Our Fair Leaders

Thank Your Mother

It is that time of year again and I think Mother's Day is one of the best times to show your appreciation to an important person in your life. Salary.com has put out what a stay at home mother's wages should be worth. Whether your mother works or stays at home her worth is often undervalued and more often overlooked. I do not believe a mother's (or a woman's for that matter) worth and contributions to your life should ever be overlooked. Cherish what you have while you have it. You are a fortunate one to have a mother that cares. We often forget how hard it is to raise a child or do tasks that require you to always be selfless. I think many gay men forget this aspect of life as they never see themselves having children and families themselves. While being a mother is not all about the financial gain, it would be nice for society to acknowledge one of the most important jobs in society.

My mother raised me as a single mother most of her life. Being an immigrant woman, she had a difficult time meshing her life with that of the world her children were growing. She made many sacrifices for my sisters' and I's sake and I will always be in her debt. Let your mother how much you appreciate her. Not just on mother's day, but as much as you can everyday. You only have one mother, make it count.

What is Your Mom Worth?
Families Can Customize Mom's Job Description and Create a "Mom Paycheck"

Are you wondering what mom should be paid for her work as mom? Salary.com has valuated the "mom job" of both the Working and Stay-at-Home Moms! Based on a survey of more than 40,000 mothers, Salary.com determined that the time mothers spend performing 10 typical job functions would equate to an annual salary of $138,095 for a stay-at-home mom. Working moms ‘at-home’ salary is $85,939 in 2007; this is in addition to the salary they earn in the workplace.

The job titles that best matched a mom's definition of her work are (in order of hours spent per week): housekeeper, day care center teacher, cook, computer operator, laundry machine operator, janitor, facilities manager, van driver, CEO and psychologist.

Now moms and their families can use the Mom Salary Wizard to create their own "mom paycheck". The tool allows moms and their families to price the "mom job", based on location and mom's personal hours worked in each of the 10 roles. Users can create a hypothetical mom paycheck and mom pay stub, which can be printed and emailed to family and friends for Mother's Day.

For the second consecutive year, Abbott's Similac® brand is sponsoring a nationwide contest to reward America's moms for their hard work and nurturing. The Similac Mom's $135K Payday contest will award one deserving mom a check for $135,000 – the annual "value" of a mom's parenting activities as measured by Salary.com.

In addition to the grand prize of $135,000, Abbott will award 10 first prize winners with a week's salary worth $3,000. All moms who enter the contest will receive downloadable "Chief Mom Officer" business cards and Similac coupons.

For complete contest information and rules, and to enter, please visit
www.SimilacMomsPayday.com.

Reflections of the Tragedy

This is Margaret Cho's reflections about part of the coverage concerning the tragedy at Virginia Tech.

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Our Humanity

Whenever anything really bad happens around Korean people, that is when I would like to hide, go to Hawaii and eat spam sushi until it blows over. I don't want to comment on it because I don't want to escalate the situation and I don't want to implicate myself in it. I don't want to 'come out' as Asian because therein lies a tremendous responsibility that I never volunteered for, that I don't have any real control over, and that is as mysterious to me as it is to someone who isn't Asian.

So here is the whole terrible mess of the shootings at Virginia Tech. I look at the shooter's expressionless face on the news and he looks so familiar, like he could be in my family. Just another one of us. But how can he be us when what he has done is so terrible? Here is where I can really envy white people because when white people do something that is inexplicably awful, so brutally and horribly wrong, nobody says – "do you think it is because he is white?" There are no headlines calling him the "White shooter." There is no mention of race because there is no thought in anyone's mind that his race had anything to do with his crime.

So much attention is focused on the Asian-ness of the shooter, how the Korean community is reacting to it, South Korea's careful condolences and cautiously expressed fear that it will somehow impact the South Korean population at large.

What is lost here is the grief. What is lost is the great, looming sadness that we should all feel over this. We lose our humanity to racism, time and time again.

I extend my deepest sympathies to all those who lost their loved ones, their children, their friends and family, in this unimaginable tragedy. I send them all the love I have in me, and I encourage everyone to do the same.

"I Don't Recall"

I love Jenny Moos' commentaries on CNN. This is no exception. Fire the guy already.

No Comment Necessary

Realy Good News For Fruity Loving Alcoholics

This might be a bad thing posting this since alcohol has more detrimental effects for a body than good in large doses. Especially since I very rarely see anyone just have one drink. Oh well, you all are responsible adults...hhhmmm yeah.

Fruity cocktails count as health food, study finds

Fri Apr 20, 8:49 AM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A fruity cocktail may not only be fun to drink but may count as health food, U.S. and Thai researchers said on Thursday.

Adding ethanol -- the type of alcohol found in rum, vodka, tequila and other spirits -- boosted the antioxidant nutrients in strawberries and blackberries, the researchers found.

Any colored fruit might be made even more healthful with the addition of a splash of alcohol, they report in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.

Dr. Korakot Chanjirakul and colleagues at Kasetsart University in Thailand and scientists at the U.S.
Department of Agriculture stumbled upon their finding unexpectedly.

They were exploring ways to help keep strawberries fresh during storage. Treating the berries with alcohol increased in antioxidant capacity and free radical scavenging activity, they found.

Any colored fruit or vegetable is rich in antioxidants, which are chemicals that can cancel out the cell-damaging effects of compounds called free radicals.

Berries, for instance, contain compounds known as polyphenols and anthocyanins. People who eat more of these fruits and vegetables have a documented lower risk of cancer, heart disease and some neurological diseases.

The study did not address whether adding a little cocktail umbrella enhanced the effects.

To the Pro - Choicers Who Don't Vote, Blame Yourself

Supreme Court OKs abortion procedure ban



By MARK SHERMAN, Associated Press Writer 5 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court's conservative majority handed anti-abortion forces a major victory Wednesday in a decision that bans a controversial abortion procedure and set the stage for further restrictions.
ADVERTISEMENT

For the first time since the court established a woman's right to an abortion in 1973, the justices upheld a nationwide ban on a specific abortion method, labeled partial-birth abortion by its opponents.

The 5-4 decision written by Justice
Anthony Kennedy said the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act that Congress passed and
President Bush signed into law in 2003 does not violate a woman's constitutional right to an abortion.

The law is constitutional despite not containing an exception that would allow the procedure if needed to preserve a woman's health, Kennedy said. "The law need not give abortion doctors unfettered choice in the course of their medical practice," he wrote in the majority opinion.

Doctors who violate the law face up to two years in federal prison.

Kennedy's opinion, joined by Bush's two appointees, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice
Samuel Alito, was a long-awaited resounding win that abortion opponents expected from the more conservative bench.

The administration defended the law as drawing a bright line between abortion and infanticide.

Reacting to the ruling, Bush said that it affirms the progress his administration has made to defend the "sanctity of life."

"I am pleased that the Supreme Court has upheld a law that prohibits the abhorrent procedure of partial birth abortion," he said. "Today's decision affirms that the Constitution does not stand in the way of the people's representatives enacting laws reflecting the compassion and humanity of America."

Justices
Clarence Thomas and
Antonin Scalia also were in the majority.

It was the first time the court banned a specific procedure in a case over how — not whether — to perform an abortion.

Read the rest of the article here.

Ohh Praise Jesus!!??!

So it is Good Friday for those of those of the religious type. Here is what some people like to do to confirm that they love Jesus.

Friday, 29 March, 2002, 15:48 GMT
In pictures: Philippines crucifixions
Millions of people in the mainly Roman Catholic country of the Philippines celebrate Easter every year, with some penitents following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ even up to the point of being nailed to a cross.



From left, Rolly Turla, Ruben Enaje and Emerito Baking re-enact the crucifixion of Jesus Christ by having themselves nailed on the cross
Thousands of locals as well as curious tourists turned out to see three men being crucified at Cutud, in Pampanga province


Cult leader Winnie de Vera (l) wants peace in Zamboanga while Amparo Santos (r) was the only woman taking part
Amparo Santos (r) was the only woman taking part - for her 15th crucifixion - while cult leader Winnie de Vera hoped for peace


An unidentified resident drives a nail on the palms of Apolito Manansala
Real nails are used for the crucifixions though the devotees generally stay on the cross for minutes, not days


Hooded flagellants kneel in front of a chapel at Mandaluyong, Philippines
Hooded flagellants mimic the crucifixion before whipping themselves with chains to absolve them of their sins


An old man hits the back of a flagellant in suburban Mandaluyong City
A flagellant aims to share the pain of Jesus as he is beaten by a man with glass fragments embedded in a piece of wood


A penitent, dressed as Jesus Christ, is hit by residents of Mandaluyong during a re-enactment of Christ's last days
Crucifixions are an annual event in the Philippines, despite opposition from Church leaders who want less violent ceremonies

Birthday Pics

So another birthday has come and passed. Whoopee! I would like to thank everyone who came to Sushi Neko for Taylor and I's celebration this year and my sister who took me out to dinner. Thank you all, you are all beautiful. Well, I am still the youngest (actually I think Taylor is younger) and most beautiful out of all of you, even though if you based it on maturity I'd probably be the oldest. If you don't believe, the proof of everyone's jealousy is in the pics. Why do you think you guys are around? Just kidding, jeez. Here are some pics. Oh yeah, just because it looks like my friends think I am an alcoholic doesn't mean I am. I have not cracked open a single one of those bottles yet. Drinking in public doesn't count, right?

Gore vs Capitol Hill

So anyone who has seen the latest news coverage of politician turned environmentalist Gore facing off with Congress saw the horrible light that OK was once again thrust. Our very own Jim Inofe has once again set the bar against environmentalists with his comments and attacks against Gore and like minded folk. Actually most news coverage made it seem like those were the only two at the table. Oh, I love OK.

New (GAY) Star Trek?!?

This should be interesting for you trekkie (David and Dann) fans.

(New York) When David Gerrold left Star Trek: The Next Generation back in 1988, it was with a bit of a broken heart. He had penned an episode called "Blood and Fire" which dealt with an epidemic caused by a blood-borne pathogen that was an allegory for AIDS. The episode was to have featured the first openly gay couple in Star Trek history, something that Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry was said to fully support.

Gerrold was with Roddenberry at a Star Trek convention when Roddenberry was asked whether there would be gay characters in Next Generation. Gerrold recalls him saying, "You're right, it's time we do that."

But Roddenberry was in fading health by that time, and he had less to do with the show's day-to-day operations than he had on the original Star Trek series that ran from 1966–69. So after reviewing Gerrold's completed script, the show's producers got cold feet.

"This script was written as a promise," says Gerrold, an associate producer on Next Generation who was largely credited with mapping out the new series. "There was a subtext that they were gay, but we treated them like they were really good friends. But someone does ask them: 'How long have you been together?' Well, a few people in the office went ballistic! A memo came down that said, 'We don't want to risk the franchise by having mommies calling the station because they saw gay people on Star Trek.'"

Frustrated by office politics and upset that the gay-themed episode had been shelved, Gerrold left the franchise that had meant to much to him. "I walked away disappointed at the stories that weren't going to be told," he says. "I wanted to recreate the spirit of the original series. The episode where you are up against some terrible threat [and] as long as you were fighting it and seeing [it] as an enemy, you were going the wrong way. The only way [to succeed] was to stop resisting and learn how to be friends."

Gerrold never forgot the episode that didn't get made, but he moved on to other things as the Star Trek franchise continued to thrive through the successful runs of Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager as well as feature films with the cast of the original series.

But with no Star Trek series on the air since the cancellation of Enterprise in 2005, several fan websites have helped to keep the Star Trek franchise alive by shooting their own episodes that are available for download. Among the most successful is Star Trek: New Voyages which has already shot three episodes; the most recent one features original cast member George Takei reprising his role of Capt. Sulu.

New Voyages is gearing up to begin filming its fourth episode in June, and it will be an updated version of Gerrold's "Blood and Fire." The gay characters in this version are Capt. Kirk's nephew, Peter Kirk, and his boyfriend, Lt. Alex Freeman.

"I knew about the script and the story, and I approached David [Gerrold] with an idea of using it in our series," says James Cawley, executive producer for New Voyages. "A few of the original elements were kept intact but changed to make it relevant to 2001 as opposed to 1987. I really feel this is something Gene Roddenberry wanted to do. He had promised there would be gay characters. That was the episode that was going to deliver. They never had the guts to tackle the issue, which is a shame. If we don't pick up his torch, it's never going to happen."

In addition to a revised script by Gerrold with Carlos Pedraza, also involved in the production will be D.C. Fontana, an associate producer from Next Generation, and Darren Dochterman, who was behind the visual special effects for Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

"Producers did not want to address homosexuality in Star Trek even though the original series talked about race and war and drugs and hippie culture; they addressed all that stuff," Cawley says. "All the subsequent shows have been adventures in space. We have dared to [do] something that the franchise holders would never do. We are including an openly gay couple in the Enterprise, showing the world that it is a totally acceptable thing … in the future. The prejudice and the bias will be gone."

Cawley describes New Voyages, which he and Jack Marshall created in 2003, as "this fan project that has grown to enormous proportions." The most recent episode has been downloaded more than 30 million times. It is designed as a continuation of the original series with Cawley stepping into William Shatner's shoes as Capt. Kirk and Jeff Quinn as Mr. Spock, the role originated by Leonard Nimoy.

"I grew up when the only Star Trek was Kirk, Spock and McCoy, and they were being neglected," Cawley says. "I thought the property was like James Bond or Batman and Superman. It's not so much the actors but the characters. I think Star Trek has that universal appeal to everybody. To me the hook was … that we have a future that is worth getting to."

Paramount Pictures owns the legal rights to the Star Trek franchise but has traditionally allowed the distribution of fan-created material as long as there is no attempt to profit from it. New Voyages, which recreated the show's original sets, falls under this area.

For the young actors portraying the gay couple, they have the advantage of not having to recreate an iconic role made famous by another actor. Bobby Rice, 23, was cast as Peter Kirk after Cawley saw his performance on another web-based Star Trek project: Star Trek: Hidden Frontier, which is set in The Next Generation era of Star Trek. (It should be noted that Hidden Frontier has also included gay characters and story lines.)

"How cool is that?" says Rice. "It's pretty wild. I never thought I'd be a Kirk. I feel like what we are doing is fantastic and groundbreaking. It takes place in the future, and homosexuality should be generally accepted in the future. Star Trek has always been about tackling these kinds of issues, so it's a great place to have this story. The gay fan base has had a really positive reaction."

Although the episode has yet to shoot, Rice has already met his on-screen love interest, Lt. Alex Freeman, who will be played by 22-year-old Evan Fowler, when the two got together for a photo shoot.

"When I first read about the audition, I didn't even notice it was a gay role; I just saw Star Trek and thought it sounded cool," says Fowler, who beat out hundreds of other actors for the role. "But it being a gay part made it more intriguing. As an actor, you are always looking for more complex characters and to do something groundbreaking."

Fowler admits that he was far from a Trekkie before landing the gig, but he is making up for that now. "The more I ask people about Star Trek, the more I hear about the social undertones regarding race and social issues," he says. "The original script was very realistic but a little docile. The new one is up a notch, and the issues it tackles are even more prevalent today than when we wrote the original."

Fowler, who graduated last year from Loyola Marymount University with a degree in history and European studies, says he is quickly learning just how powerful being involved in the Star Trek franchise can be for an actor.

"People are taking notice of it and for me — being so new and not having much experience — it's the best situation you can put yourself into," he says. "The fans are so loyal and so interested in what's happening. You don't get that much in Hollywood."

For Gerrold, New Voyages is providing him with an opportunity to give his original script more edge. "Can we go places we couldn't go in 1987?" he asks. "Yeah. At one point they are talking about getting married, and at one point they actually kiss on-screen. But we are not going any place that's thematically out of place in Star Trek. I'm enormously proud of how far we have come in such a short time and that I get to live long enough to see this episode be shot."

He adds: "New Voyages doesn't have time limits. If we were doing it for prime-time TV, we'd have to tell the story in 44 minutes. The script is probably twice as long as it should be so it's going to be a long episode, almost the equivalent of a short movie."...


©365Gay.com 2007

Toles! You So Funny!

The Sacred Cow, Or Is It?

Meat-loving calf eats chickens

KOLKATA, India (Reuters) - When dozens of chickens went missing from a remote West Bengal village, everyone blamed the neighborhood dogs.

But Ajit Ghosh, the owner of the missing chickens, eventually solved the puzzle when he caught his cow -- a sacred animal for the Hindu family -- gobbling up several of them at night.

"We were shocked to see our calf eating chickens alive," Ghosh told Reuters by phone from Chandpur village.

The family decided to stand guard at night on Monday at the cow shed which also served as a hen coop, after 48 chickens went missing in a month.

"Instead of the dogs, we watched in horror as the calf, whom we had fondly named Lal, sneak to the coop and grab the little ones with the precision of a jungle cat," Gour Ghosh, his brother, said.

Local television pictures showed the cow grabbing and eating a chicken in seconds and a vet confirmed the case.

"We think lack of vital minerals in the body is causing this behavior. We have taken a look and have asked doctors to look into the case immediately," Mihir Satpathy, a district veterinary officer, said by phone.

"This strange behavior is possible in some exceptional cases," Satpathy said.

Hundreds of villagers flocked to Chandpur on Wednesday to catch a glimpse of Lal, enjoying his bundle of green grass for a change.

"The local vets said the cow was probably suffering from a disease but others said Lal was a tiger in his previous birth," Ajit added.

Congrats To Lucas

So, a party was had to celebrate the fact that Lucas (the one with the Crazy hair) has taken the Bar exam. It was supposed to be a surprise, but he ruined that. We are sure he has passed cause he is smart like that. Dann hosted the party and it was a blast! Congrats Lucas and btw, we need to talk about your friends. ;)

Nasty! Brush Your Teeth Fools!

From the Men's Health blog!! Ahhh! Going to brush, floss and listerine!

There's Something Between Your Teeth...

... and it may be killing you.

If you wanted to study periodontal disease (bad gums) where would you go?

Bloody hell—England, of course! A new study out of London seems to have nailed down the long-known connection between gum health and heart health, something Men's Health has been writing about for ages.

What happens is the bacteria in gums causes inflammation, and this inflammation spreads through your blood vessels, to your coronary arteries, where it can do serious damage. How serious? Serious as a heart attack, that's how serious.

The good news from the bad-teeth Brits: This is reversible. The study showed that those who were treated for gum disease showed significant improvement in "endothelial function" (the wideness nad elasticity of arteries) after 6 months.

Your treatment: floss.

Friends, Family and The Dragon Dance

So Feb 18th was the Lunar New Year. My family, a bunch of friends (most my mom's) and the rest of the crowd at Grand House restaurant enjoyed the Dragon Dance to celebrate the New Year and wish everyone good luck. Good times and good food were had and hopefully some good luck moved my way. Anyway here is some pics from the event. Sorry Dann it took so long. Dann was saying we were the whitest table at the event. I think he might be right. Till next year! Have a good pig year.
If you have never been to Grand House for their Asian style brunch on Sat or Sun you should definitely check it out. This is probably the most authentic Chinese food I've ever had in Oklahoma short of my mother's cooking. The only drawback is going without someone who has ever been there for "dim-sum", but the staff is helpful and they will let you know what you are getting. Think of it the as the latest rage of Spanish "tapas" (small plates), but Asian style and done for thousands of years. Here is a explanation of "Dim-sum" from the Grand House site.



How and when “Dim-Sum” started in China is not known for sure, but it can be traced to a rustic beginning prior to the time of the Tang Dynasty (618 A.D. to 907 A.D.). Since then, this epicurean mode of eating by sampling has been improved and expanded, and in time has reached the degree of sophistication you experience at Grand House.

In Chinese culture, it is a way of life for family members and friends to gather in their favorite restaurant to partake of a great variety of foodstuffs from the parade of trolleys. The bond of family closeness is cemented with the fun and enjoyment that come from savoring the many tidbits.

It Might Be Time For A Wake Up Call

Here is part of an informative and interesting article concerning men and depression. The effects of depression can be devastating and I often see most people poking fun at commercials dealing with such issues, especially guys. In case you were wondering I am posting this cause I do think some you need to read this. The rest of the article can be found here.

I also think that this article makes it quite apparent how society's socialization of men and women not only limit our opportunities to be well rounded individuals, it also shows that by limiting ourselves with supposed traits of men and women we are in essence killing ourselves. Okay, read the damn thing.

Exercising Your Demons
Some people might call you highly competitive. Some might call you superfit. But a growing number of doctors would label you something else: Depressed
By: Laurence Gonzales

In 1994, at the age of 33, Raymond Britt took up running. It made him feel good. In fact, the more he pushed himself, the better he felt. So each time he went out, he pushed a little harder. It seemed to put him above the turmoil of the world and afford him some relief. Relief from what -- that wasn't so clear. His life was good. He was a successful executive. He'd married his high-school sweetheart. He had beautiful children.

But there was something odd about it all. For one thing, he had no background as a runner. He'd been a powerlifter in his 20s, benching 315. But in the summer of '94, amid a hectic schedule, he happened to see a flier for the Chicago Marathon and was seized by the impulse to run it. Never mind that there were only a few weeks left to train. Never mind that he had never run more than 3 miles at a time. He thought, I can do anything for 5 hours and 30 minutes, which was the qualifying time to receive a finisher's medal.

He became obsessed with his training.

"I was excited, I was nervous, I was alive," he says. "My mother and my wife thought I was crazy." As he reached the 18th mile of the marathon, his hopes for a life-changing experience were shattered. Beating himself up both mentally and physically, he managed to drag his body over the finish line in 4 hours and 41 minutes, as he puts it, "alone, hurt, angry, unhappy."

Rather than recover, he went out the next day to punish himself and prepare for the next marathon.


Sex Differences

The study of how mental illness affects men and women differently is new and fraught with controversy. The first comprehensive survey was conducted between 1990 and 1992. Its aim was to estimate the general prevalence of mental illness.

The research, known as the National Comorbidity Survey, was repeated, in more depth and on a larger scale, between 2001 and 2003, under the auspices of the World Health Organization and with funding from the National Institute of Mental Health. The principal investigator is Ronald C. Kessler, Ph.D., a jolly-looking, bearded professor in the department of health-care policy at Harvard University.

The numbers seem to show that men and women suffer from various mental illnesses at about the same rate, with some notable variations and exceptions. One of the differences, long accepted as gospel by the psychiatric professions, is that twice as many women as men suffer from depression. Kessler says his numbers show that a woman is twice as likely as a man to have a single episode of major clinical depression in her life. After the first episode, however, men and women don't differ in the number of episodes they'll have during a lifetime, or in whether they'll have another episode. Only the first step differs, he says. Then the statistics flatten out to equal.

But if repeat episodes of depression are equal for men and women, doesn't it stand to reason that they may be having first bouts at the same rate? Maybe the discrepancy lies not in the number of men and women who are depressed, but rather, in how depression is expressed.

According to an increasing number of experts, the diagnostic tallies don't take into account the real experience of a lot of men like Britt. They also ignore the fact that women are much more likely to report depression and seek help. Men are more likely to try to fight through their depression, using strategies ranging from hard work to extreme exercise to drinking to violence. Nearly four times more men than women kill themselves...

It's Time For the Pisces To Have Fun

Daily Extended Forecast for February 25, 2007

Romance is supposed to be fun, not a chore -- right? So if you're grimly working on getting closer to someone right now, stop what you're doing. The stress isn't good for you. Arguments, missed dates, conflict -- these aren't merely obstacles to moving your relationship forward. They may be signs that now is not the time for the two of you. Step back from the relationship and give the other person time to realize how much he or she misses you when you're not around.

or this one says..

Dear Pisces,

We know you're sensitive and blessed with mercurial emotions, so forgive us if our birthday greeting offends. We cherish our piscean friends and loved ones, even though you always seem a little depressed, a tiny bit paranoid, and can't make a decision to save your life. Really, we do.

We know you're big dreamers. You boast the likes of Albert Einstein, Dr. Seuss, and Elizabeth Barrett Browning among your brothers and sisters—clearly imagination is your forté. So we hope all your wishes come true this year. Our own humble gift to you is a list of the top 10 "pisces" searches...

and the yearly forecast states...

Pisces

Pisces is having a once in a lifetime opportunity for great changes this year. You will be having the time of your life, expressing your loving and compassion to the world and fulfilling your boldest dreams. There won't be a dull moment and you will intuitively know exactly what path to follow and what feels right in your heart.

You will feel compelled to grasp new opportunities that manifest self-transformation in your career. You're stepping into your power easily, especially around April when you are urged to express your visionary mentality. You might rediscover your musical abilities and express yourself in creative ways. You have the power and inspiration to bring mystical sensitivity to what's around you. It's time to bring out the dreamy, loving and compassionate side of yourself and let it shine.

You may want to get involved in writing, be it lyrics, poetry or just self reflection. Your idealistic nature is inspired from a strong connection to your surroundings, and you easily express yourself from a place of inner awareness. Your natural ability to communicate ideas to others is keenly perceptive now. Focus on trusting your intuition and you will get through nearly any circumstance. You need to lighten up about difficulties in life. Don't be so critical and overly concerned about details. Because you're so sensitive to others' moods, you may feel like you're not coming across in a very positive way. Take time out and have fun this year. Embrace that intimate love relationship you have!

Let the chaos begin!

Put Down The Tongs!!

Glazing over the Men's Health website I found some handy info when visiting the local salad bar. I choose these places because it if often easier to make healthy choices and I get all my veggie goodness, but alas bad decisions still lurk even with the best intentions. I was surprised by some of the info. Hopefully it helps you out as well.



Avoid the Iceberg
18 salad-bar survival tips
Photographs by: Mark Seelon, By: Jennifer Haigh

Mushrooms
Not poisonous, hallucinogenic, or nutritious.



Creamy salads
A.k.a. the white death. If you must have some slaw or, worse, macaroni salad (3/4 cup = 26 grams of fat!), at least place it over raw vegetables. The mayo will double as salad dressing.



Radishes
No matter how you slice 'em, these are roots. What's worse, they're roots without a nutritional leg to stand on. You'd need to eat half a cup to take in a gram (g) of fiber, which isn't enough to keep even a rabbit regular.



Alfalfa sprouts
Don't bother with these little health-food frauds. Half a cup provides only traces of nutrients. But they are virtually calorie-free, so if you actually like their dank flavor, knock yourself out.



Carrots
Shredding gives raw carrots a whole new quality: They become edible. Mix, don't top, your salad with a quarter cup of them, and you'll be eating nearly a whole day's worth of beta-carotene.



Cauliflower
Broccoli's bleached cousin has only a fraction of the vitamin C and beta-carotene. You're better off doubling up on broccoli and skipping this pale imitator.



Sunflower seeds
A few spoonfuls have potassium and magnesium to lower blood pressure, plus folate to help prevent heart disease.



Black olives
While these little fat bombs won't hurt your heart, they won't help it much either. You'd need to eat 10 to get just 3 g of cholesterol-lowering monounsaturated fat.



Chickpeas
Despite the name, this isn't something you'd find in Penthouse. Half a cup has 6 g of protein, 5 g of fiber, and some B vitamins.



Hard-boiled eggs
One has 6 g of protein and some lutein and zeaxanthin, phytochemicals that may cut your risk of age-related vision loss.



Cherry tomatoes
Ounce for ounce, these little suckers have as much prostate-protecting lycopene as their big brothers.



Cucumbers
Low in nutrients, fiber, and taste. Maybe that's why people drown 'em in vinegar and call them pickles.



Iceberg lettuce, mesclun salad greens
Nutrient-wise, iceberg lettuce helps your diet as much as real icebergs helped the Titanic. But mesclun greens contain folate, to fight heart disease, and fiber, to spit shine your colon walls.



Cottage cheese
The best cheese choice on the bar. Half a cup of the full-fat stuff has only 108 calories and 5 g of fat, and gives you 13 g of protein.



Broccoli
Six florets give you a day's worth of vitamin C and 20 percent of your beta-carotene. Bonus: Broccoli is rich in a number of polysyllabic compounds that seem to have anticancer properties. Eat all you can stand.



Shredded Cheddar cheese
One half cup of shredded Cheddar has 19 g of fat--about what you'd get in a fast-food taco. Try to limit yourself to a tablespoon.



Mysterious extras (bacon bits, croutons, Chinese noodles)
They're salty, they're crunchy, they're more like pretzels than vegetables. Of the three, the croutons are best. Ten croutons add up to about 50 calories and 2 g of fat. Chinese noodles tend to be greasier. And bacon bits? Well, they're bacon, and we all know how healthy that is.



Dressing
Low-fat dressing isn't low-cal, so go easy on it. A better bet? Canola oil and red wine vinegar. The oil contains omega-3 fatty acids to reduce your heart-disease risk. The vinegar adds flavonoids to keep your blood flowing smoothly.

Happy Chinese New Year!!

So today (the 18th) is the New Lunar New Year for the Chinese calender. Oh it should be fun. I will celebrate it with my family at the fabulous Grand House restaurant for some dim-sun. I am a monkey according to the Chinese Zodiac. Don't know what you are find out here. Anyway, it is the year of the pig, so if your a pig then good for you. Here is what the Chinese Zodiac says what kind of year it should be according to the website linked above. Oh yeah, by the way, it is also the one year anniversary since I started this blog. So happy birthday baby, and here is to another year.

Year of the Fire Pig

Forget everything you know about the easy going, laid-back, roll-in-the-mud Pig. This is the year of the Fire Pig, and there will be fireworks aplenty. It should be a feel-good year loaded with excitement.

Water is the Pig's fixed element. In Chinese astrology, Water plus Fire equals disaster. Also, the fifth month of the Chinese calendar is the month of the Fire Horse. This will be a time of daring accomplishments and serious calamities.

The Fire Pig is nevertheless a Pig, and we need to remember what that means for us. The Pig is the 12th and last sign of the Chinese zodiac. We have come to the end of the cycle, and it's time to celebrate our accomplishments. Yes, it's party time! Be good to yourself this year; you've earned it. Family reunions, extended vacations and a spa membership are in order.

Like last year's sign, the Dog, the Pig calls us to focus on family. Now we need to concentrate more on relationships. It's a Fire year, a year filled with passion. What a great time to begin a new romance or take an existing one to a new level -- a vacation in Paris or Bali might be just the thing. When is the last time you shared a hot tub with your sweetheart? Make it a priority this year.

The West has their fat cats and the Chinese, their fat pigs. We're talking money! Yes, this is a year to make more than a little, so be alert for opportunities.

It may seem incongruous to link the Pig with scholars, but the association is there; and it's a positive one, due in part to the fact that the Pig's fixed element is Water. This could thus be a very good year for those in academia.

Although Pig is the last year in the 12-year cycle, it is only the 24th in the larger, 60-year cycle. At this point it should be emphasized that 2007 is a Fire year. This is not a year for the faint of heart. On the positive side, Fire provides each of us the energy we need to initiate action, regardless of whether or not immediate attention is required. It is not a time to sit on the sidelines.

Fire and Pig together call us to work on vigorously attacking existing projects and completing them. It is not a particularly favorable time to conceive of and begin new ventures. With the clash of Fire and Water, now is not the time to take a lot of risk. Use the energy of positive Fire to raise your work level to a high intensity, but avoid the foolhardiness associated with negative Fire, and your business interests will prosper.

Since this is a Fire year, those people born in an Earth year will generally fare better than others of their animal sign, while those born in a Metal year are likely to do worse than those born in Wood, Fire, Earth and Water years.

Health issues vary not only by sign but by individual. Your best bet is to visit a Chinese doctor to have your balances checked and get some advice for the coming year. It is a Fire year, so one thing we can say in general is to be on the lookout for signs of stress and a tendency to overextend one's self.

2007 will be an exciting year. We will experience passion and crises on and off throughout the year. The Pig is a go-with-the-flow type. If you follow the Pig's example by enjoying life's pleasures and heating up your relationships, this will be a very memorable year indeed.

To see how your sign fares during the year of the Pig, select your sign below.