Saturday, May 5, 2012

Have you heard of Methane Hydrates? It’s a new fuel source that could provide energy security for USA

Could the future of cleaner fossil fuel really be frozen crystals now trapped in ocean sediments and under permafrost?

Backed by an oil industry giant, the Obama administration recently tested a drilling technique in Alaska's Arctic that it says might eventually unlock "a vast, entirely untapped resource that holds enormous potential for U.S. economic and energy security." Some experts believe the reserves could provide domestic fuel for hundreds of years to come.

Those crystals, known as methane hydrates, contain natural gas but so far releasing that fuel has been an expensive proposition.

The drilling has its environmental critics, but there’s also a climate bonus: The technique requires injecting carbon dioxide into the ground, thereby creating a new way to remove the warming gas from the atmosphere. (Read story here)

Another State Signs Law Legalizing Medical Marijuana – Connecticut Joins 16 Other States and the District of Columbia

20101007_34676

As the feds continue their senseless war on marijuana, another state has given it’s voters what they want – legal medical marijuana.

Connecticut's State Senate approved a bill legalizing medical marijuana early this morning morning. The final vote was tallied just after 2:30 a.m. Saturday after nearly 10 hours of contentious debate. Sen. Toni Boucher, R-Wilton, a staunch opponent to the measure, spoke for close to five hours before she began introducing amendments to the bill. 48 amendments were filed by Boucher and other Republican opponents trying to delay the vote.

Governor Dannel Malloy commended the General Assembly for passing the bill.  He said he will sign it into law. When he does, Connecticut will join 16 other states and the District of Columbia where medical marijuana is legal.

Every time another state signs a bill legalizing medical marijuana another crack appears in the feds feeble justification for criminalizing it. Numerous polls have shown over 50 percent of Americans want marijuana to be legalized. One of these days the feds are just going to have to back off and go after real crimes like Mexican cartels invading the USA.

Today is National FREE COMIC BOOK DAY–what do you think about that?

        Good Day Humboldt County!

       Happy Free Comic Book Day (FCBD).

Do you like reading comics? Collect them? Curious about what’s out there these days?   Today is the day for folks like you to get a great sampling of more than 40 free titles offered at participating stores (For Humboldt County residents you can go to *NORTH COAST ROLE PLAYING -1846 Broadway, Eureka, CA, 95501 (707) 444-2288).

Titles from Marvel and DC,  to independents like Red 5 Comics, and Boom Entertainment will be available. Not coincidentally, FCBD comes at the start of summer movie blockbuster season, and the much-anticipated opening of “The Avengers” this weekend only adds to the air of four-color festivity.

And this year there are more comics than ever to discover: More than 2 million copies will be given away Saturday, featuring such iconic figures as Spidey, Superman and even Elvis, as well as newcomers like the Incredible Rockhead (a put-upon schoolkid whose head turns into a giant rock) and Jurassic Strike Force (a squad of mutated dinosaur soldiers).

* Disclaimer – I don’t know anyone at North Coast Role Playing and am in no way being compensated for mentioning the business. Frankly, they are the only location I could find on the north coast that was a participant in this national event.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Friday, May 4, 2012

Just What Do You Think You’re Doing, Dave?

I was immediately reminded of Hal 9000 and his memorable voice addressing Dave Bowman in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

I won’t talk about how great this movie really was, and how it marked the whole era, I’d rather see what you think of the illusion. Creepy or what?

Lightning strikes below the belt (yep right there) of unlucky Spaniard…ouch!

lightstrike

There’s a guy in Spain right now fervently hoping that the old adage about lightning not striking twice in the same place is true.

“Lightning struck a 53-year-old man's scrotum and then exited his body through one of his feet in Madrid, Spain. The good news: he survived. The bad news: his testicles were burned. A lucky man. Or maybe not.

The man was walking on Avenida de La IlustraciĆ³n—a street in Madrid's suburb Tres Cantos—when the lightning struck his scrotum through his pants, travelled down one of his legs and went to the sidewalk through his foot. He fell unconscious.

His son called the emergency services, who treated the burns on his scrotum and feet. They moved him to the Hospital de la Paz, where he got under several tests. Luckily, his heart and brain were not affected by the lightning, said the doctors.” (source)

Actually, the guy was lucky getting off with just roasted nuts and feet. Talk about a shock of a lifetime. I can just see the poor guy grabbing his crotch every time there’s lightning in the skies. He might want to invest in a shock-proof jock!

Somewhere there’s an ex-Secret Service Agent who really wishes he wouldn’t have been so cheap

                        Good Day Humboldt County!

I have a high school buddy that use to be in the Secret Service. He’s retired from that now, and doing something else for the Department of Homeland Security. I can’t tell you what, because I don’t know. And I don’t want to know.

This latest scandal about a Secret Service agent who was too cheap to pay the full price for a working girl, made me think about that friend. I wonder if he come out of retirement? You wouldn’t believe how cheap he is. There was this time in high school…wait a moment! Maybe I ought to keep my trap shut? Just kidding buddy!!!!

Here’s some news links and some humor for your entertainment: 

1) Secret Service closes ranks in sordid scandal 2) 3 Secret Service Agents Refuse Polygraph In Prostitution Scandal

Looking for a job? There are lots of new openings at the Secret Service. They provide the sunglasses and foreign travel, but you have to pay for your own hookers (in full).

Secret Service Man New!
[ Secret Agent Man Link to iTunes ]

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Top 10 Countries That Read This Blog for Whatever Reason… and Why Do the Bulgarians Like Me?

 Looking over my visitor lists for April I was struck by how Bulgaria has been contributing more and more readers every month.

I have relatives in The United States, United Kingdom, and Canada, but none that I know of in Bulgaria. It just strikes me odd that my blog is becoming popular in Bulgaria. (That even sounds funny doesn’t it?)

             Readership -Top Four Countries 

United States -24,247; United Kingdom - 6,038; Bulgaria - 4,309; Canada - 3,154 - The Remaining Six: India –1,745; Germany – 1,628; Australia – 1,012; Russia – 856; France – 748; and the Philippines – 596. A Total of 40,0679 visitors for April.

After nearly four years of blogging, I still can’t predict what posts will be the most popular. One reader demographic that has stayed steady throughout my blogging has been from public schools, and colleges. Students of all ages seem to find it amusing. Don’t ask me why. I have no idea. I know I get a lot of new traffic on Sundays when my newspaper column comes out because I listed my blog URL on my tagline. The majority comes from the Internet Explorer search browser, followed by Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. In other words…randomly.

Thank you all for stopping by in April. I hope you find May as interesting.

What Not To Do After Breaking Up With Someone Part 1: Don’t Keep Them As Your Dentist

Have you ever looked into someone’s eyes and realized the hamster wheel wasn’t turning? I’ve heard of some pretty stupid breakup stunts in the name of vengeance, but this guy has to be at least four bottles short of a six-pack!

The bar for break-up revenge stories has just been raised. Anna Mackowiak, 34, a dentist in Wroclaw, Poland, is facing jail time after pulling out all of her ex-boyfriend's teeth in a calculated fit of rage.

While this is obviously unacceptable behavior, 45-year-old Marek Olszewski's head is clearly missing more than just teeth, if he thought he could walk into his ex's office without hesitation only days after dumping her for another woman and ask her to work on a toothache!

Mr. Olszewski will have many lonely nights to ponder his actions. His new girlfriend was not cool with the toothless look and has left him. (source)

Money Free: Man Lives Without Using Money and Finds Happiness…

    Good Day Humboldt County!

We all have unique paths to travel in this world. Some of us go to greater extents to explore different lifestyles, or by embracing different ways of looking at life or odd ball philosophies. 

  I really like the idea of living without money, but I doubt I could ever go to the extremes Daniel Suelo has. He’s the subject of a new book "The Man Who Quit Money," by Mark Sundeen.

I’m not exactly a social butterfly, but I admit I like seeing and talking with people on a daily basis. I’m sure Mr. Suelo sees people, from time-to-time, but there can’t be too much foot traffic where he lives. In a cave.

Has Suelo discovered the key to a happy life? I don’t think I’d go that far. He’s on a private spiritual quest that involves living off of charity, the generosity of strangers, and foraging in the hills. Not exactly Shangri La or Atlantis. Still, he’s seeking enlightenment and I respect him for that. What he’s doing is reminiscent of the Native American practice of vision quests – where one sets out alone to discover themselves and their place in the natural world. The only difference I see is Suelo doesn’t look like he’s going back to “civilization,” unlike Native Americas who eventually went back to their tribe.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

 

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Man Sues BMW After Motorcycle Gives Him An Erection That Won’t Go Away

While an extended state of arousal after a motorcycle ride might sound like typical rhetoric of the two wheel crowd, one man is now suing BMW Motorrad USA and the maker of an aftermarket seat after a motorcycle ride left him with an erection that wouldn't go away.

The California man is claiming that a BMW motorcycle and a dealer installed custom seat are responsible for causing priapism. Clearly the Beemer owner doesn't find this issue to be a laughing matter, the suit filed in the Superior Court of San Francisco County this past week seeks damages for lost wages, personal injury, medical expenses, product liability, and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

Rather than make tasteless jokes at the expense of this BMW owner I’ll include an excerpt of the complaint and leave the rest to you:

"Plaintiff was riding his 1993 BMW motorcycle equipped with a Corbin-Pacific seat. The ride lasted approximately two hours each way to plaintiff's destination, after which plaintiff developed a severe case of priapism (a persistent, lasting erection). Plaintiff alleges that this condition was caused by the ridge-like seat on his motorcycle, negligently designed, manufactured and/or installed by defendants.

"Plaintiff now suffers from priapism (a long lasting erection), and has been experiencing continuing problems since his motorcycle ride. He is now unable to engage in sexual activity, which is causing him substantial emotional and mental anguish. Plaintiff is distraught and distressed because of this. Defendants, and each of them, are liable to plaintiff due [to] their negligent design, manufacture and/or installation of the seat on plaintiff's motorcycle."

(News source)

Back To The 50s: Do You Remember The Really Cool ‘Mold-A-Rama’?

The Mold-A-Rama machine was invented in the mid-fifties. You could watch as the machine used injection molding to create a plastic figurine in the shape of an animal, submarine, plane, monster, train and so many more designs. These were the usual cheap souvenirs of your visit of course, but with these objects you could actually observe the manufacturing process. These machines were mostly located at theme parks, zoos, museums and sometimes at special events - everything about Mold-A-Rama here:

 

images via 1, 2, 3, 4)
There is a whole Flickr pool devoted to these cool machines...

Futuristic Prediction: Is this what San Francisco is going to look like in 2018?

Hydro-Net Project of San Francisco Futuristic City in 2018!

                   Good Day Humboldt County!

  Growing up I didn’t think much about what future cities would look like. The one time I did think about it was while on a trip to Disneyland and it’s “World of Tomorrow” exhibit sponsored by Monsanto.

Yep, that Monsanto. The infamous chemical corporation that brought us Agent Orange, and a whole slew of deadly pesticides and herbicides.

Back in 1957 when I went, Monsanto’s sneaky practices hadn’t been exposed, and they were considered “good guys.” Good enough to bring Mom, Dad’s, and their kids, visions of life in the future. About all I can clearly remember ( I was six at the time) was pictures of flying Hydro-Net Project of San Francisco Futuristic City in 2018!cars on murals showing weird shaped buildings.

So here I am today, still wondering about what future cities may look like and I read about what the future may hold for the City of San Francisco.

It’s going to make an interesting skyline complete with technologies like algae harvesting towers, fog catchers, and geothermal energy mushrooms. It’s called the Hydro net project. Link below

Hydro-Net Project of San Francisco Futuristic City in 2018!

Basically its a network that will connect water with other distribution systems across a city. The design also uses carbon nanotube walls in the walls of the network.

Hydro-Net Project of San Francisco Futuristic City in 2018!

In recent times the concept has won $10,000 grand prize for the entry of Future Competition which was organized by History Channel.

The futuristic world with lot of green is possible with these kinds of technologies.

 Inspired

 Time for me to walk on down the road…

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Art Comes in Many Mediums: Like These Magic Angle Shadow Sculptures

Shadow art is nothing particularly new, but the way John V. Muntean sculpts his creations to form three distinct images with their shadows, is something worth checking. When his wooden creations are placed on a skewer, held up from one side by a plastic column, and then lit from above, the light cast produces different shadow every time the skewer is rotated for 54.7 degrees.

Perhaps one of the most enjoyable things about this artwork is the way his creations all seem to relate one to another. For example, his dog/cat/fish piece shows three pets known to harass one another. On the other hand, John’s man/woman/heart sculpture seems to depict the three things necessary to create a standard romance story. You may think of this as Shigeo Fukuda’s Encore art installation, except this one includes a third view! Go to his website it’s definitely worth a visit. You get to play with one of his sculptures in virtual space!

Tired of forgetting peoples names? There’s a way to solve that

                        Good Day Humboldt County!

I freely admit that I often forget people’s names. I can blame part of that on my PTSD short term memory, but it goes beyond that. When I was working, I was meeting new people daily for over 20 years, and I struggled remembering names back then.

Are you tired of going down that road…where faces don’t bring automatic recognition after meeting someone for the first time? Would you like to improve your memory? It just so happens I ran across an interesting article that may help you. Here it is:

“Tired of finding yourself in that awkward situation where you recognize someone's face, yet you can't recall their name? New research in Psychological Science sheds some light on the phenomenon.

Scientists recently discovered that a face's features, more than the entire face per se, are the key to recognizing a person. "In the past, it was believed that we look at faces holistically in order to recognize the face," says Jason M. Gold, coauthor of the study and associate professor of psychology at Indiana University. "But surprisingly, we found that the whole was not greater than the sum of its parts."

Avoid a Memory Meltdown

But how can you put this ability to hone in on features to good use? We reached out to Scott Hagwood, author of Memory Power and four-time National Memory Champion, to teach you how to utilize that memory of yours and never forget a name again.

Wordplay
The key to remembering someone's name is making a connection between their name and something that you can easily remember, says Hagwood. So right off the bat, see if the name itself does the work for you. Alliteration and rhyming can be very helpful, says Hagwood. For example, you remember Lucy due to her luscious lips (alliteration), or you were introduced to Cole, who has a large facial mole (rhyming).

Form a trigger
Let's say you meet "Henry," yet this isn't the first "Henry" you know. Since you have an old Henry in mind, try to form a connection between the new Henry's features and the original Henry, says Hagwood. By drawing this parallel, this conditions the brain to use that feature as a memory trigger. A weak example: Both men have short hair. "Since hair styles can frequently change, it's not the wisest choice to make connections to," says Hagwood. A better method: Pick something you despise about old Henry and compare it to the new. Maybe Old Henry has absolutely horrible skin, yet the new once looks like he just stepped out of a Clinique ad.

A simple way to get an individual's name to go hand in hand with their face is to say their name aloud in conversation. This technique practices mindfulness and can condition your brain to associate the sound of their name to their face, says Hagwood. Just don't overdo the repetition, otherwise the interaction feels forced.  (source)
Related article: Sharpen Your Memory While Sleeping

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Monday, April 30, 2012

Hello! My name is Dave, and believe it or not, I don’t have a tattoo!

My name is Dave and I don’t have a tattoo.

I know, it’s hard to believe. My wife has one, as do all three of my sons. Outside of a few old high school buddies, I feel like the last person around without a tat. No skulls adorn my biceps. No hearts with “Mom” in the center and an arrow piercing it decorates either forearm. I’m without tribal tats full of intricate designs starting at my neck and weaving down my back or chest. I’m also in the minority.

According to the FDA, more than 45 million Americans are now tatted up. I see myself rather differently. From my untattooed point of view, I am the last heroic holdout. I’m like Charlton Heston in The Omega Man, that movie where he plays the one remaining normal person on Earth.

The trend for tattoos is not exactly breaking news. In the past there was one reason, and one reason only, to ink up: A tattoo confirmed your status as a scary outsider rebel carny outlaw sociopath. “Don’t mess with me because I am insane,” was the intended message. And it worked. Remember Robert Mitchum in Night of The Hunter? When he cuts Shelley Winters’ throat we are hardly surprised: We knew trouble was on the horizon as soon as we saw the words LOVE and HATE inked across his knuckles. Tattoos meant mayhem.

Most tat artists charge about $150 per hour nowadays. A full sleeve can take 40 hours. Thats $6,000 (!), plus another $6,000 for laser removal when you hit late middle age and it’s gone all wrinkly and is no longer recognizable as a dragon but looks more like a squashed squirrel. And it only cost $12K and hours of agony! Who could resist?

Aside from all the usual blood-born suspects, new research suggests that certain inks do horrid things to your lymph nodes. I’m too old to mess with my lymph nodes, so I’ll gladly use this as another excuse for not getting a tat. I’ve had plenty of opportunities in my life to get a tat, but have let them slip away with no regrets.

Like Charles Heston, I’m satisfied with my outlook on life, and tattoos.  

Dreaming or awake, we perceive only events that have meaning to us

              Good Day Humboldt County!

All of our journeys in life don’t just come during our waking hours. With some people, dreams are like alternate realities where we wander through hostile landscapes in our brain. I wish I knew more about dreams and their purpose.

I’m tortured by nightmares at certain times of the year. Psychiatrists refer to this phenomena as an “Anniversary date.” Mine are tied to a traumatic period in Cambodia (1970) when I watched my best friend die during an ambush. I survived. He didn’t.

There was a time when I didn’t experience nightmares, back before I went into the Army. dreaming was a blissful experience for me once. Now I take meds to make me sleep so sound I don’t dream, and I seldom have nightmares.

This article is about dreaming. I think you’ll find it interesting:

“When your head hits the pillow, for many it's lights out for the conscious part of you. But the cells firing in your brain are very much awake, sparking enough energy to produce the sometimes vivid and sometimes downright haunted dreams that take place during the rapid-eye-movement stage of your sleep.

Why do some people have nightmares while others really spend their nights in bliss? Like sleep, dreams are mysterious phenomena. But as scientists are able to probe deeper into our minds, they are finding some of those answers.

Here's some of what we know about what goes on in dreamland.

1. Violent dreams can be a warning sign

As if nightmares weren't bad enough, a rare sleep disorder — called REM sleep behavior disorder — causes people to act out their dreams, sometimes with violent thrashes, kicks and screams. Such violent dreams may be an early sign of brain disorders down the line, including Parkinson's disease and dementia, according to research published online July 28, 2010, in the journal Neurology. The results suggest the incipient stages of these neurodegenerative disorders might begin decades before a person, or doctor, knows it.

2. Night owls have more nightmares

Staying up late has its perks, but whimsical dreaming is not one of them. Research published in 2011 in the journal Sleep and Biological Rhythms, revealed that night owls are more likely than their early-bird counterparts to experience nightmares.

In the study 264 university students rated how often they experienced nightmares on a scale from 0 to 4, never to always, respectively. The stay-up-late types scored, on average, a 2.10, compared with the morning types who averaged a 1.23. The researchers said the difference was a significant one, however, they aren’t sure what's causing a link between sleep habits and nightmares. Among their ideas is the stress hormone cortisol, which peaks in the morning right before we wake up, a time when people are more prone to be in REM, or dream, sleep. If you’re still sleeping at that time, the cortisol rise could trigger vivid dreams or nightmares, the researchers speculate. [ Top 10 Spooky Sleep Disorders ]

3. Men dream about sex

As in their wake hours, men also dream about sex more than women do. And comparing notes in the morning may not be a turn-on for either guys or gals, as women are more likely to have experienced nightmares, suggests doctoral research reported in 2009 by psychologist Jennie Parker of the University of the West of England.

She found women's dreams/nightmares could be grouped into three categories: fearful dreams (being chased or having their life threatened); dreams involving the loss of a loved one; or confused dreams.

4. You can control your dreams

If you're interested in lucid dreaming, you may want to take up video gaming. The link? Both represent alternate realities, said Jayne Gackenbach, a psychologist at Grant MacEwan University in Canada.

"If you're spending hours a day in a virtual reality, if nothing else it's practice," Gackenbach told LiveScience in 2010. "Gamers are used to controlling their game environments, so that can translate into dreams." Her past research has shown that people who frequently play video games are more likely than non-gamers to have lucid dreams where they view themselves from outside their bodies; they were also better able to influence their dream worlds, as if controlling a video-game character.

That level of control may also help gamers turn a bloodcurdling nightmare into a carefree dream, she found in a 2008 study. This ability could help war veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Gackenbach reasoned.

5. Why we dream

Scientists have long wondered why we dream, with answers ranging from Sigmund Freud's idea that dreams fulfill our wishes to the speculation that these wistful journeys are just a side effect of rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep. Turns out, at least part of the reason may be critical thinking, suggests Harvard psychologist Deirdre Barrett who presented her theory in 2010 at the Association for Psychological Science meeting in Boston.

Her research revealed that our slumbering hours may help us solve puzzles that have plagued us during daylight hours. The visual and often illogical aspects of dreams make them perfect for the out-of-the-box thinking that is necessary to solve some problems, she speculates.

So while dreams may have originally evolved for another purpose, they have likely been refined over time for multiple tasks, including helping the brain reboot and helping us solve problems, she said.”  (Source)

Headline source quote by Jane Roberts

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Dad sues school district after son is punished for cheating

A father is suing his son's Northern California school district for throwing the boy out of an honors English class after he was caught cheating.

The sophomore at Sequoia High School in Redwood City copied someone else's essay, which aside from being just plain wrong, also goes against the "honesty pledge" students sign at the beginning of the class, making it explicitly clear that any cheating will result in expulsion from honors courses. Clear cut, right? Well, the dad is pointing out a conflicting school policy that says students won't be punished for cheating until the second time they're caught. Um, can the second incidence of cheating be this dad trying to cheat the school system and bend the rules for his kid? (source)

AS IT STANDS: Getting your pet a rabies shot? Think twice and get advice

 2012-04-09 16.02.06                                           
        By Dave Stancliff/For The Times-Standard
   Like most pet owners I really didn’t think much about getting my 8-year-old pug’s rabies booster shot last month. It didn’t occur to me she could die from it. I don’t think I ever read a story about a dog dying from a rabies shot. That is until now.
   I can’t stop reading about the dangers of rabies shots for animals. Fortunately, Millie (photo left), my pug didn’t die, but she sure got sick! A horrid red rash broke out three days after she got her booster shot. She had lumps the size of marbles all over her body.
   My wife and I immediately called the vet and took her in. She was given steroids to combat the effects. For weeks afterward Millie was listless and barely reacted to noises that normally would have sent her into a barking jag. She shivered. The look in her big brown eyes was sad. She’s still not up to snuff.
  I want to share some of the things I’ve learned out about rabies vaccinations for animals. One of the first things that struck me is that all dogs - from a Chihuahua to a Great Dane - get the same dosage.
    Let me put that into perspective; a 3-pound Chihuahua gets half the dose that is given to a 1200 pound horse! All dogs get 1 ml of vaccine and horses get 2 mls of vaccine. Even a layman such as myself can see that doesn’t add up. 
   According to Veterinarian Jeffrey Levy DVM PCH, that dosage disparity is why small dogs are 10 times more likely to have problems from vaccines. Makes sense to me. Now, if your vet tells you that “dose doesn’t matter” and “there’s nothing in the vaccine that can hurt your dog,” challenge them to take a rabies vaccine at the same dose per pound they give to a Chihuahua.

   My guess is they’ll pass on the offer. I read a recent article about vets who had their titer (an antibody titer is a laboratory test that measures the presence and amount of antibodies in blood) levels tested at their 20th vet school reunion. As you may, or may not know, all vets get rabies vaccinations after graduating from school. Guess what? Everyone who had their titer levels tested was still protected.
   So why are dogs supposed to get rabies shots every three years? I know I’m no expert, but there’s more than meets the eye here regarding rabies shots. The law requires rabies vaccination for dogs and cats. That’s for our safety, not for the animal’s.
   You should know however, that all vaccines, including rabies, are medically approved for use in healthy animals only. So if your dog or cat is shows any signs of acute or chronic disease, the manufacturers do not recommend administration of the vaccine.

   What are the rabies laws (http://www.dogs4dogs.com/rabies-laws) in your state or locality? Check to see if your state offers medical exemptions to the rabies vaccine for health compromised animals. Personally, I’m going to make sure Millie never gets another booster.
   To that effect I found this Petition for Health Exemptions to Rabies Vaccination (http://www.change.org/petitions/california-take-action-to-help-dogs-too-ill-to-receive-the-rabies-vaccine).
  If you’re interested in improving your dog's chances for a safe vaccination go to :http://www.dogs4dogs.com/blog/2010/09/23/rabies-vaccination-12-ways-to-vaccinate-more-safely/ .
   Here’s a video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pQHQw-5XCw with more good information on the subject. There is a growing awareness of the dangers of rabies shots and titers are increasingly used to demonstrate effective immunity and avoid unnecessary revaccination.

   One last resource I want to mention is The Rabies Challenge Fund (www.RabiesChallengeFund.org) which is financing concurrent 5 and 7 year studies at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine in Madison, with a goal of extending the state-mandated interval for boosters.
   It’s one of the most important vaccine research studies in veterinary medicine today and it may save the lives of countless cats and dogs in the future.
   As It Stands, I don’t want pet owners to be surprised if their dog or cat has a negative reaction, or dies, from a rabies shot - it’s one of those laws that needs to be fixed sooner rather than later.

Blog Break Until Presidential Election is Over

I finally hit the wall today. I can't think of what to say about all of the madness going on in this country right now. I'm a writer...