Daily Loaf

The first time I ever heard the Backstreet Boys, I was 10 years old and on my way to the hospital to be treated for a fractured wrist. The song was “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart),” and boy, did those dreamboats have me hooked. Amid my pain and my hatred for Ralph Green — the boy responsible for my broken arm — I still remember thinking, “Man, this is going to be my new favorite band. These guys are going to be huge.”

And huge they were, snagging fans like me and just about every other 8- to 17-year-old girl in 1997 after the release of their self-titled debut.  The hits kept coming — “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back),” “I Want It That Way,” “Shape of My Heart” — and it seemed like these singing and dancing machines were unstoppable.

Until they stopped.

Five years later,  when BSB released Never Gone in 2005, they were unable to re-establish their presence on the pop scene and another attempt in 2007, Unbreakable, also failed to chart. An entire era of boy band domination as I’d known it — with acts like ‘NSYNC, LFO, and 98 Degrees following the Backstreet Boys’ lead — seemed to be coming to an end. Read the rest of this entry »

What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this last week:

The Earth Charter: How ethics can change the world (video) – The Earth charter was created by thousands of people representing hundreds of countries aiming at a universal ethical code of conduct for human beings. How do we treat each other? How do we treat the world? These questions were raised and answered.

City of Tampa Green Business Designation Program- As of this week, the City of Tampa became one of just a handful of cities nationwide to start a green business designation program.  Outside of the West Coast (California and Washington state), Tampa will join major metropolitan areas like Philadelphia and Knoxville in rewarding private businesses that have become or want to become more environmentally-friendly.

Why buying recycled, repurposed products is so important- Preserving the Earth’s natural resources is vital to the future of the planet and all of its inhabitants. Buying recycled and repurposed products is a great way to make a positive impact on the environment by cutting back on waste and the resources needed to make new items.
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Swine flu is back on the front page again. Swine flu revisited demands a more careful reading of the pandemic idea and what it means to a highly susceptible population, most of whom have never seen a virus like this before.

So, according to the CDC, more than 40,000 cases have been confirmed in the US and territories to date. Of these, 263 have died. Not a big number. Yet. They are telling us to brace ourselves, although they did that numerous times before with other strains of flu that never materialized. In the famous 1918 pandemic, 85% died in some areas. Where homeopathic remedies were used, 85% survived. Hmm, first clue. No antibiotics, no vaccines were available at the time, and people were eating real food, not ersatz “food products” invented in a chemistry lab at Monsanto.
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CL interns Diana Ruiz and Hannah Walk, both seniors at Tampa Prep, are pondering two quite different paths this summer. We asked them to talk about their plans for our special Summer Guide issue. Video after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

Since the mainstream media has shoved off to cover the last moments of America’s Next Top Model and the finals of the American Idol competitions, I want to bring you up to date on the Swine Flu. 

First of all it is important to understand that in the USA’s rush to make the naming of this virus politically correct and to protect the flagging pork industry, they settled on H1N1 virus. H1N1 is a group of viruses, influenza A(H1N1).

Viruses are not typical and change often so by using this general title for this virus, Public Health has dumbed us down. Other groups of influenza viruses are A(H3N2) and B/Yamagata and B/Victoria viruses but the list is massive and complicated. To call this virus H1N1 is like using the term car to categorize a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti. Yes it is a car but, there are many cars and among cars the 612 Scaglietti is most unique.  This “swine flu” is an A(H1N1) but it is not the only A(H1N1) virus. Read the rest of this entry »

A "Mexican Kiss"

The media is having a field day hypnotizing Americans with fear over the impending Porkacolypse, but is this newest incarnation of doomsday  actually keeping us from getting laid?

I realize everyone is tired of the Swine Flu. All my friends roll their eyes at its mere mention. I get it. But trends around my college campus are beginning to shift, and I’m starting to worry. I mean the slutty chicks are still willing to lay any wookie, but the marginally wild women who drink apple martinis on barstools while their thongs creep out the top of their business skirts are becoming even more inaccessible. They are sitting on barstools with their legs crossed, like ladies for God’s sake. My boy Shawn who NEVER has a problem landing a lady had two drinks he bought for prospective partners sent back with a “No thanks.” The girls are turning down free booze now? He’s lucky I like girly drinks.

(READER POLE AFTER THE JUMP) Read the rest of this entry »

Just in case you needed reminding, or a little bit more stress in your life, this came in from the Pinellas County Health Department:

The Florida Department of Health has set up a Swine Flu Information Line that gives information regarding precautions to take to avoid getting the flu, symptoms, how the disease is spread, and what the DOH is doing to protect its visitors and residents.

The toll free number is 1-800-775-8039.

For a different perspective, check out this swine flu reality check.

Also … just wondering: What if this purported pandemic were just called “the flu?”

This new and exciting strain of swine influenza has Mexico running in circles looking for a US Citizen to blame for the epidemic.  The CDC is running in circles hoping that this flu strain is just a late bloomer and will not become an historic event that exposes the limited control Public Health actually has over the public’s health; and the rest of us, hungry for yet another reason to fret, hang on every word that is being scrawled or belched about this airborne death. Read the rest of this entry »

Are you afraid of eating pork thanks to the outbreak of the swine flu? Or, more accurately, the outbreak of media hysteria over swine flu?

Well, don’t worry about it, you can’t catch a respiratory disease like flu from a slab of applewood smoked bacon or inch-thick chop, no matter how undercooked. This new strain that’s affecting humans hasn’t even been found in pigs. But that’s not stopping the hysteria bandwagon, among consumers, the media and governments.

Which means that American pork producers have had to go on the offensive. Read the rest of this entry »

The big news today is about the threat of the “new” swine flu. The outbreak started in Mexico with a cluster of twenty deaths from severe viral pneumonia. Since then multiple milder cases have been reported in Mexico, the United States and Canada. Two interesting facts need to be investigated. Read on to find out how to protect yourself and your family.  Read the rest of this entry »