Double Yawn

No, I’m not quoting some smartass web critic’s review of my blog…some other blogs maybe...but what I’m actually referring to is the unusual semi-phenomenon of why when someone yawns in your presence, you often feel the urge to do so yourself? I’ve seen it happen to others, and had it happen to me. I’ve even made conscious efforts to fight an oncoming yawn after seeing others do so, but like all life’s simple pleasures, it’s best to just give in and not feel guilty about it. But why does it happen?

I think at the very basic level it might just be a matter of localized air/oxygen concentrations. Person A, for whatever reason is not getting enough O2 to the brain which causes their body to suck in additional air (a.k.a. yawn). This sudden large intake of air creates an area of depleted O2 concentration in the immediate vicinity of the yawner. Although momentary, the interval between the initial yawn causing the localized O2 depletion and additional O2 moving in to fill the void and even things out again, is still occasionally long enough for Persons B, C etc. to also feel the negative effects of lower O2 concentrations caused by Person A, and thus yawn themselves.

For the spiritually inclined folks, an alternative explanation would be Person A attempting to suck in Person B’s essence, spirit or soul. Person B naturally reacts by sucking it right back in. This all leads to the obvious conclusion that only a superbly grounded individual with no insecurities about losing their essence can resist being sucked into a double yawn. Pun shamelessly intended.
Yawning Tip: They say to prevent an oncoming yawn you should breathe in deeply and rapidly until the urge to yawn passes. Hmmm, is yawning so taboo that hysterical breathing is a better alternative? Heaven forbid someone should think you're tired or find them boring...yeah, better they think you're a hysterical freak or having a serious medical episode...that's much better.

World Water Day

Yesterday was World Water Day, raising awareness of local and global water issues. Mexico City is hosting the 4th annual World Water Forum this year, the theme of which is, local actions for a global challenge. Water is the most valuable resource, and future wars will be fought over it if it becomes scarce. Ontario has 1/5th of the world's fresh water supply, so we're the envy of the world, but with that comes great responsibility. We Ontarians, more than anyone else should take steps to preserve this resource, and keep our eyes peeled for any envious people of the dry lands.

Kinda feel bad about that bath I took in my extra deep tub last night :(

Other notable dates:
April 22nd is Earth Day and October 14th is World Water Monitoring Day

Slobo's Dead

The dark prince of Serbia, dead at 64. Slobadan Milosevic, the man largely responsible for the untimely and unfairly gruesome, destruction of former Yugoslavia and its people, was found dead in his cell (more like a 3-star hotel room) earlier this week in Hague...weaseling out of the inevitable verdict that was to be handed down. Reports indicate he suffered a fatal heart-attack brought on by multiple heart ailments, and not the result of a suicide, a popular method of self-disposal among his fellow Serb war-criminals, and his family tradition.

It's difficult to feel sorrow for an individual such as this, easily comparable to Hitler, Stalin and Hussain...but the awful legacy he leaves behind is an interesting one, and full of valuable life's lessons that we can all learn from...I can just picture "Don't Do What Slobo Does" childrens' books and instructional videos like "The Quickest Way to Hell via the Slobo Express". But, for all that's happened, I'm sure Slobo never intended it to end this way. He just had this anti-talent for causing the opposite of what he really wanted. Let's look at his resume: He said he wanted a unified Yugoslavia, but under his leadership it became 5 different nations. Then he said he wanted a Great Serbian state, yet Serbia is now smaller than ever, and it shares a name with an obscure little province called Montenegro. He wanted to be seen as a hero and be loved by his Serbian people, yet, he's brought them universal shame and many even opposed his burial on Serbian soil. Talk about a guy who just couldn't get it right. Still, where most of the world saw the devil, he saw himself as an angel. Is it denial or just a matter of perspective?

As I hinted at above, Slobo lost both parents to suicide at an early age...a devestating set of circumstances for anyone to deal with, which probably explains why he was so nationalistic. Lacking parents, he saw his Serbian people as his family, one he'd do anything to keep strong and protect, at the expense of everyone else. Didn't Hitler have issues with his family too, as did countless other tyrants? We really should screen future world leaders for traumatic childhoods before electing these people to such high power positions. Media, forget all the dirt on who slept with whom, and who smoked what...get the mental trauma stories...the scoops that really matter!

One of the judges at Hague summed it up best when she said "it is with great sorrow that I announce Slobodan Milosevic's passing...for he'll never allow his victims to see true justice" by dying before the verdict. Burn!

International Women's Day

March 8th is the International Women's Day. It is an occasion marked by women's groups around the world, commemorated at the United Nations and designated in many countries as a national holiday. International Women's Day is the story of ordinary women as makers of history and is rooted in the centuries-old struggle of women to participate in society on an equal footing with men. I know that in Europe and in many places around the world it's considered quite an event, and it's the day when you give mom, sister, wife (or whomever) flowers, a card, cook dinner, or simple acknowledgement...yet who in North America does the same or even knows anything about it? Very few.

International apparently doesn't include North America, eventhough the first Woman's Day was observed in the US in 1909. Maybe the lack of continued American support for it has something to do with the fact that it was an idea put forth by the Socialist Party of America, and in America, socialist is synonymous with commie...and anything commie is supposedly evil...even if it's good. Relax America, the Cold War is over...you won, why so jumpy still? Or, maybe it's that here in North American we have our Mother's Day to show appreciation for women...after all it's the busiest of all mail days*...so why would we need yet another day? Apparently, in America a woman's worth to society is only as great as the size of her litter, so if you're a woman but aren't a mother, you don't matter. Huh?! I just hope it's not just an arrogant way of saying women's struggles for equality are a developing world issue, but a non-issue here.

Maybe it's none of those things. It could be that this particular day just isn't marketable enough to be popular in America. I am a bit surprised that the greeting card industry hasn't jumped all over this one. After all, they've invented holidays just to sell more useless crap, and have Valentine's Day cards for your aunt's former roommate, but nothing for March 8th Women's Day. Perhaps proponents of Women's Day should take a page from the olden days and spice things up a bit...In ancient Greece, Lysistrata initiated a sexual strike against men in order to end war. During the French Revolution, Parisian women calling for "liberty, equality, fraternity" marched on Versailles to demand women's suffrage. You just don't see that kinda passion from our gals anymore. Could it be that women here have achieved everything they set out to do, and that men have satisfied all their wants and needs and that the reason we don't celebrate Women's Day here is that EVERYDAY IS WOMEN'S DAY! :)

* Mother's Day is the busiest of all days for mail in North America, even more than Christmas...but why mail? Because of the North American custom of living as far away from Mom as possible, and even on Mother's Day, not making the effort to go see her in person. For shame!