Obsessive Fan of the Week (with a Recycling Plug)

Sure, you liked the Transformers movie released in 2007. Maybe you even loved it. Perhaps you purchased various fan-oriented items from the movie. But if you were a true fan, you would recycle your car into a 7-foot statue of Optimus Prime.

But, if you don't have the time, or the car parts, you could purchase this one for a mere $4,838.71 (hey, it's a steal!) from Robot-Models.com.

Conference on Spiritual Counseling

If you are close to NC, or can be in the area, you might be interested in this conference. I have tagged this as interfaith, but I do not yet have confirmation on that.

Conference on Spiritual Counseling

The ASERVIC Conference on Spirituality in Counseling: Illuminating the Path for Training and Practice is a experiential and participatory conference that focuses on the Spirituality Competencies. Particularly, this event is designed to help practioners and educators effectively integrate these competencies into the counseling process, regardless of their theoretical orientation, religious/spiritual background, or work setting. The Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling (ASERVIC) is a Division of the American Counseling Association

Event Info June 15 - 17, 2008 Lake Junaluska, NC (about 30 mins from Asheville, NC)

Register on-line: www.aservic.org CEU's available 10% reduction on registration only (hotel accommodations not included) if you mention this ad.

Run Awaaaaaaayyyyyy!!

see more crazy cat pics (Sorry, this was just too funny so I had to share).

VOTE!

For those of you in PA who are registered as either Republican or Democrat, be certain to go out and cast a vote in the Primary. I hit my local polling location around 7:30am. I was #12!

Think Again

I'm sure you think you made the decision to read this blog entry. But according to these neuroscientists, your brain knew you were going to read these words long before you even visited my blog. (But don't worry too much ... free will is still plausible, particularly for complicated decisions).

Fantasy Congress

Who hasn't dreamed of changing the world? Or, at the very least, reworking the government in your neck of the world? Well, if you're one of those people who dream of changing the U.S. government (legally, mind you), and the current election season just isn't enough for you, there is ...

It "works just like fantasy sports leagues except instead of sports players, you draft politicians who receive scores based on their legislation, votes, news*, election metrics* and other measures." C'mon! What could be more fun than that? For those of you with children, this looks to be a great way to educate them (and, maybe, yourself) about politics and legislation. And it's free! Sign-up to play now!

This Is Your Brain On ...

OK. First, we had performance enhancing drugs hit the world of professional athletes. And judging from all the hoopla and controversy (e.g., Roger Clemens, Floyd Landis, and Marion Jones, just to name a few), people seem to genuinely feel that it's no laughing matter. Then came the TV commercials for Southwest Airlines in which an office worker was accused of using "productivity enhancers." Ha ha. Funny, right? Now, here comes a slightly more serious story. According to an online poll, 20 Percent of Scientists Admit Using Brain-Enhancing Drugs (source Wired.com). And we're not talking about caffeine. A majority of the respondents are using Ritalin and Provigil to boost their brain performance. A smaller group has admitted that they take beta blockers like propranolol. What kind of sick society are we living in when people have gone beyond vitamins and minerals and good diet and have turned to pharmaceuticals to get an edge in their careers? Yes, I imbibe coffee once or twice a day. I also take vitamins because, frankly, I know this society's mega-manufactured food supply is lacking in many regards. But I cannot bring myself to see brain and blood doping as anything but tragic. It speaks to the serious disconnect our society has from natural cycles and our bodies. Comments? [Oh, and yes, this post's title is a blatant steal from the old "This is your brain on drugs" commercials.]

Norm Speaks for Me

I can certainly empathize with this feeling (click image for full comic strip).

"The Secret" in Less Than 5 Minutes

Scoped at Nemeton: Mmmmm...antique sausage grinder... (And watch out for that red sports car!)

Best ... Excuse ... Ever!

Via Silver Horse Journal: Next time you’re running late The next time you find yourself running behind, and you feel the need to excuse yourself, try this one posed by a customer at Little Mysteries Books:

"I'm running behind schedule because the aliens hadn’t set my watch correctly when they abducted me."

image credit: Wired

Good luck with that one!