Too Thin Lands You In The Sin Bin...

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A new law being proposed in France is being aimed at curbing the promotion of anorexia as a lifestyle choice.

Fines of up to €30,000 (£24,000) and a two-year prison sentence will be imposed on offenders who “provoke a person to seek excessive thinness by encouraging prolonged restriction of nourishment” to the point of risking death or damage to health. The prison term is raised to three years with a €45,000 fine if the person dies.

I had been trying to think of a way to say something humorous here, but there really isn't anything funny about this topic. The "waif" thing has gotten completely out of hand, and can be easily described as terrifying. What absolutely confounds me is that since the first high-profile case of anorexia - Karen Carpenter - we have not been able to stem the tide of young women being drawn to this highly self-destructive condition. No, it seems that since Carpenter's death 25 years ago, the rush of young women trying to starve themselves to achieve the ultimate ghostly look has only accelerated. Today, it is estimated that 1 in 200 women suffer from anorexia. 95% of those who suffer from the disorder is between the ages of 13 and 25 years of age. 80% of girls 13 years of age have tried to lose weight.

If you're the parent of a young girl as I am, these numbers should scare the Dickens out of you. In fact, the mortality rate associated with anorexia nervosa is 12 times higher than the cause of death of all causes of death of 15-24-year-old. The really sad thing is that the profile of the typical anorexic is someone you'd never think would have a problem. A middle-class or upper-class teenager around 15 years old, intelligent, perfectionistic, and a very high achiever, she's usually thin but obsessed with her weight anyway. Look for compulsive exercising and a preoccupation with calorie counting and diets, even though she turns down food.  To hide her condition, she might lie, hiding uneaten food or Saying she's already eaten. And of course, there will be a denial that anything is wrong.

Think you might know someone who needs help? Here are some signs to watch out for:

Marked weight loss Amenorrhea , or the loss of menstrual periods Fear of getting fat, even when underweight Denial of hunger, accompanied by an obsession with counting calories or studying cookbooks Excessive exercise Frequent weighing Distorted body image

Hyperactivity Constipation Dry, sallow (yellowish) skin Cold hands and feet Fatigue or chronic insomnia Loss of sexual desire Thinning hair The growth of fine body hair, especially on the arms and legs Fainting spells

There's lots of information out there. If you want to educate yourself more on this serious health threat, check out the links below -

National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD)

National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)

Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders, Inc. (ANRED)

As for the law proposed, I don't see that it will help much. Punishing websites for publishing images won't stop girls from obsessing on their weight. Face it, it's not just TV, film or magazines. How many girls have moms who are getting implants, Botox, tummy tucks and other cosmetic procedures just to combat natural aging, to try to fool those around them about their age? What kind of lesson should girls learn from this? Their own parents can't accept the natural beauty of a woman aging, and instead they see a role model striving to achieve a "perfect" goal. The problem with that perfection is that it does not reflect reality.

When we atop idealizing the "Barbie" body, stop falling for fad diets that don't work, stop buying all the gadgets,gizmos, and quick fix diet pills to "lose those nagging 10 pounds", we might have a shot at convincing young women that they don't need to starve to death.

Yikes! Forget Chastity Belts...

From Rapex: the internal anti-rape device | Features | The First Post :

The words of a rape victim - "If only I had teeth down there" - have inspired the design of a new anti-rape device.

Rapex - dubbed the 'rape trap' - is a product worn internally by women. The hollow inside is lined with rows of razor-sharp hooks, which are designed to latch on to a rapist's penis during penetration. They can only be removed by a doctor.

The product will be on the shelves of South African chemists and supermarkets later this month. South African mother-of-two Sonette Ehlers developed the original prototype in 2005 but has struggled to get it patented and approved for sale, not least because of staunch opposition from feminist groups.

I'm not sure if I'm scared, appalled, amused or intrigued by this thing. Mostly amused, I think.  The thought of the consequence to a guy who sticks his junk where it shouldn't be is oddly apropos. How exactly does he explain that? "Uhh, doc, can you get this plastic cage off my johnson?"

One of the fears some have about it's use is that the guy who gets "trapped" will only get more violent. No way. We're talking hard plastic barbs digging into his willy. Pain there will pretty much stop a guy dead in his tracks. Certainly long enough to let the potential victim run for safety.

But there is a sad element to this - the reason it was created. The device was created to help the 1.7 million South African women who are raped each year and live in fear. Some may say it is more vengeful than preventative, and there's some truth to that. Until they are so prevalently used that rapists fear injury, they won't work as a deterrent. So at best, it will stop the act from going too far. In some cases, this will minimize physical injury to the victim, but not the emotional scars.

So, while the device does get me to chuckle, it also reminds me that there are still places where women aren't safe, and that saddens me. There are organizations working to end this abuse. Check out SADF, and donate if you can. They work to improve conditions for people in South Africa. You can even choose a specific grantee, such as the Greater Nelspruit Rape Intervention Programme (GRIP).

I Want One Of These Little Guys...

From: Cool Gadgets - Toshiba's Talking Robot acts as a universal remote - ApriPoko | Geeky Gadgets

Toshiba Apripoko

This one of the cooler gadgets I've seen lately is this Apripoko from Toshiba. Currently, it's a prototype, but if it comes to fruition, this thing will need a place in my home.

Here's how it works - It has infrared sensors that detect when you push a button on one of your remotes (TV, DVD, etc), and it will ask you "What did you just do?"

You tell it ("Turn on the TV"). It memorizes what you said, and all you have to do next time is say "turn on the TV", and the Apripoko sends out the appropriate infrared commands to turn on the TV. It can learn all kinds of IR codes, so if you have remote-controlled drapes or a projection screen that is controlled by an IR remote, Apripoko can learn those commands as well.

Details are a little thin, but what I'd love to see is this device have the ability to learn multiple commands in succession. With this feature, you could use one verbal command to turn on the TV, change the input to video, and turn on the DVD with one command.

At the minimum, this is going to be a great Christmas gift if it is released.

A Very Cool Quadruped

It seems there's no shortage of robot videos online. YouTube is a virtual "robot central" with new robot videos popping up very day. Most of these robot videos are interesting, some entertaining. But every once in a while, these robot videos are simply amazing.

This video is of a four-footed robot that has amazing ability to balance itself. The operators ran it up and down hills, over ice and through snow, as well as over rubble. It can even hop and run.

So what? We've seen lots of robot videos. What's so special about this one? Well, first of all, it has a fairly strong cargo capacity (340 lbs.) and it's huge - looks to be about 4 ft. tall. And yet it has a nimbleness that's incredible. They run it onto ice and while it does slip, it recovers almost instantly. You can check out more info at Boston Dynamics.

How Good Is Your Hearing?

I came across this test online that I think everyone should take.

Being able to listen, to hear, is one of our most important resources. This test on a Norwegian site tests to see how well you can hear.

I've found that my hearing occasionally misses some things, either confusing them or not hearing them at all. When we don't hear, we can really miss the important things in our life that make a difference.

The test takes approximately three minutes. For best results, use headphones, but you can use computer speakers. I used the speakers in my laptop and was able to take the test completely. Be sure to give enough time to complete the test so that the results can be fully measured.

When you are done with the test, come back to this page and re-read it. The results from the test may cause you to rethink some of the things in this post. If you find the results cause you to take action, please pass this on to friends and family so they can take the test as well. Most importantly, don't tell them how the test is conducted, as this will affect the results.

How well do you hear?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

To all of our friends, I thought I'd send this little St. Patty's day wish.

This is the second year in a row that I have been able to get a picture of Carolyn with Brian, the guy who dresses up like a leprechaun at O'Sheas. He's a great guy, and fun to be around.

To commemorate the day, I thought I'd share a couple of Irish Blessings... and a joke or two:

May you be half an hour in Heaven
Before the Devil knows you're dead.

Jimmy-Joe finds a Genie lamp and rubs it. Out comes the Genie and asks "Master you have released me from the lamp and I grant you three wishes, what would you like"

Jimmy-Joe scratches his head, then answers "A bottle of Guinness that never gets empty. "Granted master" retorted the Genie and produced the bottle. Jimmy-Joe was delighted and got drunk on this one magic Guinness bottle for weeks then he remembered that he had two other wishes. He rubbed the lamp again and the Genie appeared. "Yes master, you have two more wishes, what would you like?" "You know that magic, never ending Guinness bottle" he asks the Genies. "Well, for my final two wishes, I'd like another two of them"

Whenever there is happiness
Hope you'll be there too,
Wherever there are friendly smiles
Hope they'll smile on you,
Whenever there is sunshine,
Hope it shine especially
For you to make each day for you
As bright as it can be.

Joey-Jim was tooling along the road one fine day when the local policeman, a friend of his, pulled him over. "What's wrong, Seamus?" Joey-Jim asked. "Well didn't ya know, Joey-Jim, that your wife fell out of the car about five miles back?" said Seamus. "Ah, praise the Almighty!" he replied with relief. "I thought I'd gone deaf!"

May your pockets be heavy-
Your heart be light
And may good luck pursue you
Each morning and night

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Make The Change That Will Improve Your Life

Image Courtesy Rowan of Ravara

From Keeping the Stress Monster in Check | Slow Down Fast Today! ~ David B. Bohl

Are you stressed? Ready for the therapist’s couch? Wondering if you should just dump your corporate job and run away to Alaska to work on a fishing boat?

In today’s world, more people are having to deal with increasing anxiety at the intersection of career, home, family and social life. Is it just me, or are a lot of us just not sure of whether we’re coming or going anymore?

The amount of stress that assaults us daily is tremendous. Work, money, relationships - they all create their own level of stress. The gadgets and tools that were supposed to make our lives easier have only served to add to the stress. Between cellphones, email, text messaging and other technological wonders, getting away from the things that stress us out has become difficult.

As David points out, there are a number of ways to reduce the amount of stress you are subjected to. Which you can use depends on your situation. But one in particular can be life-changing.

The Big Change

If you dread going to work in the morning, or come home from work feeling like you've been put through the ringer, give serious consideration to changing jobs. Yes, that makes it sound very easy. But even if you have to take a pay cut, the improvement in your quality of life can mean a world of difference. The theory that if you do what you love the money will follow holds true far more than you might think.

When you are doing something you enjoy, something you are passionate about, things seem to fall into place. Your mood is lighter, your tasks easier. You love what you do. But make no mistake - getting there may be the scariest thing you have ever done.

For many, changing a career is filled with obstacles. Money may be short. Family will be worried. And you will face self-doubt of a magnitude you may never have previously experienced. These will pass. With the lessening of stress,your thinking will become clearer, your resolve more powerful, your determination and resourcefulness will hit greater highs.

Making The Leap

If you decide to make a change, take some steps first:

• Decide what it is you really want to do. What is it that really makes you happy?
• Can you afford a quick switch? If money is an issue, think about how you can transition. Can you do it part-time while keeping your day gig?
• Make a plan. What do you need to do to be successful, to really enjoy what you will be doing?
• Be prepared to sacrifice. Achieving your dream career may require less time in front of the TV, or giving up some time on the weekends. You may have to tighten your financial belt, or give up some of your entertainment. Trust that as you get closer to your goal, your life will pull into balance.

If you're feeling overly-stressed, take a good long look at what you do to pay the bills. Changing your career to something you enjoy may just be the best thing you can do for you and your family.