Brother, Can You Spare A Kotex?

This is something I take for granted and can't even imagine living without. It also proves what a man's world it is, especially in Zimbabwe. If men got their periods, women could take over governments across the world in non-violent coups in less than one lunar month.

Zimbabwe in sanitary towels plea

Women trade unionists in Zimbabwe have appealed for international funds to make sanitary towels available at an affordable price.

South African towels are available at black market prices, but one month's supplies can easily cost half a month's wages - much more if a woman has teenaged daughters at home, who also need them.

"One MP within the parliament did raise the issue of the sanitary towels," she told the BBC.

"But society finds it taboo to talk about it, so to them it was just a joke, because everyone laughed when they talked about it.

"And I remember one minister said we should go back to history: somebody's telling us now we should go back and use hides."

But Ms Khumalo says women are now reduced to using rags and old newspapers, which are uncomfortable and unpleasant and increase the risk of infections.

*****

This was not a sophisticated ruse to lose all male readers of my blog ;). I swear. I didn't even bring up tampons, so there.

Husband's Day

Indians are celebrating husband's day. Honestly, this must have been thought up by a man!



"In India it is the eve of Karvachauth, Husband's Day. As well as painting their hands with henna, married women fast and offer prayers for their husbands."

I'm trying to see it in a good light, but it sounds really lame. I will take this back if there is a corollary day called Wives Day. Instead of starving, men should have to clean and do laundry. Then they need to reinact the Kenny Rogers' song "Buy Me a Rose":

Buy me a rose, call me from work
Open a door for me, what would it hurt
Show me you love me by the look in your eyes

Uh oh, mean time between quoting country lyrics is falling.

Governor Suggests Putting SSN on Forearm?

here she comes, originally uploaded by tromasbronot.

If the floodwaters don't get ya, the identity thieves will. I guess that wasn't his most pressing worry.

Here's Some Blogorrhea For Ya

Just saw the term "blogorrhea" in Time magazine. According to the UrbanDictionary it means:

To write a blog entry just for the sake of posting an entry, not because you have anything interesting today.

Used in a sentence:

I couldn't really think of anthing good to blog about, so my last post was real blogorrhea.

Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head

Rainy, originally uploaded by baglady.

If I remember the song right, the next part is about going to bed, I think. Or maybe it's about big feet?

Use The Dolls To Explain How They Touched You...

Here is a disturbing playset!

The Airline Screening Playset: Hours of Fun!

The Only Mistake Is To Do Nothing: Procrastination

Good article on Kiplinger's site via Slackermanager:

Career Advice: Just do it

I once asked a group of top executives how many of them consider themselves to be serious procrastinators. Just 25% raised a hand. But when I put that question to groups of unemployed job seekers, 80% of the hands went up. That's consistent with what I've found in my 18 years as a career coach: Too often, procrastination can kill a career.

Many people learn procrastination in school. They wait until the last minute to write a paper or to study for a test, but, thanks to grade inflation, they still end up with a decent grade. That gets them by until they land in higher-level jobs, where there's no such thing as grade inflation to bail them out of their bad habits.

Some people procrastinate to avoid failure.

Keeping the Stationary and Towel Monogramming Costs Down?

Did you know that Belgium kings are always named Frederik or Christian? It's true:

Baby born to Danish royal couple

Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik and his Australian-born wife, Crown Princess Mary have had a baby boy. The child, tipped to be called Christian in line with royal tradition, becomes second in line to the throne.

Man Loses 1 Ton Cheddar in River - Oops!

From Slashfood:

A team of divers armed with $5,000 worth of sonar equipment recently attempted to locate roughly one ton of cheddar cheese dropped into Montreal’s Saguenay River last October. After hours of searching the Baie des Ha! Ha! (honest), the divers still had no luck.

*****

The article talks about how a sailor raved about some cheese he'd found in the lake (something like that). Who eats cheese they find in water. Ew.

On the Road Again: Willie Nelson Biodiesel

You think I'm kidding, but I couldn't be more serious. Willie Nelson, yes this one:



has his own brand of biodiesel. You can even buy a custom mousepad and bumper sticker. It's actually pretty cool. I don't know that I would want to deal with the mess and smell, but if gas prices go up much more I'll be thinking about it!

Never Prettier

I remember the day I was married, my grandmother whispering in my ear, "You will never look more beautiful than you do today". She was right. It's inevitable. We reach the peaks of our looks and then slowly get more middle-aged looking. Those reading that are older than I am (if anyone is indeed reading ;), might be offended that I am already complaining about this. I can tell the difference the last decade - or even the last five years have made. My head turning phase was very short lived and that might have had more to do with working in a man's field than my great looks :P. (At many jobs I've been the only woman in my unit). All of the sudden I'm the person college students and dads ask what aisle they need at the grocery store. I know the answers too. Frozen garlic bread is near entrees and pizzas. Peanut butter is on the bread aisle. Breadcrumbs are on the top shelf near the baking supplies. I know when to use Tylenol or Advil. I know how to get wine out of a light colored shirt and I always have a tire guage in my car. I like nurturing people a lot. I don't miss having less life experience, but I do miss my 20-something flatter stomach and glowy skin. What I miss the most is feeling more confident that I'm appreciated as a woman. That sounds so cheesy, but any ladies reading this will know what I mean!

This week's Time has a great except from Dr. Andrew Weil's book on living better, longer: Healthy Aging:

I hope that you will discover and enjoy the benefits that aging can bring: wisdom, depth of character, the smoothing out of what is rough and harsh, the evaporation of what is inconsequential and the concentration of true worth.

I'm feeling some of those in small amounts. I am wise on some topics... although some issues in particular - I have huge blind spots. If depth of character can be reflected in letting people see how weird I am and being comfortable with that, I think I can count it. I gave some of you the address of the blog :P. I see the smoothing out, but there is a long way to go. It would be nice if you could get personality callous remover. The last area has been very problematic for me lately. Far too many things are falling in the inconsequential category. I don't see many in the true worth column. Things feel out of balance. I don't know if it's life choices or attitude. Speaking of attitude, I am temporarily breaking my moratorium on quoting country lyrics:

I don't buy the lines in magazines
That tell me what I've gotta be
Don't base my life on a movie screen
Don't fit the mold...

I don't need to be 19 years old
Or starve myself for some weight I'm told
Or turn men's heads...

And I no longer justify
Reasons for the way that I behave
I offer no apologies
For the things that I believe and say
And I like it that way

Cause I'm a real live woman

Okay, so don't forget to notice!!!

Nein in Germany: John Jacob Jingle Himer-Smith

Some countries regulate children's names. Germany doesn't allow hyphens. They worry about the epidemic caused by hypenated people marrying and having kids with four surnames and so on and so on. They also make sure that first names make sex obvious and if not, that the middle name makes it obvious.

If you have a subscription to the WSJ, you can read the whole article.

Papa Smurf To The Rescue of African Child Soldiers

This blog is just writing itself tonight... and I'm not making it up! CNN reports:



Out of an idyllic blue sky dotted with birds and butterflies come warplanes that carpet-bomb the Smurfs' forest village, killing Smurfette, leaving Baby Smurf wailing in distress and sending Papa Smurf and the others bolting for cover.

The scene from a bizarre commercial featuring Belgium's lovable blue-skinned cartoon characters is so upsetting it can only be shown after 9 p.m. to avoid scaring children.

Smurfette is killed and the others go running. Baby Smurf sits crying at the edge of a bomb crater.

*****

It seems like a strange approach for a very worthy cause.

Oh Boy! George

Just when you thought Boy George's look:



couldn't get worse, this happens:

U Can't Touch This

Yo, check this out! MC Hammer may be available for your next event. We've been looking for a keynote speaker for our next computing conference. This is going to top my list!

"He had previously been part of religious rap group the Holy Ghost Boys." I wonder if Amazon or iTunes has any of their music.

Baglady Also Likes to Can

Determined to get my value out of the six pounds of Costco peaches that turned out to be too ripe, I embarked on a peach preserves odyssey. It's a two day recipe. Sadly, I started to feel too tired to can by the second day, but had a pot of peaches begging to be finished. Turned out really yummy.

What Your Workspace Says About You

Interesting post on Open Loops (via Lifehacker) about what your workplace says or doesn't say about you.

"Whose Got the Time? – Those who “get it done” are time conscious and will often have a time piece somewhere to help them keep track of the time. “Clock lovers are often meticulous and hardworking.”"

Not going to run out and get some clocks. I have two on my desk (on my computers) and three when you count the phone. Four with my cell phone.

"Motivation Plaques, Posters, etc. – This person is engaged in their job and wants to stay engaged."

I know what they're saying. When I see one of those motivational posters in a conference room it is akin to a bonehead alarm. "Bonehead nearby and/or in charge" :-D :O!

To Each Is Own: Ask Jeeves Proposal

I guess this guy rates points for asking his girl to get married. However, he loses some for the method:

"I proposed via Ask Jeeves. I brought Yisha to my office, ask her to search on her name. While she was doing that I kneeled behind her with the ring and flowers. She typed in her name into Ask Jeeves, full name, and up came a special Smart Answer (thanks to Jim Lanzone and team) with the proposal."



While creative, it is completely dorky. That's right... not nerdy, which is cool - DORKY. Nerdy would be something like hacking into your girlfriend's computer and displaying a message:

I own your box, but you own my heart.
Will you marry me?

or

Your Windows installation lacks SP2.
Without you in my life, I am < SP1.
Will you marry me?

Except for the viral connotation, the countless dollars in economic damage and the laws broken, the Melissa virus was kind of romantic. An .ico on your web site related to something that reminds you of her, getting into dorkyland, but 98% nerd.

Nagin for Bush?

C'est impossible?!

Mayor Ray Nagin of New Orleans fame appears to have supported Bush in the 2000 presidential election ... If you can trust a site called newsmeat.

PSP Sandwich

Last slashfood tidbit of the evening, the PSP in food contest.

I really liked the sandwich:

No Need To Call In Sick...

Dark chocolate may help ease diarrhea. Someone is sh**ing me.

Brilliant or Retarded: Nicotine Beer

Read this for yourself or you won't believe me (from Slashfood):

Apparently a day can’t go by without news of some sort of German beer innovation... now comes word of German beer maker blending nicotine into their brew.

NicoShot, a 6.3 percent alcohol beer with 3 milligrams of nicotine, could be used as a way to quit smoking, sort of like nicotine gum, says the beer’s producer, Nautilus.

NicoShot could also be useful for smokers faced with smoking bans in pubs.

***

My verdict - retarded. I suppose for smokers at pubs who are too lazy to get off the stools for cigarrette breaks, this spells genius.

Who Do You Support?

It seems like there is a ribbon for everything today. I can't keep up. I understand pink for breast cancer, yellow for troops. Is red "no to drugs"? You can make your own with the ribbon generator. I don't have a fully formed idea, but this is what I'm going with for my first ribbon movement.