Out of the bowels of Mount Tokachi, in the centre of Hokkaido, northernmost of the main islands of the island empire of Japan, abides the last retreat of the Hairy Ainus. "The Hairy Ainus who live in caves, hunt and fish with primitive weapons. They are a race seemingly unconnected with the surrounding Mongolian peoples, thought to have migrated to the northern islands of Japan from Manchuria, a remnant of Neolithic stock. They are taller than the Japanese, heavier-built; their hairiness has been exaggerated from the fact that the men never shave and the women, admiring hirsute embellishment, daub themselves with mustache designs in pot-smut. They are bear-worshipers, non-agricultural."
"Meanwhile, in Japan, many Jewish researchers were convinced that the long-haired Ainu people of Hokkaido were a lost tribe of Israelites, on the evidence that the Ainu are not Japanese, and therefore must be Jewish. A Jewish colony had existed in Kaifeng in China for many years, and China is, after all, *nearly* Japan."
haa, haa, you think that's funny? more likely thay were just a bunch of Boston Boobs, who got lost on their way to Coney Island. And I'm pretty sure TAB has no kinfolks in Hokkaido.
Today in Japan, a person of Ainu race is addressed as "Ainu no hito" (pl. "Ainu no hitobito") as opposed to the now deprecated address of "Ainujin," in the name of political correctness. A survey in 1999 countedd 23,767 Ainus in Japan, mostly in Hokkaido. During the Meiji era, the Ainus endured oppression from the Japanese government, which was intent on colonizing the northern territories and Okinawa islands. The discrimination that the Ainus faced included the loss of land rights and criminalization of hunting, which used to be the Ainu way of life. As a step in modernization, the Meiji government imposed Japanese education on the Ainus who did not have their own writing system. Much of this has resulted in most Ainus losing their native culture. Today, equal rights is emphasised and racism is condemned. Yet the Ainus in average still live a life less wealthy than the average Japanese.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Friday, July 27, 2007
Apraxia
What is apraxia? I will keep adding to this untill I get it right.
Neurological Causes
The theory outlined by Gerald Edelman in 1992 suggests that the condition is caused by the failure of the neurones in the brain to develop correctly. This failure of the neurones to form adequate connections means that the brain takes longer to process information and there is a greater likelihood of the brain losing the suggestion and the child therefore failing to respond to requests given to him.
Apraxia can be severe, and it's not limited to speech. Apraxia is a neurologically based motor planning and sequencing disability. Anything that requires a plan and a sequence for muscle response, like jumping ,hopping, riding a bike, writing with a pencil etc., is affected. It most profoundly affects speech because so many muscles are utilized at one time. There are 17 muscles in the tongue alone!
.
There are various kinds of apraxia that affect different types of movement, including:
Ideomotor apraxia. Inability to mimic or perform a movement (e.g. hammer a nail, brush hair, blow out a match, cough) in response to a verbal command.
Ideational apraxia. Inability to correctly perform a series of movements to accomplish certain tasks (e.g., writing, bathing, dressing, eating or brushing teeth). Patients also may not know how to appropriately use certain tools or objects. For instance, a pen may be used in the manner of a comb.
Verbal apraxia. Inability to coordinate lip, mouth and tongue movements in order to speak. People with verbal apraxia may be unable to say a word correctly and consistently (they can say a word correctly one moment but not the next).
Buccofacial apraxia. Inability to perform movements of the face and mouth (without typically affecting a patient’s ability to speak). Patients with verbal apraxia may not be able to lick their lips, blow, cough or wink upon verbal command.
Additional types of apraxia that some experts believe should not be considered true forms of apraxia include constructional apraxia, limb-kinetic apraxia and oculomotor apraxia.
Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS, also known as DVD -- developmental verbal dyspraxia, and DAS -- developmental apraxia of speech) is a disorder that is more easily defined by what it is not. It is not a muscle disorder. It is not a cognitive disorder (although it may have some impact on language as well as speech). The problem occurs when the brain tries to tell the muscles what to do -- somehow that message gets scrambled. It's like trying to watch cable t.v. stations without the right descrambler. There is nothing wrong with the t.v. station, and nothing wrong with your set. It's just that your set can't read the signal that the station is sending out. The child's language-learning task is to figure out how to somehow unscramble the mixed message her/his brain is sending to her/his muscles. The
CAS has much more effect on volitional (voluntary, creative) speech than on automatic speech. This means that the more your child wants to communicate a particular message, the harder it will be! So, if you happen to hear her/him say something once when there is no pressure, and you say, "Say it again!", you are guaranteeing that she/he won't be able to. It is vital to put a minimum of communication pressure on the child. (NOTE: Your child's speech- language pathologist will need to put communication pressure on the child.) Low-pressure verbal activities are the most important thing a parent can do to help. These include: songs (especially repetitive songs, like Old MacDonald and finger-plays), poems, verbal routines (pat-a-cake, Willoughby Walloby Woo, etc.), repetitive books (such as some of the Mercer-Mayer books, Little Bear, etc.) and daily routines (prayers, social greetings, salute to the flag, etc.). You can make other activities into verbal routines: make up little sayings or poems that you say every time you do the same thing, label instead of counting objects in counting books ("Three dogs: dog, dog, dog"), verbalize repetitive activities (e.g., setting the table: "Plate, plate, plate, plate; fork, fork, fork, fork.."), and so on. Don't make a big fuss about whether or not your child is talking or singing along; just provide a supportive environment for her/him to do so. Don't ever say "You can't have it unless you say it first" -- that's sheer torture for a child with CAS. If your child is unable to communicate effectively right now, the use of sign language or a communication board to supplement speech temporarily not only decreases the frustration but also even seems to help with speech development. Don't be afraid to try it! Dyspraxia may affect other motor functions (e.g., fine motor control, gross motor planning) and other language functions (e.g., learning grammatical function words like "the, "is", "or", etc.; learning more complex grammatical forms like passive; spelling; putting words together into a sentence or sentences together into a paragraph, etc.). Occupational therapy, physical therapy, and learning disabilities assistance are often helpful for children who have these difficulties. CAS can be a very frustrating disorder at times. It is common for children to make progress in "fits and starts" -- good progress for a little while, then none, then more, etc. Don't get discouraged! The therapy is helping, even if you don't see the effects immediately.
The cause or causes of DAS are not yet known. There are scientists who believe that DAS is a disorder related to a child's overall language development. Others believe it is a neurological disorder that affects the brain's ability to send the proper signals to move the muscles involved in speech. Some findings suggest that heavy metals may play a role in the disorder.
A qualitative impairment in communication (APA, 1994), and such impairment is a primary feature of mercury poisoning.
Mercury-exposed children especially show a marked difficulty with speech (Pierce et al, 1972; Snyder, 1972; Kark et al, 1971). Even children exposed prenatally to “safe” levels of methylmercury performed less well on standardized language tests than did unexposed controls (Grandjean et al, 1998). Iraqi babies exposed prenatally either failed to develop language or presented with severe language deficits in childhood. They exhibited “exaggerated reaction” to sudden noise and some had reduced hearing (Amin-Zaki, 1974 and 1979). Iraqi children who were postnatally poisoned from bread containing either methyl or ethylmercury developed articulation problems, from slow, slurred word production to the inability to generate meaningful speech. Most had impaired hearing and a few became deaf (Amin-Zaki, 1978). In acrodynia, symptoms of sufferers (vs. controls) include noise sensitivity and hearing problems (Farnsworth, 1997).
Could there be a link with the pharmaceutical companies who made vaccines with mercury? The doctors who gave the vaccines, insisted they were safe; and likewise we have the scientists who said they could not find a link between autism and mercury. If there's no ``evidence of harm, then why did government officials begin removing thimerosal from the vaccines in 1999? With families struggling to find the answers and help for their children's neurological symptoms. Like U.S. Representative Dan Burton, who believes his two grandchildren suffered from thimerosal exposure in vaccines. I was not so sure there isn't a link. But then Jaded said... "I also wanted to mention that all of the newest research indicates that mercury plays no part in autism rates either in the US or internationally. Any of the studies done that indicate it does were either anecdotal or flawed". The MMR-Autism theory came to the forefront in 1998 when British Gastroenterologist Andrew Wakefield and his colleagues reviewed reports of 12 children with bowel disease and regressive developmental disorders, mostly autism, and that seemed to arise shortly after having a vaccine. The parents of nine of these children - or their pediatricians - suggested that MMR vaccinations led to the intestinal abnormalities. The study has several limitations: there were too few cases to make generalizations about the causes of autism, the cases were referred to the researchers, rather than chosen at random, and thus may not be a representative sample of cases of autism, and finally, there were no healthy control group children for comparison. In at least four of the cases, behavioral problems had begun before the symptoms of bowel disease, meaning it is unlikely that bowel disease or the MMR vaccine caused the autism. In 2004, 10 of the 13 authors of the study retracted the paper’s interpretation, saying that the data was insufficient to establish a causal link between the MMR vaccine and autism.
And a study by scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center is the latest in a series of updates on children who have been studied since their birth in 1989 and 1990 in the Republic of the Seychelles, an island nation in the Indian Ocean. The children have been evaluated five times since their birth, and no harmful effects from the low levels of mercury obtained by eating seafood have been detected.
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, August 26, 2003 (ENS) -
Autism may be a form of mercury poisoning brought on by exposure to the mercury based preservative thimerosal in vaccines, according to new research published in the current issue of "International Journal of Toxicology," the official journal of the American College of Toxicology.
The study provides the strongest clinical evidence to date supporting the theory that mercury exposure is tied to autism, a finding that is not a surprise to coauthor by Mark Blaxill, a director of Safe Minds, (Sensible Action For Ending Mercury-Induced Neurological Disorders). This nonprofit parents' organization was founded to investigate the continuing risks to infants and children of exposure to mercury from medical products, including thimerosal in vaccines.
Methylmercury has always been found naturally in fish and in our bodies, but the trace levels of human exposure haven't increased in centuries; in fact, they're dropping. And research that has followed thousands of pregnant women and their children for nearly 15 years has found no evidence that the amounts of methylmercury in our fish put children or newborn babies at risk. Even among populations eating ten or more times the amounts of fish consumed by Americans, scientists have found no credible evidence of neurotoxicity, let alone brain damage, developmental delays, retardation, or learning disabilities.
The sky-is-falling crowd of activists and government officials remains unconvinced. They persist in warning women that there is real risk in exceeding EPA-established thresholds of methylmercury exposure that were set arbitrarily and with overly conservative safety margins. To determine acceptable levels of methylmercury, the EPA began with an amount at which there was no observed effect at all in the most sensitive of the population with a lifetime of exposure — a level nearly ten times that found in American women — and then added another tenfold safety cushion to that.
In the end, it seems that no one knows who or what to blame.
The Childhood Apraxia of Speech Association of North America (CASANA)
Neurological Causes
The theory outlined by Gerald Edelman in 1992 suggests that the condition is caused by the failure of the neurones in the brain to develop correctly. This failure of the neurones to form adequate connections means that the brain takes longer to process information and there is a greater likelihood of the brain losing the suggestion and the child therefore failing to respond to requests given to him.
Apraxia can be severe, and it's not limited to speech. Apraxia is a neurologically based motor planning and sequencing disability. Anything that requires a plan and a sequence for muscle response, like jumping ,hopping, riding a bike, writing with a pencil etc., is affected. It most profoundly affects speech because so many muscles are utilized at one time. There are 17 muscles in the tongue alone!
.
There are various kinds of apraxia that affect different types of movement, including:
Ideomotor apraxia. Inability to mimic or perform a movement (e.g. hammer a nail, brush hair, blow out a match, cough) in response to a verbal command.
Ideational apraxia. Inability to correctly perform a series of movements to accomplish certain tasks (e.g., writing, bathing, dressing, eating or brushing teeth). Patients also may not know how to appropriately use certain tools or objects. For instance, a pen may be used in the manner of a comb.
Verbal apraxia. Inability to coordinate lip, mouth and tongue movements in order to speak. People with verbal apraxia may be unable to say a word correctly and consistently (they can say a word correctly one moment but not the next).
Buccofacial apraxia. Inability to perform movements of the face and mouth (without typically affecting a patient’s ability to speak). Patients with verbal apraxia may not be able to lick their lips, blow, cough or wink upon verbal command.
Additional types of apraxia that some experts believe should not be considered true forms of apraxia include constructional apraxia, limb-kinetic apraxia and oculomotor apraxia.
Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS, also known as DVD -- developmental verbal dyspraxia, and DAS -- developmental apraxia of speech) is a disorder that is more easily defined by what it is not. It is not a muscle disorder. It is not a cognitive disorder (although it may have some impact on language as well as speech). The problem occurs when the brain tries to tell the muscles what to do -- somehow that message gets scrambled. It's like trying to watch cable t.v. stations without the right descrambler. There is nothing wrong with the t.v. station, and nothing wrong with your set. It's just that your set can't read the signal that the station is sending out. The child's language-learning task is to figure out how to somehow unscramble the mixed message her/his brain is sending to her/his muscles. The
CAS has much more effect on volitional (voluntary, creative) speech than on automatic speech. This means that the more your child wants to communicate a particular message, the harder it will be! So, if you happen to hear her/him say something once when there is no pressure, and you say, "Say it again!", you are guaranteeing that she/he won't be able to. It is vital to put a minimum of communication pressure on the child. (NOTE: Your child's speech- language pathologist will need to put communication pressure on the child.) Low-pressure verbal activities are the most important thing a parent can do to help. These include: songs (especially repetitive songs, like Old MacDonald and finger-plays), poems, verbal routines (pat-a-cake, Willoughby Walloby Woo, etc.), repetitive books (such as some of the Mercer-Mayer books, Little Bear, etc.) and daily routines (prayers, social greetings, salute to the flag, etc.). You can make other activities into verbal routines: make up little sayings or poems that you say every time you do the same thing, label instead of counting objects in counting books ("Three dogs: dog, dog, dog"), verbalize repetitive activities (e.g., setting the table: "Plate, plate, plate, plate; fork, fork, fork, fork.."), and so on. Don't make a big fuss about whether or not your child is talking or singing along; just provide a supportive environment for her/him to do so. Don't ever say "You can't have it unless you say it first" -- that's sheer torture for a child with CAS. If your child is unable to communicate effectively right now, the use of sign language or a communication board to supplement speech temporarily not only decreases the frustration but also even seems to help with speech development. Don't be afraid to try it! Dyspraxia may affect other motor functions (e.g., fine motor control, gross motor planning) and other language functions (e.g., learning grammatical function words like "the, "is", "or", etc.; learning more complex grammatical forms like passive; spelling; putting words together into a sentence or sentences together into a paragraph, etc.). Occupational therapy, physical therapy, and learning disabilities assistance are often helpful for children who have these difficulties. CAS can be a very frustrating disorder at times. It is common for children to make progress in "fits and starts" -- good progress for a little while, then none, then more, etc. Don't get discouraged! The therapy is helping, even if you don't see the effects immediately.
The cause or causes of DAS are not yet known. There are scientists who believe that DAS is a disorder related to a child's overall language development. Others believe it is a neurological disorder that affects the brain's ability to send the proper signals to move the muscles involved in speech. Some findings suggest that heavy metals may play a role in the disorder.
A qualitative impairment in communication (APA, 1994), and such impairment is a primary feature of mercury poisoning.
Mercury-exposed children especially show a marked difficulty with speech (Pierce et al, 1972; Snyder, 1972; Kark et al, 1971). Even children exposed prenatally to “safe” levels of methylmercury performed less well on standardized language tests than did unexposed controls (Grandjean et al, 1998). Iraqi babies exposed prenatally either failed to develop language or presented with severe language deficits in childhood. They exhibited “exaggerated reaction” to sudden noise and some had reduced hearing (Amin-Zaki, 1974 and 1979). Iraqi children who were postnatally poisoned from bread containing either methyl or ethylmercury developed articulation problems, from slow, slurred word production to the inability to generate meaningful speech. Most had impaired hearing and a few became deaf (Amin-Zaki, 1978). In acrodynia, symptoms of sufferers (vs. controls) include noise sensitivity and hearing problems (Farnsworth, 1997).
Could there be a link with the pharmaceutical companies who made vaccines with mercury? The doctors who gave the vaccines, insisted they were safe; and likewise we have the scientists who said they could not find a link between autism and mercury. If there's no ``evidence of harm, then why did government officials begin removing thimerosal from the vaccines in 1999? With families struggling to find the answers and help for their children's neurological symptoms. Like U.S. Representative Dan Burton, who believes his two grandchildren suffered from thimerosal exposure in vaccines. I was not so sure there isn't a link. But then Jaded said... "I also wanted to mention that all of the newest research indicates that mercury plays no part in autism rates either in the US or internationally. Any of the studies done that indicate it does were either anecdotal or flawed". The MMR-Autism theory came to the forefront in 1998 when British Gastroenterologist Andrew Wakefield and his colleagues reviewed reports of 12 children with bowel disease and regressive developmental disorders, mostly autism, and that seemed to arise shortly after having a vaccine. The parents of nine of these children - or their pediatricians - suggested that MMR vaccinations led to the intestinal abnormalities. The study has several limitations: there were too few cases to make generalizations about the causes of autism, the cases were referred to the researchers, rather than chosen at random, and thus may not be a representative sample of cases of autism, and finally, there were no healthy control group children for comparison. In at least four of the cases, behavioral problems had begun before the symptoms of bowel disease, meaning it is unlikely that bowel disease or the MMR vaccine caused the autism. In 2004, 10 of the 13 authors of the study retracted the paper’s interpretation, saying that the data was insufficient to establish a causal link between the MMR vaccine and autism.
And a study by scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center is the latest in a series of updates on children who have been studied since their birth in 1989 and 1990 in the Republic of the Seychelles, an island nation in the Indian Ocean. The children have been evaluated five times since their birth, and no harmful effects from the low levels of mercury obtained by eating seafood have been detected.
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, August 26, 2003 (ENS) -
Autism may be a form of mercury poisoning brought on by exposure to the mercury based preservative thimerosal in vaccines, according to new research published in the current issue of "International Journal of Toxicology," the official journal of the American College of Toxicology.
The study provides the strongest clinical evidence to date supporting the theory that mercury exposure is tied to autism, a finding that is not a surprise to coauthor by Mark Blaxill, a director of Safe Minds, (Sensible Action For Ending Mercury-Induced Neurological Disorders). This nonprofit parents' organization was founded to investigate the continuing risks to infants and children of exposure to mercury from medical products, including thimerosal in vaccines.
Methylmercury has always been found naturally in fish and in our bodies, but the trace levels of human exposure haven't increased in centuries; in fact, they're dropping. And research that has followed thousands of pregnant women and their children for nearly 15 years has found no evidence that the amounts of methylmercury in our fish put children or newborn babies at risk. Even among populations eating ten or more times the amounts of fish consumed by Americans, scientists have found no credible evidence of neurotoxicity, let alone brain damage, developmental delays, retardation, or learning disabilities.
The sky-is-falling crowd of activists and government officials remains unconvinced. They persist in warning women that there is real risk in exceeding EPA-established thresholds of methylmercury exposure that were set arbitrarily and with overly conservative safety margins. To determine acceptable levels of methylmercury, the EPA began with an amount at which there was no observed effect at all in the most sensitive of the population with a lifetime of exposure — a level nearly ten times that found in American women — and then added another tenfold safety cushion to that.
In the end, it seems that no one knows who or what to blame.
The Childhood Apraxia of Speech Association of North America (CASANA)
Friday, June 22, 2007
Joel Keller: A Resourceful New Jersey Writer.
I did not know much about this most excellent and good natured fellow, untill he started his new blog. Up untill then my only thought was that he is just another audacious foot soldier, among the legions of the cyber-merchants. But Joel is a man with soul; a real cool cat.
He's a contemplative freelance writer who has been featured in a great many publications, such as New York Times, Knot.Magazine, The Huffington Post, and Jane. You will also find him at TV Squad.com Joel is very adept in doing many of his creative endeavors; like celebrity interviews, or when writing about life, culture, entertainment, and fine food.
A really odd story
"Vending machines in Japan offer for sale panties purportedly worn by schoolgirls. Used underwear that has supposedly been previously worn by schoolgirls is being offered for sale in vending machines in Japan. Though we don't know the current price for such items, in 1993 they sold for the equivalent of US $50 apiece. Sick, I wonder how much a used tampon goes for? Maybe a $100.?"
"Even so, what's tolerated with little fuss or moral hand-wringing in Japan remains striking. Hiro Fujiwara, a man in his 30s who helped produce pornographic videos before manning his parents' noodle stand in an Osaka neighborhood, tells that "pornography is sort of seen as a good outlet for men, a sign of a healthy man, like drinking a lot of alcohol." His friend, Kazuyo, a woman in her mid-20s, concurs, adding that "women don't mind so much because it means the man is normal. He watches when he is alone."
Meanwhile, the US Supreme Court rejected on Tuesday a constitutional challenge to a law in Alabama that makes it a crime to sell sex toys. Texas and Georgia also have laws that restrict the distribution of sex toys.
It's a strange world folks.
He's a contemplative freelance writer who has been featured in a great many publications, such as New York Times, Knot.Magazine, The Huffington Post, and Jane. You will also find him at TV Squad.com Joel is very adept in doing many of his creative endeavors; like celebrity interviews, or when writing about life, culture, entertainment, and fine food.
A really odd story
"Vending machines in Japan offer for sale panties purportedly worn by schoolgirls. Used underwear that has supposedly been previously worn by schoolgirls is being offered for sale in vending machines in Japan. Though we don't know the current price for such items, in 1993 they sold for the equivalent of US $50 apiece. Sick, I wonder how much a used tampon goes for? Maybe a $100.?"
"Even so, what's tolerated with little fuss or moral hand-wringing in Japan remains striking. Hiro Fujiwara, a man in his 30s who helped produce pornographic videos before manning his parents' noodle stand in an Osaka neighborhood, tells that "pornography is sort of seen as a good outlet for men, a sign of a healthy man, like drinking a lot of alcohol." His friend, Kazuyo, a woman in her mid-20s, concurs, adding that "women don't mind so much because it means the man is normal. He watches when he is alone."
Meanwhile, the US Supreme Court rejected on Tuesday a constitutional challenge to a law in Alabama that makes it a crime to sell sex toys. Texas and Georgia also have laws that restrict the distribution of sex toys.
It's a strange world folks.
Friday, June 01, 2007
Miss Cellania
"Yes, life is very confusing, we're just trying to get on with it."
For some reason most of my blogger friends are Damn Yankees!
But I love them all just the same. One exception is Miss Cellania, Who as I have said before, is a fellow Kentuckian! She has many very intertaining Blog Sites, that she is constantly updating. She is no silly hillbilly, but she will make you smile, I guarntee it.
I had these Crazy Cats on my bedspread when I was 16.
Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody.
For some reason most of my blogger friends are Damn Yankees!
But I love them all just the same. One exception is Miss Cellania, Who as I have said before, is a fellow Kentuckian! She has many very intertaining Blog Sites, that she is constantly updating. She is no silly hillbilly, but she will make you smile, I guarntee it.
I had these Crazy Cats on my bedspread when I was 16.
Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Do Virgins Taste Better?
THE BROBINGNAGIAN BARDS! Hope you enjoy and savor the taste of a little Celtic Music. No,that's not really me, just some unkown hillbilly ->>>
I once kissed a virgin, or so she said.
She was a buxom Irish beauty from philadelphia, a nursing student of about 20, and very much favoring our Valerie.
But the fact that she had six strapping big brothers, discouraged me from persuing the matter any further. However I still hope to find a tasty virgin someday.
Living together before marriage, might not be so smart! I've seen too many relationships fall apart this way. And I made the same mistake myself.
For me it was an emotional disaster, and for a woman it can be even more devastating! Why risk everything by trashing someone you love?
Here are a few things you might want to consider before you make the big move.
1. "Higher Divorce Rate
Perhaps the most compelling and widespread argument against living together before marriage is that several researchers say it increases the risk of breaking up. Virtually all studies of this topic have shown that the chance of divorce is significantly greater for married couples who lived together first. And in 1992, the National Survey of Families and Households found that, in 3,300 families, married couples who had lived together first were judged to be 46 percent more likely to get divorced."
2. "Lower Quality of Life
When it comes to living together, more research suggests that the quality of life for unmarried couples is far lower than for married couples. Researchers David Popenoe and Barbara Dafoe Whitehead say cohabiting couples report lower levels of happiness, lower levels of sexual exclusivity and sexual satisfaction, and poorer relationships with their parents. Annual rates of depression are more than three times higher. And, finally, cohabiting women are more likely than married women to suffer physical and sexual abuse."
3. "Living Together Doesn't Necessarily Lead to Marriage
After five to seven years, 21 percent of most cohabitating couples are still doing just that -- cohabitating, without getting married. In a new study by Popenoe and Whitehead, one of the top 10 reasons why men said that they are reluctant to get married at all is because they can simply live with a woman -- and enjoy the same benefits".
I once kissed a virgin, or so she said.
She was a buxom Irish beauty from philadelphia, a nursing student of about 20, and very much favoring our Valerie.
But the fact that she had six strapping big brothers, discouraged me from persuing the matter any further. However I still hope to find a tasty virgin someday.
Living together before marriage, might not be so smart! I've seen too many relationships fall apart this way. And I made the same mistake myself.
For me it was an emotional disaster, and for a woman it can be even more devastating! Why risk everything by trashing someone you love?
Here are a few things you might want to consider before you make the big move.
1. "Higher Divorce Rate
Perhaps the most compelling and widespread argument against living together before marriage is that several researchers say it increases the risk of breaking up. Virtually all studies of this topic have shown that the chance of divorce is significantly greater for married couples who lived together first. And in 1992, the National Survey of Families and Households found that, in 3,300 families, married couples who had lived together first were judged to be 46 percent more likely to get divorced."
2. "Lower Quality of Life
When it comes to living together, more research suggests that the quality of life for unmarried couples is far lower than for married couples. Researchers David Popenoe and Barbara Dafoe Whitehead say cohabiting couples report lower levels of happiness, lower levels of sexual exclusivity and sexual satisfaction, and poorer relationships with their parents. Annual rates of depression are more than three times higher. And, finally, cohabiting women are more likely than married women to suffer physical and sexual abuse."
3. "Living Together Doesn't Necessarily Lead to Marriage
After five to seven years, 21 percent of most cohabitating couples are still doing just that -- cohabitating, without getting married. In a new study by Popenoe and Whitehead, one of the top 10 reasons why men said that they are reluctant to get married at all is because they can simply live with a woman -- and enjoy the same benefits".
Sunday, March 04, 2007
TAKE 5!
Dave's choice, Hershey .
And the original, Take 5! By the Dave Brubeck Quartet, 1961. When I was 9 years old. Take 5 was just another tune you would hear in elevators, restaurants and lobbies. As a kid, it was one of those popular songs that was always playing during dull and boring situations, like a trip to the family doctor. It was just music to be endured while the adults did their thing, untill now. The inside story of Take 5.
And the original, Take 5! By the Dave Brubeck Quartet, 1961. When I was 9 years old. Take 5 was just another tune you would hear in elevators, restaurants and lobbies. As a kid, it was one of those popular songs that was always playing during dull and boring situations, like a trip to the family doctor. It was just music to be endured while the adults did their thing, untill now. The inside story of Take 5.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Seasons Greetings
Be it Yule, Hanukkah, Christmas or a thousand other special observances, I no longer have a religion to call my own. So I celebrate life and God's love, freely with everyone! I found something a bit unusual today, Work of the Chariot. Does anybody know anything about it?
It would appear from what I have read, that the Western World has it all wrong, there was not one Messiah, but many. "Messiahs come as World Teachers when righteousness fades, and the message of theabsolute unity of existence and the primacy of unconditional love, discrimination and renunciation as a means to intimately know God becomes obscurated by the conditioned impressions of conventional religions. Such extraordinary beings remind us in a lively way of our innate divinity and of the spiritual awakening that is our birthright."
It would appear from what I have read, that the Western World has it all wrong, there was not one Messiah, but many. "Messiahs come as World Teachers when righteousness fades, and the message of theabsolute unity of existence and the primacy of unconditional love, discrimination and renunciation as a means to intimately know God becomes obscurated by the conditioned impressions of conventional religions. Such extraordinary beings remind us in a lively way of our innate divinity and of the spiritual awakening that is our birthright."
Sunday, December 03, 2006
What The World Needs Now
Is less Hate, and more LOVE!! You've got to put a little love in your heart! Have you hugged someone today? Go on do it, don't be shy. It's a wonderful thing that seems to be happening all over the world! Even in the Emerald City. And it can be more than just hugs. Here is something that would drive fear into the heart of Al Bundy. But I'd just rather have a good hug. No one likes War; unfortunately, millions more will have to perish, before we will ever have true peace in this world. Ah, but I would not leve you without hope, so here is sweet Bunny Love, Butterflies and Pussy.
And who is this lost time traveler vintage 1966? We have a choice, we can pretend pagan Christmas does exist, and refuse to particpate. Or we can set an example, and show them what true kindness and brotherly love is all about. Although at times it may seem difficult; everyday we should celebrate God's holy presence, the joy of life and His precious gift of everlasting love.
And who is this lost time traveler vintage 1966? We have a choice, we can pretend pagan Christmas does exist, and refuse to particpate. Or we can set an example, and show them what true kindness and brotherly love is all about. Although at times it may seem difficult; everyday we should celebrate God's holy presence, the joy of life and His precious gift of everlasting love.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Happy Thanksgiving?
I am also a little disappointed that Mel Brooks never made
JEWS IN SPACE! Ahh, at last I found a Kentucky girl, and she is even more bananas than I am.
JEWS IN SPACE! Ahh, at last I found a Kentucky girl, and she is even more bananas than I am.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
A Song Just For You.
I know a big ass blog comes with it, but I think you will like this song, and the blog is kind of cool too. This is a nice story, it reminds me of my little brother.
Friday, October 13, 2006
Time for a change.
I am not sure of what it is; but then I am seldom satisfied with myself.
Even though I can make some people laugh, using the internet in this way still feels a bit alien to me. I only feel secure when I can fully employ all my physical talents and abilities, something that one can not do here. Though I may never see the day, I must continue to strive for perfection.
For only when I am able to blog with the best will I ever be content.
Ok, here is a site you may find almost scary, and more entertaining.
Even though I can make some people laugh, using the internet in this way still feels a bit alien to me. I only feel secure when I can fully employ all my physical talents and abilities, something that one can not do here. Though I may never see the day, I must continue to strive for perfection.
For only when I am able to blog with the best will I ever be content.
Ok, here is a site you may find almost scary, and more entertaining.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
I am a man of Constant sorrow.
I was looking forward to baptizing some New York city slickers, but now it is looking doubtful that I will get to make that special Moon run to my friends way up North. I really need this trip just to be free of my cumbersome duties and obligations for a little while. Time is getting short, and the uncertainy of my dilemma is killing me. Oh, no doubt it will be
more fun than I have had in years. I just may like the adventure so much that I may not want to come back, but I think I can handle it as long as I stay out of New Jersey. If only I could get my freedom, or is it only another pipe dream? UP DATE: Due to a health crises the great adventure has been canceled.
more fun than I have had in years. I just may like the adventure so much that I may not want to come back, but I think I can handle it as long as I stay out of New Jersey. If only I could get my freedom, or is it only another pipe dream? UP DATE: Due to a health crises the great adventure has been canceled.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
It's Party Time!
So many phone calls this morning, and little time for blogging, but we will have a good time anyway, and yes it is true; I am from Outer Space.
That's right, I must be one of those illegal aliens, but don't fear the spaceman. Well, I could be: I never did believe that story about finding me in a cabbage patch.
I have to run folks, hope your day is out of this world.
That's right, I must be one of those illegal aliens, but don't fear the spaceman. Well, I could be: I never did believe that story about finding me in a cabbage patch.
I have to run folks, hope your day is out of this world.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Some Good Eats on the Menu today.
Let's see, how about a nice big Cheeseburger, with some fresh Homegrown Tomatoes and don't forget the Green Onions!
Now if we only had a little Polk Salad on the side.
Why am I so strange? Maybe it is because of the queer things I listen to at night, when I turn out the lights.
The Big Lebowski Fest is coming!
Now if we only had a little Polk Salad on the side.
Why am I so strange? Maybe it is because of the queer things I listen to at night, when I turn out the lights.
The Big Lebowski Fest is coming!
Monday, July 17, 2006
For those who like Jazz
This is a really good program, the audio is excellent: My father's family were Jazz musicians and singers, they would have loved it.
I know it is not for everyone, But a little Jazz is good for the soul!
However there is something fishy here.
I know it is not for everyone, But a little Jazz is good for the soul!
However there is something fishy here.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
For those who like comics
Here is a little something. I've gots just one thing to say to you f*ckin hippies: What ever happened to Sha Na Na? When they were young guys playing old Rock music they were cool. Now they are old guys playing the same old music. Perhaps it was wise that some of them did jump ship and move on with their lives. What we need now is a little more Benny Hill Music!
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
The Gospel According to John.
Rev, 9: Shalom Aleichem!
Beothers and Sisters, All You Need is Love!
Love one another my friends, and we will all shine on!
We have the ability; but in the long journey ahead, we will need all the faith of the Ancients. If we are to overcome our debilitating doubts and deepest fears. And with G-d's Blessing, have the courage to Imagine. *
Beothers and Sisters, All You Need is Love!
Love one another my friends, and we will all shine on!
We have the ability; but in the long journey ahead, we will need all the faith of the Ancients. If we are to overcome our debilitating doubts and deepest fears. And with G-d's Blessing, have the courage to Imagine. *
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
The sum of all fears !!!! ? !!!! Woman's triumph over man.
Here is another bad video, but the song will always be a classic, and a scourge to all of us naughty boys, when it is time to hit the road!
One more to go, I beginning to think everyone has given me the boot, for wasting all their precious time on this trivial nonsense. Oh Well; "into every life a little rain must fall". That's why they invented shinging and dancing!
One more to go, I beginning to think everyone has given me the boot, for wasting all their precious time on this trivial nonsense. Oh Well; "into every life a little rain must fall". That's why they invented shinging and dancing!
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