Curvy girls have more fun

This weekend I was browsing through my stat counter to find some common google search terms that result in my blog. I've noticed that I get a lot of google hits, mostly from abroad, on my post titled "Stroke me, please." I can only imagine what they are searching for with those terms.

I also get frequent hits from searches on "hot voluptuous women, blogspot." Ok, I'll admit, that made me feel good, although it was tracking my post on art. But more importantly, I found a link to a BBC article on how curvy women are perceived as more intelligent.

Women with curvy figures are likely to be brighter than waif-like counterparts and may well produce more intelligent offspring, a US study suggests.

Now that is a survey I can put my round ass behind.

Another article went on to suggest: Women with large hips and small waists are considered curvy and they are found to be more intelligent than those with either "apple-shaped" or linear bodies.

Personally, I've always found curvy women to be more attractive. I much prefer the soft rounded curves of Salema Hayek or Eva Mendes to the bony protuberances of Jennifer Aniston or Keira Knightly.

Although pop culture still dominates with the thin image, it's nice to see that science confirms what we already knew: curvy girls have much more fun.

As an aside, Eva Mendes signed on for the new PETA campaign, in which she poses nude. Can I just say, Oh Good God...

Red Rover, Red Rover, Send Michele Right Over

I've waited for this day for almost two years, and finally -- finally! -- it happened. I was tagged by Suzanne at CUSS and Other Rants with one of those ubiquitous blogger memes. And can you just guess the topic? Yes, boys and girls, it's about books!

Normally I'm not one to go along with the crowd. I don't forward things. I'll be damned if I will send back one of those annoying "10 things about me" e-mails. But since this one is about books, I am compelled to comply.

Total number of books owned: I believe in the "love it and leave it" philosophy, so I tend to read and give away unless it's an earth-shattering find that I must keep. So I don't have more than 100 or so books at any given time. When I worked at a national insurance association, a friend who I called Focker (just for fun), introduced me to Bookcrossing.com. I traveled frequently for that company so I started leaving books in interesting places. I had one book that was picked up at Kansas City International Airport and ended up in Tailand. I was so proud!

Last book bought: The Very Busy Spider, as a present to my nephew. I would like to decorate a kid's room with prints from Eric Carle books.

Last book read: Predator by Patricia Cornwall -- a loaner from a co-worker. My friend JT loves Dr. Kay Scarpetta. It's easy to see why, she kicks ass!

Five Books that Mean a Lot to You: I wrote a post about my favorite books in 2005, in which I compared reading a good book to having a good lover. I think that comparison still stands today.

Best Five Books You Read in the Last Year: I had an interesting year with books. I seem to go through slumps where I'll pick up one crappy book after another. Other years are banner, such as the year I decided to read all the Pulitzer Prize Winners for Literature for my New Year's Resolution. This year, not too bad.

The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. I say the whole series because I read them in one continuous stream and was suprisingly swept away.
The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Micheal Chabon. Excellent book from a superb writer, but not an easy read. He requires his reader to do much research.
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. Who wouldn't love life under the big top?
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling. I am a big fan of children's literature. Once upon a time I fancied a career as a children's author -- then I realized I had to earn money with my degree. I was shattered.
Loving Frank by Nancy Horan. What can I say that I haven't already? Beautiful book.

I'm currently working on The Invention of Hugo Cabret, another children's book that tells the story both with copy and illustration using fabulous pencil sketches. I started reading it to the ball of fire but had to read ahead to find out what happens.

I would tag my friend Welshmeyer to write this same meme because she reads more than I. But alas, she doesn't have a blog and refuses to start one. Traitorous wench.

There was a little girl, who had a little curl

In case I hadn't mentioned it before, I have naturally curly hair. Very curly hair. All of which is a giant source of anger and frustration for me. I really don't like it, but then find me one woman who is in love with her hair and then we'll talk. Oddly enough, I receive compliments about my hair almost every day, which never fails to mystify me.

Obviously I've had this hair all my life -- although it did actually become MORE curly after the ball of fire, but that's another story. So imagine my suprise when I read the latest in a string of fascinating and ground-breaking scientific studies that revealed how straight hair is more tangled than curly hair.

I will say here: I call bullshit.

Anyone who has ever brushed curly hair (their own, or otherwise) can attest to the fact that nothing snaggles worse.

But this research has some very promising findings ... for Velcro.

Masson noted that Velcro essentially involves hairy fibers getting tangled up with each other, and that his findings could lead to advances "in Velcro-like technology," he told LiveScience. For instance, researchers could try increasing the tension of Velcro fibers, essentially making them straighter.

If, and I use that word lightly, IF this study is true, it does have one silver lining. Pubic hair will never be tangly again.

Finally, we can rest easy.

Well read is well loved

I know. I've been prattling on lately about my latest book. I apologize. I am a voracious reader and it just seeps out sometimes. Especially when I haven't had anything odd happen at home -- not so much as a nicked nippled -- in days.
Apology aside, I found this interesting article on CNN.com about the reading habits of Americans. Did you know that one in four Americans did not read even ONE book last year? Not even one. How is that possible? I think even the hubby accidentally read part of a book last month. It was my fault. I'd left it lying open on the table and his inability to look away made it inevitable.

There are demographic factors to this phenomena as well. For example: Democrats and liberals typically read slightly more books than Republicans and conservatives.

So I'm a pretty liberal Democrat, so I have to read more than normal. It's a function of fact.

Among those who said they had read books, the median figure -- with half reading more, half fewer -- was nine books for women and five for men. The figures also indicated that those with college degrees read the most, and people aged 50 and up read more than those who are younger.

These facts make me wonder, though, about the New York Time's Bestseller List. Let me state for the record that I think that list is a bit of a sham, much like the Grammys. Obviously it's based solely on sales, and pre-sales, and half-sales and other than dollar signs, it has no real bearing on whether the literature is good or not. It's simply made a lot of money. Some great books make the list, but some not. Currently, Dog the Bounty Hunter has a top-selling book.

And then you have guys like Tucker Max and his book. I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell. The blogger at CUSS and Other Rants did an interview with him recently and reminded me of his presence.

His book made the list. And I wondered who the hell was reading it? He is the epitome of everything I hated about frat boys in college, but he is pretty damn funny, and thoroughly willing to throw his pride out the window. Read his blog about buttsex and you get the general drift.

According to the article on CNN the most-well read choices include, Popular fiction, histories, biographies and mysteries were all cited by about half, while one in five read romance novels.

So who is reading the wise words of Dog the Bounty Hunter and exploring the delicate intricacies of buttsex with Tucker Max?

That must be another survey -- for Republicans..