I've dropped my cellphone into the river.
I was even trying to call someone at the time.
yup.


YUP.

::goes back to the cricket store::

Wow.  Just........  wow.

</div>

From  sillygoosegirl

The Wisconsin Tourism Federation has changed it's name to the Tourism Federation of Wisconsin so as to have an acronym that isn't quite so... funny.

"WTF"

Along the same lines, there is apparently a midwifery practice (that an acquaintance of mine knows of), whose name is the initials of the last names of the member midwives.  This practice has been around for a couple decades now, far longer than the acronym has had any meaning. However, my acquaintance always gets a big kick out of hearing them answer the phone: "OMG, can I help you?"

I love this kinda stuff!

if that neck "rugburn" from where the airbag punched me is my only injury... I'll take it!

Vision Direct--
    I was unclear on the laws and regulations concerning contact lenses when I purchased my set of colored white-out lenses.  I was not aware that my doctor had to prescribe me a specific brand. 
    As that is the case, my doctor had Vision Direct send me more of my regular prescription-- clear dailies-- which  (as you can imagine) are useless for the zombie/creature costume I was planning this Hallowe'en. 
    I hope that you understand that I am returning these vision dailies and will attempt to order all contacts through my eye doctor from now on. 
    Please let me know if there is anything i am required to do other than send you the box with the product, the invoice and a detailed reason fore their return to get my full refund. 
   Thank you. 
---Katrina Acaster

But are very cool!
KROSP!  I wanted to do this For AnnaLee one year...   still might...
Govi is still made of win!
schmot_gurl applying claws
Jagers and Foglios!

cute pictures of super cuteness!
medievallass!  schmot_gurl and singswithtrees!

(still no picture of Tyson!!!???)

others have more... which are better.  I have only some. 
( pictures during Kumoricon )
somehow, I lack a photo of Tarvek, who's costume I made...  this is consistent with me. I never get good pictures...

 eep!  I think I may have accidentally discovered that my husband could accidentally be a total comic fan boy.  I must handle the subject wiht care, however..... as he proclaims to hate trying to read comics or graphic novels.  
But I can't tear him AWAY from Hellboy 2

so.  advice.  

Do I rent The first Hellboy movie and then pretend to be accidentally reading the comic and start reading it *to* him (since, supposedly, the "skipping around" in the graphic novella literature "bothers" him)???
    HOW do I lure the man IN???

Short fro Brethren of the Gilbert. 
Think Pirate Gathering, except taking place on a river island that can only be reached by boat.  And most of the people are older.  There's a pig roast and pirate olympics (that are mostly really intricate drinking games that involve relay-races)
Anyway.  My latest creation
( Based loosely (or entirely?) on Tail Spin's Don Karnage )
I know, Don Karnage is a canine and does not wear a hat.  But my friend Patrick, here, (who put together the entire pirate hanging in our wedding.  Concept, script, nooses, yard-arm... everything) is taking on almost everything else from the character except the accent.  Which he would do, except he can't.  Because NOBODY can.  It's like a Cuban French Burgundian weird ass accent. 
However, he has gone as far as memorizing a bunch of said villain's catchphrases...  "we are not Robbers...we are PIRATES."

and then no more until after Kumoricon.  K?
( pictures )

CDC Considers “Universal Circumcision” to Fight HIV Cases

This week at the CDC’s National HIV Prevention Conference in Atlanta, the government agency will discuss whether to recommend routine circumcision for all baby boys to protect them from the disease.

Research is split on whether routinely cutting boys at birth will protect them from sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDs and HIV. Most research points to a decrease in diseases only in high-risk populations where such diseases are prevalent.

One of the groups lobbying against such a blanket recommendation is Intact America, a newly-formed group in the U.S. with the aim of lowering the circumcision rate.

But those who state simply that “circumcision prevents STDs” may need to get their facts straight.

 

• » See also: A New Cash for Clunkers at Toys R Us
• » Get Eco Child’s Play by RSS or sign up by email.

In a recent comprehensive study, circumcision indeed appeared to lower the risk for those repeatedly exposed to HIV.

Possible induced mucosal immunity following repeated subinfectious HIV antigen stimulation of urethral mucosa

The same research also points out that such research can be difficult to control for, because circumcision can be tied to religion, or are often “highly selected”.

Religion (Islam, Judaism):

• May be correlated with lower risk behaviors, less alcohol use, genital hygiene, etc.
• Mainly neonatal

Traditional / tribal

• Behavioral differences
• Younger age (puberty rituals)

Medical indications (phimosis, GUD)

• correlated with higher risk behaviors

In other words, we can’t force the social structure under which babies and men are circumcised, and other factors may play as large a part in exposure to STDs as their behavior. Also, a study cited in this research suggests that it is the number of sex workers in a population that better determines the number of males infected with HIV.

And lets focus on that: males. Male circumcision does not lower the risk to women. While that may not factor into your family’s decision, let’s look at it from a community perspective, which is how the CDC should view it.

A Ugandan study performed by Johns Hopkins School of Public Health found that circumcised men were a bit more likely to transmit HIV to their partners. This study involved 922 HIV-infected men randomly chosen to be circumcised. Researchers provided the couples with HIV information and condoms. The partners in this study were previously free of HIV.

After two years, 18 percent of the women in the circumcised group had become infected with HIV, compared with 12 percent in the uncircumcised group. Cumulative probability of HIV infection at 24 months was 22 percent among women in the circumcised group and 13 percent among those in the uncircumcised group.

Overall, these are studies–including those the CDC is aware of and cites–that play to both sides of the debate. Only one study that the CDC cites claims that the HIV risk is lower for circumcised men. The CDC points out that all the studies are performed in Africa, most in high-risk populations.

Currently, they are operating under the theory that the foreskin holds and breeds diseases. And this is only for female to male infection. HIV rates for homosexuals is not decreased dependent on circumcision.

For its part, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says that although there may be “potential” medical benefits,

data are not sufficient to recommend routine neonatal circumcision. In the case of circumcision, in which there are potential benefits and risks, yet the procedure is not essential to the child’s current well-being, parents should determine what is in the best interest of the child.

So let me ask: Is it in the “best interest” of your son to remove his foreskin, a part of his body?

And if these studies are as of yet “inconclusive,” might we hold off on the recommendation that all boys be snipped at birth?

Image: Ted Drake on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.

there will be more later, for the *jacket* is....  I just don't even have words for it.  I'll just gloat. 
Anyway, when the jacket is all done, I shall have more pics.  Until then...
( more... )

this was to good to not do myself.  Some of the answers from schmot_gurl and singswithtrees are hillarious. 

( 10 things I hate about you. ALL of you! Hee hee! )
I had to work on these not being obvious: "Stop getting high or drunk, finish the DUI program, go to school and get your licence so that I can finally sign over that car" etc.  LOL!
Only 4 of these are people on LJ.  But i'm such an opinionated BITCH I could probably come up with a confession for just about everyone i know......... 

It's about 8 am.  I slept a good 5 or 6 hours because i can sleep through pretty much anything.  Unfortunately, this means that I'm wide awake and everyone else is sleeping their buzzes off. 
    So.  A random-ass post.  Especially written with those of us in mind who did *not* grow up with the Grateful Dead and are generally unfamiliar with the jam-scene, so-to-speak. 
      What is the jam-scene?  Glad you asked.  I don't really know. 
( My best guess ) 

or another one called Harry Hood are excelent examples.  I've tried for years to make those make sense with some kind of narrative. It is not possible.  You could NOT film a music video with any kind of visual narrative to most of these songs.  But the riffs are incredible.  People go for the music, not a story. </div>
      
( Phish: a Band )
( Red Rocks... and it's history with the band )
( Phish since returning )

Yay.  I've never been so happy to learn that my car's been towed in my life. 
     I'm in JUST the position I want to be.  Joel absolutely needs me to get the car because it's title is mine.  He's so relieved that I'm not disgustingly angry, he may take it easier when I explain that the car is coming home with me.  Magical blue hatchback is going to stay on the property of my residence until I can get the car transferred to him FINALLY. 
      I'm going to Clackamas County today to bail him and my car out. 
      As soon as he is legal to get a license again (which is soon) I'm gonna scape the cash together to get him to get it under the watchful eye (and insurance) of a driving instructor and as SOON as that kid HAS an ODL number I will sign it over to him and any mistakes he wants to make will be all his.  

if you're curious, the car was towed because it was parked illegally.  Joel swears it was for 5 minutes and that the spot isn't clearly marked, but whatever.  I'm not sure this actually could have happened any better.  Ironically.

Squee.  Just Squee. 
    I'm not usually overly fond of the movie versions of Alice in the past... but at LEAST this one will be the prettiest. 
          For an excellent Alice in Wonderland,  track down Jan Svankmajer's Alice