Meow?

I came home tonight after rehearsal and went through my usual routine - open door, say hi to Ollie, throw dance bag on bed, put Ollie on shoulder, turn on apartment lights.

Usually, Ollie sits on my shoulder and preens my hair while I go about turning on lights. Tonight, she jumped down my shirt and cowared with only only her head peeking out of my collar.

-CLICK- (light #1)
"That's odd" I thought to myself
-CLICK- (light #2)
"I wonder what has her scared"
-CLICK- (light #3)
"Perhaps it's the TWO CATS SITTING IN THE CORNER BY HER CAGE!!!!!"

I leave my doors open during the day so Ollie can sing to the song-birds around my building...apparently my new neighbor has cats who have taken a keen interest in Ollie.

Perhaps tomorrow I'll opt for cracking a window instead :-)

Lies, damn lies and statistics; part three

Let’s mix some more truth in with the tales told by the Planned Parenthood protesters:

Half-truth #3: Planned Parenthood condoms are ranked dead last.

The protesters are referring to a comparison of 23 condoms performed by Consumer Reports in early 2005. This is not actually a lie – just a half truth. Among the three condom types handed out for free by Planned Parenthood, the rankings were 14 (Lollipop), 22(Assorted Colors) and 23(Honeydew). So first off, let’s point out that two of the three were last while one ranked ‘very good’ and ‘excellent’ in terms of strength and reliability (respectively). As for the two at the bottom of the list, the protesters neglect to reference the key sentence in that article:

In our tests, all latex condoms passed minimum industry standards.

Like all the others, Planned Parenthood condoms meet the requirements set out for them – the fact that the other (more expensive) condoms go above and beyond is not a strike against Planned Parenthood. Also, keep in mind that just like the two condom types at the bottom of the list, the Lollipop condoms are also offered for free. So if you feel it is appropriate to condemn a non-profit organization which hands out condoms for free because their condoms aren’t the best out there despite exceeding industry standards – at least tell the whole story.