infecting the world

Do people not realize the deadly potential of spreading extremely-resistant tuberculosis? Obviously a dumb-ass rhetorical question; a US man has been forcibly quarantined because he failed to follow directions from medical doctors and ignored instructions from the CDC.

Instead of staying put and receiving treatment for the disease, he instead decided to leave the US on a trans-Atlantic flight and travel to Greece and Italy. Because he was placed on a no-fly list that restricts individuals from entering the US, he flew instead to the Czech Republic and then to Canada before crossing the border by car and re-entering the US.

Although the likelihood of infecting others with XDR-TB (extremely drug-resistant TB) are low, the possibility still exists. Rogue, self-centered, thoughtless, inconsiderate sons-of-bitches like this piss me off because they put the entire world at risk. Fuck the rest of the world, I have to get married. Fuck the fact that I am breaking the law, I have to get back home. Fuck the possibility that I could spread a deadly, currently-incurable disease to millions of people and be the source of a pandemic that could take the lives of innocent people, I have my own life to think about. Fuck him.

Tids and Bits

Generous supporters of Big Brothers Big Sisters were able to raise over $150,000 this year during our most important fundraiser of the year, Bowl for Kids' Sake. I am so pleased to have been a part of it and am proud of our team for caring enough to seek out donations and bowling with me on Sunday. Dave, Brett, Renee, Cami, and Tracey -- you have my admiration and appreciation. You're good people... thank you!

The tomb of King Herod has been found by a Hebrew University Professor. Herod's tomb was found at a site called Herodium in the Judean Desert.

In looking at the website for our local Humane Society, I was amazed at the number of black or black/white dogs that are available for adoption. The proportion of black/white dogs to the entire number of dogs waiting to be adopted is crazy. It's been that way for weeks. Tonight, there were 46 dogs listed; of those, 24 dogs are black or black/white -- 52%! So many black labs are waiting for homes which surprises me because it's always been such a popular breed. Just some interesting (or not) observations.

Attention fellow diabetics! A Hong Kong company has invented a new method to test blood glucose levels without having to prick your finger. Apparently, the invention uses near-infrared rays that penetrate your skin and targets a blood vessel. The rays then measure the amount of glucose in the bloodstream and return a reading in about 10 seconds. The new unit is still undergoing testing, with very low blood sugars, currently but is expected to be commercially available in about a year. Hmm. I love it.

We're going to become Fosters for the Basset and Beagle Rescue of the Heartland organization. Someday, I would love to form my own rescue non-profit for the sake of homeless and unwanted hounds -- Beagles, Bassets, Foxhounds, Coonhounds -- but for now, Fostering will have to do.

I guess that's it for now. 'Night all!

Genetic Discrimination Soon to be Illegal

Found this short blip in New Scientist magazine. I'm so thankful our country is taking this step! Having the ability to undergo genetic testing without fear of later repercussions from insurance companies is huge and could mean more people may likely seek genetic testing and, in turn, save their own lives in the process.

Soon it will be illegal to deny US citizens jobs or insurance simply because they have an inherited illness, or a genetic predisposition to a particular disease.

On 25 April, the House of Representatives voted 420 to 3 to pass the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). The Senate is expected to endorse the act within a few weeks, which is also supported by President Bush. "I am so stunned by the majority," says Sharon Terry, president of the Genetic Alliance, a charity lobbying for the rights of people with inherited illnesses.

"Clearly the House finally understood the incredible significance this has. The American public can now access genetic tests, feel safe about their genetic information not being misused and participate in research that involves genetic information."

Sleeping Pills Helping Brain Damaged

This is a very cool story. The fields of medicine, pharmaceuticals, and research continue to amaze me. Think of the possibilities and how many individuals this might have the potential to help. It's nice to see some good news.

Tidbits

Pregnant women who suffer from diabetes are more likely to have a child with memory problems, according to a new study.

An animal shelter in Las Vegas had to euthanize 1,000 cats and dogs due to outbreaks of highly contagious diseases -- distemper and parvo -- at the shelter. The shelter had apparently been using incorrect vaccines or had vaccinated the animals at incorrect times; the shelter was also overcrowded which only helped these diseases flourish. The shelter's management team didn't want to euthanize animals simply because they hadn't been adopted or were short on space at the shelter. While their intentions were admirable, I find it hard to believe that the "Lied Animal Shelter officials ... said they did not realize animals were infected until the Humane Society team noticed animals with intestinal and respiratory problems." I'm sorry, but I've cared for dogs and cats with parvo and distemper -- you can't help but know they are sick if you have two brain cells and you will never forget the smell of the vomit and diarrhea. They didn't realize the animals were infected? Unbelievable.

An 84-year old woman in Portland, Oregon has confessed to having sex with an 11-year old boy while he was a foster child in her care. Yick. Lady, ever hear of masturbation?

New genetic evidence supports the Land Bridge Theory which states that the earliest Native Americans arrived via the Bering Strait land bridge that once connected the North American and Asian continents. A sequence of DNA has been found in Native Americans from various tribes as well as people living in Eastern Siberia, but the genetic puzzle piece wasn't found in other populations that were tested, including Mongolians, Japanese, or people living in other parts of Siberia.

The bird flu virus H5N1 has been found in cats. In a recent study in Indonesia, blood from 500 stray cats was sampled and 20% had the H5N1 antibodies present, indicating that the cats had been infected with the bird flu virus at one point or another. Why should we care? "The main worry is that as the virus replicates in cats it will further adapt to mammals and acquire the ability to spread more efficiently to people and from person to person, unleashing a human pandemic ... We know the 1918 pandemic was a bird flu virus that adapted to mammals in some intermediate mammalian host, possibly pigs ... Maybe for H5N1 the intermediate host is cats." What would you do in the case of a human pandemic?

Beware! Boys with boobs... yep, young boys have developed breast tissue after having regular and prolonged contact with lotions, gels, shampoos, etc. that contain lavender and tea tree oils. The good news is that the boys lost the breast tissue after discontinuing use of said products. It is thought that these ingredients may mimic estrogen and suppress hormones responsible for the masculinization of boys.

I hadn't realized that US taxpayers continue to support the pensions of congressmen, even after they have been convicted of felonies. "According to the Taxpayers Union research, 20 lawmakers over the last 25 years have been found guilty of serious crimes while in office. All 20 received, or are still receiving, congressional retirement benefits. Randall "Duke" Cunningham and James Traficant are both in prison right now, and both collecting. "Duke" gets an estimated $64,000 a year. Traficant's estimated pension is $40,000." Congressman Rostenkowski, former chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee who was indicted for embezzling public funds (among other charges) and later pardoned by Clinton, collects a whopping $126,000 each year. Wow. Had no idea.

Live Earth is here. Save Our Selves - The Campaign for a Climate in Crisis, a worldwide series of concerts to bring greater attention to the world's changing climate, is set for July 7, 2007. More than 100 performers are scheduled to appear, including Melissa Etheridge, the Foo Fighters, Lenny Kravitz, Sheryl Crow, John Mayer, Duran Duran, Korn, Pharrell, the Black Eyed Peas, Akon, Enrique Iglesias, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. Proceeds from the event will be used create a foundation to combat climate change led by The Alliance for Climate Protection, which is chaired by Al Gore. Also of interest, Gore's documentary film "An Inconvenient Truth" has been nominated for an Academy Award and Gore, himself, has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Yay, Al. :)

Ethical Stem Cells - Could It Be True?

I am an avid supporter of stem cell research and know many people that might one day benefit from scientific breakthroughs in this oft-tempestuous field of exploration. This article is interesting in that it presents an alternative to using embryonic stem cells while still seemingly providing similar benefits to ESC's. Perhaps this discovery will be the key to overcoming the moral objections some have to stem cell research while allowing scientific research and progress to continue. Oh, how I hope it true.

Genetic Roulette

Great news! We got the results of Jesse's Cystic Fibrosis test and...

drumroll please...

he is perfectly normal! Woo hoo!

With that turn at the genetic roulette wheel behind us, we are full of relief and are now focused on his physical therapy. He had another session today with his PT and he is making great headway. Between his newfound ability to prop himself up on his elbows and the mobility he's found with his army commando crawl, I think he's discovering how much fun it can be to look at the world from a couple different angles. He's such a good-natured baby and takes all the PT in stride, never uttering one complaint. We're very blessed.

Nature Erotica

These pics were just too good not to share...

Inflammatory Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is a scary disease that runs in my family, so I try to stay abreast (sorry, no pun intended) of the latest news and developments. A friend that I work with sent me this newsclip recently and I'm so thankful to have received the information. I had never heard of Inflammatory Breast Cancer before and, as you'll see in the clip, the vast majority of women don't know that it exists. So... please help spread the word. Tell all the women in your life that you care about.

Stunning Satellite Images

I've always enjoyed looking at photographs taken from high above in the stars. The immensity of the Earth and the infinite nature of the Universe have consistently made me feel very small and insignificant. I am in awe of the wonders that surround us. These are some of my favorite photos of interesting man-made structures and natural phenomena that continue to captivate me. Hope you enjoy them.

This is a natural color, 60-centimeter (2-foot) high-resolution QuickBird satellite image featuring the southwestern coast of Sri Lanka. Imagery was collected on December 26, 2004 at 10:20 a.m. local time, slightly less than four hours after the 6:28 a.m. earthquake and shortly after the moment of tsunami impact.

This IKONOS satellite image was collected on July 16, 2004. The image shows this man-made island that lies off the coast of Dubai in the Persian Gulf. The island is being built from 80 million cubic meters of land dredged from the approach channel to the Emirates Jebel Ali Port. When complete, this resort will have approximately 1,200 single-family and 600 multi-family residences, an aquatic theme park, shopping centers, cinemas and more. Wow. What oil can buy these days. Incredible.

On a Space Station expedition, astronauts observed and captured this detailed image of the volcano's summit caldera. In the center of the crater sits a lava dome that is 876 feet above the crater floor and is about 3,500 feet in diameter. The dome began to form after the May 18, 1980 eruption of Mount Saint Helens. After the eruption, there was not any dome building eruptions for more than a decade. Afternoon lighting accents the flow features in the volcanic and debris flows and the steep valleys eroded into the loosely consolidated material near the summit. This picture was taken on October 25, 2002.

North and South Malosmadulu Atolls are in the Maldives, an island Republic in the northern Indian Ocean, southwest of India. The Maldives are made up of a chain of 1,192 small coral islands, which are grouped into clusters of atolls. It has a total area of 298 qquare kilometers and a population of about 330,000. The capital and largest city is Male, with a population of about 80,000. Arguably the lowest-lying country in the world, the average elevation is just 1 meter above sea level. The natural-color ASTER image of the Malosmadulu Atolls was acquired on December 22, 2002, and is centered near 5.3 degrees North latitude, 73.9 degrees West longitude.

This featured image is a 61-centimeter pan-sharpened image of the Great Pyramid in Giza, Egypt, collected by QuickBird on February 2, 2002. The Great Pyramid is estimated to have been built circa 2650 B.C., and was erected as a tomb for the Egyptian pharaoh Khufu of the Fourth Dynasty. Upon the completion of its construction, the Great Pyramid stood 145.75 meters (481 feet) high, and over the millennia has lost approximately 10 meters (30 feet) off the top. It stood as the tallest structure on Earth for more than 43 centuries.

This image of the northern portion of the Nile River was captured by the Multi-angle Imaging Spectroradiometer's (MISR's) nadir camera on January 30, 2001. Against the barren desert of northeastern Africa, the fertile valley of the Nile River runs northward through Egypt. The city of Cairo can be seen as a gray smudge right where the river widens into its broad fan-shaped delta. Other cities are dotted across the green landscape, giving it a speckled appearance. Where the Nile empties into the Mediterranean Sea (top) the waters are swirling with color, likely a mixture of sediment, organic matter, and possibly marine plant life. Farther west, the bright blue color of the water is likely less-organically rich sediment, perhaps sand.

Is it or isn't it? Satellite images of Mt. Ararat, Turkey have pointed to, what many consider to be, a possible sighting of Noah's Ark. Decide for yourself!


Northern Arizona and the Grand Canyon are captured in this pair of multi-angle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR) images from December 31, 2000. In addition to the Grand Canyon itself, which is visible in the western (lower) half of the images, other landmarks include Lake Powell, on the left, and Humphreys Peak and Sunset Crater National Monument on the right. Meteor Crater appears as a small dark depression with a brighter rim, and is visible along the upper right-hand edge.

The IKON OS satellite image of Ayers Rock was collected January 17, 2004. Ayers Rock is located in Kata Tjuta National Park, 280 miles southwest of Alice Springs, Australia. It is the world's largest monolith, an Aboriginal sacred site, and Australia's most famous natural landmark.

This image of the Earth's city lights was captured on October 19, 2000. I find it beautiful, yet depressing in a way when I see the obvious way in which we have impacted the planet.

This image shows Niagara River that connects Lake Erie to Lake Ontario by snaking around Goat Island in the lower left area. Every second, more than 2 million liters of water plunges over the Horseshoe Falls segment of Niagara Falls, creating one of the world's largest waterfalls. This photograph was taken August 2, 2004.

She's Gonna Blow!

Had to post this photo for my hubby, an aspiring Geologist interested in earthquakes and volcanoes. Besides, it is pretty cool looking.

American Bald Eagles

A friend of mine sent these photos to me today and I felt inspired to share. They were taken near Comox, British Columbia in Canada and are absolutely beautiful... a sight very few of us, if any, will ever see. Enjoy!

Birth of a Hummingbird

Recently, I received these photos of a hummingbird nest and eggs being tended by Mama Bird. The photos chronicle the development and birth of the hummingbird babies and is quite remarkable. For those who are nature lovers like me, please enjoy.

Mama bird tending to her nest.

Two tiny eggs, each only 1/2 inch long.

The first new arrival emerges.

"How about something to eat?!"

Development is moving right along!

The time to fly is nearing...

Almost time to go!

One of the babies has left the nest at the ripe old age of 21 days.

As a point of reference, a toothpick is
2 1/2" long and a penny is 3/4" in diameter.

God Is In Control

During a recent trip to visit my husband's birth mother, she and my husband got into a somewhat heated debate about global warming. My husband is what she called "one of those global warmers," as am I. Despite the overwhelming scientific evidence that global warming is, in fact, taking place, she continues to deny that anything at all is wrong. Although I wasn't present (unfortunately) for their interesting deliberations, it apparently went something like this.

"Glaciers and ice caps are melting at an alarming rate," he told her.

"How would you know? Have you been there? Have you seen them?" she asked.

"The Amazon rainforest is being cleared... are you implying that if it disappears entirely, there will be no effect on the Earth's climate?" he asked.

"No effect at all. Besides, how do you know it's being cleared? Have you been there? Have you seen it?" she replied.

"Some of the hottest years in recorded history have occurred within the last 20 years," he rebutted.

"The only recorded history I need to know is that which is in the Bible. And I'll tell you about hot. Hell is hot and those that don't believe that will get to experience it firsthand. God is in control and if you don't have faith in the fact that He is controlling everything, you're in trouble," she retorted.

Why is it so easy for some folks to cling to an unseen, omnipresent, omnipotent God but ignore the evidence that is right in front of their eyes? Had I been there, I think I would have asked her, "How do you know God exists? Have you seen Him? How do you know the Bible is true? Were you there when it was written?"

Guess I'm going to Hell, huh?

Mammatus Clouds

I thought these photos were beautiful and intriguing. They were taken by a gentleman in the great state of Nebraska, Jorn Olsen, who lives in Hastings.

Makes Your Skin Crawl

Ever have that sensation that your skin is crawling? For those with Morgellon's Disease, that sensation is a reality. In addition to that feeling that you've got creepy-crawlies under your dermis, you might also experience skin lesions with white, black, blue, and red fibers protruding from the wound and adjacent healthy skin. The fibers, thus far, have no resemblence to naturally-occuring fibers from, for example, clothing.

Although cases have been reported in all 50 states, most cases exist in California, Texas, and Florida. The disease name was derived from a condition involving "black hairs" emerging from the skin of children which was documented in France in the 1600's. While most of the medical community dismisses these patients with incorrect diagnoses of scabies or delusional parasitosis, the CDC has formed a group to study this mystery disease further. While some feel it may be related to Lyme Disease, a definitive cause has yet to be identified. Likewise, there is currently no cure.

Calling All Science Nerds

A species of monkey discovered in Tanzania over a year ago has turned out to be more exciting than originally thought. Initially, the monkey was thought to be related to mangabeys. However, it was later found to be more closely related to baboons. Now, after further genetic testing, scientists have found that the monkey, properly called Rungwecebus kipunji, is so unique that it deserves an entirely new genus and species classification. Rungwecebus kipunji... looks like a word verification, doesn't it?!

If you're a science nerd like me, you know this discovery is a big deal.

If you're not quite so nerdy... well, you could probably give a rat's ass.

I think it's pretty damn cool.

Say You're Sorry

I found this commentary while perusing the Internet tonight. Written by Peter H. Gleick of the Pacific Institute, I thought the editorial summed up many of my feelings nicely.

"My kids deserve an apology from the global warming “skeptics.” For longer than my kids have been alive, these skeptics have intentionally muddied the climate change debate, confusing the public, misleading policymakers, and successfully delaying any meaningful action to develop solutions. Thanks to their actions we are now at the point where my children – not to mention the rest of the world – are committed to a radically changed planet.

Their world is going to be hotter than our world, unbearably so in some places. The weather is going to be more violent and less predictable. Precipitation patterns will be different, leading to increased flooding in some areas and droughts in others. Snowpack in the mountains is going to shrink and glaciers are going to disappear. It will be harder to grow enough food or provide enough fresh water for all. Entire ecosystems will be threatened; with humans, animals, and plants struggling to adjust. Indeed, global climate change is already here and it looks worse than we anticipated.

Climate scientists have sounded the alarm for decades. Mostly a restrained and careful lot – they overemphasize uncertainties and are reluctant or inexperienced when it comes to talking to policymakers. But some have risked careers to stir politicians out of their complacency. Yet for every vocal climate scientist there has been a well-orchestrated response from a small, well-funded band of self-described skeptics. This response hasn’t played out in the scientific literature, a forum of research and data and debate, but on Shout Television and in other forums that substitute quips, showmanship, hyperbole, and conjecture for substantial discussion.

Skeptics have engaged in a deliberate effort to cast doubt on climate models, on actual data from measurements, and even on the integrity of climate scientists themselves. Their efforts have had an effect: a March ABC News/Time/Stanford poll reported that 64% of the American public believes that scientists disagree with one another about global warming. Even more telling, while 46% of Democrats and 45% of independents are certain that climate change is happening, only 26% of Republicans feel that way. It is the worst example of the politicization of science.

My kids deserve an apology from policymakers as well. In the past few years we’ve seen our government let political hacks edit scientific findings, censor government scientists, and redirect research funds away from efforts to understand the impacts of climate change.

No amount of Wite-Out can hide the evidence that continues to pour in demonstrating that humans are dramatically changing the climate. Actual observations are showing that the problem may actually be much worse than we thought it would be. In our effort not to over-exaggerate the problem, we may have greatly understated it. Changes in the Arctic and Antarctica are accelerating. Sea levels appear to be rising faster than anticipated. There isn’t a single oceanographer or coastal zone hydrologist who thinks that a sea-level rise of even a few feet is a good thing, but almost all of them agree that a more extreme rise of 10 to 20 feet – now apparently a serious possibility – would be a global catastrophe. Instead of an aberration, New Orleans may be tragic foreshadowing for other coastal cities and towns.

If there is any good news, it is that the tide of opinion is slowly changing. Despite skeptics’ best efforts a large majority of the American public – 88% – now thinks that global warming threatens future generations. It is not too late for our leaders to follow this sentiment. I’d accept real action in lieu of an apology from our politicians. As for the skeptics, my kids’ apology is overdue."

An Inconvenient Truth

Al Gore appeared on "The Daily Show" this week, promoting his book and new movie called An Inconvenient Truth. Whether you are an Al Gore fan or not, please go see this documentary and educate yourself about what we are doing to our planet. I've included the trailer for you below.

It's a Blastocyst, Not a Baby

Harvard researchers announced last week that they will proceed with plans to create cloned human embryos to be used for embryonic stem cell extraction. The Harvard Stem Cell Institute's project will be funded with private donations, as Federal research money cannot be used for such experiments.

HSCI intends to ask healthy women in the Boston area, where the Institute is based, to donate their eggs to the research program. The women will receive no compensation for their donation. Once the eggs are harvested, the nuclei of the eggs are removed. DNA from another patient's cell is then inserted into the egg and permitted to grow for a few days. A blastocyst is the result -- a tiny ball of cells about the size of a pinhead. Embryonic stem cells are retrieved from the blastocyst and continue to grow in a culture medium. Embryonic stem cells are unique in that they can be prompted to develop into any specialized cell in our body. For example, you might have a petri dish of stem cells that are prompted to grow into cardiac cells; other stem cells in the lab might be influenced to develop into pancreatic or neural cells. The thought, then, is to transfer the healthy cardiac, pancreatic, or neural cells back into a patient that might be suffering from heart disease, diabetes, or Parkinsons disease, eventually (and hopefully) curing those ailments.

The Harvard researchers will join a growing number of scientists around the world that are working to clone human embryos, including the University of California - San Francisco, who also recently added their proverbial hat to the cloning ring. Thus far, only one group (in the UK) have successfully cloned a human embryo to the blastocyst stage; however, they did not extract any embryonic stem cells.