Studies Link Bike Seats, Erectile Dysfunction

There are some men who experience problems from bicycle seats. See this article for a discussion on this and possible preventive measures you can take.

Japanese Comics Invade; Can They Conquer?

Can the success of Japanese-style comics (manga) and cartoons (anime) on TV carry over to the movies? Hollywood is still trying.

Top TV Grumps

After seeing this list, I realized something—I like grumps!

As you go through the list, skip the description of the character if you haven’t seen the TV show yet, so you don’t get the show spoiled.

The Price Cutter - How Sun has changed the landscape of the mobile phone industry in the Philippines

With its unlimited calling and text plan, Sun has forced Globe and Smart to change their strategies.

It’s interesting that while the US is finally beginning to get into pre-paid cell phones where all calls are charged by the minute, the Philippines is now moving towards unlimited pre-paid and post-paid plans.

What to expect from the first year of marriage

Newly-weds face many new challenges as a couple. This article discusses some of the big ones.

California files suit on french fry health warning

Cooking meat at high heat is known to produce carcinogens, but it’s not just meat that we have to worry about. Cooking starchy food at high temperatures may also produce a potential cancer-causing chemical called acrylamide.

California is now suing fast food restaurants that sell french fries (like McDonald’s and Wendy’s), as well producers of potato chips (like Frito-Lay), for failing to warn consumers about the presence of acrylamide in these snacks.

Kitchen Clean-up (PDF)

This link to a PDF describes the proper way to wash dishes, clean counters, sponges and cutting boards.

Don’t think you need to keep your kitchen clean? Scientists have found that kitchens tend to be dirtier than bathrooms, with more fecal coliform bacteria showing up on sinks, sponges, dish towels and countertops than on toilet seats.

Monday is favoured day for suicides

Britons are more likely to commit suicide on Monday than any other day of the week.

7 Crucial Parenting Mistakes to Avoid

This article discusses some parenting mistakes to watch out for.

Here’s a quiz you can take on how to be good role model for your children.

Like Humans, Chimps Bow to Social Pressure

Looks like humans aren’t the only ones who succumb to peer pressure. Just like people, chimps seem to feel the need to conform.

Math Idol: Voters Pick Greatest Equations

What’s better? E=mc² or 1+1=2? See what equations got the most votes when readers of Physics World were asked to choose the best equation ever.

Study: Some Changing Rooms 'Overwhelming' for Women Shoppers

How can you design changing rooms that women will like? I can vouch for this one: install slimming mirrors. See the article for other ideas.

Report: No fetal pain until late in pregnancy

A review of medical evidence has found that fetuses likely don’t feel pain until the final months of pregnancy.

Staring at the Sun, Despite Mom's Advice - New York Times

You’re never ever supposed to look directly at the sun (even during an eclipse) because it can damage your retinas. But during a solar eclipse, there are special disposable glasses that can be used to look at the sun safely. And now, someone’s come up with a contraption called the Solarscope that can be used at home to look at the sun during eclipses. But this is something that seems destined to gather dust. There are usually only two eclipses a year, and they are often only visible from specific parts of the globe. So you probably won’t get much use out of a Solarscope.

The Australian: Pain of childbirth 'can last years' [August 25, 2005]

Did you know that some women have pelvic pains from childbirth that never go away? That sucks!

Weight Linked to Breast Cancer in Women With Gene Mutation

Losing weight helped women with a breast cancer gene lower their risk of getting breast cancer. So it may be a good idea to lose weight if you are worried about getting breast cancer.

What Car Insurance Coverage Do You Need? Auto Insurance F.A.Q.

You may need to check that you are adequately insured. That means, among other things, making sure that you have enough liability coverage so that if an accident happens and you are found liable, that you will not risk losing your assets, including your home. It also means getting uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. It’s shocking to find out that 14% of drivers in the US are uninsured, and in California, the figure is even higher at 26%!

Did you know that your premium can go up by 40% after you have an accident? That’s another reason why it’s so important to drive safely and avoid getting into accidents.

Here are some tips on how to save on your car insurance.

Jollibee buying Red Ribbon for P1.7B

Next thing you know, they'll be selling "yumcakes" at Red Ribbon.

A heartburn-free diet

You can avoid acid-reflux by making changes in your diet.

MSN Money - Why allowances don't work

Instead of giving your kids a weekly allowance, this article suggests giving older kids a monthly allowance, and gradually giving them increasing responsibility for managing their own finances. By letting them learn first-hand what it’s like to manage their own money, you will be teaching them important skills and lessons that will serve them well later in life when they will have to handle their finances completely on their own.

Slang—don't go there, hottie

See page 3 of this PDF to read this interesting article about how using slang in your writing can date it and make you sound so uncool, Daddy-O.

Banking Humor, Money Humor, Speaker Humor

This site has some jokes and sayings on banking and money. Most of the jokes aren’t that funny, but there are a few good ones. Here are some of the ones I liked:

Anytime four New Yorkers get into a cab together without arguing, a bank robbery has just taken place.
—Johnny Carson

If you’d lose a troublesome visitor, lend him money.
—Ben Franklin

If you would know the value of money, go and try to borrow some.
—Benjamin Franklin

To be clever enough to get a great deal of money, one must be stupid enough to want it.
—George Bernard Shaw

A robber shoved a note under a bank teller’s window which said, “I’ve got you covered. Hand over all the money in the cage and don’t say a word.” The teller opened the cash drawer and wrote something down. Then he closed the drawer and returned the note to the robber. On the back he had written, “Kindly go to the next window; I’m on my lunch hour.”

Type of childcare may impact kids' achievement

Test scores show that children of single-mothers do best if cared for by their moms; but if a mother needs to go to work, it’s better for her to leave her child with a formal care-giver such as a day care center or pre-school than with an informal care-giver such as a relative or friend.

Assisted reproduction "reasonable" until age 44

43 is now the recommended cut-off for assisted reproduction (in-vitro fertilization). “After age 43, they advise, other options should be considered, such as egg donation and adoption.”

For the Niche Film Audience, Studios Are Appealing by Blog - New York Times

New movies like The Constant Gardener and Aristocrats are choosing to advertise on blogs targeted at a particular audience.

Important Note: If you don’t want to know anything about The Constant Gardener before watching it, be careful when reading this article because it mentions a few things about the movie (e.g., genre, subject) in a couple of places.

ABC News: Man Finds Smallpox Vaccine at Yard Sale

OK, so maybe I’ve been guilty of keeping things a little past their expiration date too. But this… well, it’s a little extreme, even for someone like me who hates to waste anything.

To the packrats responsible for this, let me just say: when the disease has been eradicated from the planet for over twenty years, you’re not going to be needing the vaccine!

And what’s with trying to get rid of it at a yard sale? At least put it up on eBay to give serious expired-vaccine collectors a chance.

She's So Cool, So Smart, So Beautiful: Must Be a Girl Crush - New York Times

All about girl crushes. Apparently, it’s quite common among women, and it doesn’t mean someone’s a lesbian.

The Male Condition - New York Times

This guy manages to link male and female differences to autism. I’m not even going to attempt to summarize his argument.

OK, maybe just a little.

Men and women think differently. Men’s brains are adept at systematizing. Women’s brains are good at empathy. Autistics are good at systematizing and bad at empathy. Therefore, autistics have ultra-male brains. Right now, this is just a theory he has—he has yet to test it.

Jobs: Worst pay for the investment - Aug. 17, 2005

The three worst paying jobs given the investment are: architect, chef and academic research scientist.

Whoopee! Becoming a starving artist doesn’t sound too bad now.

US frenzy over used laptops

What people will do for a bargain!

Enchanted aisles - Los Angeles Times

For people in LA, here’s an LA Times article that might interest you, featuring eateries in ethnic grocery stores and delis that serve authentic ethnic food.

'Ugliest' Dog Is a Thing of Beauty to His Owner - Los Angeles Times

You think all dogs are cute? Check out this pooch.

Hollywood's Profits, Demystified - The real El Dorado is TV. By Edward Jay Epstein

What is making the Hollywood studios rich? It’s not movie ticket sales, that’s for sure. DVDs? Yes, in part. But most of their profits actually come from television. This article reveals inside information on this.

Hollywood has been treating theater runs practically as loss leaders. With the studios making their money mainly from home entertainment, there is pressure to reduce the window between theatrical and DVD releases. Studios are even talking of simultaneously releasing movies in theaters and on DVD. This has gotten movie theater owners riled up. Removing the window altogether threatens to cut movie attendance even further, possibly bringing about the death of theaters. Epstein thinks that studios are not likely to take this step. Movie theaters have been merging, and this has given them more bargaining power in dealing with the Hollywood studios.

In related news, the renaissance in TV has resulted in plenty of work in LA for people in the industry. While many movie productions have moved out of Hollywood over the years, TV shows are still mostly made in Los Angeles. So the growth in TV productions is allowing many movie/TV industry people to stay in LA, working on TV shows. Apparently, the pay is lower in TV than in movies, but there is more stability and job security.

Who Is Fat? It Depends on Culture

Everyone is getting fatter. Rich people, poor people, people in third world nations are all getting fatter. In fact, in some countries, it’s increasingly the poor who are gaining weight for various reasons, including poorer access to healthy food, and living in environments that are not conducive to exercising.

This is soda pop - Los Angeles Times

After ranting about how bad soda pop is for you, I feel that it is my duty to show you the other side by presenting this article on how good soda can be. Well, not really—I just happened to come across this article that reviews some lesser-known soft drinks that are supposed to be better-tasting than the usual Coke and Pepsi that you can get at the supermarket. Hey, I’m all for better-flavored carbonated sugar water.

Target - Discount retail goes to The New Yorker. By Bryan Curtis

Does Tarzhay seem to have that extra cachet? Here’s why.

For Pleasure - A history of the vibrator. By Teresa Riordan

View this slide show on the history of the vibrator.

Midlife Assessment - Cataloging my ruination. By Jonathan Ames

There is no greater joy in life than whining.

Steak or salad? Do women really eat healthier than men?

FOXNews.com - Health - French Fries in Childhood Tied to Breast Cancer?

It’s a good idea to start your kids eating healthy from a very young age. By feeding your children healthy fare, like fruits and vegetables, you will be setting the stage for them to eat healthy later in their lives. If you start early, your children can learn to develop a familiarity with and a taste for healthy and nutritious foods. This can make a big difference in their future health.

'Don't Let Her Touch Your Wand!' - The new scholarship on Star Trek and pedophilia. By Mickey Kaus

Know any hard core trekkies? Look out—some people think they might be perverts.

I got this and the previous article through Fark.com. I go to Fark whenever I’m in the mood for a laugh or something light and entertaining. There are many funny and “strange” articles there, but I’ve been told that it’s the discussions that are really entertaining. I don’t normally read the discussions so I don’t really know. But check the site out if you’re in the mood for a chuckle.

winterson.com: episode iii, the backstroke of the west

Want to have even more fun watching Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith? Check out these screen shots from the pirated DVD from China with English subtitles. This could turn out to be a lot more entertaining than the movie.

***

I decided to read the Fark discussion on this article, and someone on the discussion posted a link to another blog that has more funny screen shots from this DVD.

post edited August 18, 2005 at 8:20 PM

Sipping Soda Through a Straw May Cut Cavities

If you want to keep your shiny, white teeth, sip your soda through a straw.

Most of us know that the sugar in soft drinks causes cavities. But it’s not just the sugar content of pop that we have to fear. Even diet sodas can harm your teeth as the acid in soda weakens tooth enamel. Other beverages such as sports drinks, iced tea, and lemonade are high in citric acid, and can be just as harmful to your teeth as sodas.

What can you do to protect your teeth when drinking these beverages? Bacteria love sugar so switching to diet drinks can help reduce cavity formation. Minimizing the contact with your teeth helps. Drink with a straw, pointing the straw towards the back of the mouth to lessen contact with the teeth. Drink your soft drink with a meal, instead of sipping throughout the day. Saliva helps neutralize the acid in soda so drinking while you eat, or chewing gum after drinking can help. Rinse your mouth after drinking especially if you have been thirsty and have a dry mouth. Don’t drink soda right before sleeping. Brush your teeth regularly. This will keep staining at bay. Rinse your mouth first before brushing your teeth to neutralize the acid, and then brush with a circular motion using fluoridated toothpaste. Doing so will prevent damage to weakened enamel.

With all the potential negative effects of drinking pop and other sweetened beverages, ranging from weight gain and obesity to tooth decay and bone loss, it’s amazing that very few people are complaining about the soft drink companies.

Soft drink makers have been promoting these beverages heavily, trying to get as many people as possible hooked on these sweetened drinks. There are even plans to have taps running Coke into people’s houses. All over the world, there has been a growing preference for these sweetened beverages that have little or no nutritional value. In some cases, people have even developed a dependence on these drinks as they will not drink anything else. This shouldn’t surprise anyone. After all, many of these drinks have caffeine, and we know that caffeine is an addictive substance.

The rise in obesity among children in the US has begun to bring attention to the danger of giving soda companies a free hand in reining in customers. There has been a campaign against having vending machines in schools that dispense unhealthy drinks. Beverage companies are starting to get scared and have just announced their own guidelines of what is appropriate to serve in schools at different grade levels. They are hoping that this will head off any legislation that might totally cut off their access to a big market—the children in schools.

Patterns: Glamorous Cinematic Smoking Fades to Black - New York Times

Movies are frequently accused of glamorizing smoking. But a study of movies since the 1990s has concluded that this is not the case. In fact, the people who are shown smoking in movies are usually bad guys and people of low-socioeconomic status (poor people). Independent films are the exception to this. Indie movies are more likely to show people smoking and to have appealing characters who smoke.

Is Your Medicine Cabinet Making You Fat? - New York Times

The medication you’re taking could be making you fat. If you start gaining weight after taking new medication, it might be a good idea to switch to other alternatives.

Reuters AlertNet - HK tells residents to steer clear of Chinese eels

Seafood is supposed to be good for you, but it might be good to skip the eel. Some farmed eels might have been given a banned chemical that causes cancer.

MSN Encarta - From Hair to Eternity

You know how eighties hairdos seemed so cool at the time but look silly nowadays? Well, history has many other hairstyles that were fashionable at one time but that would raise eyebrows today. Read about a few of these historical dos in this article.

Don’t you wish hair dioramas were still in fashion? Talk about high art. Men would probably hate it though. Just imagine how much longer it would take women to get ready.

Scientists' Belief in God Varies Starkly by Discipline

Which group is more likely to believe in god? Social scientists or natural scientists? Read this article to find out.

Your Newborn: 30 Tips for the First 30 Days

Having a new baby can be a difficult time for parents. This article has some helpful tips for moms and dads on how to cope with having a new child.

Sometimes, having a new baby can start to take its toll on your marriage. Here’s what to do when that happens.

Levels of lead in Americans’ bodies declining

Past public health initiatives to remove lead from gasoline and paint and restrict smoking have had an effect in reducing the level of contaminants in Americans’ bodies. That’s the good news.

But there are hundreds of other toxins out there that are collecting in our bodies, so there is still much to be done. Reports of dead birds and mutated fish have been in the news, as animals find themselves affected by chemicals that we humans have been releasing into the environment. (Click here to see some freaky “Frankenfish” caught by someone fishing in the Great Lakes.)

Pretty soon, it’s all going to catch up with us. Already, “5.7 percent of women [of child-bearing age]… [have mercury] levels close to what is believed to cause birth defects”. Contaminants have been showing up in breast milk, and even unborn babies are already exposed to toxins in the womb. I guess it will take more deformed babies before we do something about it. Maybe if a world leader or a celebrity has a deformed child people will start caring.

I mean, some people are knowingly doing things that they know are bad for the environment, and it seems as if they don’t care one bit that they are causing harm. Don’t they realize their grandchildren and great grandchildren will suffer for their actions?

The good thing is we can still do something about this. Regulating industries, forcing them to be more environmentally-friendly, and educating people can make a difference. We can make changes in our lifestyles that can have a positive impact.

If only people realized the urgency of this. Many people are still in denial about the long-term consequences of our modern throwaway lifestyles and industrial practices on the environment and on ourselves.

Fighting Elephants with Chili

Looks like I'm not the only who doesn't like spicy food.

African farmers have found a way to keep elephants from eating their crops by planting chili peppers around them.

Eat wisely to reduce breast cancer risk

A low-fat diet may also reduce the risk of breast cancer. They’re not sure why, but possible reasons may be that people on low-fat diets often lose weight and consume more fruits and vegetables. The article goes on to give advice on how you can lower your breast cancer risk.

Remember that not all fat is bad. “Omega-3 fats, found in certain fish, walnuts and flaxseed, may protect against breast cancer.”

MSN Money - Extra: Even affordable housing increasingly out of reach

It’s getting more and more difficult for ordinary Americans to afford a home. Home prices have been sky-rocketing upwards while salaries have remained stagnant. Many Americans just can’t afford to purchase homes on the salaries they earn. This article lists the 50 least affordable cities in the United States.

Orange County, California is number two on the list! The median price of a home in OC is now $657,000. You’d need to earn more than $200,000 a year to be able to afford a home. I guess only the Cohens can afford a home in OC.

The article also links to this Web site that shows the affordability of housing in different cities for different occupations. You can see how much you’d need to earn in your city to be able to afford a home or rent. View the scenario for 5 pre-selected occupations or choose your own occupations (up to 10).

Low-Fat Diet May Slow Cancer, Study Says - Los Angeles Times

Eating a low-fat diet may help delay the progress of prostate cancer.

Genes may dictate how exercise benefits the elderly, study shows

Not an athlete and never will be? Welcome to the club. You might be able to blame your genes for it though.

Researchers have found that some genes may be responsible for making some people get less results from exercise. That means that if you happen to have these genes, you could be working just as hard as the guy next to you, but he would get a lot fitter.

Still, even if you do have this gene, that’s not an excuse to plop on the couch. Everyone benefits from exercise. So get off your butt and start moving!

And I’ll join you… as soon as I can muster up the energy to get out of my chair.

Uhh…make that tomorrow.

Smartmoney.com: Consumer Action: Alarming Credit-Card Tricks

The credit card companies are out to get you! No, I’m not being paranoid. They really are. Here are just a few of the many sneaky credit card tricks that you need to watch out for.