When 71-year-old John Grady Pippen got his discharge papers after visiting Curry General Hospital in Gold Beach, Oregon, they read: “Based on your visit today, we know you are pregnant.”

Sure, Pippen was seen for abdominal pain, but who knew?

Of course, it was human error by way of a wayward keystroke that delivered the shocking news to Pippen, but what a surprise, eh? Forget about abdominal pain – the poor guy probably ended up with heart troubles after that news!

Source

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Start spreading the news…

Breast Cancer Awareness month is coming up soon (beginning October 1) and to celebrate, our fabulous sister blog, Pink Ribbon Review, is giving away a prize a day! There are some amazing things donated by some amazing companies, who will also support the cause with a percentage of sales donated to Breast Cancer Awareness. Outstanding.

Be sure to subscribe to Pink Ribbon Review so you don’t miss a single day of give-aways.

Tell your friends. Spread the word, spread the awareness.

For a current list of items to be given away, check here.

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So you enjoy the occasional cigar, do you? Well, if you’re in the camp that believes cigarette smoking is a no-no, but the occasional cigar is no biggie, think again. A recent article in Men’s Health lists the following as possible side effects to cigar smoking:

• * Frequent daily cigar smoking may double a man’s risk of throat, laryngeal, nose, esophageal and lung cancers, compared with those who don’t smoke.
• * Even a few puffs can raise your heart rate and blood pressure.
• * You are also at risk of exacerbating existing breathing problems like asthma.
• * And perhaps the scariest side effect of all? You may suffer weaker erections due to all the nicotine found in a cigar!

Not saying you should never enjoy a vice here or there, just reporting the information to help you make those informed decisions. We love looking out for you, don’tcha know?

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What causes this is a sensitivity to the proteins in a guy’s semen, a condition which actually has a name: human seminal plasma protein hypersensitivity (SPH). A person can be sensitive to the proteins in the semen of most men, or to a specific guy’s proteins in particular.

Symptoms of an allergy may include localized pain, itching, redness, swelling, hives or even trouble breathing! Most symptoms usually show up within 20 -30 minutes of contact and can last for hours or days. The severity really depends on body chemistry.

How to treat this very unpleasant side effect of lovin’? Condoms, of course, create a barrier (unless you have an allergy to latex, of course) or perhaps a look into desensitization, something your health care professional might be able to help you with.

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Inspired by Angela at Breastfeeding 1-2-3’s dream post from earlier this week, I’ve decided to grant you all Friday afternoon slack time to ditch work in exchange for gabbing online about your weirdest/wackiest/flippiest dreams. They can be recurring or one-time shots, but I’m sure we’d all love a little insight into your sleepy-time psyche. We might even have a novice dream analyst floating around who can shed some light on why you’ve conjured up the dreams you have and what the heck they really mean.

Sound fun?

I’ll start…

A few weeks ago, I had a dream that I was working with Matthew McConaughey (or Matthew McEyeCandy, as I like to call him) on designing a line of shirts. The shirts were to all be button-down, sleeveless types, and Matt and I were sitting together in a big, fluffy recliner (outside!) discussing color options. I insisted we have a shade of orange in the line-up. Weird, huh? (Fun, but weird, nevertheless).

Okay, your turn. Spill your sleepy-time shenanigans. It’s Friday – we’re all ears…

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Okay, all you pessimistic poops, now there’s a reason to take that oh-so-annoying Susie Sunshine a little more seriously. A recent study published in Psychosomatic Medicine reveals that people who choose to look at the glass as half full are 33% less likely to get sick when exposed to a virus. Why? Positive emotions prompt the release of chemicals that strengthen the immune system.

So the next time you have the urge to be a nay-sayer or ignore a cloud’s silver lining, think again.

This has been your Healthbolt Happy Living Tip of the day. Have a great weekend!

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If you’re heading out into the wilderness for some nature-like fun (not my bag, but hey, to each his own), you may come across a bear at some point. You are in their habitat, after all. And while this is scarier than the release of Gigli, there are certain steps you can take to protect yourself and your family, since most black bears are not interested in people and can usually be scared away. Take a look:

1. Stand up as tall as you can

2. Hold out your arms to appear bigger (if you’re wearing a jacket and have the time, open it up)

3. Speak in a loud, deep voice (what you choose to say is up to you, though I imagine explicatives might be part of the package)

4. Back up slowly

If this doesn’t work and the bear starts charging at you, you should actually fight back – and hard. Try to hit him in the nose, which is a bear’s main sensory organ. However…DON’T RUN! Running will torment the bear, and heavens knows, he can outrun you.

Keep in mind, this advice is all true for black bears, not brown grizzlies (which are found west of the Rockies). If you come across a grizzly, it’s best to play dead.

Hey, I’d rather play dead than become dead, wouldn’t you?

Source: Parents magazine

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With cold weather fast-approaching in the bulk of the U.S., methinks there are going to be plenty of seats heating up in cars across the nation. After all, that’s one of those luxuries we doled out big money for when we all purchased our gas-guzzling SUVs, right? Exactly.

However…

If you’re looking to add to your brood, have the man in your family rethink firing up their seat. Why? Preliminary studies have found that 90 minutes of warming his buns on a heated car seat created a significant increase in a guy’s scrotal temperature (makes sense). And because stress on the testicles (remember all those hot tub and tightie whitie warnings?) have been shown to negatively affect sperm quality, this study concludes that over time, it’s a possibility that these new-fangled heated seats may affect men’s fertility, too.

Keep in mind that at this point, the study has only examined short-term changes in scrotal temp and not the effects on a guy’s swimmers yet. But with the knowledge that normal sperm production is temperature-dependent and thrives best when the testicular temp is slightly lower than the body’s core temp, more studies need to be conducted to find out whether this extra heating is enough to do some disservice to a man’s reproductive future. Stay tuned for more info on this…

Source

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Allow me to piggyback on Liz’s post from earlier today and explore another possible reason for the obesity epidemic (one that’s probably a very likely part of the equation) – The Great American Buffet Table.

According to my local newspaper, there is a new study out which suggests that sitting too close to the buffet table at a restaurant can lead to overeating. They learned some other nifty things when they divided study subjects into an “overweight” group and a “normal” group, too. Take a look:

• Heavy customers sat an average of 14 feet closer to the fixins than the normal group.
• The overweight group was twice as likely to sit facing the buffet, with all its worldly and tantalizing textures and smells.
• The heavy group started filling their plates more quickly, while the normal group sized up the buffet and considered their choices before diving in.
• The heavy group chewed their food faster, thus indicating they ate faster.
• The normal-weight subjects were more likely to choose a smaller plate.

So, what does this mean to you? If calorie counting (or just mindful eating) is on your To-Do list, sit farther from the buffet area, do not face it, choose a smaller plate to fill, and chew your food more slowly. Come to think of it, these same rules can apply to nearly any dining situation. I’m going to give it a try. How about you?

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It’s rainy here in my parts today – how ’bout you? And rainy days, as you know, are great days to stay in and, well, dance the horizontal mambo.

If you need a little inspiration, check out these articles to get your motor running…

* First off, get an idea for the kind of sex you want today by choosing one of the 7 types of sex all couples need.

* Then, get ideas on how to get things going with 11 Fun (and Sexy!) Things To Do with a Man.

* And finally, when it’s time to get down to business, break out of your missionary position rut by checking out this week’s featured sex position, The Couch Canoodle.

Great stuff here! Happy Sexbolt Saturday, y’all. Have fun!

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