Cryonics

Breakfast, that important first meal.

Cryonics. You know- freezing the body, finding a cure, thawing out into Immortality. You can freeze yourself, or your pets, but you can’t do it until you die- there’s a law against freezing your still-living body. Cost is a relatively inexpensive $200,000 for the whole body, or a mere $80,000 for neuropreservation. You know. The head.

Ha ha, no we’re not talking about cloning, you fool. That’s not even relevant, though it was at one time. What we will do to you is cool your body to near freezing, remove the blood and replace it with a synthetic solution. The body is kept in the tank at subfreezing temperatures until the day technology makes reanimation possible.

When will that be? According to one cryonicist: “The technology of freezing is still very primitive, and advances may not be available for two centuries- if ever.”

However, Cryonics is not Cryobiology: the freezing of blood, corneas, embryos and the like, for use at a future time. Though Cryobiology has found that freezing organs like the heart or pancreas, renders them useless.

Point to ponder: In three cryonics centers in California and Michigan the remains of 15 people are on ice. There used to be 45, but 30 of the tanks leaked.

Ouch: Back in 1987 Saul Kent, a board member of Alcor Life Extensions in Riverside, California, brought in his mother Dora, had her head removed and frozen for later reanimation. Thank you, son! Wait… Dora didn’t sign a consent, and then there was that thing about maybe not being dead yet.

Walt Disney. No, really, you’re sure about that? In the book Disney’s World, an associate states: “My information is that he is frozen… And if he does come back, there’s going to be hell to pay. He wouldn’t approve of much that’s gone on at the Disney Studios.”

“Half the people in the U.S. are living on interest paid by people who will never get the last mortgage paid.” -Will Rogers.

Help me, because I’m puzzled by this math problem: If one car starts from New York at 11 A.M. and travels 55 mph, and another car starts from Boston at 1 P.M. and travels 60 mph, which car will be nearer New York when they meet?

Python Catcher in Africa

Python catcher in Africa
First, I wrap my arm in a skin for protection. 

Then I crawl into the pit.

  

I use modern lighting.

There she is

Those are her eggs.

I let her take my protected arm, sort of like noodling for fish.

 

Then my buddy pulls me out with snake attached.

Ain't she a beauty? 

 

She'll feed the village for a while.

So, do you still think your job is tough? 

The Dog and The Orangutan

After  losing his parents, this 3 year old orangutan was so depressed he wouldn't eat and didn't respond to any medical treatments. The vet thought he would surely die from sadness. The zoo  keepers found an old sick dog on the grounds in the park at the zoo where the orangutan lived and took the dog to the animal treatment center. The dog arrived at the same time the orangutan was there being treated. The 2 lost souls met and have been inseparable ever since.

The orangutan found a new reason to live and each always tries his best to be a good companion to his new found friend. They are together 24 hours a day in all their activities.

 

They live in  Northern California  where swimming is their favorite past time, although  Roscoe (the orangutan) is  a little afraid of the water and needs his friend's help to swim.

 
 

 
  Together they have discovered the joy and laughter in life and the value of friendship.

 
    They have found more than a friendly shoulder to lean on.

 
 

 

Long Live Friendship!

Let's Not Have a Heart Attack

Peter Sellers, actor, 54. George Carlin, comic, 71. Reggie Lewis, basketball player, 27. Tim Russert, journalist, 58. What do all these people have in common? They all died of heart disease. According to the Women's Heart foundation, a heart attack occurs every 20 seconds with a death about every minute. Time Magazine puts the death rate at one every 33 seconds. No matter what the exact number, we can all agree that Cardiac awareness is a good place to start. And not a moment too soon either- the range in ages above is 27 to 71; one is even an athlete. Nobody is immune, although there are things we can do to help prevent heart problems. Such as: 
 
Eat healthy and Exercise. A no brainer right? But you can still get heart disease! You can eat nothing but salmon and beans and run 3 miles a day, but if you're genetically coded for heart trouble, you may be in trouble at the very start. Sorry.

Get started early. Bad habits started as teenagers carry on into our adulthood. When we're young, our bodies bounce back with amazing resilience. Or so we think. Teens are immortal; adults are not. Smoking, drug use (and abuse), overeating and obesity can be ignored when young because a young body is new and strong. Fast forward a few years and as we've all seen, bodies break down.  
 
Watch the alcohol. Is red wine or some beer good for your heart? According to one  pulmonologist I’ve spoken with, no. He said it's okay for those people who already drink; otherwise leave it alone. The risks usually outweigh the benefits. 

Here's an excellent tutorial with quizzes, on the heart.

Aromatherapy for heart health? Maybe for your head, and if it eases some stress it can help your heart... otherwise not really. And use discretion when following the Internet for advice.

Let's Not Forget Japan

The earthquake and resulting tsunami in Japan have for all purposes left the evening news. To recap, pictures of the devastation can be found: Here.    Here.    Here.   Here.   And  Here.

If you feel like helping, a list of aid organizations can be found with this link. You can also click Kitty up there- Sanrio's Day of Donation is today, with all proceeds going to the American Red Cross efforts in Japan.

As always, from the heart of an animal lover, one can't help but wonder and worry about all the pets. In the news back then had been a  heart wrenching video of reporters being led by a dog to his injured friend. The dog is a well cared-for BrittanySpaniel, fiercely loyal and protective. Translation of the reporters' exchange is as follows: 

We are in Arahama area. Looks like there is a dog. There is a dog. He looks tired and dirty. He must have been caught in the tsunami. He looks very dirty.

He has a collar. He must be someone's pet. He has a silver collar. He is shaking. He seems very afraid.

Oh, there is another dog. I wonder if he is dead.

Where?

Right there. There is another dog right next to the one sitting down. He is not moving. I wonder. I wonder if he is alright.

The dog is protecting him.

Yes. He is protecting the dog. That is why he did not want us to approach them. He was trying to keep us at bay.

I can't watch this. This is a very difficult to watch.

Oh. Look. He is moving. He is alive. I am so happy to see that he is alive.

Yes! Yes! He is alive.

He looks to be weakened. We need to them to be rescued soon. We really want them rescued soon.

Oh good. He's getting up.

It is amazing how they survived the tremendous earthquake and tsunami. It's just amazing that they survived through this all.

It's still unclear whether the dogs are safe, and likely to remain a mystery... Want to help? You can donate to Japan's animals from here or follow the link on this page.

And though all stories can't end happily, here's a man reunited with his best friend. 

I keep trying to tell you- pets are good for the heart. 

 

Ya Gotta Meet Molly

Ya gotta meet Molly...

Meet Molly. She's a grey speckled pony who was abandoned by her owners when Hurricane Katrina hit southern Louisiana . She spent weeks on her own before finally being rescued and taken to a farm where abandoned animals were stockpiled. While there, she was attacked by a pit bull terrier and almost died. Her gnawed right front leg became infected, and her vet went to LSU for help, but LSU was overwhelmed.

But after surgeon Rustin Moore met Molly, he changed his mind. He saw how the pony was careful to lie down on different sides so she didn't seem to get sores, and how she allowed people to handle her. She protected her injured leg. She constantly shifted her weight and didn't overload her good leg. She was a smart pony with a serious survival ethic.

Moore agreed to remove her leg below the knee, and a temporary artificial limb was built. Molly walked out of the clinic and her story really begins there.
'This was the right horse and the right owner,' Moore insists. Molly happened to be a one-in-a-million patient. She's tough as nails, but sweet, and she was willing to cope with pain..
She made it obvious she understood that she was in trouble. The other important factor, according to Moore , is having a truly committed and compliant owner who is dedicated to providing the daily care required over the lifetime of the horse.

Molly's story turns into a parable for life in Post-Katrina Louisiana ....The little pony gained weight, and her mane finally felt a comb. A human prosthesis designer built her a leg.

The prosthetic has given Molly a whole new life, Allison Barca DVM, Molly's regular vet, reports.
And she asks for it. She will put her little limb out, and come to you and let you know that she wants you to put it on. Sometimes she wants you to take lt off too. And sometimes, Molly gets away from Barca. 'It can be pretty bad when you can't catch a three-legged horse,' she laughs.
Most important of all, Molly has a job now. Kay, the rescue farm owner, started taking Molly to shelters, hospitals, nursing homes, and rehabilitation centers. Anywhere she thought that people needed hope. Wherever Molly went, she showed people her pluck. She inspired people, and she had a good time doing it.

'It's obvious to me that Molly had a bigger role to play in life, Moore said. She survived the hurricane, she survived a horrible injury, and now she is giving hope to others.'Barca concluded, 'She's not back to normal, but she's going to be better. To me, she could be a symbol for New Orleans itself.'

This is Molly's most recent prosthesis. The bottom photo shows the ground surface that she stands on, which has a smiley face embossed in it.. Wherever Molly goes, she leaves a smiley hoof print behind.

Now what was it you were complaining about?