Make muscle pain a memory with ginger.
When Danish researchers asked achy people to jazz up their diets with ginger, it eased muscle and joint pain, swelling and stiffness for up to 63 percent of them within two months. Experts credit ginger’s potent compounds called gingerols, which prevent the production of pain-triggering hormones. The study-recommended dose: Add at least 1 teaspoon of dried ginger or 2 teaspoons of chopped ginger to meals daily.

Cure a toothache with cloves
Got a toothache and can’t get to the dentist? Gently chewing on a clove can ease tooth pain and gum inflammation for two hours straight, say UCLA researchers. Experts point to a natural compound in cloves called eugenol, a powerful, natural anesthetic. Bonus: Sprinkling a ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves on meals daily may also protect your ticker. Scientists say this simple action helps stabilize blood sugar, plus dampen production of artery-clogging cholesterol in as little as three weeks

Heal heartburn with Apple Cider Vinegar
Sip 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar mixed with 8 ounces of water before every meal, and experts say you could shut down painful bouts of heartburn in as little as 24 hours. “Cider vinegar is rich in malic and tartaric acids, powerful digestive aids that speed the breakdown of fats and proteins so your stomach can empty quickly, before food washes up into the esophagus, triggering heartburn pain,” explains Joseph Brasco, M.D., a gastroenterologist at the Center for Colon and Digestive Diseases in Huntsville, AL.

Erase earaches with garlic
Painful ear infections drive millions of Americans to doctors’ offices every year. To cure one fast, just place two drops of warm garlic oil into your aching ear twice daily for five days. This simple treatment can clear up ear infections faster than prescription meds, say experts at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. Scientists say garlic’s active ingredients (germanium, selenium, and sulfur compounds) are naturally toxic to dozens of different pain-causing bacteria. To whip up your own garlic oil gently simmer three cloves of crushed garlic in a half a cup of extra virgin olive oil for two minutes, strain, then refrigerate for up to two weeks, suggests Teresa Graedon, Ph.D., co-author of the book, Best Choices From The People’s Pharmacy. For an optimal experience, warm this mix slightly before using so the liquid will feel soothing in your ear canal.

Chase away joint and headache pain with cherries
Latest studies show that at least one in four women is struggling with arthritis, gout or chronic headaches. If you’re one of them, a daily bowl of cherries could ease your ache, without the stomach upset so often triggered by today’s painkillers, say researchers at East Lansing ’s Michigan State University . Their research reveals that anthocyanins, the compounds that give cherries their brilliant red color, are anti-inflammatories 10 times stronger than ibuprofen and aspirin. “Anthocyanins help shut down the powerful enzymes that kick-start tissue inflammation, so they can prevent, as well as treat, many different kinds of pain,” explains Muraleedharan Nair, Ph.D., professor of food science at Michigan State University . His advice: Enjoy 20 cherries (fresh, frozen or dried) daily, then continue until your pain disappears.

Fight tummy troubles with fish
Indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel diseases…if your belly always seems to be in an uproar, try munching 18 ounces of fish weekly to ease your misery. Repeated studies show that the fatty acids in fish, called EPA and DHA, can significantly reduce intestinal inflammation, cramping and belly pain and, in some cases, provide as much relief as corticosteroids and other prescription meds. “EPA and DHA are powerful, natural, side effect-free anti-inflammatories, that can dramatically improve the function of the entire gastrointestinal tract,” explains biological chemist Barry Sears, Ph.D., president of the Inflammation Research Foundation in Marblehead , MA . For best results, look for oily fish like salmon, sardines, tuna, mackerel, trout and herring.

Give your back some TLC with grapes:
Got an achy back? Grapes could be the ticket to a speedy recovery. Recent studies at Ohio State University suggest eating a heaping cup of grapes daily can relax tight blood vessels, significantly improving blood flow to damaged back tissues (and often within three hours of enjoying the first bowl). That’s great news because your back’s vertebrae and shock-absorbing discs are completely dependent on nearby blood vessels to bring them healing nutrients and oxygen, so improving blood flow is essential for healing damaged back tissue, says Stengler.

Prevent PMS with yogurt:
Up to 80 percent of women will struggle with premenstrual syndrome and its uncomfortable symptoms, report Yale researchers. The reason: Their nervous systems are sensitive to the ups and downs in estrogen and progesterone that occur naturally every month. But snacking on 2 cups of yogurt a day can slash these symptoms by 48 percent, say researchers at New York ’s Columbia University . “Yogurt is rich in calcium, a mineral that naturally calms the nervous system, preventing painful symptoms even when hormones are in flux,” explains Mary Jane Minkin, M.D., a professor of gynecology at Yale University

End endometrial pain with oats:
The ticket to soothing endometriosis pain could be a daily bowl of oatmeal. Endometriosis occurs when little bits of the uterine lining detach and grow outside of the uterus. Experts say these migrating cells can turn menstruation into a misery, causing so much inflammation that they trigger severe cramping during your period, plus a heavy ache that drags on all month long. Fortunately, scientists say opting for a diet rich in oats can help reduce endometrial pain for up to 60 percent of women within six months. That’s because oats don’t contain gluten, a trouble-making protein that triggers inflammation in many women, making endometriosis difficult to bear, explains Peter Green, M.D., professor of medicine at Colombia University

Soothe foot pain with salt:
Experts say at least six million Americans develop painful ingrown toenails each year. But regularly soaking ingrown nails in warm salt water baths can cure these painful infections within four days, say scientists at California ’s Stanford University . The salt in the mix naturally nixes inflammation, plus it’s anti-bacterial, so it quickly destroys the germs that cause swelling and pain. Just mix 1 teaspoon of salt into each cup of water, heat to the warmest temperature that you can comfortably stand, and then soak the affected foot area for 20 minutes twice daily, until your infection subsides

Prevent digestive upsets with pineapple:
Got gas? One cup of fresh pineapple daily can cut painful bloating within 72 hours, say researchers at California ’s Stanford University . That’s because pineapple is naturally packed with proteolytic enzymes, digestive aids that help speed the breakdown of pain-causing proteins in the stomach and small intestine, say USDA researchers

Relax painful muscles with peppermint:
Suffering from tight, sore muscles? Stubborn knots can hang around for months if they aren’t properly treated, says naturopath Mark Stengler, N.D., author of the book, The Natural Physician’s Healing Therapies. His advice: Three times each week, soak in a warm tub scented with 10 drops of peppermint oil. The warm water will relax your muscles, while the peppermint oil will naturally soothe your nerves — a combo that can ease muscle cramping 25 percent more effectively than over-the-counter painkillers, and cut the frequency of future flare-ups in half, says Stengler.

Tame chronic pain with turmeric.
Studies show turmeric, a popular East Indian spice, is actually three times more effective at easing pain than aspirin, ibuprofen or naproxen, plus it can help relieve chronic pain for 50 percent of people struggling with arthritis and even fibromyalgia, according to Cornell researchers. That’s because turmeric’s active ingredient, curcumin, naturally shuts down cyclooxygenase 2, an enzyme that churns out a stream of pain-producing hormones, explains nutrition researcher Julian Whitaker, M.D. and author of the book, Reversing Diabetes. The study-recommended dose: Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of this spice daily onto any rice, poultry, meat or vegetable dish.

Wash away pain injuries with water
Whether it’s your feet, your knees or your shoulders that are throbbing, experts at New York ’s Manhattan College , say you could kick-start your recovery in one week just by drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily. Why? Experts say water dilutes, and then helps flush out, histamine, a pain-triggering compound produced by injured tissues. “Plus water is a key building block of the cartilage that cushions the ends of your bones, your joints’ lubricating fluid, and the soft discs in your spine,” adds Susan M. Kleiner, Ph.D., author of the book, The Good Mood Diet. “And when these tissues are well-hydrated, they can move and glide over each other without causing pain.” One caveat: Be sure to measure your drinking glasses to find out how large they really are before you start sipping, she says. Today’s juice glasses often hold more than 12 ounces, which means five servings could be enough to meet your daily goal.

Heal sinus problems with horseradish
Latest studies show sinusitis is the nation’s number one chronic health problem. And this condition doesn’t just spur congestion and facial pain, it also makes sufferers six times more likely to feel achy all-over. Horseradish to the rescue! According to German researchers, this eye-watering condiment naturally revs up blood flow to the sinus cavities, helping to open and drain clogged sinuses and heal sinus infections more quickly than decongestant sprays do. The study-recommended dose: One teaspoon twice daily (either on its own, or used as a sandwich or meat topping) until symptoms clear.

Beat bladder infections with blueberries
Eating 1 cup of blueberries daily, whether you opt for them fresh, frozen or in juice form, can cut your risk of a urinary tract infection (UTIs) by 60 percent, according to researchers at New Jersey’s Rutgers University. That’s because blueberries are loaded with tannins, plant compounds that wrap around problem-causing bacteria in the bladder, so they can’t get a toehold and create an infection, explains Amy Howell, Ph.D. a scientist at Rutgers University .

Heal mouth sores with honey
Dab painful canker and cold sores with unpasteurized honey four times daily until these skin woes disappear, and they’ll heal 43 percent faster than if you use a prescription cream, say researchers at the Dubai Specialized Medical Center in the United Arab Emirates . Raw honey’s natural enzymes zap inflammation, destroy invading viruses and speed the healing of damaged tissues, say the study authors.

Fight breast pain with flax
In one recent study, adding 3 tablespoons of ground flax to their daily diet eased breast soreness for one in three women within 12 weeks. Scientists credit flax’s phytoestrogens, natural plant compounds that prevent the estrogen spikes that can trigger breast pain. More good news: You don’t have to be a master baker to sneak this healthy seed into your diet. Just sprinkle ground flax on oatmeal, yogurt, applesauce or add it to smoothies and veggie dips.

Cure migraines with coffee
Prone to migraines? Try muscling-up your painkiller with a coffee chaser. Whatever over-the-counter pain med you prefer, researchers at the National Headache Foundation say washing it down with a strong 12- ounce cup of coffee will boost the effectiveness of your medication by 40 percent or more. Experts say caffeine stimulates the stomach lining to absorb painkillers more quickly and more effectively.

Tame leg cramps with tomato juice
At least one in five people regularly struggle with leg cramps. The culprit? Potassium deficiencies, which occur when this mineral is flushed out by diuretics, caffeinated beverages or heavy perspiration during exercise. But sip 10 ounces of potassium-rich tomato juice daily and you’ll not only speed your recovery, you’ll reduce your risk of painful cramp flare-ups in as little as 10 days, say UCLA researchers.

I’ve seen a lot of ppl on fb & twitter, really mad about folks mixing up Chechnya and the Czech Republic. Which I can get. Let’s be honest, those Eastern European countries keep changing around. It was Czechoslovakia, then split to the Czech Republic and Slovakia (1 January 1993). There used to be Yugoslavia – now it’s Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. And when I say that, it seems like I’m saying Yugoslavia split in 3. But no, that’s TWO different countries; Montenegro is one, and Bosnia and Herzegovina is the other. BUT, and correct me if I’m wrong, Montenegro used to be called something else. I don’t remember what, but it had an “and” and was attached to another country circa 2003-2005, and then they also split. It was “something and Montenegro”….. I think maybe “Serbia and Montenegro” was the name of the country? I very specifically remember them constantly changing was a pain for me at work, b/c I kept having to update how countries names were listed, and have them exactly as they appeared for the Federal INS.

Eastern Europe 1956

Eastern Europe 2013

Anyway, I’m just saying, I can understand the confusion.

Also, I can relate to being of an ethnicity, and having everyone confuse that ethnicity with another. If you recall, I’m Indian. When asked my race, and I say “I’m Indian”, I have heard before “red dot or feather?” as a legitimate question.

In fact, here is a REAL CONVERSATION I once had at work. I was working late, and there used to be this maintenance man there that gave me the creeps. I was the only one in the office. He came in (did I mention that he was also smelly?), and here is out conversation:

Guy: Working late, huh?
Me: Yeah.
Guy: You know, I’ve been meaning to ask you, what are you?
Me: ..uh… huh? .. ??? [I really don't know how to respond to the question, "what are you"]
Guy: You know, what are you? Like are you Hispanic?
Me: Oh. I’m Indian.
Guy: OH! Yeah, I think I have some Indian in my family. Like Cherokee?
Me: No, I’m Indian-Indian.
Guy: … what?
Me: You know, like from the country, India.
Guy: Buuuutttt…. you don’t have a red dot on your head.
Me: [now I'm just staring at him in disbelief] What?
Guy: I thought those kinds of Indians had a red dot on their head.
Me: You know that’s just decoration, right? Like a sticker, or w/ a makeup pencil/marker drawn on….
Guy: Reeeaally!?!? OH!
[Turns out, he thought all Indian ppl were BORN with a dot on their forehead!]

Anyway, so I can empathize with someone for whom their ethnicity is a strong part of their identity, and it feels insulting when others don’t really recognize it, or lump a bunch of others into your culture; when, to you, they are SO DIFFERENT.

So, yes, this is the perfect time to educate others on the fact that Chechnya and the Czech Republic are 2 separate countries. It relates to current events, and if ppl can understand it now, they will remember it, as it’s something important that relates to their world today.

However, some ppl are getting very irritated. Re-emphasizing over & over again that they are Czech, and not Chechen. I get it, I really do. This was my ENTIRE childhood. I lived this for decades, here in the US. But you have to be careful how you do this. If you keep saying you’re Czech, not Chechen, after every statement you make on fb or twitter, it comes across as your separating yourself from Chechens because they are…. I don’t know the proper way to put it. Not ‘inferior’, per se. But you’re obviously separating b/c you are offended someone would think you are Chechen. I get that it’s a statement of national/cultural pride. But b/c it’s never been brought up before, and is now mentioned daily in posts, it comes across as derogatory to Chechens.

But 2 bad seeds don’t make all Chechens bad ppl. I know we all know that. And we all have heard enough to know that there’s a lot of violence in Chechnya. But that doesn’t make all Chechens bad or violent people.

Remember that old Sesame Street bit, “one of these things is not like the other”, where they’d ask you to spot the item that’s different? Well, with race/culture & radical extremism, it’s not as easy to spot. You can’t necessarily spot the gang member, the Aryan brotherhood member, or the radical Jihadist; when each might be among those that look similar to them.

You can’t blame all of one group of folks (whether a culture like inner-city minorities, or a race), for the actions of a few bad seeds. What is the one common trait of ALL the following bad guys?
- the Virgina Tech student shooter
- the mentally-disturbed shooter at the elementary school in Newtown
- the politically-minded assault at (then) Congresswoman Gabby Giffords’ meeting with constituents in Tuscon
- the 9/11 plane hijackers

They were all human beings. So, since that’s the only commonality, do we then discriminate & hate all humans? No, we simply cannot do that.

One of those things might be “not like the other, but we aren’t able to discern.

We must be vigilant in our surroundings & continue on with our lives. We must have hope.

We cannot view all Muslims as bad. It would be like viewing all Christians as evil b/c of the behaviors/beliefs of the Westboro Baptist Church or the KKK.

For example, I read an article today about how Boston is one of the most prepared cities for crisis. I think we can all agree now, in retrospect, that the US Govt funneling BILLIONS of dollars into crisis preparedness of major cities was $ well-spent.

You should read the article, b/c it goes into the drills they did.

The drills, which included hostage situations, HazMat incidents and a movie theater shooting, brought together emergency officials from the city, state and federal government, as well as from the Boston Police, SWAT teams, the Fire Department, EMS, local hospitals, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, the Coast Guard. All in all, there were over 600 participants in the November drill, from over fifty different departments and agencies.

“What the Urban Shield program does is test it all at the same time – bomb squads working, swat teams working, fire, HazMat, search and rescue, command centers activated, all your radio systems, hospitals activated – everyone’s kind of working together,” says Baker, who worked closely with the city to execute the simulation. “That’s where you start to find your gaps – who can’t speak to whom on the radio. You identify the real problems when you get everyone together.”

This is a good use of money. Especially after what we’ve seen happen this past week in Boston. Those ‘boys in blue’ really knew what they were doing, and KUDOS to that whole city!

On a slightly related note, about the whole federal funds thing. Back when Hurricane Sandy happened, so many Senators voted AGAINST giving funds to those affected by the storm. They needed to rebuild, and get back to work, re-open businesses. But Congress didn’t want to give them money. For a natural disaster.

Two of those who voted against giving them money, were the 2 Senators from TX. Well, now those 2 Texas senators are asking for money for what happened when that private business caught on fire & exploded in West, TX. I’m sympathetic for the city. But why, time & time again, are we against something until it hits us personally. Are we that disillusioned that we are no longer able to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes? I’m looking forward to finding out what happened there as well. That is, if that private company did not follow federal regulations. I’ve heard that there was at least 1 safety mark against them. Let’s see what we get out of this investigation as well.

Except for maybe when a good guy with a gun almost shoots another good guy trying to stop the bad guy.

Or maybe making it more difficult for the bad guy to get the gun in the first place.

And there’s this:

“We think it’s reasonable to provide mandatory instant criminal background checks for every sale at every gun show. No loopholes anywhere for anyone…. That means closing the Hinckley loophole so the records of those adjudicated mentally ill are in the system. This isn’t new, or a change of position, or a concession. I’ve been on record on this point consistently, from our national meeting in Denver, to paid national ads and position papers, to news interviews and press appearances.” ~ LaPierre’s statements in front of the House Judiciary Committee in 1999

He also spoke in favor of preventing juvenile felons from ever owning guns, setting up instant background checks at gun shows and keeping schools gun-free.

And then there’s the GOP Guru:

Fact: Dolphins sleep with one half of their brain plus one eye closed, then switching to the other side of the brain and the other eye closed during other parts of the day — slowing down everything inside their bodies and moving very little.

More dolphin fun facts:

• Dolphins are carnivores (meat eaters).
• The Killer Whale (also known as Orca) is actually a type of dolphin.
• Bottlenose dolphins are the most common and well known type of dolphin.
• Female dolphins are called cows, males are called bulls and young dolphins are called calves.
• Dolphins live in schools or pods of up to 12 individuals.
• Dolphins have excellent eyesight and hearing as well as the ability to use echolocation for finding the exact location of objects.
• Dolphins communicate with each other by clicking, whistling and other sounds.
• Fish and squid are the diet of the common dolphin, where the dolphins have been seen hunting and working together to herd the fish into tight balls. Dolphins can eat up to 30 lbs of fish a day!
• Some dolphin species face the threat of extinction, often directly as a result of human behavior. The Yangtze River Dolphin is an example of a dolphin species which may have recently become extinct.
• Some fishing methods, such as the use of nets, kill a large number of dolphins every year. [An excerpt from the World Wildlife Fund (2005) concerning the order Cetacea, which includes both whales and dolphins: "The greatest threat to whales, dolphins and porpoises is entanglement in fishing gear, also known as bycatch. If current trends continue unabated, several cetacean species and many populations will be lost in the next few decades."]
• Baby dolphins are sucked forward by the motion of their swimming mothers, giving them a needed assist, when they position themselves to the right and behind their mothers.
• The dolphin is the only mammal that gives birth with the tail first instead of the head.
• Dolphins don’t smell very well.
• Young dolphins will remain with their mother for a period of 2 or 3 years.
• There are two stomachs for dolphins just like for cows. The first one stores the food for them and the second one is where digestion takes place.
• A dolphin may be able to dive up to 1,000 feet. And can leap up to 20 feet in the air.
• The dorsal fin on every dolphin is very unique and it can be used to identify them from each other.
• Dolphins can swim at a speed of up to 25 miles per hour for a long time. This is about 3 times faster than the fastest humans in the world.
• The average lifespan of a dolphin is 17 years. However, some of them that have been observed in the wild lived about 50 years.
• Most species of dolphins live in saltwater but some of them thrive in freshwater.
• A dolphin needs to get air at different intervals. Some need air every 20 seconds but others only need it every 30 minutes.
• A dolphin has about 100 teeth! However, they use the teeth to grab their prey, not to chew it. All food is swallowed whole.
• They have a fast healing process for their bodies even when they have deep wounds such as those that are the result of shark bites. Experts haven’t been able to determine how this is possible for dolphins when other mammals would hemorrhage.

Original & “red” HRC logo

If you’re reading this, you’re obviously are social on the internet, and noticed that fb “went red” on Tuesday. There was a social solidarity to wear red on Tuesday, as SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the US) was hearing arguments against Prop 8 in California on Tuesday, and against DOMA (the Defense of Marriage Act) on Wednesday. HRC (the Human Rights Campaign) changed their logo to red in support of marriage equality.

I did wear red on Tuesday, but I didn’t really change my profile picture on fb. I don’t know why. I didn’t really feel like it. It’s kinda interesting to see everyone “as one” kinda. Maybe it’s partly narcissism, but I don’t think so, b/c I’ve changed my profile picture to that “I’m w/ Coco” image when Conan O’Brien had his show taken away. Maybe it’s b/c I’m searching for a job, and I have gone through & only kept “non-political” pictures as viewable by everyone… I honestly don’t know why I didn’t change it. I just didn’t feel like fb is the place. I sign petitions, I make phone calls, and send emails. All my friends know my stance. Changing my picture on fb is not going to be my “voice”, I guess is what I’m thinking.

Here’s the thing. There’s so much going on right now. Our elected officials are acting like punks. Mississippi passing laws so that clinics that service uninsured, urban ppl can’t stay open. Arkansas passing unconstitutional laws that their own state officials asked them NOT to pass, b/c they WILL be sued and they can’t afford to pay out for lawsuits that will win b/c they already know they’re unconstitutional. What a WASTE. So much GOVERNMENT WASTE. It’s so sad

Ok, so back to this SCOTUS thing. They will strike down Prop 8. If they don’t, so much of California is against it now (remember when it passed, it was b/c all those Mormons (LDS Church) paid to pass it through back then). California is easily influenced by ads (like the GMO labeling law that didn’t pass this past Nov). Anyway, California can undo that law now; unlike Ohio, the majority of ppl there are against a ban on same-sex marriage. And DOMA – they DEFINITELY will strike down DOMA. If, in the unlikely event that they don’t, Congress WILL. There are enough liberals AND conservatives in Congress against it that they will def repeal it if SCOTUS doesn’t strike it down first.

At any rate, we’ll hear about both these in June. JUNE, ppl.

In the meantime, like NOW, can we talk about our stupid, bull-headed Congressmen? I know I need to be specific about what exactly I’m mad w/ them about right now, but it’s the whole stupid sequester. What they had written up last year, “knowing” that they’d NEVER want to accept it, so it was their own ultimatum to themselves. But it DID happen, b/c of their stubbornness.

They now have to pass through appropriations for every little thing that they want exempted from the sequester.

Um, why don’t you just work on a budget that BOTH sides of Congress will pass?

So, as a result of our Congress being SO BULL-HEADED, we have to have them pass through bills for any part of government spending that we don’t want SHUT DOWN.

Thus HR 933, Congress’s temporary 6-month appropriations bill will allow agriculture in the US to continue, with federal funding. Shortly before this Agriculture Appropriations bill got pushed through for the President to sign into law, a rider was “anonymously” attached to it. This is section 735, aka the “Monsanto Protection Act”. It basically deregulated the farming industry so that farmers can grow crops without the “burden” of the government watchdog.

[sidenote:  what's kind of interesting here is that Republicans, who are AGAINST govt regulation are also upset with Obama for DE-regulating the agriculture industry.  Do you see the hypocrisy?]

Let’s discuss what just happened. [Or, "break it down, y'all"]

- there was a govt shutdown looming.
- the agriculture industry was in jeopardy. [which would lead to food shortages, and thus a sharp rise in groc costs in an very vulnerable economy just beginning to re-emerge]
- there was a bill to help farmers.

Now, here’s the thing about this bill, WITH THIS RIDER attached:

- the President does NOT have a “line item veto”.
- – this means, he must pass the bill into law, or shut down the WHOLE thing, which means NO govt. funding for farms.
- it’s a temporary 6-month funding bill
- if he DID VETO the entire thing (which he could do), Congress had enough votes (2/3s) to over-ride his veto, and it would still pass.

Do I like the “Monsanto Protection Act”*? No.
Do I understand how it passed through? Yes.
* in quotes, b/c it’s not a real act/bill/law on its own, it was a section of a bill.

I hope you do too now. And, more than anything, I urge you, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS. Please let them know how you feel, and YOU DO VOTE.

What we’ve learned in Nov. 2012 national election is that while Super paks spent BILLIONS of dollars, they learned that we won’t necessarily vote their ppl into Congress (or the White House). Remember, Karl Rove’s super PAC spent $103 million on ads; they got 1% return on their investment. Remind your Congress ppl that lobbyists can fund their campaign, but only YOU can give them their job.

Contact your Senator
Contact your US Representative

Call, Tweet, or FB your Representatives. They are supposed to REPRESENT YOU!

However, I did notice something today that made me smile.  My gloves, that I wear daily, b/c my fingers are as cold as they can be…. 

Related Posts:

gay marriage is wrong. Right?
My thought on the whole Bert & Ernie thing.
I didn’t realize it was still 1960

And here’s an interesting article I found a few years ago:
Are Homosexual Civil Unions A 600-year-old Tradition?
It mentions how in medieval France, they had a term “affrerement” (like brotherment) that served as a legal contract. They “pledged to live together sharing ‘un pain, un vin, et une bourse’ — one bread, one wine, and one purse.”

I need a good night’s sleep. Just at least once a week. Or else I just have the hardest time functioning. Especially with other stresses, and having to be extra careful with every move I might make at work.

So, I felt somewhat validated on what I’ve been saying for years. Well, I’ve been simply saying that I need more sleep. But I’m a woman, so I’ll take it!

Duke University scientists find women need more sleep than men

Here’s the part of the article I found funny. I mean, I know I need a lot of sleep, but I read this:

“Women tend to multi-task – they do lots at once and are flexible – and so they use more of their actual brain than men do. Because of that, their sleep need is greater.

And I thought, “HAHA, they’ve obviously never met a strong ethnic woman!!! I don’t know that many of the Indian women I know are very ‘flexible’.” Then it hit me that the same can be said of women immigrants from Eastern Europe, or Latin America, or any other place really! HAHA!

Full article after the jump

IF THE woman in your life woke up grumpy this morning, don’t be too hard on her. It is, apparently, only natural.

Scientists at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina have discovered that women need more sleep than men. And chances are, she’s not getting enough.

In fact the best thing a loving husband or partner can do is perhaps persuade her to get a few extra hours snuggling under the duvet. Or face the consequences.

Scientists say women suffer more than men, both mentally and physically, if they are forced to skimp on their sleep.

As well as a higher risk of heart disease, depression and psychological problems, sleep-deprived women have extra clotting factors in their blood, which can lead to a stroke.

They also have higher inflammation markers, which indicate developing health problems.

As inflammation markers are also linked to pain, sleep expert Dr Michael Breus explained that women can literally be in more pain when they wake up.

That’s enough to make any girl feel rather grumpy.

By contrast, the state of a man’s health does not appear to be closely linked to how much they sleep.

In the study, men showed no increased risk of developing the ailments that affect women when they are sleep deprived.

“We found that women had more depression, women had more anger, and women had more hostility early in the morning,” said Dr Breus.

If this sounds like someone you know, it can probably be blamed on sleep deprivation and the fact that women are particularly susceptible to the effects. What does Dr Breus advise?

If you don’t manage to get enough sleep at night, try taking strategic naps.

However, he warned that those naps should be either 25 minutes or 90 minutes long. Any other length will make the snoozer feel worse when they wake, he said.

This is not the first time experts have suggested that women need more sleep than men.

One of Britain’s leading authorities on sleep found that women actually need 20 minutes more shut-eye. This is because of the female multi-tasking brain.

“One of the major functions of sleep is to allow the brain to recover and repair itself,” said Professor Jim Horne, director of the Sleep Research Centre at Loughborough University, England.

“During deep sleep, the cortex – the part of the brain responsible for thought, memory, language and so on – disengages from the senses and goes into recovery mode.

“The more of your brain you use during the day, the more of it that needs to recover and, consequently, the more sleep you need.

“Women tend to multi-task – they do lots at once and are flexible – and so they use more of their actual brain than men do. Because of that, their sleep need is greater.

“A man who has a complex job that involves a lot of decision-making and lateral thinking may also need more sleep than the average male – though probably still not as much as a woman.”

Well, I wasn’t really paying too much attention yesterday, but then the Steubenville rape trial came on. They aired a segment with the sentencing. And they showed these 2 young men crying, and were talking about how their college football career was being hurt.

And I was like…. whaaaatttt?!?!!!

Did they just empathize with 2 men who committed a violent crime against a 16-year old girl????!!!

No.

I must have heard them wrong.

No…. they’re saying how now these 2 young men will have to register as Sex Offenders for the rest of their lives, under Ohio law.

Um… yeah. Because they ARE sex offenders. What do you think RAPISTS are?

Rape is a violent crime. A CRIME. They ARE sex offenders, and SHOULD register as such.

What sort of HORRIBLE animal rapes a girl, and pose for pictures for social media. They were laughing, hootin & hollerin in pictures w/ an UNCONSCIOUS, STRIPPED girl!

A rapist.

They weren’t crying in court, after given their sentence, b/c they were sorry for what they did.

It was b/c they were sorry they had to pay a price for what they did.

But these rapists are being sympathized with. Even before CNN aired such a stupid viewpoint piece yesterday. They were sympathized with… when all those young kids at the parties were tweeting, twitpic-ing, instagramming a crime being committed. Then, the town trying to cover it up. Unfortunately, they shot themselves in the foot when those town-folk also raised kids that aired their dirty business out into the twittersphere. Incriminating evidence.

And now, today, Fox News aired the same clip I saw on CNN yesterday. However, Fox didn’t silence out the name of the real rape victim like every other broadcast did. Ugh. I’m hearing this gal’s getting death threats now on social media.

Here’s a Onion story that aired on Comedy Central back in 2011:

He wouldn’t have been able to buy a magazine with more than 10 rounds in it if the 2004 law had been renewed. So, he would have had to re-load 14 times. Lag-time where he could have been stopped. The Assault Weapons Ban also banned 30-round magazines.

He’d need to re-load over a dozen times to do what he did in 3-4 reloads, more chance for error (drop a mag, or have something jam, or stumble). If the law had been renewed, he’d still only have had access to a 10-round magazine. Not the 30-round mags that his mama was able to purchase since the law didn’t renew.

Contact your Senator
Contact your US Representative

Call, Tweet, or FB your Representatives

They are supposed to REPRESENT YOU!

~~~~~~~~~

Here is transcription of Thursday’s The Rachel Maddow Show (this is what I’m watching whenever you see #TRMS in my tweets). She goes more into detail about the numbers here. You can skip ahead to the bolded part, or just watch the video I linked. This story is at the beginning.

MADDOW: . . . But we are starting tonight in Connecticut. And I almost never have to do something like this at the start of a story, but I feel I need to in this case. So, in all seriousness, we on this show have been in touch with a bunch of families, a bunch of people who were directly affected by the killings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. People who had family members killed or friends killed there. And if you are one of those folks, you might not want to watch this story at the top of the show. I’m sorry to have to say it but I feel it’s the only responsible thing to do. So, now you know. All right. Today, the ” Hartford Courant” newspaper published new details of what happened at Sandy Hook Elementary, new details that we did not know before. Today marks three months since the massacre of first graders and school staff at that school. The headline in the “Courant” today focuses on reports from sources close to the investigation who say that the killer from Sandy Hook researched other mass murderers, including the right wing nationalist attack in Norway a couple of years ago. That attack saw eight people killed by explosives and 69 people shot to death, most of them teenagers. But we also now have the most specific information we have ever had about how the Sandy Hook elementary school massacre happened. The way he got into the school, which was locked, for example, was bullets. There were glass windows at the front entrance of the school and the killer shot through the glass window, shot the windows multiple times, thus making a hole in the glass big enough for him to get through. The school principal, Dawn Hochsprung, and the school psychologist ran into the front hallway of the school when they heard that noise from the gunfire and the breaking glass, the gunman then shot both of them dead immediately. There were only two people who were shot that day in that school who were not killed. Only two people injured and not killed. Both of them were hit at that point in the attack. That initial point. One teacher who was in a meeting room with the principal and the psychologist was hit by a ricochet bullet from that initial onslaught of gunfire. She was wounded in the leg, but she crawled back into the meeting room and she called 911. Further down that same front hallway, another teacher heard the noise and came out into the hallway to close her classroom door. She too at that time was hit by either a ricochet or an errant bullet from the initial blast of gunfire. She was shot in the foot and she survived. Now, all of the shootings so far in the incident was done with the same gun, with the Bushmaster AR-15 assault rifle, for which the gun, we’re told, had multiple, extended 30- round magazines. After shooting his way in and killing the principal and the school psychologist after wounding the two teachers, he then went to the classrooms. The first classroom he came to was Kaitlin Roig’s classroom. The door to that classroom was closed when he got to it apparently because Kaitlin Roig had heard the noise and closed her door. “The Courant” reports that her classroom window was also covered up so the gunman could not see in. Quoting from “The Courant,” “Sources say that Sandy Hook Elementary had only weeks earlier had a lock down drill and that Kaitlin Roig had not taken down the piece of black construction paper that teachers are instructed to place over the small window in the classroom doors so that no one can look in.” And so the gunman went past that classroom. He kept going down the same hallway, and he went into the classroom where Lauren Russeau was the teacher. In that classroom, he killed Lauren Russeau, the teacher, and he killed all but one of the students. The students, the first graders were all found together in the same corner of the room apparently trying to get into the confined space of the bathroom in the back of the room like they had been trained. The one student who survived in that classroom survived apparently by playing dead. She played dead and then once the gunman had left and moved on, she ran from the room. When the gunman moved on where he moved on to was the classroom where Vicki Soto was the teacher. Quote, “Authorities believe the gunman started walking toward the back of Vicki Soto’s classroom where the bathroom was. When he noticed some of the children hiding under the desks, the gunman then shot those students.” “The Courant” says today, “At some point, he stopped shooting either because the Bushmaster assault rifle jammed or he made an error in reloading it. And that gave six children the opportunity to escape.” Teacher Vicki Soto had placed another group of five children in a closet where they too were found alive by authorities. Police had previously thought that some bullet holes that were in three cars in the parking lot outside the school showed that the gunman had been shooting at police as they were responding to the scene. We learned today that authorities now think those bullets were the gunman shooting not at police as they were arriving but at another teacher who was standing near a window. So apparently he missed the teacher, the bullets went through the window and went on to hit the cars in the parking lot. We also learned one absolutely stunning detail today that we did not know before today. And it’s this. Overall, this entire incident from the first shots fired to break that glass so he could get inside, from the first shots fired to the last shot fired — so the first shot fired with that assault rifle to the window, to all the subsequent shots with the assault rifle to the end, to the time when he finally stopped shooting with the assault rifle for whatever reason and he switched to the pistol with which he killed only himself, overall the entire incident took less than five minutes. And in less than five minutes he fired 152 bullets. He’s said to have used 30- round magazines, which means he may have had to reload four times to shoot those 152 bullets in less than five minutes. I mean, if you think about it, it’s one bullet in the chamber of the rifle, 30 bullets in the first magazine, that’s 31. Then you load 30 more, 61, then you load 30 more, that’s 91. Then you load 30 more, that’s 121, and then you load 30 more, that’s 151 bullets. And then he is done with the rifle and then it is just one more bullet from the pistol, which he fires into himself and then it is done, 152 bullets. Four magazine changes. Had he only had access to 10- round magazines instead of 30- round magazines he would’ve had to reload 14 times. He would’ve needed 14 spare magazines beyond the one in the gun with the extra round in the chamber, reloading 14 times. You think he would’ve still pulled off the whole thing in less than five minutes? Before anybody had time to think before anybody had time to react, before the cops got there, do you think there’s any chance he might have had a jam or might have screwed something up in the reloading or might have dropped something or screwed it up a little bit earlier before bullet 151 left the gun with not even five minutes elapsed?
… [talk of the Senate Judiciary Committee today] …

MADDOW: It was a stunned city. After the San Francisco mayor and Supervisor Harvey Milk were shot dead in 1978. That is how Dianne Feinstein became mayor of San Francisco in 1978. And that’s what she was talking about today. To Ted Cruz when she talked about seeing the bodies, an incident in which she had to put her fingers into the bullet holes to try to find a pulse that she did not find. San Francisco was a stunned city again in 1993 when a gunman walked into an office at 101 California Street holding a pair of semiautomatic weapons. He had modified them so they could fire even faster your typical semiautomatic weapon. With those weapons, he killed eight people and wounded six others before he killed himself. It was in reaction to that massacre at 101 California that then Senator Dianne Feinstein led the national fight for an assault weapons ban in 1994. And at the time, nobody said it would pass. But it did pass and it was in effect for 10 years, while the Constitution survived and everything. President George W. Bush and the Republican-controlled Congress let that law expire 10 years later in 2004. And because they let it expire, that is why the mother of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooter was able to buy legally and easily the Bushmaster AR-15 assault rifle that the Sandy Hook gunman used to fire all but one of 152 bullets that he fired in the space of less than five minutes that morning three months ago today in Connecticut. The gun that he used that day would’ve been illegal for his mother to buy. Had the Republican-controlled Congress and President George W. Bush not let Dianne Feinstein’s law expire in 2004, the mother of the young man who killed those 20 first grade kids, his mother from whom he took all his weapons would not have been able to legally and easily buy those big 30- round extended magazines that we are told he used that day. Not the gun, nor the extended magazines. She would’ve only been able to legally and easily buy 10- round magazines, not 30- round magazines. So, when he took those weapons from her that morning, he would’ve needed 15 separate 10- round magazines in order to reload 14 different times to try to do what he actually did so easily and so quickly thanks to the expiration of Dianne Feinstein’s law in 2004. It is three months after Sandy Hook as of today. The bill to reinstate what used to be law which we now know might have made a large difference at Sandy Hook, that bill to reinstate what used to be law heads to the full Senate now. Everybody says the politics of this are impossible. Why should they be?