My Afflation

New ladies' vodka gives doctors a headache | Oddly Enough | Reuters : "'Women need a drink of their own,' said Volodin, sitting next to an array of his 'Ladies' vodkas, which comes in lime, vanilla and almond flavors, or just straight for cocktails. 'In Moscow, there are pink taxis for ladies, there are light cigarettes,' he said. 'But there was no vodka, and we asked ourselves: 'Why?' ... More people suffer from diabetes in Russia than from alcoholism, but no one bans chocolate advertisements.'" I wouldn't mind trying some of these flavors. I LOVE the Absolut flavored vodkas. But I can see the concern about the marketing tactics. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I think I am going to finish my education at Stanford :) I wonder if this applies to non-traditional students. News Release February 20, 2008 Contact: Jonathan Rabinovitz, University Communications: (650) 723-2558, jrabin@stanford.edu Comment: Karen Cooper, Financial Aid Office: (650) 725-3770, Karen.Cooper@stanford.edu Stanford announces financial aid enhancements Stanford University today announced the largest increase in its history for its financial aid program for undergraduates. Under the new program, parents with incomes of less than $100,000 will no longer pay tuition. Parents with incomes of less than $60,000 will not be expected to pay tuition or contribute to the costs of room, board and other expenses. Students will still be expected to contribute their earnings from work during the summer and academic year. The program also eliminates the need for student loans. Other significant en...

So, I caught glimpse of this celestial event on the drive down the 605 and a friend got some good shots from my apartment. Those are at home waiting to be uploaded. In the meantime, if you missed the eclipse, you can see some good shots in the LA Times Photo Gallery from around the world. This one was taken in Huntington Beach , just a hop skip and a jump from where I live.

" Red Sumptuous and temperamental Phones: Samsung FlipShot [pictured], BlackBerry Curve 8310, BlackBerry Pearl 8130, LG Chocolate, LG Shine, LG Venus, LG VX-8350, Motorola MOTORAZR (RED) V3, Motorola RAZR V3xx, Motorola KRZR K1m, Nokia E65, Nokia N76, Nokia N95, Palm Centro, Palm Treo 680, Palm Treo 755p, Samsung B'Phone, Samsung BlackJack II, Samsung Juke, Samsung R500, Samsung SGH-A737, Samsung UpStage, Sony Ericsson W760 Red is the 'symbolic color of the heart, strong willed and expressing strong emotions,' says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, in her book Color: Messages and Meanings." Read the rest of the article to find your color. Personally, I'd go with red or purple , or a really bright, rich blue.

HUNTINGTON BEACH - Soccer Collies has grown by six. Border collie "Keeper" had six puppies Tuesday. Owner and coach, Mark Lukas, said he plans to train the puppies to play soccer and may sell them. The mother is the goalie of a four-dog team that can dribble the ball with their noses and paws, shoot with their shoulders, and catch the ball in the air with their teeth and paws. The Soccer Collies were featured at a Radio Disney convention in Florida and have become a favorite at birthday parties. The father, "Beck," is another member of the Soccer Collies and plays offense. I could totally teach Zoe how to do this. OK, maybe I couldn't teach her, but she could totally learn. You can read the whole article here

Waving at girls costs man his arm Body found with rake stuck in head Twins separated at birth met and married Man accidentally hangs self in amateur stunt

Their timing is off, but otherwise a very cool story (yeah, in my old age I am becoming a young earth proponent) BBC NEWS | UK | Wales | Fossilised trees mystery solved : "A Cardiff fossil expert has identified a pair of 385-million-year-old trees, thought to be among the world's oldest. American researchers found fossilised remains in New York state two years ago, but their identity was unknown. They called in Dr Christopher Berry from Cardiff University, who confirmed the remains are from the Genus Wattieza, a fern-like plant which formed earth's first known forests. Dr Berry described the discovery as a 'spectacular' find. The upright stumps of fossilised trees were first uncovered after a flash flood in Gilboa, New York, more than a century ago. But until two further fossils were found two years ago, which had fallen sideways with their trunk, branches, twigs and crown still intact, no-one knew what the entire trees looked like."

Care program shields kids, prevents court disruptions The Business Journal of Portland - March 24, 2006 by Lloyd Woods Business Journal Web Editor Cowering in the corner, the 4-year-old watches his mother once again being abused by his father. The youngster's trauma does not end there, as the next day he must accompany his mother to the Multnomah County Courthouse, where she will seek a restraining order against his father. If this had happened five years ago, the boy would have had to relive the experience as his mother described -- blow by blow -- why she needed a restraining order. Today, though, thanks primarily to the efforts of two women, the youngster can be spared an overwhelming courthouse experience. Instead, he can stay in a free child-care center established in the courthouse in 2001. Multnomah CourtCare was created through the work of Robin Selig, an attorney with the Oregon Law Center, and Mary Louise McClintock, an early-childhood specialist, fulfilling a longtime go...