Archive for July, 2009
“Pop” Quiz about Gender and Sense of Identity
File this one under “creepy…” There is a family in Sweden who is conducting a real-life experiment into gender and how one develops a sense of identity. Their child, who is now 2½, is named “Pop” and no one knows if Pop is a boy or a girl. How’s that, you ask? Well, of course [...]
Going GaGa Over “Let’s Dance”
If you have been anywhere near a radio in the past year, you have undoubtedly heard the songs “Let’s Dance” and “Poker Face”. They are performed by Lady GaGa and can be found on her one studio album titled The Fame. For those of you not between the ages of 9 and 19, here’s a [...]
Results of Mexican Elections
An update to the Mexican Elections post was promised, so here it is: Well, the PRI party crushed this time. Mexican voters, largely ticked about the recession and high crime, ushered the PRI into a majority of the Mexican Congress on Sunday’s July 5 vote. The PAN party – the party of President Felipe Calderon [...]
Read the Label, People!
Recent concerns about liver damage from excess use of acetaminophen have caused the FDA to reassess what is an acceptable daily limit. A federal advisory committee has even requested a ban on Vicodin and Percocet because they contain acetaminophen. Yep, that’s the government trying to protect us from ourselves again. Sigh. The reality is that [...]
Lady Liberty – Open For Business
People who haven’t lived or visited New York in the past decade probably weren’t even aware, but the interior of the Statue of Liberty has been closed to the public since September 11, 2001, due to safety concerns and violations of updated fire and building codes. The crown was finally reopened to visitors this past Saturday. [...]
Nothing Says Independence Like Competitive Eating
It’s the Fourth of July, and while many of us think of people like Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, the ubiquitous “Uncle Sam” and others, the new “stars” of this date have names like Joey Chestnut and Kobayashi. Thanks to national sponsors and live TV exposure on ESPN, the world of competitive eating has become a mainstream… [...]
Pro Sports – A Family Affair
With plenty of friends and family around this weekend, you’ll probably want to keep the conversation light. Sarah Palin’s sudden resignation should provide plenty of “fireworks” around the nacho platter, so let me set you up with a completely non-offensive topic – namely, the plethora of family connections in professional sports. With the Williams sisters [...]
Mess in Honduras
Political week continues at DinnerTopics.com: Honduras is basically, to put it plainly, a big, fat mess right now. What happened? There was a coup on Sunday and the military forced the president, Manuel Zelaya, out of the country. They dumped him into exile in Costa Rica. World leaders, including President Obama and Venezuelan President Hugo [...]
