 | "There's Justice In The Universe" |
| Posted 5/8/2011 10:30 AM CDT After sorting through 504 modern languages by the number of phonemes (basic vowel, consonant and tonal sounds), it's theorized that the world's 6,000 languages are all descended from a single ancestral tongue that developed between 50,000 and 100,000 years ago. In Africa, some languages contain more than 100 phonemes, compared with 45 in English. Languages in the last places settled by humans have the fewest phonemes / Hawaiian has only 13, for example. That linguistic pattern parallels what evolutionary geneticists call the 'founder effect' -- the tendency of smaller groups to keep narrowing the diversity of a larger population when they move away. The Week; May 6, 2011 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/15/science/15language.html http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/04/15/clever-study-uses-genetics-trick-to-trace-language-back-to-its-very-beginning-in-africa/ |
| Posted 5/5/2011 3:36 PM CDT It had been polled that 45% of Republicans believe(d) that the President was born outside of the USA. Now that bin Laden is dead, what will be the percentage of sympathetic Muslims in the Middle East that believe he's not really dead. In other words, how many will dispute the death certificate? Which brings me to a related question: Why did Obama wait so long to provide his full birth certificate? He says he believed that any serious attempt to satisfy 'birthers' demands would grant them a legitimacy they didn't deserve. As true as that is, Obama also knew that the 'birthers' were giving the Republican party a 'black eye' -- why would he bother remediating that? And, with this in mind, how long should it be before we even try to remediate Muslim fundamentalists' disbelief? Extremists are their own worst enemy... |
| Posted 5/4/2011 11:46 AM CDT "This is the meat industry's dirty little secret (yup, a new one!) they hope you won't discover... and their dangerous practice exposes you to an astronomically increased food poisoning risk. For example, what are the odds you're eating chicken with cows' blood, or beef held together by pigs? Better than you might guess..." Play 'Meat Glue' Video: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/05/04/has-your-meat-been-glued-together--why-you-need-to-know-and-avoid-this-dangerous-process.aspx Read: http://www.greenprophet.com/2011/03/meat-glue-is-everywhere/http://www.greenprophet.com/2011/04/mcnuggets-macabre/ Normally I include a take action link; but, this is such a recent development that political take actions aren't to be found. Best bet: Be aware. |
| Posted 4/27/2011 3:42 AM CDT Exactly one year ago, I posted the following about Cocaethylene (which very few people have heard of) -- especially not most of the people who are addicted to it. Even some of the doctors treating them for related ailments remain ignorant: 'Cocaethylene' is produced by the liver when the person has both the elements of cocaine and ethanol alcohol (booze) in their blood stream. [Is a substance with effects similar to cocaine, but longer lasting and more toxic. Forms in the liver when cocaine is ingested concurrently with alcohol. A very dangerous drug combination.] Initially, users will take both simultaneously in order to increase their euphoria and 'to party harder'. Though the abuser may feel 'great', the normal physical and mental impairment remains undiminished. Also, there is a whole plethora of potentially lethal side effects that aren't immediately observable. But some are -- like anger management issues. Add this to the fact that Cocaethylene is even more addictive than cocaine or alcohol. That's 3 substances to detox from (for those who survive). Note: Ethanol is a powerful psychoactive drug, best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages. Before the development of modern medicines, ethanol was used as medicine for "depression" and as an anesthetic. Cocaine, a powerful stimulant, was formerly used as an anesthetic. Many of those self-medicating with the above '3' substances use them to dull the emotional pain they're in (plus, depression can be physically painful). The use of these substances to 'self-medicate' is deadly for the abuser and those around them (short term and long term). Research has found that the combination of alcohol and cocaine often leads to very violent thoughts and behaviour that destroy relationships with friends and families & to criminal behaviors. Note: Cocaethylene has a half-life three to five times that of cocaine. This slow removal from the body makes it an attractive drug for abuse. Cocaethylene is associated with seizures, liver damage, and a host of other often fatal maladies associated with diminished functioning of the immune system. It also carries an 18- to 25-fold increase over cocaine alone in risk for immediate death. http://www.drinkingwithcharlie.co.uk/DrugsInfo/ Why am I reposting this? Because I've spent the past year watching a member of my extended family completely deteriorate from 'end stage liver disease' and a host of complications (including delirium psychosis) caused by "Death's Head". |
| Posted 4/27/2011 3:18 AM CDT "In naturopathic medicine, the rule is to avoid 'chronic inflammation'. In its beginning stages, inflammation is the body's healing response to an injury, irritation, or microbial invasion. For instance, if you catch a cold, your body creates inflammation in the form of a runny nose, sore throat, and cough. As annoying as these symptoms are, they are signs of a healthy body healing itself." "However, when the inflammation we can't see -- inside our bodies -- becomes chronic, it ultimately causes degeneration of our tissues and leads to disease. Simply put, it ages us. Chronic inflammation is thought to be the root of many diseases, including heart disease, obesity, Alzheimer's and other dementias, Parkinson's, osteoarthritis, diabetes, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and more." "You can see why naturopathic doctors focus so much attention on the treatment and prevention of chronic inflammation. There are some simple suggestions to help reduce inflammation in the body." Try to pick and choose your foods. Eat plenty of healthy, anti-inflammatory foods, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish (good for omega-3 fatty acids), nuts, and legumes. Especially good are beans, onions, carrots, cabbage, broccoli, spinach and sweet potatoes -- along with the spices turmeric, ginger, cinnamon and garlic, as well as green tea apple cider vinegar diluted with water to drink. Extra virgin olive oil is good (polyunsaturated vegetable oils are not). Avoid inflammatory foods, such as processed foods (includes processed potatoes of any kind), sugar, high fructose corn syrup, trans- and hydrogenated fats, polyunsaturated vegetable oils, alcohol, and excessive caffeine. http://www.caring.com/articles/inflammation-good-and-bad?utm_medium=email&utm_source=suggests&utm_campaign=stress&utm_content=20110422 http://www.caring.com/articles/12-foods-super-healing http://theconsciouslife.com/top-10-anti-inflammatory-foods.htm Note: The fatty tissues of the body secrete hormones that regulate the immune system and inflammation, but in the case of an overweight individual this can become out of control. |
| Posted 4/20/2011 9:25 PM CDT We've all seen extensive news coverage about the 9.1 mega-quake that hit Japan and the tsunami's ensuing aftermath. Included in this information flow is the fact that the part of Japan most seriously impacted is now 12+ feet wider (and closer to the USA) as the North American Plate rebounded by that much over the Pacific Plate. Does this mean that GPS navigation systems in Japan are now "broken"? Only slightly. Modern GPS receivers have a 10-foot margin of error. A 13-foot displacement means the navigators are currently miscalibrated in the most-shifted portions of Japan. Soon, representatives of GPS manufacturers will walk and drive through the affected areas, armed with GPS locators, to change the official coordinates of streets and addresses. http://www.slate.com/id/2288382/ http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/14/world/asia/14seismic.html http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011-03-13/news/29142893_1_geographical-survey-institute-tectonic-plate-axis Tectonic Plates http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_tectonics Maps: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/11/world/asia/maps-of-earthquake-and-tsunami-damage-in-japan.html??smid=fb-nytimes&WT.mc_id=WO-SM-E-FB-SM-LIN-HSP-031411-NYT-NA&WT.mc_ev=click http://wavemakersrq.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/tectonic-plates-in-japan-map.gif?w=573&h=497 |
| Posted 4/17/2011 4:48 PM CDT Last month while visiting my elderly mother, as I sat in what I call "the railroad cafe", I was watching the smoke from an unattended cigarette at a neighboring table drift lazily across the room with the air current. It somehow reminded me of the sad fact that this would be my last breakfast there. New highway expansion forced by ever increasing population was putting an end to the last vestige of an era of Americana in this locale. As trains thundered past with horns blowing, no more would pictures of local lawmen and athletes rattle on the ancient wooden walls. No more would the weathered faces of workmen gather whose fathers and grandfathers had daily come in for 'real food' for breakfast and lunch. And no longer would I be able to vicariously pay homage to my farmer-rancher ancestors and feel the floorboards vibrate under my feet as locomotives and rail cars hurriedly clickedly-clacked on down the line. |
| Posted 4/10/2011 4:19 AM CDT On last week's AAS's editorial page, there was one of the best editorial cartoons I've seen in a long time. It better illustrates our predicament than anything else I've seen: http://www.investors.com/image/RAMclrfnl-040511-pie.jpg.cms  Previous post on this subject: http://www.statesman.com/sitelife/?newspaperUserId=5790037&plckPersonaPage=BlogViewPost&plckUserId=5790037&plckPostId=Blog%3a5790037Post%3ae7376463-2292-4c85-bf03-84f39800fba1&plckController=PersonaBlog&plckScript=personaScript&plckElementId=personaDest |
| Posted 4/6/2011 3:44 PM CDT Yesterday, the Free Speech about Science Act of 2011 was introduced in Congress.... promises to revolutionize the way Americans get access to scientific research on the health benefits of foods and supplements. The Free Speech about Science (FSAS) Act, HR 1364... will protect access to scientific information, and will protect your right to know about the healthy benefits of food and food supplements. The bill amends the appropriate sections of current law to allow the flow of legitimate scientific and educational information while still giving FDA and FTC the right to take action against misleading information and against false and unsubstantiated claims. You may wish to read how even though scientific evidence may indicate that a specific nutrient can prevent, moderate, reverse, or in therapeutic doses cure disease, the American people do not hear about this research because FDA rules prevent food producers from sharing that information. Read and take action: http://www.anh-usa.org/free-speech-in-health-science-may-become-a-reality-but-with-help/ Related topics: http://www.anh-usa.org/ |
Posted 3/20/2011 2:27 PM CDT
Released in 1995 by U.T. in Austin, phorid flies are fanning out across Texas. Imported fire ants have so diminished in my neighborhood that it's now exceptionally easy to keep them under control. Phorid flies make the lives of fire ants so difficult that they can't risk a colony in the open. It's easy for me to provide fresh Amdro daily to the few beds that occasionally surface under the cover of bushes, etcetera in their effort to avoid phorid flies.
Note: Though it's estimated that phorid flies only kill 1% of all fire ants, their numbers are reduced 15% annually. The phorid fly range is increasing at a rate of about 40 miles annually.
http://www.texascooppower.com/texas-stories/life-arts/war
"Texas Co-op Power magazine; March 2011
http://www.sbs.utexas.edu/fireant/
Note: Though it's estimated that phorid flies only kill 1% of all fire ants, their numbers are reduced 15% annually. The phorid fly range is increasing at a rate of about 40 miles annually.
http://www.texascooppower.com/texas-stories/life-arts/war
"Texas Co-op Power magazine; March 2011
http://www.sbs.utexas.edu/fireant/
