Clipmarks | CrazyRedHead's clips

Can a pet ease depression?

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:00:26 GMT

clipped by: CrazyRedHead
clipper's remarks: There is no evidence about which type of pet brings the most relief. It could be a fish, rat, cat, dog or bird; the important thing is that you become involved and engaged in its life.

Clip Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

I have a history of depression and have been advised to get a pet. Can you confirm that this would be beneficial?

Nurturing something else and considering its needs will help to shift your focus away from your illness.

Stroking animals is also therapeutic, so make sure you choose a tactile animal that likes human beings.

Pet shop owners say that rats are greatly underrated. They are very clean and can be trained; something that's fun and a focus for the time you spend together.

Another idea is to volunteer to work with animals. This would allow you to test the water first, and to meet people and gain the experience and skills you'll need to look after a pet.

Pets have been shown to have a marked effect on human psychology and wellbeing.

research at the University of Pennsylvania showed that stroke victims had a greater chance of survival if they owned a pet

Some mental health units also have on-site pets.

Tags: animals, health, depression, mental health

Optimism Grows in Iraq as Daily Life Improves

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 02:01:06 GMT

clipped by: CrazyRedHead
clipper's remarks: German media - Spiegel online

Clip Source: www.spiegel.de

There is an unexpected air of normalcy prevailing in Baghdad these days, with consumption flourishing and confidence in the government growing. The progress is astonishing, but can it last?

Is the situation truly improving in Iraq? Is it possible to rely on these changes in everyday life or are they merely an illusion? According to the quarterly report that the Pentagon issued in mid-June, the number of armed incidents has declined by 70 percent since last summer

King Abdullah II of Jordan, who was opposed to the US invasion and then voiced his fears of a "Shiite Crescent" developing in Iraq, recently said something astonishing in an interview with the US magazine Newsweek: "I am actually optimistic for the first time on Iraq. It's the first time that I have felt that Iraqis have, as much as they can, bound themselves together into a unity."

It is a deep irony that moderate Sunnis now refer to Maliki, a Shiite, as "batal" -- "a hero."

Tags: war, iraq, politics

An American in Albania

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:13:38 GMT

clipped by: CrazyRedHead
clipper's remarks: ...The Albanians of Montenegro were lucky, I thought as we approached the customs agents, to live under Josip Broz Tito's relatively lenient communist system in Yugoslavia instead of suffering Enver Hoxha's full-bore Stalinist regime just a few miles away in Albania proper. Hoxha, who ranks among the most thoroughly oppressive tyrants in history, made Tito's dictatorship look libertarian....

Clip Source: www.michaeltotten.com

“Mister, where are you from?” said a little girl.

“America,” I said.

“Yay!” The kids cheered.

Albania is fanatically pro-American, which is perhaps a bit counterintuitive to many Americans since it is at least nominally a Muslim-majority country. The conventional assumption that Muslims hate Americans everywhere isn't true.

“You should have seen President Bush’s face when he came to Albania,” an ethnic Albanian man later said to me in Kosovo. “All over Western Europe he was met by protests, but the entire country of Albania turned out to welcome him. He was so happy. You could see it on his face.”

Albanian pro-Americanism resembles that of both Poland and Iraqi Kurdistan. The unspeakably oppressive communist regime pushed Albanians strongly into the U.S.-led Western camp

More kids tugged at me and wanted their pictures taken. It was overwhelming, and more than a little bit startling.

Tags: europe, albania, politics, america, travel, photography

Obama's Hypocrisy

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:57:02 GMT

clipped by: CrazyRedHead

Clip Source: www.cnsnews.com

While Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has vowed to make pay equity for women a top priority if elected president, an analysis of his Senate staff shows that women are outnumbered and out-paid by men.

That is in contrast to Republican presidential candidate John McCain's Senate office, where women, for the most part, out-rank and are paid more than men.

On average, women working in Obama's Senate office were paid at least $6,000 below the average man working for the Illinois senator. That's according to data calculated from the Report of the Secretary of the Senate, which covered the six-month period ending Sept. 30, 2007.

The average pay for the 33 men

was $59,207.

The average pay for the 31 women on Obama's staff

was $48,729

the average pay for the 30 women on McCain's staff was $59,104

The 16 non-intern males in McCain's office, by comparison, were paid an average of $56,628

The Obama campaign did not respond to written questions submitted on the matter

Tags: obama, politics, election, idiots

K-I-S-S-I-N-G

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 05:20:00 GMT

clipped by: CrazyRedHead
clipper's remarks: ...kisskiss...

Clip Source: mfrost.typepad.com

Mmmmm, snoutlicioussss

Tags: animals, funny, humor, love, germs

A Man Who Loves Cats

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:14:33 GMT

clipped by: CrazyRedHead
clipper's remarks: Owning six cats is nothing for a fellow to be ashamed of.......

Clip Source: women.timesonline.co.uk

Everyone knows about Mad Cat Lady. She's a social cliché, a cautionary tale,

She's the childless woman who lets her cat obsession take over her life, to the detriment of domestic and, finally, personal hygiene.

The phenomenon of Mad Cat Man is even less widely reported. One of the reasons for this is that us males are still suspicious of cat ownership.

Over the years, cats have dictated the nature of my house moves, my holidays, my interior decor.

It would also be unrealistic to assume that

the male cat-lover is a real-life Dr Evil, or a transvestite secondhand bookshop owner or a metrosexual.

scrutinise the popular history of Mad Cat Men, and it arguably contains more extreme behaviour than its higher-profile female equivalent.

Edgar Allen Poe

Ernest Hemingway

Winston Churchill.

Bill Clinton

Ricky Gervais

Mad Cat Men have been getting away with murder for a long time, and enjoying themselves in the process.

It was I,

who inaugurated the household's Cat Of The Month award

Tags: cats, animals, mental health, insanity, obsessions

Scrabble Lore

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 00:25:33 GMT

clipped by: CrazyRedHead
clipper's remarks: When the Great Depression left architect Alfred Butts out of work, he scrabbled around for something to do - and came up with a game whose ingenious mix of anagrams, crosswords, chance and skill is still a winner, 60 years on. And yet it nearly didn't see the light of day...

Clip Source: lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk

The highest score that it is theoretically possible to achieve in a single turn in Scrabble is for the word "oxyphenbutazone".

it would span three triple-word scores

for a total of at least 1,778

there's a chance that higher-scoring words have been played in amateur games

we know what would happen:

you'd play the word, then someone would dispute it, then you'd realise you'd never agreed which dictionary you were going to use, then you'd be able to find only a children's dictionary with a couple of thousand words in it, then someone would knock over a glass of wine, and the cat would jump on the table

if the game continued at all it would be with an undertone of resentment and edginess

Scrabble involves a lot of luck. People who think of themselves as intelligent say they prefer games of skill to games of chance, but in fact too little chance can ruin a game.

Tags: games, fun, entertainment, words

Horse Fiesta !

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 04:24:13 GMT

clipped by: CrazyRedHead
clipper's remarks: Weird.

Clip Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

To the unsuspecting eye, these pictures may look as if crazed horses are running wild through a crowd, endangering the lives of the thousands around them.

In fact, these are the famous stallions of Menorca's traditional Fiesta of San Joan (Saint John).

The festival, which dates back to the 14th century, is celebrated every year at the start of the summer solstice and sees the trained horses walking through the streets of downtown Ciutadella on their hind legs to the delight of the gathered crowd.

The riders each represent the church, nobility, craftsmen and country people.

After the parade, the horses and their riders gallop through the streets and entertain the crowd with mounted games.

During the three-four day festival, people take to the streets and party non-stop.

As well as gathering to witness the horse parade, another usual tradition of the festival is for people to throw sackfuls of hazelnuts at one another.

Tags: animals, horse, religion, entertainment

complaints from famous people

Sun, 21 Jan 2007 00:13:09 GMT

clipped by: CrazyRedHead

Clip Source: www.corsinet.com

complaints from famous people

Half the lies they tell about me aren't true.
- - Yogi Berra

I am surprised at the way people seem to perceive me, and sometimes I read stories and hear things about me and I go "ugh." I wouldn't like her either. It's so unlike what I think I am or what my friends think I am.
- - Hillary Rodham Clinton

I'm not an Uncle Tom. . .. I'm going to be here for 40 years. For those who don't like it, get over it.
- - Clarence Thomas

If I walked on water people would say I couldn't swim.
- - John Turner

Just because you like my stuff doesn't mean I owe you anything.
- - Bob Dylan

People hate me because I am a multifaceted, talented, wealthy, internationally famous genius.
- - Jerry Lewis

If you never want to see a man again, say, "I love you. I want to marry you. I want to have children" -- they leave skid marks.
- - -Rita Rudner

On stage I make love to 25,000 people; then I go home alone.
- - Janis Joplin

People have this obsession. They want you to be like you were in 1969. They want you to, because otherwise their youth goes with you.
- - -Mick Jagger, 1993

There is not one female comic who was beautiful as a little girl.
- - Joan Rivers

Sometimes I feel like an old hooker.
- - Cher

If I could live my life over again, there is one thing I would change. I would want to be able to eat less.
- - Luciano Pavarotti

I'm very uncomfortable with the idea of vaginas. They bother me in the way that spiders bother some people.
- - Boy George

Tags: celebrities

Ghosts of Hollywood

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 03:46:16 GMT

clipped by: CrazyRedHead

Clip Source: www.haunteddoghouse.com

Falcon's Lair- Rudolph Valentino supposedly haunts
his former mansion. Many people have witnessed his
apparition in hallways, his bedroom, and the stables.
(Haunted Places pg. 33)

Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel- Marilyn Monroe was
seen here in a mirror, and Carol Lombard's apparition
has been seen near the suite she shared with Clark
Gable. (Haunted Places pg. 47)

Houdini Mansion- Harry Houdini died on Halloween,
1926, and his mansion burned down 50 years ago,
but people have seen his ghost wandering the ruins
of his house. (Haunted Places pg. 37, seeing-stars.com)

Reeves House- The original Superman, George
Reeves may haunt his former home where he
committed suicide.

Crawford House- Though exorcised many times,
Joan Crawford's old house seems to be haunted by
malevolent spirits. Joan was reportedly possessed by
them before she died. (Haunted Places pg. 37)

Garland House- Judy Garland's old home is haunted
by an unknown ghost. (Haunted Places pg. 37)

Tags: paranormal, ghost, entertainment

8 worst things to say in an interview

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 06:47:36 GMT

clipped by: CrazyRedHead

Clip Source: www.cnn.com

1. "I hated my last boss."

don't mistake honesty, which is admirable, for trash-talking, which is despicable.

2. "I don't know anything about the company."

interviewer will wonder why you're applying for the job

3. "No, I don't have any questions for you."

signals a lack of interest

4. "I'm going to need to take these days off."

don't bring it up prior to the salary negotiation/offer stage

5. "How long until I get a promotion?"

be certain you don't come off as entitled or ready to leave behind a job you don't even have yet.

6. "Are you an active member in your church?"

Avoid topics that are controversial

7. "As Lady Macbeth so eloquently put it..."

Scripted answers, although accurate, don't impress interviewers.

8. "And another thing I hate..."

Save your rants for your blog. When you're angry, you don't sway anybody's opinion about a topic, but you do make them like you less.

For one thing, they might disagree with you. They also won't take kindly to your bad attitude.

Tags: employment, career, work, idiots

Lovely Landscapes

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 04:22:00 GMT

clipped by: CrazyRedHead

Clip Source: www.linkinn.com

Tags: photography, photo, nature

Pictures of the Week

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 20:52:34 GMT

clipped by: CrazyRedHead

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Atlanta, US: A male weedy sea dragon carries eggs on his tail at the Georgia Aquarium

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Minnesota, US: Lightning strikes during a storm that rolled across north-western Minnesota

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Washington DC: A large bee hovers around the flowers in the grounds of the White House

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Hyderabad, India: A child plays among sarees left out to dry at a cotton saree factory

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Texas, US: A pair of young raccoons, one an albino, lounge on a chain-linked fence

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

New York, US: The Republican presidential nominee, John McCain, arrives for a town hall meeting at the Federal Hall

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Iowa, US: A man carries his two cats to dry land from their flooded and evacuated home in Cedar Rapids

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

London: Young girls with union jack umbrellas walk past the Houses of Parliament

Tags: photography, photos, nature, animals

Luvlee LOLcats

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 06:58:58 GMT

clipped by: CrazyRedHead

Clip Source: icanhascheezburger.com

Tags: cats, lolcats, humor, animals

Al-Qaeda: the cracks begin to show

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 06:32:45 GMT

clipped by: CrazyRedHead
clipper's remarks: "Speaking to an Egyptian newspaper, Fadl went further. “Zawahiri and his emir Bin Laden are extremely immoral,” he said.

His words sent tremors throughout the jihadist world. Al-Qaeda does not have a central organisation and has been a movement based more on ideas, rather than concrete plans for political change. Here was one of its former theorists attacking those very ideas. "

Clip Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

A succession of leading Muslim radicals has condemned the terror group’s tactics as its support in Islamic countries falls off dramatically.

LAST week saw a prime example of why some radicals are turning against Al-Qaeda and its tactics. On Monday a car drove up to the Danish embassy in a suburb of Islamabad, the Pakistani capital. Its driver detonated a bomb which killed himself and five others.

Al-Qaeda quickly claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that it was revenge for the publication of cartoons three years ago in a Danish newspaper that had caricatured the prophet Muhammad. Yet while the cartoons had inflamed the Islamic world, the reaction to the bombing was one of outrage. The reason: the victims had all been Muslims.

An Al-Qaeda attack on a wedding in the Jordanian capital of Amman in November 2005, which killed 60 people and injured more than 90, had provoked a similar reaction.

Tags: war, terrorism, terrorists, osama bin laden, al qaeda