Older, not necessarily wiser

Better living through chemistry, I always say. Scientific and pharmacological progress can help rewind the clock and reinvigorate the limp flesh. No other drug has been enthusiastically lauded and celebrated as the (in)famous little blue pills that made gazillions for pharmaceutical giant, Pfizer.

It is said that Viagra (alongside its brethren Cialis, Levithra etc.) has now changed the sexual landscape worldwide. The little blue pills allow older men to hold on to younger partners as well as contribute to a growing population of swingers.

Frankly, I believe in live and let live. Your body is a temple; worship it, do whatever you want with it. After all, the human condition focusses a lot on pleasure seeking activities; whatever it was that crank your engine, be it illegal pharmaceuticals, adrenaline or even pain.

However, studies have shown that the sexual landscape sculpted by the little blue pills include a rise in sexually transmittable diseases (STDs) among the older population. One study actually demonstrated a link between men who take erectile dysfunction drugs and STDs. Another showed that middle aged swingers are at higher risks of STDs infection.

Previously studies on sexually transmittable diseases are focussed on populations who practice risky sexual behaviours (teenagers, sex workers, men who have sex with men), now it is the parents and grandparents who are more likely to come down with the clap. Is it because they are no longer concerned about pregnancy they leave off using rubbers?

*rolls eyes*

New agrarian economy?

Apparently, the Canadian government reaps roughly C$20 billion a year from weed. That's right, peeps; selling TWENTY BILLION CANADIAN DOLLARS worth of marijuana to their southern neighbour annually, providing employment to near a quarter million citizens.

Who said agriculture is not profitable?

Biggest reason why I like my animals stuffed

Pets are a source of pain. Enough said.

Ingenious!

I am in awe of this guy's creativity. I wonder how much did it cost for him to transform his apartment *admires*

ETA: Post title spelling corrected from "ingenuous". Pardon the spelling fail. *headdesk*

The little grey cells are NOT for decorative purposes only

New nomination for the Darwin's Award: the guy who died in a sauna competition.

I mean, c'mon.You steam a guy like dumpling and see who cries chicken first. Like, WTF? You are elevating your core body temperature, dammit, never a good thing.

They've had the competition for some time already, yeah, (and presumably no one died) but it was just testing fate. A sauna is not meant to be a he-man test; if you want one of those, go swim in an ice floe.

No wonder men die early. They die of stupidity.

Scientists say the darndest things

Many people become scientists because they have a passion for finding answers. Me, I'm okay with other people doing the work and me being told the answer. I guess I'm just lazy.

But what are the burning questions that are being answered courtesy of your
hard-earned tax-payers' money?

1. That male ducks outstrip the Homo sapien variety in terms of sexual appendages.
    a)  The male duck penis can change shapes (giving new meaning to screwing).
    b) The male duck penis can grow 25% larger than normal during mating season (guys, forget those pumps and enhancers; you are a confirmed loser in the evolutionary battle for larger you-know-whats).

2. That it is easy to break up with your now-insignificant other via Facebook (text messages and phone calls? phbllltt. So yesterday).

3. That to measure courage in terms of brain activity, one can make people with ophidophobia bring a snake close to their face while they are stuck in the MRI machine (and get published in a high impact journal, yo).

4.  That you can measure boredom (and get funded by the military to do so).

5. That you can teach a monkey to floss (and have better oral hygiene than most Homo sapien).


Monkeys teach young to floss their teeth using human hairs
Uploaded by ITN. - Watch more comedy videos and sitcoms.

6. That you can frame someone for a crime using synthetic DNA (forget what you see on CSI; please remember that it *is* a television show).

And the list just goes on ....

A matter of perspective

I am not a very artistic person; the only time I ever got an A for art class was because my group member drew the project and we all slapped paint on it. However, I have always enjoyed paintings and like the saying goes, "I don't know much about art, but I know what I like."
Periodically I go to the National Art Gallery to look at the exhibits. I love the works of Abdul Latif Maulan; his work has a viscerality and intensity that imbues his subject with a larger-than-life energy. I am particularly fond of his tepak sireh series; they evoke a nostalgia of a time long gone and elucidates Malay sensibilities and culture beautifully.

An artist captures a moment, a thought, an emotion, a memory in his/her artwork. A skilled artist can present it in such a way that an untrained audience can appreciate the message conveyed in the piece and it enriches their experience. The plebeian me only appreciate art that is clear; i.e. abstract paintings and sculptures hold little interest for me.
The subject matter in art is a matter of personal preference. Human or animal figurines, still life and landscapes can tell a complex story with nuance and dimension that is both proffered by the artist as well as imposed by the viewer themselves. If the art resonates with you, the experience can transcend your sensory memories and invoke emotion and passion.

War art is not new; it is a popular subject and theme for artists since the development of cave paintings. Classical paintings in Europe often portrays war scenes from historical battles. I was introduced to this idea from my favourite Mary Jo Putney book, River of Fire. The only difference between the war art in the classical painting and what we see now is the diversity of artistic media available; from oils, chalk, water colour to digital photography.

I find the idea of capturing the experience of war using art intriguing. The US Marines and US Navy have artists in their ranks who are deployed in wars, carrying art supply along with their heavy packs. A mini view of the Navy art gallery as well as the Marine combat art is available online.

Illustrating war provides a very intimate view of the combatants; telling stories that would otherwise be watered down or distorted by the media. It helps to humanise the combatants and to underscore the humanity (or lack of) of the all of the engaged parties. I don't know if anyone who look at these images and still see war as romantic; to me they underscore the price that are paid by both the combatants as well as the non-combatants in the conflict.

Will art help to make an unpopular war more palatable or a popular one more acceptable in general? I don't know. Michael D Fay and Kristopher Battles are two Marine artists who capture the engagements in which they participated in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their work is beautiful, even as the theme and subjects can provoke strong negative emotions. Sgt. Battles and Chief Warrant Officer (Rtd.) Fay offer us another facet to the war that is often contemptuously dismissed, particularly by opponents of the American occupation.

Frankly, I think the American occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan accomplished little of what they set out to do; it is unlawful and a gross violation of human rights and national sovereignty. I do wish that the American troops will withdraw from both countries and let the Iraqis and Afghan people rebuild as they see fit. If they are wont to kill one another without an occupying force "maintaining peace", by all means let them. These are lands that have not seen peace without an iron fist; their people are not ready for the American brand of democracy, as well meaning as those tenets are. It is doubtful that the occupation actually helps to reduce terrorism in the world. However, the hidden strings being pulled and people benefiting from this atrocity that is paid with blood and pain on both sides of the conflict means that there is no easy way out of it.

This is beautifully illustrated by Dark Side of the Sun by the glorious Tori Amos.


Let us all work towards peace for everyone.

To know me is to love me? Biblio edition meem.

I snagged this from an LJ friend (the lovely pwcorgigirl who shows fabulous grace in the face of much adversity).


Crossposted at LJ and FB. Just sharing some of my reading habits.*grin*

Damn right I want to save some naked women.

1. Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?

No. I read when I snack, not snack while I read (if you get my meaning).

2. What is your favorite drink while reading?

None. I often am too engrossed to bother.

3. Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?

I love to abuse my textbooks! Colourful lines, rude comments on the margins, the lot. But my storybooks are off-limits. No pencil, no pen although you may find the odd lipstick marks when I nod off and accidentally kiss the book *blush*.

However, I would love to chop off the hands of people who write, underline etc in library books. Hello? Not your personal possession. Other people want to read it too and nobody wants to read your illiterate scribblings.

4. How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ear? Laying the book flat open?

Commonly a book mark or laying the book face down (I try not to break the spine, though). I keep cardboard pieces for this purpose; nice bookmarks often disappear when you need them the most.

5. Fiction, Non-Fiction, or Both?

Mostly fiction. I read obsessively what interests me at the time, be it Persian history, Lalique or even social issues on pornography. But I do like my non-fiction with lots of pictures; especially coffee table art books.

Used to borrow books from the library and force my Mum to read them and give me the CliffNotes condensed version of them.

6. Are you a person who tends to read to the end of a chapter, or can you stop anywhere?

I prefer to go to the end of a chapter, but can stop anywhere.

7. Are you a person to throw a book across the room or on the floor if the author irritates you?

Oh yes. On the floor; but mostly I whack my mattress with it. I do hold books dearly, even those that I loathe.

Non-fiction book that I've tossed: haematology textbook and the AABB blood banking manual (no wonder I could never get more than a C or C+ for it).

Fiction: The last book in Pullman's His Dark Materials series. I felt cheated to discover the culmination of an interesting series to be nothing but a rant against the Church. Give me back the time I wasted, dammit!

8. If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop and look it up right away?

I try to figure out what it means from the context in which it was used. If it bugs me enough, I dig for the dictionary.

9. What are you currently reading?

Unperfect Souls by Mark del Franco. Delish!

10. What is the last book you bought?

Sandman Slim - Richard Kadrey
Some orchid growing thingie for my Mum.
I usually rent or borrow what I read, since books are pricy. I have wonderful suppliers (my cousin and friends, you know who you are). I usually buy books for my Mum and my niece; I do go nuts during book warehouse sale though.

11. Are you a person that reads one book at a time, or can you read more than one?

One book at a time. I can read more than one but it leaches away my enjoyment.

12. Do you have a favorite time/place to read?

I like to read on the swing in the garden, though it means sacrificing a few microlitres of blood to the mozzies.

I read practically everywhere; while queuing, eating, stuck in a jam etc. The prefects used to scold me for reading while walking back to class from recess time. In my defense, I have never tripped or bump into anyone/anything while I do so.

13. Do you prefer series books or stand-alones?

I love both. I would follow a series by an author I love obsessively; I rec the series by Carrie Vaughn, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Mark del Franco, Charlaine Harris, Patricia Briggs, JD Robb and Simon R Green. I find urban (and non-urban but contemporary) fantasy to make the best type of series to follow. If you like the way the 'verse is shaped, you will want more.

14. Is there a specific book or author you find yourself recommending over and over?

Contemporary romance: Linda Howard, Jayne Ann Krentz, Jennifer Crusie.

Historical romance: Lisa Kleypas, Amanda Quick, Christina Dodd, Loretta Chase

Supernatural/paranormal romance: Shana Abe, Susan Krinard, Sherrilyn Kenyon, MaryJanice Davidson

Futuristic/fantasy: JD Robb, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Emma Bull, Elizabeth Vaughn

Urban fantasy: Mark del Franco, Carrie Vaughn, Patricia Briggs, Simon R Green, Jim Butcher

Feminist theorist: Fatima Mernissi, Amina Wadud

15. How do you organize your books? By genre, title, author's last name, etc?

By size and space. I am *not* an organised person.

Men are from Mars, Women are ... ?

It is amazing the things people do in the name of research. It is also amazing the things people study in the name of research.

Nicolas Gueguen begun publishing in 2000 stuff that we already know; except that he included a proper hypothesis, experiment and detailed the outcome mathematically (the way a good scientist would).

For example:

1. Women with bigger boobs get more male attention.

2. That romantic songs puts a woman in a mood to say yes.

3. Waitresses who wear makeup get more tips.

4. That women in their fertile phase are also more likely to say yes to a guy.

Gratuituous Angelina Jolie shot for the gents.

You gotta admire a man who is systematically and mathematically profiling factors that influence men-women interaction. Especially when met with lame pick up lines, women are more wont to be doing this:

Vive le sciences et recherche!

Not proselytising!

I love this man. I do. I'd offer myself to be his second wife, but I don't think he'd want such a heathen like myself. *grin*



Any number of my friends have been the unfortunate listener to my rants of the deficiencies of religious scholarship in my country; particularly the religious teachers in schools who are fond of damning and hellfire. But it is scholars like Imam Faisal, Dr Mohd Asri (although I may disagree with some of his politics)and Dr Amina Wadud who gave me hope that my beautiful faith can be interpreted most beautifully and inclusively, the way it is meant to be.