Cats of various types have been in news lately.
Feral kitty cats have been recruited to clear Los Angeles police stations of rodent pests. This approach has been successful at several other locations, including the LA Flower Market. Installing cats as a deterrent to pest infestation is being hailed as a safe, humane, natural, and environmentally friendly method for removing rats and mice, as opposed to traps, glue, poisons, etc. Furthermore, shelters are eager to offer viable candidates for the program, as it moves cats from their facilities and prevents them from having to put the cats down. For their part, the cats (who are fixed, microchipped, and treated by a vet when selected for the program) gain a safe place to live out their lives, somewhat naturally, being cared for but with a minimum of human interaction.
Read more about the Working Cats program here.
We have all heard that a Siberian tiger somehow escaped from her enclosure and killed a zoo visitor in San Francisco. The questions on a lot of people's minds have been things like, "How could this happen? Why?!" I wouldn't venture to answer the "how" question, especially with the police investigation still underway. But the answer to the "why" question is obvious: Tigers (and all cats, really) are powerful, lethal predators. They are natural, elegant killing machines. While humans are not their preferred food, tigers can easily overpower and slaughter even an armed person. When provided with opportunity and motivation, a tiger will attack. IT'S WHAT THEY DO. I've always felt safe in zoos and animal parks, but I have never failed to respect the instincts and abilities of cats, big and small. Lions and tigers, and other wild animals, do not actually belong in concrete and wire enclosures, being gawked at by locals, far away from their natural habitats. Have we gone too far in trying to assert our dominance as humans over the rest of the creation? I wonder if this will prompt all of us to re-examine our relationships with the physical world in general, and foster changes in our attitudes toward our roles as stewards.
29 December 2007
28 December 2007
Decisions, et al
Well, the poll numbers are in (you can still see, in the upper left corner).
11 people voted that they would consider reading a bloggy 'zine type thing on rental life.
5 people voted that they wouldn't.
So there was greater than 2:1 ratio of yes-to-no votes.
I've been thinking a lot about it, and I'd have at least a tiny audience, but I'd want to do a good job and actually work out articles that would be useful and interesting, and it would be something of a commitment, in terms of both time and brain cells. So, I'm not sure what I'll be doing, yet. I'll keep you posted.
11 people voted that they would consider reading a bloggy 'zine type thing on rental life.
5 people voted that they wouldn't.
So there was greater than 2:1 ratio of yes-to-no votes.
I've been thinking a lot about it, and I'd have at least a tiny audience, but I'd want to do a good job and actually work out articles that would be useful and interesting, and it would be something of a commitment, in terms of both time and brain cells. So, I'm not sure what I'll be doing, yet. I'll keep you posted.
To Do (posted here so I don't forget)
On the docket for today:
Things to do after the New Year holiday (writing them here so I don't forget):
- Trip to the yarn store
- Working on some knitting projects
Things to do after the New Year holiday (writing them here so I don't forget):
- Get new AZ driver license
- Sign up for childbirth class w/ Jeff
- Complete our baby registries (I've been putting this off because I HATE to shop)
- Pre-register at hospital where we plan for delivery
- Research for good pediatrician in our insurance network
- Side note: Egad, I'm becoming a responsible adult!!!!!!
- Write thank-you notes for Christmas gifts we received
- Make sure to send out those few remaining Christmas presents I haven't gotten yet to their recipients (again, I'm cutting myself some slack because I just moved; don't make me play the pregnancy card, too)
- Get together with Sharon
- Get together with Bekah
- Put together calendar and contact information
- Notify friends and family of new address and phone #
- Clean, simplify, organize our home
- Get our home set up for Fuzzy's arrival into the outer world
- Contact local school(s) regarding tutoring
- Spend time with Hobbes and Touchy so that they don't get a complex when Fuzzy shows up
Happy Christmas Days
Well, this is the fourth day of Christmas. Keep that jolly post-solstice cheer flowing! I've been busy in the past few days. I've been working on setting up the apartment (still), puttering around the house, hanging out with the cats, and occasionally leveling my various characters in WoW. Jeff went to Mt. Shasta on business travel on the morning of Dec 26, and was gone for a few days. So in the meantime, I have ended up taking an impromptu trip with Dan and Jennifer. I initially had not intended to go, when they invited me to hitch a ride with them to SoCal to see our family there. But Jeff reminded me that he would be working out of town, then working in-town, during the days (Dec 27-30) that I'd be gone, and ALSO, it is just about my last chance to just drop everything and go visit the fam on a spur-of-the-moment whim.
SoCal friends, I decided to come along late during the night before we left, so I didn't get a chance to contact you and make plans. I will call as many of you as I can, and see if I can work with Dan and Jennifer to meet up with you (I don't have a car to drive myself, so I'm dependent on them). We're staying with Mumsie Willow and Dad, and Mike is here, too, along with one of his nice friends from HMC (seriously, I almost always like Mike's college friends). We will see Mia and Tim on the weekend, when they've returned from visiting Tim's family in OR.
In other news: Yesterday before I left, I had another visit with the ob/gyn (it's lame, but in the final two months, I guess a pregnant woman has to have doctor visits every two weeks). The verdict is good: Both the baby (nicknamed Fuzzy) and I are in great health, my blood pressure is normal (120/70, when it is usually in the 90/60 range), my blood chemistry is fine, and my gestational diabetes test was negative.
Well, as far as Holidailies is concerned, there isn't much I've offered that is in tune with the festive holiday time. In the exchange of gifts, I must admit that my favorite present this year was Super Scrabble, from Jeff. I'm really looking forward to playing with friends and family.
SoCal friends, I decided to come along late during the night before we left, so I didn't get a chance to contact you and make plans. I will call as many of you as I can, and see if I can work with Dan and Jennifer to meet up with you (I don't have a car to drive myself, so I'm dependent on them). We're staying with Mumsie Willow and Dad, and Mike is here, too, along with one of his nice friends from HMC (seriously, I almost always like Mike's college friends). We will see Mia and Tim on the weekend, when they've returned from visiting Tim's family in OR.
In other news: Yesterday before I left, I had another visit with the ob/gyn (it's lame, but in the final two months, I guess a pregnant woman has to have doctor visits every two weeks). The verdict is good: Both the baby (nicknamed Fuzzy) and I are in great health, my blood pressure is normal (120/70, when it is usually in the 90/60 range), my blood chemistry is fine, and my gestational diabetes test was negative.
Well, as far as Holidailies is concerned, there isn't much I've offered that is in tune with the festive holiday time. In the exchange of gifts, I must admit that my favorite present this year was Super Scrabble, from Jeff. I'm really looking forward to playing with friends and family.
26 December 2007
Is it too soon to say "I told you so"?
Finally! Research has confirmed what I've been saying for years: Extreme low-carb diets can be very hazardous to your health!!
Of course, my dietary opinions are coming from a person whose motto could be "I never met a carb I didn't like." But still, I think it is intuitively obvious that it is unhealthy to eat an imbalanced diet of any kind. Our bodies were designed to subsist on certain types of fuel (carbohydrates, proteins, fats), in certain proportions, and severely cutting one's intake of any one of the three can only lead to bad things. Moderation in all things, I tell you!
Of course, my dietary opinions are coming from a person whose motto could be "I never met a carb I didn't like." But still, I think it is intuitively obvious that it is unhealthy to eat an imbalanced diet of any kind. Our bodies were designed to subsist on certain types of fuel (carbohydrates, proteins, fats), in certain proportions, and severely cutting one's intake of any one of the three can only lead to bad things. Moderation in all things, I tell you!
Employment Spam
One aspect of seeking gainful employment, in this day and age, is the searching through and logging into job websites such as CareerBuilder. This being the twenty-first century, many companies are doing recruiting and hiring almost exclusively online, so putting one's resume up is de rigueur and presumably useful. In my case, of course, it has gotten me nothing but spam, the majority of which is poorly written and moderately incomprehensible.
I don't really understand why anyone would generate spam with fake offers of employment. What is the payoff in that? I suppose they're just hoping that you'll follow their links, and either get some sort of virus or Trojan horse, or give them your e-mail address and more information about yourself. In any case, I just delete the spam, which is easy to spot anyway because (as I stated above) it is usually unfortunate and nonsensical.
On occasion, however, I have to stop and wonder at WHY people bother to send me certain "employment offers", because they are so outlandish and fake that it is obvious that the spambot neglected to actually troll my resume before generating the message.
For example, the other day, I received a message that included this:
"While looking through online resumes, yours caught my eye and I believe your background is what my client needs. X Gym is currently seeking a Personal Trainer, and I would like to invite you to apply for the position."
My readers who know me even a little bit will be very aware that my resume has NO MENTION of anything related to personal training or a gym. And I cannot believe that anyone with my background is what X Gym really needs. Unless X Gym has a business model centered around hiring personal trainers who are pudgy, lazy pregnant women who hate to exercise. In which case, X Gym is a lousy gym anyway, and not one with which I'd like to be associated at all.
I don't really understand why anyone would generate spam with fake offers of employment. What is the payoff in that? I suppose they're just hoping that you'll follow their links, and either get some sort of virus or Trojan horse, or give them your e-mail address and more information about yourself. In any case, I just delete the spam, which is easy to spot anyway because (as I stated above) it is usually unfortunate and nonsensical.
On occasion, however, I have to stop and wonder at WHY people bother to send me certain "employment offers", because they are so outlandish and fake that it is obvious that the spambot neglected to actually troll my resume before generating the message.
For example, the other day, I received a message that included this:
"While looking through online resumes, yours caught my eye and I believe your background is what my client needs. X Gym is currently seeking a Personal Trainer, and I would like to invite you to apply for the position."
My readers who know me even a little bit will be very aware that my resume has NO MENTION of anything related to personal training or a gym. And I cannot believe that anyone with my background is what X Gym really needs. Unless X Gym has a business model centered around hiring personal trainers who are pudgy, lazy pregnant women who hate to exercise. In which case, X Gym is a lousy gym anyway, and not one with which I'd like to be associated at all.
25 December 2007
23 December 2007
Good Stuff Galore
Futurama sends you Xmas cheer:
Haha, Robot Santa is funny. You have to see the Xmas episodes to understand.
Always call ahead:
This can't be embedded, but:
See a cute Christmas-themed Bones video set to music.
Haha, Robot Santa is funny. You have to see the Xmas episodes to understand.
Always call ahead:
This can't be embedded, but:
See a cute Christmas-themed Bones video set to music.
22 December 2007
More Good Stuff
Found this whilst trolling through Christmas-related videos on Youtube (I sort through Youtube so you don't have to).
More than half a century later, Eartha Kitt can still get whatever she wants from Santa. He's one of her biggest fans!
More than half a century later, Eartha Kitt can still get whatever she wants from Santa. He's one of her biggest fans!
Good Stuff 3
Your daily dose of Christmas cheer!
Yakko, Wakko, and Dot are their usual crazy selves, yet never irreverent. Their pageant of carols and popular songs manages to catch the joy and quirky humor of the Incarnation ("God? Coming to earth as a baby? A virgin, you say?"), without diluting the fact that the little child born in Bethlehem was unique and worthy of praise and worship.
21 December 2007
Good Stuff 2
The one and only Boney M, singing a lovely Christmas number in their distinctive style. This comes from one of my family's favorite Christmas albums. And please notice that where other women would look ridiculous, the ladies of Boney M simply look composed and gorgeous in their long white feathery/furry robe thingies. Impressive, indeed!
20 December 2007
Finally!
I finished reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, nearly five months after almost everyone else on the planet finished reading it. But no matter: I did read it, and it was pretty decent. I discovered that I had correctly predicted several key plot points related to the ending, which makes me wonder whether it was just really obvious to everybody or I happen to think the way J.K. Rowling does.
Now on to find my next reading project.
Now on to find my next reading project.
Interesting... or not
I talked with someone at a party last night. No, really. I had an actual conversation with someone I don't actually know.
Jeff and I went to his company's Christmas party, which was held basically outdoors, at the Phoenix Zoo. Now, Phoenix is warmer than, say, Chicago in December, but it still gets CHILLY at night. My friends and family know very well my aversion to anything even remotely resembling cold. Fortunately, the event planners had made certain that there were heaters in the seating area, and I plopped myself down right next to one. A bit later, one of Jeff's coworkers came in with his wife, and she plopped herself down on the other side of the heater. One or the other of us made some introductory remark, and we soon discovered that we share the same medical condition!
See, I'm not totally a singular and bizarre freak of nature. Though it is a rather rare condition, there are others who also have Raynaud's disease. We lose circulation in our extremities (usually hands and feet, but sometimes nose and ears, as well) very easily; we often wear gloves/mittens* and heavy socks to insulate our hands and feet; we also have to keep our entire bodies, particularly the bodies' cores, warm, to prevent blood from being mistakenly drawn from our extremities back to our vital organs. If we don't stay warm enough, we can get frostbite, in weather where other people might be comfortable wearing only a sweater. I myself have primary Raynaud's, which is more severe and is "stand-alone", i.e. not a secondary symptom of another disease or disorder.
Further chatting with this woman revealed that we share some other medical conditions, too: hypoglycemia and low blood pressure. I haven't found it in any literature (let's face it, nobody is handing out huge grants for Raynaud's research anyway), but I wonder if there is some sort of correlation. The low blood pressure thing makes sense: One mightn't have enough blood pressure to combat the constricting vessels and push the needed blood to extremities.
Well, it was nice to just hear from someone else who really understands what life is like, day in and day out, for me. Raynaud's is not like a major disease (e.g. polio) or a severe handicap, in that it doesn't really impact my life in an extreme way. I am mobile, and can function normally from day-to-day. Yet it really does impact my life in ways I don't always remember. For example, I make conscious choices about living in hotter, drier areas of the world; I might dream of doing brilliantly on the GRE and getting offered a fellowship at some big-name school back east, but realistically, health-wise, I'm not going to be able to live anywhere in a location that gets much more than slightly cold at any time of the year (so that pretty much leaves Hawaii, Florida, and the Southwest, which is where I currently reside). Air conditioning is literally a pain for me and can make me cry, and it's often an ordeal to just walk through a refrigerated aisle at the grocery store. I really don't wear short pants, or even many skirts or dresses, because they just don't keep me warm enough. I have to tote an extra wrap, plus gloves and hat, almost everywhere I go, so I'm always hauling around more stuff than I want. [I ought to carry a balanced snack, such as a protein bar, with me at all times, to combat blood sugar issues, but I've gotten lazy about that lately...] It's the little things that other people might not even notice, but they add up sometimes.
So I'm glad I met a fellow Raynaud's sufferer, even if it was just once at a company party. I'm glad that I was reassured that Phoenix really is a great place for people like us, as long as we can stay outside in the summer, to avoid the crazy air conditioning. If she's survived this long, there's hope for me, too.
*I believe that this is how Wendy first recognized me during our first year of college: I was "that weird girl who always wears gloves in class".
Jeff and I went to his company's Christmas party, which was held basically outdoors, at the Phoenix Zoo. Now, Phoenix is warmer than, say, Chicago in December, but it still gets CHILLY at night. My friends and family know very well my aversion to anything even remotely resembling cold. Fortunately, the event planners had made certain that there were heaters in the seating area, and I plopped myself down right next to one. A bit later, one of Jeff's coworkers came in with his wife, and she plopped herself down on the other side of the heater. One or the other of us made some introductory remark, and we soon discovered that we share the same medical condition!
See, I'm not totally a singular and bizarre freak of nature. Though it is a rather rare condition, there are others who also have Raynaud's disease. We lose circulation in our extremities (usually hands and feet, but sometimes nose and ears, as well) very easily; we often wear gloves/mittens* and heavy socks to insulate our hands and feet; we also have to keep our entire bodies, particularly the bodies' cores, warm, to prevent blood from being mistakenly drawn from our extremities back to our vital organs. If we don't stay warm enough, we can get frostbite, in weather where other people might be comfortable wearing only a sweater. I myself have primary Raynaud's, which is more severe and is "stand-alone", i.e. not a secondary symptom of another disease or disorder.
Further chatting with this woman revealed that we share some other medical conditions, too: hypoglycemia and low blood pressure. I haven't found it in any literature (let's face it, nobody is handing out huge grants for Raynaud's research anyway), but I wonder if there is some sort of correlation. The low blood pressure thing makes sense: One mightn't have enough blood pressure to combat the constricting vessels and push the needed blood to extremities.
Well, it was nice to just hear from someone else who really understands what life is like, day in and day out, for me. Raynaud's is not like a major disease (e.g. polio) or a severe handicap, in that it doesn't really impact my life in an extreme way. I am mobile, and can function normally from day-to-day. Yet it really does impact my life in ways I don't always remember. For example, I make conscious choices about living in hotter, drier areas of the world; I might dream of doing brilliantly on the GRE and getting offered a fellowship at some big-name school back east, but realistically, health-wise, I'm not going to be able to live anywhere in a location that gets much more than slightly cold at any time of the year (so that pretty much leaves Hawaii, Florida, and the Southwest, which is where I currently reside). Air conditioning is literally a pain for me and can make me cry, and it's often an ordeal to just walk through a refrigerated aisle at the grocery store. I really don't wear short pants, or even many skirts or dresses, because they just don't keep me warm enough. I have to tote an extra wrap, plus gloves and hat, almost everywhere I go, so I'm always hauling around more stuff than I want. [I ought to carry a balanced snack, such as a protein bar, with me at all times, to combat blood sugar issues, but I've gotten lazy about that lately...] It's the little things that other people might not even notice, but they add up sometimes.
So I'm glad I met a fellow Raynaud's sufferer, even if it was just once at a company party. I'm glad that I was reassured that Phoenix really is a great place for people like us, as long as we can stay outside in the summer, to avoid the crazy air conditioning. If she's survived this long, there's hope for me, too.
*I believe that this is how Wendy first recognized me during our first year of college: I was "that weird girl who always wears gloves in class".
19 December 2007
It Just Goes to Show
So, Britney Spears is a mess: a divorced single mom with (confirmed) custody problems, (sort of alleged) substance abuse problems, and an apparent inability to do anything correctly within the framework of the legal system.
Now, Jamie Lynn Spears is pregnant and on her way to becoming a single teen mother.
It seems almost too easy to take a pot shot at their parents, since obviously something went wrong somewhere. It's even easier to snicker and say, "You can take the girl out of the trailer park, but you can't take the trailer park out of the girl."
But in defense of Britney and Jamie Lynn, I'd like to point out a very salient fact: Whether pregnant, drugged-up, being visited by social services, or just running around town looking trashy, neither of the Ms. Spears is on welfare. Thank you.
Now, Jamie Lynn Spears is pregnant and on her way to becoming a single teen mother.
It seems almost too easy to take a pot shot at their parents, since obviously something went wrong somewhere. It's even easier to snicker and say, "You can take the girl out of the trailer park, but you can't take the trailer park out of the girl."
But in defense of Britney and Jamie Lynn, I'd like to point out a very salient fact: Whether pregnant, drugged-up, being visited by social services, or just running around town looking trashy, neither of the Ms. Spears is on welfare. Thank you.
17 December 2007
Christmas List Thoughts
I have made a list of things I'm getting for others, heavily peppered with questions marks for those people for whom I have no idea what to get. Yes, I'm a bit behind on the shopping and shipping, but cut me some slack--I've been a bit busy.
People have asked me what I want for Christmas, and I haven't had many good answers. I don't expect that too many folks are buying stuff, but just in case (and for my own memory-jogging), here's a little list with some ideas:
Weekly calendar / daily planner - one with nice pictures , to help me manage life
Monthly calendar - for planning and scheduling all our important activities as a family
Baby items - onesies, t-shirts, diaper starter kit, more diapers
Baby books - not sure exactly which ones, though
Baby food mill - something like this
[Yes, I guess there's a definite baby theme this year.]
Harry Potter books - we don't own any of the seven
New slippers - my current (Hello Kitty) ones are worn down at the heel
I can't really think of anything more, although I'm sure there is plenty more that I need.
People have asked me what I want for Christmas, and I haven't had many good answers. I don't expect that too many folks are buying stuff, but just in case (and for my own memory-jogging), here's a little list with some ideas:
Weekly calendar / daily planner - one with nice pictures , to help me manage life
Monthly calendar - for planning and scheduling all our important activities as a family
Baby items - onesies, t-shirts, diaper starter kit, more diapers
Baby books - not sure exactly which ones, though
Baby food mill - something like this
[Yes, I guess there's a definite baby theme this year.]
Harry Potter books - we don't own any of the seven
New slippers - my current (Hello Kitty) ones are worn down at the heel
I can't really think of anything more, although I'm sure there is plenty more that I need.
Linguistics
Twice in the past few weeks, I've had vivid dreams in which I am holding conversations in Bahasa Indonesia. It is said that when one dreams in a particular language, it is an indication of fluency. While I have been fluent in Bahasa Indonesia in the past, I haven't really used it for years, so I don't know from whence comes this sudden resurgence. Could the baby hormones be stirring up memories and confusing my brain?
Aneh sekali!
Aneh sekali!
ROFLMAO
Pardon the acronym, but I really had to post this homage to both Muppets and World of Warcraft.
PWN N00BS FTW
PWN N00BS FTW
16 December 2007
Keep Reading!
See? I said I would post more, and I've posted nearly every day, and when I haven't posted, I've tried to post multiple times on the days following, to make up for it.
I hope I haven't lost most of the few readers I had. Don't stop reading! I'll be more funny and interesting, I promise.
I put a poll in my upper left sidebar. Please vote!
I hope I haven't lost most of the few readers I had. Don't stop reading! I'll be more funny and interesting, I promise.
I put a poll in my upper left sidebar. Please vote!
...But where do the SKINNY women shop?
Yesterday, Jeff took me to Motherhood Maternity (which sells the only maternity clothing I have found to be acceptable) to get me a few more items of clothing, which were sorely needed at this point, because I can no longer fit into ANY of my pre-pregnancy clothes. We had budgeted for it, and it was nice to get cute clothes, even if I'll wear them for only a few more months. But our experience there had me wondering: "Where do really thin women buy maternity clothes?" I am not extremely slender--in fact, I'm just on the slim side of average. However, I wear size small trousers at Motherhood. I wear mostly small tops, too, although I have had to get a medium-sized sweater, thanks to some shifts in my weight distribution. So, basically, at 5'7" and 150 lbs, I am considered "small". And it's difficult to find clothes labeled with that essential S on any of the clothing racks (Maybe all the other "small" people got there before me?), but L and XL are plentiful.
Motherhood does carry petite sizes, of course, but anyone 5'5" or greater would be too tall for them.
Also of note: They do not carry brassieres, for maternity or nursing, in any size smaller than 34. Thus, any woman with a narrow back and/or small torso is probably out of luck.
So, the question remains: "Where do average-to-tall skinny women get their maternity clothes?"
Motherhood does carry petite sizes, of course, but anyone 5'5" or greater would be too tall for them.
Also of note: They do not carry brassieres, for maternity or nursing, in any size smaller than 34. Thus, any woman with a narrow back and/or small torso is probably out of luck.
So, the question remains: "Where do average-to-tall skinny women get their maternity clothes?"
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