December 2009
28 posts
1 tag
5 Inspiring Acts of Kindness by Terrifying Crime... →
This is the time of year when we like to stop and celebrate human generosity and togetherness. You’ll hear lots of stories of kind strangers helping bringing surprise gifts to poor children and charities giving toys to the homeless and all that sort of thing. It’s all very heartwarming.
But you know who also is generous from time to time? Organized crime. That’s right; even the...
The Lark vs. The Owl: Don’t Mess with Mother... →
Most of us know whether we’re a lark who likes to beat the sunrise, or an owl who prefers to work by moonlight. Larks function best in the morning and tire through the day, whereas owls feel sharper as the day goes on and reach their optimum level at around 9 o’clock at night. Owls tend to envy larks, though, especially when they hear about their counterparts who can rise before...
We Gotta Fight for our Right Not to Party →
A woman who read one of my essays on introversion said that when she explained her introversion to her family, her brother said, “We didn’t know you were an introvert. We thought you were just a bitch.”
Yeah, a lot of people don’t get it. How do we help them to understand? <more>
Jesus Hated War -- Why Do Christians Love It So... →
The church survived the persecutions of those early years and thrived, largely because of its commitment to the nonviolence of Jesus. It was not until the church was co-opted by the Emperor Constantine in the early 4th Century that power and wealth changed the priorities of church leaders…<more>
High Fructose Corn Syrup Proven to Cause Human... →
…High fructose corn syrup can actually damage human metabolism…<more>
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25 Days In Federal Prison For Littering? Border... →
On Friday December 4th, an Arizona District Court judge told Walt Staton, a 28 year-old seminary student, that he might be facing 25 days in a federal prison. His crime was “knowingly littering” along the U.S.-Mexico border…<more>
Most Worthless Kitchen Tools Ever Sold (At Amazing... →
There are gadgets to help you get the most from your kitchen. Then there are these gadgets, that jump on the the cooking bandwagon hard enough to break it’s axles…<more>
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Rescued Child Prostitution Victims Have Nowhere to... →
According to a recent Los Angeles Times article, there are only 44 beds in 4 shelters for child victims of sex trafficking in the whole U.S. That figure seems a little low, but I would be surprised if there are more than 100 beds in 6 or 7 shelters. And between the periodic large busts that net 50 or 100 victims at a time and individual victims being rescued almost every day, it’s not...
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American Apparel Sticks Up for Immigrant Workers... →
As the holidays rapidly approach, our focus shifts to shopping, cooking and decking the halls for the invasion of relatives. But, as we hit the shops, we often forget to take a moment to think about the origins of our chic outfits and abounding feasts (those of us lucky enough to still have these).
Those trendy peacoats and ripe, delicious pears didn’t fall off of a sleigh after...
10 Most Famous “Medical Miracles” of All Time →
Medicine has come a long way within the past two centuries, but sometimes accidents, illnesses and deformities can confound even the most educated and experienced doctor. The following list contains ten of the most famous ‘medical miracles’ performed by doctors and, perhaps, by the patient’s own will to survive. These ‘miracles’ consisted of a willingness on the part of doctors, patients and...
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A Chance at Justice Denied: Rape Kits in America... →
“After he let me live I wished he killed me.”
Such were Debbie Smith’s words after describing a rape she endured nearly 20 years ago when a masked man abducted her from her home and took her to a nearby woods where he repeatedly raped her.
Early this week, Smith took to Capitol Hill to share her story with a Senate panel in an attempt to urge them to eliminate the startling...
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Best of LA Times Photography 2009 →
2009 in Focus: Best of Times photography Memorable moments captured by Los Angeles Times photographers in 2009. <http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2p3nrr/www.latimes.com/news/local/photography/la-2009photos-html%2C0%2C5326045.htmlstory>
U.S. Recalls 800,000 Swine Flu Shots →
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recalled 800,000 doses of a children’s vaccine for swine flu Tuesday, according to the Associated Press. The shots, for children younger than age three, were recalled “because tests indicate the vaccine doses lost some strength,” says the AP. Most of the shots have already been used, but government officials “stressed that...
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Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Gitmo Torture Case... →
Defense attorney: “Future prospective torturers can now draw comfort from this decision.” <more>
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Hussam Mohammed Amin: Former Iraqi Weapons Monitor... →
How terrible it is to discover we are not innocent. Please take the time to read this one account of human rights violations committed by the U.S.A.
…Dietary manipulation was one of 14 interrogation techniques that were outside the Army Field Manual but used as a matter of policy by the Joint Special Operations Command in Iraq when it was under the leadership of Gen. Stanley McChrystal,...
The 6 Weirdest, Scariest Processed Foods →
Once upon a time, some brave scientists had a noble dream of ridding food of nutrients. That dream is closer to reality than ever…<more>
Fast-food standards for meat top those for school... →
In the past three years, the government has provided the nation’s schools with millions of pounds of beef and chicken that wouldn’t meet the quality or safety standards of many fast-food restaurants, from Jack in the Box and other burger places to chicken chains such as KFC, a USA TODAY investigation found…<more>
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Tell Choice Hotels to Prevent Child Prostitution...
Right now, children are falling prey to sex trafficking in American-owned hotels all over the world, and even right here at home. Just last month, 5-year-old Shaniya Davis was sold for sex at a Comfort Inn in North Carolina. The tragedy of Shaniya Davis and the abhorrence of child prostitution are universally acknowledged. Companies like Choice Hotels, the parent company of the Comfort Inn...
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Home for the Holidays: A Child's-Eye Perspective... →
t is a truth almost universally acknowledged that any really nice child would like to go to a less than perfectly familiar house with a crowd of not entirely familiar people, and there consume large amounts of food at an hour other than a usual mealtime. That child, according to this acknowledged truth, will behave well (i.e., inconspicuously), and will appear grateful for this...
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21 American Political Parties that aren’t... →
It is easy to see why so many Americans believe that the United States only plays host to a two-party system during elections. Because of their financial advantages, the Democratic and Republican parties can afford enough advertising and media prominence to discuss their platforms and ideology. However, the American peoples have many more choices open to them than the two political...
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Company Logos →
[PG-13] In the world of business and marketing, image is everything. Logos are a way for customers to recall your company with a mental image, which is why it’s important to avoid these common mistakes…<more>
Copenhagen Prostitutes: Free Sex During Climate... →
Copenhagen prostitutes are striking back at attempts to curb prostitution during the upcoming climate change summit by offering free sex to anybody with an official U.N. summit ID…<more>
"Gang Tours" Give Outsiders an Inside Look at... →
For the low, low price of $65, anyone looking to up their street cred can spend two (safe) hours in South Los Angeles, checking out graffiti, eyeing the projects, and getting schooled in the history and culture of gangs…<more>
Facebook and MySpace Booting Sex Offenders in... →
If you suddenly lost a host of FB or MP friends, you now know why!
Social networks have been in the precarious position of having to deal with sex offenders since their early days, but as a result of new laws being passed around the country, several local governments now also play a role in keeping predators off the likes of Facebook and MySpace…<more>
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7 Inventors You Didn't Know You Wanted to Punch In... →
Throughout the course of an average day, you’re probably faced with 10 to 20 different things that make you say, “Man, if I knew who came up with that idea, I’d punch them clean in the face.” But where do you place that absolutely understandable rage? You place it on these people. With your fist, if possible…<more>
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Top 10 Myths About Jury Duty →
One of our privileges and rights as citizens in the United States is to serve on a jury. Jury duty is one way that we can give back to our country and help exercise the principles upon which it was founded. The Bill of Rights guarantees the right of the accused to a trial by his peers, and jury duty allows that right to be fulfilled. However, many people do not understand even the basics of jury...