Thursday, January 24
Wednesday, January 23
Gore for same-sex marriage
Not sure what prompted this, but Al Gore has quietly released a video with a forceful endorsement of equal marriage rights for gays and lesbians. It pushes the Democratic establishment that much closer to a position he now shares with Eliot Spitzer and some other leading Dems, and is prompting a bit of grumbling in gay political circles that this batch of candidates aren't quite there.
"Gay men and women ought to have the same rights as heterosexual men and women -- to make contracts, to have hospital visiting rights, to join together in marriage, and I don't understand why it is considered by some people to be a threat to heterosexual marriage," he says on the video, which appears on his Current TV network. "Shouldn't we be promoting the kind of faithfulness and loyalty to ones partner regardless of sexual orientation?"
Gore's words come after the leading presidential candidates have tiptoed up to, but not crossed, the line of support for same-sex marriage. All three support equal substantive rights for gay and lesbians couples, and they've sought to woo gay voters in other ways: Elizabeth Edwards has voiced her support for same-sex marriage, for instance, and Barack Obama recently scolded the black church for homophobia, in a speech to an African-American congregation.
(via Towleroad)
"Gay men and women ought to have the same rights as heterosexual men and women -- to make contracts, to have hospital visiting rights, to join together in marriage, and I don't understand why it is considered by some people to be a threat to heterosexual marriage," he says on the video, which appears on his Current TV network. "Shouldn't we be promoting the kind of faithfulness and loyalty to ones partner regardless of sexual orientation?"
Gore's words come after the leading presidential candidates have tiptoed up to, but not crossed, the line of support for same-sex marriage. All three support equal substantive rights for gay and lesbians couples, and they've sought to woo gay voters in other ways: Elizabeth Edwards has voiced her support for same-sex marriage, for instance, and Barack Obama recently scolded the black church for homophobia, in a speech to an African-American congregation.
(via Towleroad)
Monday, January 14
America's worst 20 fast food items
Most folks can get by quite well with eating less than 2,000 calories per day. Each of these food items pretty well gets you there.
Caramel Banana Pecan Cream Stacked and Stuffed hotcakes?
By the way, just to show that you can find almost anything on the Web, The Healthy Dining Finder can help you pick healthier choices from standard restaurant menus by eliminating high-calorie add-ons.
Source: Houston's Clear Thinkers
Myths about oil are hard to dispel
Amidst the demagoguery of a U.S. Presidential campaign, it's rare to find the mainstream media willing to run Robert Bryce's common sense on energy policy and oil prices. For example:
Myth 3: Energy independence will let America choke off the flow of money to nasty countries.
Fans of energy independence argue that if the United States stops buying foreign energy, it will deny funds to petro-states such as Iran, Saudi Arabia and Hugo Chavez's Venezuela. But the world marketplace doesn't work like that. Oil is a global commodity. Its price is set globally, not locally. Oil buyers are always seeking the lowest-cost supplier. So any Saudi crude being loaded at the Red Sea port of Yanbu that doesn't get purchased by a refinery in Corpus Christi or Houston will instead wind up in Singapore or Shanghai.
Refer to this article whenever you are listening to the candidates from either party start talking about energy policy. Come to think of it, while considering political choices, you should also keep handy this Bryan Caplan/WaPo op-ed entitled 5 Myths About Our Ballot-Box Behavior.
Source: Houston Clear Thinkers
Want to lose weight really, really fast? Chew gum.
Here's a short new study from German scientists who found that excess intake of sorbitol, a sweetener widely used in chewing gum, could induce severe weight loss. Patients could lose, in fact, as much as 20 percent of body mass.
From a summary of the article:
The first patient (a 21 year old woman) chewed large amounts of sugar-free gum, accounting for a total daily dose of 18-20g sorbitol (one stick of chewing gum contains about 1.25g sorbitol). The second patient (a 46 year old man) reported chewing 20 sticks of sugar-free gum and eating up to 200g of sweets each day, which together contained around 30g sorbitol.
After both patients started a sorbitol free diet, diarrhoea subsided, normal bowel movements resumed and weight gain was achieved.
As possible side effects are usually found only within the small print on foods containing sorbitol, consumers may be unaware of its laxative effects and fail to recognise a link with their gastrointestinal problems, write the authors.
It's true that this information is clinically useful to physicians, but does anyone else see the great potential for abuse here by those wanting to go on crash diets?
1. Eat 20 sticks of gum
2. Get really sick
3. Lose 20 pounds
4. Fit into that wedding dress
Originally posted by SciGuy
From a summary of the article:
The first patient (a 21 year old woman) chewed large amounts of sugar-free gum, accounting for a total daily dose of 18-20g sorbitol (one stick of chewing gum contains about 1.25g sorbitol). The second patient (a 46 year old man) reported chewing 20 sticks of sugar-free gum and eating up to 200g of sweets each day, which together contained around 30g sorbitol.
After both patients started a sorbitol free diet, diarrhoea subsided, normal bowel movements resumed and weight gain was achieved.
As possible side effects are usually found only within the small print on foods containing sorbitol, consumers may be unaware of its laxative effects and fail to recognise a link with their gastrointestinal problems, write the authors.
It's true that this information is clinically useful to physicians, but does anyone else see the great potential for abuse here by those wanting to go on crash diets?
1. Eat 20 sticks of gum
2. Get really sick
3. Lose 20 pounds
4. Fit into that wedding dress
Originally posted by SciGuy
Monday, January 7
"Top Ten Least Popular Holiday TV Specials"
Well, the results are in......enjoy!
"Top Ten Least Popular Holiday TV Specials"
10. "Mugging On 34th Street"
- Mike M., Wonder Lake, IL
9. "Gift Wrapping With The Stars"
- TJ L., Racine, WI
8. "Donald Trump's Holiday Combovers"
- Jeffrey W., Roscoe, NY
7. "Hillary Clinton in 'Pantsuits of Christmas Past'"
- James B., Mt. Ida, AR
6. "The 75th Annual Leaving of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Out On The Curb"
- Richard F., Saint Mays, CA
5. "That's Hot: Paris Hilton Tells The Story Of The Yule Log"
- Christine N., Del Mar, CA
4. "Pamela Anderson Celebrates 'The Twelve Days of Marriage'"
- Vern P., Gainesville, VA
3. "Larry Craig's Tappin' New Year's Eve"
- Anne S., Seattle, WA
2. "Michael Vick in 'Snoopy's Last Christmas'"
- Greg F., Columbia, SC
1. "Rudolph, The Performance-Enhanced Reindeer"
- Mark L., Kansas City, MO
"Top Ten Least Popular Holiday TV Specials"
As submitted by viewers of Dave Letterman.
10. "Mugging On 34th Street"
- Mike M., Wonder Lake, IL
9. "Gift Wrapping With The Stars"
- TJ L., Racine, WI
8. "Donald Trump's Holiday Combovers"
- Jeffrey W., Roscoe, NY
7. "Hillary Clinton in 'Pantsuits of Christmas Past'"
- James B., Mt. Ida, AR
6. "The 75th Annual Leaving of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Out On The Curb"
- Richard F., Saint Mays, CA
5. "That's Hot: Paris Hilton Tells The Story Of The Yule Log"
- Christine N., Del Mar, CA
4. "Pamela Anderson Celebrates 'The Twelve Days of Marriage'"
- Vern P., Gainesville, VA
3. "Larry Craig's Tappin' New Year's Eve"
- Anne S., Seattle, WA
2. "Michael Vick in 'Snoopy's Last Christmas'"
- Greg F., Columbia, SC
1. "Rudolph, The Performance-Enhanced Reindeer"
- Mark L., Kansas City, MO
Friday, January 4
Thursday, January 3
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