August 24, 2007

Really Random Friday

(Album cover photo: danacountryman.com)

Crabby isn't even going to try to tie this mess together with any sort of theme.

And for those of you not too distracted by the brunette's butt cleavage, here's some Dry Scientific Research. But have patience, later there will be Sex and Shopping!

Night shift workers do not, apparently, face higher cancer rates than day shift workers, or at least this study of Swedish workers failed to find any connection. Researchers analyzed nearly 20 years' worth of data. Earlier studies had suggested there might be a link. Crabby is glad because that just didn't seem fair!

And since we were very recently talking about Sunshine, Vitamin D, and breast cancer, there is another new study suggesting that increased intake of D-3 could prevent hundreds of thousands of cancer cases a year. The researchers recommended supplementation 2000 IU of D3 a day, plus moderate sun exposure (but not more than 15 minutes without the use of "clothing" and a hat). Damn, there go Crabby's Nude Sunbathing plans for the weekend! (Note: that was just Gratuitous Bold Text, something Crabby is having fun with today. There is No Actual Link to Pictures of Crabby Nude Sunbathing!) Anyway, from what Crabby has read previously, she suspects not all researchers would agree with these guy's recommendations, but she is too lazy to go find opposing points of view.

Despite all the controversy around Surgery to Reduce Stomach Size apparently bariatric surgery does save lives--at least among the severely obese. In one study, surgery to reduce stomach size cut the overall risk of death by 40%; in another, there was a reduction of 29%.

This was widely reported elsewhere, but it seems to be Big News that Many Seniors Are Still Having Sex. However, in this cheerful update on the sex lives of those in their 70's and 80's, "sexually active" was defined as having sex once a year. Crabby has decided to be contrarian about this whole thing, because, well, she's just that way.

In any event, despite the Horny Headlines, only 26% of men aged 75 to 85 were getting any, even once a year, and women were even less likely to be doing it. (And only 50% of men and 25% of women even indulged in admitted to masturbation!) Crabby has no agenda around Senior Sex--seems to her it fine to have Lots or None at All. Whatever! She just wonders why all the headlines seemed to go out of the way to make it sound like Old Folks are Doin' it like Bunny Rabbits, when that seems not actually to be the case. (And you may note that though the survey was of US seniors, the Yahoo people apparently had to go Spain to find a picture of two Elders smoochin').

Now, on to less scientific stuff!

So Crabby was not the only one who went clothes shopping recently. This post by the always amusing Vanilla at Half-Fast had Crabby laughing her brand new faux size 2's off.

Need to Nag Yourself About Something? This useful site, Hassle Me, allows you to harass yourself by email at various intervals--to bug yourself to go to the gym every few days, or call your mother, or whatever. It may have an Evil Application too: it looks like you can specify other people's email addresses and hassle them too!

And finally, here's a Really Random Observation:

So you know when you set up a Blogger profile you can specify an occupation? Crabby, when she started her blog, decided to call herself a "Professional Layabout." Well, recently the Blogger people did some updating and organized things, and suddenly Crabby's "occupation" was Highlighted in Blue--which means it was a link! Crabby excitedly clicked on the link and discovered there were 21 other Professional Layabouts! Crabby has no idea why she finds this amusing.

Update note: Crabby does not know why suddenly the line spacing has changed on her posts but she doesn't like it! It's too cramped. If any Bloggers have any ideas about how/where to fix this (she can't seem to find the right button) please advise!) Update to the update: If anyone else encounters this line-space problem after a picture or list, Med Journal Watch had a fix which hopefully won't mess anything else up. Coincidentally, it's a health site with a more careful and critical analysis of the bariatric surgery study Crabby just casually cited today. (Date stamp should be fixed too).


Oh hell, just say anything you want!

22 comments:

  1. 1. Butt cleavage is gross.
    2. Hassle Me sound really dumb. I guess it could work but honestly if I get any more email I can take out stock and become a millionaire. I most certainly won't send myself email.
    3. The "Professional Layabout" story rocks. What are the odds. I guess technically 21; but still how cool is that.
    4. I'm the first one here! When was the last time that happened? I hope it's a sign that it's gonna be a good weekend!

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  2. Why's this post dated September 23?

    Let's do the time warp tonight...

    (Although I wish it were September 23 already because my birthday would be in four days and I would be Nearly Free from my boring job!)

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  3. Jennifer
    1. Generally agree on the butt cleavage issue but for some reason I'm fond of hers;
    2. I wouldn't use it either but some people are way more masochistic;
    3. There were actually 23 others when I checked a day earlier; perhaps some of them got jobs?
    4. Hope you have a great weekend! (But it also may be a sign it's time to go to bed!)

    Chicken Girl,
    It's just a jump to the left... and a step to the riiiiiight... (Or do I have that backward?). Well crap. Rather than edit yet again, I'll wait until I figure out (or some helpful person tells me) how to fix the line spacing to change the date stamp too. Thanks for noticing that! Otherwise, the post will keep sitting at the top for another month, and I don't like the brunettes butt cleavage THAT much!

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  4. Oh great. Now I have to pull out my Rocky Horror sound track. I'm listening to Styx's Renegade and Rocky Horror is butting its way in.

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  5. Marijke, Perry Mason would file a rebuttal against puns like that.

    I once met a guy who had "existentialist" on his business card. (He worked for Netscape.)

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  6. I find it hilarious that your thought transition is from senior sex to Vanilla in a skirt. (I'm not altogether sure why.)

    Perhaps if he is lucky enough to get his two miles with Miss Colorado, someone should dare him to do it in a running skirt. Maybe I should suggest this.

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  7. Sorry still too distracted by the butt clevage to think of something witty to impart on this post...maybe the 80 yr old women should try outfits like that?

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  8. I'll have Tim Curry in drag in my mind all day. It'll be a good day.

    Glad seniors are having sex in whatever permutation they can find.

    I'm happy nightshift Swedes aren't getting cancer at higher rates than their dayshift counterparts.

    That was my very first picture of chick butt cleavage. I have nothing further to say on it.

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  9. I agree...the butt cleavage is oddly disturbing. But not as disturbing as the thought of my old age leading to me only having nookie once a year...eep. I'm glad they're still at it in some form or another, but I'm hoping I'll be a little more more swinging than that. :)
    As for the stomach surgery - did they take into account the number of people who may have died from the surgery into the total better off/health improved/dying of obesity study? I'm very curious. I've been wondering if the shock to the body of losing excessive weight/butritional defficiency balances out the whole being obese health problem in long term health and survival. Inquiring minds want to know :)

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  10. Hey, don't knock butt cleavage! It may not be all it's cracked up to be... butt... but it's the only cleavage I have!

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  11. Marijke, I wouldn't have taken you for a Rocky Horror fan--the shameless punning does not surprise me however!

    Mary--you're even more shameless than Marijke! And I like that business card.

    Norabarnacle--Excellent Suggestion. Provided there are photos posted!

    Amanda--like it or hate it, the butt cleavage does draw the mind away from more serious health matters, doesn't it! Hell, it's Friday.

    Leah, another Rocky Horror Fan! We have some good friends named Brad and Janet, a very sweet wholesome married couple of my parents' generation--and I still have to fight the impulse to giggle sometimes thinking of the two very different Brad and Janet's.

    Hi geosomin! I do think they figured the surgical death rate in--as well as an increased risk of suicide (!). However, you may want to check the link in the update above, as I didn't take a very close look at the studies, while this other blog did.

    Hi Hilary!
    Well if you ever plan a butt cleavage photo day over at your blog, please let me know! Your photos tend to make every subject look graceful so this will be a bit of a challenge.

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  12. Thanks for the shout out Crabby! Definitely not my finest moment.

    Nora, I don't think I'll EVER be seen out in public in a skirt, regardless of who I'm with.

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  13. My dad had gastric bypass surgery in 2003 at the age of 52 and a year later hardly resembled the man I grew up knowing as 'Dad'. As I was gone most of that time, it was a little freaky for me, hehe.

    He finally decided to get the surgery after over a decade of trying every diet and exercise plan in existence. Oh, he could lose the weight, he just couldn't seem to keep it off. The turning point came when his doctor told him he needed to lose the weight or he was going to die much earlier than he'd like.

    In his case, I believe the surgery saved his life and hopefully he will life to a more ripe old age. He would be the first to tell anyone about all the possible complications and not-so-pleasant things that can come from it (all the things you may have trouble eating like, for instance, bread). He would also say that it really is a last resort and isn't for people who haven't tried EVERYTHING else.

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  14. Funny, when I saw the 'hassle me' site, the first thought I had was to put YOUR email in there :-)

    Dr.J

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  15. I knew there was no way senior citizens were having the amount of sex the media was letting on. It just didn't feel right. Now I am off to start hassling some people who need to be hassled.

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  16. Crabby. Faux 2's??

    TWOOOO's????? Macy's here I come.

    oh, and vanilla, loved the post, maybe I should go over there and tell you.

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  17. Ha, I like Rocky Horror, too! :)

    And I dunno what's up with Blogger -- it's been acting really weird lately.

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  18. Hiya Vanilla--
    Aw c'mon with those runners' legs I bet you'd look really cute!

    Hi Lisa,
    Wow, that's great that the surgery helped your dad so much! And sounds like it helped him change his lifestyle too--I think some people looking for a quick fix don't take that seriously enough, but glad for both of you that he did.

    Gosh, Dr. J, thanks for thinking of me! I'll be sure to forward the link to Mrs. J too just so she can keep you in line.

    Hi goinggone,
    Way to tie two random unrelated themes together! Always a plus when commenting at Cranky Fitness. Now are you going to start hassling the headline writers, or or seniors to remind them to have more sex?

    Katieo,
    But be careful, because you're probably a Size 2 there too, and then your Blog Mission to start wearing a 6 would entail gaining some serious weight!

    Hi Thomma Lyn!
    Hooray, another Rocky Horror fan. And the stupid Blogger line height thing is apparently a known problem, yet the Help Forum wasn't helpful. Had to google around the blogosphere to get the answer!

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  19. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  20. Line spacing and blogger... for some reason when I compose an article using google docs. Then copy and paste the article to my blog, (do0rdiet.blogspot.com) & notice the zero, I get the same occurrence. Apparently there is hidden HTML in google docs which indicates where a paragraph ends with a sideways V followed by a p... I tried just typing it that way and blogger got confused and said "tag is not allowed" This annoying little guy will add blank lines where they really shouldn't be. You could try viewing your post with the Edit HTML feature and delete all of the sideways Vs followed by p before you publish, but that's annoying and time consuming.

    Senior Sex... is it just me or is there something fundamentally wrong with the fact that Medicaid/Medicare WILL cover prescriptions for VIAGRA and the like but will NOT cover any form of birth control without a virtual act of congress from a team of medical professionals who all have to sign papers and write reports stating that you have a life threatening illness that requires the specific use of birth control?

    Finally, he he he... I had too, you said, "like rabbits"...
    Why can't you hear rabbits mating?


    Because they have cotton balls!

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  21. Thanks Christina!
    Actually, I usually use the "edit html" mode when composing, simply because I accidentally started that way and didn't even see the "compose" tab! So it wasn't stray coding that was causing the problem. It's a known bug when including lists or quotes in certain Blogger templates, but it took while to get it sorted out! And I agree about the Viagra/birth control thing, it's outrageous.

    And Cotton balls--thank you for that bit of silliness!

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