Photo source and quote: NBC News
“Graduate Leland Shelton is congratulated as he is acknowledged by President Obama during the commencement address at Morehouse College. After a difficult childhood, Shelton is graduating Phi Beta Kappa and is on his way to Harvard Law School.”

Morehouse College is the alma mater of Rev. Dr.  Martin Luther King Jr., and this past Sunday President Obama addressed the graduating class of 2013.

There has been some discussion over why measures weren’t taken to protect the students from the heavy rains during the ceremony.

This quote from Facebook presents a very interesting perspective as to why every part of that day was deeply meaningful to our country and the continued progress of human rights:

This picture of Morehouse graduates drenched in rain yesterday has surprisingly caused quite a stir. Many are saying it’s indicative of Morehouse not having the money or common decency to implement a rain plan. If you see that when you look at this picture, I’m going to politely take the liberty to call you a cynic. To me this picture symbolizes the journey that so many black men endure everyday of their lives as they face countless obstacles yet continue to pursue success with unwavering determination. It is cynical to ignore the fortitude and thirst for knowledge in these men’s eyes for an opportunity to knock/shade/read Morehouse. Rain can’t stop the House, & life’s obstacles won’t stop these men.

FYI: Grads from major universities are soaked like this all the time with no controversy. -source

What do you think?

The post Symbolism: Morehouse Students Graduate in the Rain appeared first on I Am Not the Babysitter.

1. Preheat your oven to 140 degrees (or as low as it will go).
2. In a saucepan, add the strawberries, apple, and water on medium-low heat until it reaches a simmer.
3. Cover and reduce heat to low. Let simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
4. When berries and apple have softened, stir in lemon and orange juices.
5. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in honey and cinnamon.
6. Blend berry mixture in a food processor or blender until smooth (about one minute in a blender).
7. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper and pour berry mixture in to the pan.
8. Place mixture into the oven and allow to dehydrate for 6-12 hours (depending on oven and heat settings). *Important: Do not overcook! It will be crispy if you do.
9. When the fruit leather has adequately dried, remove from oven and allow to cool.
10. Slice into strips with a pizza cutter, or use cookie cutters to make fun shapes!
11. Enjoy!

Fruit Leather Sweetened with Honey Recipe

 

Print

 

Easy Fruit Leather

Ingredients

• 4 cups sliced strawberries (about 2 baskets)
• 1 peeled and chopped apple
• ½ cup water
• The juice of one orange
• The juice of one lemon
• ⅛-1/4 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 140 degrees (or as low as it will go).
2. In a saucepan, add the strawberries, apple, and water on medium-low heat until it reaches a simmer.
3. Cover and reduce heat to low. Let simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
4. When berries and apple have softened, stir in lemon and orange juices.
5. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in honey and cinnamon.
6. Blend berry mixture in a food processor or blender until smooth (about one minute in a blender).
7. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper and pour berry mixture on to pan and spread evenly.
8. Place mixture into the oven and allow to dehydrate for 6-12 hours (depending on oven and heat settings). *Important: Do not overcook! It will be crispy crumbly fruit if you do.
9. When the fruit leather has adequately dried, remove from oven and allow to cool.
10. Slice into strips with a pizza cutter, or use cookie cutters to make fun shapes!
11. Enjoy!

3.2.1230

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Baltic Amber is a natural analgesic and, when worn on the skin, it releases healing oils that help babies and young children to stay calm and more relaxed throughout teething.

While you used to have to wait months to get Amber from Lithuania, Julie at Spark of Amber recently based her company in the United States. As a work-at-home mom of three children, Julie was a power-seller on Ebay before starting Spark of Amber.  She has all of her Amber tested to ensure authenticity.

Unique Facts about Spark of Amber, from Julie:

1. Rather than working simply with large factories (which would be the easier route to take), we primarily work with several Lithuanian women who supply our Baltic Amber and Baltic Amber jewelry. This enables them to help support their families. When I started Spark of Amber, I looked for several sources, and decided to work with smaller sellers whenever possible. I hope that as our business grows we can continue to take this route. For future custom items that I do not make myself (and I do have ideas for these), I hope to employ work-at-home moms.

2. We offer very personalized customer service. I respond to all emails, and personally interact with customers on my Facebook page.

3. At this time we only ship within the United States. My goal in starting Spark of Amber was to make beautiful Baltic Amber jewelry more accessible in the United States, without the waits for international shipping.

4. Shipping is always free, and our prices are very competitive. I don’t run Spark of Amber on a “discount code” model. I decided from the start NOT to price my items high, then occasionally offer “sales” of 25% off. I prefer to offer everyone a good price. Our prices for quality Baltic Amber jewelry in the United States are among the best I have seen.

5. I am working on some custom items that will ONLY be available through Spark of Amber, no other Amber jewelry websites. I am totally excited about those, and I have more ideas to come!

My Savannah Sunset Bracelet/Armband

Amber is classified among healing crystals and gemstones but is actually fossilized resin. Common colors ranging from pale yellows to dark browns. There are also green, red, blackish, and blue forms of amber. Amber is best worn directly on the skin which will naturally absorb the oils of the amber resin which is said to transmute negative energies into positive energies. It can be carried, worn, or used as an elixir. -source

I wear my Spark of Amber jewelry almost every day. As much as the idea of wearing jewelry that has healing properties is alluring, my immediate draw to amber jewelry was its appearance. The rich colors and the history of a fossilized substance now being worn in present time has a seductive element.

Your Amber teething necklace

One of you will win a Baltic Amber teething necklace from Spark of Amber. These necklaces are made with nuggets (rather than chips) which allow the most contact with skin, and thus, are most effective.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

www.sparkofamber.com

The Blog: http://sparkofamber.wordpress.com/

The post The Baby Teething Cure: Baltic Amber Necklace Giveaway (and Review) appeared first on I Am Not the Babysitter.

A news story reporting that the NYPD re-mentioned to their officers that women could legally go topless in public has gone viral.

Photo: Topless New York: Exhibit, Calendar, and Book Kickstarter – check it out.

Everyone has an opinion!

There are many countries around the world where both men and women will be out in public topless, but since the US has traditionally only accepted males to go topless, this has caused quite a stir.

This post is less of a debate on topless laws, and more of an examination of this specific area of male and female anatomy.

So, what is the difference between a female and male mammary gland?

Woman Reading ( The topless woman), Felix Vallotton.

Not that much.

During the onset of puberty, male or female hormones either inhibit or signal branching differentiation of the ductal tree. ( -source)

Also during puberty, estrogen signals fatty tissue to form around the breast area in females. In addition to Cooper’s ligaments, this is what gives female breasts their shape.

Why do men have mammary glands and nipples?

There are a couple of theories to answer this question. The most widely accepted is that men have mammary glands and nipples simply because females do. The trait would have to evolve and “uncouple” in order for men to not have them:

“The only way such differences can evolve is if the same trait (color, for example) in males and females has become “uncoupled” at the genetic level. This happens if a trait is influenced by different genes in males and females, if it is under control of genes located on sex chromosomes, or if gene expression has evolved to be dependent on context (whether genes find themselves within a male or a female genome). The idea of the shared genetic basis of two traits (in this case in males and females) is known as a genetic correlation, and it is a quantity routinely measured by evolutionary geneticists. The evolutionary default is for males and females to share characters through genetic correlations.” – Andrew M. Simons, professor of biology at Carleton University

Basically, there isn’t enough reason for deselection of this trait in males for nipples or mammary glands to go away. The trait persists not only because of lack of selection against it, but there is strong advantage to males keeping their mammary glands – they have the ability to lactate.  Although rare, transgendered parents are now using this once thought of vestigial part of their anatomy to breastfeed their children.

Why do human females have perennially enlarged breasts?

Check out any of the other Great Apes (or any other mammal) and you’ll find enlarged breasts in pregnant and lactating females only.

Unfortunately, no one knows exactly why this is, but there are, of course, very probable theories as to why this might be.

Bipedalism:

Australopithecus afarensis (“Lucy”)

Evolution and natural selection works to our advantage, as it makes almost every part of our body have a function. When our species began walking upright, we had an entire area (the buttocks) that served no helpful purpose in attracting a mate.

The theory that human females have permanently enlarged breasts suggests that this area of the body now could help attract a male, as this area was now focal when scanning a group of females, instead of the buttocks.

Fat is Fetching:

In addition to the fact that this bare chest area of bipedal humans could be useful in attracting a mate, the reason behind enlarged breasts rather than brightly colored or other eye-catching features that could have adapted onto this area is because fat signals a high reproductive value for males.

Breast, buttocks, and hips are typical areas where human females store fat. There is a theory that these areas (which are unique to human females only for fat storing) were selected traits humans adapted due to male preference. (–”Breast asymmetry, sexual selection, and human reproductive success” by Moller, AP, Soler, M and Thornhill R)

It is hypothesized that male humans would prefer the fat stored in these areas because it appeared to give women a wider pelvis (less complications in childbirth) and larger breasts would signal larger mammary glands (which at one time did signal better lactation ability).

Symmetry:

Breasts could just be another area of the body that symmetry can be displayed to attract a mate. Humans find symmetrical features more attractive, and asymmetrical breasts have been shown to be less attractive to males.

Breasts Allowed for Female Freedom.

Human females have concealed ovulation. Other primates like bonobos, baboons, and common chimpanzees have external signs of estrus to alert a mate of reproductive worth.

However, enlarged breasts typically are not seen as attractive to other primate species as it shows the female is either pregnant or lactating, which makes of very little reproductive value to the male.

So, as a benefit of concealed ovulation, the breast area adapted to have fat around it as a confusion signal to males, allowing them to be less closely guarded and available to multiple sexual partners for social, material, or genetic benefits. (-source)

The Nubility Hypothesis

This hypothesis suggests that permanently enlarged breasts in hominid females evolved as an honest signal of age, and thus, reproductive value.

This idea goes into detail about how pre-pubescent and post-menopausal women are infertile, and size and shape of breasts indicate to a male whether or not the female he is observing is of high reproductive value because her breasts give some signal of her age.

The reason the fat would specifically be in the mammary gland area was that it already coincided with menstrual cycle and aided in the signal of puberty.

No protrusion of breasts would indicate pre-pubescent (anovulatory) and not a reproductive match for a mating male.

Protruding firm breasts would indicate a mature (ovulatory) and reproductive match.

Sagging and thin-skin on breasts would suggest post-menopausal (anovulatory) and again, not a good reproductive match.

It seems, in this hypothesis, there is a trade-off of gaining maximum reproductive value during peak fertility, with less desired mates toward the end of her reproductive years.

Hadza Woman

Frank Marlow of the nubility hypothesis also offers information when given the argument of male cross-cultural breast size preference (it varies), but female breasts are an erotic stimulus for many cultures.

“Even though men’s interest in breasts may increase where women are clothed, the interpretation that men in nude cultures do not find breasts erotic is erroneous. Based on numerous interviews I conducted with the Hadza [ethnic group located in north-central Tanzania around the central Rift Valley], men find breasts erotic, even though women usually do not cover their breasts. They fondle breasts during intercourse [...]Such fondling is reported in numerous other nude cultures (Ford and Beach 1951). The contention that eroticism only occurs where breasts are covered would imply that men do not find vaginas erotic in completely nude cultures, and that there are no sexual signals among other species.” – Frank Marlow

After this marathon of breast information, breasts are sounding about a sexy as nose hairs right now.

The post NY Bare Breasts Controversy: What is the Difference Between Female and Male Mammary Glands? appeared first on I Am Not the Babysitter.

Laura and John Arnold

Yesterday, we asked, on our Facebook wall, how much money you would donate to charity if you were to win the Powerball (As of yesterday it was at 600 million USD).

Our group, overall, was extremely generous, but the percentages had a pretty wide range.

Tonight, I happened to catch this article from the Wall Street Journal website that told the story of the changing idea of philanthropy.

John Arnold was a natural-gas trader at Enron who founded his own hedge-fund with monumental returns.

He and his wife Laura founded the Laura and John Arnold Foundation.

“The Laura and John Arnold Foundation strives to produce substantial, widespread and lasting changes to society that will maximize opportunity and minimize injustice.” -LJAF

John and his wife reportedly made around $4 billion dollars and were plan on giving the majority away and to devote their time to philanthropic endeavors.

The article discussed the Arnold’s plan to address is the obesity crisis in our country. According to the Wall Street Journal,  John contacted Gary Taubes, a food writer, in an inconspicuous and short email about obesity, and after a Google search the writer soon realized with whom he was dealing.

Gary Taubes ended up meeting with John Arnold and his staff and an obesity study was being set in motion, which is a big deal – the study is costing around $26 million dollars to fund.

Another problem the Arnold’s are attempting to tackle is our criminal justice system.

In an interview, Laura Arnold revealed some really interesting information about their view of philanthropy in an interview with Brad Reagan :

‘”We don’t have a bunch of smiling kids and graduation pictures. That’s not what we’re about,” she says.
 But she and her husband decided early on that the foundation would not pick what she called “the low-hanging fruit” of philanthropy. As she explained it, they don’t question the worthiness of writing checks to established groups that directly benefit needy individuals. In fact, they continue to do so privately. But they wanted to focus on public-policy problems that led to what Laura calls “moral inefficiencies,” where their considerable resources could help generate solutions. Using the vernacular of a trader, John calls them “high-leverage opportunities.”’ -Source

I find their view of philanthropy important and very timely. We need people to start realizing the importance of “high-leverage” charity work, in addition to the other ways of supporting our global and local communities.

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