Once again I find I must begin with an apology. I missed Fiction Friday again this week, for the same reason as last time. My day was spent saying my goodbyes, flying home, unpacking and spending time with my family…. Read More ›
health
A Series of Unrelated Snippets
Butterfly and Annie have been watching an anime called Food Wars recently. Since I have been reading and writing in the same room as the television, I have caught several glimpses of the anime. The food on this show looks… Read More ›
Supersizers and World War Two
My children and I have been watching a lot of Supersizers episodes lately, and we are all absolutely fascinated by the dishes that were considered normal in times past. Many of the dishes that past generations considered to be delicacies… Read More ›
Open Letter To America
Dear America, I am writing to express my concern over the direction in which you seem to be heading. You used to be ‘the home of the brave, the land of the free’, the cool kid who the rest of… Read More ›
Books I Read in February 2012
The Red Dahlia by Lynda La Plante Hush Little Darlings by Judith Kelman Rough Justice: Unanswered Questions from the Australian Courts by Robin Bowles Dinkum Dunnies by Douglass Baglin and Barbara Mullins Letters of an Indian Judge to an English… Read More ›
1 Million Kilo Challenge
I am gearing up to get started on the 1 Million Kilo Challenge. I am starting a week later than everybody else, because of the initial cost of stocking up on groceries. Tomorrow, I will be shopping, using the grocery… Read More ›
Books I Read In December 2011
Bitten: Bites and Stings from Around the World by Dr. Pamela Nagami Why do Men Have Nipples? by Mark Leyner and Billy Goldberg, M.D. The Plot Against America by Philip Roth The Reunion by Sue Walker The First Time by… Read More ›
Fertilization
Why does it take 4 million male sperm to find and fertilize an egg? Not one wants to ask for directions. — Allan & Barbara Pease in Why Men Lie and Women Cry Related articles The miracle of life-and how… Read More ›
Interview
After sending out tons of job applications, I was finally offered a job interview. My interview was at Woolies in the Northside Plaza for a checkout chick position. I am pretty confident about it. In fact this interview brings home… Read More ›
Nervous
A while back, I suffered from anxiety, depression and agoraphobia. I have come a long way since then, but there are still some remnants of this in my life. There are many things that still make me nervous – I… Read More ›
What Would You Say?
If you had the attention of the entire world for two minutes, what would you say? Personally, I would do whatever I could to avoid being in this situation. Think about it. Suddenly you are so famous that everybody in… Read More ›
Thumbs Down
…to caffeine withdrawal. I feel absolutely miserable right now! Related articles It’s Official: Caffeine Withdrawal Is a Mental Health Disorder (thekitchn.com) Caffeine Withdrawal a Mental Disorder? (pdresources.org) DSM’s Latest Mental Disorder: Caffeine Withdrawal (newser.com) Caffeine Crazed (dish.andrewsullivan.com) Caffeine withdrawal now… Read More ›
Cassie in ‘How to Kill Your Husband (and other handy household hints)’ by Kathy Lette
“I read this article that said the typical symptoms of stress are eating too much, impulse buying and driving too fast. Are they kidding? That’s my idea of a divine day.” ~Cassie in ‘How to Kill Your Husband (and other… Read More ›
Third Speech Missing :-(
Tonight I was going to publish my third speech from the Competent Communicator Manual. I gave this speech on 13 April 2010. The exercise is ‘Get to the Point’. The title is ‘Would You Survive?’ and the time is meant… Read More ›
Kathy Lette in ‘How to Kill Your Husband (and other handy household hints)’
“It’s a mystery of parenthood that your son can give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to stray, worm-riddled dogs, share a piece of re-chewed gum from a kid with bronchitis and pick his nose and eat it on a regular basis, yet won’t… Read More ›
Withdrawal
I admit it. I’ve gone on health kicks before. I even managed to last a couple of weeks once. But this time is different. This time it’s serious. This time, I’m in it for the long hall. This time, I’ve… Read More ›
Sibling Rivalry
Have you ever had one of those days where the kids just won’t stop bickering? You know the ones – when the house is filled with whingeing and whining and ‘Stop That!’ and ‘Leave me alone!’ and ‘That’s mine!’ and… Read More ›
Yes to Female Circumcision?
Is it a good idea to fight against female circumcision? Not neccesarily according to Sierra Leonean-American anthropologist Fuambai Ahmadu. In an interview in Anthropology Today (available free as pdf here), she attacks Western feminists, media and anti-Female Genital Mutilation campaigns… Read More ›
Maggie Hamilton in ‘What’s Happening to Our Girls?’
“In one ‘Girlfriend’ survey 28 percent of girls who participated had caught sexually transmitted diseases and a staggering 58 percent had regretted their last sexual encounter.” Related articles Contraception and Celibacy (patheos.com) Sex Diseases Cost $16 Billion a Year to… Read More ›
Maggie Hamilton in ‘What’s Happening to Our Girls?’
“Increasing numbers of parents are ‘treating’ their daughters to breast implants and liposuction for birthdays and Christmas or for doing well at school.” Related articles What’s the Right Breast Implant Shape For You? (aboutplasticsurgery.com) The Pros and Cons of Adjustable… Read More ›
Maggie Hamilton in ‘What’s Happening to Our Girls?’
“Time outside has many benefits, and it’s up to parents to lead the way. One doctor recently expressed his concern about how many children he’s now seeing with broken bones. Although he hasn’t done any formal research, he suspects children’s… Read More ›
Mae, kindergarten teacher quoted in ‘What’s Happening to Our Girls?’ by Maggie Hamilton
“There is an emotional abuse of kids. Instead of input they buy them something.”
Caller to a South Carolina radio talk show, November 4, 1994
“The problem is, we’ve been telling women for the last twenty years that abortion is okay. But why is it okay to kill a baby in the womb, but not after it’s born? That’s confusing. Maybe Susan Smith just didn’t… Read More ›
Stefania Siedlecky in ‘Teenage Sexuality and Pregnancy in Australia’ from ‘Children Having Children: Global Perspectives on Teenage Pregnancy’
“Society generally has had punitive and judgmental attitudes towards teenage sexuality and pregnancy – directed mainly at girls. There is reluctance to provide adequate sex education for fear of encouraging promiscuity, a reluctance to make contraception more easily available –… Read More ›
Mary Wollstonecraft in ‘A Vindication of the Rights of Woman’
“…it is a farce to call any being virtuous whose virtues do not result from the exercise of it’s own reason.” —Mary Wollstonecraft in ‘A Vindication of the Rights of Woman’
Mary Wollstonecraft in ‘A Vindication of the Rights of Woman’
“…the most perfect education, in my opinion, is such an exercise of the understanding as is best calculated to strengthen the body and form the heart.” —Mary Wollstonecraft in ‘A Vindication of the Rights of Woman’
What is Unusual About this Paragraph
How quickly can you find out what is unusual about this paragraph? It looks so ordinary that you would think that nothing was wrong with it at all; and in fact, nothing is. But it is unusual. Why? If you… Read More ›
When Plague Strikes: The Black Death, Smallpox, AIDS by James Cross Giblin
Opening Sentence:Like all epidemic diseases, the Plague of Athens struck suddenly and without warning. Synopsis:And no bells tolled, and nobody wept no matter what his loss because almost everyone expected death…And people said and believed, “This is the end of… Read More ›
Frantic
I spoke to Earth on phone last night. He is very depressed which is understandable. What has me worried though, is that he stated that he’d not had anything to eat or drink since the day before because he… Read More ›
Selling Sickness: How Drug Companies are Turning Us All Into Patients by Ray Moynihan & Alan Cassels
Opening Sentence:Thirty years ago the head of one of the world’s best-known drug companies made some very candid comments. Synopsis:Three decades ago, the head of one of the world’s leading drug companies made some remarkably candid comments. Wishing his company… Read More ›
Rafferty's Rules is Closing Down 