How many can you eat?

Oh, memories of trying to slurp down as many oysters in little plastic cups as possible. Seeing Stephanie Simao's piece on Milford's Oyster Festival this weekend made me reminisce about entering an oyster eating contest with our David Springer.

These are the actual oysters that David Springer and I tried to keep down during an eating contest at the Norwalk Oyster Fest two years ago. Actually, if you missed out on today's shucking and slurping in Milford, The Norwalk Seaport Association Oyster Festival is coming up in three weeks, September 8th, 9th and 10th.

Yes, this looks like David and I are doing some type of dance, jamming out to the bands at the oyster fest-- did I mention Bo Bice of American Idol fame will perform this year? Actually, David and I are doing a pre-oyster eating stretch.

As for how we did. Not so well. I actually thought I'd do okay- considering I like raw oysters. However, I quickly learned eating them as quickly as possible out of little plastic cups was very different from sitting in a restaurant putting each oyster on a cracker with tons of horseradish.

If I remember correctly, someone from the Norwalk Sanitation Department won. I think David and I came in next to last and last.  However, even if you don't like oysters, the fest is a good time- so I'll see you there in September! Look for the News 12 Connecticut booth.

Have a Good Hare Day

This is T.J. below. It's assumed he was dumped by owners when he and his companion began to fight.

  And this bunny, Melissa was found caked in feces.

And Crystal, here, was given up by her owner when she couldn't take of both her and a new baby.

These are the stories of just a few recently abandoned rabbits I encountered while doing my What's Bugging You report on Tuesday. The majority of bunnies found in and around Norwalk appear to have been released into the wild. The problem with dumping is that domestic rabbits are estimated to live only up to three days once set free. The recently rescued are staying at either the PAWS shelter on Main Avenue, or being kept temporarily at foster homes.

Catrin Frolich rescues animals and runs Rabbit Allies Connecticut. She also volunteers with PAWS. You can also contact her at 203-838-2483. She'll help you make a match with the bunny that's right for you. Frolich has been rescuing rabbits for about eight years. She believes the problem has gotten worse here southwestern Connecticut recently because of the increased popularity of bunnies as pets. She says pets stores are marketing them as the perfect low-cost low-maintenance starter pet for children. But Frolich says the opposite is true.  One example- children can usually hold a bunny when it is small and young, but since rabbits don't usually like to be held, as one grows up and refuses to be held, a child may wonder what went wrong. Also, you can't tell what sex rabbits are until they reach three or four months of age. But, since rabbits often do better by bonding in pairs, stores often will sell you two. You'll know in that four months what you have; if its a boy and a girl, you'll probably have more bunnies! If they are the same sex, they will probably fight. However, once rabbits are spayed or neutered, the aggressiveness usually subsides.

Actually, a viewer wrote in to tell me what a great pet his rabbit is. He doesn't have his in a cage, rather he says he has built more of a rabbit run area in his home. He says he even leaves the radio on for his pet.  He says his spoiled bunny likes WICC's Johnny LaBarca, especially on Sundays. Plus, he says his bunny loves it when he sings to him: "He runs up to the fence, ears pointed high
and listens (probably thinking... is this dude kiddin me... stop, just stop!"

Send me pictures of your pet bunny! I'll post them here!

Need a Vacation? Dr. Says a Day Will Do

Right in the middle of prime vacation season, you may be thinking you need to get away. But who has the time? I still haven't taken a "Spring Break" so I'm not even over the winter blues yet. And I'm just realizing this as I notice the new fall clothing lines are already in stores. Good luck finding a bathing suit amongst the tweed if your get-away dictates a visit to the beach.

If you can't afford to get away, don't have the time, and are stressed at a job you only took to pay the bills, then you need a vacation the most. Chief of Cardiology at Norwalk Hospital, Martin Krauthamer, M.D., says a change from your daily grind is essential. However, you don't need to go on an expensive exotic trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos. Dr. Krauthamer says a long weekend, or even one day away from the job can be very beneficial to your health. He says a change could lower blood pressure and the adrenaline response of the body a little bit, as well as allow a sense of recovery. He says you just need to do something different. If you sit in front of a computer all day every day, he suggests taking a day to hike or work in the garden. Those who do manual labor are advised to do something more relaxing on their time off.

A recent survey  shows American's aren't taking enough time off to recharge. It also offers tips on how to get away from work without getting behind.

On the other hand, Dr. Krauthamer says vacations can be dangerous, especially if one isn't carefully planned. He says put two people in a hotel room with limited activity and a lot of bickering can occur. He says if you are going somewhere, you need to plan it emotionally as well as physically. He told me that patients frequently ask him about the dangers of flying. His answer is, being on the airplane is the safest part. Airports are what he warns people about because they can be very tension-provoking. You have to get there early, carry your bags, wait in several lines to be searched, all while possibly worrying about missing the plane. If you have a heart condition or serious physical limitations, he says you have to plan ahead so that you aren't carrying a 20-pound suitcase for nearly a mile in an airport. He says a vacation has to be planned to be restful for the person taking it. The problem is what is restful for one person may not be for another.

Vacation Deprivation? Book here. However, especially now with the recent terror threats, you might not want to fly anywhere. You don't have to. Sometimes I like to pretend I'm on vacation here at home. I've found that hotels often offer special deals to unwind and relax. Here are some of the specials at  The Stamford Marriott.  1. Couple's Getaway, includes a deluxe overnight stay, breakfast for 2 adults, dinner for 2 at Vuli's and 25% discount on their choice of spa treatment. The rates are $189 weekends, $309 midweek.

2. Romantic Rendezvous Package for 2, An overnight stay, breakfast for 2, with a 50 minute Couple's Massage at The Agora Spa. Champagne & fresh cut strawberries through room service, a CD of romantic love songs to take home. Rates are $279 weekend, $389 midweek.

3. Girlfriend's Getaway, Overnight stay, including breakfast for 2, two spa treatments, one per person, including ½ price on purchase of any Aromatherapy Body Polish and a popcorn lover's basket with movie from On Command. Rates are $269 weekend and $379 midweek. You can also enjoy the Marriott's indoor/outdoor pool, whirlpool and pool bar.

Or take a dip in the Big Apple.

Hotel Gansevoort  offers special getaways including "The Renewal Day Package" and "Honey We're Stuck With the Kids" to name a few. All include use of the boutique hotel's 45-foot heated outdoor pool with underwater music.

Oh. And don't worry if you can't leave that laptop behind. The doctor says if you are using it for work, then just set a schedule where you check in for a couple hours in the morning, then put it all away. However, a recent study reveals that that person on the beach with his or her laptop, might not be working after all; it could be providing entertainment.

Some Pics!

I Want My MTV-- back!

I had fun this week making co workers feel old with the celebration of MTV's 25th year on the air.  Click here to watch this week's What's Bugging You package. (The news story changes after 5:00pm on August 8th - so hurry! This link updates every Tuesday.)

When the music station launched August 1, 1981, neither Prince WIlliam nor Brittany Spears was born yet.  Madonna was only 23 that year. That's one year younger than Brittany is now.  At 25, MTV is even olden than its current target audience of 12 to 24.  So, say the average viewer is 18. He or she was eleven on the first day of Y2K and only four years old when former President Bill Clinton was inaugurated.  See how old you are compared to them by clicking here.

So it's no wonder why MTV didn't make a huge deal of its birthday milestone. Does its target audience care? Does an 18-year-old want to sit around and watch something his parents watched? MTV did put up an MTV 25 bug on the screen, and in between its regulary scheduled reality shows hosted a countdown featuring a video from each year. You can watch them online. Actually VH1 Classic aired MTV's first 24 hours of programming all day Tuesday.

The people I spoke with who remember watching MTV in its beginning years say they're frustrated because every time they turn on MTV they find reality shows instead of videos. MTV launched MTV 2, which you would think would be the place to turn to for videos, but that wasn't the case when I tried it Tuesday. Some high school reality show was on. Luckily for music lovers, there are other music channel choices. ( Hey- growing up I didn't have cable and had to rely on  Friday Night Videos to stay in the know.)

Here is something that 18-year-old might have trouble believing. We didn't have email when MTV went on the air. Not for what, another ten years?

Some Fun OUT of the Sun

Since starting my blog here on News12.com, I've become interested in what bloggers around the world are doing. It's interesting. Not only have I read some great poems, but I'm learning more than I ever thought possible about on line technology. I've also come across some fun quizzes to help you get to know yourself better.

First, a personality quiz I found on the blog of a new media firm maps out your qualities in color! Below are my results. Scroll over each color and the graph will reveal what they mean. Click on Dynamic Director to take the high-tech test yourself.

Dynamic Director

Thanks to the blog of Design Sojourn for helping me figure out which city I'd live in if I lived in Europe. (Though the first time I took the test it said Amsterdam.)

You Belong in Paris

You enjoy all that life has to offer, and you can appreciate the fine tastes and sites of Paris. You're the perfect person to wander the streets of Paris aimlessly, enjoying architecture and a crepe.

What European City Do You Belong In?

And if you'd like to see what your work or personal website looks like as a graph, this link will do it for you. I tried it out with this blog website. It looked cool and said I could put it up on my blog, but in order to do so I needed to make a screenshot of the graph, put it on flickr and tag it websitesasgraphs. Okay. If anyone figures out how to do this, please let me know! Also- if you send me your graph I'll post it here. Oh, and here is the blog in which I found out about the graph.

Living a Fantasy

As baseball bestows praise on its greatest this weekend during the annual Hall of Fame Induction ceremony, sports fans are getting ready for some football!

While Bruce Sutter, the first pitcher elected into the Hall of fame who never started a game, is inducted Sunday, it's already day three of NFL Training Camp.

What this means is that if you are still in baseball mode but are planning to join a Fantasy Football League this season, you better start strategizing. Fantasty Football fanatics intent on winning the office pool are already stressing over which running back and quarterback to pick if they don't get the ones they want.

If you do decide to join a league this season, you must realize how time consuming the fantasy is. The basis of the game is that you have to pick a team of players from all the teams. You get points depening on how each player does. In order to score for your team, you could potentially end up cheering against the team you've loved  since you were three. Of course during the season, you can make trades, but realize you will have to keep up with every player on every team for every game. This means you won't have time to actually sit and watch any of the games nor go to one. You'll be too busy running back and forth to your computer or clicking through the channels to see how your players and your teammates players are doing.

Fantasy Baseball also exists. But imagine keeping track of every player on every team for every game in baseball! For example, the football Giants play around 17 regular season games per season. Compare that to the baseball Yankees' 163! There are more baseball games in a month than during football's entire season.

For those of you who would like to see the baseball season wrapped up before the Football rage kicks in, here are a few highlights from the Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Weekend 2006.

Along with Bruce Sutter, 17 electees from the pre-Negro league and Negro league were also inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Gene Elston, a radio announcer for the Houston Astros, was named the 2006 recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award.

Tracy Ringolsby was elected the winner of the J.G. Taylor Spink Award. This award is for sports writing.

There was also a special screening of a movie coming out in September. It's called Everyone's Hero. Christopher Reeve was the original director on this animated film about a kid who believes he can make a difference if he just hangs in there despite overwhelming odds. This is said to have been Reeve's dream project.