Word of the Day: "Panniculus"

While strolling randomly through the internet and Wikipedia today I came across this word of the day: Panniculus

Panniculus: a dense layer of fatty tissue growth, consisting of subcutaneus fat in the lower abdominal area hanging downward.

It is antipose tissue and is basically referring to that wrinkled saggy skin with no hard belly fat-fat that droops creepily from the stomachs of either people that have lost a lot of weight in a short period of time (gastric bypass), or people that just seemed to grow a panniculus one day when other forms of expansion have already been explored. I have really needed a word for that phenomenon.

Be sure to place it in your "unknown parts of the body" dictionary somewhere prior to weenis.

Sadly, I don't have a stock photo of a panniculus but we have all seen them. I'll scoot around the internet and put one up later if I can find a good one because we all know posts with pictures are just better.

MOST DISTURBING THINGS I HAVE FOUND ON ETSY.COM YET

COMPLETELY off topic, but......

Ok. I'd like to think I am pretty art tolerant of just about anything, and I certainly don't go out actively searching for stuff like this, but seriously, WTF?

The face and doll is creepy and disfigured but alright except for the weird penises bumping into the overly cartoony face on th kid's stomach. The "hand painted portrait inset" as he calls it, doesn't even appear to match styles or talent with the rest of the sculpture. Does it have anything to do with why the guy's left leg is broken, bandaged, and bleeding? I like the belly button detail below the flying penises. It adds that "realistic" touch.


It gets worse. Let's look at another gem this guy is peddling:

Rub a dub-dub. Why is there so much blood in the tub? According to the artist, this has been displayed in his bathroom for years. That's worse than meeting a guy and embarrassingly having to ask him why there is no trash can liner in the bathroom trash can for...um...

What would you even say if you saw this next to the soap dispenser?

Watch out for this guy next time you are in NYC. He plays a regular guy eating baked beans when he isn't recreating repressed memories and dreaming about future crime scenes.

Diet Update (Since it seemed to be a popular post)

The Enerhealth shakes are really working. I don't actually have a scale, but my waistline is definitely  improving. Bigtime. So much so that I think that I might have only needed one month to achieve my costume goals instead of the two I allotted. I have been adding a little more water, so it has been 1/2 cup milk and 1-1/2 cups water to 2 tablespoons of meal replacement. With the added liquid, it keeps me full 5-7 hours, and is only about 150 calories. I highly recommend it. It could probably be worked into a regular CRON diet as well I would imagine. I have been using it for 1-2 meals a day, and eating a regular sized(for me) dinner.

Shame Time Warner, Shaaaame

I received an unsolicited phone call today from my local cable internet provider, Time Warner Cable. The conversation went somewhat like this:

Hello?

Hi, This is Time Warner cable. We noticed there are a few slow connections in your neighborhood. Probably a lot of streaming. Streaming and downloading. We would like to offer you a new modem that could improve your connection today.
----I'm thinking at this point he is trying to get me to pay the extra $5 for "faster internet" again----
It has a battery backup, which can keep you on the internet even in the case of a power outage. It also has a special 911 emergency jack in the back.

911 only? 911 calls are always monitored. Is this some sort of back-door wiretapping device into the modem?

Umm, well, that certainly isn't it's primary purpose.

WHAT? (That sounds like a yeah, you busted us to me!)

The guy glazes over my concerns and continues making his pitch.

I don't want your wiretapping super modem thank you.

Well, uh, thank you for your time. Goodbye.


Now, the big question is, did everyone on my block get a call like that as the conversation implied? Or am I being singled out for a new free wiretapping modem because I frequently encrypt my internet traffic and hide my location? Am I just being paranoid? I decided to do some research.

ARRIS Touchstone™ Telephony Modem TM502G

Application
The Touchstone TM502G delivers two lines of primary line Voice over IP (VoIP) along with
High-Speed Data Access. The Touchstone Telephony Modem TM502G uses a single
battery slot with two battery pack options to support telephony service during extended
power outages.


Optimized Performance

The Touchstone TM502G continues the ARRIS strategy of a single firmware platform for
all Touchstone Telephony Modem models. This ensures consistent quality and
performance of all Touchstone Telephony Modems. Do not put your trust in reference
designs that cannot deliver the performance and requirements for your telephony service.
When it comes to high-speed data service, subscribers will accept occasional lock-ups or
momentary loss of connectivity that may require them to reboot their cable modem. This
behavior is not acceptable for telephony. Telephony customers demand 99.999%
availability

All ARRIS Touchstone Telephony Modems support a wide variety of class features
including three-way calling, call waiting, caller ID, Emergency 911 and regulatory
requirements for wiretap under CALEA legislation.

Looks like I was right on the money. On another note, some people on Amazon have actually been PAYING $180 or so for the newest version of this lovely device.

It is no secret that the government has been angry over VOIP, it's anonymity (when used properly), it's rising popularity, and it's difficulty to wiretap (illegally or otherwise). 

I recommend just sitting back and waiting for the commercials telling you how only your cable company can give you the best VOIP and how you can get one of these sparkly new modems absolutely free when you sign up.  

Time Warner, you're on my list.  

Finally posting some gardening pics

I've been meaning to get some pictures of my garden up to hopefully inspire people to start one if they haven't, as well as welcome some helpful hints my way. I have a crap-tacularly small city yard, and have been trying to do the best I can with the space. To that end, there is a 3ftx3ft self watering planter from Gardener's Supply that is just amazing. (I don't receive any kickbacks for saying that.) The plants seem to grow almost twice as fast and you can fit more plants in a smaller space with self-watering containers because they don't compete with each other as much for resources.


Here's what I have in it right now:


In the center third, I have 3 vertical towers with 8 "oh so sweet" watermelon plants. I may sling the melons for support soon, but for now the vines seem to be holding up fine.

In the front third of the planter, I have some beets and carrots. The beets are just about done. I have a few chickens running around willy-nilly in my backyard and although the planter has chicken wire and a row of buckets surrounding it, they still stretch their neck out and sample the beet leaves a little. I've decided I can live with the amount of damage since the setup still keeps them from causing any catastrophic damage.

The back third of the planter has 2 grape tomato plants. To keep them from overcrowding the planter, they are woven through the chicken wire into the asparagus bed. Only the roots are in the self watering planter. It seems to be supporting them pretty well too.

Here is the asparagus bed with the tomatoes poking in to. It is about 3ftx4ft. I would like a bigger one, but that's all the room I have unfortunately.

In the corner of the self watering planter between the tomatoes and the fill tube there was just enough room to squeeze in a couple of basil plants. I put them there because I read it would ward off tomato hornworms. I haven't had a problem with them this year, but cabbage moths seem to like the basil plants:( Just need to keep the cabbage moths away now. Still working on my no-pesticide approach it seems.... 

 
So that's it for now. I feel that is a lot of garden for the space, and I highly recommend these planters. I have more going on in other containers and on the side and front of the house. I will post more later. Anyone reading this tell me what you think!

It has begun

I went to see The Watch today, and as I was exiting the theater after the show, my UDP/ boyfriend tapped me and said, "I'd hate to be in that line." I look over and at the front of the line for Batman is a guy in a suit, wanding people as they enter the theater!

Not only is this ludicrous because the odds of another shooting at a batman movie are about a billion to one, but the line getting wanded was already inside the theater and past the ticket-taker. So in other words, only the people in line for the Batman movie would get searched, even as everyone else seeing any other movie waded past and around them.

If I would have been able to snap a photo I would have to post it here, but my phone was still off (from being in the movie) and we were already arousing suspicion by staring and questioning the necessity of the man in the suit aloud.

The really sad part is, no one in the line looked offended. Some appeared mildly irritated that they had to stand in a line, but no one seemed angry. Some were even standing calmly and unmoved as if it was perfectly normal to be wanded before entering a movie theater. 

I might be getting ahead of myself, but the day I have to stand in line to be wanded, frisked, or body-scanned just to see a movie is the last time I will be seeing one in a theater. Is this a temporary overstep in attempt to quickly calm the masses to ensure Batman makes it's millions, or a window into what will come as we transition into an East German totalitarian dictatorship with checkpoints at the theater, grocery store, and every major road "for our protection"?

Diet starting today

I have a costumed event coming up in about 2 months, and to lose those last few pounds, (because I just have to show up the 20 year olds) I am going on a no alcohol and no sweets really low calorie diet. I really want to look better this year. I decided to try these meal replacement shakes so I could lose even more weight then when I count calories and stop drinking normally. The ingredients seem legit and in line with my diet, unlike most other diet drinks that are simply chocolate flavored clever combinations of the top 3 GMOs, cottonseed oil and aspartame.


Amino Acid Omega Balanced Natural Meal Replacement Ingredients:
Coconut Milk Powder, Chia Seeds, Sprouted Mung Beans, Sprouted Chickpeas, Organic Spirulina, Organic Chlorella, Sprouted Black Beans, Organic Vegetarian Nutritional Yeast, Sprouted Green Peas, Organic Purple Dulse, Organic Kelp, Organic Spinach, Organic Amaranth, Organic Alfalfa Leaf, Organic Barley Grass, Organic Wheat Grass, Organic Rose Hips, Sprouted Millet, Organic Beet Root, Organic Orange Peel, Organic Winter Cherry Root, Organic White Asparagus Root, Organic Dandelion Leaf, Organic Lemon Peel, Wildcrafted Papaya Leaf, Organic Horsetail, Organic Barley Grass Juice Powder, Organic Wheat Grass Juice Powder, Organic Cardamon, Organic Cinnamon

I tried the first glass just with water and stirred it with a spoon, and I ended up with a large, really gross tasting clump at the bottom when I was done. The drink itself was not great, but completely tolerable.The second glass I had I stirred 2 tablespoons with one cup of milk and one cup of water and threw it in the blender. It was MUCH better. There was a bit of a foamy island of unmixed drink at the top, but it wasn't so bad.


The best part was, it actually made me feel full for about 3-4 hours,at only 155 calories(with milk added)! It must be the coconut milk, or the fact it has poop-loads of nutrients in it. I'm going to bring a jar to work so I can continue there as well. We'll see how it goes.