12 hours ago
All throughout grade school, I was inexplicably irritated by the sight and/or sound of Aaron Carter (and by those who would say “ay-ron” instead of “ah-ron”).
I may, finally, like him for this ad.
via anisha-powers
One part of me that is very English (and Dutch) is my love for gardens. Pleeeeeeeeeease, let me have a garden like this!
via loveyourchaos
Medical Case Histories on Mount Olympus «

Patient, “Zeus,” a middle-aged male in good health, presented with severe headache that initiated suddenly as he was walking. Reported no prior head trauma or surgery, dental problems, or difficulty opening and closing jaw. Blood test indicated no thyroid disease, anemia, or infection. CT scan and MRI revealed no abnormalities. As physician was conferring with patient about pain medications, patient seized up and clutched at head. Small, armor-clad warrior (female) emerged from patient’s skull, identified self as “Athena,” stabbed physician in bicep, leapt off examination table, and exited the office. Patient expressed complete relief from headache; no wound appeared at exit point. Analgesics prescribed for patient as precaution. Physician administered tetanus shot to himself. Rachel: Can you dig up the diagnostic code for this? I couldn’t find it. Also, this may be a pre-existing condition.
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Patient, “Cronus,” healthy, vigorous male, complained of abdominal pain and constipation. Unable to recall last time he ingested food or last bowel movement but estimated it as at least seven years. Palpitation suggested blockage in small intestine. Barium X-ray showed six lumps packed tightly in duodenum. Emetic was administered to patient, who vomited five infants and large stone. Patient claimed to be unaware of contents or when they were ingested. Infant vital signs normal. Patient put on high-fiber diet; infants transferred to child protective services.
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Patient, “Demeter,” middle-aged female, presented with fatigue, lack of appetite, diminished libido, sleep disturbance, frequent crying spells. Reported that condition was interfering with job performance. Patient attributed mood to grief over loss of daughter during winter months as result of contentious custody battle. Further questioning revealed she didn’t get along with daughter when they were together. Check of melatonin levels suggested seasonal affective disorder. Fluorescent-light therapy prescribed. At six-week follow-up visit, patient reported improved mood; transformed into serpent and made sexual overtures toward physician.
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Emaciated patient, “Tantalus,” was referred by mental-health specialist who was treating him for eating disorder. Patient claimed that every time he tried to grasp food it receded out of reach. Specialist initially diagnosed emotional disturbance tied to eating; patient was punishing himself out of perceived unworthiness to live. After convincing specialist of strong desire to eat, patient was referred for basic physical examination. Standard random-dot test revealed severe impairment of depth perception; patient was not reaching far enough for food. Corrective lenses prescribed. Two-week follow-up visit showed patient had gained 25 pounds; affect much improved.
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Patient, “Dionysus,” brought to pediatric ER by mother for severe gastric distress, admitted to hospital for observation. Over 72-hour period, child’s health repeatedly improved and then diminished suddenly after bedside visit from mother. Mother very talkative and animated during ensuing visits from specialists; extremely critical of father; demonstrated little concern for state of patient. Blood test revealed son not biological child of mother. Head nurse reported suspicion of Munchausen by proxy syndrome. Mother responded by having nurse’s mouth grow shut and driving specialist mad. Patient discharged from hospital after stealing Percocet for recreational use.
I particularly enjoyed Kronos and Demeter. Doesn’t it make you proud as a Hellene to have your myths known by almost everybody?
Freethinkers Not Allowed «

On 1 January 2010, an Irish Republic Law went to effect, the stated goal of which was to make blasphemous statements punishable by law. A conviction can carry a fine of up to 25,000 Euros. In response to this law, the group Atheist Ireland released the following statement listing 25 blasphemous assertions in defiance of the law.
From today, 1 January 2010, the new Irish blasphemy law becomes operational, and we begin our campaign to have it repealed. Blasphemy is now a crime punishable by a €25,000 fine. The new law defines blasphemy as publishing or uttering matter that is grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters held sacred by any religion, thereby intentionally causing outrage among a substantial number of adherents of that religion, with some defences permitted.
This new law is both silly and dangerous. It is silly because medieval religious laws have no place in a modern secular republic, where the criminal law should protect people and not ideas. And it is dangerous because it incentives religious outrage, and because Islamic States led by Pakistan are already using the wording of this Irish law to promote new blasphemy laws at UN level.
We believe in the golden rule: that we have a right to be treated justly, and that we have a responsibility to treat other people justly. Blasphemy laws are unjust: they silence people in order to protect ideas. In a civilised society, people have a right to to express and to hear ideas about religion even if other people find those ideas to be outrageous.
Oh, no, they CANNOT!
I think it is safe to say that we Pagans have no problems with either free thought or free speech. Really, these Abrahamist nutters are ruining it for the rest of us pro-secular religious.
This “law” must not come to pass. Not in Europe, not anywhere else.
1 week ago
Is it just me or is there something wrong with Tumblr?
It is my third day of encoding the HTML myself. Where are the formatting options? I don’t remember switching off anything.
Christian American goes into a Religious Rage aka “God Warrior”…
My advice: Choose your ideologies wisely. They may poison you to the brink of insanity. And no, she is not an isolated case.
(Click photo to watch the video or here.
Jet diverts to Philly over teen passenger’s prayer —
A Jewish teenager trying to pray on a New York-to-Kentucky flight caused a scare Thursday when he pulled out a set of small boxes containing holy scrolls, leading the captain to divert the flight to Philadelphia, where the commuter plane was greeted by police, bomb-sniffing dogs and federal agents.
The 17-year-old on US Airways Express Flight 3079 was using tefillin, a set of small boxes containing biblical passages that are attached to leather straps, Philadelphia police Lt. Frank Vanore said.
When used in prayer, one box is strapped to the arm while the other box is placed on the head.
Full story here.
I think the problem is in the lack of intercultural exchange and awareness of multiculturalism itself. Think the Orthodox Jews are ‘weird’? Wait ‘til you see us polyethnics!
Book profiles ‘furry angel of death’ —
The scientist in Dr David Dosa was sceptical when first told that Oscar, an aloof cat kept by a nursing home, regularly predicted patients’ deaths by snuggling alongside them in their final hours.
Dosa’s doubts eroded after he and his colleagues tallied about 50 correct calls made by Oscar over five years, a process he explains in a book released in the US this week, “Making Rounds With Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat.”
The feline’s bizarre talent astounds Dosa, but he finds Oscar’s real worth in his fierce insistence on being present when others turn away from life’s most uncomfortable topic: death.
“People actually were taking great comfort in this idea, that this animal was there and might be there when their loved ones eventually pass,” Dosa said. “He was there when they couldn’t be.”
Full story here.
This story has old people, dementia, and cats. The perfect recipe for making me cry. *sniff*
I seriously feel that Oscar is Hermes Psychopompos.
1 week ago
Presidential candidate JC delos [sic] Reyes sees no need to support sex education since he believes the youth have “natural” or instinctive knowledge of sex.
…distributing condoms to the youth, as part of safe-sex campaigns, “promotes promiscuity and infidelity.”
…sex should not be taught in schools but in the home.
…current sex education modules for grade school and high school students because they teach children about the act of sex, condoms and birth control pills.
…sex modules should only be limited to the anatomical and physiological study of sex.
…it’s dangerous for teachers to teach because the modules they use put forward, not indigenous, but seemingly foreign teachings.)
…legalizing divorce runs contrary to the 1987 Constitution, the Family Code, and the sanctity of family and marriage.
Asked about his most important move to promote women empowerment and gender equality as Olongapo City councilor, Delos Reyes said he opposed the passage of the Reproductive Health Code.
…he also disagreed with the Reproductive Health Code’s premise that the country is overpopulated.
…he opposed the Code’s provision of “contraceptive commodities” that he says are dangerous to women.
…added that the next president should focus on promoting respect for women instead of spending on reproductive health measures.
Ilan sa marami pang dahilan kung bakit hindi kaboto-boto ang tukmol na ito. (Some of the many reasons why this shmuck is not worth the vote.) We need the RH Bill more than ever. We need sex education more than ever. More than ever, we need no more of inexperienced, misinformed, monognostic radicals.
PS: It’s ‘de los’ not “delos”. Such a palabra does not exist in castellano.
There is nothing hyperbolic in stating that a trial which has just started in Holland will have unparalleled significance for the future of Europe. It is not just about whether our culture will survive, but whether we are even allowed to state the fact that it is being threatened. Wilders is a Dutch MP and leader of Holland’s fastest-growing party, the Party for Freedom. His stances have clearly chimed with the Dutch people. They include an end to the era of mass immigration, an end to cultural relativism, and an end to the perceived suborning of European values to Islamic ones. For saying this, and more, he has for many years had to live under round-the-clock security protection. Which you would have thought proves the point to some extent. Now the latest attempt of the Dutch ruling class to keep Wilders from office has begun. Last week, apparently because of the number of complaints they have received (trial by vote anyone?) the trial of Wilders began. The Dutch courts charge that Wilders ‘on multiple occasions, at least once, (each time) in public, orally, in writing or through images, intentionally offended a group of people, i.e. Muslims, based on their religion’. The man’s on trial because he ‘offended a group of people’? I get offended by all sorts of people. I get offended by very fat people. I get offended by very thick people. I get offended by very sensitive people. I get offended by the crazy car-crash of vowels in Dutch verbs. But I don’t try to press charges. Yet, crazily, this is exactly what is going on now in a Dutch courtroom. If found guilty of this Alice-in-Wonderland accusation of ‘offending a group of people’, Wilders faces up to two years in prison.
Emphasis mine. Read the full story here.
I am furious beyond words, I cannot even articulate. Don’t like our free speech? Then get out.













