| Yet after this story, news anchors had to tell us to keep praying anyway, so they keep their jobs... |
[Apr. 7th, 2006|08:37 am] |
(Notice that the groups didn't even do the same--the group that was prayed for actually did WORSE.)
From CNN.com (http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/03/30/prayer.study.ap/):
STUDY: PRAYER DOESN'T AFFECT HEART PATIENTS
Thursday, March 30, 2006; Posted: 2:26 p.m. EST (19:26 GMT)
NEW YORK (AP) -- In the largest study of its kind, researchers found that having people pray for heart bypass surgery patients had no effect on their recovery. In fact, patients who knew they were being prayed for had a slightly higher rate of complications.Researchers emphasized their work does not address whether God exists or answers prayers made on another's behalf. The study can only look for an effect from prayers offered as part of the research, they said.
They also said they had no explanation for the higher complication rate in patients who knew they were being prayed for, in comparison to patients who only knew it was possible prayers were being said for them.
The work, which followed about 1,800 patients at six medical centers, was financed by the Templeton Foundation, which supports research into science and religion. It will appear in the American Heart Journal.
Dr. Herbert Benson of Harvard Medical School and other scientists tested the effect of having three Christian groups pray for particular patients, starting the night before surgery and continuing for two weeks. The volunteers prayed for "a successful surgery with a quick, healthy recovery and no complications" for specific patients, for whom they were given the first name and first initial of the last name.
The patients, meanwhile, were split into three groups of about 600 apiece: those who knew they were being prayed for, those who were prayed for but only knew it was a possibility, and those who weren't prayed for but were told it was a possibility.
The researchers did not ask patients or their families and friends to alter any plans they had for prayer, saying such a step would have been unethical and impractical.
The study looked for any complications within 30 days of the surgery. Results showed no effect of prayer on complication-free recovery. But 59 percent of the patients who knew they were being prayed for developed a complication, versus 52 percent of those who were told it was just a possibility.
Dr. Harold G. Koenig, director of the Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health at the Duke University Medical Center, who did not take part in the study, said the results did not surprise him.
"There are no scientific grounds to expect a result and there are no real theological grounds to expect a result either," he said.
Science, he said, "is not designed to study the supernatural." |
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| (no subject) |
[Apr. 7th, 2006|08:10 am] |
Wow. After hearing "My Humps" by the Black-Eyed Peas, I didn't think it was possible for a stupider, crappier, or more superficial song to exist. I was wrong. If you have heard "Beep" by the Pussycat Dolls & Will I. Am., then you should know exactly what I'm talking about. It pains me how bad this song is.
Here are some of the lyrics, in case you've been lucky enough not to hear it (and if you haven't figured it out yet, the "beep" parts are intentional--hence the genius title):
[Will.I.Am]
It's funny how a man only thinks about the (beep)
You got a real big heart, but I'm looking at your (beep)
You got real big brains, but I'm looking at your (beep)
Girl, there ain't no pain in me looking at your (beep)
[Pussycat Dolls]
I don't give a (beep)
Keep looking at my (beep)
'Cause it don't mean a thang if you're looking at my (beep)
I'm a do my thing while you're playing with your (beep)
Ha, ha-ha, ha-ha, ha-ha |
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| (no subject) |
[Apr. 4th, 2006|01:45 pm] |
Spring break was nice and relaxing, though it would have been a million times better had I not had presentations to do, papers to write, and tests to study for.
Noah and I flew to Raleigh, North Carolina for a few days to visit his grandparents, aunt, and pseudo-uncle. They are the sweetest, most welcoming people. It's funny, because the way Noah talked about his grandparents, I was prepared for a couple of decrepit old people who I could barely talk to and who could hardly function. Nothing could have been further from the truth. Though they are both close to 90 years old, they are completely coherent, have a wonderful sense of humor, have great conversational skills, and are fully independent. They are easily capable of going out and doing things (though they don't drive), and demonstrated this by taking us out to dinner at an oyster bar, which was phenomenal (FYI: I think the rumor about eating oysters might really be true).
Noah said he was glad to have me there to point out to him how truly well they are doing, and how full of life these two individuals are. Noah is incredibly lucky to have them. (All of my grandparents have been deceased for quite some time now, and I am very jealous.)
Noah's aunt and her boyfriend are also wonderful. They have such personality, and are the kindest, most easy-going people. Noah's aunt took us out shopping and to an art gallery, and drove around showing us the town.
It was a really nice trip, and best of all--Noah's grandma taught me how to knit! I am getting really good at it, too! Knitting is awesome. (I just need to make sure to keep it out of reach of the dogs, who already destroyed some of my hard work.) I can't wait to make a really cool scarf or something. Eventually, when we one day get a sewing machine, I am going to start quilting like Noah's aunt, too. I am so inspired. |
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| (no subject) |
[Mar. 23rd, 2006|05:42 pm] |
Today my client said he thinks that everyone should go to therapy to have a revelation like what he's had. It's a wonderful feeling to see someone get so much out of talking to you, and really feel that it's benefitting them as a person.
The only thing is that actual counseling is a very minor part of a school counselor's job. From what I understand, the majority of what they do has to do with testing, schedules, and college choices. Yes, there is counseling involved, too, but not nearly to the extent of what they act like in my master's program.
I cannot wait for this semester to be over. I have the same professor for two of my classes, and he's a dipshit. The grading is almost entirely subjective, too, so I have to try to be pretty nice to him, even though he can be a big jerk himself. Sooo sick of school.... |
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| (no subject) |
[Mar. 22nd, 2006|06:48 pm] |
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Do most women actually take the placebo birth control pills (for the week when you get your period)? It just seems so silly and pointless. It's not all that hard for me to remember to start taking the real pills again the following week. It seems strange that some women take the sugar pills for 7 days that they know do absolutely nothing. |
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| I love you, Al. |
[Mar. 15th, 2006|11:23 am] |
Yay! We finally get the Al Franken radio show here! It's about time. For those of you in StL who are interested-- beginning today, it's on 1190 AM Mon-Fri at noon (until 2, maybe?). Rock on. Unfortunately, I'm usually subbing at that time, but it's still nice to know he's here.
To honor this exciting event, I've dug up this picture of me and my dad meeting him at Mizzou.
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| Fuck the z's, man. |
[Mar. 15th, 2006|01:25 am] |
I hate sleep!!!
Noah claims he loves it, but I don't understand how anyone can really love something that has to consume so much of their life. I mean, yes, I love to sleep so that I am not tired, and so that I have energy. And I don't like to continue to sleep when I wake up and am still quite tired.
Sleep forces us to give up so much of our time. We are slaves to it. I feel like there is so much we could get done if we didn't need so goddamn much of it.
It just stinks, I guess, because I am a night person. I always seem to get my projects started in the evening, and get really into them as my bedtime approaches. Lately I have not been getting nearly as much sleep as I should, and I know I really need to work on this. It is just so hard for me to get to bed early enough to get a good night's sleep, while still feeling like I'm able to accomplish the things I want to during the day (or evening).
I just want to live my life! Damn you, sleep! |
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| (no subject) |
[Mar. 13th, 2006|01:32 pm] |
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What is the big deal w/ this damn cheerleader in Carbondale who fell from the top of her stupid pyramid? "Ooh--She continued to cheer even after she hurt herself! It's amazing!!" Big deal! She's just some cheerleader--that's how they are; They never stop it w/ the perkiness and cheering! That's why they're annoying! And so they feel she deserves to be interviewed on the Today Show, CNN, and every other damn news channel. Sheesh. They even named her as having the "Best Week Ever" on VH1. That is ridiculous. |
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| (no subject) |
[Mar. 12th, 2006|12:16 am] |
So, for some reason, this dipshit man thinks he can contest his child support payments by saying that men should have the "right to choose" not to pay, just the same way as women have the right to choose, as stated in Roe v. Wade:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/03/08/fatherhood.suit.ap/index.html
This is fucking ridiculous. It seems like a joke to me that someone can even begin to compare the two. Men, I'm sorry. I guess it kinda sucks to be you in the way that you DON'T have any say in the matter of whether the woman you impregnated chooses to keep the kid or not. I'll give you that. That sucks. It's too bad, and I get that. HOWEVER, the woman is the one that carries the baby and gives birth to it, so it does make a bit of sense. You have absolutely NO SAY in the matter. That's the way it is. You can do your best to try to convince her, but ultimately it is HER CHOICE.
Now, if she decides she wants to have the baby, tough shit. That's the way it is. You're going to have a kid. And, yes, you will have to pay CHILD SUPPORT. Deal w/ it. If you don't want that to happen, either don't have sex, or use a freaking condom.
It seems so insane to me for a man to say that a woman can birth his child, but if he doesn't feel like contributing at all financially, that's his choice, which he should be entitled to. Yeah, right. And to make the comparison to Roe v. Wade just makes you look like a complete jackass. |
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| (no subject) |
[Mar. 10th, 2006|10:28 am] |
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You know what really sucks about teaching--it's like you're trapped, held captive in the classroom, unable to go to the bathroom if you need to, get a drink, or go ask another teacher something. Everyone gets at least one plan period, which helps, of course, but it can still be difficult (and real teachers often have kids talking to them on their plan periods or they have to grade papers or something). And lunch is just a half-hour, which really isn't all that much. You always have to bring your lunch b/c there's no way you'd have enough time to go all the way down to the cafeteria, wait in line, come back up to the teacher's lounge or your classroom, and eat your lunch in time. I never really thought about this when I was in school. People with office jobs are so much freer. |
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| Mas fotos |
[Mar. 5th, 2006|12:45 pm] |
Here are some pictures from New Year's Eve that I finally scanned--except for the first one, which is just there b/c I just found it and it's awesome.
Fake proposal
More fake proposal
Fake slap
The boyz
Haha, I actually got a picture of Keith smiling!
Han and Lauren
Me and Robbie
Han and Noah
Takin' shots in the kitchen
Hot tongue action |
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| Sorry this took so damn long to get to.... |
[Mar. 3rd, 2006|12:42 pm] |
Ok, I had forgotten about this thing for a while, but I've finally filled it out. It's kind of cheating, b/c I included our trip, even though it was technically in 2006. I didn't even realize it at first, and then after I did realize it, I just didn't care enough to go back and change my answers. Let's just say this is for 2005 plus January, 2006, ok?
1. WHAT DID YOU DO IN 2005 THAT YOU'D NEVER DONE BEFORE?
I went to Italy and Amsterdam, I got two dogs of my very own, and I signed a lease on an apartment w/ a BOY! (tee-hee)
2. DID YOU KEEP YOUR NEW YEARS' RESOLUTIONS, AND WILL YOU MAKE MORE FOR NEXT YEAR?
For 2005? I have no idea if I even had a New Year's Resolution. But for 2006 it's to keep in better contact with my friends and to strengthen my relationships with them. With some people this is easier than others, but so far I think I've been doing a pretty good job.
3. DID ANYONE CLOSE TO YOU GIVE BIRTH?
No. (But this question makes me want to. I want BABIES!!!)
4. DID ANYONE CLOSE TO YOU DIE?
We put Tillie to sleep, which was pretty sad, but it was definitely her time. She was not doing well.
5. WHAT COUNTRIES DID YOU VISIT?
Italy and the Netherlands! They both kicked ass.
6. WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE IN 2006 THAT YOU LACKED IN 2005?
Um...More money would be nice (but it ain't gonna happen due to my answer for the previous question).
7. WHAT DATES FROM 2005 (and January, 2006) WILL REMAIN ETCHED UPON YOUR MEMORY AND WHY?
Monday, June 20 was when Noah and I got Sega and Atari (and they were SOOOO cute!).
Sunday, May 29 was when Noah and I moved into our apartment in U. City.
Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2006 was when Noah and I left to go to Italy and Amsterdam (yay!).
8. WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT OF THE YEAR?
Continuing to get all A's in my master's program and maintaining my awesome relationship w/ Noah without being a dumbass and fucking it up again.
9. WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST FAILURE?
Well, I failed when I freaked out on Noah and wanted to break up on him, but I realized how ridiculous this was within a couple of days, and luckily he took me back. :)
10. DID YOU SUFFER ILLNESS OR INJURY?
I've had numerous head colds, and I had the flu in February, 2005, but other than that I've been ok.
11. WHAT WAS THE BEST THING YOU BOUGHT?
My plane ticket to Italy.
12. WHOSE BEHAVIOR MERITED CELEBRATION?
Noah's. Constantly. Especially for all those footrubs and neck massages. :)
13. WHOSE BEHAVIOR MADE YOU APPALLED AND DEPRESSED?
Lucy's. Sarah M.'s (not rehashing, just answering the question).
14. WHERE DID MOST OF YOUR MONEY GO?
Rent, bills, GAS (2005 was not a good year for gas money). Then food and then clothes and purses, though not nearly as much as in the past.
15. WHAT DID YOU GET REALLY, REALLY, REALLY EXCITED ABOUT?
When Noah and I got our puppies, Sega and Atari, definitely. Also when I bought my plane ticket to Italy and when the trip grew closer.
16. WHAT SONG WILL ALWAYS REMIND YOU OF 2005?
A lot of them, but the first that popped into my head was "Hollaback Girl," but man that song annoys me.
17. COMPARED TO THIS TIME LAST YEAR ARE YOU:
a) Happier or sadder? The same.
b) Thinner or fatter? Thinner, by about 7 pounds, I think. c) Richer or poorer? Poorer, definitely.
18. WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU'D DONE MORE OF?
Had sex--so I wouldn't have had to hear Noah complain about it so much! J/k. :) It definitely would've been nice, though, if we'd had more time together and had been able to more.
19. WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU'D DONE LESS OF?
Procrastinating.
20. HOW WILL YOU BE SPENDING CHRISTMAS?
Well, I did spend Christmas w/ Noah's family, which was very nice. We had Hannukah dinner w/ my family the following night.
21. DID YOU FALL IN LOVE IN 2005?
Yes, all the time.
22. HOW MANY ONE-NIGHT STANDS?
None. ...Wow, it's pretty weird to be able to answer like that! :) J/k.
23. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TV PROGRAM?
Daily Show (every night), Sex and the City, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Six Feet Under (which is OVER now! ::sob::), Lost.
24. DO YOU HATE ANYONE NOW THAT YOU DIDN'T HATE LAST YEAR?
I wouldn't say that I've ever really hated anyone. That's a pretty strong word.
25. WHAT WAS THE BEST BOOK YOU READ?
Um, my multicultural counseling textbook was pretty interesting.
26. WHAT WAS YOUR GREATEST MUSICAL DISCOVERY?
I'm not sure...
27. WHAT DID YOU WANT AND GET?
A boyfriend who loves me.
28. WHAT DID YOU WANT AND NOT GET?
Um..more money.
29. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE FILM OF THE YEAR?
Crash.
30. WHAT DID YOU DO ON YOUR BIRTHDAY, AND HOW OLD WERE YOU?
I went out for lunch with Noah and my entire family (including my mom and dad both), and then we all came back to our apartment, which many of them hadn't been in yet, since we'd recently moved there, and everyone played w/ our new PUPPIES, Sega and Atari. We had just gotten them a few days earlier. Later that evening, Noah and I went to the Melting Pot for dinner.
31. WHAT ONE THING WOULD HAVE MADE YOUR YEAR IMMEASURABLY MORE SATISFYING?
If I could have finished up school already and could have gotten a good job at a good school. Unfortunately, it's kind of a long program.
32. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONAL FASHION CONCEPT IN 2005?
Well put-together, classy, sophisticated, and stylish (not to toot my own horn). I wore a lot of teal and aqua colors.
33. WHAT KEPT YOU SANE?
Noah, my friends, Sega, and Atari.
34. WHICH CELEBRITY/PUBLIC FIGURE DID YOU FANCY THE MOST?
Eh, I'm not sure, but I'm gonna say Josh Holloway, who plays Sawyer on Lost. He is so fucking gorgeous. The man's never wearing a shirt on that show, and I couldn't be happier about it.
35. WHAT POLITICAL ISSUE STIRRED YOU THE MOST?
Hmm...Let's see here--there are about a MILLION to choose from--I'm gonna say the lack of response from the federal government to HURRICANE FUCKING KATRINA. God, that was horrible. (They're called the "Federal Emergency Management Agency" for a reason. Sheesh!)
36. WHO DID YOU MISS?
Lauralee, Christie, Jamie, and Eve. (Damn you, Columbia! Why must you take all of my friends from me?!)
37. WHO WAS THE BEST NEW PERSON YOU MET?
Well, there are several girls from my counseling program who I became very good friends with this year. If you're gonna get technical, I actually met them in 2004, but whatever...
38. TELL US A VALUABLE LIFE LESSON YOU LEARNED IN 2005:
Don't give up on something so easily. You may be surprised by how wonderful it can truly be.
39. QUOTE A SONG LYRIC THAT SUMS UP YOUR YEAR.
I can never do these. It's too hard to sum up my entire year. Sorry, I know you're pissed. |
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| I love to siiiiiiiiiing!!!! |
[Feb. 21st, 2006|08:35 pm] |
Noah and I played the most awesome game with my family the other night. I don't think it's sold anymore, but it was called "Encore." There are various words listed on cards, and the goal is to go back and forth between teams and think of as many songs whose lyrics contain the specific word that you've picked, AND you have to SING the part of the song with it. It was so much fun! I could've continued playing this game all night.
It was totally unfair though, b/c it was Noah, me, and Lana (my dad's girlfriend) on one team, and Emily, Jon, Lucy, and my dad on the other. So not only did they have one more person than us, but they also had MY DAD, who knows every goddamn song ever written. Luckily Lana is his age, so she could verify that the songs he sang were actually real and he wasn't just making them up.
The game is so much harder than you'd think. You get one song stuck in your head, and it prevents you from thinking of all the others that you know are out there. The problem, too, is that all night afterward, and even STILL today, it drives me crazy to hear or think of songs that I couldn't think of at the time, but would have worked for the game. For example, one time the word was "fire." We thought of several, but I could not think of Janet Jackson's "That's the Way Love Goes," in which she says "Like a moth to a flame, burn by the fire..." or John Mellencamp's "Paper and Fire" or that song that goes, "My grandma and your grandma sitting by the fire..." DAMN IT!!!! Why couldn't I think of these songs! hehe...It is SO much fun!
While we were playing this, we thought of all these songs and artists we hadn't thought of in years. It was great. ...Don't you miss BOYZ II MEN?!!!! I know I do! Noah said he did, too. And how about EN VOGUE!!!!!! I used to fucking love these groups. Man, they were seriously so talented and different. I wish there were more groups like that today. Jon mentioned "End of the Road" by Boyz II Men, and I was talking about how sad that video was, and how the song's about death and showed Jim Henson and Gilda Radner in the video, and he was like, "What the hell are you talking about? It was about the end of a relationship!" Anyway, he was right, but I found out the video I was referring to was actually "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday." So, CHECK THIS OUT! --
http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:zWbMXL1Dr7oJ:www.codesandlyrics.com/cal/boyziimen-itssohardtosaygoodbyetoyesterday.php+it%27s+so+hard+to+say+goodbye+to+yesterday,+video&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=10 |
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| (no subject) |
[Feb. 20th, 2006|08:50 pm] |
Well, for whatever reason, I haven't felt very compelled to write anything here in quite a while. There's a lot I could've talked about: Noah's and my fucking amazing trip to Italy and Amsterdam, my exciting semester in which I've now begun doing my counseling sessions with two individuals so far, my always interesting job as a substitute teacher, or there's always my adorable and sweet dogs...
I actually still don't feel like saying much right now, and I really need to get to bed. I'll just put up a few select pictures from our trip, since I haven't done so, and eventually I'll get back over here to say more about everything and nothing later.
At a cafe in Florence
On top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa
At the Colosseum in Rome
At Trevi Fountain in Rome
At the Vatican
In Amsterdam
Noah falling in love with the foreign liquors
Me on the train |
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| (no subject) |
[Dec. 26th, 2005|09:19 pm] |
Yay, Christmas is finally over and we can all move on with our lives (Hannukah will continue now for 6 more days, ha).
I wonder who won the "War on Christmas". I guess I'll have to watch Fox News to find out...
I had a good weekend w/ Noah's family, Lauralee's family, and my family. It was cool just chilling w/ people.
I found out my dad has rheumatoid arthritis, which really sucks. It made me pretty sad when he said he's been in a fair amount of pain from it lately.
I also watched an awesome spoof-porno video that my mom and dad made w/ a couple of friends in the '70s, when they were in their late 20s and newly married. It was so fucked up. My parents were using hot dogs as phalluses (or phalli?), and I see exactly where my goofiness/dorkiness and extreme immaturity about sex comes from. Man, they were weirdos. |
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| (no subject) |
[Nov. 30th, 2005|09:08 pm] |
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I love Madonna's new song, "Hung Up", and I've heard that the rest of the album is pretty freaking good, too. After seeing the video, I am awe of how hot she still is! Seriously, her ass is great, and her body looks awesome. You go, girl! |
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diwwy's journal
