The Cat as Laser Guided Missile

This morning I notice that the rubber-backed throw rug that rests just inside the front door is squooshed up against the wall in strange waves.

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Confessions of a Readaholic

Addicted to reading? Follow one reader's path on her way to author, from childhood to game design.

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The Cat as Environmentally Friendly Doorbell

Cats, teleportation, and alerts to visitor arrivals. Afghan demolition, fashion-forward guidance, and UPS trucks.

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The Cat as Cosmic Alarm Clock

So there I am, snoozing in the recliner, as I am wont to do at any hour when I'm tired enough to actually get some sleep. Then The Cat objects.



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Top 7 Newswire - Current News, Reader Polls, Compilation of Opinions

Compilation of news services and reader polls, opinion seeking and comparison. Updates every 30 minutes, selecting top 7 newswire items from a variety of sources.



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MRSA Superbug: What do YOU Believe?

Health news or hype? Real or a party line to excuse lax medical care in care facilities? What do YOU believe?

To quote CNN:

ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) -- A dangerous, drug-resistant staph germ may be infecting as many as 5 percent of hospital and nursing home patients, according to a comprehensive study.

At least 30,000 U.S. hospital patients may have the superbug at any given time, according to a survey released Monday by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.

The estimate is about 10 times the rate that some health officials had previously estimated.

Some federal health officials said they had not seen the study and could not comment on its methodology or its prevalence. But they welcomed added attention to the problem.

"This is a welcome piece of information that emphasizes that this is a huge problem in health care facilities, and more needs to done to prevent it," said Dr. John Jernigan, an epidemiologist with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

At issue is a superbug known as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, which cannot be tamed by certain common antibiotics. It is associated with sometimes-horrific skin infections, but it also causes blood infections, pneumonia and other illnesses.

The potentially fatal germ, which is spread by touch, typically thrives in health care settings where people have open wounds. But in recent years, "community-associated" outbreaks have occurred among prisoners, children and athletes, with the germ spreading through skin contact or shared items such as towels.

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Each week we issue a new challenge to state your beliefs on a current subject. Your participation, anonymous or otherwise, is welcome and appreciated.

Coffee, Caffeine, Java, Joe, Mud, Buzz Juice, Any way you say it, it's GOOD

A gathering of great information about coffee, caffeine, coffee origins, brewing, selecting equipment, decaf. How to select a coffee grinder or mill, and why. Tips for choosing the coffee that's best for you and your impeccable taste. What's on the author's coffee shelf now (and why). A fun read but educational, too.



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Social networking works! Squidoo lenses on their way to top-notch fame.

Whether cooking in a big kitchen or in a tiny alcove, we all know the truth of things. You can NEVER have too much space or too many places to put things. Same goes for groups of lenses! And that's why Ratings Soup is here. Bring your lens, and get it listed here. Rate some other lenses (please rate at least one for each lens you bring to us).



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Noah's Ark Exists on the Side of Mt Ararat

Cosmic consciousness, creation legend, truth in history? Pipe dream?

What do you believe?

Fun Geek Stuff and Ways to Raise your Cool Factor

Calculate your Cool Factor, vote on Cool Factor things, find some stuff to boost your Cool Factor, brag if you want. How much Cool Factor do you have? Heavy on the technology of Cool Factor, both current and retro, including some Vintage Cool Factor.



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