The Lobby

So on Tuesday night, a new nightspot, The Lobby, held a reception for loyal customers of Sushi Neko to introduce their goods. I attended with Jason and enjoyed complimentary wine and samplings of their menu. Many, many samplings of their various smoked salmon with wasabi and ginger caviar, duck with homemade mustard sauce and various cheese and meat paninis. My glass was rarely empty as it was filled with Hayman and Hill Cabernet and Angeline Pinot Noir, both perfect pairings with the accompanying goodies. Also served were some of their white wines, but I never made it that far. Our glasses were constantly being refilled and our plates overcrowded with samples by a very helpful, smiling, and courteous staff. My friend Tyson, who manages at Musashi's and a waitress Lisa were very helpful in answering our questions about The Lobby and providing us with information about the items served.

The Lobby is a new addition to the Will Rogers Theater and is brought to you by those who own Sushi Neko and Musashi's. The lobby is located where Will's Coffee shop was located, but do not fear as they still serve all their coffee creations plus some new ones that include alcohol for bitterly cold Oklahoma days.
In addition, the menus selection has been expanded to include paninis, my favorite being the Shrimp and Manchego (6.95) along with various soups and salads. For the crowd who wants a little more, The Lobby has also expanded to serve liquor, beer and a nicely priced wine selection. To go along with your glass of wine The Lobby has also joined with Chef Kurt Fleischfresser of the Coach House to bring some fine delectables. An assortment of cheese can be had from their one, two or three cheese plates ( 3.50, 7.00, and 9.50) as well as an assortment of flavored caviars. My favorite being sampled was the Wasabi Whitefish caviar (2oz 22.00). Hhhhhhhmmm delicious! They also serve various pates such as the Duck Terrine (5.50) and seasonal salmon, the House Smoked (6.50) being my favorite. Don't worry red meat eaters, The Lobby also carries various smoked and cured meats platters served with their homemade mustard sauce.
If you are still craving more after all that The Lobby also serves various desserts from Apple Pie (3.50) to their Coconut Cream Pudding (3.95). Pair this along with an after dinner dessert wine or one of their special coffee liquor drinks and you should be good to go.
The Lobby should be open on February 4th to the public, but some said it might be open by this Friday, so you should check to make sure. During the week, hours will be from 8am until 11pm and 12am on Friday and Saturday nights, with Sundays being a day of rest. Formulations are still under way for an exact opening time for The Lobby versus the coffee shop, but lunch will be available. Definitely a place to visit again.

Pretty Awesome

I came across this article tonight and thought its subject matter pretty nifty. It would be nice if other cities would follow NYC's lead on their attack on Trans Fat. NYC recently passed a law that would require all fast food and chain restaurants to post calories and fat grams on their menus and billboards. I think this might help people make better decisions. Some would say with guilt, but that is usually how you stick to healthy eating. Others would say this is just another way the government is intruding into our personal lives. It is funny because most of these people do not actually take responsibility for their own lives. This issue also effects you even if you don't eat fast food or at chain restaurants. In a report released a couple weeks ago, the American government spends about $93 million dollars annually on health issues related to people being overweight and/or obese. Diabetes, heart disease, joint problems, sleep disorders, strokes, to name a few, are all related to the diets we eat. This fat epidemic has also been cited as one reason for soaring health care costs. When our tax dollars are being spent because others can't control what they eat, make healthy decisions, and/ or exercise, I believe the government has a right to intervene. Nuff said. Read the article.

Future chefs learn how to cut trans fat

By MICHELLE R. SMITH, Associated Press Writer Sat Jan 26, 4:47 PM ET

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The movement to ban artery-clogging trans fats from food has a new venue: cooking schools.


The places that train the people who will someday be feeding the rest of us are cutting back or eliminating artificial trans fats from their classrooms, saying they have a responsibility to teach students how to cook healthy foods.

"It's a very welcome change," said John O'Connell, 19, a sophomore culinary arts student at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, one of the nation's largest cooking schools.

The school has started phasing out trans fats in its restaurants, hotels and dining services on four campuses around the country, and plans to be trans fat-free by the fall semester.

"We have made sure that we do the right thing," said Karl J. Guggenmos, dean of culinary education.

Other cooking schools, such as Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America, with 13 locations, are looking at reducing or eliminating trans fats, said Kirk T. Bachmann of Le Cordon Bleu, which is based in Hoffman Estates, Ill. The prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., banned trans fats from nearly all its classes and restaurants in 2005.

Artificial trans fats are often found in oils used to deep-fry foods such as french fries and in baked goods. Bakers like to use shortenings with trans fats because cakes stay fresher longer, frosting is easier to use, and they cost less than butter.

Trans fats are created when hydrogen is added to liquid cooking oils to harden them. Along with saturated fats, they raise levels of so-called bad cholesterol, increasing the risk of heart disease.

New York City banned cooking oils with trans fat from all restaurants last year, and several states and cities have debated similar measures. A number of fast-food restaurants chains are making the switch to trans fat-free cooking oils.

At the Culinary Institute of America, trans fat is one of the "hot button" topics, said school spokesman Stephan Hengst.

"Once they get out in the industry, they've got to understand it," he said of students.

The school has about 3,000 students at its main campus and three branches, and boasts such famous alumni as restaurateur Charlie Palmer and best-selling author and chef Anthony Bourdain.

Trans fats are banned at the school, Hengst said, except in advanced cake decorating classes where students work with trans fat-based shortening. But no one eats the cakes once they're decorated; they're thrown away.

At Johnson & Wales, it took months of work to get trans fats out of the school's curriculum. Their textbook has hundreds of recipes and about 50 included trans fats, said Wanda Cropper, who oversees the school's baking and pastry institute.

Eliminating it from some recipes was relatively easy — butter and olive oil are often good substitutes. But baking was different. Getting the right texture, color, smell and taste was tricky, and took a lot of trial and error, Cropper said.

"Baking is a science. You can't just substitute," she said.

Until recently, there weren't many good options for trans fat-free baking products, Guggenmos said. The school worked closely with its supplier to find ingredients that worked and to reformulate its recipes as needed.

Guggenmos estimates it will cost about 5 percent more for the trans fat-free ingredients, although that could ease as the market grows for such products.

Robbi Mills, 21, a 2007 graduate of Johnson & Wales who's now a manager at the university-owned Johansson's Bakery in downtown Providence, said trans fats weren't an issue when she was in school. The bakery is switching non-trans fats in the coming months.

"I didn't really have any exposure to it when I was in the labs," she said. "I wish I had known more."

Mad World

I love this version of this song ever since I heard it on Donnie Darko. Just wanted to share the video with you kiddies.

Breathe Me

I just bought tickets for her Dallas show in March as part of a birthday present to myself. Can't freaking wait. Besides being a great song, a spiffy video as well.

Check out this video: Breathe Me



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To Those That Support Ron Paul...

So recently it has come out that Ron Paul had released newsletters with his name on the overhead supporting racist statements. While these newsletters may have come out years ago, they were still were published with the Ron Paul name. Ron Paul has tried to distance himself from these letters by saying he did not know that said articles in statement were published, nor was he aware who wrote them. He also goes further by saying that he has never "spoke" these sentiments aloud. Obviously I have a problem with this excuse. Ron Paul decides to never take responsibility for what was said in his name, nor does he say he never "thought" the thoughts written in the newsletters. In a way, it is a convenient way for one to say that one never had these thoughts that were published in one's name. Ron Paul falls into the "Libertarian" idea of thought.

Most libertarians would like the government to vanish from intruding in their lives and have people decide their own fate. Unluckily, most of the Libertarians I have met are more to the right side of politics and have the view that "those which are the fittest survive." It may also be no surprise that most of the Libertarians that I have met are White and well off.

While some of Ron Pauls's policies may seem promising and hopeful to a Nation in need of help, many of his ideas include that many people are actually left out of the picture. In a society that many Democrats want to create in which you would be covered by health insurance, many Libertarians believe that a community would support those that can't afford it. It you can't find a community to support your endeavor for full coverage then that is your fault, not the governments. With this thought, people will be left to their own devices.

Many Libertarians do not consider the ideas of race, religion, creed, sexual orientation, age nor sex in their ideas of politics, Yet, they still describe what would be best for this Nation. A Nation in which those that can afford help achieve it and those who can't rarely meet it.

While I agree that we need third party candidates, I also believe that we need candidates whom are fair and just. Believing that the government has too much control in your life has little standing when life is filled with racism, sexism, homophobia, ageism, and religious bigotry, When people are fully treated according to who they are rather than who they "could" be or "should" be, then the Libertarians can have their say.

For more on this subject visit this blog site.

Achtung!! The True Reason My Family Sucks At Driving

Since I am the only male with an all female immediate family, this is the true reason people are scared when we drive. Not because we are Asian, but because it's how are brains are wired. So don't blame us!

Study: Women, gay men share driving flaws

Fri Jan 4, 6:30 PM ET

SUMMARY: Women and gay men are slower to take in spatial information, suggesting it's tougher for them to drive in a strange environment, a UK study shows.


Both women and gay men tend to rely on local landmarks to navigate the road and are slower to take in spatial information, a new U.K. study has shown.

Psychologists at Queen Mary, University of London, say that the findings suggest that these drivers would have a more difficult experience than straight male motorists when driving in a strange environment, The Daily Telegraph of London reported Wednesday.

A group of 140 volunteers took computer-based tests, revealing that gay men, lesbians, and straight women share similar navigational skills. The test showed, however, that women are better able than men to remember the position of objects.

"Gay people appear to show a 'mosaic' of performance, parts of which are male-like and other parts of which are female-like," said Qazi Rahman, who led the research team, in the article. (The Advocate)
If you'd like to know more, you can find stories related to Study: Women, gay men share driving flaws .

Jib Jab Year In Review

Love these guys. Hours of entertainment and enlightenment.

In 2007 | Funny Jokes at JibJab

Some Political Thoughts You Might Have Missed

I thank Dan for bringing my attention to this greatly informative and moving short made by a concerned US citizen. While the fact that most Americans remain indifferent to the current situation here and abroad, it doesn't negate that enlightenment happens one person at a time. Unluckily, it just takes a long time.

Medical Myths

Hey kids, I know it's been a while, but I just now had my cable/ internet reconnected after two weeks. It's amazing the things you can do when you are not distracted with web surfing or t.v. watching. Just these past two weeks alone I've been to the gym more times than some of my friends go all year (sometimes twice a day when I was bored). Anyway, the mayhem of consumer holiday madness is upon us and thankfully I am done with family shopping. I figured this article would not only help get your mind away from holiday cheer and spending, but you can learn something as well. Talk to you soon kiddies.


7 Medical Myths Even Doctors Believe

By Robert Roy Britt, LiveScience Managing Editor
posted: 20 December 2007 07:00 pm ET

Popular culture is loaded with myths and half-truths. Most are harmless. But when doctors start believing medical myths, perhaps it's time to worry.

In the British Medical Journal this week, researchers looked into several common misconceptions, from the belief that a person should drink eight glasses of water per day to the notion that reading in low light ruins your eyesight.

"We got fired up about this because we knew that physicians accepted these beliefs and were passing this information along to their patients," said Dr. Aaron Carroll, assistant professor of pediatrics at the Indiana University School of Medicine. "And these beliefs are frequently cited in the popular media."

And so here they are, so that you can inform your doctor:

Myth: We use only 10 percent of our brains.

Fact: Physicians and comedians alike, including Jerry Seinfeld, love to cite this one. It's sometimes erroneously credited to Albert Einstein. But MRI scans, PET scans and other imaging studies show no dormant areas of the brain, and even viewing individual neurons or cells reveals no inactive areas, the new paper points out. Metabolic studies of how brain cells process chemicals show no nonfunctioning areas. The myth probably originated with self-improvement hucksters in the early 1900s who wanted to convince people that they had yet not reached their full potential, Carroll figures. It also doesn't jibe with the fact that our other organs run at full tilt.

Myth: You should drink at least eight glasses of water a day.

Fact: "There is no medical evidence to suggest that you need that much water," said Dr. Rachel Vreeman, a pediatrics research fellow at the university and co-author of the journal article. Vreeman thinks this myth can be traced back to a 1945 recommendation from the Nutrition Council that a person consume the equivalent of 8 glasses (64 ounces) of fluid a day. Over the years, "fluid" turned to water. But fruits and vegetables, plus coffee and other liquids, count.

Myth: Fingernails and hair grow after death.

Fact: Most physicians queried on this one initially thought it was true. Upon further reflection, they realized it's impossible. Here's what happens: "As the body’s skin is drying out, soft tissue, especially skin, is retracting," Vreeman said. "The nails appear much more prominent as the skin dries out. The same is true, but less obvious, with hair. As the skin is shrinking back, the hair looks more prominent or sticks up a bit."

Myth: Shaved hair grows back faster, coarser and darker.

Fact: A 1928 clinical trial compared hair growth in shaved patches to growth in non-shaved patches. The hair which replaced the shaved hair was no darker or thicker, and did not grow in faster. More recent studies have confirmed that one. Here's the deal: When hair first comes in after being shaved, it grows with a blunt edge on top, Carroll and Vreeman explain. Over time, the blunt edge gets worn so it may seem thicker than it actually is. Hair that's just emerging can be darker too, because it hasn't been bleached by the sun.

Myth: Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight.

Fact: The researchers found no evidence that reading in dim light causes permanent eye damage. It can cause eye strain and temporarily decreased acuity, which subsides after rest.

Myth: Eating turkey makes you drowsy.

Fact: Even Carroll and Vreeman believed this one until they researched it. The thing is, a chemical in turkey called tryptophan is known to cause drowsiness. But turkey doesn't contain any more of it than does chicken or beef. This myth is fueled by the fact that turkey is often eaten with a colossal holiday meal, often accompanied by alcohol — both things that will make you sleepy.

Myth: Mobile phones are dangerous in hospitals.

Fact: There are no known cases of death related to this one. Cases of less-serious interference with hospital devices seem to be largely anecdotal, the researchers found. In one real study, mobile phones were found to interfere with 4 percent of devices, but only when the phone was within 3 feet of the device. A more recent study, this year, found no interference in 300 tests in 75 treatment rooms. To the contrary, when doctors use mobile phones, the improved communication means they make fewer mistakes.

"Whenever we talk about this work, doctors at first express disbelief that these things are not true," said Vreeman said. "But after we carefully lay out medical evidence, they are very willing to accept that these beliefs are actually false."

Congratulations Little Sister

Oh my little sister has always been a handful and now she has even more reason to think she is the shit. Last weekend she won the local Miss Eastern Oklahoma Pageant and is now preparing for the Miss Oklahoma Teen Pageant in June of next year. I have my own beliefs about pageants and dressing up little girls and young women and hyper-sexualizing them, but she is happy. Hopefully she will not make a fool of herself as so many of these women do. When I made her watch Little Miss Sunshine, she kept telling herself she didn't look like one of those little girls. I told her she was right, instead she looked like one of those girls, but just older. My family is telling me that she is requiring that we call her "Queen" for the time being. Sorry, but I already have that title reserved. Cheers to you little one.


She is the one of the left. My left.

Wake Up Call For the Oklahoma GLBTF Community

You might have heard of the recent murder of a local gay man. Now charges are being filed, but not as a hate crime. Oklahoma is one of 17 states that does not include sexual orientation as a protected class. Our attorney general last year supported a national move to include sexual orientation as a federally protected class. Guess who vetoed it once it had bi-partisan support from the House and Senate? Now would be a good time for this issue to once again be addressed in Oklahoma. As long as people of the GLTB community are targeted because of who they are, need for legislation is needed. Look into what you can do to help support this issue and stay tuned for a planned vigil for Steven Domer. Here is an article that appeared on the NewsOK website today.

Man won't face hate-crime count

By Devona Walker
Staff Writer

The self-proclaimed general of a white supremacist gang has been charged with the murder of 62-year-old Steven Domer.


Authorities say Domer, who was apparently gay, was targeted because of his sexual orientation. In Oklahoma, however, this slaying does not constitute a hate crime.

Domer was last seen near NW 39 and Pennsylvania Avenue. Darrell Madden and Bradley Qualls reportedly went to the area on Oct. 26 to attack a gay person. Apparently, it was the only way Qualls could earn a "patch” in the gang, authorities allege.

That night they met and got into a car with Domer, authorities said. About 4:20 a.m. the following day, authorities found Domer's car in McClain County. It had been torched and was still burning when it was discovered. On Nov. 4, authorities found Domer's body in a ravine, within three miles of the car. Three days later, Madden was arrested in Ardmore, accused of shooting Qualls to death.

"The evidence we will present, and I think we will convict, will show that Mr. Domer was targeted because of his sexual orientation,” Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater said.

The crime, however, will not be designated a hate crime.

Is the law toothless?
Authorities say Oklahoma's hate crime law has no teeth, has led to the routine underreporting of violent crimes that target gay people and does not consider gay people as a protected class. The crime is classified as a misdemeanor and has no provision for sentence enhancement.

"Let's say a gay man is attacked because he is gay. He looks at the law, it only carries a sentence of 90 days. He thinks this is just going to make them even more angry. He decides, ‘Why bother?'” Prater said. "We know that happens.

"We know that people are targeted clearly due to their sexual preference, but in Oklahoma, sexual preference isn't even a protected class,” he added.

Unlike many states that provided protections for gay people in the aftermath of the beating death of Matthew Shepherd, Oklahoma does not include sexual orientation in its hate crime statute.

Shepherd was a college student in Laramie, Wyo., whose October 1998 murder became one of the most infamous examples of a hate crime in recent history.

Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson, later convicted of his death, met Shepherd at a gay bar in Laramie. They drove Shepherd to an open field, tied him to a fence, then beat him. Shepherd died days later in a Fort Collins, Colo., hospital.

Many laws not inclusive
Seventeen states do not provide hate crime protections for people targeted based on sexual orientation. Wyoming is among them.

Federal hate crime legislation also does not include sexual orientation as a protected class. Last spring, however, legislation addressing that omission and providing additional resources to local law enforcement to investigate such crimes passed the House and Senate with bipartisan support. That bill was endorsed by 30 attorneys general, including Drew Edmondson in Oklahoma, every major law enforcement union and the majority of the nation's district attorneys.

President Bush killed the legislation with a vow to veto it.

"Law enforcement knows they need it. They have said they need it,” said Brad Luna, spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign, a national gay civil rights organization. "Unfortunately, the religious right have taken this issue and politicized it in such a way. This is not a partisan issue. This is about the safety of our citizens and neighbors.”

Former state Rep. Don Ross tried unsuccessfully to have sexual orientation included in the state hate crime statute back in 1999. He was shut down by a 2-to-1 margin. At the time, legislators said it was unnecessary.

Does law deter reports?
According to law enforcement and gay advocates, the laws have led to underreporting of violence against gays.

"The reasons why gays and lesbians are targeted are very complex. What we do know is that these attacks tend to be much more brutal. And these are not just attacks against the individuals, but it's meant to send a signal to the entire community that you are not welcomed here, and that you are not safe in your own hometown,” Luna said. "When the government stands up and says, ‘We are not going to tolerate it,' that trickles down. When they don't stand up and say we are going to protect those individuals, that, too, certainly has an impact.”

Prater says the state's hate crime law is on "a fairly long list” of issues he wants to address with the state Legislature.

"I would love to see the hate crime statute in Oklahoma be an enhancement statute. And the Legislature has got to decide what classes of people they are going to protect,” he said.

The fact that murders and assaults targeting people based upon their sexual orientation still happen in Oklahoma indicates hate crime legislation is necessary, he said.

Rep. Al McAffrey is the first and only openly gay legislator in Oklahoma history.

"When you are talking about hate, hate is just hate. I don't care who it is. If you are assaulted because of your race, it's just the same as if you are assaulted because of your sexual orientation. You were assaulted because of hate,” McAffrey said. "I just don't understand how people can draw the line.”

Contributing: Staff Writer Jay Marks

Another Polyiscs Video

Polyiscs + Dallas = memories forever! Can't wait till they tour by themselves and play for more than 30 minutes! Myspace was crazy to put them as an opening act!

Catch On Everywhere

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Why the Right is Smarter than the Left (Or at Least Quicker at Realizing Things)

So it's political season and things are already getting stirred up. Today, two different conservatives have backed two different presidential candidates. Most notable is Pat Robertson's endorsement of Rudy Giuliani, who both differ on many social policies, especially on issues that are dear to many conservatives Christians, but like Giuliana, many middle road Republicans are more to the left, such as abortion and gay rights. Another Republican candidate, John McCain, received an endorsement from recently excited presidential runner Sam Brownback, who has a large conservative following. Realizing that the presedential seat could easily go to a woman or heaven forbid a man of color, the conservative lot has recognized that some disagreement is better than a lot of disagreement.

Unluckily the Democratic party is a little slower on this idea. Still feeling empowered by the country's dissatisfaction with the current administration and it's wars, the democratic party is content to still bicker among each other. Most notable was the latest round of Democratic debates in which Hillary Clinton was barraged by the other male candidates. I do not think they solely picked on her because she is a woman, but because she is a powerful woman with the best chance of winning the nomination, which they are all vying.

Well, I could write a lot more but work beckons. Don't forget to vote kiddies! You can read the endorsement stories here!

Chupacabra Sighting!!

'Goat sucker' actually a hairless coyote



SAN MARCOS, Texas (AP) -- The results are in: The ugly, big-eared animal found during the summer in southern Texas is not the mythical, bloodsucking chupacabra. It's just a plain old coyote.

Phylis Canion holds the head of what researchers determined to be a hairless coyote.

Biologists at Texas State University announced Thursday night they had identified the hairless doglike creature.

KENS-TV of San Antonio provided a tissue sample from the animal for testing.

"The DNA sequence is a virtually identical match to DNA from the coyote," biologist Mike Forstner said in a statement. "This is probably the answer a lot of folks thought might be the outcome. I, myself, really thought it was a domestic dog, but the Cuero Chupacabra is a Texas Coyote."

Phylis Canion and some of her neighbors discovered the 40-pound bodies of three of the animals over four days in July outside her ranch in Cuero, 90 miles southeast of San Antonio.

Canion said she saved the head of the one she found so she could get to the bottom of its ancestry through DNA testing and then mount it for posterity.

Chupacabra means "goat sucker" in Spanish, and it is said to have originated in Puerto Rico and Mexico.

Additional skin samples have been taken to try to determine the cause of the animal's hair loss, Forstner said.

Uuuummm, Yeah! Gonna Be Afraid of The Toilet For A While...

So when I saw this story on CNN, I nearly shit myself and then suddenly didn't have to. This is reminiscent of all those B-movie "creature/ nature attacks" films of the 60's and 70's! Yikes.


Terror: Python Found In Brooklyn Toilet
Woman Gets Scare Of Her Life; Snake Apprehended
By Scott Rapoport, CBS 2 News

BROOKLYN (CBS) ― As far as nightmares go, this one's got to be right up there.

It's late at night. You get up to use the bathroom and guess what's waiting for you in your toilet?

Terror in the form of a slithering 7-foot python.

"He was swimming here," Nadege Brunacci said. "A big snake in my toilet bowl."

Last week, Brunacci was minding her own business -- doing her business -- in her Brooklyn bathroom when she peeked in the pooper and saw the massive snake.

"I thought I was having a hallucination," Brunacci said.

The serpent's head was staring up at her.

When asked what it looked like, Brunacci wasted little time.

"It looked like a python swimming in my toilet sir," she said with a laugh.

Needless to say, Brunacci felt a little flushed.

She said she called for help but no one believed her. Imagine that ... no one believed there was a 7-foot python in her toilet. Go figure.

"We just closed it and we put the biggest thing we had on top of it," Brunacci said.

She said the FDNY and some plumbers came after she flushed it down the toilet.

Eventually they removed the thing from a section of pipe right in the apartment downstairs.

No one knows where the snake came from or how it got there, but Brunacci says she's just glad it's gone -- if not forgotten.

"I just hope he's no more," she said. "And I do wait a long time now."

The snake is now at a Brooklyn animal retreat, which promised to find it a proper home -- most likely with a reptile rescue organization upstate.

City Health Department regulations prohibit keeping a python as a pet.

Even Funnier!

OK! So I am a little bored. But you have to admit that it's cute and funny!

Funny, Funny, Funny!

Yikes! Maybe It Is Time For A New Profession

Report Ranks Jobs by Rates of Depression

Saturday October 13, 10:46 pm ET
By Kevin Freking, Associated Press Writer
Personal Care, Restaurant Industries, Diaper Changers Have Highest Rates of Depression

WASHINGTON (AP) -- People who tend to the elderly, change diapers and serve up food and drinks have the highest rates of depression among U.S. workers.

Overall, 7 percent of full-time workers battled depression in the past year, according to a government report available Saturday.

Women were more likely than men to have had a major bout of depression, and younger workers had higher rates of depression than their older colleagues.

Almost 11 percent of personal care workers -- which includes child care and helping the elderly and severely disabled with their daily needs -- reported depression lasting two weeks or longer.

During such episodes there is loss of interest and pleasure, and at least four other symptoms surface, including problems with sleep, eating, energy, concentration and self-image.

Workers who prepare and serve food -- cooks, bartenders, waiters and waitresses -- had the second highest rate of depression among full-time employees at 10.3 percent.

In a tie for third were health care workers and social workers at 9.6 percent.

The lowest rate of depression, 4.3 percent, occurred in the job category that covers engineers, architects and surveyors.

Government officials tracked depression within 21 major occupational categories. They combined data from 2004 through 2006 to estimate episodes of depression within the past year. That information came from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which registers lifetime and past-year depression bouts.

Depression leads to $30 billion to $44 billion in lost productivity annually, said the report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The report was available Saturday on the agency's Web site at http://oas.samhsa.gov

The various job categories tracked could be quite broad, with employees grouped in the same category seemingly having little in common.

For example, one category included workers in the arts, media, entertainment and sports. In the personal care category, a worker caring for toddlers at a daycare center would have quite a different job from a nursing aide who helps an older person live at home rather than in a nursing home.

Just working full-time would appear to be beneficial in preventing depression. The overall rate of depression for full-time workers, 7 percent, compares with the 12.7 percent rate registered by those who are unemployed.

Read the report at: http://tinyurl.com/2ft37p

Now If Only The Goverment Would Listen

Gore, U.N. climate panel win Nobel Peace Prize



By John Acher 33 minutes ago

OSLO (Reuters) - Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and the U.N. climate panel won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for their part in galvanizing international action against global warming before it "moves beyond man's control."

The award appeared to be a snub to President George W. Bush, who has doubted the science of global warming and rejected caps on emissions of gases believed to cause it, but the White House said it was happy for the winners and praised their work.

Gore, who lost narrowly to Bush in the 2000 presidential election, and the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change were chosen to share the $1.5 million prize from a near record field of 181 candidates.

The Nobel Committee said the award was made because of their efforts to draw attention to mankind's impact on the climate and measures needed to address it before rising temperatures bring droughts, floods and rising seas.

"Action is necessary now, before climate change moves beyond man's control," the committee said.

Gore has lectured extensively on the threat of global warming and last year starred in his own Oscar-winning documentary film "An Inconvenient Truth" to warn of the dangers and urge action against it.

"He is probably the single individual who has done most to create greater worldwide understanding of the measures that need to be adopted," the Nobel committee said. "The IPCC has created an ever-broader informed consensus about the connection between human activities and global warming."

INCREASED DANGER

The citation also warned of the increased danger of conflicts if not enough is done to address global warming, blamed by many scientists on emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

It was the second Nobel peace prize for a leading U.S. Democrat during the presidency of Republican Bush, who rejected the 1997 Kyoto Protocol setting limits on industrial nations' greenhouse gas emissions.

The 2002 prize went to former President Jimmy Carter, which the Nobel committee head at the time called a "kick in the legs" to the U.S. administration over preparations to invade Iraq.

But chairman Ole Danbolt Mjoes said the prize for Gore was not meant as criticism of Bush. "A peace prize is never criticism of anyone, a peace prize is a positive message and support to all fighting for peace in the world," he said.

You can read more about this story here.

Makes You Wanna Smile and Dance

Here's the new video from The Polysics (think The Buggles meets Hellogoodbye). Yes, they are from Japan. Yes, they are crazy fun, and they make some pretty good music. Catch them on tour with Hellogoodbye. Looks like I am making another trip down to Dallas.

Electric Surfin Go Go

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