"In his latest syndicated column, Chuck Norris wonders if the Obama health care plan would have resulted in some dire consequences if it had been around in times past: Namely the abortion of Jesus Christ Himself, under the regime of "Herodcare.""
- Eivind
from Bookmarklet
"Norris writes: 'Lastly, as we near the eve of another Christmas, I wonder: What would have happened if Mother Mary had been covered by Obamacare? What if that young, poor and uninsured teenage woman had been provided the federal funds (via Obamacare) and facilities (via Planned Parenthood, etc.) to avoid the ridicule, ostracizing, persecution and possible stoning because of her...
more...
- Eivind
I think Chuck's taken one too many roundhouses to the head.
- Mark H
That thought experiment must be one of the dumbest pieces ever written.
- Eivind
And not very creative/original - a better one would be what would have happened if God mated with a donkey instead of the virgin Mary.
- David (slumrig)
"In September of 1942, Warren Sawyer, a 23-year-old conscientious objector, reported for his volunteer assignment as an attendant at a state mental hospital. The young Quaker was one of thousands of pacifists who had refused to fight and instead were assigned to work in places few outsiders got to see — places like Philadelphia State Hospital, best known as Byberry. "Byberry's the last stop on the bus here in Philadelphia," Sawyer recalls. "Any young man on the bus, other people knew that we were COs working at the hospital. And they'd make different kinds of remarks, supposedly talking to each other, but hoping that we hear. And you know: 'Yellowbellies, slackers.' " Those slurs were harsh. But not nearly as harsh as what awaited the young men inside the gates of the chaotic and overcrowded hospital for people with mental illness and intellectual disabilities. The young pacifists would be changed by what they saw in places like Byberry, and then become a force for change themselves."
- William Harryman
from Bookmarklet
Thanks for this, I am interested in the history of conscientious objection. and pacifism.
- M F
I am too - the poet I did my master's thesis on (William Everson) was a CO in the Waldport Camp in Oregon - he had remarkable freedom compared to these men - was able to write and publish through a press created at the camp (Untide Press) - http://27u2.sl.pt
- William Harryman
Cool, thanks for the link. As I am UK based I am not that familiar with that so that it's even more interesting.
- M F
Oh yes. For the maples want more sunlight. And the oaks ignore their pleas.
- Eivind
The trouble with the maples // (And they're quite convinced they're right) // They say the oaks are just too lofty // And they grab up all the light // But the oaks can't help their feelings // If they like the way they're made // And they wonder why the maples // Can't be happy in their shade
- Eivind
"According to Dr. Karen Weatherby, a gerontologist and author of the study, gawking at women’s breasts is a healthy practice, almost at par with an intense exercise regime, that prolongs the lifespan of a man by five years. She added, "Just 10 minutes of staring at the charms of a well-endowed female, is roughly equivalent to a 30-minute aerobics work-out.""
- winckel
from Bookmarklet
What a fascinating article... According to the current Mrs. Terry, I'll live to be at least 150 if this is true! :-)
- Andrew Terry
"Just 10 minutes of staring at the charms of a well-endowed female, is roughly equivalent to a 30-minute aerobics work-out." so thats why I'm always tired at the end of the day!
- tony bland
It's healthier than riding a bike, I can tell you after last weeks accident. Unless you do it while riding a bike. But then probably the road won't be that slippery.
- Ton Zijp
And what are women to look at that will increase our lives?
- WorldofHiglet
@WoH: I've heard that doing plenty of house chores could be healthy... ;)
- Jemm
Heh. Now, if this was a few years ago Jemm would have now been vapourised into a fine, worthless powder. But I've learned to rise above such obvious baiting :P
- WorldofHiglet
@WoH you don't like charming polishing in your house, do you?
- A.T.
I am willing to look at a suitably attractive male polishing my house for 30 mins a day for the good of my health, if that's what you meant.
- WorldofHiglet
"In a heartier take on eggs on toast, swap bread for heftier taters for a more substantial breakfast -- with the crunch and creamy interior of fresh potato pancakes topped with the protein-packed runny egg yolk, you may never want to return to a bread-and-butter base."
- Derrick
from Bookmarklet
The true test of an autotelic personality [...] is being able to enter that state of flow even while doing things that many people may consider boring. A person with an autotelic personality can take something as mundane as mowing the lawn and turn it into an opportunity for growth. Therefore, the argument that developing an autotelic personality will directly impact your quality of life is quite easy to make. Deriving true enjoyment out of every aspect of is the key to separating the quality of our lives from external (and therefore uncontrollable) forces. Becoming somebody with an autotelic personality is not something that can be done overnight. It must be actively practiced until it becomes part of your personality.
- Meryn Stol
Three desert lizards evolve white skins through different mutations to the same gene : Not Exactly Rocket Science - http://scienceblogs.com/notrock...?
"In the White Sands National Park of New Mexico, there are three species of small lizard that all share white complexions. In the dark soil of the surrounding landscapes, all three lizards wear coloured coats with an array of hues, stripes and spots. Colours would make them stand out like a beacon among the white sands so natural selection has bleached their skins. Within the last few thousand years, the lesser earless lizard, the eastern fence lizard and the little striped whiptail have all evolved white forms that camouflage beautifully among the white dunes. Erica Bree Rosenblum from the University of Idaho has found that their white coats are the result of changes to the same gene, Mc1r. All of these adaptations arose independently of one another and all of them reduce the amount of the dark pigment, melanin, in the lizards' skin. It's a wonderful example of convergent evolution, where the same environmental demands push different species along the same evolutionary paths. But Rosenblum has also found that there are many ways to break a gene."
- Eivind
from Bookmarklet
"Each of these images contains one or more creatures exhibiting some form of mimicry behavior. Can you find them? Use your mouse to locate and click on the creature exhibiting mimicry behavior"
- Mark H
from Bookmarklet
""I wanted to bring the One Laptop Per Child identity to life in this new form," says Yves Behar, founder of FuseProject, which designed the both the original and the XO-3. "That meant taking the visual complexity away, bringing tactility and friendliness, touch and color." **** It aims to make its tablet PC highly durable, all plastic, waterproof, half the thickness of an iPhone and use less than a watt of power, despite an 8-gigaherz processor. The price: an unprecedented $75."
- William Harryman
from Bookmarklet
Please, become fans of this blog, http://arteleomar.blogspot.com/ ->Leomar’s work speaks to the viewer with a delicate sense of humor. His mounted butterflies evoke the tradition of nature’s collectors. Instead of displaying insects, however, the artist presents a collection of imitation butterflies cut from the devalued Mexican currency. Perhaps...
amazing, need to see up close ... are they quilts? ... me, i am making such stuff with acrylic gemstones, the time is right for this astral art
- Gregory Lent
If you mean the plane disaster then I've just seen it! That's the sort of incredible writing you just don't see enough of in mainstream movies.
- Mark H
Any film that gets you providing your own running MST3K commentary is a great film indeed.
- Mark H
That part is fab, but wait till the Golden Gate Bridge eats it.
- Mary Carmen
I'm learning science watching this movie! Oceanographic science involves mainly mixing red and blue food colouring in test tubes!
- Mark H
I must confess that I never knew Debbie Gibson could act. And halfway through this film I still don't.
- Mark H
And... The Golden Gate Bridge... is toast.
- Mark H
This film has everything but oceanographers who can quote Julius Caesar... oh no! Wait! It's got that too!
- Mark H
Ah, someone with similar movie taste to me! :) That film deserves to be in some kind of hall of fame
- Amy
I'm especially liking that the makers of this movie made a conscious decision not to upstage any of the special effects work of the late, great Ed Wood.
- Mark H
They're fighting! But I don't know who to cheer for. The octopus has a beak, tentacles, and ink. But the mega shark is a mega shark! I want them both to win!
- Mark H