Well since I am in Macroeconomics I figured I can help myself get more familiar with with the subject while blogging and studying so over the next few weeks alot of my blogs will most likely be containing stories and idea on the economy, more specific the recession and the stock market since that is what I will be writing my 15 page, yes that right I said 15 page paper I have to write on a current crisis in the economy. So even if its not of your interest I think you should at least skim what I post. Its all good information, and its good to stay informed about how and where your taxes are being spent. At least thats how I feel. After class last night, my interst was sparked and it may not be the easiest thing to grasp or follow, I think its at leats worth a little bit of your time. Happy reading :)
My first post will be on how yesterday the goverment reported that the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) grew 3.5% in the third quarter. While some economists have doubts of how long this strong growth can last.
The below story is taken from CNNMoney.com:
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The U.S. economy grew at a 3.5% annual rate in the third quarter, ending a string of declines over four quarters that resulted in the most severe slide since the Great Depression. But some economists raised doubts about how long such strong growth can last.
The increase in GDP, reported by the government Thursday morning, was slightly better than expectations. Economists surveyed by Briefing.com had forecast 3.2% growth in gross domestic product, the broadest measure of the nation's economic activity. The economy shrank at a 0.7% rate in the second quarter.
The positive GDP report is one more sign that the economy has likely pulled out of the deep recession that started in December 2007.
The reading by itself doesn't mark an end to the recession; the economy actually grew in the second quarter of 2008. (The National Bureau of Economic Research, which officially dates the beginning and end of recessions, is not expected to declare that the current recession has ended until sometime in 2010.)
Friday, October 30, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Adam Lambert CD Cover
Wow...this is nuts. Above is a picture of Adam Lamberts new CD Cover... Im sure you all remember him from "Idol". I dont know what to think of this picture. Looks like a cross between Boy George and Flock of Seagulls...What are your thoughts?
Hiccups???
So yesterday in religion we were talking about Evolution and how we have cetain things in our body we dont need or use. Such as the gall bladder, and apendix. My teacher also made a good point about how our ear used to be gill clefs. With that we got into a discussion on how we have evolved from everything. You ever thought about hiccups in relationship to how a frog breathes? Its all a little crazy just to even think about, but if you are open to critical thinking...The book Rethinking Religion by Will Deming is worth a read. Below is an article I found that helps explain this better.
Article taken from : http://cogweb.ucla.edu/ep/Hiccups.html
Scientists believe they may be able to explain why people hiccup.
Researchers in France have suggested that it may be linked to evolution and the fact that our ancient ancestors lived in the sea.
They believe it may be a throwback to a time when our ancestors had gills to help them breathe.
The reason why humans hiccup has baffled scientists for hundreds of years, not least because it does not seem to serve any useful purpose.
Sudden contractions
Hiccups are sudden contractions of the muscles used for breathing in.
Just after the muscles start to move, the glottis shuts off the windpipe to produce the characteristic "hic" sound.
Ultrasound scans show that two-month-old babies hiccup in the womb, before any breathing movements appear.
One theory is that the contractions prepare the unborn baby's respiratory muscles for breathing after birth.
Another is that they stop amniotic fluid entering the lungs.
But neither of these ideas fully stands up.
For instance, if hiccups were supposed to keep fluid out of the lungs, it would make more sense for them to involve a cough-like response, not a breath inwards.
This latest theory, originally published in the journal BioEssays and reported in New Scientist magazine, says the key to hiccupping lies in a group of animals for whom combining closure of the glottis and contraction of the "breathing in" muscles does serve a clear purpose.
They are the primitive air breathers, such as lungfish, gar and many amphibians that still possess gills.
These creatures push water across their gills by squeezing their mouth cavity while closing the glottis to stop water getting into their lungs.
A group of scientists led by Christian Straus, at Pitie-Saltpetriere Hospital in Paris believes the brain circuitry controlling gill ventilation has persisted into modern mammals, including humans.
The researchers point to many similarities between hiccupping and gill ventilation in animals such as tadpoles.
Both are inhibited when the lungs are inflated, for example, and by high carbon dioxide levels in air or water.
There must, however, be a reason why hiccupping persists 370 million years after animals started hauling themselves onto the land.
Suckling
Straus and his colleagues suspect the habit has been adapted to a new use - helping mammals learn to suckle.
The sequence of movements during suckling is similar to hiccupping, with the glottis closing to prevent milk entering the lungs.
Allan Pack, an expert in respiratory neurobiology at the University of Pennsylvania, said it was a plausible theory.
But he added: "It's going to be very tough to prove."
The real test will be to look at the specific areas of the brain that control hiccups and suckling, says Straus.
If the theory is correct, most of the nerves cells that are active during suckling should also fire during hiccupping.
Article taken from : http://cogweb.ucla.edu/ep/Hiccups.html
Scientists believe they may be able to explain why people hiccup.
Researchers in France have suggested that it may be linked to evolution and the fact that our ancient ancestors lived in the sea.
They believe it may be a throwback to a time when our ancestors had gills to help them breathe.
The reason why humans hiccup has baffled scientists for hundreds of years, not least because it does not seem to serve any useful purpose.
Sudden contractions
Hiccups are sudden contractions of the muscles used for breathing in.
Just after the muscles start to move, the glottis shuts off the windpipe to produce the characteristic "hic" sound.
Ultrasound scans show that two-month-old babies hiccup in the womb, before any breathing movements appear.
One theory is that the contractions prepare the unborn baby's respiratory muscles for breathing after birth.
Another is that they stop amniotic fluid entering the lungs.
But neither of these ideas fully stands up.
For instance, if hiccups were supposed to keep fluid out of the lungs, it would make more sense for them to involve a cough-like response, not a breath inwards.
This latest theory, originally published in the journal BioEssays and reported in New Scientist magazine, says the key to hiccupping lies in a group of animals for whom combining closure of the glottis and contraction of the "breathing in" muscles does serve a clear purpose.
They are the primitive air breathers, such as lungfish, gar and many amphibians that still possess gills.
These creatures push water across their gills by squeezing their mouth cavity while closing the glottis to stop water getting into their lungs.
A group of scientists led by Christian Straus, at Pitie-Saltpetriere Hospital in Paris believes the brain circuitry controlling gill ventilation has persisted into modern mammals, including humans.
The researchers point to many similarities between hiccupping and gill ventilation in animals such as tadpoles.
Both are inhibited when the lungs are inflated, for example, and by high carbon dioxide levels in air or water.
There must, however, be a reason why hiccupping persists 370 million years after animals started hauling themselves onto the land.
Suckling
Straus and his colleagues suspect the habit has been adapted to a new use - helping mammals learn to suckle.
The sequence of movements during suckling is similar to hiccupping, with the glottis closing to prevent milk entering the lungs.
Allan Pack, an expert in respiratory neurobiology at the University of Pennsylvania, said it was a plausible theory.
But he added: "It's going to be very tough to prove."
The real test will be to look at the specific areas of the brain that control hiccups and suckling, says Straus.
If the theory is correct, most of the nerves cells that are active during suckling should also fire during hiccupping.
And the Violence Continues...
Wow...
Story taken from: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/as_pakistan
PESHAWAR, Pakistan – A car bomb tore through a busy market in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing 91 people as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visited the country and pledged American support for its campaign against Islamist militants.
More than 200 people were wounded in the blast in the main northwestern city of Peshawar, the deadliest in a surge of attacks this month. The government blamed militants seeking to avenge an army offensive launched this month against al-Qaida and Taliban in their stronghold close to the Afghan border.
The bomb destroyed much of a market selling bangles, dresses and toys that was popular with women and children.
It collapsed buildings, including a mosque, and set shops on fire in an old part of the city crisscrossed with narrow alleys and clogged with stalls. Wounded people sat amid burning debris and body parts as a huge plume of gray smoke rose above the city.
Crying for help, men grabbed at the wreckage, trying to pull out survivors trapped beneath. One two-story building collapsed as firefighters doused it with water, triggering more panic.
"There was a deafening sound and I was like a blind man for a few minutes," said Mohammad Usman, who was wounded in the shoulder. "I heard women and children crying and started to help others. There was the smell of human flesh in the air."
Clinton, on her first visit to Pakistan as secretary of state, was a three-hour drive away in the capital, Islamabad, when the blast took place. Speaking to reporters, she praised the army's anti-Taliban offensive in South Waziristan and offered U.S. support.
"I want you to know this fight is not Pakistan's alone," Clinton said. "These extremists are committed to destroying what is dear to us as much as they are committed to destroying that which is dear to you and to all people. So this is our struggle as well."
Appearing with her, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the violence would not break his government's will to fight back.
"The resolve and determination will not be shaken," Qureshi said. "People are carrying out such heinous crimes — they want to shake our resolve. I want to address them: We will not buckle. We will fight you. We will fight you because we want peace and stability in Pakistan."
No group claimed responsibility for the bombing, but that is not unusual, especially when the victims are Pakistani civilians. Sahib Gul, a doctor at a nearby hospital, said 91 people were killed and more than 200 injured. Many of the victims were women and children.
Three bombs have exploded in Peshawar this month, including another one that killed more than 50 people, part of a barrage of at least 10 major attacks across the country that have killed some 250 people. Most have targeted security forces, but some bombs have gone off in public places, apparently to undercut support for the army's assault on the border and expose the weakness of the government.
The Taliban have warned Pakistan that they would stage more attacks if the army does not end a new ground offensive in the South Waziristan tribal region, where the military has dispatched some 30,000 troops to flush out insurgents. South Waziristan is a major base for the Pakistani Taliban and other foreign militants.
North West Frontier Province Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain blamed the militants for Wednesday's attack.
"We are hitting them at their center of terrorism, and they are hitting back targeting Peshawar," he said. "This is a tough time for us. We are picking up the bodies of our women and children, but we will follow these terrorists and eliminate them."
Story taken from: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/as_pakistan
PESHAWAR, Pakistan – A car bomb tore through a busy market in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing 91 people as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visited the country and pledged American support for its campaign against Islamist militants.
More than 200 people were wounded in the blast in the main northwestern city of Peshawar, the deadliest in a surge of attacks this month. The government blamed militants seeking to avenge an army offensive launched this month against al-Qaida and Taliban in their stronghold close to the Afghan border.
The bomb destroyed much of a market selling bangles, dresses and toys that was popular with women and children.
It collapsed buildings, including a mosque, and set shops on fire in an old part of the city crisscrossed with narrow alleys and clogged with stalls. Wounded people sat amid burning debris and body parts as a huge plume of gray smoke rose above the city.
Crying for help, men grabbed at the wreckage, trying to pull out survivors trapped beneath. One two-story building collapsed as firefighters doused it with water, triggering more panic.
"There was a deafening sound and I was like a blind man for a few minutes," said Mohammad Usman, who was wounded in the shoulder. "I heard women and children crying and started to help others. There was the smell of human flesh in the air."
Clinton, on her first visit to Pakistan as secretary of state, was a three-hour drive away in the capital, Islamabad, when the blast took place. Speaking to reporters, she praised the army's anti-Taliban offensive in South Waziristan and offered U.S. support.
"I want you to know this fight is not Pakistan's alone," Clinton said. "These extremists are committed to destroying what is dear to us as much as they are committed to destroying that which is dear to you and to all people. So this is our struggle as well."
Appearing with her, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the violence would not break his government's will to fight back.
"The resolve and determination will not be shaken," Qureshi said. "People are carrying out such heinous crimes — they want to shake our resolve. I want to address them: We will not buckle. We will fight you. We will fight you because we want peace and stability in Pakistan."
No group claimed responsibility for the bombing, but that is not unusual, especially when the victims are Pakistani civilians. Sahib Gul, a doctor at a nearby hospital, said 91 people were killed and more than 200 injured. Many of the victims were women and children.
Three bombs have exploded in Peshawar this month, including another one that killed more than 50 people, part of a barrage of at least 10 major attacks across the country that have killed some 250 people. Most have targeted security forces, but some bombs have gone off in public places, apparently to undercut support for the army's assault on the border and expose the weakness of the government.
The Taliban have warned Pakistan that they would stage more attacks if the army does not end a new ground offensive in the South Waziristan tribal region, where the military has dispatched some 30,000 troops to flush out insurgents. South Waziristan is a major base for the Pakistani Taliban and other foreign militants.
North West Frontier Province Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain blamed the militants for Wednesday's attack.
"We are hitting them at their center of terrorism, and they are hitting back targeting Peshawar," he said. "This is a tough time for us. We are picking up the bodies of our women and children, but we will follow these terrorists and eliminate them."
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
So I got my thesis statement written...Hopefully my teacher will like it :)
Thesis Statement: Even though Judaism and Islam are viewed as very distinct and different religions stemming from a single source, they are not as different as society thinks.
Outline:
A: Back ground on both religions
B: Arab Israeli Conflict
C: Israel Establishment
D: Zionist Movement / Zionism
E: Land Of Canaan
F: Western Influence
G: 7 AD Origin and Spread of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula
H: Abrahamic Belief (Ishmael, Isaac, Abraham and the story of Abraham)
I: Rationality and Science (Who’s God is Correct)
J: Quran/Jewish Bible
K: Politics and the problems they have created between Judaism and Islam
Bibliography / Works Cited:
"Arabic“Israeli conflict." Wikipedia. 25 Oct. 2009.
Catherwood, Christopher. A God Divided: Understanding the Differences Between Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. Acambaro: Victor, 2007.
Deming, Will. Rethinking Religion: A Concise Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press, USA, 2004.
"Muslim Influences on Judaism." Yahoo! GeoCities: Get a web site with easy-to-use site building tools.. 27 Oct. 2009.
Outline:
A: Back ground on both religions
B: Arab Israeli Conflict
C: Israel Establishment
D: Zionist Movement / Zionism
E: Land Of Canaan
F: Western Influence
G: 7 AD Origin and Spread of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula
H: Abrahamic Belief (Ishmael, Isaac, Abraham and the story of Abraham)
I: Rationality and Science (Who’s God is Correct)
J: Quran/Jewish Bible
K: Politics and the problems they have created between Judaism and Islam
Bibliography / Works Cited:
"Arabic“Israeli conflict." Wikipedia. 25 Oct. 2009
Catherwood, Christopher. A God Divided: Understanding the Differences Between Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. Acambaro: Victor, 2007.
Deming, Will. Rethinking Religion: A Concise Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press, USA, 2004.
"Muslim Influences on Judaism." Yahoo! GeoCities: Get a web site with easy-to-use site building tools.. 27 Oct. 2009
Islam and Judaism
So today I have to write a thesis on the Islamic / Judasim Conflict...I have the outline and all my sources to write the paper just cannot come up with a great thesis. I have a few ideas but nothing that jumps out to me right now...UGH...Its due tonight and its frustrating the crap out of me. Its such an easy paper cause there is so many problems within the Middle East and I just cannot get it down onto paper.
Bill Mays Halloween Costume Contest!?!?
All I kan say is HAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA!!!
Story taken from: www.q101.com in the Sherman and Tingle Blog
Billy's son, Billy Mays the Third, is holding what he calls a Hallow-Clean contest. He wants people to send in pictures of themselves dressed as his dad this Halloween. The best costumes will win prize packages.
--Keep in mind that Billy would like you to be RESPECTFUL with your costumes . . . but at the same time, zombies ARE permitted.
--Young Billy says, quote, "All I'm trying to do is spread some positivity out there in the world. Couldn't hurt, could it?" (--Here's more information on the contest . . .)
http://www.wheresbillymays.com/home/2009/10/20/hallow-clean-contest.html
Story taken from: www.q101.com in the Sherman and Tingle Blog
Billy's son, Billy Mays the Third, is holding what he calls a Hallow-Clean contest. He wants people to send in pictures of themselves dressed as his dad this Halloween. The best costumes will win prize packages.
--Keep in mind that Billy would like you to be RESPECTFUL with your costumes . . . but at the same time, zombies ARE permitted.
--Young Billy says, quote, "All I'm trying to do is spread some positivity out there in the world. Couldn't hurt, could it?" (--Here's more information on the contest . . .)
http://www.wheresbillymays.com/home/2009/10/20/hallow-clean-contest.html
Local GR school recognized for good teachers!
Sweet! A local school recognized for exlempary teachers!
Story taken from: http://www.wzzm13.com/news/news_story.aspx?storyid=115096#
WYOMING, Mich. (WZZM)- A Wyoming school will receive a national award Thursday for proving that students from lower income and more diverse backgrounds can succeed.
North Godwin Elementary School is one of five schools receiving a "Dispelling the Myth" award from The Educational Trust. Principal Bill Fetterhoff says the group based their decision on Godwin's high MEAP scores and consistent academic progress. Fetterhoff credits the teachers' dedication and strong concern for students.
"Oh, I'm very proud. I'm proud but I've always been proud of this staff. I think it's an incredible group that learned to work collaboratively. They have the greatest empathy for our students and parents. We're fortunate that we have parents that value education and support us and working together. It's just a magical team," says Fetterhoff.
Story taken from: http://www.wzzm13.com/news/news_story.aspx?storyid=115096#
WYOMING, Mich. (WZZM)- A Wyoming school will receive a national award Thursday for proving that students from lower income and more diverse backgrounds can succeed.
North Godwin Elementary School is one of five schools receiving a "Dispelling the Myth" award from The Educational Trust. Principal Bill Fetterhoff says the group based their decision on Godwin's high MEAP scores and consistent academic progress. Fetterhoff credits the teachers' dedication and strong concern for students.
"Oh, I'm very proud. I'm proud but I've always been proud of this staff. I think it's an incredible group that learned to work collaboratively. They have the greatest empathy for our students and parents. We're fortunate that we have parents that value education and support us and working together. It's just a magical team," says Fetterhoff.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Evolution
Something I found intersting this early raininy Monday morning.
Story taken from http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20091024/hl_time/08599193175700
Modern Homo sapiens is still evolving. Despite the long-held view that natural selection has ceased to affect humans because almost everybody now lives long enough to have children, a new study of a contemporary Massachusetts population offers evidence of evolution still in action.
A team of scientists led by Yale University evolutionary biologist Stephen Stearns suggests that if the natural selection of fitter traits is no longer driven by survival, perhaps it owes to differences in women's fertility. "Variations in reproductive success still exist among humans, and therefore some traits related to fertility continue to be shaped by natural selection," Stearns says. That is, women who have more children are more likely to pass on certain traits to their progeny. (See the top 10 scientific discoveries of 2008.)
Stearns' team examined the vital statistics of 2,238 postmenopausal women participating in the Framingham Heart Study, which has tracked the medical histories of some 14,000 residents of Framingham, Mass., since 1948. Investigators searched for correlations between women's physical characteristics - including height, weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels - and the number of offspring they produced. According to their findings, it was stout, slightly plump (but not obese) women who tended to have more children - "Women with very low body fat don't ovulate," Stearns explains - as did women with lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Using a sophisticated statistical analysis that controlled for any social or cultural factors that could impact childbearing, researchers determined that these characteristics were passed on genetically from mothers to daughters and granddaughters.
If these trends were to continue with no cultural changes in the town for the next 10 generations, by 2409 the average Framingham woman would be 2 cm (0.8 in) shorter, 1 kg (2.2 lb.) heavier, have a healthier heart, have her first child five months earlier and enter menopause 10 months later than a woman today, the study found. "That rate of evolution is slow but pretty similar to what we see in other plants and animals. Humans don't seem to be any exception," Stearns says. (See TIME's photo-essay "Happy 200th Darwin Day.")
Douglas Ewbank, a demographer at the University of Pennsylvania who undertook the statistical analysis for the study, which was published Oct. 21 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), says that because cultural factors tend to have a much more prominent impact than natural selection in the shaping of future generations, people tend to write off the effect of evolution. "Those changes we predict for 2409 could be wiped out by something as simple as a new school-lunch program. But whatever happens, it's likely that in 2409, Framingham women will be 2 cm shorter and 1 kg heavier than they would have been without natural selection. Evolution is a very slow process. We don't see it if we look at our grandparents, but it's there."
Other recent genetic research has backed up that notion. One study, published in PNAS in 2007 and led by John Hawks, an anthropologist at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, found that some 1,800 human gene variations had become widespread in recent generations because of their modern-day evolutionary benefits. Among those genetic changes, discovered by examining more than 3 million DNA variants in 269 individuals: mutations that allow people to digest milk or resist malaria and others that govern brain development. (Watch TIME's video "Darwin and Lincoln: Birthdays and Evolution.")
But not all evolutionary changes make inherent sense. Since the Industrial Revolution, modern humans have grown taller and stronger, so it's easy to assume that evolution is making humans fitter. But according to anthropologist Peter McAllister, author of Manthropology: the Science of Inadequate Modern Man, the contemporary male has evolved, at least physically, into "the sorriest cohort of masculine Homo sapiens to ever walk the planet." Thanks to genetic differences, an average Neanderthal woman, McAllister notes, could have whupped Arnold Schwarzenegger at his muscular peak in an arm-wrestling match. And prehistoric Australian Aborigines, who typically built up great strength in their joints and muscles through childhood and adolescence, could have easily beat Usain Bolt in a 100-m dash.
Steve Jones, an evolutionary biologist at University College London who has previously held that human evolution was nearing its end, says the Framingham study is indeed an important example of how natural selection still operates through inherited differences in reproductive ability. But Jones argues that variation in female fertility - as measured in the Framingham study - is a much less important factor in human evolution than differences in male fertility. Sperm hold a much higher chance of carrying an error or mutation than an egg, especially among older men. "While it used to be that men had many children in older age to many different women, now men tend to have only a few children at a younger age with one wife. The drop in the number of older fathers has had a major effect on the rate of mutation and has at least reduced the amount of new diversity - the raw material of evolution. Darwin's machine has not stopped, but it surely has slowed greatly," Jones says. (See TIME's special report on the environment.)
Despite evidence that human evolution still functions, biologists concede that it's anyone's guess where it will take us from here. Artificial selection in the form of genetic medicine could push natural selection into obsolescence, but a lethal pandemic or other cataclysm could suddenly make natural selection central to the future of the species. Whatever happens, Jones says, it is worth remembering that Darwin's beautiful theory has suffered a long history of abuse. The bastard science of eugenics, he says, will haunt humanity as long as people are tempted to confuse evolution with improvement. "Uniquely in the living world, what makes humans what we are is in our minds, in our society, and not in our evolution," he says.
Story taken from http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20091024/hl_time/08599193175700
Modern Homo sapiens is still evolving. Despite the long-held view that natural selection has ceased to affect humans because almost everybody now lives long enough to have children, a new study of a contemporary Massachusetts population offers evidence of evolution still in action.
A team of scientists led by Yale University evolutionary biologist Stephen Stearns suggests that if the natural selection of fitter traits is no longer driven by survival, perhaps it owes to differences in women's fertility. "Variations in reproductive success still exist among humans, and therefore some traits related to fertility continue to be shaped by natural selection," Stearns says. That is, women who have more children are more likely to pass on certain traits to their progeny. (See the top 10 scientific discoveries of 2008.)
Stearns' team examined the vital statistics of 2,238 postmenopausal women participating in the Framingham Heart Study, which has tracked the medical histories of some 14,000 residents of Framingham, Mass., since 1948. Investigators searched for correlations between women's physical characteristics - including height, weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels - and the number of offspring they produced. According to their findings, it was stout, slightly plump (but not obese) women who tended to have more children - "Women with very low body fat don't ovulate," Stearns explains - as did women with lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Using a sophisticated statistical analysis that controlled for any social or cultural factors that could impact childbearing, researchers determined that these characteristics were passed on genetically from mothers to daughters and granddaughters.
If these trends were to continue with no cultural changes in the town for the next 10 generations, by 2409 the average Framingham woman would be 2 cm (0.8 in) shorter, 1 kg (2.2 lb.) heavier, have a healthier heart, have her first child five months earlier and enter menopause 10 months later than a woman today, the study found. "That rate of evolution is slow but pretty similar to what we see in other plants and animals. Humans don't seem to be any exception," Stearns says. (See TIME's photo-essay "Happy 200th Darwin Day.")
Douglas Ewbank, a demographer at the University of Pennsylvania who undertook the statistical analysis for the study, which was published Oct. 21 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), says that because cultural factors tend to have a much more prominent impact than natural selection in the shaping of future generations, people tend to write off the effect of evolution. "Those changes we predict for 2409 could be wiped out by something as simple as a new school-lunch program. But whatever happens, it's likely that in 2409, Framingham women will be 2 cm shorter and 1 kg heavier than they would have been without natural selection. Evolution is a very slow process. We don't see it if we look at our grandparents, but it's there."
Other recent genetic research has backed up that notion. One study, published in PNAS in 2007 and led by John Hawks, an anthropologist at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, found that some 1,800 human gene variations had become widespread in recent generations because of their modern-day evolutionary benefits. Among those genetic changes, discovered by examining more than 3 million DNA variants in 269 individuals: mutations that allow people to digest milk or resist malaria and others that govern brain development. (Watch TIME's video "Darwin and Lincoln: Birthdays and Evolution.")
But not all evolutionary changes make inherent sense. Since the Industrial Revolution, modern humans have grown taller and stronger, so it's easy to assume that evolution is making humans fitter. But according to anthropologist Peter McAllister, author of Manthropology: the Science of Inadequate Modern Man, the contemporary male has evolved, at least physically, into "the sorriest cohort of masculine Homo sapiens to ever walk the planet." Thanks to genetic differences, an average Neanderthal woman, McAllister notes, could have whupped Arnold Schwarzenegger at his muscular peak in an arm-wrestling match. And prehistoric Australian Aborigines, who typically built up great strength in their joints and muscles through childhood and adolescence, could have easily beat Usain Bolt in a 100-m dash.
Steve Jones, an evolutionary biologist at University College London who has previously held that human evolution was nearing its end, says the Framingham study is indeed an important example of how natural selection still operates through inherited differences in reproductive ability. But Jones argues that variation in female fertility - as measured in the Framingham study - is a much less important factor in human evolution than differences in male fertility. Sperm hold a much higher chance of carrying an error or mutation than an egg, especially among older men. "While it used to be that men had many children in older age to many different women, now men tend to have only a few children at a younger age with one wife. The drop in the number of older fathers has had a major effect on the rate of mutation and has at least reduced the amount of new diversity - the raw material of evolution. Darwin's machine has not stopped, but it surely has slowed greatly," Jones says. (See TIME's special report on the environment.)
Despite evidence that human evolution still functions, biologists concede that it's anyone's guess where it will take us from here. Artificial selection in the form of genetic medicine could push natural selection into obsolescence, but a lethal pandemic or other cataclysm could suddenly make natural selection central to the future of the species. Whatever happens, Jones says, it is worth remembering that Darwin's beautiful theory has suffered a long history of abuse. The bastard science of eugenics, he says, will haunt humanity as long as people are tempted to confuse evolution with improvement. "Uniquely in the living world, what makes humans what we are is in our minds, in our society, and not in our evolution," he says.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Wow its crazy what some people will do for publicity. Ballon boys parents are sure some whackos!
This story taken from http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091023/ap_on_re_us/us_balloon_boy_search
DENVER – The mother of the 6-year-old boy once feared missing inside a runaway helium balloon admitted the whole saga was a hoax, according to court documents released Friday.
Mayumi Heene told sheriff's deputies that she and her husband Richard "knew all along that Falcon was hiding in the residence" in Fort Collins, according to an affidavit used to get a search warrant for the home.
She allegedly told investigators the incident was a hoax meant to make them more marketable to the media.
"Mayumi described that she and Richard Heene devised this hoax approximately two weeks earlier.... She and Richard had instructed their three children to lie to authorities as well as the media regarding this hoax," the affidavit said.
Richard Heene has denied a hoax. His lawyer, David Lane, said Friday he is waiting to see the evidence in the case.
"Allegations are cheap," Lane said.
Mayumi Heene's lawyer, Lee Christian, was traveling and didn't immediately respond to messages left with his office.
Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden has said he will recommend charges against the Heenes including conspiracy, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, making a false report to authorities, and attempting to influence a public servant. The most serious charges are felonies and carry a maximum sentence of six years in prison.
Alderden said authorities also would be seeking restitution for the costs of the balloon chase, though he didn't provide a figure.
His office has said it will likely be next week before it forwards its findings to prosecutors to decide on charges.
In frantic calls to a TV station, 911 and federal aviation officials, the Heenes reported that they feared Falcon was in the homemade, saucer-like balloon when it was accidentally launched from their back yard last week.
Millions watched as media and National Guard helicopters tracked the balloon across the Colorado plains. It landed in a dusty farm field, where ground crews looked inside but found no sign of the boy.
Later, the relieved-looking couple reported Falcon had been hiding in their garage the whole time. But suspicion heated up when Falcon made a comment on CNN that sounded like "You had said we did this for a show."
Sheriff's deputies questioned the parents separately on Oct. 17, two days after the flight. Mayumi Heene told authorities "she and Richard Heene had lied to authorities on October 15, 2009 (the day of the flight)," the affidavit said.
She told investigators "that the release of the flying saucer was intentional as a hoax.... The motive for the fabricated story was to make the Heene family more marketable for future media interest," the affidavit said.
The Heenes twice had appeared on ABC's reality show "Wife Swap," and acquaintances said Richard Heene had plans for other possible shows.
The producer of "Wife Swap" had a show in development with the Heenes but said the deal is now off. The TLC cable network also said Heene had pitched a reality show months ago, but it passed on the offer.
Sheriff's officials declined to comment Friday.
Among the items taken by authorities during the home search Saturday were video cameras, computers, hard drives, a picture of a flying saucer, receipts, papers, a phone/address book and a flight itinerary. The list didn't identify the passenger, destination or date of travel.
DENVER – The mother of the 6-year-old boy once feared missing inside a runaway helium balloon admitted the whole saga was a hoax, according to court documents released Friday.
Mayumi Heene told sheriff's deputies that she and her husband Richard "knew all along that Falcon was hiding in the residence" in Fort Collins, according to an affidavit used to get a search warrant for the home.
She allegedly told investigators the incident was a hoax meant to make them more marketable to the media.
"Mayumi described that she and Richard Heene devised this hoax approximately two weeks earlier.... She and Richard had instructed their three children to lie to authorities as well as the media regarding this hoax," the affidavit said.
Richard Heene has denied a hoax. His lawyer, David Lane, said Friday he is waiting to see the evidence in the case.
"Allegations are cheap," Lane said.
Mayumi Heene's lawyer, Lee Christian, was traveling and didn't immediately respond to messages left with his office.
Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden has said he will recommend charges against the Heenes including conspiracy, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, making a false report to authorities, and attempting to influence a public servant. The most serious charges are felonies and carry a maximum sentence of six years in prison.
Alderden said authorities also would be seeking restitution for the costs of the balloon chase, though he didn't provide a figure.
His office has said it will likely be next week before it forwards its findings to prosecutors to decide on charges.
In frantic calls to a TV station, 911 and federal aviation officials, the Heenes reported that they feared Falcon was in the homemade, saucer-like balloon when it was accidentally launched from their back yard last week.
Millions watched as media and National Guard helicopters tracked the balloon across the Colorado plains. It landed in a dusty farm field, where ground crews looked inside but found no sign of the boy.
Later, the relieved-looking couple reported Falcon had been hiding in their garage the whole time. But suspicion heated up when Falcon made a comment on CNN that sounded like "You had said we did this for a show."
Sheriff's deputies questioned the parents separately on Oct. 17, two days after the flight. Mayumi Heene told authorities "she and Richard Heene had lied to authorities on October 15, 2009 (the day of the flight)," the affidavit said.
She told investigators "that the release of the flying saucer was intentional as a hoax.... The motive for the fabricated story was to make the Heene family more marketable for future media interest," the affidavit said.
The Heenes twice had appeared on ABC's reality show "Wife Swap," and acquaintances said Richard Heene had plans for other possible shows.
The producer of "Wife Swap" had a show in development with the Heenes but said the deal is now off. The TLC cable network also said Heene had pitched a reality show months ago, but it passed on the offer.
Sheriff's officials declined to comment Friday.
Among the items taken by authorities during the home search Saturday were video cameras, computers, hard drives, a picture of a flying saucer, receipts, papers, a phone/address book and a flight itinerary. The list didn't identify the passenger, destination or date of travel.
Since I am hungover...heres a few cures I found
An alcohol hangover is associated with a variety of symptoms that may include dehydration, fatigue, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, flatulence, weakness, elevated body temperature, hypersalivation, difficulty concentrating, sweating, anxiety, dysphoria, irritability, sensitivity to light and noise, erratic motor functions (including tremor), trouble sleeping, severe hunger, halithosis, and lack of depth perception. Many people will also be repulsed by the thought, taste or smell of alcohol during a hangover. The symptoms vary from person to person, and occasion to occasion, usually beginning several hours after drinking. It is not clear whether hangovers directly affect cognitive abilities.
Here's How:
Sleep. Rest is your best friend at this point to give your body a recover. It is best to stay in bed so call in to work if you have to, tell them you have the stomach flu. You will sound so horrible on the phone they may believe you (unless they saw you at the bar, not a good idea then).
Replenish your body with fruit juice and water.
Avoid caffeine. A weak cup of coffee may be okay but a lot of caffeine will continue to dehydrate you, the opposite of what you want right now.
Drink orange juice for Vitamin C.
Drink a sports drink like Gatorade or Powerade.
Eat mineral rich food like pickles or canned fish.
In Poland, drinking pickle juice is a common remedy.
This is my favorite one. Drink a Bloody Mary. While the popular phrase “hair of the dog that bit you” may sound logical with a shot of whiskey left in the bottle next to your bed, it’s only temporary. Try a Bloody Mary instead, while your blood is dealing with the new alcohol it is ignoring the old and in the mean time tomato juice and celery are full of vitamins. If you drank the last of the vodka make a Virgin Mary. Another spicy morning after drink option is Hair of the Dog, in which gin and hot sauce are sure to bite your hangover back.
Take a shower, switching between cold and hot water.
In Ireland it was said that the cure for a hangover is to bury the ailing person up to the neck in moist river sand.
Try Alka Seltzer Morning Relief. One reader says that it's all that he and his wife have found that really works for them. He stumbled across this "cure" while his wife was still suffering after two days, within 15 minutes after taking the Alka Seltzer she was fine.
Get some exercise. Another reader suggests doing some sort of physical activity. He writes, "In the rare case of having hangover I usually drink about 1-2 liters of water and go outside to do some exercise like mountain climbing, swimming, cycling or just about anything that keeps me sweating." It takes willpower to move like that when standing seems like a challenge, but it is a good theory.
The side effects of aspirin, Tylenol and ibuprofen can be magnified when alcohol is in your system, so it is best (even though it may be the first thing you reach for) to avoid them to kill the hangover pain. Aspirin is a blood thinner, just like alcohol, and can intensify its effects and Tylenol (or acetaminophen) can cause more damage to your liver. Ibuprofen can also cause stomach bleeding. So be cautious when going for the quick relief.
Watch the video: Hangover Remedies. Jonathan Stewart demonstrates how to make a blended hangover remedy. There are a more than a few ingredients so you may want to have everything organized prior to overindulging.
As an antidote, one reader takes a little extra multi B vitamin and drinks a lot of water before going to sleep.
Here's How:
Sleep. Rest is your best friend at this point to give your body a recover. It is best to stay in bed so call in to work if you have to, tell them you have the stomach flu. You will sound so horrible on the phone they may believe you (unless they saw you at the bar, not a good idea then).
Replenish your body with fruit juice and water.
Avoid caffeine. A weak cup of coffee may be okay but a lot of caffeine will continue to dehydrate you, the opposite of what you want right now.
Drink orange juice for Vitamin C.
Drink a sports drink like Gatorade or Powerade.
Eat mineral rich food like pickles or canned fish.
In Poland, drinking pickle juice is a common remedy.
This is my favorite one. Drink a Bloody Mary. While the popular phrase “hair of the dog that bit you” may sound logical with a shot of whiskey left in the bottle next to your bed, it’s only temporary. Try a Bloody Mary instead, while your blood is dealing with the new alcohol it is ignoring the old and in the mean time tomato juice and celery are full of vitamins. If you drank the last of the vodka make a Virgin Mary. Another spicy morning after drink option is Hair of the Dog, in which gin and hot sauce are sure to bite your hangover back.
Take a shower, switching between cold and hot water.
In Ireland it was said that the cure for a hangover is to bury the ailing person up to the neck in moist river sand.
Try Alka Seltzer Morning Relief. One reader says that it's all that he and his wife have found that really works for them. He stumbled across this "cure" while his wife was still suffering after two days, within 15 minutes after taking the Alka Seltzer she was fine.
Get some exercise. Another reader suggests doing some sort of physical activity. He writes, "In the rare case of having hangover I usually drink about 1-2 liters of water and go outside to do some exercise like mountain climbing, swimming, cycling or just about anything that keeps me sweating." It takes willpower to move like that when standing seems like a challenge, but it is a good theory.
The side effects of aspirin, Tylenol and ibuprofen can be magnified when alcohol is in your system, so it is best (even though it may be the first thing you reach for) to avoid them to kill the hangover pain. Aspirin is a blood thinner, just like alcohol, and can intensify its effects and Tylenol (or acetaminophen) can cause more damage to your liver. Ibuprofen can also cause stomach bleeding. So be cautious when going for the quick relief.
Watch the video: Hangover Remedies. Jonathan Stewart demonstrates how to make a blended hangover remedy. There are a more than a few ingredients so you may want to have everything organized prior to overindulging.
As an antidote, one reader takes a little extra multi B vitamin and drinks a lot of water before going to sleep.
Oh how I love Subway
So I had to work this weekend...and decided to go out and drink last night...all a good night till htis morning when I had the mother of all hangovers that caused me to end up throwing up all that booze I worked so hard to drink down. Anyways skip forward to right now where the new Buffalo Chicken sub from SUBWAY is awesome, and making me feel a million times better...Oh and dont forget about drinking ice cold rootbeer too...MMMM
Friday, October 23, 2009
Since its FLU season here are some tips I found on how to defend yourself naturally.
1. Chestnuts bolster immunityIn both Asia and the Mediterranean region, chestnuts have been popular for centuries. Chestnuts differ from other nuts with their low fat content and high fiber. They have a mild, sweet taste and a crumbly consistency. An excellent source of potassium, folate, vitamins B6 and C, chestnuts strengthen the kidney-adrenal system and bolster the immune system to fight off the flu and combat infections. This flu season, introduce more chestnuts into your cooking: they are good roasted in the oven, cooked with chicken, lamb, beef, or pork, or in any dish with beans and legumes.
2. Stimulate your thymusYour thymus is a fist-size gland located behind your sternum in the center of your chest. It plays a critical role in the functioning of the lymphatic and immune systems. It develops over time, reaching peak size when you are in your early 30s, then begins to physically diminish until it shrinks to the size of a pea around age 70. You experience the gland's waning as waning energy in your body. To support thymus health, the Chinese use astragalus root. Studies show astralagus is an adaptogen, which means it corrects both high and low metabolic imbalances, acts on invaders wherever they attack the body, and promotes overall vitality. The usual dosage is 100 to 150 mg per day in capsules or you can drink astragalus tincture or tea. Another way to stimulate your thymus is to use acupressure. With your index and middle finger, gently tap against the sternum (midway between the nipples) 50 times, in the morning and evening.
3. Immune-supporting herbs You can use the following herbs to help strengthen your immune system:
• Ligustrum has undergone much research recently, which has revealed this herb's immune boosting functions. Its actions include increasing white blood cell production, phagocytosis, and T-lymphocyte help cell activities. • Cherokee Rose is traditionally used to protect the body from external pathogens with its astringent properties. It is also one of the highest natural sources of vitamin C.• Honeysuckle is a natural anti-microbial herb that has been used for centuries to increase resistance and fight against bacterial, viral, and fungal infections.You can find these herbs in health food stores, online, and at the offices of acupuncturists and Chinese herbalists.Or look into a formula that combines all of these herbs in one immune-boosting herbal formula, called "Perpetual Shield."
4. Be healthy with bee productsRoyal jelly has long been regarded in Asia as a longevity tonic that enhances energy, virility, and immunity. Rich in vitamins and collagen, royal jelly is used to feed queen bees. An antibacterial protein in the substance, dubbed royalisin, is effective against certain bacteria, including streptococcus and staphylococcus. Bee propolis is rich in flavonoids that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It also contains terpenoids that possess antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and antiprotozoan agents. Not unlike some prescription antibiotics, propolis prevents bacterial cell division and breaks down the invading organism's cell walls and cytoplasm. Find royal jelly and bee propolis in enriched honey or in supplement form from herb shops and health food stores.
5. Beta-carotene Builds ImmunityBeta-carotene is a powerful antioxidant that improves immune function and promotes mucous membrane health. In fact, a 1997 study conducted by the Institute of Food Research in the United Kingdom suggested that dietary intake of beta-carotene can enhance cell-mediated immune responses. How to get these beta-benefits this flu season? Eat more orange-colored vegetables, including carrots, winter squash, butternut squash, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and yams. Additionally, these are all an excellent source of Vitamin C, a famous immune support.
6. An all-in-one immunity soupCook up a broth of shiitake mushrooms, any kind of seaweed, cabbage, any type of squash, carrots, fresh ginger, oregano, and onion in chicken or vegetable stock. Shiitake mushrooms contain polysaccharides, sterols, and coumarin, as well as vitamins and minerals that increase your immune function. Seaweed cleanses the body, cabbage has ability to increase your body's ability to fight infection, ginger supports healthy digestion, and the remaining ingredients promote general health and well-being. Eat this soup every other day to build a strong and healthy immune system.
7. Treat Your Body Right Encourage your body to fight flu and other infections by giving it the care it needs.• Get at least 7 hours of quality sleep every night. Studies show that your immune system function drops by an average of 60% after just three nights of poor sleep.
• Keep your stress level low with meditation, tai chi, or yoga.
• Dry body brushing daily can activate lymph circulation that is important to clear out toxic debris and stimulate immunity.
• If you feel your immune system has already been compromised and illness is on the way, consider this Cold & Flu elixir, which supports recovery as it boosts your immune system.
Just a few things I found that were decently a good idea. Hope you all stay healthy this season!
2. Stimulate your thymusYour thymus is a fist-size gland located behind your sternum in the center of your chest. It plays a critical role in the functioning of the lymphatic and immune systems. It develops over time, reaching peak size when you are in your early 30s, then begins to physically diminish until it shrinks to the size of a pea around age 70. You experience the gland's waning as waning energy in your body. To support thymus health, the Chinese use astragalus root. Studies show astralagus is an adaptogen, which means it corrects both high and low metabolic imbalances, acts on invaders wherever they attack the body, and promotes overall vitality. The usual dosage is 100 to 150 mg per day in capsules or you can drink astragalus tincture or tea. Another way to stimulate your thymus is to use acupressure. With your index and middle finger, gently tap against the sternum (midway between the nipples) 50 times, in the morning and evening.
3. Immune-supporting herbs You can use the following herbs to help strengthen your immune system:
• Ligustrum has undergone much research recently, which has revealed this herb's immune boosting functions. Its actions include increasing white blood cell production, phagocytosis, and T-lymphocyte help cell activities. • Cherokee Rose is traditionally used to protect the body from external pathogens with its astringent properties. It is also one of the highest natural sources of vitamin C.• Honeysuckle is a natural anti-microbial herb that has been used for centuries to increase resistance and fight against bacterial, viral, and fungal infections.You can find these herbs in health food stores, online, and at the offices of acupuncturists and Chinese herbalists.Or look into a formula that combines all of these herbs in one immune-boosting herbal formula, called "Perpetual Shield."
4. Be healthy with bee productsRoyal jelly has long been regarded in Asia as a longevity tonic that enhances energy, virility, and immunity. Rich in vitamins and collagen, royal jelly is used to feed queen bees. An antibacterial protein in the substance, dubbed royalisin, is effective against certain bacteria, including streptococcus and staphylococcus. Bee propolis is rich in flavonoids that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It also contains terpenoids that possess antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and antiprotozoan agents. Not unlike some prescription antibiotics, propolis prevents bacterial cell division and breaks down the invading organism's cell walls and cytoplasm. Find royal jelly and bee propolis in enriched honey or in supplement form from herb shops and health food stores.
5. Beta-carotene Builds ImmunityBeta-carotene is a powerful antioxidant that improves immune function and promotes mucous membrane health. In fact, a 1997 study conducted by the Institute of Food Research in the United Kingdom suggested that dietary intake of beta-carotene can enhance cell-mediated immune responses. How to get these beta-benefits this flu season? Eat more orange-colored vegetables, including carrots, winter squash, butternut squash, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and yams. Additionally, these are all an excellent source of Vitamin C, a famous immune support.
6. An all-in-one immunity soupCook up a broth of shiitake mushrooms, any kind of seaweed, cabbage, any type of squash, carrots, fresh ginger, oregano, and onion in chicken or vegetable stock. Shiitake mushrooms contain polysaccharides, sterols, and coumarin, as well as vitamins and minerals that increase your immune function. Seaweed cleanses the body, cabbage has ability to increase your body's ability to fight infection, ginger supports healthy digestion, and the remaining ingredients promote general health and well-being. Eat this soup every other day to build a strong and healthy immune system.
7. Treat Your Body Right Encourage your body to fight flu and other infections by giving it the care it needs.• Get at least 7 hours of quality sleep every night. Studies show that your immune system function drops by an average of 60% after just three nights of poor sleep.
• Keep your stress level low with meditation, tai chi, or yoga.
• Dry body brushing daily can activate lymph circulation that is important to clear out toxic debris and stimulate immunity.
• If you feel your immune system has already been compromised and illness is on the way, consider this Cold & Flu elixir, which supports recovery as it boosts your immune system.
Just a few things I found that were decently a good idea. Hope you all stay healthy this season!
To Start
Well since I tend to have alot of crazy ideas, stories, or just random stuff on my mind I fiugred this would be a place to put it.
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