• Poison

    The power of poison

    June 14, 2014 / No Comments

    Did you know that Agatha Christie decided to become a mystery writer while mixing medicines at a hospital during World War I?

    Or that wolfsbane — a plant once thought to weaken werewolves — is so poisonous that florists have gotten sick just from touching the flowers?

    Or that the powerful venom of the Gila monster has been used to develop a drug to combat diabetes?

    I didn’t either, until my friend, Ed came along. Ed has only known me for a few months and yet for some strange reason, he knows me well. Which is why I had to laugh when he recently sent me a link about a new exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History called The Power of Poison.

    The exhibit, which opened in November, examines all things toxic. How poisons have been used by plants and animals as a defense against predators. How witches and wizards have utilized poisons as a source of magical power. And, of course, how people throughout time have employed poisons as a lethal weapon. But poisons have also been used to save lives, and are currently being studied by scientists for use in treating epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease and cancer.

    Curated by parasitologist Dr. Mark Siddall, The Power of Poison shares examples of toxins in nature, myth, legend and science. Thanks to his efforts, you can learn all about the toxic skin of the pretty (but deadly) golden poison frog, the reason why hat makers in the 1700s and 1800s were believed to be mad and why alleged poisoner Lucrezia Borgia may have been innocent of the crimes historians have attributed to her.

    If you share a similar fascination with poisons, and are going to be in New York City this summer, do check out the exhibit. Light knows I plan to. Can’t make the trip? Then take a few moments to view this “enchanted book” about poisons.

    To those kind readers who now think I’m really very strange (but still plan to be in Manhattan before June 22), be sure to take in the museum anyway. The Butterfly Conservatory is particularly awesome.

    (Photo by Pablo H. Caridad.)

  • Tv

    Living vicariously through televised drama

    June 7, 2014 / No Comments

    Other than the cuddling, the thing I like most about watching TV with M is the opportunity to hypothesize afterwards about what we would — and wouldn’t do — in a similar situation.

    “What are you, crazy? Don’t go into the darkened warehouse!”

    “Of course I wouldn’t push the Execute button! That’s like choosing to jail yourself.”

    “How can she be so stupid? Again? C’mon! That’s just bad writing.”

    “Yeah, that guy totally needs to die.”

    (Photo by Stephanie Swartz photography. Used with permission.)

  • sundae

    Serendipity 5

    June 2, 2014 / No Comments

    One of my favorite places in New York City is the ice cream shoppe Serendipity 3. Yes, it’s uber-touristy and utterly overpriced, but the ice cream sundaes are outrageously good. As you can see from the picture on this post, each sundae is filled with at least three scoops of ice cream and topped with fluffy whipped cream, juicy cherries and so much hot fudge that the sauce oozes over the sides of the dish whenever you take a spoonful.

    Today, I have a different serendipity in mind.

    For some reason, $1 and $20 bills spend more time in my wallet than other forms of cash. When the rare $5 bill appears, I view it as a stroke of luck, a happy accident.

    In the past, I’d hide that $5 bill in a sock drawer or coin purse. There it would remain, gathering dust, until I developed a yen for pizza. Regardless of how much dough was in my checking account, I could reach into my hidden $5 stash and treat myself (and whomever happened to be nearby) to dinner.

    This practice of Lucky $5s and delivered pizzas continued for years. Even after I started making my own pies, I still put most of my $5 bills aside for a rainy day.

    While walking through the grocery store this morning, I spied the frozen pizza section and remembered this odd habit of mine. That’s when I thought, isn’t it better to give than to receive? Perhaps it was time to upgrade my Lucky 5 habit to the Serendipity 5 plan.

    What’s the difference? Well, now when two $5 bills cross my palm, I still plan to save one. M and I hope to buy a house in the near future and every little bit counts. But from this point forward, I shall give away the other $5 bill. I can donate it to a favorite charity, help those less fortunate or purchase an item that will brighten someone else’s day.

    My hope is that the idea of Serendipity 5 will spread. What do you think?

    [socialpoll id=”2204354″]

  • Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

    May 24, 2014 / 2 Comments

    What is the one word you would use to describe your body?

    I thought about this question after watching the above video. My word is: Mine.

    My body can be described positively as soft, rounded and huggable, or negatively as short, fat and occasionally broken. Light knows it’s far from perfect. But this is the body I have. It keeps me going. It helps me live. It is mine.

    So few women feel this way about their bodies, which is unfortunate. Hating your body not only makes you feel miserable on a daily basis, it leaves you vulnerable to emotional, spiritual and physical attacks. You begin to think you’re unworthy or unloveable, that you deserve the cruelty that comes your way.

    Nothing could be further from the truth.

    Photographer Taryn Brumfitt understands this issue, and is trying to unite women across the globe and inspire them to love their bodies.

    “Women and girls are constantly held back and lead to believe they’re not as good as they should be. Why? Because every day we feel we’re being judged on our appearance and how far away it is from an unachievable ideal,” Brumfitt notes. “Lose weight, reduce wrinkles, fight cellulite; we’re constantly told to fight a battle to be someone other than who we are. Excessive photoshopping, the sexualization of women in the media and advertising campaigns that prey on women’s insecurities — it’s no wonder there is a culture of body loathing and body shaming of epidemic proportions going on in the world.”

    To combat this cultural viewpoint, Brumfitt founded the Body Image Movement and launched a Kickstarter campaign to make a documentary called “Embrace.” The film, which is already fully funded, aims to spread a simple message: It’s okay to Love Your Body.

    As a member of the Nerdfighter community, I spend each day trying to decrease the overall level of world suck. I supported Brumfitt’s project because I think it has an excellent chance of doing so.