| Tuesday, November 25, 2003 |  |
| LOVE 'AS ADDICTIVE AS COCAINE' |
 25 Nov 2003 @ 23:04Ananova November 24, 2003 Love could be as addictive as cocaine or speed, scientists have said. According to Dr John Marsden, head of the National Addiction Centre at the Maudsley Hospital in London, when you are attracted to someone your brain releases the drug dopamine, giving the same reaction that taking cocaine or speed would create. "Attraction and lust really is like a drug. It leaves you just wanting more," he said. However like the drugs -- the first flush of love is temporary. "Scientific research reveals the first flush of love lasts only between three and seven years," he added. The findings, which will appear in a BBC documentary next month, also investigate the link between people's smells, facial features and genes. "Being attracted to someone sparks the same incredible feelings no matter who you are. Love really does know no boundaries," he said. He explained that when we are attracted to someone part of the brain which processes emotions is fired up causing the heart to pound three times faster than normal and causes blood to be diverted to the cheeks and sexual organs, which causes the feeling of butterflies in the stomach. "It might look like we are all after the perfect partner to wine and dine but underneath all that our animal instincts are seeking out an ideal mate to share our genes with," he said. Dr Marsden's research also revealed that, "sex is booby-trapped" to make people bond with their partner. "Your body has evolved over millions of years with one aim -- to go forth and multiply, so while having kids may not be on the agenda just yet your body has a few tricks up its sleeve to drag you in that direction," he said. According to the research the more people have sex together, the more likely they are to bond. "We all know you can have sex without falling in love but if you have enough sex with the same person there's a good chance you will hit the body's booby trap which is there to tip you head over heels into love," he said. "So your body goes all out to make you bond with your partner and that makes love highly addictive and the withdrawal sucks." Body Hits: Love Story is on BBC3 on Thursday December 4. Well, guess that is why I take my time in getting to know people before letting the Love Bug bite. I can appreciate a dopamine intoxicated fix, I Love Love. Sort of takes the romantic notion out of falling in love at first sight, huh? To read more about addictive society check it out here And for you gaias (from the Greek Goddess Gaia, Earth), you may want to check out what Jane Fonda has to say how patriarchal culture imprints on men here. |
| International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women |
 25 Nov 2003 @ 23:51 Today, November 25, is International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. One of the strongest international instruments for combating violence against women is the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). MADRE calls for the full implementation of CEDAW and its optional protocol by all governments, particularly the United States which has yet to sign the convention. Because violence is perpetuated not only by individuals but also by social, political and economic institutions, MADRE demands the recognition by governments of poverty, racism, discrimination and lack of access to food, shelter, health care and education as grave forms of violence against women. On the occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, MADRE is supporting the following anti-violence programs of our Latin American sister organizations: In Guatemala, MADRE is supporting a demonstration by the Barcenas Maquila Workers' Committee to demand an end to gender and racial discrimination targeting maquila workers. In Peru, MADRE is supporting a youth seminar held by our sister organization LUNDU, to address issues of racism, discrimination, sexuality, identity and reproductive rights. In Colombia, MADRE is supporting a rally calling for the peaceful resolution of the armed conflict through negotiation, respect for civil rights, demilitarization, the eradication of rape as a weapon of war, an end to corporate violence, and the implementation of human rights and humanitarian law. In Nicaragua, MADRE is supporting a youth seminar on sexual and reproductive rights at CADAMUC Clinic. For more information on CEDAW, see the CEDAW homepage on the United Nations [link] |
 CAN TEFLON MAKE YOU SICK? |
 25 Nov 2003 @ 11:47Some of you out there might literally gotten sick from home cooking.... KATU 2 News November 14, 2003 Teflon, one of the most popular non-stick pan products, can emit fumes that make you sick if it is allowed to get hot enough. According to ABCNews, the makers of Teflon have known about the problems for years. To learn about the health problem, ABCNews went to the kitchen with members of the Environmental Working Group. They say that when a Teflon coated pan reaches 554-degrees, ultra-fine particles start coming off the pan. The particles can imbed in the lungs and lead to "Teflon Flu." The illness causes flu-like symptoms, including headache, backache, and a temperature between 100 and 104 degrees. The hotter a Teflon pan gets, the more chemicals are released and at 680 degrees, six toxic gases can begin to come off of heated Teflon. The Teflon flu is something DuPont has known about for years and with normal cooking, pans don't get hot enough to present a problem. In a test done by ABCNews, a piece of bacon was just beginning to get crisp when a Teflon pan went past the initial danger point of 500 degrees -- the temperature Dupont says is never exceeded under normal cooking conditions at home. The federal government is now conducting an urgent review of the chemical involved in making Teflon for possible long-term harm. Note: And we actually have some teflon coated people, when heated up can make you sick too. |