A Family Day

My husband's club had a family day some time ago. Here are a couple of pics:

One is airsoft, the rest are real:) Can you see which one?

Are Feminist Men Less Masculine?

According to a psychological study published by Aleksander B. Gunderson of the University of Oslo, Norway, and Jonas R. Kunst of the University of Oslo and Yale University, people view male feminists as less masculine.

“Many people hold negative stereotypes about feminists,” the authors write in the study abstract. “Verbally, feminist women are often described in masculine terms whereas feminist men tend to be described in feminine terms.”...

The overall findings suggested that the label “feminist” changed the perception of both men and women in the study subjects. Women who called themselves “feminists” were viewed as less feminine, while men who identified as feminists were viewed as less masculine.

I guess that's what overconsumption of soy does to you...

A Pill For This A Pill For That...

There have been some among my acquaintances who have never trusted the modern "pill-pushing" medical care (yes, I know some medication is needed and saves lives). New research appears to support this distrust:

Antidepressants Linked To Dementia:


New Canadian research finds antidepressants may be contributing to Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
According to the University of Regina research, popular SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) antidepressant medications, such as Prozac, Paxil, Lexapro, Zoloft, etc., are associated with a twofold increase in the odds of developing some form of cognitive impairment, such as dementia, including Alzheimer’s.
This association was even stronger for people who took antidepressants before the age of 65.

I personally have a relative who's been on antidepressants on and off who later developed this condition. The article above is from last year, but the interesting thing is that if you google this subject, several years before  they were making claims that this type of medication were actually beneficial for you and could prevent (!) dementia.

Yet nowadays researchers say they double the risk. An even more sinister thing is that apparently, antidepressants aren't only prescribed for clinical depression, but are simply distributed like candy:

“They’re being prescribed ‘off label,’ meaning for non-depression related situations. They’re being prescribed to very young children and to the very old,” said Dr. Darrell Mousseau, a professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Saskatchewan and the study’s senior author.
“They’re almost becoming the antibiotic of this century: ‘If you’ve got a disease, take an SSRI. It’s going to help you in one way, shape or form.’”

New medication is more dangerous than the old version:


The link was strongest with the SSRIs, and lowest with older antidepressants.

Hmm, it's almost like it's by design. Because this widely used medication will impair your cognitive abilities and shrink your brain:

For example, the research found that the brains of people who took SSRIs didn’t work as well as the brains of those who didn’t take them. “We saw an increased risk of getting dementia over time,” said researcher Shannon Risacher, PhD, assistant professor of radiology and imaging sciences at the Indiana University School of Medicine.
This research found that older adults who took the drugs had poorer thinking skills than those who didn’t take them. They also found that their brains were smaller, especially in areas important for memory and other thinking skills.

So it brings both profit and a compliant, brainwashed population. Maybe, the conspiracy theorists do have a point, after all...

On The Fair Division Of Housework (and other things)

Sometimes you read a blog post or a newspaper article and wonder whether there are really people who live like this or did the author invent them to drive home a point he's trying to make. Mostly it has to do with what came to be known as "progressive" issues.

Housework division between the spouses is one of them,  yet though it can be a sore point for many, up until now I've never really met anyone in real life obsessed with fair and just distribution of domestic tasks between husband and wife with emphasis being laid upon ensuring that the husband doesn't shirk. Well, I've made a discovery. Such women do exist. Unfortunately.

Have you noticed how many women nowadays will tell you with a sigh how they aren't really a domestic type and  hate housework? What they actually are trying to say is that they consider taking care of simple chores like cooking and cleaning beneath them, which is hardly surprising, when you take into consideration princess mentality they were raised with by their boomer mothers.

There is something else I do find surprising, though. At a certain level of income, (and we are talking dual income over here), it doesn't really cost so much to hire a cleaning lady who will come once a week and free you from most housekeeping tasks, outside of basics. And still, many women refuse to do it but insist on making their husbands scrub the toilets.

There are two conclusions one can make: first, they really love money to such a degree that the idea of spending about 100 euro a month on a housekeeper looks like insanity to them (that's why they are a dual income household to begin with). And second, it's not about getting rid of domestic chores, it's about humiliating your husband. Since they see housework as degrading and all that.

For some folks it's all about social justice. This reminds me of  a YouTube vid I watched recently which was about a poor Asian lady marrying some wealthy Mid-Eastern guy. They had quite a happy marriage, btw. Nearly all the female commenters hated on her and among many catty remarks one stood out to me: if she were such a good person, she'd be a social justice activist!!!


I think forcing the husband to watch his wife deliver a child, when he doesn't like it, falls into the same category. Like, you bastard, you made her pregnant (because no woman wants to have children on her own, it's always patriarchy forcing her!), now watch her suffer and repent of your sins! As if the poor bloke is responsible for God (or Nature if you wish) making it hard for women to give birth.

I'm not sure why so many men get along with it, but one thing I'm certain about: if you make your marriage and relationship about social justice you will be miserable and it will probably not last long. There is a reason men get these mail order brides...

Some Advice For Pet Owners

Continuing the topic from the previous post:)

I don't have much experience with dogs, so I'll talk about cats, but I would imagine there isn't much difference...

I think all of us animal lovers will agree it's very unpleasant when your pet gets sick. And the costs of taking him to the vet are often prohibiting, too. Of course, sometimes it's unavoidable, however, through the years I have found out that certain home remedies can help.

For instance, I had a couple of tomcats and as you probably know, one thing they enjoy the most (apart from chasing females) is fighting.So they often come home with all sorts of injuries and some of the wounds tend to get inflamed, too. In this case, if it's not that bad, a simple betadine antiseptic can help. (BTW, I got the idea from the vet himself.)

One of them used to fight all the time before I finally had him neutered. Once he had a rather nasty inflammation on one of his legs. The wound closed, but there was a lot of swelling and it looked scary and caused him trouble. I kept on praying and covering it with a thick betadine lotion (he kept licking it away, of course), and oh wonder! The swelling disappeared in the course of a weekend. Saved me possibly about 150 euros.

Another one kept fighting, too. I had him neutered after his eye got damaged. Not the eye itself really (thank goodness!) but the skin around it, but it often looks red and irritated. The vet gave him drops, which helped somewhat, but the irritation returns regularly. So I went to a store and bought generic eye drops which I use when it gets worse. Appears to help and the cat doesn't mind it much. The cost of the generic drops: 4 or 4.50.

Also, if a cat is particularly fluffy, he can get problems with a hair ball. Typically, he will stop eating and using his litter box, obviously. I had to deal with it once, recently (not with the cat above, as he doesn't shed so much).  The cat in question was hiding himself and was in general poorly. Before taking him to the vet, I tried some home remedies. First of all, I fed him some virgin olive oil which didn't work, but since oil is full of calories (and moisture), he started getting more active. At this point, I tried special food (which he ate and it didn't help), and a laxative tea blend from the supermarket. Didn't work, either.

So I moved on to  stronger stuff and purchased a  laxative which can be used on babies (cost: 6 euros or thereabout, I forget). A cat weighs much less than a grown-up, so naturally, you can't use normal medication because it will be too strong.  I started with the minimal dose,which I gave him twice, with the tea in between, and this time, his problem was solved.

I hope this info may be helpful for other cat owners, but please keep in mind: I'm not a vet, I only share my experience and I'm in no way responsible for the health and well-being of your pets. As with any other internet advice, use common sense!

Fluffy Animals and Rice

For lovers of both cats and Japanese food:

Easy Apple Crumble

The original recipe courtesy of Traum Wohnen, a 4/14 issue. It is actually very easy to make.

You'll need:

5 apples, cored and sliced
ab. 75g butter + some milk/buttermilk
1-2 TBSP sugar
cinnamon
ab. 1c flour, I used the mixture of white, whole wheat, spelt, rye and buckwheat
1/2 c rolled oats

Arrange sliced apples in a baking dish. Sprinkle cinnamon over the apples. Combine cubed cold butter and the rest of the ingredients, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Arrange on top of the apples, bake at ab. 200*C for +/- 30 min. or until done. Enjoy.

Happy Mother's Day!

How Mothers Perpetrate Patriarchy

By changing their children's diapers without consent. Luckily, nowadays we have "sexuality experts" to set them straight.

Because by not following their recommendations, dear mother, you are "negating the voices of these brave survivors of sexual abuse.”