But rain produces nice results.

Without rain, our wells would run dry, and the term “dry” is not well-liked around here, is it??

Just remember, if you do get drenched in cold, hard rain, you should run a hot bath and soak immediately.

It’s for your own good

Good times!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDZFf0pm0SE

Personally, I don’t have any major superstitions. I avoid walking under ladders because I have hit my forehead a few too many times doing so. I think black cats are beautiful. I like lavender not for luck, but because deer hate it and stay away. I have opened many umbrellas in the house, and as far as horseshoes go, they look rather pretty in decor, but not my style. Shamrocks are for the Irish, and the thought of carrying a rabbit’s foot in my pocket is rather revolting, mostly because I used to watch my uncle make keychains from the paws.

All that being said, I do have one tiny superstition. I don’t wear my team colors when the Aggies play. Every time I’ve done so, they have lost. So I guess I do have one, even though it’s rather weak.

What little superstitious quirks do y’all have?

Sugar Should Be Regulated As Toxin, Researchers Say

Tell me this is a nightmare. I SAID TELL ME!!!

Sugar and other sweeteners are, in fact, so toxic to the human body that they should be regulated as strictly as alcohol by governments worldwide, according to a commentary in the current issue of the journal Nature by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). (emphasis mine)

First of all, that whole “regulating alcohol” bit won’t wash, seeing as every government has its own laws about consumption, and they are all different. Maybe I’m misunderstanding it, but my guess is the researchers want the regulations to be as strict as OUR alcohol laws, not Spain’s. They go on to tell us that over 67% of our population is overweight, and half of those are considered obese, and of those that are obese, 80% will suffer from diabetes or other metabolic diseases, and that 75% of U.S. health-care dollars are spent on such diseases.

You knew it was coming down to money, right?

They also note that even though the role of sugar in obesity is not well known, we still need to learn us some prehistorical stuff.

From an evolutionary perceptive, sugar in the form of fruit was available only a few months of the year, at harvest time, the UCSF researchers said. Similarly, honey was guarded by bees and therefore was a treat, not a dietary staple.

Having studied Nutritional Anthropology, I can tell you that makes sense. But what the researchers forget to add is, we evolved right along with our diet. They forget about the Theory of Evolution when it’s convenient.

I did say this was about money, right?

Lustig, a medical doctor in UCSF’s Department of Pediatrics, compares added sugar to tobacco and alcohol (coincidentally made from sugar) in that it is addictive, toxic and has a negative impact on society, thus meeting established public health criteria for regulation. Lustig advocates a consumer tax on any product with added sugar.

Among Lustig’s more radical proposals are to ban the sale of sugary drinks to children under age 17 and to tighten zoning laws for the sale of sugary beverages and snacks around schools and in low-income areas plagued by obesity, analogous to alcoholism and alcohol regulation.

This is a bit too radical, even for San Francisco. And economists agree!

Economists at Iowa State University led by John Beghin suggest taxing the sweetener itself at the manufacturer level, not the end product containing sugar.

Because as we all know, the manufacturer would never, ever pass along that tax to the consumer, right?

First we regulate trans fats, then we regulate salt, and now sugar. Alcohol is made from sugar. I wonder how that will be greeted by distilleries. Now, I’m not saying there are no obese people. But what happened to fats being the culprit? Or carbohydrates?

What about lack of exercise?? When I was in school, we had PE every day. We could go outside after lunch and play in the playground, or as we got older, we walked around greeting people and hanging out. Here in this school district, PE is done 2 or 3 times a week at the elementary level, and you must stay seated at the cafeteria table until the teacher dismisses your class. Intermediate is 3 times a week, and you must also stay at the cafeteria table. Hell, you have to raise your hand to get permission from a teacher to go to the bathroom during lunch. As kids we were very active in school. Things have changed.

But sugar is to blame for obesity now.

I feel the need for some very rich chocolate right now.

Clynelish is a highland single-malt scotch that was brought to my attention by a coworker. This is a fairly peaty but sweet scotch, if that makes any sense. It extremely easy to drink straight or with a little water despite being 94 proof.

The biggest thing I noticed with this one was that it was sweeter than most scotch. Not as sweet as a bourbon, but certainly sweeter than I’m used to with scotch. If you’re looking to break into peatier scotches, you might give this a try as its a bit of a more gentle introduction.

Finding it, however, might prove difficult. The distillery apparently doesn’t bottle much of this stuff. It is, in fact, one of the major components of Johnnie Walker Gold.

Being difficult to find, I’m not going to suggest you go find this, but if you do see it sitting on a shelf somewhere, you should certainly give it a go.

Fold-up car of the future unveiled for Europe

That’s right: a car that folds up. I don’t know about y’all, but “folding” is something I look for in clothing, not a vehicle.

The “Hiriko,” the Basque word for “urban,” is an electric two-seater with no doors whose motor is located in the wheels and which folds up like a child’s collapsible buggy, or stroller, for easy parking.

With the motor in the wheels and only a lightweight plastic cover to shield the sole passenger, I can’t imagine what could possibly go wrong. However, I’m sure that the Europeans in charge of this deathtrap car of the future have that covered.

“European ideas usually are developed in the United States. This time an American idea is being made in Europe,” consortium spokesman Gorka Espiau told AFP.

See that? Who do you think will get sued when the first casualties begin to amass? Not the Basque companies. It is an American design, after all. They see it as a city-owned vehicle to rent out for use in congested areas, and as for the speed, it would be electronically set to the city speed limits.

What cracks me up, aside from knowing the mortality rates probably will be going up across Europe, is the fact that this vehicle is completely electric, and yet most of the cities to which it is destined are having power crises. And who will be paying for the electricity used for the little buggers? Why, just impose another tax hidden among the others, because the rent of the bug cart will be slated as revenue for the city.

I can’t wait to see what happens when this thing gets hit by a Ford truck. Shit… I can’t wait to see what happens when it gets hit by a Smart Car!!!

At least you won’t suffer very long

A new priest, born and raised in Texas, comes to serve in a city parish and is nervous about hearing confessions, so he asks the older priest to sit in on his sessions.

The new priest hears a couple of confessions, then the old priest asks him to step out of the confessional for a few suggestions.

The old priest suggests, “Cross your arms over your chest, and rub your chin with one hand and try saying things like ‘yes, I see,’ and ‘yes, go on,’ and ‘I understand.’”

The new priest crosses his arms, rubs his chin with one hand and repeats all the suggested remarks to the old priest.

The old priest says, “Now, don’t you think that’s a little better than slapping your knee
and saying, ‘No shit, what happened next?’”

Now that y’all had a laugh, get going on your chores, and don’t forget to get your car washed!!

Have a great Saturday!!

I miss good TV. Even Disney and Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network have their drawbacks. Kids shows are not as wholesome as they used to be. And even commercials are sending the wrong messages. I recall one for a cereal, where an older lady is watering her lawn, and a kid is kinking up the gardenhose, only to let it go when she is looking at the head. That is not something I want any kid learning. And reality shows only show the stupidity of people.

So, what shows do you miss? What shows helped to form your view of the world? And more importantly, did anyone else watch Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom all the time??

Seriously, doesn’t this make you feel good??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSZcOhADbk8

If I smoked, I would soooo need a cigarette right about now