Friday, August 29, 2014

Friday Round Up


I'm trying something new here on the blog. Perhaps some of you will think I am copying others, and perhaps I was inspired by others who do something similar, but what the heck! I'm gonna do it anyway! This new segment will be a weekly review of things on the web I have found interesting for the week. It's mostly all baking and TV around here, but this is my chance to show you what else I'm interested in as well. So let's get to this week's Friday Round Up!

I love space. Perhaps you know this about me, perhaps you don't. But in another life, I became an astronomer. NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman is up on the International Space Station taking pictures for all of us to awe at. Seriously. Go look at those pictures and NOT be amazed.

I am over the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Sorry, but really, look at this graphic of what diseases we donate money to versus the ones people actually die from. There is quite the discrepancy here, though I will say that the heart disease statistic is perhaps a bit exaggerated for the purposes of the graphic. As in, that one is, in part, preventable by both diet and exercise not counting any congenital defects going on. That's not to say we should not be trying to cure any of the smaller diseases, but right now the ALS thing feels like people just jumping on a bandwagon rather than actually caring about the cause. I mean, good for them for coming up with this marketing tactic, because it has been wildly successful, but perhaps some of this donated money should be spread around?

Student loan debt is terrifying. These stats are really sad. Personally, I have a lot of student loan debt. I even wrote up a whole article about it that I haven't figured out quite what to do with, but basically student loan debt is terrible and growing and making life difficult for many young people. It's something I am constantly thinking about in my life. How will I pay these off? When will they ever get paid off? Because sometimes it feels like never! I might have been able to buy a house by now if not for the loan debt, and that is just sad.

The California drought is for real. I've seen quite a few articles with before and after pictures, but here is one that should give you pause (and perhaps invite terror). Seriously, it's not good. Quit wasting water, please. We're only heading to worse places, just look at this article about how the US southwest could be facing decades long drought. Decades! And these scientists reacting to climate change discussions? It really scares me. This is why I get so incensed when Time Warner Cable still sends me paper bills even though I have gone paperless. You are WASTING PAPER! STOP IT!

Let's lighten things up a bit now! Sorry, that was all rather serious.

I found out recently my boyfriend loves banana bread, so I ended up pinning all kinds of delicious-looking banana things: Fudgy Banana Bars with Browned Butter Glaze. Banana Bread Crumb Cake. Banana Poppy Seed Cake with Vanilla Bean Frosting. Peanut Butter Graham Banana Bread. Yes please to all!

Yes, I had a Tamagotchi. Here is a list of 28 things including the Tamagotchi that today's kids will never understand. Oh the bing bong bong of dial up internet, I don't miss you.

Pandas are just like people. They can fake pregnancies too. Wait, what? Yes, it's true. I had a good laugh about that one. I also learned a lot about pandas, like they will only have babies at most every two years, and if they have twins, will let one die! Poor twin pandas.

This buzzfeed article about celebrities not aging is bogus. They haven't aged because you only have pictures from a few years apart! Get it together, buzzfeed, and don't just go for splashy headlines.

And, finally, the prancing cat who lives with show horses:

http://tahirire.tumblr.com/post/95781827893/sirenlovesong-ariannagrandeofficial

How can you not love a good cat gif?

Have a great holiday weekend!

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