Here’s Seeing You! Bionic Eye Tech Advances

 Good Day World!

 Got some eye-opening news for you today.

A visual prosthesis, often referred to as a bionic eye, was once the stuff of science fiction.

Now the blind can see with modern technology breakthroughs. Read the latest news on bionic eyes, and how they came about in the 21st century.

About visual prosthesis, aka bionic eye.

This Wikipedia article offers insight into experimental visual devices intended to restore functional vision in those suffering from partial or total blindness.

First ‘Bionic Eye’ Retinal Chip for the Blind

This article talks about a new bionic eye that came out last year. It works by converting video images captured by a miniature camera, housed in the patient’s glasses, into a series of small electrical pulses that are transmitted wirelessly to an array of electrodes on the surface of the retina.

Bionic Eye Breakthrough: Helping the Blind to See

Learn how a genetic disorder as retinitis pigmentosa no longer means living in the darkness thanks to the Argus II bionic eye.

More related stories”

Duke Offers Bionic Eye helping the Blind to See

FDA Approves first Bionic Eye for the Blind

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

Stancliff’s Who Served America as Soldiers During the Revoltionary War

  Good Day World!

In honor of Memorial Day, I’d like to share some of my family history with you.

Since the Revolutionary War, Stancliff’s have served this great nation, often giving their lives in battle. I’m proud of my ancestors, and our tradition of defending this country.

I continued that military tradition when I fought in Vietnam (photo) in 1970. My father was a Marine who fought in the South Pacific during WWII.

Next Memorial Day, I’m going to feature Stancliff’s who fought in the Civil War – on both sides.

Special thanks for gathering this family history go out to Sherry, and her husband Robert C. Stancliff.

Stancliff’s in the Revolutionary War

Josiah Stanclift served during the Revolutionary War. He was in Captain Simons' Company of Col. Erastus Wolcott's Connecticut State Regiment and served in the Boston area. After the battle of Lexington, in April 1775, there was an alarm called the "Lexington Alarm" on which more than fifty Connecticut towns sent companies of soldiers with all haste to the point of attack. Josiah was on the Lexington Alarm List.

Joseph Stanclift enlisted Dec. 25, 1776 for a period of three months in Capt. Nathan Rowlee's Company of Lt. Col. Timothy Robinson's detachment of Hampshire County, Massachusetts Bay Militia and served until Apr. 3, 1777 at Fort Ticonderoga.

George Stanclift along with his younger half brothers, Thomas and James, was a member of a South Britain Militia unit as early as 1774 serving in Capt. Eleazer Mitchell's 12^th Company of the 13^th Regiment of Connecticut Militia. Responding to an urgent plea from General George Washington to Governor Trumbull of Connecticut for assistance at the desperate campaign in New York, "all able bodied men between the ages of sixteen and fifty years" were mobilized in Woodbury, Litchfield County, CT on August 10 and 11, 1776.

These men marched for New York on the 12^th of August. George, James and Thomas Stancliff were in a Company commanded by Capt. Elijah Hinman of Southbury. They arrived in New York and there officially joined the 13^th Regiment of Connecticut Militia on August 15, 1776.

George died just two weeks later on August 30. The date of George's death is consistent with the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, NY which took place Aug. 27, 1776 and the subsequent escape of the American Forces during the foggy night over the East River to Manhattan Island. This was the first defeat in General Washington's withdrawal from New York.

Thomas Stanclift enlisted during the Revolution, the term of enlistment covered the time between July 13, 1775 and Dec. 20, 1775. The Company, made up of men from the towns of Woodbury and Litchfield left the Parish of Bethlehem in the town of Woodbury on August 11, 1775. The 5^th Company of Militia under command of Capt. Nathaniel Tuttle of South Britain marched to New London, CT to join the 7^th Connecticut Regiment.

While in New London the Regiment answered an alarm in Stonington, some ten miles to the east on Aug. 30, 1775. Stonington was being attacked by three British frigates under the command of Commodore James Wallace, Master of the "Rose", a Man of War of twenty guns. The City of Boston had been surrounded by Rebel troops and was under siege. In an effort to provide food for the beleaguered British forces, Wallace was raiding the coastal areas to steal livestock and provisions. The Stonington patriots repulsed the British ships in their harbor.

The Connecticut Regiment left New London on September 19, 1775 heading for Boston. They marched through Providence, RI and arrived in Cambridge, MA site of Washington's camp on Oct. 1, 1775. From there they marched to the Fort located at Winter Hill in Charlestown, MA. At this Fort they remained as part of, or near to, General Israel Putnam's Connecticut detachment.

 The British "Regulars" had taken Bunker Hill in June, 1775. Jonathan Twiss, the drummer with this Regiment, told of sending a printed account of the battle home to his family, complete with pictures and verse. The British still occupied the town of Boston and the Rebel forces still surrounded the town of Boston through the extremely cold fall and winter of 1775.

Jonathan told of guard duty, of minor skirmishes with the enemy, of watching sheep put ashore to feed the hungry British troops at Bunker Hill, of disputes among the sometimes bored soldiers, of two enemy soldiers deserting to the American side and being fired upon by their own men, and of building additional sod breastworks or fortifications. For the most part they waited and watched the British Regulars.

Thomas once again enlisted in the service. This time he signed up in Elijah Hinman's Company made up of Woodbury men. Brothers George, and James were in the same Company. They arrived in New York and there officially joined the 13^thRegiment of Connecticut Militia on August 15, 1776.

James Stancliff was one of the three sons in this family who belonged to Eleazar Mitchell's 12^th Company of the 13^th Regiment of Connecticut Militia from Southbury, CT subsequent to October 1774.

The names of James Jr, George and Thomas appear upon an unrecorded list handed down in the Mitchell Family. It is probable that these men saw service in some of the early alarms of the Revolutionary War.

Of the three brothers who marched off together in 1776, only James survived. George, Thomas and James all entered service in New York on Aug. 15, 1776 in Captain Elijah Hinman's 6^th Company, of the 13^th Regiment of Connecticut Militia.

There were twenty-four men in the Company including the Company officers. Brother, George Stanclift was the only man who was listed as having died in service during that tour of duty. He died "in New York" Aug. 30, 1776. Brother, Thomas Stanclift received wounds that resulted in his death soon after returning home.

During the time of their enlistment the Battle of Brooklyn Heights took place on Aug. 27^th and Washington's troops were ferried from Long Island to Manhattan all during the foggy night of Aug. 29^th. It is likely that the brothers took part in those maneuvers.

William Stanclift enlisted or was drafted into the Army for a period of three years on May 19, 1777. This was shortly after William's 16^th birthday. He was inducted into the Service on May 23, 1777 by Lt Elihu Trowbridge acting for Captain Samuel Granger.

Capt. Granger's Company was part of the 2^nd Connecticut Regiment of Foot, commanded by Col. Charles Webb. The Regiment joined the forces of General Israel Putnam at Peekskill, Westchester County, NY. General George Washington regarded Peekskill as a strategically important area.

It was possible that the British forces to the south would attempt to join the forces of General Burgoyne advancing down the Hudson River from Canada.

The encampment at Peekskill provided a natural position of advantage to forestall that eventuality and to provide access to the southern states. After General Benedict Arnold refused the post, the task of defending the Peekskill area fell to General Putnam and his Connecticut troops.

On June 30, 1777 William was taken prisoner by the British. The nature of the encounter is not specified, but at least 24 men from the 2nd Regiment were taken prisoner between June 30 and July 2, 1777. William was listed on the Company Muster Roll and the Company Pay Roll as "a prisoner in New York". The final Muster Roll was dated Dec. 24, 1777. William died in the custody of the British.

In 1775 John Stanclift was a Private in Capt John Strong's Second Company of the Torrington Train Band, a town Militia. On June 24, 1775 John and Comfort each appeared on the payroll for 12 days pay for service in the Train Band, records submitted by Zachariah Mather, Company Clerk.

David Stanclift, son of Lemuel told that John and Samuel were together at Germantown and that when the Americans were forced to retreat, the two of them escaped through a cornfield and "the man that was between them was cut in two with a field piece ball".

John spent time in the winter quarters at Valley Forge, PA, being discharged from that place Jan. 9, 1778.

David Miller Stanclift a great grandson of John said that John was with General George Washington when he crossed the Delaware River to surprise the Hessians at the Battle of Trenton, NJ and was at the Battle of Yorktown, VA.

John again enlisted in the Connecticut Line in 1780 but his brother, Comfort, served four months of that enlistment and another substitute satisfied the remaining obligation.

From book "Descendants of James Stanclift of Middletown, Connecticut and Allied Families", By Robert C. and Sherry [Smith] Stancliff

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Memorial Day and PTSD: Remembering the Dead and the Living

Good Day World!

This Memorial Day weekend I’m thinking about those who have served with me in Vietnam, and who died there.

Yes, I’ve thought about all the men and women who have served and died for our country, but I can’t ignore the poignancy of recalling dead comrades.

It underscores the reality of those who are still alive…and suffering from PTSD. Our military forces are seeing more suicides now than ever before in American history.This is a stunning number: Every day in this country, an estimated 22 veterans take their own lives! I’m sharing the following excellent article on the subject today because it’s so timely.

Ancient warrior myths help veterans fight PTSD

“A soldier returns home from battle but has brought the war with him. He stares off into the distance, unable to take joy in his family or friends, still hyper alert to threats he no longer faces. Unable to heal his invisible wound, he takes his own life.

This isn’t a tragic news story about a veteran coming back from Afghanistan with a case of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It’s a summary of the Greek play "Ajax," which is more than 2,000 years old.

The Greeks didn’t call it PTSD. But they understood that war brought trauma (from the Greek word meaning “wound”), which left some warriors with a “thousand-yard stare,” a phrase used by Sophocles, long after they returned home. Advocates and the military itself have found that ancient myths and stories like “Ajax” can help veterans and active-duty soldiers cope with the overwhelming psychological stress that the country’s longest war has put on its relatively small volunteer force.” 

- Read the rest of this article by Liz Goodwin, at Yahoo News

Time for me to walk on down the road…

Why Does the NRA Have Final Say About the Next Surgeon General?

                                         Good Day World!

The National Rifle Association is calling the shots in Washington again.

It’s tedious, if not downright criminal.

The White House’s pick to serve as the nation’s top doctor has been stalled since February because the NRA opposes him. Why, you ask?

The answer isn’t pretty, and is one of many reasons why I equate the NRA with the Evil Empire.

They don’t want to see Vivek Murthy become the surgeon general because…get this;

He said that gun deaths in America are a public health problem.

Horrors! How dare he say ANYTHING bad about guns! The goons at the NRA were compelled to reject a man who would even suggest guns are a problem of any kind.

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), who endorsed Murthy’s nomination, told reporters that it’s the public dying out there in record numbers. “Who can disagree with that?” he wondered.

What about President Obama? He’s sure being quiet about the subject. 

With the NRA actively against Murthy, few Democratic lawmakers have the balls to force a fight with them. Apparently they’re feeling vulnerable running for reelection in red states this fall. They’re just a bunch of career cowards!

Something is terrible wrong when an entity like the NRA has the final say about who is going to be the next surgeon general.

Time for me to walk on down the road… 

Call Me Crazy, But I Can’t See Building Memorials to Death and Wars

 Good Day World!

 I confess.

I never believed it was a good idea to build memorials dedicated to tragedies and wars. Call me unpatriotic, or whatever you want.

I just can’t see pouring millions of dollars into a shrine for death or war. There’s plenty of books and movies that remind us of those wars and tragic events, so no one is going to forget about them.

Memorial building is an enterprise worthy of being listed on the stock market.

The National September 11 Memorial Museum opened this week to outrage among some victims' families over a gift shop at the site and a black-tie reception held close to the unidentified remains of those killed in the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.

And more controversy has erupted with news that a restaurant is opening soon inside the museum offering “an array of local, seasonal fare in a relaxing and comfortable environment,” according to the museum guide.

From top to bottom, people are employed, some making a career out of memorial shrines kitsch. There’s some coffee mugs and stationary with 9/11 printed on them at the new museum. Manufacturers make a mint out of memorials.

The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, like the New York site, receives no federal, state or local funds. That’s a good thing. The fact that they have to run them like businesses is not lost on me. It’s an expensive proposition.

Between 60 and 70 percent of the museum's annual operating cost of about $60 million will come from revenue generated from the gift shop and the museum's admission fee. People are making money building memorials and maintaining them, don’t kid yourself.

Sometimes taxpayers end up funding memorials like the Holocaust Museum. It receives federal funding of $52 million a year. The rest of the $87.6 million operating budget comes from private donations and investment income.

I’m really against using tax payer money to make these memorials and to maintain them. Why do we have to make such a fuss over death and war?

How about a memorial to love instead? Perhaps there’s some other positive things worth remembering.

Whatever they are, keep them privately funded, and don’t use tax-payer monies to do it. Now, there’s a thought.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

Pretty Soon You Won’t Be Able to Use Air Because It Belongs to the Federal Government

                                                Good Day World!

I can understand the anger over our Federal Government which routinely ignores what most Americans want.

States are stripped of their sovereignty with regularity. Voters can vote to legalize marijuana at the state level, but the feds refuse to stop harassing the pot providers and people who buy it.

Since Barack Obama came into office, the assault on state’s rights has been constant. I remember when he ran for office and said he would respect the rights of voters who legalized pot at the state level. That was pure bullshit. His actions say otherwise.

In the relentless war on marijuana the feds keep imposing new ways to harass marijuana dispensaries, growers, and users/patients. Here’s the most recent example:

Marijuana growers operating legally in Colorado and Washington state took another hit from the federal government on Tuesday when the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced that pot growers are (still) not allowed to use federal irrigation waters according to an NBC news report.

On Tuesday, in what's called a "temporary policy" decision, the bureau reiterated that federal law still rules.

"Reclamation will operate its facilities and administer its water-related contracts in a manner that is consistent with the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, as amended. This includes locations where state law has decriminalized or authorized the cultivation of marijuana. Reclamation will refer any inconsistent uses of federal resources of which it becomes aware to the Department of Justice and coordinate with the proper enforcement authorities," it said.

That last line means that the bureau won't actually be enforcing the law so much as letting the Justice Department know when it believes marijuana growers are using federal water.

The decision is termed "temporary" because a permanent policy decision would require a lengthy process that includes public hearings. The government wants to avoid any high profile battle so they’re taking this sneak-around approach.

In a statement to NBC News, Justice Department spokeswoman Ellen Canale said, "The Department of Justice will continue to enforce the Controlled Substances Act and will focus federal resources on the most significant threats to our communities. Our efforts will be guided by the eight factors set forth in the August 29, 2013 guidance memorandum."

Here’s those eight factors (PDF)

Meanwhile, many in the burgeoning legal marijuana industry saw Tuesday's announcement as more of the same in terms of federal harassment for something that is sanctioned at the local level.

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

A Poem: ‘Oh Say, Can You See?’

Good Day World!

Every now and then I like to share my poetry.

Here’s a poem that means a lot to me. I did my tour of Duty in Vietnam in 1970. The ghosts of comrades still slip by me in my toxic dreams.

Somewhere, still hidden in the secret chambers of my brain there are huts burning and women and children screaming in terror.

oh say, can you see?

here’s what I see with my PTSD:
burnt villages, burnt roads, burned-out buddies
burnt memories, a burned-out family
that puts up with me

oh say, can you see
others like me?

our wounds are invisible, impossible to see
we wander through life seeking normalcy
while vaguely existing, a cure someday unlikely
we try to tread lightly, lightly…

oh say, can you see
others like me?

my night’s bring terrors infrequently
unexpectedly, like Charlie
my old enemy, known for being places he shouldn’t be
and on some sweat-driven nights he visits me

oh say, can you see
others like me?

days are no protection for my malady
intruding thoughts are another uneasy reality
what I see doesn’t always square with what’s happening to me
silently, invisibly, silently, silently…

oh say, can you see
others like me?

Time for me to walk on down the road…

The Stupid and Pathetic Things Politicians Say

Good Day World!

 When it comes to outright lying, politicians take the prize.

They’ll say anything if they think it’ll get them votes. No matter how stupid, or inaccurate, they spew partisan views and make wild accusations.

The most recent example is an Arizona rancher and Republican congressional candidate.  

Gary Kiehne (photo) said during a primary debate that the vast majority of mass shootings in the United States are committed by Democrats.

“If you look at all the fiascos that have occurred, 99 percent of them have been by Democrats pulling their guns out and shooting people,” Gary Kiehne, who is running for the state's 1st U.S. Congressional District, said during Saturday's GOP primary in Florence, Arizona. “So I don’t think you have a problem with the Republicans.”

Where the hell did Kiehne get that information from? I searched the internet for anything pertaining to his claims and came up with a big zero! But do you think that bothers Kiehne, the lack of evidence for his claim? I sincerely doubt it.

Kiehne is a demagogue.

A demagogue is a political leader in a democracy who appeals to the emotions, fears, prejudices, and ignorance of the lower classes in order to gain power and promote political motives.

Demagogues usually oppose deliberation and advocate immediate, violent action to address a national crisis; they accuse moderate and thoughtful opponents of weakness. Demagogues have appeared in democracies since ancient Athens.

They exploit a fundamental weakness in democracy: because ultimate power is held by the people, nothing stops the people from giving that power to someone who appeals to the lowest common denominator of a large segment of the population.

Will one more demagogue get elected? That’s all we need. Another divisive voice in that rat pack called Congress!

Time for me to walk on down the road…

 

Getting Your Pet a Rabies Shot? Think Twice and Get Advice

Good Day World!

Like most pet owners I really didn’t think much about getting my 8-year-old pug’s rabies booster shot last year.

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 now.

Millie, my pug was sicker than I ever saw her before after getting the rabies shot. A horrid red rash broke out three days after she got it. 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, withering away before our eyes. The look in her big brown eyes stayed sad. She died several months later.

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 animals.

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.

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.

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.

We got another pug after Millie’s death. Her name is Molly (photo right). She hasn’t gotten a rabies shot, nor will she ever get one. It may make her a renegade to the system, but she’s healthy and happy. She’s also an indoor dog that doesn’t wander the great outdoors exposing her to some rabid animal.

I don’t recommend my actions to anyone. It’s up to you to decide. Hopefully you’ll do the research and come to your own conclusion about the safety of rabies shots for small dogs. 

Time for me to walk on down the road…