Hunger Strikes

21 days ago, actress Mia Farrow embarked on a hunger strike to bring attention to the dire situation in Darfur. Now if you are someone who has not reached a certain age, you may be saying "Who is Mia Farrow?" Then again, if you are not up on current events, you may be saying "Who or what is Darfur?" If you really need to know the answer to either of those questions, we suggest you do a search. This is after all the internet age. What we really wonder about is hunger strikes in general. Why do people think starving themselves will solve a problem? [other than weight gain, but never mind] Why, when an individual goes on a hunger strike, for what they see as a just cause, do we say "Sure, good luck, go ahead", then watch them stretch it out till their body rebels? Yet when a convicted killer on death row does the same thing, we force-feed him through tubes to keep him alive. Just wondering, like I said...

News Link: Mia Farrow ends hunger strike

Boogie on down

Someone once said Tis music that separates man from beast. Well... not so fast, Jackson. Those pesky scientists are at it again, trying to prove we're not as unique as we think we are. At the Neurosciences Institute in San Diego, they've been keeping an eye on a couple of parrots that seem to be able to keep a beat, and start dancing when the music comes on. Seems the same brain circuitry that allows us to learn to talk, also tells us to tap our toes when we hear the rhythm. Can you say "Polly want a cracker?"

News Link: Boogie Birdie