Did you know that there are between 1.3 and 3 million runaway and homeless kids in America? Everyday the National Runaway Switchboard reports that thirteen children die from assault, disease, and suicide. Every day!
Stand Up For Kids is an all-volunteer, national organization with chapters in 26 states (including Washington, DC). If you’re interested in learning more about what this group is doing in your area, click here.
Changing direction
It doesn’t feel like a Thursday – that spark of possibility knowing the weekend is right around the corner. It’s a gray, nothing sort of day. A day when the mind is allowed to wander to wherever. And right now, mine is in Lisbon (in the middle of their heatwave).
Do you ever wonder where you’d go or what you’d do if someone approached you with the opportunity to change your life? Are you perfectly happy where you’re at – or would you move? And where? Would you continue working at what you’re doing now? Or would you choose to pursue a different career? Like what?
let’s assume, if you’re married with or without children, that your loved ones would be thrilled with whatever you decide
I think I’d like to move to Lisbon and wait on tables. I’d eventually freelance and maybe learn how to sing fado.
A chapel in space
Cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko plans to marry his Texan bride, Ekaterina Dmitriev, while in orbit this weekend. His superiors on Earth are accusing him of “showboating and advised him to wait.”
Any thoughts?
Talking heads
Hello. My name is MALA and I’m a Sunday morning news show junkie. I’ll pour over my Sunday Post, letting my cafe latte grow cold as the pundits drone on and on picking apart one topic after another.
Sometimes they resort to name-calling and flinging accusations. I love that!
Now with the Presidential election soon approaching, other news shows are adopting a debate component into their program. Like the Clinton-Dole debates on 60 Minutes.
In truth, I have never watched their debates. Couldn’t tell you if they’re any good – but considering the ratings, I’m leaning towards NOT! – but you never know. I’ll make an effort to catch the next one and review it.
That said – the airwaves will soon be saturated with debates. Democratic candidates will debate one another leading up to the Primary elections. Followed by the 4 or 5 scheduled Presidential debates.
How many of you watch these? How relevant are these debates in helping you make a decision? What would make the debates better? And how many of you are news show junkies like me?
Attention all units
Police in northern England are scouring the 270-mile Pennine Way for a naked hiker.
Reuters reports:
“Imagine if your wife was stuck up on her own in the Dales, having her sandwiches and a bit of a nap when suddenly this man comes bumbling around the corner,” acting chief inspector Tadeusz Nowakowski, who is leading the hunt, said.The mystery rambler could face charges of outraging public decency.
TV and Violence
Another interesting aspect of Dr. Richard Restak’s lecture was the correlation between hours spent watching television and the propensity of aggressive (violent) behavior.
He spoke of a study that followed 777 families in upstate New York over a period of 25 years. Here’s the breakdown according to daily viewing patterns:
about 3 hours – 18% prone to violent behavior
5 or more hours – 25% prone to violent behavior
less than 1 hour- 5.7% prone to violent behavior
And although violence wasn’t necessarily being watched, well over half the programs on tv depict some kind of violence (often with graphic images).
And after the terrorist attacks on September 11th, another study was released focusing on the effects of the media coverage. There was a direct correlation in patients diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and the amount of time spent watching the coverage of the airplanes slamming into the World Trade Towers followed by their collapse.
Just something to think about.
How much time do you spend watching tv? And what do you watch?
An orange a day will keep the doctor away
Loading up on Vitamin C may prevent damage caused by second-hand smoke.
That’s good news for me… after last night’s smoky bars.
Which brings me to smoking. DC is a smoker’s mecca – considering smoking is banned in California and New York and Delaware andMassachusetts.
On my travels I’ve noticed fewer airports with smoking rooms (LAX still has one) and less people smoking period.
But you’d never know this nationwide trend by walking the streets of DC. Everyone smokes…. walking on sidewalks, in cabs, in restaurants, in front of monuments, in between softball innings. Most of the people I know are smokers, have recently quit, or are ex-smokers. I know one person who quit smoking for more than five years, moved to DC, and picked up the habit again.
Looks like I’ll be stocking up on that Vitamin C.
Starlight, star bright
Mars is getting ready for its close-up at 5:51 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, August 27th. Our red neighbor will be less than 34.65 million miles away or closer to Earth than in almost 60,000 years.
Mark your calendars – you won’t want to miss this!
malaland.net 
