Curious, George: Boys keep out This one's just for the girls. Birth control question ahead. more inside

Welcome to Crazyworld. First stop: killing the ugly. Want to know what a person's like just before they become a serial killer? I'm guessing...about like this.

Atlanta monkeys ahoy! I'm going to be trying out for Jeopardy in Atlanta at 2:30 PM, February 11th. Would anybody be up for doing coffee during the evening of Feb. 11th or 12th? It'd have to be coffee, as I am not of legal drinking age. And if I could perchance find a mofite who could put me up on the night of the 12th I'd be even happier. (this crossposted in the grey)

Curious, George: a strange food I've posted this over in the Wild Green Yonder to no avail, so here goes: can one eat a hermit crab? more inside

Curious, George: another stupid work question. I need advice about whether I'm being asked WAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too much at my job. more inside

Urgent Curious George Help! I just got a message that a co-worker's relative died. Said co-worker is usually here by now but isn't today, and could get here at any time. Do I just leave the phone number for him to call? Do I approach him when he comes in and brace him for bad news/tell him outright? I have no clue what to do. Help NOW please!

Curious, George: holiday alone time Man, this sucks. This sucks really bad. Usually I'm with my family for this huge shindig on christmas eve but not this year. More inside. more inside

Followup, George: I got my cats today! more inside

Curious, George: Cats and vision loss I am getting two cats on Saturday. One of them has had a pretty rough life - due to acid being poured in her eyes when she was an 8 week old kitten, she is missing one eye and the other is cloudy but can see. But how will I know if it gets worse? more inside

Army attributes another death to friendly fire. While his is a high-profile death, perhaps it should make us more aware of the United States' consistent problem with friendly fire - and that rates of "blue on blue" are getting higher, in spite of technological advances. more inside

Washingtonienne is the talk of the District of Columbia today. The staffer's X-rated blog came to a screeching halt after Wonkette pasted some steamy passages and it was recognized by a fellow staffer. Reports indicate that the staffer (who has not yet been named - monkeys, start your investigations) was fired from Sen. Mike DeWine's office. Should the scandal - the blog includes Washingtonette accepting money for sex from a high-level Bush appointee - cause Washington to implement new Albany-style rules regarding legislator/staffer contact?

shell explodes in Iraq - or does it? While sources are reporting that a shell filled with sarin "misfired" earlier today, the chemistry of sarin gas leads me to believe otherwise. According to agonist, sarin has an exceedingly short shelf life. To extend it, Iraq made binary bombs that contained only one component. The secondary component needed to be added at the last minute - by hand! In other words, the "botched" sarin shell likely contained only isopropynol - which we use in a mildly diluted form as rubbing alcohol.

Unnecessary caesareans worldwide Leading the pack for many years in C-section birth rate was Brazil, but its place has now been taken over by Chile (which has a rate of 40%). While some say patient choice is responsible for these numbers, others say that patients are compelled to choose c-sections by doctors. Another reason may be Brazil's Church-influenced policy on sterilization and contraception. more inside

Don't have a C-section, go to jail. Melissa Rowland has been charged with murder for refusing a caesarean section that could have saved the life of one of her twins. In a nation where caesarean rates have reached almost 25% and doctors have couched the procedure in women's rights trappings while massaging numbers to make them sound safer than vaginal births, this seems worrisome. Caesareans and episiotomies are often used because they are convenient for doctors - not safer or more comfortable for patients. Will this case, if the woman is convicted, lead to a greater restriction of patient choice in birth plans? more inside

Did dishes cause the fall of the Roman Empire? Throughout history, people have been affected not only by what they eat, but what they eat from. While Romans and Beethoven may have been affected by lead poisoning from their dishes, some claim colloidal silver, which causes argyria in large quantities, saved the aristocracy when bubonic plague hit Europe. With all the problems even from more recent times, you'd think we'd have learned our lesson. Unfortunately, even today, we still need to worry about both our food and the plates we put it on.

"Separate but equal" to reign again in US classrooms. The US Department of Education has decided to relax restrictions on same-sex education. But while some claim same-sex schooling helps one gender or both, what's the real motivation behind the same-sex proponents? more inside

The merchandising messiah Mel Gibson's new film, "The Passion of the Christ," is set to open nationwide next week. Amidst all the controversy surrounding the film is a curious phenomenon: marketing Christ. more inside