The city is also reviewing new gunshot detection technology. The machines, which are in use in Washington, D.C., and Chicago, are able to detect gunfire and pinpoint its location.Big city life has it's high points and low points. This would be a low point. Have a happy and SAFE New Year's eve.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana University has been selected to play in the Insight Bowl, IU Director of Athletics Rick Greenspan and Insight Bowl Chairman Dick Stemple announced on Sunday evening. The Hoosiers (7-5, 3-5 Big Ten) will face Oklahoma State (6-6, 4-4 Big 12) on Monday, Dec. 31.Congratulations, Hoosiers. What a great way to honor Coach Hoep's memory and brief legacy by making a bowl game. The kick in the gut is that the game will be broadcast on the NFL Network, which is unavailable to about 70% of the households in the country. I do believe Indiana is very much a cable company stronghold. I hope a local station gets to simulcast the game. That happened here in Dallas for the Cowboys/Packers game. Go Hoosiers!!
IU will be making its ninth bowl appearance and its first since the 1993 Independence Bowl. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. MST/5:30 p.m. EST in Tempe, Ariz. The game will be played at Sun Devil Stadium (73,752) and will air on the NFL Network.
"I was delighted to learn that our football team has been selected to play in the Insight Bowl," Indiana University President Michael McRobbie said. "Coach Lynch and our players persevered through a season of unique challenges and, with strong support from our fans, achieved their goal to `play 13.' As we strive for excellence in all things at IU, this achievement is a point of significant pride for all of us."
Heavier-than-anticipated loads have been causing the boats to come to a standstill in two different spots, allowing for an extra-long gander at the Canadian Mounties and the Scandinavian geese, said Al Lutz, whose website MiceAge first reported the refurbishment plans.
"If these boats get stuck . . . they have to send someone back in there to lighten the load on the boat," said Lutz, who has been on the ride when a guest or two was asked to disembark.
"They've even built a platform next to that [Mounties] curve because they've had so many problems."
Disneyland plans to add an inch of depth to the water channel and design more-buoyant boats, Lutz said.
Of course, it's not the expanding waist lines of Americans and tourists. It's the "layers and layers of fiberglass have built up where maintenance teams have patched and re-patched problem areas, said Disneyland Resort spokesman Bob Tucker."
Layers of fiberglass. Riiiight. That would explain the need to redesign many of its costumes and to start stocking them in larger sizes to accommodate ever-expanding waistlines of the cast members (Disney doesn't have employees. They're called cast members. It's all a big show, you know?).
But here is the insult that gets added to the injury:
So when somebody gets booted from the boat, Lutz said, Disneyland ride operators make sure the guests don't leave disappointed: They hand them a food ticket.Overweight tourists getting free food tickets? At the rate the world is growing these days, it will be a large world, after all.
Need further proof? How about this new study by researchers at the University of Paris X-Nanterre that found that a woman's hair color influenced men's performance on general intelligence tests. Men who looked at photographs of blonde women scored lower on the tests than men shown images of brunettes and redheads.Despite flash, males are simple creaturesFemales evolve slower, but it's because they're more complexThe secret to why male organisms evolve faster than their female counterparts comes down to this: Males are simple creatures.
In nearly all species, males seem to ramp up glitzier garbs, more graceful dance moves and more melodic warbles in a never-ending vie to woo the best mates. Called sexual selection, the result is typically a showy male and a plain-Jane female. Evolution speeds along in the males compared to females.
The idea that males evolve more quickly than females has been around since 19th century biologist Charles Darwin observed the majesty of a peacock’s tail feather in comparison with those of the drab peahen.
How and why males exist in evolutionary overdrive despite carrying essentially the same genes as females has long puzzled scientists.
New research on fruit flies, detailed online last week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, finds males have fewer genetic obstacles to prevent them from responding quickly to selection pressures in their environments.
"It’s because males are simpler," said lead author Marta Wayne, a zoologist at the University of Florida in Gainesville. "The mode of inheritance in males involves simpler genetic architecture that does not include as many interactions between genes as could be involved in female inheritance."
Researchers discovered what might be called the “bimbo delusion” by studying men’s ability to complete general knowledge tests after exposure to different women. The academics found that men’s scores fell after they were shown pictures of blondes.
Further analysis convinced the team that, rather than simply being distracted by the flaxen hair, those who performed poorly had been unconsciously driven by social stereotypes to “think blonde”.
“This proves that people confronted with stereotypes generally behave in line with them,” said Thierry Meyer, joint author of the study and professor of social psychology at the University of Paris X-Nanterre. “In this case blondes have the potential to make people act in a dumber way, because they mimic the unconscious stereotype of the dumb blonde.”
But are men really "talking down" to blondes or is it something more sinister?
Michelle Collins, the blonde-haired former EastEnders actress, suspected the results were more to do with men’s approach to sex than intelligence. “I don’t think it’s to do with hair at all; it’s all about the breasts,” she said.So let's recap: the rapid evolution and adaptation by males is all because we want to get laid--especially by blondes because we think they're easier to bed because they're stupid.
Indeed, the tale of the Flying Spaghetti Monster and its followers cuts to the heart of the one of the thorniest questions in religious studies: What defines a religion? Does it require a genuine theological belief? Or simply a set of rituals and a community joining together as a way of signaling their cultural alliances to others?A great read that asks a simple question about the origin of religion: am I part of something bigger?
Lucas Johnston, the third Florida student, argues the Flying Spaghetti Monsterism exhibits at least some of the traits of a traditional religion _ including, perhaps, that deep human need to feel like there's something bigger than oneself out there.And may you be touched by His noodly appendage. Ramen.He recognized the point when his neighbor, a militant atheist who sports a pro-Darwin bumper sticker on her car, tried recently to start her car on a dying battery.
As she turned the key, she murmured under her breath: "Come on Spaghetti Monster!"
I nominate Bill Maher to head up the FDA under the next administration:
If you believe you need to take all the pills the pharmaceutical industry says you do, then you're already on drugs.Yes, it's that time in the campaign where all the candidates are presenting their health care proposals. Hillary's covers children's teeth. Edwards has one that includes maintaining gorgeous, shiny hair and Barack Obama's involves going on Oprah, and everyone gets a gastric bypass!
But, none of the plans address the real problem. We won't stop being sick until we stop making ourselves sick. Because -- because there is a point where even the most universal government health program can't help you. They can't outlaw unhealthy food or alcohol or cigarettes. Just pot, sadly.
Because, you see, the government isn't your nanny. They're your dealer. And they subsidize illness in America. They have to. There's too much money in it. You see, there's no money in healthy people. And there's no money in dead people. The money is in the middle. People who are alive, sort of -- but with one or more chronic conditions that puts them in need of Celebrex or Nasonex or Valtrex or Lunesta. Fifty years ago, children didn't even get Type 2 Diabetes. Now, it's an emerging epidemic. As are a long list of ailments which used to be rare, and have now been "mainstreamed."
Things like asthma and autism and acid reflux, and arthritis, allergies, adult acne, attention deficit disorder. And that's just the "A's."
Doesn't anybody wonder why we live with all this illness? I'll tell you why. At the L.A. County Fair last week, they were serving something called "Fried Coke." Now, my first thought was, gosh, what a waste of a perfectly good "Eight Ball." But, no, they actually pour the Coca-Cola syrup into a deep fryer.
Then put it in a cup and top it with sugar and whipped cream, and a cherry, because, you know, fruit is good for you.
Would it really be that much more unhealthy to get molested by one of the carnies?
In Hillary Clinton's health plan, the words "nutrition" and "exercise" appear once. The word "drugs" 14 times. Just as the pharmaceutical companies want it. You know, their ad weasels love to say, "When diet and exercise fail ... " Well, diet and exercise don't fail. A fact brought home last week by a new Duke University study that showed exercise -- yes, exercise -- is just as effective a cure for depression as Paxil and Zoloft.
So ask your doctor if getting off your ass is right for you!
You know, if Republicans can sell the idea of preemptive war, Democrats have to at least get us interested in the idea of preventive medicine. Someone has to stand up and say that the answer isn't another pill. The answer is spinach. Okay, not spinach. Turns out that crap'll kill you. But you know what I mean!
From Brian Janosch, 21, an Indiana University senior and former sports editor at the student newspaper The Indiana Daily Student:Hoeppner made an immediate impact in his first year at the helm of the Hoosier program. In addition to leading Indiana to its first 4-1 start since 1994, Hoeppner rejuvenated an IU fan base that enjoyed a 39-percent increase in per-game attendance, a 46-percent increase in overall season ticket sales and a 110-percent increase in student season ticket sales.
He not only helped generate a buzz about Indiana football, but he and his staff also installed an aggressive, big-play defense to go along with an exciting spread offense that threw a school-record 24 touchdown passes.
Furthermore, Hoeppner helped establish new IU football traditions. Two hours prior to each home game, fans and players engaged in "The Walk," as Indiana coaches and players marched through the tailgating areas en route to the "crimson gates" at Memorial Stadium. Hoeppner also dubbed Memorial Stadium "The Rock," a nod to the stadium's limestone construction. A three-ton remnant from the original stadium construction was placed near the north end zone, as the IU coaches now challenge the Hoosiers to "defend the rock." Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, the coaches and players join The Marching Hundred band to sing the school fight song after every home victory.
In one year, just one year, he turned the attitude around here from "Who cares," to "You know what, maybe there's a chance." And that's all we could ask for having not visited a bowl game in more than a decade.Thanks for the memories, the fun, and the hope, Coach Hep. You will be missed.
NEW YORK - A man has sued the maker of the health drink Boost Plus, claiming the vitamin-enriched beverage gave him an erection that would not subside and caused him to be hospitalized.
The lawsuit filed by Christopher Woods of New York said he bought the nutrition beverage made by the pharmaceutical company Novartis AG at a drugstore on June 5, 2004, and drank it.
Woods’ court papers say he woke up the next morning “with an erection that would not subside” and sought treatment that day for the condition, called severe priapism.
The Difference
The difference between a champion and a loser is in the mindset. Champions welcome pain. Losers avoid it at all costs. Champions seek out challenges. Losers have an aversion to challenges. A champion embraces grueling workouts that push his mind and willpower to the brink. A loser sits quietly on a leg extension machine and reads the latest issue of Us magazine.
-- Chad Waterbury"And you know, the bedroom thing is cool, too!" What bedroom thing? Sleeping?Anatrim – The latest and most fascinating product for over-weight people is now available – As you could see on CNN
Do you realize excessive body kilograms kill a plenty of people for every new year? We know that you hate the ugly appearance of those people and the low status they have in modern society. Moreover, you have not the will to withstand pressure of your pernicious eating habits. If it all sounds familiar, then we got something to propose to you!
We’re proudly introduce you Anatrim, the later product for the reduction of your body’s extra weight. The most astonishing thing is that Anatrim improves the quality of your life, repressing the feeling of hunger and giving you gay spirit. Here are what people say on this product:
"It is wonderful! I stopped gorging any food close at hand and watching TV constantly I became keen on exercise. Anatrim put me back on the right path. I have a great form now and there are lots of men following me with their eyes!
"Victoria K., Bellevue WA:
"Passive weight losing was of no result to me. I could not restrain my ravenous appetite. One day I heard about Anatrim from my very best friend and I was really impressed at the information. I had tried to use it, and my wife said I look very good now, 3 months later. 26 pounds have gone away and I keep losing them! And you know, the bedroom thing is cool, too."
Mike Brown, New York
Anatrim helps you to understand you got no such great need for that much food. It raises your spirit, supplies you with energy, and attacks useless kilos. Especial thanks to its powerful distinguished formula!!
| Your Deadly Sins |
| Lust: 60% |
| Envy: 20% |
| Greed: 20% |
| Gluttony: 0% |
| Pride: 0% |
| Sloth: 0% |
| Wrath: 0% |
| Chance You'll Go to Hell: 14% |
| You'll die from overexertion. *wink* |
I really have to liken a good round of golf to something you enjoy doing.You and me both. Whew.
Got paired up with some 40ish-year-old guy. Gave him a good spanking.
My driving was smooth and repetitive. As well as long.
My short game: I was caressing those shots right in.
My putting: In the hole every time.
Yup. It is just like riding a bicycle. You just need to hop back on and go for it. Not bad for a four-month layoff.
Aahhh. Now I need a cigarette. :)
February occurred later on the ancient Roman calendar than it does today so Lupercalia was held in the spring and regarded as a festival of purification and fertility. Each year on February 15, the Luperci priests gathered on Palantine Hill at the cave of Lupercal. Vestal virgins brought sacred cakes made from the first ears of last year's grain harvest to the fig tree. Two naked young men, assisted by the Vestals, sacrificed a dog and a goat at the site. The blood was smeared on the foreheads of the young men and then wiped away with wool dipped in milk.Lou's entire post is a great history lesson. I always enjoy learning about the true origins of supposedly "Christian" holidays and just how pagan they really are. This line is the magic bullet for me as to how early Christianity was able to spread so rapidly:The youths then donned loincloths made from the skin of the goat and led groups of priests around the pomarium, the sacred boundary of the ancient city, and around the base of the hills of Rome. The occasion was happy and festive. As they ran about the city, the young men lightly struck women along the way with strips of the goat hide. It is from these implements of purification, or februa, that the month of February gets its name. This act supposedly provided purification from curses, bad luck, and infertility.
Long after Palentine Hill became the seat of the powerful city, state and empire of Rome, the Lupercalia festival lived on. Roman armies took the Lupercalia customs with them as they invaded France and Britain. One of these was a lottery where the names of available maidens were placed in a box and drawn out by the young men. Each man accepted the girl whose name he drew as his love -- for the duration of the festival, or sometimes longer.
As Christianity began to slowly and systematically dismantle the pagan pantheons, it frequently replaced the festivals of the pagan gods with more ecumenical celebrations. It was easier to convert the local population if they could continue to celebrate on the same days ... they would just be instructed to celebrate different people and ideologies.
Lupercalia, with its lover lottery, had no place in the new Christian order. In the year 496 AD, Pope Gelasius did away with the festival of Lupercalia, citing that it was pagan and immoral. He chose Valentine as the patron saint of lovers, who would be honored at the new festival on the fourteenth of every February. The church decided to come up with its own lottery and so the feast of St. Valentine featured a lottery of Saints. One would pull the name of a saint out of a box, and for the following year, study and attempt to emulate that saint.
It was easier to convert the local population if they could continue to celebrate on the same days ... they would just be instructed to celebrate different people and ideologies.Embracing the pagan origins of these holidays makes them easier for me to enjoy. Christmas has always been difficult for me, even when I was a Christian, until I fully understood the origins of the holiday and threw out the religious crap. Now I can enjoy all my holidays without all the religious hang ups.
When the government approves food from cloned animals, expected in the next year, the Food and Drug Administration doesn’t plan special labels. Government scientists have found no difference between clones and conventional cows, pigs or goats.However, shoppers won’t be completely in the dark. To help them sort through meat and dairy products, one signal is the round, green USDA organic seal, says Caren Wilcox, who heads the Organic Trade Association.
While many people choose organic to avoid pesticides or antibiotics, Wilcox says the U.S. Department of Agriculture label also means clone-free.
I've been slowly making the move to purchase more organic foods from stores like Whole Foods. It's pretty price competitive and the grain-fed beef is to die for, but I still fall into the trap of one store shopping while buying staples from Kroger. I have all my coupons and sometimes to save more money I need to buy a minimum dollar amount of goods.
I'm not sure how I feel about eating cloned critters yet. In theory, I can't see how meat would be different.
I'm more surprised with how quickly the FDA has approved this process. So while the long-term results of eating cloned animals plays itself out in the public, I'll be looking for the USDA organic label on all my goods.
The hormone in question is called pancreatic polypeptide (PP), which the body produces after every meal to ensure eating does not run out of control.An inability to resist the temptation of food? Even when I'm eating totally to plan, I still get cravings for junk food or processed carbs. Hell, ice cream talks to me on a daily basis. And I would consider myself somebody with normal levels of PP.
There is evidence that some people have more of the hormone than others, and becoming overweight reduces the levels produced.
A vicious circle then results, causing appetite to increase, an inability to resist the temptation of food, and further increases in weight. Early tests have shown moderate doses of the hormone, pancreatic polypeptide (PP), can reduce the amount of food eaten by healthy volunteers by 15% to 20%.
From MSNBC: ‘Scooby-Doo’ cartoonist dies at 81.Scooby-Dooby-Doo, my friend. Scooby-Dooby-Doo.
But it was his creation of Scooby-Doo, the cowardly dog with an adventurous heart, that captivated audiences and endured for generations.
Takamoto said he created Scooby-Doo after talking with a Great Dane breeder and named him after Frank Sinatra’s final phrase in “Strangers in the Night.”
Reading diet articles linked to eating disordersThe study didn't mention any of the magazines the teenagers read. However, one magazine is mentioned:
From MSNBC: Magazine headlines entice teenage girls with promises like, “Get the body you want!” or “Hit your dream weight now!”
But a new study suggests reading articles about diet and weight loss could have unhealthy consequences later.
Teenage girls who frequently read magazine articles about dieting were more likely five years later to practice extreme weight-loss measures such as vomiting than girls who never read such articles, the University of Minnesota study found.
Nathan Christopher, a spokesman for Seventeen magazine, said health is important to the magazine’s readers. He wouldn’t comment specifically on the study because it was unclear which magazines the teenagers read.The celebrity endorser for this "challenge" is JoJo, a teenage superstar singer who obviously doesn't need to lose any weight. When you take a peek at her blog entry for December, she writes that she looks to Beyoncé Knowles as a role model because she "she runs on the treadmill every day so that she can keep up her stamina onstage." According to JoJo, Beyoncé is an inspiration because "her body is absolutely beautiful, and she's healthy, too."“We have always featured information to help them lead healthy lives, including fitness tips, first-person health stories, and nutrition facts. Promoting a healthy body image is a priority, so each issue of Seventeen features teens with realistic body types,” he said.
In January, Seventeen magazine and its Web site will kick off a yearlong program called “New Body, New You,” which will feature expert advice on nutrition, health and fitness topics, he said.
