Author Archives: Katie Loud

Missing Hoarder Found Dead in Her Junk Room

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23

We all probably know some packrats … I know I do (and might be a little bit guilty of being a bit of one). However, I’ve always written it off as kind of a harmless vice, an almost eccentric habit.

Yeah, well, turns out I was wrong. Billie Jean James, a woman from Las Vegas and a known “hoarder,” was missing for four months—that’s 120 days—and nobody could find her despite pretty massive search attempts.

Well, you can probably see where this one’s going …

From AOL News:

Billie Jean, 67, went missing from her home in April, according to a local ABC affiliate. Bill James says he woke up from a nap and could not find his wife anywhere.

He assumed that she had wandered away. She had recently had a mini-stroke that left her disoriented, and he worried that she had suffered another.

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Another Reason to Breastfeed … Or is It Just More Propaganda?

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19

When you hear the phrase “a woman’s right to choose,” there’s generally a quick synapse pop to the word “abortion.” However, I feel that the push to force women to breastfeed gives new meaning to the idea of choice … and it’s a meaning that does not reflect well on the medical profession.

Anyway, there’s a new study out that gives yet another enticing reason to breastfeed—it evidently lowers the risk of developing Type II Diabetes (the one that’s linked to obesity) later in life.

From Bloomberg Businessweek:

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh studied more than 2,200 women aged 40 to 78. They found that 27 percent of mothers who didn’t breast-feed developed type 2 diabetes, almost double the rate among women who breast-fed or never gave birth.

The researchers say the differences between the groups held up even after they adjusted the statistics for factors such as age, race, levels of physical activity and body-mass index.

“Diet and exercise are widely known to impact the risk of type 2 diabetes, but few people realize that breast-feeding also reduces mothers’ risk of developing the disease later in life by decreasing maternal belly fat,” said Dr. Eleanor Bimla Schwarz, an assistant professor of medicine, epidemiology, and obstetrics, gynecology …

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Women’s Magazine Evidently Endorses Douching to Get a Raise

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One would hope that advice coming from a magazine called Woman’s Day would be useful, relevant, and … well, not based in the days when women spent their days cooking, cleaning, and preparing their children to be clean and polite when Daddy got home from work. There’s a reason Valium is known as “Mother’s Little Helper,” you know?

But who’da thunk that, in 2010, a women’s magazine (geared toward women, just to drive that point home) would recommend douching as an effective career advancement step? What’s next, freaking labiaplasties?

Wow …

Yup, there’s a list of steps to take in preparation for asking for a raise. While eating a healthy breakfast, being sure to leave early the day you’re going to make the request to ensure you’re not late, and not letting the conversation stray are all there, the number one reason, available for viewing on The Daily Kos, is this:

It should start with your usual routine and all the things you do to feel your best including showering with Summer’s Eve Feminine Wash or throwing a packet of Summer’s Eve Feminine Cleansing Cloths into your bag for a quick freshness pick-me-up during the day.

Now, to be completely fair to Woman’s Day, this is clearly marked “Promotion” (read advertisement) for …

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Sarah Palin: The Accidental Feminist?

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9

As I’m completely overwhelmed with a week’s worth of teacher workshops, new student orientation, and a classroom full of bright shining faces waiting for me to teach them on Monday, I received the ultimate gift.

Newsweek has presented a list focused on Sarah Palin. What are two things I love to hate on, two things I have a veritable ball writing about? Lists. Sarah Palin. Bliss!

But seriously … there has been much conversation about Palin and the feminist mantle. I mean, if you listen to her speak, she’s clearly lacking in the brain department and has achieved success on being the fairly attractive “Sarah Barracuda.” At the same time, though, you have to give Sarah Palin some sort of credit for reaching a political pinnacle most women could only dream of … and is that not a feminist action?

Oh, and my favorite part of this list involves Palin’s misconceptions on mother grizzly bears. Ah, Sarah Palin … trumped by Mother Nature. In a list form.

So here it is, a list of why Sarah Palin can legit refer to herself as a feminist.

From Newsweek:

1. Because, let’s be honest, feminism is a broad church. The history of feminism is a history of conflict, often vitriolic debate, and decades-long feuds over who can wear the mantle of true believer. A brief glance at history shows us that there are many different kinds of feminism—from traditionalists to radical extremists—even though American feminism has been dominated for three decades by the divisive, bitter question of reproductive rights. Yes, the right to control your own body is a key, crucial plank of feminist thought today, underpinned by the independence, autonomy, and rights of women. But it is not the only plank.

Yup, I’ll go with this one. My interpretation of modern feminism is that women should have the right to do what they want to do without limitations brought on by gender. Sarah Palin embodies this.

2. Because it will force us to properly scrutinize the Mama Grizzlies, the term Palin uses for politically active Republican women, which connotes fierceness, strength, danger—and size. It’s another of her very clever taglines, like pitbulls or hockey moms. As Palin and her supporters continually remind us, these women—and bears—are proudly pro-life. Big, brown female bears, rearing on their hind legs to protect their young, have become symbols for the anger and might of Republican women, ready to crush lily-livered …

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