Illiteracy Alert!

There seems to be an epidemic of illiteracy among college students! If you are aware of this problem, please write to your local authorities informing them of this tragedy. While illiteracy is known to be a problem among the impoverished and isolated communities of the world, the shocking truth is that there is a problem right here in the American Empire! On one campus in particular, the epidemic seems to be wildly out of control, with new cases appearing with every field study. This particular university - which is not one of those 'lowly public universities' that are commonly dismissed as rife with problems - has frequent outbreaks of illiteracy. Shockingly, one of the most popular locations for an outbreak is right outside the library! Clearly, these poor sufferers try to make the pilgrimage to the Temple of Learning that is the campus library, but the disease consumes them shortly before their salvation.

There is one sure indicator of CASID as the disease has come to be known (CAmpus Student Illiteracy Disease), which is an abundance of students smoking cigarettes right next to colorful signs with bold, capitalized announcements that the campus is "SMOKE FREE". Be warned, however, that staff and faculty members are not immune from this disease, and can often be found next to the student carriers. Please help spread awareness before these students graduate, leaving the semi-quarantine of campus and spreading this disease into our schools, hospitals, and Heaven forbid our Government.

If it Looks Like a Duck...

A discussion was opened about women's clothing after a young woman entered our store wearing a tank top that had a tenuous hold on her bulging bosom. The fact that this discussion happened at around the same time as the Sexual Harassment Awareness Campaign on campus as well as April's Sexual Awareness Month was purely coincidental. (As a side note, why do we need a Sexual Awareness Month? I think we're all aware of sex, and not just in April. Does it have to do with bunnies, Easter or otherwise?)

Long story short, the general agreement was that while it's true that women and girls who dress in skimpy clothing are definitely not 'asking for it' (it being harassment, rape, etc.), there is a certain invitation implied - even if the invitation is just to look. The problem begins (???) when these women complain about men (or other women) looking at their busts instead of into their eyes. Well, yes. I, we, they, whomever, will look at your bust if it appears to be falling out of your shirt. Heck, chalk it up to being aware of a potential health hazard if eyes may be poked out. Just like if you bend over in a miniskirt and moon anyone who cares to chance by, expect the gaze of anyone around to fall on your derriere (whether they want it to or not).

Believe it or not, these people (we!) don't necessarily want to be staring at your lady lumps, but - like a car wreck - if its in the middle of everything, it's hard to avoid. As my partner in conversation stated "If I walked around town dressed as a police officer, it doesn't mean I am one, it just means I look like one, and most people will assume that I am what I look like." (No mention was made of the legal ramifications of this). Seriously, though, if we all were what we looked like, Halloween would cause LOTS of problems (though it may answer some questions, too). Whether or not you are what you portray yourself as is not the issue - the issue is: why portray yourself that way in the first place if that's not how you want to be viewed?

Homework Haiku

A staring contest.
I lose when I wander off.

While you get larger.

Can I Keep Him?

I need a pet dragon. This way, no one would ever mess with me, I could fly to school (and anywhere else I needed to go), wouldn't have to pay for parking, and would have a great excuse for pretty much everything. ("Sorry, my dragon ate it... and it's still hungry..."). To feed my dragon, I would take up crime-fighting at night (or just train the dragon to look for bad guys). Not that my dragon will kill anyone, that's illegal. But I'm sure no one will complain if serial killers start missing limbs. Right arms, for instance. I could also teach it to hunt pigeons, rabbits... small things that overpopulate. It wouldn't have to be a large dragon, after all, only about as big as a horse, or even a small pony. Yep, I need a dragon.

I Once Was Blind...

Could a blind person, upon suddenly gaining the ability to see, recognize an object by sight that he'd previously known by feel? This is the question posed first by philosophers, and now by scientists in India. Click below for the link!
(Image is of the Eye of God from the Hubble telescope - thought it was appropriate!)

http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/04/formerly-blind-children-shed-lig.html?ref=hp

Married to an Idea

In ancient times, the traditional color of bridal gowns was red. The wife of Napoleon III broke the tradition and wore a white gown. Then, brides began wearing white gowns (which were worn only once) as a symbol of their wealth.
(In China, weddings almost always include red as a color of fortune and prosperity).

Slimy, Yet Satisfying...

Entomophagy is the scientific name for insect eating. There are more than 1,450 recorded species of edible insects. Many species of insects are lower in fat and higher in protein and have a better food-to-meat ratio than beef, lamb, pork, or chicken.

Kiss and Tell

William Shatner and Nichelle Nichols, as Capt. James T. Kirk and Communications Officer Lt. Uhura, shared network television’s first interracial kiss in the Star Trek episode "Plato’s Children." The revolutionary segment aired in 1968.

A Commuter's Dream

A space vehicle must move at a rate of at least 17 miles per second to escape Earth’s gravitational pull. This is equivalent to going from New York to Philadelphia in about 20 seconds.

Tiny Electric Chair

While living in Memphis, Tennessee between 1866 and 1867, Thomas Edison invented the first (and last?) product to electrocute cockroaches.

First vs. Following Impressions

Yes, everyone knows that first impressions are a big deal. Everything in life - from bringing your first date home to job applications - involves the all-important First Impression. What happens when that first impression falls apart? Perhaps it is a case of events occurring in threes, but I think I'm in the midst of a series of first impressions falling apart. Sometimes the dissolving of a first impression is a good thing. The boss you first thought would be unbearable turns out to just have an odd sense of humor, for example. By far one of the most disappointing aspects of mundane life, however, is when the opposite is true. The person who began as a potential friend becomes self-absorbed, too busy, or suddenly sours. The job or project begun with high hopes ends up being something to "just get through" or just get "over with". Again the question at hand: how to deal with this sudden downturn of events? Looking forward to a potential upturn is one method (especially if the thought that whatever the anticipated event is won't turn to disappointment is ignored). Finding unrelated and positive events happening at the same time as the current events is another method. Basically, finding the good somewhere should help. If that doesn't work, distracting oneself with something while waiting for a positive turn of events sometimes helps alleviate the distress.

Origami House?

Science Now reports that a new technology based on Origami may lead to the ability to create boxes, cartons, and other containers that are made of rigid materials (like steel) but which flatten without removing the bottoms (unlike moving boxes, which have to have the bottoms removed or cut to fold flat). The ability to create these containers (loosely based on paper grocery bags) will assist in productivity on packing lines as well as with more mundane tasks like boxing personal items for moving and maybe even bagging groceries. Eventually, scientists hope that the technology will lead to re-organizable living spaces (cabinets that fold away, rooms that rearrange) and even a really, really flat (collapsible?) screen TV.

Check the original article here:
http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/03/paper-plastic-or-steel.html?ref=hp

Even Thought it's Monday

From everythingchangesbook.com, about cancer in young adults. But you don't have to have cancer or be a young adult to be kind (even on a Monday).

Just For Fun

From a comic called Natalie Dee. Sometimes funny, sometimes not.