Daily Loaf

If your family (like the one in the photo) is suffering from a severe style deficit — more Beverly Hillbillies than Beverly Hills — then this is the auction item for you. The Whole Aveda Salon Spa in Oldsmar is offering to spruce up the entire clan (up to 4 people) with a Whole Family Makeover just in time for the holidays. Get the Star Treatment for mom (customized facial and makeup, eyezone wrap, shampoo and style), the Manly Man for dad (massage, back treatment, pedicure and haircut) and haircuts for the kids. You’ll shine brighter than the neighbors’ 15,000-bulb Light-O-Rama!

Estimated value: $350. Suggested opening bid: $50

Bid for this item below:

If you live in Sarasota or Pinellas County, you may have heard of the fitness club chain Youfit. They are a relatively new fitness club chain aiming to promote energy efficiency and an environmentally friendly atmosphere, as well as maintain low membership fees.

Right now, they are having a special for new members. You pay a $29 enrollment fee and only $10 per month for 12 months – that’s it! There are other specials as well that include unlimited tanning, drink specials, etc. They also have some of the most up-to-date fitness equipment, including cardio machines with individual televisions so clients can have a personal workout experience.
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Technology gets more amazing every day. Satellites guide us from our driveways all the way to a grocery store in Ohio. A webcam enables a soldier in Afghanistan to talk face-to-face with his wife in Nebraska. And a new wave of iPhone apps allows individuals with disabilities to communicate with others — some, for the very first time.

At 235 megabytes, Proloquo2Go turns a standard iPhone into a fully functional augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device. Co-designed by Penn State doctoral student Samuel Sennott and carried by iPhone app developer AssistiveWare, Proloquo2Go “provides a full-featured communication solution for people who have difficulty speaking,” such as individuals with autism, Lou-Gehrig’s Disease, Down syndrome or cerebral palsy. Like any other AAC device, it combines symbols, words, sounds and technology (source) to guide its user through an intuitive, hierarchical system of sentence-building software. Added to that, it hosts a minimum vocabulary of 7,000 words and life-like voices — and, at approximately $150 (not including the iPhone), costs a fraction of the $8,000- $10,000 families pay for cumbersome text-to-speech machines. Read the rest of this entry »

Are you wound up and stressed from all of the holidays coming up? Have you already been eating lots of junk food and feel like you need to revamp your body and mind? Then this local cruise might be just the thing you need to get back into mental and physical shape.

Royal Carribean’s 3rd Annual Yoga cruise is set to depart from the Port of Tampa on Thursday, December 3rd, sails to Cozumel, Mexico, and returns on Monday, December 7th. The cruise pricing starts as low as $400 per person and includes yoga classes throughout the cruise (a minimum of four per day are available for each yoga cruiser), port charges, and taxes.
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It was 7 a.m. on a Saturday when my alarm sounded. The pounding headache, the unsteady vision, and the smeared mascara under my eyes confirms that I, Caitlin Reagan, had lived my Friday night to its fullest potential.  After one cup of coffee, two aspirin, one bowl of cereal, four glasses of water and a quick drive across Gandy Bridge, I found myself standing in the group fitness room of the YMCA beginning a 90-minute cardio-strength conditioning class.

“Up, down, up, down, alright everyone! Go! Go! Push it!” the instructor yelled to everyone.  Her motivation was unusual — the demeanor of a pyramid-schemer.  She was sly, steadfast, and domineering all while maintaining her smile and composure.

With my flushed cheeks and Sir-Mix-A-Lot thumping through the speakers, I fist-pumped one dumbbell back and forth in a squat all while trying to ignore the water fountain in the back of the room.

Humorously, I thought how oddly similar a group fitness class reminded me of the night before — a Friday evening full of friends, booze, and bars. Read the rest of this entry »

On Halloween, I was hopelessly spending most of the day huddled in my apartment researching the United States’ media coverage on Iran. I had purposely not made plans to celebrate the evening dressed as media sensation Balloon Boy, a firefighter with red-hot lipstick and heels, or even a cat. Instead, six weeks prior, I’d committed myself to the Hob Gobl’n 5K Race, hosted by the Dunedin House of Beer.

For about 30 bucks, I agreed to run 3.1 miles in exchange for three beers of my choice, a t-shirt, and a wonderful spaghetti and meatball dinner. Oh, and a portion of my $30 went to the Dunedin Doggie Rescue — but that wasn’t the best part. The best part was that runners were not required to wear a costume.

I suckered my classmate Manny into running in the event, too. While the purpose of my participation was to avoid the annual Halloween costume stress, Manny signed up because — well, I don’t know exactly why he participated, especially since he treated the entire event as though it were a brisk walk down a scenic trail. Read the rest of this entry »

“Oh yeah, oh yeah… omigod, I’m so close. I wish I had some beer, but I wanna come. Ooo, I want a burrito. Why can’t I come?!”

Sound familiar? An Australian study has found that men who smoke marijuana on a regular basis are four times more likely to have difficulty reaching orgasm than men who don’t smoke. The same study also discovered that potheads experience premature ejaculation at three times the rate of non-smokers. What gives? Read the rest of this entry »

Fall is the time of the year when we begin to prepare for Winter and the many holidays to come over the next several months. Take time for yourself this fall and step up your fitness program in preparation for the upcoming holiday season.  Whether you are beginning your fitness program or stepping up your program, additional calorie burn and muscle toning will keep you in check this holiday season.  Exercise assists us in keeping our weight and body fat in balance as well as our stress levels.

With the fall weather finally here, it is a great time to get outside. Enjoy the weather by running or walking along the beach or the water.  Being by the water and on the sand is beneficial in many ways. The sand on the beach adds more difficulty which adds to your calorie burn. The change of scenery sure beats the view from the treadmill and makes your run much more enjoyable. Exercise is such a great release mentally, so achieving this experience in the presence of the elements assists you in the release leaving you feeling balanced and grounded. 
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520+ – Miles Ran
16+ – Weeks of Training
10+ – lbs lost
8 – Toenails Lost
2 – Pairs of Shoes
1 - Bra Size
1 – Officially diagnosed reoccurring injury (ITB)

All this to run 26.2.

Leaving my hotel race morning, I stepped out onto an all but deserted street and began my lone pilgrimage to Grant Park, my heart all aflutter. Turning onto Michigan Ave I beheld the most amazing view of the city all aglow in the early morning, the street lined with runners, looks of determination, anticipation and a healthy dose of fear across their faces.

Start Corral - Upon arriving, I quickly found the open start corral and fell into the mid-nine-minute mile section. It was a balmy 33 degrees and this Florida girl was not prepared for the temps. I shivered and tried in vain to stay warm by chatting up the other runners. As the gun went off the crowd surged forward and “throw away” clothes exploded into the air and rained down around us. It was GO time.

Start – Mile 5 – As I crossed the start line I couldn’t help but get caught up in the moment; I screamed, I jumped up and down and I waved my hands up in the air like I just didn’t care. 26.2 lay before me and I was awestruck by the sights and the sounds of the city before me, the spectators all around. It was sensory overload and I relished in every moment of it! As we entered a tunnel, the sound of runners screaming and feet pounding the pavement was deafening. You could power the world over for days with the energy bouncing off those walls. By chance alone I managed to see my cousin Michelle and Beth around the two mile mark and it fired me up 10 times more than I already was; I was really doing this, I was running the Chicago Marathon. In that moment I realized Read the rest of this entry »

As a child, I spent many afternoons with Playboy magazines I found in my parents’ bathroom. I would hide one in my waistband, climb a tree, and find a comfortable spot to sit and flip through the pages. I didn’t read the articles, but rather stared at the big-breasted women coyly looking back at me.

I was thrilled at the prospect of growing up to look like these women. As they were the only naked ladies I’d ever seen, it only made sense that all women had these magnificent boobies. I eagerly awaited the day my own chest would blossom. 15 years later, I’m still waiting. Read the rest of this entry »

Love on the rocks
Ain’t no surprise
Pour me a drink
And I’ll sell you some lies
Got nothing to lose
So you just sing the blues all the time
-Neil Diamond

If you have been dumped then you know how bad it sucks. If you have never been there, then you are one lucky son-of-a-bitch.

About four weeks ago I was in heavy training mode for the Marine Corps Marathon. I was at 18 miles of a 22-mile training run  and it happened. I got tendonitis in my lower ankle/foot. I was out for about four weeks and had to make the decision to defer the race. My weeks away from running were like a bad break up.

Here’s my reasoning, assuming you are the dumpee and Running is the dumper: You meet running and at first you aren’t real impressed with it. It’s a little tough to get to know him/her. But you do. And you start spending a lot of time together. You spend money on Running, taking it out to fancy stores and locations. You woo it with your fancy clothes and gadgets. You even buy it lots of delicious Italian dinners. You fall in love with Running and think it feels the same way about you.

You become obsessed with Running. You think about it all the time. You doodle its name with little hearts on your checkbook while balancing it. You think you and Running will never break up. You + Running = Forever.

But then it happens. Read the rest of this entry »

British pharmaceutical bigwig, Lloyd’s Pharmacy has created a six degrees of separation-style “calculator” system to determine how many indirect sexual partners you’ve had. The average Brit’s number is 2.8 million.

The calculator system, based on data collected from over 6,000 adults, is being called “sex degrees of separation.” Developed to raise awareness about sexually transmitted infections (STIs), the system lets people enter their number of sexual partners and their age ranges, then gives them an estimate of their indirect partners, meaning all the people who’ve slept with all the people they’ve slept with.

“When we sleep with someone, we are, in effect, not only sleeping with them, but also their previous partners and their partners’ previous partners, and so on,” says Clare Kerr, sexual health director of Lloyd’s Pharmacy. Read the rest of this entry »

Since 1996 my company, It’s Our Nature has had a vision of connecting our wellness to the health of the earth. Recently, Prevention Magazine provided a list of Surprising Signs That You’ll Probably Live Longer that correlate to a green lifestyle.

Here are some of the connections from Planet Green:

You walk to stay fit. Fit people–defined as those who walk for about 30 minutes a day–are more likely to live longer than those who walk less, regardless of how much body fat they have, according to a recent study of 2,603 men and women.

Green It: Walking for a purpose- The best way to stay fit is to include walking in your everyday life as a way to get from A to B. Park the car and instead choose to walk to the store or if you use public transportation, walk to the bus or train station. That’s why Europeans are so enviously thin; they walk to get somewhere not just to stay fit. Save fossil fuels and win the battle of the bulge by hitting the pavement.
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Attention those who run for fun or sport: There is a serious epidemic* occurring which could be personally affecting you. It’s called “Runner Boob Loss.”

Queue scary music.

Since you began running has your cup failed to runneth over? As your training progressed did you find that your chest, or chest plate rather, resembles that of a prepubescent 12-year-old boy? Have you found yourself creeping into the little girls department at Target to try on sports bras because you fail to fill a big girl bra? Do you find yourself wondering if doing the “We must, we must increase our bust” flexes could actually increase your bust? Do you experience boob envy while working out at the gym with non-runner girls? If so, you are a part of what I believe to be a widespread epidemic of diminishing proportions, and that is Runner Boob Loss.

Don’t get me wrong, I was never particularly well endowed in the that department to begin with, but where here the hell did my boobs go? And please, spare me the old boobs-are-fat-and-fat-is-the-first-thing-to-go response because my chunky monkey (ass) has an endless supply of fat and it most certainly hasn’t gone anywhere. Read the rest of this entry »

The study of yoga was first brought to the Western world by Paramahansa Yogananda as a way of spreading enlightenment.  He popularized yoga and meditation through his autobiography, Autobiography of a Yogi which was first published in 1946.  This ancient tradition offers many esoteric and physical benefits with regular practice. 

Some of the physical benefits include increased toning, flexibility, improved posture, improved lung capacity, as well as lowered blood pressure.  Yoga can also assist with many chronic conditions such as back pain, arthritis, asthma and insomnia.  Yoga also brings in a state of calm which reflects stress build up in one’s life.  We all know that stress effects your entire being, especially your physical health, as the emotional and mental create the physical health.
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Lately, I haven’t been sleeping very well. Friends and family tell me that it is because I am living alone for the first time in my life. Perhaps this is true, but what I’ve discovered from my newly-poor sleeping habits is my appreciation of dawn.

On the few nights when I get tired, I’ll rise to the occasion by wearing the most comfortable pajamas I own, fix myself some chamomile tea and hop into bed as soon as possible. This usually occurs at about 7:30 p.m. Tragically, I’ll wake up at about 5:30 in the morning, bright-eyed, rested and smiling, but with no one to talk to. After lying in bed for about 30 to 45 minutes deciding what to do with myself, I decide to take the opportunity to use my subdivision’s gym. The best part about this: I will be the only one there.

I know I’ve made myself pretty clear on the fact that I like to workout, I enjoy the adrenaline rushes, and fitness is slowly taking over my life, but when it comes to gyms, I have a lot of hang-ups about to gym personalities. Read the rest of this entry »

“There can be no real happiness until the soul finds its peace.” -Dadi Janki; Administrative Head, Brahma Kumaris

Everyone in the world I know is either in the pursuit of peace or happiness or both.  Welcome to my post, dear readers, which is going to be all about the pursuit of sustainable happiness. 

I would like to give a brief synopsis of why and how I’m using the word sustainable in this context.  Just like green-related sustainability, it means a lifestyle that attempts to reduce our dependency on the Earth’s natural resources. Sustainability in relation to happiness here is used to denote something that is generative, something that will complete us and not deplete our energy levels, something that would inspire us to be better and, hence, more whole. 
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Here is the final portion of a story about my recent abortion. If you missed the last part, please read it here. It left off with my walking into the Planned Parenthood office.

I signed in, then sat for about ten minutes, reading Tom Robbins’ Even Cowgirls Get The Blues. When they called me, I signed a few papers, gave my insurance and emergency contact information, then was told to go upstairs.

When I reached the top of the staircase, I saw at least 70 pale, exasperated women waiting. I went to the desk and was given a wristband and a bit more paperwork. Then, I waited. Read the rest of this entry »

Since the inception of sportschump.net in April of 2009, I’ve written countless narratives about the world of sports. Yet the one piece that people remember most was not my detailed breakdown of the NBA Finals, the wild card races or my football season previews, but rather the fact that, when I go to the deli, I order a third of a pound of cold cuts. In that particular chumpdate, I went on to explain that, for me “a half a pound is too much, a quarter pound is never enough. Like the baby bear’s bed to Goldilocks, a third of a pound is just right.”

Well, I hereby introduce more Chumpservations, some sports related, some not so much. At the risk of sounding too much like Steven Wright, Andy Rooney and Jerry Seinfeld all rolled into one, here goes….

Working out in dress socks: Fashion faux pas? Apparently not.

I strolled into my local YMCA the other afternoon, bopping to some Tribe on my iPod. It was just after four in the afternoon. The gentleman checking in just in front of me appeared eager to work out as well. He walked into the gym with his workout clothes already on… with one glaring exception. He was wearing dress socks. Read the rest of this entry »

Have you ever been rudely awakened at 3 a.m. when your bed mate takes all the covers or rolls on top of you? How about trying to fall asleep while your partner snores like an asthmatic hog? According to sleep specialist Dr. Neil Stanley, couples should sleep separately for the good of their health and their relationship.

Dr. Stanley is quick to point out that couples suffer 50% more sleep disturbances when they share a bed and that historically, people are not actually meant to sleep beside one another. Read the rest of this entry »

Last week, I posted the first part of a story about my recent abortion. I left off on a Saturday, puking my guts out and trying to figure out how I was going to pay for the procedure. Here’s the second portion of my story:

By Sunday, I was still a mess: sleepy, queasy, grumpy, bloaty (7 dwarves of pregnancy?) and my tits hurt like hell.

The previous evening, I had canceled plans with my ex, let’s call him “Marc,” telling him I had a stomach flu. When he called the next day and I was still sick, he wanted to take me to see a doctor. I was stuck: I wanted to spare his feelings, but hated lying to him.

“I’m not sick,” I began. “I’m, well… I’m pregnant.” Read the rest of this entry »

This is the time to take in the new energy arriving from our universe to assist in making the necessary changes needed in our lives at this time.  Many are in a great state of turmoil – the economy is soaring downward quickly and environmental disaster is looming.  So what can we do?  Give in to the changes that are arriving.  This is time to let go of all that needs to be released in our lives.  Things are bubbling up and getting worse because it is time for change.  Look to new opportunities and new creative ideas to move us into joy.

Being in joy is the purest emotional state where all feels good.  Use this as a determinate on what to participate in and what to put your time and energy toward.  What feels good and brings a state of joy is the answer.  This technique can be used to make minor and major decisions in our lives from what to wear in the morning, what nutrition to put into our bodies, to which way to vote. 
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Jen and I had our weekly meeting (READ: daily IM-ing during work hours) regarding our posts for CL and decided that since I am suffering through an injury I could provide you all some insights on how to make it through an injury of your own. Physically making it through is one thing, mentally making it through is another.

The week before last I headed out with the running group to get in a nice 22 mile training run. At about mile 9ish the ankle starting hurting. By mile 13 it really hurt. Did I stop? Hell no. At 18 miles I had to throw in the towel and have been babying it ever since. Read the rest of this entry »

Be aware: There seems to be an effort afoot to eliminate the most effective form of thyroid replacement, Armour Thyroid. It has become increasingly difficult to get in any dosage strength, and many patients are having to switch to more expensive alternatives.

When I started my practice, Wellness Works, back in 1994, I had a string of patients who all reinforced the same idea. They were all older ladies who came in on the synthetic alternative form of thyroid replacement, Synthroid. This drug is a form of T4, a “prohormone” that must be converted by the body to the active form, T3. Many people have a hard time making this conversion, due to genetic abnormalities, nutritional deficiencies or missing enzymes in their system. All these ladies were asking (almost begging) me to put them back on Armour thyroid, which is made from dessicated pig thyroids and contains both T4 and T3 as well as other components of the whole gland. They simply stated they felt better when they were on Armour. Since their new (young) doctor had switched them, they had less energy, their hair fell out more, they couldn’t sleep at night and they had gained weight.
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After reading fellow CL contributor Beth’s inspirational post about her running journey last week I thought it best to continue this baring of the soul and expand upon my own running journey. What better way for our readers to understand our obsession with running than to share a little piece of ourselves with you?

That story starts in Feb. 2008 with an insomnia driven, hyper-active redhead that just got dumped. Yep, there’s nothing quite like a good old fashioned dump fest to get a girl down. I was a drunk emotional wreck as yet another opportunity of “happily ever after” slipped through my fingers. I realized quickly that I needed to find an outlet for my emotions, bottled up energy and sexual frustration lest my friends disown me, so I started running again. I’ve always run, here and there, to get some cardio in, to help me sleep a little better but this time was different. This time I put a little more into it.

By July, I was starting to eye an upcoming 5K race and committed to the July 4th Watermelon 5K that Track Shack in Orlando puts on every year. With no real training other than a few runs a week and absolutely zero knowledge of how far/fast I was going, I hit Mead Gardens for my first 5K. Thirty some odd minutes later I huffed and puffed my way through the finish-line on the verge of puking my guts out — but I was exhilarated. I just ran a 5K. Read the rest of this entry »

Most of what is said about abortion comes from politicians and religious leaders, but it’s everyday women who actually have to make the difficult decision of what to do about an unplanned pregnancy – women like me.

1 in 3 American women will have an abortion in her lifetime. This is a huge number which likely includes many women close to you, yet few ever talk about their experiences. Where are the personal accounts?

Even with the anonymity of the internet, these stories are hard to find. Women facing unplanned pregnancies have a right to know about the experiences of other women and why some chose to terminate their pregnancy. Read the rest of this entry »

Maybe it’s my age, experience, or perhaps I’m not as kinky as I thought, but a recent blog, “Rape Fantasy: the ultimate taboo,” caught me off guard. It revealed that some women fantasize about being raped. Fantasies are great. They’re fun and they enhance sex, but I also think they are best shared only with a trusting partner. Victims of rape or sexually assault don’t want to know how some women enjoy role playing games involving forced sex. It’s also not a good idea to tell potential rapists that some people like to imagine being “overpowered and forced to surrender.” Some men may take this controlled fantasy out of context, and transform it into a harsh reality. Read the rest of this entry »

“This was such a terrible idea,” I thought to myself as I gasped for air while jogging in the sweltering August heat.

“Please rain, please rain, please rain,” I repeated over and over in my head.

“Oh my god! I feel like my legs are going to fall off.”

I am only 9 minutes into my jog (which is just over a mile) and the heat is getting to my head.

If you are the type of person who enjoys having an extra slice of pizza on a Friday night, buttery nipple shots on a Saturday night, and an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet on a Sunday morning, then I’m sure you’ve uttered these negative thoughts to yourself on a Monday evening during your workout. Read the rest of this entry »

Wikipedia describes a marathon as “a long-distance foot race with an official distance of 42,195 kilometers (26 miles, 385 yards, or exactly 26 7/32 miles) that is usually a road race.”
I would describe it as 26.2 miles of sheer determination, dedication, and a touch of insanity.

The author training for Disney during the winter of 2008.

The marathon is not something everyone has on their bucket list. It’s not for everyone. Some people have other goals and aspirations, but for me it always seemed like a really cool thing to do. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would become one of those crazy runner types. You know the ones who get up at the buttcrack of dawn and head out for a 10, 14, 18 or even 20 mile run? You know the ones who run five or six days a week? What exactly makes those people do it?

I started my quest to the marathon in 2008 when I added the words “run a marathon” to my list of things to do before I turned 30. I was 28 at the time, had no “running friends”, no idea of how to train for one, and absolutely the worst case of procrastination known to man. To give you a glimpse of my over all health, I was a typical gym goer. I’d run about three to five miles a few days a week, eat and drink too much on the weekends and come Monday it was all about repentance. I wasn’t really out of shape, but I wasn’t even ready for a 10K, let alone a marathon.

I registered for the 2009 Walt Disney World Marathon about a year before. I began serious training about 8 weeks out (NOTE: Terrible idea). See? My procrastination knows no bounds. Luckily, I found a running group in Brandon and they helped me along. They also told me I was nuts and shouldn’t do a marathon on such little training. Being a stubborn person, I did it anyway.

My longest run before Disney was 18 miles. It was not enough. I made it to mile 18 of the Disney Marathon and felt my entire body start fighting against me. By mile 20 I was run-walking. By mile 21 I was run-walking-cursing. By mile 22 I thought I had lost my mind because my legs hurt so badly. By miles 23 and 24 I wanted to quit. Sheer determination and stubbornness kept me going. I almost flipped the bird to a spectator who cheered to me, “You’re almost there!”, at mile 25. The last 1.2 miles were brutal, both mentally and physically. I kept thinking, “well you can scratch this off the list and never do it again.”

But then something happened. Read the rest of this entry »

” i see an image of a killer whale hanging upside down as if hung on a hook or by a crane; it is a female, alive, in agony, and whining. Flash to another image of the whale’s embryonic baby that has been removed from the mother’s body; a male voice-over talks about killing the whale babies.  I am reminded of the 1970s film Orca.”

This is a very dark dream. This is a dream about a family in pain. About a mother who harbored very dark energy but remained helpless or rather suspended in space by either her family, her spouse, her culture or her community. Even perhaps her church. A woman whose life was also topsy-turvy, unpredictable. Enter her masculine counterpart, who speaks over her and her situation (the voice-over) and who, like many males of certain species, has murderous thoughts about his offspring.

Read the rest of this entry »

I’m not sure why I didn’t object when my husband boldly posted a training schedule on our refrigerator and announced that we were going to do a half-marathon.  I was in the midst of my unemployment stint and deeply distressed.  Either he believed that a goal would alleviate some of my misery or he was not-so-subtly recommending that I drop a few pounds.  Regardless of his motivation, I agreed, and the next Monday we drove down to Bayshore to begin our training. Read the rest of this entry »

Lots of sweat, heavy breathing, a final desperate surge to finish followed by the sweet release that leaves you in a euphoric state of bliss…

The youngin’s are doing it. Old people are doing it. You can do it alone or with a group. Some like it fast, while other’s prefer it slow. Heck even Hugh Heffner’s doing it.

Everyone is doing it; everyone is running. Gees, what did you think I was talking about? Perverts. Read the rest of this entry »

A new study reported by dailymail.co gives wine drinkers another reason to act superior to the rest of us cheap beer guzzlers, and also provides bartenders another selling point for pushing a bottle over a glass. Women who drink two glasses of wine daily report better sex than those who drink one or none. While they may not actually be having better sex, the two glasses of wine may help these women believe they are. Read the rest of this entry »

Photo by Ebyabe

My first experience on Bayshore Boulevard was nearly a year ago, on a gorgeous day in the fall — sunny and breezy. My brother Phil had suggested we spend the day walking along Bayshore. This was the day I was introduced to Bayshore Etiquette.

“First, you should know that there is absolutely no stopping on the sidewalk. If you need to stop, just move over to the grass but not in the grass lane,” he said as he pointed to the half-dead line of grass that stretched along the sidewalk.

“Oh, and always travel on the right side of the sidewalk, Caitlin,” he told me while waving his arms back and forth in front of him to show me an imaginary lane in front of us.

“Often, a group of women will travel in a group and block the whole sidewalk,” he said as we continued to walk down Bayshore. “It’s very annoying.” Read the rest of this entry »

After debating STD rates this weekend despite the fact that I had no solid evidence, I decided to research the matter. Below is a brief overview of the STD situation in the bay area. Keep in mind that while some of these rates may seem low, they are significantly higher among sexually active demographics.

According to Avert.org, in 2007 the Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater area reported 11,754 AIDS/HIV cases. For every 100,000 people, 17.2 people are living with the disease, or roughly 0.017 % of the total population. Read the rest of this entry »