Double Random Friday

[Written by Crabby and Mary]

(Image courtesy of Flikr)

So this week, we have Crabby Randomness and Mary Randomness combined into what might be called one big ol' Random Mess! And as usual, don't worry about accidentally learning anything tremendously important--we try to avoid that sort of thing here.

First Up: Crabby Decides to Report Only Good Health News:

(Leaving Mary to deliver all the bad news this week--whoops, sorry Mary!)

So you already know that they're good for you, but according to this study avocados may help prevent oral cancer. (And does anyone else think it's weird that they're actually a really good source of fiber? There are 5 grams in half a medium avocado! How can that be when they're all soft and creamy? It's sort of like if chocolate milkshakes turned out to have lots fiber. Um, they don't, do they?)

No more excuses: forward this article to your couch-potato relatives, especially the middle-aged overweight ones. It turns out that even moderate exercise (brisk walking for 30 minutes 6 days a week) can result in weight loss and a greatly reduced risk of metabolic syndrome. And that's even without dietary changes. Is more exercise better? Sure--but since the thought of all that huffin' and puffin' seems to be a big reason Uncle Elmer won't even try to put on his tennis shoes and head out the door in the first place, just don't tell him that part.

Got any troubling addictions? (Hellooo, cupcakes...) There's a dietary supplement, N-acetyl cysteine, that seems to be effective at curbing gambling addictions. (One headline even called it "willpower in a pill.") The guy who led the study said: "this research could be encouraging for a lot of addictions," and animal research already indicates it may be helpful fighting drug addictions as well.

So Mary Gets Stuck Being The Party Pooper:

Forget 'sweets for the sweet' -- too much sugar can affect your sex life. Dr. Mercola says that "High levels of sugar in your bloodstream can turn off the gene that controls your sex hormones."

And not only that--sugar does really rotten things to your liver as well. Apparently it takes about 20 years for the full effects to show up.

And love really is blind, especially when it comes to your own children. According to this national poll, only 7% of parents of obese children are concerned about their kid's weight. The rest think their child "looks about the right size." Is this the reverse of the anorexia syndrome? Do the parents not have their child have checkups? Are the doctors also hard of seeing?

Mary Wanders Aimlessly Away from "Health" onto Other Topics...

So not only are lemons chock-full of vitamin C, they're also handy around the house! You can even clean your microwave with them. This has very little to do with fitness, but I love the idea of sitting back with my feet up while the produce takes care of the chores. Presumably the orange will do the dusting and the banana take care of vacuuming?

And Crabby Strays Even Further Afield!

With a Belated Christmas present idea. So yeah, it's a little late for mail-order presents to make it by the 25th, but a package of these might come in very handy for when you're heading back out to the malls for those after Christmas sales. (Note: ideal for passive-aggressive sorts. Definitely on the Crab wish list for next year!)

What's not on the Crab wishlist? Why, gosh, no thanks, it's a sweet idea and all, but I don't think I really need vulva purse. (Via Fitness Fixation).

Stuck on public transportation and tired of the usual announcements? Try these instead--apparently this smooth-voiced announcer for the London Underground got fired because she recorded these spoofs. (Try "A reminder for American Tourists").

Want to see Mary's new home? Or something very like it. Actually, it's a pretty nifty optical illusion if you've got a spare 30 seconds.

Is it Time for The Animals Yet?
It sure is! First up, for a video featuring some very clever animals and a very lame voice-over: click here.

And lastly, our gratuitous Lolcat holiday greeting, swiped, as usual, from icanhazcheezburger:


moar funny pictures

Have a great Friday!