but bear and/or beer lovers might enjoy this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqj5BjYhfyo

hey,

do any of y'all use gmail regularly, and, if so, have you been having horrible performance issues over the past couple weeks? (i mean the performance of gmail, not any other sort of performance you might be doing...)

i have a horrible time getting the page to load in full view, or plain HTML; as often as not i get "information is temporarily unavailable" when i try to load a page; and sent messages don't show up in the sent box or incorporated into the existing thread for 10 or 15 minutes after sending.

i've tried different computers (all macs, though), and different browsers, and it doesn't seem to make a difference.

right now, for example, (even after rebooting our dsl modem & router), i can't get to my mail. it's like it's being held hostage

:-(

Everyone who has even thought about exercising has heard the warnings about lactic acid. It builds up in your muscles. It is what makes your muscles burn. Its buildup is what makes your muscles tire and give out.

But that, it turns out, is all wrong. Lactic acid is actually a fuel, not a caustic waste product. Muscles make it deliberately, producing it from glucose, and they burn it to obtain energy.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/16/health/nutrition/16run.html?_r=1

i'd always heard the same negative things about lactic acid & muscles... interesting to read they're not true!

Ice Cream Chain Ben & Jerry's Celebrate Marriage Equality in Vermont:

http://queersunited.blogspot.com/2009/09/ben-jerrys-celebrate-marriage-equality.html

some of sarah palin's facebook friends reacting to ted kennedy's death:

"thank you for maintaining my belief in you as a real american, however this country is now much better off, one less socialist, anti freedom senator."

"Now if we could just talk God into taking Arlin Spector, Harry Reid,and Nancy Pelosi America would be Eutopia!"

"good riddens"

"If he makes it into Heaven (& I doubt he will with his stance on abortion) I hope that God makes him babysit all the aborted children for eternity. God have mercy on his soul."

"Ted Kennedy dying has made my day...."

"He cannot fillibuster God. Good ridencance to a sorry person."

"It's about time, we can only hope Pelosi and Ried will be joining him very soon. All 3 of them should be buried in Moscow for whom they work so tirelessly."

here's the cartoon:



and here's the link:

http://www.obamacaredeathpanels.com/

although it seems like the discussion may be moot at this point, given that the administration seems on the verge of abandoning the public option...

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE57D23Q20090816

yeah, let's abandon the public option in favor of "more competition", because history has certainly shown us that free-market competition is the best route to a robust, functional healthcare system that covers everyone...

or not.

"Gay Iraqi men are being murdered in what appears to be a co-ordinated campaign involving militia forces, the group Human Rights Watch says."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8204853.stm

...until the first season of thirtysomething is out on DVD.

it's taken a long time due to legal/licensing issues, but it looks like it's finally going to happen. i'm curious to see how well it holds up after all these years.

some preview clips are here:

http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/thirtysomething-Video-Clips/12481

seriously... i think this is the most rain i've seen in seattle in three months. and it's still not very much.

we had the snowiest winter in 20 years, the hottest summer ever... i'm a little worried about what fall might bring! record-setting floods? flurry of tornados? plague of locusts?

(from proudparenting.com)

Brad Pitt explores many topics in his new interview with Parade, but it's his stance on marriage equality that has our attention.

“I have love in my life, a soul mate–absolutely. When someone asked me why Angie and I don’t get married, I replied, ‘Maybe we’ll get married when it’s legal for everyone else.’ I stand by that, although I took a lot of flak for saying it–hate mail from religious groups. I believe everyone should have the same rights. They say gay marriage ruins families and hurts kids. Well, I’ve had the privilege of seeing my gay friends being parents and watching their kids grow up in a loving environment.”

On the right to love:
“It’s ridiculous that Prop 8 took away gay people’s right to marry! I have no understanding of that kind of hatred. Maybe it’s fear of difference or of the unknown. If you feel belittled, maybe you need someone else to belittle to feel powerful. It’s the only way I know how to explain it. You’ve got religion telling you what to think about homosexuality, about marriage. They say homosexuality is a choice, a lifestyle, something you can be cured of, and that isn’t true. But if you’re tucked away and have no friends who are gay, you’ll believe what the preachers say. Just think of it in terms of being in love–how would you feel if someone told you that you couldn’t be with the person you loved?”

On wanting the best for his children:
“Would it bother me if a child of mine turns out to be gay? No, not one bit. Listen, I want my kids to live the lives they want to live. I want them to be fulfilled. I hope I teach my kids to be who they really are.”