When Your Plate is Bigger than Your Head

The previous dietary guidelines for the American population by the federal government was a bit of a no brainer: eat more fruit, not so much cake, and why don't you cut down on the salt too?

Obviously it didn't work since Americans became fatter and still holds to the first place in being the heaviest people on earth. So now, the government is being a bit more blunt about it: Just eat less.

Woho. Someone had to do it. I remember when I went to Los Angeles a few years ago and ordered a small caesar salad. When the plate came in I was shocked by the sheer quantity of food, it was like I had a small farm with dead chickens on a plate in front of me - needless to say, the doggy bag lasted me for a while.

The portions sizes I saw in America were more like sizes of furniture than normal plate sizes. I think the whole country along the line of progression forgot that our stomachs are the size of a fist. So it gets quite tricky when you try to press down a meal the size of a horse into it. Just a thought.

Chamkar

I have a friend that went on an amazing food infused trip to Cambodia a couple of weeks ago. His goal: to try as much new food as possible. Below is hisreview of the vegetarian restaurant Chamkar in Siem Reap.

Chamkar

Type: Vegetarian Restaurant

Cuisine: Khmer

Average Price: $8 - $15

Address: The Passage (mid way along), Old Market, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Amongst the various eateries found within the central hub of the bustling Old Market area in Siem Reap, foreign visitors have a large selection of food ranging from very typical western dishes to slightly more exotic choices such as Crocodile or Snake. But somewhere within this carnivorous heaven is a little vegetarian sanctuary called Chamkar - which in Khmer loosely translates to “the vegetable garden”.

Their claim to fame is to cook with fresh local vegetables, and strive to use organic ingredients whenever possible, providing a gourmet and healthy dining experience for all lovers of food. All dishes are guaranteed free of meat, fish, fish sauce, eggs and MSG.

Enough of the introduction, what you all probably want to know is about the food! Well firstly I should make it clear that I am no vegetarian and I’m happy to tear away at some fleshy meat such as the above mentioned snake (python to be precise, a great workout for your jaw muscles may I add!), BUT this place is quite possibly hands down one of my fa

vourite and most enjoyable restaurants I have been to, so much so that I made a total of 3 visits in 3 consecutive evenings. So as Ms C.C. would say: so let’s get down to business ya’ll…

Day 1 – The Discovery

As I’m seated and passed the menu, two ladies sitting on the table beside me just finished there meal and tell the waitress how fantastically awesome the entire meal was and enquire about the subtle flavours of the dish they just ate! So this is a good start already! After going through the menu, I decide order: Rediscovering Tofu - Stuffed Tofu with fried pumpkin, curry paste and toasted peanut served with an onion and green pepper chutney (and served with rice).

So how good was this exactly? Well rate your favourite dish on a scale of 1 to 17, multiply it with any random number between 1 and 100, add 50 and square the result! Yes that equals… SUPER YUM. The flavours worked very well, the chutney was delicious and I was totally stuffed! All for a little over $5 USD - great value for money as well! I liked it so much I knew I had to try and sample as much as I could off the menu during the rest of my stay.

Day 2 – Man on a Mission

Even though the main meal from the previous evening left me totally stuffed, I just HAD to go all out and order 3 courses because I wanted to taste more and more!

Starter: Coconut Dream - Chilled coconut milk and sweet potato cream topped with tofu, fresh tomato dices and sesame seeds. This was very refreshing and cooling, much welcomed as I was sitting in the Cambodian heat of the evening.

Main: Truly Rooty - Crunchy cassava fritters with yellow curry paste and toasted cashew nuts served with a delicately perfumed chilli and krasaing fruit sauce and a green mango chutney on the side.It looks deceptively light but infact was once again very filling. It had a nice blend of textures and flavours.

Dessert: The Mellow Treat - Traditional Cambodian cake flavoured with palm sugar and served with a sweet coconut and yam bean sauce. Very different to the typical western pudding, and wasn’t overly sweet.

At the end of this humongous meal, I was well and truly stuffed. It’s a good thing I had trekking planned at Phnom Koulen National Park the following day!

Day 3: It’s Getting Emotional

My final day in Siem Reap and my last opportunity to sample these great Khmer influenced vegetarian dishes. Although I wanted to do a full 3 course one last time, I just couldn’t do it as I still planned to eat some of the more exotic meat dishes.

Ratana's Spring Roll - Green mango, fried yam bean, cucumber, carrot, lettuce and a wide range of fresh aromatic herbs served with a sweet coconut and chilli sauce. Nice, crunchy and fricka-fricka-fresh!

Biting Amok - fragrant bites rolled in amok leaf and cooked in a slightly spicy coconut milk sauce, creating a broad range of distinct sweet, sour and spicy flavours. Amok is a signature Khmer dish and as my farewell dish, it made sense to taste the vegetarian twist on it.

It was nice but the fish and chicken versions have the edge in my opinion. This was served with wholesome brown rice this time meaning I was EXTRA stuffed so I had to sadly leave some food on the plate.

Uncle Manish’s thoughts…

If you are ever looking to visit the Angkor Temples, you can relax in knowing that there is a kick-ass vegetarian restaurant that will cater for your dietary and tastebud needs. The service is always friendly and given with a smile, tasteful decor and very reasonable prices. You can happily eat like a King/Queen with a 3 course meal for under $15 (approx £10). Almost good enough to make me convert back to vegetarianism…

Rating out of 17:

Food: 16

Service: 17

Atmosphere: 15

Value: 17

Overall: 16.25

Review by Manish.

Nostalgia

I would like to take a little stroll down memory lane this evening. Remember 12 years ago, in 1999 when a little English girl turned yellow after drinking a certain fruit juice? The child was rushed to the hospital after her face and hands turned bright orange and yellow.

The cause?

The child was drinking over 1.5 litres a day of this popular juice drink. Now, warning bells in my head go off when I hear stuff like this. Why would a mother let her little child consume this much sugared fruit juice? This fruit juice in particular has not only added sugar but stabilisers, thickeners and acidifiers. Why would you feed this to a small child until she turned freaking yellow?

Whenever I see a parents walking on the street, giving their small children a can of coke, fries or a sausage roll I feel like stopping them and saving the child by knocking those things out of their hands.

By feeding your child anything else than real food, you are setting a standard for what their future life might look like. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that e-numbers, sugar and fat on a daily basis makes sick, unhealthy and obese children. Go figure.

Excuses such as "but my child wont eat vegetables" or ''I'm too busy to cook everyday" makes no sense:

1. Your children will eat whatever you give him, unless they suddenly get a job and their own income and freedom at eight years old - which would actually be awesome.

2. If you're too busy to care about what you're putting inside your children's bodies then...you have bigger issues.

I'm not making any big revelations here, the whole thing is very, very simple:

Feed your children poor quality food to build up their growing bodies - and except poor quality bodies.

Thank you and Good night America!

Lost Outside London

Tonight I'm in one of the most rural and long forgotten small towns in England: Loughborough. Now, there are not that many things to do here on a Friday evening besides tipping cows or going to the local pub and since I'm an animal friend and not so much of a pub girl, I've decided to go to a little bigger city in a challening quest for some vegan food.

Tonight we're going to Squeek in Nottingham, an awesome vegan and organic restaurant which basically looks like someone's kitchen with curtains, non-matching plates and random old pictures hanging of the wall. Last time I went there I had a food orgasm (after an hour of waiting for my food - but it was worth it) and I'm looking to have a multiple one tonight with their vegan desserts and their vegan hot chocolate. I'm dribbling on my keyboard now so I have to go. Ta.

FAN PAGE ON FACEBOOK

By the way people, we now have a Facebook Fan Page where you can write to us, start discussions and look for love. I mean if you really want to. Join us.

Just click here.

Veal You Stop?

Ever heard about 'white veal'? It's considered as a delicacy by some people, though other people with this weird notion of compassion usually refer to as cruel and abusive. Let me explain: White veal is basically calves who are taken away from their mothers, forced to live in cramped spaces, have their legs broken and/or their movements restricted in some way, in order to avoid muscle growth. This calves are fed a milk diet throughout their lives, until they are killed at only eight months old. The milk diet and the intentional physical crippling of them gives the meat the white colour and "a special tenderness".

This is today prohibited in the UK, but it doesn't stop many factory farms here to send newborn calves on long and though journeys to other European countries who still allows these cruel type of breeding.

It is actually surprising to me that humans will go this far in their quest for "tender" food. Taking a baby from it's mom, continuously exploit him and force feed him until it you kill him at eight months old, because you want some tender flesh to bite into.

Awesome.

Compassion in World Farming

Tonight I attended a really interesting talk on Factory Farming given by UCL Veg Society in association with Compassion in World Farming. The woman talked to us about intensive farming and how for example Nocton Dairies Ltd has re-applied to open a US-style ‘super-dairy’ in Lincolnshire, England. Now, a super-dairy farm would be an indoor factory farm with over 8000 cows, milked by machines, who would spend the majority of their life indoors, in a steel prison basically.

This was the video they showed us today and it gives you a little hint on how factory farming works and how Compassion in World Farming are trying to stop this.

Click here to watch the video.

Silicon and Acid In Your Meat? Why Not?

The official ingredients list of the Taco Bell's Seasoned Ground Beef has been released. Now, when you think seasoned beef, you're probably thinking about some meat, some spices, maybe a bit of onions and a splash of tomato sauce?

Think again. How about Silicon Dixoide, Caramel Colour, Citric Acid and Maltodextrin in your meat?
Because that is exactly what you're getting. Seriously folks, when are you going to stop buying food from places that have no interest whatsoever in the state of your nutritional wellbeing but only in your pocket money? Buying food from a fast food restaurant is like buying a crucifix from the devil.

It just doesn't make any sense.

It's a Beef!

Ah Taco Bell. Fast tasteless food with a synthetic Mexican touch to it and a Chihuahua as a mascot. Does it get any better? Well, it does. What if the meat you were served in your tacos, wasn't actually...meat?

An Alabama law firm has now sued Taco Bell for false advertising. According to the law firm, the "beef" Taco Bell serves in their tacos is mainly made up by chemicals, starches and powders. The firm claims that the taco filling, also called "beef", is only made up of 36% meat and that according to the USDA, food labelled as "meat taco filling" should contain at least 40% meat.

Taco Bell is denying the lawsuit, saying in a statement that "We start with 100 percent USDA-inspected beef. Then we simmer it in our proprietary blend of seasonings and spices to give our seasoned beef its signature Taco Bell taste and texture."

Come on. Next you're going to tell me that your Chihuahua actually can talk.

And We Shall All Have Nightmares Tonight

Yesterday a friend showed me something so horrific it's hard for me to even write this post. She showed me a picture of a pie her friend had. Now this was Chicken and Mushroom pie of a famous brand which all the shops sell here in England. Her friend was happily enjoying his dinner until he found himself chewing...on something hairy. Something very hairy.

This is what he found.

He does not know what it is, however it has been speculated (by me) that it could be a longhaired rat of some sort or an accident in the pie factory which resulted in a bleeding scalp of one of the factory workers named Julio.

The moral of the story? Don't eat ready meals. Especially not if the whole freaking thing you're eating is cleverly covered by pastry. Oh, and Sweeney Todd still lives on it seems.

The Magic Brown Powder

You know when you eat chocolate and the second after you've finished it, you feel this strong urge to kill yourself for being so gross and fat? Well, don't suck on that pistol just yet girlfriend! Now, you can actually have chocolate without really having it!

Introducing: LeWhif, the little smart tube which sprays chocolate powder straight into your mouth! LeWhif gives you the elusion of having that irresistible chocolate - without the calories! Yaaay. According to their website, LeWhif was invented by a Harvard Professor along with "student, designers, engineers and entrepreneurs".

That's what I've always wanted. An entrepreneur and a student, designing stuff in a lab for me to put into my body. Sigh.

Let's all have a silent minute today and honour the death of real food. Amen.

Mildreds, finally!

Someone in the universe wants me to get fat because I've been eating like a monster these couple of days. It's just because they're all vegan treats! Last night I went with a couple of friends to this really nice place called Mildreds in SoHo. They have an all vegetarian/vegan menu with a sick vegan tofu cheesecake with banana, coconut and maple syrup. Yepp. I rolled home.

Maca Day

Today, we, the SOAS Veg Society held a Vegan Bake-sale for charity. Yum. We had Strawberry and Champagne cake, fudge, chocolate cake, coffee cupcakes...all vegan of course! And as if that wasn't enough, I went to have some warming drinks with a friend at Vantra on Soho Street. I had this Oat milk Latte made on Maca and ohh boy. I swear, if heaven has a taste, then Maca might be it.

Maca powder, which is made from the Maca root, comes from the Andes in Peru. This root, which has also been branded as one of the "superfoods" and sometimes referred to as "Peruvian gold" has been used for generations by the Indians in Peru to increase fertility in both animals and humans. Today, Maca is used as an energiser, as a cure for hormonal imbalances, to promote mental clarity and also as an aphrodisiac (grrr).

There has been studies on Maca which shows that taking 3.0 g Maca daily relieves sexual dysfunction and it is said to also increase muscle-bulding as an alternative to silly steroids.

Basically, it does everything except calling you baby and buying you a drink. If you want to know more about the wonders of Maca click here or here.

All I know is that tastes good and that I might have some more. Everyday.

The obscure "Me, Tarzan, You, Jane"-Mentality

Often when I tell people that I'm a vegan, I get the response: "Well, I'm easygoing. I'll eat anything." That to me is like saying "I'll screw anything" or "I'll kill anything".

I mean bravo to you son.

How intellectual of you to do every single thing that you are capable of. Never mind the fact that we have been blessed with brains that also are capable of making moral and ethical choices. If you can do it, then you must.

There is a general understanding of vegans as people being trapped in Birkenstock sandals and hemp hoodies with no real understanding of the freedom they actually have in choosing what they can eat. I once had a friend saying: "Oh my gosh, sweetie. You know you're missing out on chicken right? I mean fried chicken it's the best, maybe you can eat it just a couple of times a month?"

Ok. Come on now. Of course I know I can eat meat if I want. But I also know that I can feed a baby cocaine, tattoo a butterfly on my ass and campaign for the tea party. Somehow, however, those things does not go in line with my moral views on life. So I don't.

But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe we should do everything we can do, because that is our God given right as human beings. Yeah. Come on people: let's build factories that pollute the water, let's devastate the Brazilian rain forests, exploit people in third world countries, create a platform for trafficking, set anorexia as a standard of beauty and...oh, wait, what? We already done all of that? Sorry, my bad.

Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse...

The new Starbucks cup called "Trenta" gives the term super-sized a new face. Trenta contains 325 mil more than the Venti, which used to be Starbucks largest size, making it a container of 916 ml. Woaw. Worth pointing out is that 900 ml is your stomach's size. So if you're one of those people who loves to feel sick and nauseas after a coffee, you may celebrate right now with a Trenta-sized doubble caramel frappuccino.

Turkey Zombies

I know a lot of people that defend their meateating habits by stating things such as "But I only eat lean meat such as turkey and chicken." Ok. And I only smoke heroin, I don't inject it. Please.

Here is a little fun fact for those "healthy" turkey eating peeps: Did you know that the mainstream turkey which is sold in all the supermarkets today is a genetically modified animal? Yessur. It can't stand properly, not walk and certainly not fly or jump very high (as the turkeys constructed by mother nature used to do). These turkeys have to be injected with sperm by humans to procreate because they can't even do that anymore themselves. They have been "shaped" to look a certain way in order for the meat industry to make maximum profit. Why? Because sick animals generates more profit. They don't require that much food because they can't move, and the same things goes with space and human care. These turkeys are so genetically screwed up that they're barely functioning.

Sure, these turkeys live an extremely painful life without ever really moving and eventually they are put into water with electricity alive hanging from it's feet, but that's OK because at least you'll get your turkey for a good price from the supermarket when you cut off all the costs it actually takes to take care of an animal properly.

So. Healthy meateaters, now you can enjoy your genetically zombified turkey which lived a life in excruciating pain. Bon Appetit.

See you there!

Woho! Jonathan Safran Foer, the author of the brilliant book Eating Animals is coming to London this week to hold a talk at the London School of Economics. Can’t wait. For those of you who haven’t read it yet, you must! It’s such an inspirational book which will make you question every. Single. Thing. Especially the meat industry and where all the hundreds of tons of farmed animal excrement goes. Just saying - you wont be happy when you find out. And if you thought back "into the earth"? Hahahahah.

Blame it on the boogie.

Woaw. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, “The total economic cost of overweight and obesity in the United States is $270 billion per year while the cost in Canada is about $30 billion a year, a new study shows.”

So...North America has a cost of 300 billion dollars a year which goes to the treatment of obese people. Woaw. I'm definitely not trying to blame obese people here; history has showed us that people will do/eat/love pretty much anything which is put in front of them: smoke, eat a 3000 calorie burger made out of a corpse, love Sarah Palin. I mean let's face it: people are in general not that smart. Unfortunately, our lack of higher intelligence along with our ability to adapt to anything has made us victims of war, slavery, oppressive regimes and so on. I say victims, but let's not forget that it was we, the people who caused all of this. Not marsians - people. Anyway, I'm getting a bit too political here, the point I want to make is that it’s not entirely the individual's fault for being fat. I mean plumper Joe maybe doesn't know that deep-fried corndogs are bad for him? Maybe we should teach him that? HEY I KNOW, I HAVE GREAT IDEA! Why not put those 300 billion into education and educate the chubby kids of America that mama’s mac and cheese puddings are evil. Eviiiil. Just an idea.

Why You Should Eat Raw Food

I am not a complete Raw Foodist myself, even though a try to keep as much food as I can raw. And now with my dehydrator, I am definitely looking to increase my raw intake. So. People have been asking me why Raw Food is good for you? I tell them it's like love: better when it's pure. Besides from that, you might also want to check out these reasons:

1. It prevents Enzyme Destruction; cooking food above a temperature of 43 degrees celsius is going to break down and destroy the enzymes in that food. And we need those enzymes for digesting our food and for other health reasons.

2. Your body's elimination system will get rid of the toxins created when you cook.

3. It is an alkalizing diet which is actually essential if you want to look and feel FAB. Read more here.

4. Raw Fats are Healthy Fats. Obviously.

5. You will get more energy - your body will be spending less time and energy on trying to break down that read meat which got stuck inside your bowel along with those popcorn you had last night. Good luck.

6. You will be able to pinpoint the type of trees, bushes and land your food comes from. You don't longer need to look down in shame every time you pass a fabric, knowing that your food probably was "created" in there.

7. You will actully be eating the food which was designed for us humans by...what's her name again, I forget, uhmm...oh yeah, MOTHER EARTH.

I would love to be a Raw Foodist myself, I mean who wouldn't want to be a Raw Vegan with cool hemp accessories but I have to be honest: it can be quite hard sometimes during the winter months I spend in Sweden. I mean I love snow and potatoes but it gets a bit boring eating them every day.

Yes, it's true.

I don't know if you guys have heard the rumours downtown but all I can say is yes it's true. I am now officially the owner of a sweet little dehydrator. As I am typing this, I am dehydrating bananas and tomatoes. I love chewy banana chips and at Saf Restaurant a while ago I tried dehydrated tomatoes and it was like a...well, like an explosion of tomato flavour in my mouth. Marvellous, absolutely marvellous. Dehydrated food really brings out the flavour!

Why dehydrate your food you might ask? Well, that's a post for tomorrow because I need some beauty sleep now while my lil fruits are drying.

Good night!

'De-baptism' in Belgium

An interesting article on what some Belgian Catholics are doing to stand up to the criminal activities of the Catholic Church:

BRUSSELS (AFP) – The child abuse scandals rocking Belgium's powerful Catholic Church are also shaking the faith of followers, with more and more people asking to be struck off baptism registers -- a global movement known as "de-baptism".

"When you don't agree with an organisation that you never chose to join in the first place, the healthiest thing to do is to leave," Damien Spleeters told AFP.

In this mainly Catholic country of 10 million people, the 24-year-old is among a growing crowd exasperated by church policy on issues such as AIDS, and angered by revelations last year of massive child abuse by priests and lay workers.

After reports in April that the Bishop of Bruges had sexually abused his own nephew for 13 years, starting when the boy was five, a church-backed commission in September issued graphic testimony of nearly 500 cases of child abuse by priests and lay workers, including 13 victims who committed suicide.

Spleeters last year wrote to the bishop overseeing the parish where his parents had him christened as a baby to announce he no longer wanted the church "to speak in his name" so was requesting to be struck off the baptism register.

"Whilst we deplore your decision," replied Abbot Jean-Pierre Lorette, "the Catholic Church respects each individual's freedom and will not hold back against their will those who wish to leave it."

Spleeters, the priest added, was in consequence "logically" excommunicated.

In an interview, the young Brussels resident said "I don't consider myself an atheist" but explained he turned to de-baptism due to growing irritation with the Catholic hierarchy.

The move was not uncommon, said Daniel Leclerq of the group "Friends of Secular Morality".

"Pope Benedict XVI's statements against condoms, the appointment of a conservative -- Andre-Joseph Leonard -- to head the Belgian church in early 2010, and the child abuse revelations have led to a hike in de-baptisms," Leclerq said.

...

The church itself played down the phenomenon.

"The percentage is tiny compared to the size of Belgium's Catholic community," said Tommy Scholtes, spokesman for the country's bishops. "It's only understandable that people will come into conflict with an institution, but one incident can't topple the entire institution."

...

In practise, de-baptism consists in writing to the church where the christening took place. The name is not actually struck off but noted on the baptismal registry, meaning that those who decide to leave cannot be married in the church or expect a Catholic funeral.

The trend has gained a substantial following worldwide with atheist groups and secular societies backing online de-baptism for people who see churches as being increasingly out of tune with modern life.

But in Belgium the chord struck hard amid last year's child abuse scandals, the latest country after the United States, Ireland and Germany to face fallout over paedophilia priests.

While the church has apologised for the abuses and admitted "inadequate" handling of the cases, victims complain it has not proposed compensation.

Last month, Archbishop Leonard, the Catholic primate who is a conservative close to Pope Benedict XVI, drew further fire on telling a parliamentary inquiry that compensation was a decision for the courts to take.

Civil authorities should decide whether an institution must pay damages when its leaders "are not personally implicated in the crimes," he said.

"They have become masters in sweeping the dirt under the carpet," said Spleeters.

Where have I been??

Why haven't anyone told me about this? It's in the middle of SoHo! I freaking jog in SoHo. Hmm. I'm going to investigate this on my next jogging round. Woaw. I'm actually going to jog in search for food. Love it.

Green Tea Pour Les Riches

I am a sucker for green tea. Chinese Gun Powder, Infused Thai Yasmin and mint flavoured. I love them all. That's why I think I should get this on my birthday.

The brand MASA have created this 750 ml bottle of green tea. Which costs around 2,500 dollars. No biggie.

Additional Information Abut The Flesh You Eat

According to the Huffington Post "The Agriculture Department will require many meat labels to include the number of calories and other nutritional information starting in 2012 so that consumers can make healthier decisions about what they eat."

Woaw. This is amazing. The Agriculture Department will also include additional information such as the name of the meat's mother, how it was killed and where it preferred to be scratched when it was alive.

Emergency Contraceptive Pill News: The i-Pill Is Now Nextime

UPDATE: Looks like the i-Pill is back. So, the i-Pill and Nextime are the same drug, a one-pill 1.5 mg levonorgestrel emergency contraceptive pill, different brand names. Links for both the i-Pill and Nextime now go to their respective Amazon pages. See which one is available, buy it ahead of time, and keep it handy.

The one-pill emergency contraceptive brand i-Pill has a new name: Nextime

The Paras company acquired the i-Pill from Cipla and thought it a good idea to change the brand name. To one similar to another emergency contraceptive pill (ECP) brand already on the market. Brilliant, no? But I digress.

So, Nextime is a one-pill, 1.5 mg levonorgestrel (LNG, a progestin) emergency contraceptive pill. You take it as soon as possible after the act of unprotected intercourse, up to 5 days. The sooner you take Nextime, the more effective it is.

Both the i-Pill and Nextime are available on Amazon for $19.98.

Nextime should not be confused with Next Choice.

Next Choice is a two-pill, 0.75 mg LNG per pill, brand. (Next Choice is the generic for the now discontinued Plan B.) The regimen for Next Choice is the same--take *both pills* at the same time (disregard the label instructions) as soon as possible after unprotected intercourse, up to 5 days. The sooner you take Next Choice, the more effective it is.

Next Choice is also available on Amazon for $52.75.

You should also be able to find Next Choice in pharmacies (behind-the-counter for women and men 17 and older; with a prescription for those <17 yo). Best to call ahead and make sure your local pharmacy has it in stock and to inquire about the price.

To recap, the dedicated ECP brands are:

One-Pill, LNG

Plan B One-Step

i-Pill / Nextime

Two-pill, LNG

Next Choice

One-Pill, UA (ulipristal acetate)

Ella

Post Photo of Placenta on Facebook, Get Expelled from Nursing School

What do you think about the action of these nursing students?

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Four students who posed for photos with a human placenta have been kicked out of a suburban Kansas City nursing program after one of the pictures was posted on Facebook.

One of the students, Doyle Byrnes, has filed a complaint in U.S. District Court in Kansas seeking to force Johnson County Community College to reinstate her before classes resume Jan. 19.

The Kansas City Star reported that Byrnes and several other students were attending a lab course at Olathe Medical Center in November when one of them asked a nursing instructor for permission to photograph the placenta so they could share the experience on Facebook.

The lawsuit against the college and several of its employees said that the nursing instructor responded, "Oh, you girls," but didn't tell them not to do it or that it could result in discipline.

Afterward, Byrnes posted a photo on the social networking site showing her smiling broadly, wearing a lab coat and surgical gloves and leaning over the placenta in a tray. Nothing in the photos identified the woman from whom the placenta came.

The photo was on Facebook for about three hours until the nursing instructor called Byrnes and told her to remove it. Byrnes asked if she was in trouble and the instructor replied she was not, the lawsuit says. Byrnes removed the photo immediately and has since closed her Facebook account.

Byrnes and the other three students who posed with the placenta were expelled the next day. The lawsuit didn't fully identify the other students.

Jeanne Walsh, director of nursing at the college, criticized Byrnes in a letter that was included as an exhibit with the complaint.

"Your demeanor and lack of professional behavior surrounding this event was considered a disruption to the learning environment," the letter said.

Hipster Healthy

Did you know that it's hard, if not impossible to go out to a social venue like the cinema, the arcade or the bowling alley and have a natural snack? A Natural snack being something which is not processed, created in a lab or filled with stuff that should go into the making of schampoo. For example, I went to the movies today and there was literally just bottled water there which didn't contain any E-numbers, sugar or animal products. Come on, at least sell some fresh fruit or some nuts and seeds for the weird people who aren't fans of Alzheimers caused by aspartame in fizzy drinks.

Sigh. I guess I just have to keep bringing my little cotton bag of sunflower seeds and dried dates to the cinema. Along with my hemp scarf, my pocket-dehydrator and my yoga mat. That's right, it's about going all the way people. All the way.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year People! May this be an amazing year for you filled with love, health and spiritual wealth!

Bill Donohue Provides Comedic Relief

Start 2011 with a hearty laugh, courtesy of noted Catholic clown Bill Donohue (emphasis mine):

Sandra Lee is the glamorous, live-in love of Gov. Cuomo - and nobody seems to mind that they're not married.

...

Even outspoken Catholic activist Bill Donohue of the Catholic League passed on a chance to decry what some religious conservatives would deem as "living in sin."

Donohue declined to be interviewed, saying through a spokesman, "We're not one to pass judgment" on how people conduct their personal life "or how people celebrate their religion."

Happy New Year!

Photo via