Spirit food: "Surely something resides in this heart that is not perishable --- and life is more than a dream." -- Unitarian feminist Mary Wollstonecraft (whose 251st birthday this is.)
Brain food: Does chocolate cause depression, or do depressed people at more chocolate? This study doesn't quite say. (via The Los Angeles Times)
Young adults today...: are "big on blogs" --- over 30% percent people under 30 read blogs, while 40% have one of their own. (I wonder what accounts for the discrepancy?) (via eMarketer)
UU news: Should the Thomas Jefferson District of the Unitarian Universalist Association change its name to reflect the sensibilities of its current membership? The UU Fellowship of Winston-Salem says no. (via The Winston-Salem Journal)
UU voices: Rev. Kent Doss, minister at the UU Fellowship of Laguna Beach, California, writes movingly about "The Challenge of Universalism" on his blog Chalice Notes. ("It’s not enough to hang out in this amazing world," he says, "you have to pay your rent. You have to give back to the beauty of creation. The challenge of universalism is to greet the world with an open heart and to give back when you can.")
A joy: Good news for all you Slush Puppie-lovers---having one before your summer workout could improve your endurance. A exercise researcher from New Zealand has found that "young male recreational athletes who drank a syrup-flavored ice slurry just before running on a treadmill in hot room could keep going for an average of 50 minutes before they had to stop." (via The New York Times) (Ed. note: Sorry for all these food-joys, folks; I'll try harder to focus on other things! -- Jen)
A concern: According to "Poisoning the Pearl," a recent paper by Greenpeace, the production of blue jeans in China is poisoning the Pearl River and the water supply of Guangdong Province. In Xintang, which produces nearly half the jeans sold every year in the United States, dye factories release tons of toxic wastewater, "a cocktail of dye, bleach and detergent," into the river. (via CNN)
Churchy things: The United Methodist Church has been advertising during the Colbert Report on Comedy Central. Its (truly awesome, envy-inspiring) "Rethink Church" campaign is geared specifically toward young adults. To learn more about it, visit 10ThousandDoors.
Unchurchy things:
- What does your favorite website sound like? Codeorgan produces custom music from any URL. I have no idea how it works, but it's cool. (via Very Short List)
- Are you a "complex" friend or a "chill" friend? This handy chart can help you decide. (via Butter Team)
