SEX and 5th graders

Me: "Alright class, today we're going to read an article in your science magazine about BLOOOOOOD!"
Class: Blood??!! Cool.
Me: "Yeah, so before we begin, as I pass out the magazines, i need you to be scientific investigators and look over the article so we can read it together as a class."
Class reads quietly for about 30 seconds until...
Student: "Ms. Brown! The 'S-WORD'" is in here!!!!!!!
Me: What s-word? Samurai?
Class: Oh my gosh, the word SEX!!
Class breaks out in short pandemonium while my quick teacher brain switches into high gear.
Me: Students, have a seat, let's talk about this. I know that sex is an embarrassing, silly word, but we're scientists. So, any section of the article that has sex in it I will read so you don't have to be embarrassed, but I need you all to remember that we're scientists and scientists need to create a positive learning environment for discoveries. So, if you hear the word sex, in your head you can say, "eeeeeeew, groooss! Ms. Brown said SEX!!"
Class laughs.
But, you need to pay attention and not yell and scream because we have a lot of learning to do today.
After that, students took turns reading aloud, except of course when it was my turn to read sex. Thankfully, all my little scientists listened and did not freak out which allowed me to talk about AIDS and how sex is one of the only ways you can contract it. This of course developed into a lengthy conversation about HIV vs. AIDS and which one you give to a person in sex and which one a mom gives to a baby. However, I believe none of this would have happened if they'd been screaming about "the s-word" the entire time.
Thank goodness I am too cynical and I didn't say crap like, "You can't be grossed out by sex. Sex is beautiful." Puke.

Check. It. Out.

Indeed, Coldplay has a CD debuting this summer. Sweet.
What's sweeter? No, not the fact that all radio stations will overplay their new tunes and cause many to actually never fall in love with the music due to constant repetition of one song. Stupid radio.
What is muy sweet is that you can download their new single, "Violent Hill" off their website.
Just click here.
It's a fab song- true to Coldplay- slightly somber lyrics with a "how did they achieve that?" make you smile tune.
Enjoy it and turn off your radio so you don't get tired of it before the CD is even released.

Injecting Stupidity

A recent article in Newsweek confirmed that Botox may be bad for you- shock.
Besides making you look like Charro or the skanky girls from Rock of Love 2- they were way skankier than Rock of Love 1- Botox contains neurotoxins.
I'm sure based on the prefix you can deduce that neurotoxis are toxins that enter the brain. The study shows that injecting Botox can have lasting effects on the mind- including speech and memory.
Basically, every time you've wondered why it seems like airheads are the only ones getting Botox, you may have to realize that stupidy comes with the injection.

Things I hated as a kid

It amazes me that the older I get the younger my palette gets.
Don't get me wrong, I still crave things like baked brie, crepes, sushi and a number of other things most kids- and my sister- refuse to look at.
However, I was always the kid who hated snacks like goldfish, pretzels and "Ants on a Log" aka gross raisins and PB on celery.
Well, apparently I'm six years old because I seriously- as of the past few months- love so many things I didn't.
Here they are...

1. Graham Crackers- yum! Esp. the cinnamon variety and are you aware of how few calories are in them?
2. Popcorn- once I got braces, I was so over popcorn. Not anymore.
3. Animal Crackers- what was I thinking all these years?
4. Honey Nut Cherrios- my dad always loved them and now I do too.
5. Goldfish- I love fishes cuz they're so delicious.
6. Hot dogs- Ben's Chili Bowl and Grey's papaya changed me forever.
7. Plain Ole' Yella' Mustard- This does not mean I am as crazy about it as Cassie is.
8. French Toast- I still like waffles better, but breakfast is breakfast!
9. Milk- Does a body gooood.
10. Peanut Butter- Seriously, did anyone ever think i would like this?!

Things I STILL and probably will never like- bleh...

1. Pretzels- the hard gross kind.
2. Slurpees- too sweet.
3. Kraft Mac and Cheese- let's be real.
4. Shriveled Grapes- I only like raisins in salad.
5. Oreos- the cookie, the filling, it's all so wrong.
6. Cheez Its- way different than goldfish.
7. Oatmeal- the texture makes me want to die.
8. Apple Juice- a staple kid drink.
9. Thin Mints- always a Girl Scout, never will be my cookie.
10. Corn- The day I like this is the day I become a republican.

Thought for Food Vol. 3

"The cost of the war's present course far outweighs anything we can reasonably hope to gain by it, for ourselves or for the people of Vietnam. It must be ended, and it can be ended in a peace for brave men who have fought each other with a terrible fury, each believing that he alone was in the right. We have prayed to different gods, and the prayers of neither have been answered fully. Now, while there is still time for some of them to be partly answered, now is the time to stop."
Robert F. Kennedy

For Your Information

Over the past almsot 15 months, I've learned a lot about exercise, eating healthy and losing weight.
With only 35 lbs. left to lose- woo hoo!- I think I've become semi knowledgable in what works and what doesn't.
One thing I've always struggled with is accurate calculations for ideal weight for height, burning calories and needed caloric intake.
I would't say that I'm a math person, but I always have a desperate need for facts and accuracy for proof.
FINALLY I feel that I've received real research and calculations.
Scouring the internet for truth and usefulness can often be as fruitless as scouring the sea for mermaids. However, thanks to The Biggest Loser website, I think I have a wealth of helpful information. I thought I'd pass it onto you in case you wanted it and were always hitting the same cyberwalls that I was.
Enjoy the links and info that I translated from the website.

3,500 calories=loss of 1 fat lb.
The average person burns a total of 1,800 just by being a human and moving from day to day!
Combine that with your exercise and subtract it from your food intake to discover what you burn per day.
Example: Tookie Clothespin burns 1,800 c. a day by being a person (1,450) and working as a telephone operator (350). She also burns 300 c. by going to the gym. (2,100). She eats 1,600 c. a day, which means she's burning 500 c. Multiply that times 7 days a week and that's a total of 3.500 c., or 1 lb. Tookie loses 1 lb. a week- burn, baby, burn!

Check these links to calculate your BMI (level of weight) and your BMI: http://www.nbc.com/app/tbl/bmi/index.shtml and your BMR: http://www.nbc.com/app/tbl/bmr/index.shtml
(That's how many c.'s you burn just by being you. Like, Tookie's is 1,450 plus the 350 for her daily activity.)
This link is pretty much the info I gave you, but it's here for legitimacy and as an additonal resource: http://www.nbc.com/The_Biggest_Loser_5/the_club/articles/burning_calories.shtml

Anyway, just thought that if anyone is losing weight on their own- without the guidance of WW, a doctor, or an online program, this info might be helpful.

Happy Losing!

Do Your Thang

It's time for you to once again vote for your fav. photo in my mom's photo blog poll. There are only two pics this time, so that may make your decision easier.
Spread the word- we want as many votes as possible.
Think of it this way, it's good practice for all the voting you'll be doing in a few months. Except, probably easier and in this case you don't have to choose between a radical change for America or a really, really old guy who will probably need a walker or a cane in a year or so.
All you have to do is vote between two super sweet photos, so go- I know you're not doing anything- those reruns of ANTM can hold off for five minutes.

VOTE!