Scientists pinpoint origins of little dogs

I always thought that humans had something to do with how big or small a dog is through breeding methods.

Now, according to this article, the reason there are small dogs is because of a stretch of DNA.

“Small dogs the world over can all trace their ancestry back to the Middle East, where the first diminutive canines emerged more than 12,000 years ago.”

Go here to read story. Photo source

(Photo) A stretch of DNA allows Gibson, a Great Dane, to look a pony in the eye — while Zoie, a Chihuahua, can fit into a purse. Photo by Deanne Fitzmaurice / Science

View related photos  Click for related content Big dog, little dog, it’s in the genes,
Scientists clone glowing dogs, Cosmic Log: Cat vs. dog evolution.

Hi-Tech Back In the Day: GPS, 1964 Version

I was talking with someone the other day about their new “Tom Tom,” a GPS device available to everyone these days. When I mentioned that a GPS device was available for cars 46 years ago they said, “No way!” Yeah, way.

It looks crude now, but when it came out in a concept car it was space age stuff. I wonder why the idea didn’t catch on with other models and ever go into mass production?

First seen on a Ford Aurora concept car (which also had an interesting baby seats location, see below):

photo(s) source

NRA scare tactics are working – more states push for lienient gun laws

 Gun dealers ought to be thanking President Obama for his lack of action on gun control. Guns are now allowed in our National Parks. States are overturning gun laws, and making new laws favorable to gun dealers and buyers.

 The NRA has been crying “wolf” since the day Obama was elected. “Look out,” the NRA rhetoric roared, “Obama is going to take away your rights as a gun owner now!” On the the same day Obama was elected the sales of guns nationwide spiked. A year later, what Second Amendment rights have been violated by Obama? Zero. Nada. None.

 But what about the NRA lobby who keeps crying wolf? It seems they are never satisfied with their victories. There’s always another reason to change a gun law somewhere to benefit their constituents who shower them with money. Meanwhile, the real benefactors of the NRA’s scare tactics are the gun dealers, gun manufacturers, and the ammunition industry. Oh yeah, and the criminals!

I think what bothers me the most is that the NRA keeps hiding behind their wide-open interpretation of the Second Amendment to shield themselves and attempt to take the high road to freedom. I believe in the right to own guns, but I’m also concerned about how easy it is for criminals in America to buy a gun. Any type of gun. That means semi or fully automatic. Don’t waste my time trying to tell me that criminals can’t buy automatic weapons because of already restrictive laws.

That’s a load of bullshit, but the NRA spreads it around like butter. There’s too many laws now according to some gun extremists. That tells me the NRA has done it’s job spreading propaganda and lies in order to push an agenda.

What is the NRA’s real agenda? Maybe we ought to look at their close relationship with the gun and ammunition lobbies, and how much support they buy from the NRA. Did I hear you say, “It’s all about the money?” You’re right. It’s capitalism at it’s worst.

Excerpt:

“When President Obama took office, gun rights advocates sounded the alarm, warning that he intended to strip them of their arms and ammunition. And yet the opposite is happening.”

Photo source

Bad credit sidelines some jobless workers

Talk about a Catch 22…

 As if things aren’t bad enough, another barrier to employment raises it’s ugly head. Credit checks. If employers are going to check people’s credit, what comes next? 

 There are some jobs that probably should check out prospective employees credit, like banking, trading stock, etc. But when a person applies for a job, like answering phones, should the fact that their credit history is bad because of unpaid medical bills (due to not being able to afford insurance) prevent them from getting a job?

How the hell is the country going to recover with this kind of thinking? When you read Debra Banks story (below link) ask yourself what you would do? How many people across the country are in the same situation as MS Banks?

 A temporary financial setback can become a long-term employment barrier.

 (Photo) Debra Banks, 54, of Los Angeles, believes an unpaid medical bill cost her a full-time job. View related photos Photo by Ann Johansson / for msnbc.com

Pot use among seniors goes up as boomers age

Gray-haired tokers turn to marijuana to relieve many problems of aging

 Is anyone surprised? What did you think the Baby Boomers would do?

Excerpt:

“In her 88 years, Florence Siegel has learned how to relax: A glass of wine. A copy of The New York Times, if she can wrest it from her husband. Some classical music, preferably Bach. And every night, she lifts a pipe to her lips and smokes marijuana.”

Go here to read the story.

PHOTO: Perry Parks, 67, takes a puff of marijuana at his home in Rockingham, N.C. The retired Army pilot suffered crippling pain from degenerative disc disease and arthritis before turning to marijuana. Photo via Chuck Burton / AP

Choking warning urged for food labels

When 4-year-old Eric Stavros Adler choked to death on a piece of hot dog, his anguished mother never dreamed that the popular kids' food could be so dangerous.

 My first reaction, after reading the above headline was “Not another stupid label for stupid people!”

After reading this article I changed my mind. Who would have thought?

photo source 

Suffer the Children: The lethal legacy of Agent Orange

By Dave Stancliff/For the Times-Standard

Posted: 02/21/2010 01:30:30 AM PST

Although Sharon L. Perry has never been to Vietnam, what happened to her husband, who served there during his military service, has affected her life forever.

 Since he died in 2005 she has “waded through grief, hate, anger, pain, rage, and lots and lots of heartache.”

The heartache started long before Reuben “Bud” C. Perry III died from a myocardial infarction attributed to his diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, and Hep C, all Agent Orange (AO) related illnesses.

It began with the birth of their oldest daughter, Danielle, who has been sick all her life. Sharon fought for years with doctors who didn't seem to know what caused her daughter to suffer debilitating muscle spasms in her neck that often lasted up to two hours.

”Finally,” Sharon said, “a doctor treated her because he said her muscles would atrophy if not taken care of.”

Go here to read the rest.

UPDATE:

BLOGS and GROUPS carrying this column as of 5:20 p.m. today:

1.) Google Group: Vietnamese Culture

2.) Friend Feed

3.) Agent Orange Legacy

4.) Twitter

5.) Northcoast BlogThing

Product Recalls on the Rise : Consumers are becoming cranky

Internal F.D.A. reports are part of fierce debate over Avandia

A controversial diabetes drug harms heart (above link)

Drug recalls are becoming so common that there are web sites devoted to them. 

What’s a person supposed to do? Here’s some links:

Peanut product Recall – Withdrawal of Certain Cat foods -

U.S. Recall News – Safe Mama – Tylenol Recall Expanded -

You get the idea. We don’t know what’s going to be bad for us next. A lot of products aren’t tested long enough to see of they’re safe (think Big Pharma). If a person doesn’t keep up on what’s the latest product recall, they may regret it.

The Top 10 Plants for Removing Indoor Toxins

Top ten plants for removing formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon monoxide from the air: 1. Areca Palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens)

Also called the “Butterfly Palm”. An upright houseplant that is somewhat vase shaped. Specimen plants can reach 10 to 12 foot in height. Prefers a humid area to avoid tip damage. Requires pruning. When selecting an Areca palm look for plants with larger caliber trunks at the base of the plant. Plants that have pencil thin stems tend to topple over and are quite difficult to maintain.

Click here to see the remaining nine plants

A recent NASA study has determined the top 10 plants for reducing indoor air pollution

Excerpt:

“Common indoor plants may provide a valuable weapon in the fight against rising levels of indoor air pollution. NASA scientists are finding them to be surprisingly useful in absorbing potentially harmful gases and cleaning the air inside homes, indoor public spaces and office buildings.”

Go here for rest of the story.

Politicians are making money on their sleazy lives

Sleaze and revenge dominate a recent rash of memoirs and campaign accounts.

Sarah Palin’s PAC Spent $63,000 on her own book.

Journalistic standards?

Book review: John Edwards exposed in 'The Politician' by Andrew Young

All photos source

Tell me what you really see in this photo of the Clintons cuddling(?)

Hillary is a saint, or a politician who sold her soul long ago. Somehow I don’t think someone who dodged imaginary gunfire on one of her world tours is the kind of person who gets canonized.

Friday’s findings: a new name for Iraq War, Big Brother, A Chickenshit Situation, and some Gay Gospel

 

What’s in a name? The war in Iraq will now be called 'Operation New Dawn' to reflect the reduced U.S. role in that mess.

IRS or BIG BROTHER?: Yesterday, software engineer Joseph Stack III flew a small plane into a building housing the Internal Revenue Service offices in Austin, Texas, because he was upset with the IRS, according to officials.

Chicken Waste: Residents of Briggs Road react to the stench from a lake of chicken excrement.

Folks in French Camp, a small town 80 miles east of San Francisco, say they've complained for years to local air and environmental regulators about the waste lagoon, saying the stench and eye-burning fumes give them headaches and nausea. They say nothing changed.

Photo source (right)

                 Gay Gospel?

“I think Jesus was a compassionate, super-intelligent gay man who understood human problems,” Elton John told Parade magazine recently.

 Photo source (left)