Vibrant.(Still) Unrepentant. Badass. Old. Queer

Good Morning, Kittens. Eleven years ago today, I became a(n ovo-lacto) vegetarian. I had recently finished my first semester in graduate school in an international environmental policy program. During the semester, one of the books we read was Peter Singer's Animal Liberation . Although I understood the animal cruelty argument, what truly resonated with me was how environmentally damaging the raising of animals for food is. The more I thought about it, the more I came to realize that, if I wanted a career in an environmental field, I would need to make some serious changes to my life and habits. How could I try to convince other people to work to improve the environment, if I couldn't make those changes myself? So, I resolved that I would become a vegetarian ... right after my Millennial Trip to Beijing (aka Land of Delicious Meats). While in Beijing, I gorged on many, many yummy meaty foods - duck, lamb, pig. Nom Nom Nom. On the flight back to the United States, I request...

Good Morning, Kittens! In these troubled economic times, we are all looking for ways to save money ... especially those of us who are part of that wonderful 6.5%. So, here's a little mantra that I have learned to repeat often to myself: "Starbucks is Expensive" Yes, their grande caramelmochafrappalattaccinos are delicious, but they are (repeat after me) expensive. And not worth it. Srsly. I used to go to Starbucks daily. And would regularly drop $4-5. If I wasn't getting the grandenonfatnowhipcaramelmochafrappalattacinoextrahot, I was buying the grande drip coffee (cheaper!) and a piece of lemon poundcake (suddenly, not so cheap). Now, let's do the math (because you know how much I *heart* the Mathematics): $4-5/day x 5 = $20-25/week $20-25/week x 4 = $80-100/month $80-100/month x 12 = nearly $1200/year. Do you know what you can buy with $1200? MY MORTGAGE! or this: or 150 of these: or 4oo of these: So, what do you do??? I'll break it down for you ... You buy...

One of my favorite places in the world is White Sands National Monument . It is one of the few places I've been which I find to be stunningly beautiful. Here's a fascinating fact: Some of the more active sand dunes in the park are moving in a northeasterly direction at up to 30 feet per year. Do you know what this shocking statistic means? Well, I'll tell you ... The distance from White Sands National Monument to the Canadian border (in a general Northeastern direction) is approximately 1900 miles . 1 mile = 5280 feet so ... 1900 x 5280 = 10032000 feet 10032000 feet divided by 30 feet per year = 334400 years WHICH MEANS (are you ready for this?): In the year 336, 408 AD , White Sands National Monument will become the White Sands Canadian National Monument! Thieving bitches. Give us back our monument!!

It's time for another VUBOQ Math Lesson ! 46,000 ( manufacturing jobs lost ) + 11,000 ( motor vehicle and parts jobs lost ) + 22,000 ( construction jobs lost ) = 79,000 jobs lost Now for some Washington Post Mathematics: 46,000 + 11,000 + 22,000 = Employers Cut 4,000 Jobs in August Can anyone explain this?

You know it's a slow day at the office when VUBOQ resorts to doing math problems . As some of you know, I used to work for the National Lead Information Center . Thus, the recent recall of some toys has piqued my interest. The question that I (and I'm sure YOU ) have been dying to know is: How many toy cars does a child need to eat to become lead poisoned? First, a few fun lead facts: Lead-based paint is defined as being 0.5% lead by weight . This converts to .... 5000 micrograms/gram (ug/g). The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has since decreed that no paint shall contain more that 0.06% lead by weight , or 600 ug/g . The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has set the blood-lead level of concern for children at 10 ug/dL (micrograms/deciliter). A persistent blood-lead level as low as 10 ug/dL can be associated with subtle learning and behavior problems. There can also be negative impacts on hearing and growth. Children with blood-lead levels under ...

Since Mush has kindly explained to me that one can felt wool stuff in the sink, I now have another question: Do wool items felt at the same ratio? For example ... the pattern I am making (felted military belts) says to knit 62" and the final felted product should measure 48". So ... (and here is where Vuboq shows why -in some circles*- he is considered to be a MATHEMATICAL GENIUS), I have knitted a belt which measures, pre-felting, 54". Thus, the final felted product would be ... X/54 = 48/62 62X = 2592 X = 41.8" Is that right? Let's look at another example ... I have an incomplete belt which is currently measuring 33". I am out of yarn, so if I bind it off and felt it, I would need to find a friend with what inch waste? X/33 = 48/62 62X = 1584 X = 25.5" 25.5" - 3" (for attaching the belt buckles) = 22.5" Hm ... do I even know anyone that thin? * some circles meaning groups of children, ages 3 or younger