North Dakota became the first state on Friday to pass a fetal personhood amendment, which grants legal personhood rights to embryos from the moment of fertilization. The state House of Representatives voted 57 to 35 to pass the amendment, after the Senate passed the same measure last month.
The measure will now appear on the November 2014 ballot, and voters will be able to accept or reject it. If it passes, it will amend North Dakota’s constitution to state that “the inalienable right to life of every human being at any stage of development must be recognized and protected.” The amendment would ban abortion in the state, without exceptions for rape, incest or life of the mother, and it could affect the legality of some forms of birth control, stem cell research and in vitro fertilization.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show, a 1975 movie British American comedy/horror film based off on The Rocky Horror Show, which itself was a musical stage play from Richard O’Brien. While the film was released in numerous locations in 1975, it only did well at the USA Theatre in Westwood, Los Angeles. The following year the film was filmed at midnight at the Waverly Theater in New York City on April 1st, 1976. This weekly midnight screening is considered the birth of the cult following behind the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Not too far from my town is the Bellevue Theater; Every Saturday you can walk into the Theater and purchase a ticket (for a fair $7) to see the Rocky Horror Picture Show presented by The Home of Happiness. Once you buy your ticket be sure to pick up a prop bag, as you will want to have one as the show progresses. There is some time before the show begins so you can mingle around the lobby and see just how much of a cult following this movie has picked up. Rarely do you see people dressed in street clothes, as they come as characters from the show in most cases, there are also posters, buttons, and other paraphernalia being sold in the lobby.
The show starts off by the a cast member sharing with you “The Rules“. To sum them up briefly they just go over the fact you need to not be offended easily by what is said or what you see during the performance, not to throw stuff at the cast, and so forth. Once “The Rules” are said and understood they tell you “to have some ****ing fun!” and let you go up to the theater. Once you get inside there will be music blasting, a stage to dance on, and friends telling you to come up and dance; the fun begins as soon as you walk into the theater. I’m not going to spoil anything for you of the actual performance here but I will simply say it is the most entertaining, audience involved, and funniest shows I have ever seen.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is not for everyone, but it is a blast for those who are willing to come out. Whether you’re a new comer to the show or a regular like I am, you’ll be guaranteed a fun and one of the most entertaining nights you can have.
This petition is well worth your support, considering many in Congress represent Corporations and not the actual people who went to the polls and voted them into office. The petition, although it may be considered a joke by many, hits the nail on the head and correctly identifies the main problem with today’s politicians – they cater to those special interests who donate millions to their re-election campaign, and forget the suffering of the constituents they’re supposed to represent.
I especially like the part suggesting that the size of the logo should reflect the amount of money the politician accepted in donations from the company. Brilliant!
Since most politicians’ campaigns are largely funded by wealthy companies and individuals, it would give voters a better sense of who the candidate they are voting for is actually representing if the company’s logo, or individual’s name, was prominently displayed upon the candidate’s clothing at all public appearances and campaign events. Once elected, the candidate would be required to continue to wear those “sponsor’s” names during all official duties and visits to constituents. The size of a logo or name would vary with the size of a donation. For example, a $1 million dollar contribution would warrant a patch of about 4″ by 8″ on the chest, while a free meal from a lobbyist would be represented by a quarter-sized button. Individual donations under $1000 are exempt.
At the time of this post, the petition had 18,000 signatures. It needs a total of 100,000 signatures to receive a response from the White House. Click on the link above and add your name to this petition.
(AP) – Actress and Kentucky native Ashley Judd made a rare public reference to her possible run for the seat held by Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
WXIX-TV says Judd gave the keynote speech Friday at the American Counseling Association’s 2013 conference in Cincinnati.
In speaking about her personal experience with depression, she said when she started in counseling she didn’t like to be criticized. She added that was ironic since she was, in her words, “about to get $40 million worth of it.”
Judd also said her mother, Naomi Judd, can’t wait to turn her garage into a campaign headquarters.
Judd is a former Kentucky resident now living outside of Nashville, Tenn.
She has been largely mum about her intentions. Defeating McConnell would be the Democrats’ biggest prize of the 2014 election.
Although rich folks in America have been the only benefactors of a Republican policy called Trickle Down Economics – a policy earning them trillions in wealth since it was implemented – there are those who still believes that asking these same people to contribute to the economy by paying a fair share of taxes is the wrong thing to do.
Bill O’Reilly tonight express his outrage with the Congressional Progressive Caucus over a budget proposal that includes taxing billionaire at 49 percent. O’Reilly squared off with Demos co-founder David Callahan over whether it is “morally right” for the government to impose that level of taxation on any American citizen. Callahan told O’Reilly that taxes were that high during the Reagan years, with O’Reilly dismissing that argument as irrelevant and asking if the government has any right to “take half your stuff.”
O’Reilly declared that if the CPC budget actually went into effect, it would “absolutely destroy the American economy, predicting that billionaires would have to hand over their personal information to the IRS. Callahan said, “Donald Trump and his dermatologist shouldn’t be paying the same tax rate.”
O’Reilly asked Callahan if it is “morally right” for the government to tax any American that much. Callahan pointed out that the top tax bracket under Reagan was around 50 percent, though O’Reilly shot back that no one really paid all of that due to deductions and tax shelters. He dismissed the Reagan argument as “not relevant to our discussion,” saying the real issue is if “the federal government in a free nation… [has] the right to take half your stuff, no matter how much money you earn.”
At least 20,000 Facebook users found a child porn video in their news feeds this week, with one copy of the clip possibly originating from Oak Cliff, authorities said.
The FBI says the video is at least 7 years old and has been spread around the Internet off and on for years. The viral video has been posted on social media sites before this week, but the latest resurfacing led to new local law enforcement investigations across the world, including in Dallas, according to authorities.
The clip of an older man sexually abusing a young girl received at least 4,000 Facebook likes. Federal authorities have been searching for the abuser’s identity for years.
“This is a global issue,” said Michelle Collins with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. “We’re getting inquiries from this all over the world.”
Sgt. Byron Fassett of the Dallas police child exploitation unit said they opened their investigation Wednesday morning when they received a call from Nevada. Someone in Las Vegas logged into Facebook and saw the video in the news feed. They reported it to Dallas police because the post’s location was listed as Oak Cliff, Texas, Fassett said.
The child exploitation unit found that the video was not documentation of recent abuse, but a “known video or image,” Fassett said, something police have seen before.
“It took the crisis out of the situation,” he said. “Our concern then was that people are trading child pornography. But we got calls overnight of more people seeing it on their news feeds.”
It seemed that each time a social media user commented on the clip, the video appeared in more places.
Authorities said they have received several complaints from social media users, asking what they can do to help.
“Don’t comment on it,” Fassett said. “That’s like adding gasoline to the fire.”
And don’t watch the video, Collins said. Instead, view the FBI’s Endangered Child Alert Program wanted list, where this particular video perpetrator’s description is listed.
I Love March Madness 2013! It’s just as I predicted, unpredictable.
What I didn’t predict was some early upsets. Did anyone have #2 Seed New Mexico losing to #14 Seed Harvard (President Obama’s Alma Mater) in the West Region showdown? I know I didn’t. Or how about in the East Region with #12 Seed California beating #5 Seed UNLV. Uh, nope, didn’t have that one either. I also chose the Pitt Panthers from the West, Missouri and Oklahoma St. from the Midwest. Not a bad start, thank you very much.
Thus far in the opening round, I had a modest 11 of 16 games correct but guess what, I’m leading our President by one game. So far, President Obama is 10 for 16. According to the Bracketologist, the teams the President selected that are going home early are;
Midwest: 5-seed Oklahoma State and 9-seed Missouri
West: 8-seed Pittsburgh and 11-seed Belmont
East: 5-seed UNLV
According to a USA Today article, 75% of the country is outpacing the President this year in their guesses, uh, selections (sorry prognosticators).
As I had stated in an earlier blog, the parity and non-dominating teams should make this one of the most fun tournaments of ‘Madness’ to watch. This weekend be no different with more upsets and ‘Bracket-Busters’ to come. Sure, #1 Seed Louisville destroyed N.C. A&T 79-48 in their opener in the Midwest Region, but #1 Seed Gonzaga in the West barely surpassed #16 Seed Southern University, 64-58.
And these college kids are laying it on the line and leaving everything on the court. Some real heartbreaking, post-game interviews with some teams and players have gotten very emotional, as we saw with one star athlete point guard, Tray Woodall for the Pitt Panther’s who had a dismal shooting night (1-12) from the floor in a first round lost to #9 Seed Wichita St. He cried throughout the entire interview, apologizing to both his teammates and his school for his performance. Even the play-in game with N.C. A&T escaping Liberty University on the Wednesday night opener was a nail-biting missed lay up by the Liberty point guard in the final seconds of the game. He, too was dismayed
Yes, many great moments have already occurred in this year’s edition of March Madness. The ‘Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat’ has taken place in just a few short games…and we’re only ¼ of the way home.
Hold on Tight March Madness Fans and Enjoy the Ride. It’s going to be a Wild one.
New musical productions are increasingly making use of technology to embark their listeners into an interactive listening experience. Following the release of Bluebrain’s location aware album-app in 2011, several other musicians and groups have shown their interests for more interactive songs. The album-app by Björk that allow users to experience the songs through a game is another good illustration of this new trend.
Among the many producers who are setting the pace in this new era of music and technology, the “Appsongs” from Jorge Dexter stands out. Without going into the design of the app interface (which is great by the way), the idea of this ‘n’ project itself is just amazing. The listener gets to recombine the components and build the songs they are listening to in real-time. According to the app’s creator, there can be as much as 10^27 possible versions of the same song and the listener gets to decide what version he/she wants: “These songs are not solid, but liquid. They are half alive: always the same and always different”.
Which such innovations going on in this industry, do producers really have a choice but to go with the flow? What will the future of the musical industry look like? Are the days of static entertainment fading away? Food for thought.
The app is available for free on Android and iOS. Have a taste of the app by watching this video:
Chinua Achebe, the Nigerian novelist seen by millions as the father of African literature, has died at the age of 82.
African papers were reporting his death following an illness and hospital stay in Boston this morning, and both his agent and his publisher later confirmed the news to the Guardian.
Simon Winder, publishing director at Penguin, called him an “utterly remarkable man”.
“Chinua Achebe is the greatest of African writers and we are all desolate to hear of his death,” he said.
In a statement, Achebe’s family requested privacy, and paid tribute to “one of the great literary voices of all time. He was also a beloved husband, father, uncle and grandfather, whose wisdom and courage are an inspiration to all who knew him.”
A novelist, poet and essayist, Achebe was perhaps best known for his first novel Things Fall Apart, which was published in 1958. The story of the Igbo warrior Okonkwo and the colonial era, it has sold more than 10m copies around the world and has been published in 50 languages. Achebe depicts an Igbo village as the white men arrive at the end of the 19th century, taking its title from the WB Yeats poem, which continues: “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold.”
The Senate tonight voted to block cuts in benefits for Social Security and disabled veterans.
The amendment by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) put the Senate on record against changing how cost-of-living increases are calculated in a way that would result in significant cuts.
“The time has come for the Senate to send a very loud and clear message to the American people: We will not balance the budget on the backs of disabled veterans who have lost their arms, their legs and their eyesight defending our country. We will not balance the budget on the backs of the men and women who have already sacrificed for us in Iraq and Afghanistan, nor on the widows who have lost their husbands in Iraq and Afghanistan defending our country,” Sanders said.
The amendment opposed switching from the current method of measuring inflation to a so-called chained consumer price index. President Barack Obama favors a chained CPI as part of what the White House calls a “grand bargain” that Obama hopes to reach with congressional Republicans.
The proposed change would affect more than 3.2 million disabled veterans receiving disability compensation benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Veterans who started receiving VA disability benefits at age 30 would have their benefits reduced by $1,425 at age 45, $2,341 at age 55 and $3,231 at age 65. Benefits for more than 350,000 surviving spouses and children who have lost a loved one in battle also would be cut. Dependency Indemnity Compensation benefits already average less than $17,000 a year.
Seems like the rule of thumb for food is: “If it tastes good, it’s not good for you.” So much of our good and bad eating habits have to do with the type of foods we were raised around, and our views of food as fuel and sustenance as well as a pleasurable, sensual act (use of the sense of taste.) As Humans, we’re practically hot-wired for pleasurable consumption–that is, craving and eating the foods that makes us feel good–in direct opposition to eating for nutrients and energy. This becomes particularly dangerous with the presence of disease, particularly Diabetes. We compromise our good health when we eat processed foods laden with sugar, preservatives, salt, and fat. And processed foods aren’t good for anyone, let alone diabetics, so best you strike the following 10 Worst Possible Foods To Eat For People With Diabetes from your shopping lists.
Chicken Nuggets These ubiquitous finger foods dip nicely and satisfy hunger, but you’d do better to go for grilled chicken strips or a skinless breast. Whether you get them in a restaurant or out of the freezer section, chicken nuggets are made with heavy breading (that you may forget to count against your carbs for the day) and usually more salt, fat, and preservatives than anyone needs.
White Rice Sure, white rice is inexpensive and easy to cook. But like all processed foods made with refined flour, including white bread and white pasta, it offers very little nutrition in return for raising your blood sugar, and it could be loaded with preservatives, too. If you like rice and want better control of your diabetes, try some of the wild rice blends (as well as whole-grain breads, pastas, and cereals). They take a little longer to cook and they do cost more, but they’re healthier and tastier.
French Fries Few people realize how many calories even a small serving of French fries can contain. This can make managing your weight and your diabetes difficult, especially if you eat them frequently. And like white rice, they don’t offer much in return for their effect on blood sugar levels. If you really like fries, bake them yourself at home, without oil. Use skin-on sweet potatoes and skip the frozen supermarket varieties, which are often loaded with preservatives.
Canned Fruit in Heavy Syrup Eating more fruits and vegetables helps people with type 2 diabetes stay healthy and feel full. If your budget is tight, canned produce is an option — it lasts longer and tastes good. Unfortunately, if you don’t read labels carefully, you could end up with fruit that has been canned in heavy, sugary syrup. You can lighten the sugar load of these processed foods by draining and rinsing the fruit, but it’s better to buy fruit canned in its own juice instead of syrup.
Potato Chips When you have to watch your weight, as many people with type 2 diabetes must do, potato chips and other fried snacks can quickly undermine your diet efforts. These processed foods add to your intake of calories, salt, and preservatives without providing much, if any, nutrition or fiber, which can help slow digestion a bit. Plan ahead for those times when you want a crunchy treat and have veggie sticks (cut-up carrots, celery, and zucchini are great) and a low-fat, low-sugar dip you enjoy at the ready.
Soda Having a lot of sodas, even sugar-free sodas, in your diet frequently correlates with a diabetes diagnosis. Most people switch to sugar-free or try to give up sugary drinks entirely to better manage their diabetes (and their weight). If it’s the tingly sensation of soda you crave, try club soda with a touch of fruit juice for flavor. Go easy on the fruit juice, however, because it’s also high in sugar.
Foods With High-Fructose Corn Syrup High-fructose corn syrup is a common ingredient in many packaged foods like cookies and snack cakes, and it’s the focal point of a controversy about its effect on weight, insulin, and health. Many foods that you might not realize contain HFCS actually do, such as sweet pickle relish, ketchup, jams and jellies, and salad dressings. If you’re wary of including this form of sweetener and all its calories in your diabetes diet, simply choose products that list sugar, not high-fructose corn syrup, as an ingredient. Keep in mind though that both sugar and high-fructose corn syrup add calories to food, and try to develop a taste for foods that are less sweet to better manage your type 2 diabetes.
Processed Meats Although they don’t usually contain sugar, processed meats, which are heavy on salt and preservatives, seem to be linked to an increased risk of diabetes. Instead of relying on lunch meats, deli meats, and various kinds of sausages, go for meat that is closer to its natural state. Try using leftovers from a roasted chicken for a lunchbox sandwich, for example. Also, build in more meatless options for type 2 diabetes control.
Fast-Food Hamburgers This fast-food staple may be a diabetes risk factor for you. Research shows that African-American women who eat hamburgers in a restaurant two or more times a week are much more likely to receive a diabetes diagnosis than those who do not. A small, plain hamburger probably isn’t the root of this problem — it’s more likely that the oversized patties, buns, and toppings are contributing to these statistics. If you’re eating out, opt for a small, grilled-chicken sandwich with lots of veggies instead. Dr. Hannon recommends researching restaurant menus in advance to plan healthy choices.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve developed quite the fixation with different types of oils for cooking, aromatherapy, beauty aides, and alternative medicine.
So, I just wanted to take the time out to highlight some of my favorite oils and how I’ve found them helpful in my daily needs.
Coconut Oil: Organic, Unrefined, Cold-Pressed, Extra Virgin
The BEST natural body moisturizer I’ve come across. Slather this anywhere on your body and you’ll be amazed by how soft and supple your skin will be by the next day. Tip: If you have really dry feet, Try This: Rub coconut oil all over your feet, slip on some socks, and get some rest. You’ll thank me in the morning. 🙂
Dry hair? No problem. Apply this oil throughout the hair to give it some added moisture.
Some people swear that taking 1-2 tablespoons a day of coconut oil helps with weight loss. I can’t attest to those claims, but it is yummy when used to cook up some scrambled eggs. Delish!
Believe it or not, I sometimes use this on my face as a moisturizer and it does a great job of getting rid of dry patches and making the face more supple. However, I only recommend doing this for people with dry skin.
Castor Oil: The Palma Christi (Palm of Christ)
I have grown to love this oil. It’s great as an overnight spot treatment on pimples/acne. This oil is too thick to place all over the face, so I don’t recommend it.
Great for dry hands and feet.
If you’re having trouble in the bathroom area(constipation), this is your go-to oil. It’ll clear that right up!
Castor Oil packs have been used for various issues such as inflammation, congestion, constipation, and liver, kidney, and pelvic disorders.
I don’t have this one confirmed yet, but it supposedly helps with the appearance of cellulite. I’m going to try this one out and let you know my results.
Olive Oil: Any type
This is my go-to oil for most of my cooking needs, unless I’m frying.
This is a good oil for body moisturizing, but I prefer coconut oil for my beauty needs over olive oil.
Many claim that it’s great in your hair. I tried this once and well, never again! Ok, maybe further experiments are needed, but I was not impressed.
Lavender Oil: 100% Pure Essential Oil
Great for healing my acne bumps and scars.
The anti-bacterial properties also help with any cuts and scrapes, including cat scratches (cat owners can relate!)
A few drops on my pillow case help me to finally doze off to sleep when my insomnia starts kicking in.
Always great to use in an oil diffuser as a room deodorizer.
Mix this with Eucalyptus oil in warm/hot water for a relaxing bath.
Peppermint Oil: 100% Pure Essential Oil
If you’re sick, this oil will surely give your sinuses some temporary relief and make it easier to breathe again. However, putting this oil in a bath will give you an extreme cooling effect in all areas including your nether regions, so be forewarned.
Another good choice to scent the room in an oil diffuser. However, the minty smell makes my cat go off-the-wall bonkers!
Clove Oil: 100% Pure Essential Oil
Believe it or not, this oil is stronger than lavender oil with its anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. This oil can zap away a zit overnight. Warning: It can sting a little, so you may want to mix it with a carrier oil like olive oil before applying to the skin.
I haven’t tried this, but apparently it’s great to use with your toothpaste/mouthwash for dental care.
Eucalyptus Oil: 100% Pure Essential Oil
This goes well with lavender oil as a calming and soothing bath oil.
This is another good choice for a room deodorizer.
Citrus-Scented Oils (Orange, Lemon, and Lime): 100% Pure Essential Oil
I only use these oils to get rid of any unpleasant smells that may pop up within my apartment. I have citrus oils to be great as a room deodorizer.
Certain citrus oil brands you can use for baking needs (pies, cakes, etc.) to boost flavor.
I do own and use a lot more oils, but these are my main staples. I’m always looking to experiment and add to my collection, so if you have any other good suggestions/recommendations please forward it my way!
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