Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Karma

"You say one of the common messages in all these religions was what we now call the Golden Rule. And Confucius was probably the first person who came up with this idea.

All these sages, with the exception of the Greeks, posited a counter-ideology to the violence of their time. The safest way to get rid of egotism was by means ofcompassion. The first person to promulgate the Golden Rule, which was thebedrock of this empathic spirituality, was Confucius 500 years before Christ.His disciples asked him, 'What is the single thread that runs through all yourteaching and pulls it all together?' And Confucius said, 'Look into your own
heart. Discover what it is that gives you pain. And then refuse to inflict thatpain on anybody else.' His disciples also asked, 'Master, which one of yourteachings can we put into practice every day?' And Confucius said, 'Do not do to others as you would not have them do to you.' The Buddha had his version of the Golden Rule. Jesus taught it much later. And Rabbi Hillel, the older contemporary of Jesus, said the Golden Rule was the essence of Judaism. "

Now if only supply met demand......

"The scientists, at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, examined the DNA of 148 healthy male and female university students and compared the results with questionnaires asking for the students' self-descriptions of their sexual desire, arousal and sexual function. They found a correlation between variants in a gene called the D4 receptor and the students' self-reports on sexuality.
The results suggest that low sexual desire might be a normal biological condition rather than a psychological problem, the researchers say. Further, it might be possible to develop drugs to alter sexual desire based on the new findings."

what is this state's problem?

"In Arizona, one in six adults had their identities stolen in the last five years, about twice the national rate, according to the Javelin survey.
Arizona officials have responded with a preventive mantra: shred all documents and avoid giving Social Security numbers or bank account numbers to strangers over the telephone or the Internet. The State Legislature has passed tougher penalties for people caught stealing or trafficking in stolen identities. "

Sunday, May 28, 2006

Phaedras & friends

Uh...they're building big fence in AZ...interesting...over one quarter of a million dollars in donations to finance it.
A big fence...nice...

happy memorial day

"That's really what brings me here this afternoon. I did put myself in your place, and asked what I'd want a stranger from another generation to tell me if I had to sit through his speech. Well, I'd want to hear the truth: The truth is, life's a tough act, the world's a hard place, and along the way you will meet a fair share of fools, knaves and clowns--even act the fool yourself from time to time when your guard is down or you've had too much wine. I'd like to be told that I will experience separation, loss and betrayal, that I'll wonder at times where have all the flowers gone.
I would want to be told that while life includes a lot of luck, life is more than luck. It is sacrifice, study, and work; appointments kept, deadlines met, promises honored. I'd like to be told that it's okay to love your country right or wrong, but it's not right to be silent when your country is wrong. And I would like to be encouraged not to give up on the American experience. To remember that the same culture which produced the Ku Klux Klan, Tom DeLay and Abu Ghraib, also brought forth the Peace Corps, Martin Luther King and Hamilton College.
And I would like to be told that there is more to this life than I can see, earn, or learn in my time. That beyond the day-to-day spectacle are cosmic mysteries we don't understand. That in the meantime--and the meantime is where we live--we infinitesimal particles of creation carry on the miracle of loving, laughing and being here now, by giving, sharing and growing now. "

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Mother Talkers :: Rants and Raves on Modern Motherhood

"The Berkeley Parents' Network listserve never fails to provide juicy blog fodder. A few weeks back, a mother wrote in to complain about dads hosting playdates. She had a few questions for the other moms out there.
Her first query was of the Ms. Manners variety: 'When my son is asked on a playdate, how can I insist on the Mom being in charge without offending anyone?'
Her later questions were of the harangue variety: 'Don't you people read the papers?' (i.e. Don't you read horror stories about male killers, kidnappers, and pedophiles?) And: 'Why on earth do you other moms put me in this awkward situation?'
The next listserve featured 48 responses to her post, and it was a pile-on of the first order. A huge percentage of respondants called her sexist and paranoid, and a fair number suggested she get therapy. Some working moms gave her a thorough tongue-lashing, and a few stay-at-home-dads lamented her attitude. Plenty of parents suggested that she get to know any parent who will be watching
her child, man or woman, to guage whether her child would be safe in their care."

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Watch your government walk away with the treasury

"Unbeknownst to almost all of Washington and the financial world, Bush and every other President since Jimmy Carter have had the authority to exempt companies working on certain top-secret defense projects from portions of the 1934 Securities Exchange Act. Administration officials told BusinessWeek that they believe this is the first time a President has ever delegated the authority to someone outside the Oval Office. It couldn't be immediately determined whether any company has received a waiver under this provision."

Monday, May 22, 2006

WTF?

CNN.com - Teen jailed for her own safety, prosecutors say - May 16, 2006: "Court records show the girl has requested a lawyer. But jail officials say she isn't permitted contact with anyone unless prosecutors approve.
Prosecutors say the teen is a material witness and they want her jailed for her safety. A judge has ordered that she be held indefinitely."

humph

"Put simply, the brain does a bad job of putting you in the shoes of people you perceive as different, the study suggests. In technical terms, people tend to 'infrahumanize' members of dissimilar groups, psychologists have found. 'It almost means you view them as subhuman,' thinking they lacking higher emotions like love and guilt, or the depth of emotional experience of your own society, Mitchell says."

Buffy?

"There are moments when his satirical intention seems to shine through, as when Sarah Michelle Gellar, who plays the leader of a gang of porn stars (and performer of the hit song 'Teen Horniness Is Not a Crime'), starts a Venice Beach bar fight that resembles the cheesiest moments of reality TV, and when the 'neo-Marxist resistance' seeking to bring down the U.S. government turns out to be a handful of incompetent losers with an ice cream truck"

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Scared yet?

"Holy 'Handmaid's Tale,' Batman!
Want to get really freaked out? Check out the first paragraph of today's Washington Post story 'Forever Pregnant,' which explains that new federal guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ask 'all females capable of conceiving a baby to treat themselves -- and to be treated by the health care system -- as pre-pregnant, regardless of whether they plan to get pregnant anytime soon.'
Pause. Breathe. OK. What? "

Monday, May 15, 2006

And the world's loneliest Web users are.. - Yahoo! News

"DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland may be enjoying stellar economic growth and seen as one of the best places in the world to live, but its inhabitants are apparently also the globe's loneliest."

Abortion and corporations

"As the Associated Press reports, 'Two years ago, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down Ohio's tax credit on new equipment, saying the practice hinders interstate commerce because the incentives are available only to businesses that invest in Ohio.' In other words, the credits are creating a race to the bottom that taxpayers argue violates interstate commerce laws, whereby states and cities are competing with each other to give away more and more taxpayer cash to Big Business. In the Ohio case, the tax credit was used to give DaimlerChrysler roughly $300 million in taxpayer cash - cash that Toledo's county auditor says was siphoned away from local schools, forcing the city to close up to nine schools or fire 380 school workers.
In striking down the lower court ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court not only ruled against Ohio taxpayers, but against all taxpayers. Chief Justice John Roberts, formerly a corporate lawyer, said in the official opinion that 'State taxpayers have no standing ... to challenge state tax or spending decisions simply by virtue of their status as taxpayers.' In other words, not only will the Ohio law remain, but state taxpayers throughout the country now have no legal right to challenge the decisions of their bought-and-paid-for elected officials who are selling off our government to the highest bidder.
To get a sense of just how far reaching an affront to taxpayers' rights this ruling is, consider that USA Today earlier reported that taxpayers in other states were moving forward with similar cases. As just one example, in North Carolina, taxpayers have challenged the state's $242 million giveaway to Dell Computer. Now, the Supreme Court has essentially said they aren't even allowed to bring such a case"

WholesomeWear Styles

For those of you looking for modest options this summer!

Polygamy-not so much fun

"Reporters David Kelly and Gary Cohn sifted through court records, investigative reports and interviews by the Times to offer readers a glimpse into a closed world where sect members force girls as young as 13 into arranged marriages. The girls then work at homes, often organizing eating shifts of large families around a picnic table. Husbands threaten wives with commitment to mental institutions 'if they fail to 'keep sweet' or obedient,' Kelly and Cohn write. Some 400 boys as young as 13 have been kicked out of town, 'abandoned like unwanted pets by the side of the road and forcibly ostracized from their families to reduce competition among the men for multiple wives,' according to the Times. Others must leave school at age 11 or 12 and work in dangerous construction jobs. Rapists and child molesters are protected by religious authorities and law enforcement."

Thursday, May 11, 2006

It must be my bad math skills?

"WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Congress on Thursday passed a $70 billion tax cut package that extends lower rates for investors, giving President George W. Bush a badly needed victory at a time of slumping popularity."

Sign the petition

I love Oprah!

"She's no longer just a successful talk-show host worth $1.4 billion, according to Forbes' most recent estimate. Over the past year, Winfrey, 52, has emerged as a spiritual leader for the new millennium, a moral voice of authority for the nation. "

Dept of Homeland Sec

"Are you ready to put your planning skills to good use? Are you ready to help your family get prepared for the unexpected? Your family can use this Web site to create a plan that will help you be ready for many different kinds of unexpected situations!"

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Love it when things fall apart

So apparently Katie and Tom are not getting married at all. They are waiting an "appropriate" amount of time before they amicably split.
I am not really sure why this makes me so happy, but it really does. He is an ass.

Monday, May 08, 2006

Constant Gardener

"A panel of Nigerian medical experts has concluded that Pfizer Inc. violated international law during a 1996 epidemic by testing an unapproved drug on children with brain infections at a field hospital."

Awwhhhh

"Dolphins communicate like humans by calling each other by name, scientists in Fife have found.
The mammals are able to recognise themselves and other members of the same species as individuals with separate identities. "

Study Suggests Difference in Lesbians' Brains - Yahoo! News

"WASHINGTON - Lesbians' brains react differently to sex hormones than those of heterosexual women, new research indicates."

Its nice being the majority

"Single and fabulous
Here's a big news flash: Single people can lead full, satisfying lives. This is according to a fantastic article in the new issue of Psychology Today (one of my favorite magazines, and not just because I've written for it). New demographic data shows that singles are the fastest-growing population group, meaning that a lot of us likely will spend the majority of our lives in a non-married state. So singles are actually enjoying their status, instead of biding their time until they get hitched.
'Singlehood is no longer a state to be overcome as soon as possible,' writer Jillian Straus quotes one of Broadsheet's favorite social historians, Stephanie Coontz. 'It has its own rewards. Marriage is not the gateway to adulthood anymore. For most people, it's the dessert -- desirable, but no longer the main course.' And here's the kicker -- this realization comes amid social science research that neither married nor single life is a determinant of happiness. 'Much depends on the achievement of meaningful life goals and quality of the relationships you create,' writes Straus, who apparently changed her focus after writing about how to have a successful, committed relationship in the recent 'Unhooked Generation: The Truth About Why We're Still Single.'
Hurrah! That's great news for the 86 million single adults, who are poised to become the new majority. (Married couples comprise nearly 51 percent of households today, compared to 80 percent in the 1950s, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.) The article makes the point that although many of us are eventually looking to pair up, we're busy with lots of other good things in the meantime. That means that single people are no longer mysterious freaks or walking tragedies -- but the new normal. The message, then, is that while marriage could be fant"

Sunday, May 07, 2006

Immigration debate reveals limits of market "freedom"�|�Reuters.com

"Yet when the subject turns to freedom of movement for human beings, emotions get roused, fingers are pointed, anger simmers, legislators make speeches.
'The world is moving ahead in more integrated product markets of goods and services, in capital markets and cross-border investments, and yet we seem to want to hold up a stop-sign to labor mobility,' said Daniel Griswold, director of the Cato Institute's Center for Trade Policy Studies.
'There is a disconnect there,' he said."

Greek Tragedy: a nod to sunblock and flossing

Ann started me reading this blog a while ago and every now and then I am amazed anew at the way she writes stuff you kinda already know but need to be reminded of. Read the whole post, its really good.

"Don't be afraid of making mistakes. I'm not saying to discount the consequences of your actions, but try to worry less about choosing wrong. We weigh ourselves down in it. Second-guessing ourselves. Don't be afraid of making mistakes because, really, you learn so much when you risk. So really, it's never a mistake. Unless it involves wearing the color orange or anything to do with a hat. These are usually mistakes best to avoid.
Ditch negative people. Don't keep them around because you feel guilty. Hold onto your strong female friends, even if you've had a pissy fight. They're really important. "

Friday, May 05, 2006

perception is reality

"At first glance, the 'sexy son hypothesis' makes perfect sense. According to this pillar of evolutionary biology, a female who chooses a high-quality male will have sons who inherit dad's allure. They, too, will therefore have their pick of females, allowing mom to hit the jackpot: grandmotherhood.
But when scientists followed male flycatchers whose dads were real catches (as judged by a forehead patch that is this bird's equivalent of perfect abs), they found no such thing.
The sons 'did not inherit their father's ... mating status,' the Swedish researchers wrote in the February issue of American Naturalist. As a result, mom got fewer grandkids than did females who settled for less-attractive males. The studs were so busy mating they had no time to raise offspring, causing their health and fecundity to suffer. Homelier birds were better dads, raising sons who had more mating success."

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Need to leave this place soon!

"'It's important to send the message out to stay in Mexico and don't come roaming around here hoping you're going to get amnesty,' said Arpaio, who in years past gained notoriety for putting inmates on chain gangs and issuing them striped uniforms and pink underwear"

Monday, May 01, 2006

Glasgow

Hello all,

I am in Glasgow at an internet cafe. It's a great city and the trip has been excellent so far. Driving yesterday was little sketchy as we consumed obscene amounts of wine at the wedding and the metal energy it takes to drive on the wrong side of the road very nearly exceeded my mental capabilities. We got here and are now wondering around the city before heading back to Edinburgh tonight and London tomorrow. I suspect i will be very sad to go back to Phoenix. Hope everyone is doing well!