O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum

Good Morning Ladies & Gentlemen,

Well, it has snowed…and now it's basically freezing…and I'm quite happy with my apartment now…because last night, I just watched snow falling, though it was more foggy and blowing wind snow…so not the big flakes gently falling that I was hoping for…but still cool…especially through a window in a warm apartment with my Christmas tree up. Oh yeah, my tree's up now. Don't get all giddy though…it's real if I believe it to be so…and I think there's a grand total of 20 ornaments on it…but I make it work. I'll post a picture on here so that I’m not the only one that gets to see it this year. As some of you know, I once had this tree up for over a year…just because it lit up the living room well at my old hellhole…er, apartment. Since I got the projector TV though, it didn't have room…and it's not like I’m hosting Christmas parties at my place…so it had been in the closet for a while (like Lance Bass). Now it's free to spread Holiday cheer to all who may be near. I have some pictures...but I'll post them another time.

Oh, speaking of party, I’m thinking about arranging a get-together on Saturday, December 27th when I'm in Slick City for the weekend between Christmas & New Year's. If any of you are interested in attending, please let me know as soon as possible so that I can easily make arrangements. It's gonna be fun…and you can meet some legendary bloggers like JL Clyde, the Mad Scientist, Lilie and hopefully many others (depending on their family schedules). So please let me know. Anyway, here's some news…

More Baby Name Craziness - Well, this year has had some whoppers in the baby naming department in American celebrity…but as usual, we've got nothing on the Italians. An Italian right-wing party is offering 1,500 Euros to parents who name their babies after wartime fascist dictator Benito Mussolini or his wife Rachele, saying their names are under threat. The MSI-Fiamma Tricolore party, the descendant of Mussolini's fascist party, said the initiative in the poor, southern region of Basilicata was meant to keep alive names "at risk of extinction" and pay tribute to the movement's roots. "Benito and Rachele are nice names and I hope our original initiative will get people going," says party official Vincenzo Mancusi. The bonus is intended to pay for baby clothes and food and applies to babies born in 2009 in five villages where the birth rate is especially low, Mancusi said. Mussolini ruled from 1922 to 1943 when he was ousted after leading Italy to ruin by entering World War Two as an ally of Germany. He was executed (body hung upside down in Milan and torn limb from limb if I remember correctly) along with his mistress Claretta Petacci in 1945. His widow Rachele died in 1979. Now, I can understand why Benito would be in danger…because seriously, is anybody still named Adolf in this day and age? Genghis (KAAAAAAAHN!!!)? Darth Sidious (the dude blew up a planet)? Attila (okay, I actually know an Attila…but that was a loooong time ago)? So yeah, some names have a stigma attached to them…whether good or bad. Then again, the marketing side of me likes the idea of selling naming rights for your children…like Nascar or billboard space or something. Honestly, if somebody offered me $100,000 to name my firstborn Viagra Listerine Love…then I'd definitely consider it. Hmm, Lunesta does sound like a nice name for a little girl…but yeah, everybody has a price. Oh…and is Rachele really an endangered name? Honestly, I know quite a few Rachels…and now I know one more since that was apparently Mussolini's wife. Not exactly an Eva Braun stigma with that one…I'd say go for that one if I were in Basilicata.

Hitler's Bookmark - Speaking of which, authorities have recovered a stolen 18-carat gold bookmark that reportedly was given to Adolf Hitler by his longtime mistress, Eva Braun. Perfect holiday stocking stuffer for somebody who's favorite book is "Mein Kampf" and is always losing their place. Christian Popescu, a Romanian national, was arrested Tuesday outside a Starbucks in Bellevue, Washington after trying to sell the bookmark to an undercover agent for $100,000 according to papers filed in U.S. District Court. Federal prosecutors said the bookmark was among several items taken in an auction-house heist in Madrid six years ago. At the time, some antiquities experts questioned its authenticity. The bookmark is engraved with a portrait of Hitler as well as an imperial eagle and swastika, and its inscription indicates that Braun gave it to Hitler to console him after German forces surrendered at Stalingrad. "My Adolf, don't worry," it reads, adding that the loss was "only an inconvenience that will not break your certainty of victory. My love for you will be eternal, as our Reich will be eternal. Always yours, Eva. 3-2-43 (Why date it if it's eternal?)" Regardless of its authenticity, federal agents said its theft broke the law. Popescu made an initial appearance in federal court Wednesday, where he was represented by a public defender who left without speaking to reporters. The operation began when ICE (not of the Vanilla variety) learned a man was trying to sell the bookmark in the Seattle area. An informant contacted Popescu, who confirmed he had the bookmark and provided pictures. Popescu told the informant he wanted $150,000 for it. Spanish authorities estimated the bookmark was valued at between $13,000 and $17,000, according to court documents. Investigators set up a meeting with Popescu at a Starbucks coffee shop in Bellevue, where the Romanian man showed an undercover agent the bookmark. He was arrested in the parking lot as the agent paid him $100,000. Popescu is being held on one count of sale or receipt of stolen goods. A detention hearing was set for Monday. U.S. Attorney Jeff Sullivan said agents are still investigating how the bookmark arrived in Seattle (ugh…by plane?). Five people were detained in Tuesday's operation, but only Popescu was arrested and charged. In 2002, three thieves walked into the Duran Subastas auction house in Madrid during work hours and stole the bookmark along with several pieces of jewelry from a glass showcase. Who knew that illegal international trade of stolen goods…occurred at Starbucks? Next time you're enjoying your venti iced caramel macchiato…take a look around…and see if you can spot the black market dealer. It's not always the one with the funny accent.

Butt Bandit Update - From dictators to butt bandits, that's how this blog rolls. So a few months ago, I mentioned this story about a man dubbed the "Butt Bandit" for making greasy imprints of his nether parts on windows in the north-central Nebraska city of Valentine. Well, police caught 35-year-old Thomas Larvie in the act (bleh) on November 19th…and he has been sentenced to more than a year in jail. Larvie was sentenced Thursday to 13 1/2 months in jail after being convicted of eight misdemeanor counts of public indecency and one of disturbing the peace. Authorities said Larvie used lotion or petroleum jelly to make imprints of his naked behind and sometimes his groin on the windows of stores, churches and schools in Valentine beginning in the spring of 2007. Townspeople dubbed the vandal the "Butt Bandit" even though no theft was involved…and besides, it was catchy. So now the people of Valentine can rest easy knowing that their windows are safe from embarrassing encounters…at least until the copycats start up. I can see it now. Dozens of Butt Bandits…and Vagina Vandalizers…and Loin Loiterers…complete chaos I’m telling you. Now's the time to move out of Valentine…or move in…depending on the way you look at it.

Best Female Figure Study - An imperfect body might be just what the doctor ordered for women and key to their economic success, an anthropologist now says. While pop culture seems to worship the hourglass figure for females, with a tiny waist, big boobs and curvy hips à la Marilyn Monroe, this may not be optimal, says Elizabeth Cashdan of the University of Utah (GO UTES!!!). That's because the hormones that make women physically stronger, more competitive and better able to deal with stress also tend to redistribute fat from the hips to the waist. So in societies and situations where women are under pressure to procure resources and otherwise bring home the bacon, they may be less likely to have the classic hourglass figure, Cashdan hypothesizes in the December issue of the journal Current Anthropology. Until now, scientists (and apparently Western society) thought a curvy figure trumped other body shapes. The idea was based on results from medical studies that suggested a curvy waist-to-hip ratio of 0.7 or lower (meaning the waist is significantly narrower than the hips) is associated with higher fertility and lower rates of chronic disease. In addition, past research has revealed that men prefer a ratio of 0.7 or lower when looking for a mate. The preference makes perfect sense, according to evolutionary psychologists, because the low ratio is a reliable signal of a healthy, fertile woman (we are after all mammals). Along those lines, Playboy centerfolds tend to have a waist-to-hip ratio of 0.68, Cashdan found. However, women around the world tend to have larger waist-to-hip ratios (more cylindrical than hourglass-shaped) than is considered optimal by these medical and social standards. Specifically, Cashdan compiled data from 33 non-Western populations and four European populations, finding the average waist-to-hip ratio for women was above 0.8. So if 0.7 is the magic number both in terms of health and male mate choice, Cashdan wondered why most women exhibit a significantly higher ratio. Wanna know what he found out? Read the article. I just needed a reason to put a picture like this up...and ladies, seriously, we think you're beautiful...just do what makes you feel healthy and happy...and we're cool with it.

Anyway, that'll probably do it for today. Not a whole lot else going on…except I have a work party in two days and I just found out about a Secret Santa gift for one of my many hottie coworkers. I've got ideas…but yeah, gotta fare the cold weather to get it. Oh yeah, went to the gym yesterday for the first time since Turkey Day…and the road trip to the South…so I had a few pounds to get rid of but I'm still doing good and getting a good hour or so workout in every time. Not doing a lot of the classes the past few times…but I'm thinking about doing this Hot Yoga class on Wednesday where they do yoga…in a room at about 103 degrees. Should really get the sweat going…and complete with the eye candy stretching in provocative ways and breathing heavy as sweat rushes off their glistening golden bodies, I may just have to make sure I'm not wearing anything too loose fitting. Wow, I'm gonna picture that for the rest of the day now. Have a great day everybody!!!