Another Reason Why Dogs are Man’s Best Friend

dogRecent research has confirmed what cat owners, have always known: that cats are elegant, efficient and ingenious when it comes to their personal habits and hygiene.

Living with a cat can be quite a strain on a person with less than perfect etiquette. It can be quite embarrassing to a pet owner if his pet cat outdoes him in the neatness department.

Dogs, however, are not so elegant. A dog is the epitome of sloppiness. He slurps. He spills. He lumbers along. Dogs burp in public, and do lots of other things in public as well. Dogs can make the sloppiest, untidy, and spill prone owner look great. And not only that, when you spill your food or drink your dog happily cleans up after you. What more could a pet owner ask for?

California Condors Face More Challenges in Their Efforts Back to Viability

Califoria-CondorCalifornia Condors have sure had a difficult time of it in recent years. On the verge of extinction for many years, attempts to get their population up have been going through hurdles to confound the most dedicated of biologists. Back in 2006 the first nesting attempt in Central California in more than a century happened with a nest 200 feet up a redwood tree. At first delighted with this great new development, biologist Joe Burnett of the Ventana Wildlife Society was stunned to find that the reason the birds did not immediately reproduce was not because of inexperience, but because the eggs which they did produce had fatally thin shells, too thin to support the development of condor chicks inside.

“The eggshell fragments we found appeared abnormally thin,” Mr. Burnett said. “They were so thin that we had to run tests to confirm that it was a condor egg.” The fragments reminded him of the thin-shelled eggs from birds like brown pelicans and peregrine falcons, which had been devastated by DDT but are now on the rebound.

Looking for possible sources of DDT which is a pesticide that has been banned from use since 1972 led Mr. Burnett to suspect the California sea lions, food for the California condors, may themselves by contaminated with DDT.

Knuckle Cracking- The False and the Facts

crucking_knuckleKnuckle cracking refers to the action of moving joints in such a way that they produce a sharp popping sound. This is most common in the form of deliberate knuckle cracking, but it can also happen in other joints throughout the body such as in between the neck and back vertebrae, in the wrists, elbows, toes, shoulders, knees or jaw. Sometimes, loud popping sounds can be caused unintentionally, as a result of the snapping of tendons or scar tissue over a prominence such as a hip.

The intentional sounds are generally made when the fingers are bent into a position which the muscles cannot reach on their own, for example bending the finger away from the palm (-extension), pulling them away from the hand (-distraction), compressing a knuckle in the direction of the palm (-flexion) or twisting the finger (-torsion). Cracking a joint that has been used recently is widely considered to be palliative.

The physical cause of the sounds is actually unclear. The most popular hypothesis is that the small, vacuum-like bubbles form within the synovial fluid of the joint, and then collapse in a sudden manner, producing the sound, similar to the sound which can be made while manipulating material such as silly-putty. This is the most likely theory because it can be applied to all joints, and, studies have shown that gases are released from the joints when they are cracked.

The often-heard warning “cracking your knuckles can give you arthritis” is a myth. However, knuckle-crackers are more likely to have hand swelling with overuse. The habit itself is put in the same negative category as nail biting and such, but the real health repercussions are scarce.

America Recycles Day

Go-GreenThis week, cities around the U.S. honored America Recycles Day with a range of local programs and initiatives to help in the goal of “going green.” No doubt your community held an event too. Wondering what was done in other communities? Here’s a look around the country:

In Indianapolis, Indiana, Green Piece Indy has been hosting Rush Hour Recycling every morning this week, where they will take your e-waste items like laptops and VCRs. In Citrus Heights, California, Battery Plus was offering $10 off a new laptop battery in exchange for the used one, and a $5 discount on cell phone batteries in exchange for the old ones. The Solid Waste Agency of North Cook County, in Skokie, Illinois, held its 4th annual Trashy Fashion Show, while in Austin, Texas, you could bring your plastic bags to the Live Oak Pharmacy to exchange for a reusable supermarket bag. And those in Los Angeles could take part in the Recycling Education Fair.

There were many more projects going on the local and even national levels. My favorite was the offer from the Disney Store to bring in your old t-shirts. Your old shirts will be recycled into paper and you get a discount at the store!

Being Green III

cellphone_recycle1bThis week’s focus on Being Green honors the fact that November 15th was America Recycles Day. This special day, which was launched by Keep America Beautiful in 1997, aims to highlight the need for our nation to recycle. Americans were encouraged to adopt this year’s theme “I Recycle” and to pledge to start recycling, and to encourage others to do likewise. Individuals and businesses around the country got into the act with new initiatives on the individual, family, local and corporate level.

One focus was on e-waste. This refers not just to computers but to cell phones, MP3 players and DVD players. As we’ve already written about, e-waste is an increasing problem in the U.S. today. On American Recycles Day, Dell Computers underscored their two easy ways for customers to recycle their old computers: either drop off your Dell product at Staples or contact FedEx for pick-up – both ways are free.

Covanta Energy also joined the e-waste bandwagon on America Recycles Day, reminding people that when you’re ready to upgrade your phone, laptop, etc. you can donate it to a non-profit rather than just throwing it away. This will enable you to reduce e-waste and aid those less fortunate, all at the same time.
Stay tuned for some of the local initiatives held around the country in honor of America Recycles Day.