Thursday, December 30, 2010

Ten Things I've Done That You Probably Haven't

Folks are posting their lists of ten unique things they've done. Mine has fewer famous people than John Scalzi's and not as many puppets as Mary Robinette Kowal's. She's met Muppets.
  1. Been bitten by a penguin (specifically, the penguin I'm staring at in my profile picture).
  2. Pet a wolf (who, unlike the penguin, did not bite me)
  3. Sprained my foot in a knitting accident (Note that says foot, not ankle)
  4. Shot a hole in someone's living room floor (With their permission) (Sort of)
  5. Bought a one-way airline ticket in cash and arrived at the airport without luggage.
  6. Surprised my family by showing up unexpectedly on Christmas morning. If you want adventure, I'd seriously recommend #5 before trying this.
  7. Almost got married without realizing it
  8. Hot wired a car
  9. Got TSA agents to hum the Indiana Jones theme
  10. Moved cross-country by mailing all of my worldly possessions parcel post (except for the file cabinet, which went by air cargo)

Thursday, December 16, 2010

I Love When New Misses the Obvious

From Seven Health Woes Brought On By Winter
High cholesterol

[Cholesterol] levels are highest in the winter and lowest in the summer, according to a 2004 study in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.

Out of 517 healthy people, 22 percent more people had high cholesterol (240 milligrams per deciliter of blood, or higher) in the winter months than in the summer months, according to the study.

The change in cholesterol levels could be attributed to people exercising less in the cold months, the study said, though more research is needed to find the exact reason why.

May I suggest starting that "more research" with an exploration into month-by-month eggnog consumption? Or the seasonally-adjusted frequency of parties with hot hors-d'oeuvres that can be described with the phrase "bacon-wrapped." I'd suggest a nutritional assay of fruitcake, but no one actually eats that.