who still drive around with your name on their bumper as if the 2004 election hasn't happened yet. You are a joke waiting to explode in someone else's face. No wonder candidates in your own party are distancing themselves from your coattails.

Like he's gonna listen.

UPDATE: The Troops respond:

h/t Alabama Improper

UPDATE II: More soldier's response, here's what CPT Ziegenfuss has to say:

I wouldn't piss on [Kerry] if he was on fire. And that is coming from someone who has *been* on fire.

Yeeouch!

Posted by: caltechgirl at 11:13 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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...Me.

I have the cold from hell, which may even be the flu.  It's no joke when I tell people that traveling makes me ill.  Because of the RA and the mild immunosuppression from the drugs, I get whatever's going around, the first AND the second time.  So instead of sitting on my office working on grant applications, dealing with my students, etc. I am sitting on my couch drifting in and out of consciousness in front of SportCenter, occasionally being able to smell the pot roast I have in the crockpot for tonight.

I suppose I should share the recipe.  It being the easiest pot roast ever.  Goes together in 5 minutes in the AM and cooks all day while you're out.

Easy CrockPot PotRoast ala TJ

Crockpot
Roast of your choice, suitable for pot roast.  I have no idea what cut of meat is in there today
4-6 small to medium potatoes
2 handfuls baby carrots (about 1.5 cups chopped carrot eq.)
1 "potbelly" (large can) of Trader Joe's Rich Onion Soup
large dash Worcestershire sauce
Garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
(you can also add about 1/2 cup red wine to the liquid, if you like)


Place the roast in the crockpot.  If it has a predominate "fat side", place the fat side up.  Pour the can of soup over the roast.  Add up to 1 cup water to the can to wash out any remaining onions, and add to the crockpot.  Add worcestershire sauce (and wine if desired), garlic powder and salt and pepper.  Give the liquid a bit of a stir to mix elements.

Wash potatoes thoroughly, and remove any eyes.  Cut in half and drop potatoes around roast so all are covered with liquid.  Add carrots.

Cover and set crockpot to low.  Let cook 8 hours.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 01:16 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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Seattle has a new tourism slogan: Metronatural

When Washington state announced its new tourism slogan last spring, Pike Place Market vendor Kenny Telesco was willing to give it a chance. He practiced saying it with "jazz hands" and asked tourists to "SayWA" as they posed for photos. But he's not sure he can stomach Seattle's new tourism slogan, unveiled Friday in 18-foot-tall letters atop the Space Needle: "metronatural."

"How do you use that in a sentence?" Telesco asked. "'Welcome to Metronatural.' ... It's an airport where you can buy organic bananas."

Others suggested "metronatural" evoked an urban nudist camp and speculated about whether it would last longer than "SayWA," which the state dropped recently because it failed to catch on.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 03:51 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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We don't have rules about messing with your door. And skillz like his come in handy on Ditch Day.

When's Ditch Day, you ask? It's tomorrow, Froshies. Go to bed early!

Posted by: caltechgirl at 09:31 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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South Park AND Dog the Bounty Hunter.  That's hard to beat.

Here's Cartman the Hall Monitor:

And Cartman the Hall Monitor with his Crew:

BTW this is a classic episode, "Miss Teacher Bangs a Boy", pointing out the double standard whereby male teachers who molest students spend their lives in jail while a female teacher practically gets away with it because banging the teacher is every guy's fantasy.

And while I'm on the subject, some gratuitous Van Halen video love:

Sammy Hagar is a tool. David Lee Roth kicks ass.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 09:13 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Renowned cosmologist Stephen Hawking is getting a divorce....

Really, it's no surprise to me, as there have been rumors of difficulties between Professor Hawking and his wife for almost a decade, nearly as long as they have been married.  Nevertheless, I feel sorry for both of them.  Prof. Hawking is a genuine and funny person, even if the ALS has stolen his comedic timing.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 10:30 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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I love the SportsCenter commercials from ESPN. Love them.

Here's my favorite of the new batch:

While we're at it, here's DH's favorite:

More Classic SportsCenter videos here.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 05:17 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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