Weird, Shocking, Inspiring: Odds & Ends from the News
AT THIS VERY MOMENT CRABBY CAN'T MUSTER THE ENERGY to scold Kevin Federline's lawyer for his role in Britney's downfall, but suffice it to say that he's no hero for his
about-face in allowing Spears' visitation with her two sons. Brit, when Fed-Ex signs for that reality TV show he's chasing, sue to stop him in court for exploiting your babies. By and by, I've got to say that house arrest is working nicely for you: Someone is taking charge of your life and that's a good thing.
A quick meandering through the news sites brings a few interesting tidbits to my atttention:
FOR INSTANCE, did you know that a ski-jump nose means you're a spender? That narrow-set eyes means you pay close attention to detail? That wide-set eyes mean you tend to run late? No, neither did I, but it's all true according to the
study of personology, basically a modern twist on physiognomy. Today's leading proponent of personology is Naomi Tickle, who calls herself the
"the face reader." (An even more amusing site on the subject is of Tickle's competition, where you can find the personology profiles of
several high-profile celebrities.) The practice even has its own
Wikipedia entry, which states the pseudo science (my word, not theirs) was developed in the 1930s by Edward Vincent Jones, a Los Angeles Circuit Court judge who noted behavioral patterns of those who appeared in his courtroom. Crabby has a ski-jump nose; no wonder I'm in debt! And the next time I'm late for an appointment, I'm going to blame it on the distance between my eyes.
FROM ACROSS THE POND, there's the shocking suggestion that teenage girls be sterilized temporarily. The original idea was voiced by Government Minister for Public Health
Dawn Primarolo, then seconded by the novelist
Fay Weldon in a column for the
Daily Mail. "We are moving into a science fiction age in which life itself can be created in a test tube, and it seems that, before long, perfect babies could be bred at will, largely free of hereditary disease and illness. So, in my view, there is little point any more in feeling shock-horror at the idea of mass sterilisation." The suggestion
provoked outrage among numerous
women's advocates. Here's hoping Ann Coulter doesn't hear of the idea.
AND, FINALLY, a heartwarming reminder that if you want a true friend,
get a dog, even if it means flying one home from Iraq.
That's exactly what Marine Maj. Brian Dennis did with the German Shepherd mix he's named Nubs. Seems Dennis' acts of kindness toward a stray who subsisted off scraps near the Syria-Iraq border, earned him the undying loyalty of the dog, which had had its ears cut off, been stabbed by a screwdriver and had nearly frozen to death. Dennis helped the dog mend, but had to leave it when his squad headed back to its post 65 miles away. But two days later, Dennis turned to find the dog staring back at him. “Somehow that crazy damned dog tracked us,” he wrote home. The marine then jumped through bureaucratic hoops to have the dog sent to his San Diego home. What a guy; what a dog!