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The homeopathy scam
via youtube.comThis is a much watch video for everybody. Everybody needs to know what to avoid in drug stores. Many homeopathic drugs are right next to real drugs in drug stores. Homeopathy should be illegal. Companies should not be allowed to sell drugs that contain no active ingredients, and just make up what they cure.
My Sister-in-Law is like the mother in this video. She refuses to give her child real medicine, and vaccines. She even buys some of her homeopathic crap on eBay that she can’t find because it’s been recalled. It’s scary, but hard to talk common sense into her without starting a big fight. She has her quacks that she reads and believes online, and believes scientists are in cahoots with the government to make us sick to make more money for big pharma. I find it hard to argue with the stupid.
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So I’m a Capricorn now
So everybody seems to be getting their panties in a bunch over their new zodiac sign. This should prove once and for all for everyone that astrology is bullshit, but it wont. If your horoscope ever sounded like it fit you, well, you were probably reading the wrong one. If you read all of them, you would probably notice that they are so vaguely written that they would all probably relate to you, or maybe not because you may be so focused on your own sign, that you wont allow yourself to believe that the other ones relate too.
The Earth wobbles causing the sun to rise in different constellations over time. Since the current signs of the zodiac were made 2000 years ago, they are off by a month or so, and have been for a long time. I have no idea why this is making news now. Probably just a slow news day somewhere.
There also have always been 13 constellations in the zodiac. Ophiuchus has always been there — or at least been there as long as humans have been around. The ancient Babylonians discarded it because they wanted 12 signs. Just more proof that astrology us bunk. Here are what the current signs are:
Capricorn: Jan. 20-Feb. 16.
Aquarius: Feb. 16-March 11.
Pisces: March 11-April 18.
Aries: April 18-May 13.
Taurus: May 13-June 21.
Gemini: June 21-July 20.
Cancer: July 20-Aug. 10.
Leo: Aug. 10-Sept. 16.
Virgo: Sept. 16-Oct. 30.
Libra: Oct. 30-Nov. 23.
Scorpio: Nov. 23-29.
Ophiuchus: Nov. 29-Dec. 17.
Sagittarius: Dec. 17-Jan. 20.
So what’s the harm in believing in astrology? It’s probably one of the least harmful pseudosciences to believe in. Most people probably just read it for entertainment purposes. I personally would like that section of the newspaper replaced by maybe some actual science. How great would it be to have a different science article everyday? There is never enough science news in papers, and we all know most Americans could use more science education.
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Best. Unboxing. Ever.
via youtube.com -
I hate being sick
Being sick sucks. I seldom get sick. I think I have taken three sick days since I started working in 1990. Friday was the third. My secret is being a hermit and not getting out of the house much, along with getting a flu shot.
Today was a lazy day sitting on the couch watching some awesome football games. I am achy and constantly going from too cold to too hot. Also my sleeve works as a pretty good Kleenex when I don’t feel like getting up. My nose doesn’t agree though. I look like Rudolph.
I want to blog about the terrible shooting in Arizona, but my head is too fuzzy to get political. Truly it shouldn’t get political. It was fucking murder. Nothing political about that, and the only one to blame is the scumbag shooter. Sure Palin had an unfortunate website that was in poor taste, but that’s nothing to to her. Maybe this will teach her something, but I kinda doubt it. Maybe the crazy guy saw her site, but I doubt it. I watched his YouTube videos, and he really isn’t all there. Who knows what is motive was, or if we will ever find out, but still Palin shouldn’t in know way be blamed for what happened.
It drives me crazy when people use horrible events to push their agenda. Some say he is obviously a crazy Teabagger, while others say he is a left-wing Atheist. It doesn’t matter what political side he is on, or even if he is on a side. He is a crazy murderer that will be spending he rest of his life locked up.
Ok, that is way more than I wanted to talk about the murder, but it does make me feel better to get everything off my chest, even if nobody reads this. Now time to get a Kleenex.
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Snowpocalypse
viaWe just got hit with back to back blizzards. Yesterday’s and today’s mornings were spend snowblowing four foot drifts off my driveway and sidewalks. Our banks are getting high, but thankfully we don’t need machinery like this, yet.
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Neil deGrasse Tyson’s top five shout-outs for 2010
I love Neil deGrasse Tyson, and everything he does to teach science. Today he tweeted out his “Top five shout-outs for 2010”, and I couldn’t agree with him more.
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What I read in 2010
I always feel like I don’t spend enough time reading. My Amazon wishlists grow much faster than I can read. I have 18 unread books on my iPad, and 7 or 8 paper books I need to read.
Looking back on the year I ended up reading 21 books. Some that have been on my “to read” list for years, and others that just recently came out. I am not going to give reviews of them because I mostly find reviews worthless. All the books I read this year were good. Some were great, others just good, but none of them were bad. Here is the list in no particular order:
- Columbine by Dave Cullen
- Andromeda Klein by Frank Portman
- The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich
- Shootin’ the Sh*t with Kevin Smith by Kevin Smith
- SuperFreakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner
- Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams
- Bonk by Mary Roach
- Welcome to Your Brain by Sam Wang and Sandra Aamodt
- Spook by Mary Roach
- What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell
- The Bedwetter by Sarah Silverman
- When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth by Cory Doctorow
- Hitch-22 by Christopher Hitchens
- Open by Andre Agassi
- How We Decide by Jonah Lehrer
- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
- Storm World by Chris Mooney
- Bad Astronomy by Philip Plait
- Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom
- Shop Class as Soulcraft by Matthew Crawford
- The Grand Design by Stephen Hawking
One of my goals every year it to try and read more. We will see this time next year if I accomplished that.
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Christmas in a hospital
So last weekend my Mother-in-Law had a heart attack. The Wife headed down to our hometown as soon as she heard the news. I have been home alone holding down the fort by myself, taking care of the pets.
It was scary at first, and still is. She is going to need either bypass surgery, or a transplant since she also has a heart valve problem. The bad part is they don’t have heath insurance. I was kind of surprised when I heard they didn’t, because my Father-in-Law always preaches that it doesn’t matter how much you make, you need a job that offers health insurance. I guess he new job doesn’t. My in-laws are great people, but money is something they don’t have. They live in a 30-year-old trailer house, and don’t have much for material possessions. Sometimes I admire their lack of wanting many material possessions.
For a while there it was a little shaky on how her surgery was going to get done, and paid for. Because of her valve problem surgery can’t be done at the St. Cloud hospital. Their doctor wanted it to be done at the Mayo, but without insurance couldn’t get them into the Mayo. Luckily enough he pulled some strings and got her into the University of Minnesota Medical Center. They also were informed that there are many programs, and charities that will cover most of their medical expenses. We are so grateful on how great the St. Cloud hospital is. I have heard how great they are from other people, now we know it’s true. I may have to find out what charities are covering the expenses, and send them some money every Christmas.
Yesterday she was life flighted to the U of M Hospital, and they have been doing more and more tests. I haven’t heard yet what kind of surgery she is having yet, but it sounds like Christmas will be spent at the hospital. It will be a tough Christmas, but this is what Christmas is all about. Spending time with family no matter where they are at.
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What Is The Most Efficient Checkout Line?
via consumerist.comThis is an interesting video. I always thought I was full of bad luck and always picked out the slowest checkout line. Turns out with a little math, you can figure out that you are far more likely to pick a slow line.
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Ben Folds/Nick Hornby – “From Above”
via youtube.comI love this Ben Folds video, plus it’s one of my favorite songs off his album he made with Nick Hornby.