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Bruce couldn’t write today. Here’s an archive article.
Greetings,
Quotaholics:
If
you’re older than 35, you remember the pesticide DDT firsthand. It could
have been sprayed around your community or your yard, so common was
it, but in 1972 its use was banned in the United States. Other countries
followed suit, Spain in the 1980’s.
PCB’s were another type of persistent organic compounds (POC) used in
electrical transformers, also banned because of toxicity. These things
have been out of production for quite a lot time, but the fears of environmentalists
have been reinforced with the publication of a new study.
ScienceDaily
is reporting on a study carried out by researchers from the Spain’s
Department of Radiology and Physical Medicine of the University of Granada,
in collaboration with the Escuela Andaluza de Salud Pública.
The study examined adipose (fat) tissue from 387 volunteers of both
sexes and found an astonishing 100% of them carried measurable amounts
of at least one of 6 different POC concentration levels: DDE, a principal
metabolite in DDT; hexachlorobenzene, a compound used as fungicide and
currently released by industrial processes; PCB’s: compounds related
to industrial processes; and Hexaclorociclohexano, used as an insecticide
and currently used in scabies and pediculosis treatment.
The study carried out by the University of Granada concluded that 100%
of subjects analyzed had DDE in their bodies, a substance banned in
Spain, and other very frequent components such as PCB-153 (present in
92% of people), HCB (91%), PCB-180 (90%), PCB-138 (86%9) and HCH (84%).
Juan Pedro Arrebola Moreno explains that higher levels of toxic substances
were detected in women compared to men and in older volunteers compared
to younger people, "possibly due to the great persistence of these
substances in the environment, which results in their biomagnification
in the food chain and in their bioaccumulation over time". The
scientist added that there is another theory known as "Efecto Cohorte"
(Cohort effect) that explains the high quantities of these substances
in older people. According to this theory, those born in periods of
higher contamination suffered the consequences more than those born
with the current bans on such pesticides.
Nowhere in the article is it stated that these levels are harmful, but
if you’re like me you can’t see how they could possibly do you any good,
either, and we do know that higher levels have been linked to all sorts
of hideous maladies and deaths.
Does the fact that these chemicals have such an amazing persistence
in the environment concern you? Even if it did, what can any of us do
about it if even banning them doesn’t get rid of the problem. Should
there be tighter requirements to study the effects of new chemicals
before they are put into widespread use?
Chemically sensitively,
Comment
On This Article |
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| Today’s
Quotes |
Remember folks, street lights timed for 35 mph are also timed for 70
mph. ~Jim Samuels
There is an unseen life that dreams us. It knows our true direction
and destiny. We can trust ourselves more than we realize and we need
have no fear of change. ~John O’Donohue
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| Today’s
Chuckle |
New Driver
[Thanks Bonnie]
A teenager who had
just received her learner’s permit offered to drive her parents to church.
After a hair-raising ride, they finally reached their destination.
The mother got out of the car and said, “Thank you!”
“Anytime,” her daughter replied.
As the woman slammed the door, she said, “I wasn’t talking to you. I
was talking to God.”
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| Life
Sentences |
Ask the right questions if you’re to find the right answers.
Integrity is so perishable in the summer months of success.
Theater and poetry were what helped people stay alive and want to go
on living. – all from Vanessa Redgrave, English actress, born on this
day in 1937
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| Image’n
That! |
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Honey,
Can You Take Out The Trash?
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| My
Most Embarrassing Moment
My Scariest Moment |
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Speak right up!
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| Cliff’s
Notes
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Travel
One thing geocaching has brought me is an appreciation for all that
has been done for our recreation right around home. By "right
around home", I refer to someplace you can drive to in a day, spend
some time exploring, and get back home at a reasonable hour. There are
about 62,000 square miles in such an area if 140 miles is considered
a base distance.
Of course, what may be included in such a footprint is dependent on
the area where the exploration is to take place. Urban areas offer
more small neighborhood parks than rural areas. The New York/Philadelphia
metropolis area would have a higher occurrence of urban parks, whereas
Colorado would offer more of the larger state parks and wildlife preserves.
In my area, simply because I am here and this is more of what I have
witnessed, one of the largest efforts has been hike/bike trails where
abandoned railroad beds once existed. The rail beds have been
patched and leveled. In many areas, an asphalt surface has been
placed so bikers, hikers, and skaters have an even and safe surface
to enjoy. Some areas are simply what remains of the old railway
bed, but, not matter what kind of surface has been provided, riding
along these routes slowly by bicycle allows one to see the sights once
enjoyed by rail passengers.
The surprises, for me, are the sights I didn’t expect. In an area
of Dayton, Ohio, for example, there is a hidden waterfall. Those
from around Dayton know it is a very flat area. From rural side
roads, one can almost see the curvature of the earth it is so flat.
So, a waterfall is something special and unique. Rivers and creeks
are expected, but to have any drop-off significant enouh for the waters
to create a waterfall is unexpected. Yet one exists. Although
it is small by most standards, it is beautiful nonetheless. And
it is less than a 45 minute trip from my doorstep.
Due to glacier activity in this region many millennia ago, the topography
of the area is diverse, to say the least. Melting glaciers gouged
out deep gorges and created hills as wide areas were washed away.
Standing atop one of the hills, one can see that all the other hilltops
are at the same height. Unlike mountains that vary in height,
these hills provide wide valleys to farmers raising crops and livestock.
The beauty of the valleys is quite stark. Even in winter, they
seem to be an emerald green when everything else is seems to have been
painted in various shades of gray.
Speaking of mountains, we have them. No, not right here, but the
Great Smokey Mountains are not all that far south. The Appalachian
Mountains are not that far either. East and South of us have them,
although North and West are flatter than flitters. A day trip
can get one into the heavy foothills of mountains. A weekend trip
will get you a fun time in the mountains proper.
One thing we do not have is a desert. I’ve lived near one and
I don’t really miss is. Yes they have their charm and beauty,
but they are not a favorite of mine, except for the wildlife.
I am amazed at what can live in those arid places. I am also amazed
at what can live atop a mountain of which I just found a challenge to
get to the top, even by automobile. There is no surprise as the
amount of natural inhabitants of green spaces, large parks, and wilderness
areas. Even small wooded parks in semi-urban settings have their share
of denizens.
Here’s your quiz:
Do you take day trips to see what’s around you?
What is the most striking thing you’ve seen near your home?
Would you take a weekend away to see some interesting sights if you
knew they were there?
Travel - Getting There Whether You Want To Or Not
Cliff (the High-Tech Redneck who doesn’t rate a fancy ’signature pic’)
Comment
on this article |
| Ranina’s
Ruminations |
|
Kirsten’s
Krazy Kaleidoscope |
Email
Kirsten
Kirsten
is out. Here’s an archive article.
Today
I had a hard time coming up with a topic to write about. OK, that’s
not strictly true. I had a couple of topics to write about, but I was
just having one of those days where you cannot put down your thoughts
in any coherent form. I started writing about one of my topics, and
ended up with a very confusing paragraph. Making sense out of the paragraph
would be like travelling from New York to Texas via Montreal. So I gave
up on that topic and decided to save it for another day.
Then I tried to write about the other topic, and I had the same problem.
It is a really great topic, and tonight my mind is just not focused
enough to do justice to it. That topic is also being saved for another
day.
So instead I’m going to tell you what I did tonight. At least, I’ll
tell you part of what I did tonight, because you just wouldn’t be interested
in the rest. For example, if I were to start telling you that I came
home, took off my jacket and hung it up, put on a sweater, put my boots
away, opened the fridge to find something for dinner, answered the phone,
switched on my computer, gave the kids chicken fingers and sweetcorn
for dinner, loaded the dishwasher, and so on ad nauseum, you probably
wouldn’t keep reading for very long. It’s not exactly edge-of-your-seat
kind of material.
In between all of the boring, routine stuff, I attended an orientation
session for something called the More Than Words program. It is a government-funded
program for parents of autistic children who have communication difficulties.
It is run over a period of about three months, and it includes group
sessions with other parents, and some one-on-one sessions that will
include my son.
Kids - whether they are autistic or not - learn to communicate in the
course of everyday life. Neurotypical (non-autistic) children just pick
stuff up from their surroundings, and they apply that stuff without
having been told to. Autistic children receive the same environmental
cues, but they process them in a slightly different way. They are more
successful at internalizing behaviours that are specifically described
and explained to them.
For example, every night at bedtime I brush both of my boys’ teeth.
My younger son just kind of knows that his teeth have to be brushed,
and if he is given the toothbrush, he will attempt to brush his teeth.
My older son also knows that his teeth have to be brushed, but only
because I have consistently explained the process to him during teeth-brushing
time.
The important point to note here is that autistic children do have the
capability to learn. In fact, if the teaching circumstances are right,
autistic children make excellent learners. Kids in general do well in
structured environments, autistic kids even more so. They thrive on
routine, once they are given a task that interests them they can concentrate
on it for extended periods of time, and they are detail-oriented. Mainstream
education is heavily reliant on verbal interaction, which is why many
autistic children struggle in a standard classroom setting. They have
communication difficulties, but they are good visual learners. If an
autistic child can be placed in an educational setting that allows for
his differences, he can achieve just as much as the next child.
The More Than Words program is going to teach me new ways to use everyday
life scenarios as teaching tools for my son. It will show me different
ways of encouraging speech and positive social interaction. Parents
who have been through this program say that their children have gone
from using no speech at all to using full sentences.
I have high hopes for the program, and I am excited about what it can
teach me. Most of all, I am excited about the possibility of opening
up the world of language for my son.
Kaleidoscopically yours,
Kirsten
Comment
On This Article |
| Lucille’s
Lunacy |
It is Friday. Well, it won’t be when you read this. It will probably
be Monday, and we’ll all just wish it was Friday.
This
has been a long week. My practice seems to go in three cycles. First,
people hire me, than my colleagues annoy me, and then, Judgipoo finishes
me off. Okay, it isn’t always like that. It just feels like it, especially
on Mondays.
This week I had two cases that illustrate my theory. My first adventure
was on last Tuesday, beginning at the glorious hour of 8:30 a.m. in
Judgipoo’s court. It didn’t exactly begin at 8:30. I just had to be
at the courthouse then. Judgipoo had a juvenile case before my case,
so I could have gotten there at 10:00 a.m. and been in plenty of time.
Once the case started, Judgipoo was in his usual foul mood. Well, he
was in that mood when he got up that morning, it’s just that I didn’t
enjoy its effects until our case started at 10:00 a.m. He chomped on
opposing counsel and me, and all of our witnesses. In fact, two of the
people from the Welfare Department snuck out after a break because they
had seen enough to convince them that they didn’t want to take their
lives in their hands by testifying.
Finally, things were brought to a close with a half hour presentation
from the bench about what idiots the Welfare Department were for not
seeing that my client would make a fine adoptive parent. He said they
were stupid for following formulaic approaches to making adoption decisions,
and that if it had been him, there would have been no question about
my client’s ability to care for his granddaughter. I was SO happy. It
appeared that we would —
"But, I feel that the decision is within the Welfare Department’s
authority, so I have to deny Miss Uttermohlen’s petition."
Comment
On This Article |
| Poet-Tree |
Research carried out at the Department of Physiology of the University
of Granada has revealed that goat milk has more beneficial properties
to health than cow milk. Among these properties it helps to prevent
ferropenic anaemia (iron deficiency) and bone demineralisation (softening
of the bones). Have
you had your goat milk today?
PS - A great big WELCOME to our new limerickers (is that a word?)
I once milked a goat with six tits…
Hints:
Here’s a great new rhyming/composition tool. http://www.writerhymes.com/
There’s also a great rhyming dictionary at http://www.rhymezone.com/
Limerick rules. http://freespace.virgin.net/merrick.sheldon/limerickrules.htm
Submit
Opening Line
Submit
Limerick
I
once had a peacock named Blue…
He loved the ladies and knew what to do
His reputation was bad
But his days ended sad
He was stepped on and smashed by a GNU.
- Rick in Roanoke |
I once had
a peacock named blue—
who wanted to wear high-heeled shoes—
but he couldn’t walk
all he could do was squawk
because he didn’t know what to do.
- Cassandra in New York |
My
cat scratched me on my tuchis
And I raised quite a ruckus.
My husband said that
He was sick of that cat
And that was when he forsook us.
- Kelly in Peru - (Visit me at “My
Life In Peru”) |
I
once had a peacock named Blue
I had to take him to the zoo
Blue was very bad
To a hen that I had
He fell in love and wanted to screw!
- Bonnie >^..^< |
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Reader Comments |
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Re: Sleepovers
One
thing that is different from when we were kids is the age of puberty,
which makes 18 an even longer wait. Heck, when my mom first announced
that I’d be disowned if I “had” to get married before 21, my known
numbers were 12345678910 - Dozen - Infinity. Popular culture also
avoided sex so well that it never occurred to me what Miss Kitty of
Gunsmoke did later in the evening. As one young lady remarked “Adults
just sit around and talk, and don’t do anything. They don’t do anything
at all. There is nothing in the world duller than adultery.”
I’m not a parent, so I can’t guess at the fireworks from having to
say “no” with this general policy for siblings, but I’d be inclined
to go for sleepovers if it seemed like as mature and healthy relationship
as one could expect from the pair, and they were honest with each
other. We all gotta learn some day, and the gradual lesson plan is
usually better than a crash course after a wedding reception, IMHO.
- Bob of the North
I have had to make this
decision. Unfortunately, I made the wrong one. I let boys stay at
our house and my daughter did at times stay at boys houses, but mostly
at our house. I did it, thinking, they’re going to do it anyhow, so
at least I’ll know where she is, and that she’s safe. I allowed an
abuser in to her young life doing stupid stuff like that, and even
when we did get through that, I did not learn my lesson. I was at
the time under the impression that I needed to allow my daughter to
do these things so I could keep her close to me. I justified it by
saying, I am blind, and so cannot get out and hunt for her, and so
it is better this way. If I had it all to do over again, I wouldn’t
have allowed it. When I saw my daughter was getting out of control,
I’d have gone to the authorities, but I unfortunately cannot go back
and do a thing over, and fortunately for me, my daughter did manage
to grow up, find a good man to be married to, and now has three beautiful
children whom I love dearly.
Did my actions have the desired affect, and allow my daughter and
I to be close? No, quite the contrary. Instead, because I sat no boundaries
for her, and gave her no guidance, she even now, doesn’t have the
respect for me that most daughters have for their mothers. We’re not
close like I’d have liked, and it is because I simply was not the
type of mother I should’ve been for her. In reality children truly
want and need boundaries in their lives. It makes them feel safe and
secure, and my daughter tells me that much of the time during her
growing up years, she felt lost, scared, and alone. So I’d say no
to this sleep over business, and be a real parent to your child. -
Patty
I guess I’m a prude. When my parents divorced, each wished to visit
us, independently, and had to stay over. As time progressed, each
found a “significant other”. We insisted that the parent could come
and stay, but they should made other arrangements if they were planning
on sharing a bed with their “friend”. For a while, they would get
a hotel room nearby. After we realized that the relationship was much
deeper, and we learned that they would lose much needed retirement
funding should they marry, which they could not afford to do, we allowed
them to share the guest bedroom on visits. We were satisfied they
would have married had economics not been so impacting should they
do so.
As for teens doing the same thing? No way. Not under my roof. Next
thing you know, some girl’s family is suing me for additional support
for the child that came from the encounter because I allowed my son
to let her sleep over. I surely would not sleep in the same room as
a chaperone to make sure they were using proper methods to prevent
pregnancy. Children may want to experiment. They may do so at the
contrary advice of their parents and every other adult they know.
I will not be an enabler and set the stage for disaster. - Cliff
Re:
Language
I wrote
a draft of a letter once, and knew it needed work. I didn’t know that
my software would send it anyway. Big Disaster ensued. I get lots
of blank stares, too, and a few people seeing personal remarks where
none were intended. My ex would often talk for five minutes straight,
and wind up contradicting herself back to null. I can say I’m suicidal
in response to How are you” and get a smile back if I just use the
right tones of voice, never mind body language. My massage instructor
could tell what needed work just by watching someone walk in. But
yes, I do miss a lot of nuances in both body language and wording.
One time, a nice young lady asked if I’d like to go for coffee, and
I turned her down politely because I don’t drink coffee. - Bob of
the North
You forgot about commas.
It’s time to eat grandma.
It’s time to eat, grandma. - Paul
[Yes I did!
Thanks for adding that tidbit. - Cliff]
Don’t forget punctuation,
which is equally important. It can mean the difference between family
festivity, or family cannibalism.
“Let’s eat, Grandma” or “Let’s eat Grandma” .
Hmmmm - [Other] Mike
[OK, you guys
are scaring me. Am I going to have to hire a bodyguard for Granny?
- Cliff]
Re: Tea
Party
Tom,
the article was linked in the comment. It’s http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/13/tennessee-tea-party-demands_n_808508.html
- Bruce
Re: Carp
There
are several varieties of fish that have become familiar to the plates
of diners. Tilapia is one such “species”. It, too, is considered a
species of carp as their feeding habits are very similar. It was originally
used in clean-up of water processes. It is now farmed for food as
it is tasty, grows quickly, and grows to a good size to be able to
get serving size fillets easily.
Although farmed tilapia do not scavenge, the original version would.
They would eat plants and debris that would cause de-oxygenation of
the water. Because of this, they were introduced to areas that needed
clean-up. Fishers would note the size of the fish they caught and
take them home to eat. Also noting their flavor was quite palatable,
the word was out that they were tasty and filling. That made them
worthy for farming as cooks and chefs would appreciate the abundance
of tasty meat.
The original carp is still a staple to seafood meals in some areas.
I know some fishermen that fish for carp and catfish simply due to
the abundance of meat. Tilapia, carp and catfish are the bottom feeders.
But they are also the fastest growing, plump, tasty fish available.
It’s “Supply and Demand”. People like seafood. They just don’t like
the high prices of most table fish. - Cliff
Lucille–you
must have been thinking too hard because you totally lost me on that
one. Maybe it was about dessert–which in our house usually involves
something sweet, sticky, and if my family has their way, chocolatey.
Fish is a main course, usually fried and accompanied by a liberality
of French Fries, ketchup, and hush puppies, and napkins. I don’t much
care for carp, Asian or otherwise, because it’s got too many bones.
Come to think of it, isn’t Asian carp just a fancy name for goldfish?
You know, the ones that grow in ponds and bowls? I won’t say never
on eating them as going hungry is not an option around here and you
can make anything better by frying it (I am from the South!). I also
thought we had a plenitude of invavsive species already clogging things
up around here? Damn–now I have to fo find something for dessert!
- Ruth in WA
Re:
Forgiveness
BJ Cassady, you
are a truly inspirational man! Thank you for being you and sharing
yourself with us! - Sarah in Indiana
Re:
Equality
I
wrote this in june 2008, I think it is still important today. The
main issue is about equality with the deceased. - BJ Our vacation
went well. We started off on I-35 until it died in Kansas then north
on US 81. We traveled through the Sand Hills of Nebraska and caught
a break in gas prices there, about 3.49 for premium (ethanol). From
there to Wounded Knee to Pine Ridge to Hot Springs (Mammoth site)
to Needles drive (you drive through a rock to Rapid City. Rapid City
was our base for a few days. We went to an 11,000 acre wild horse
refuge where Crazy Horse and some of Hilalgo was filmed. We spent
about five hours there and saw about 3-4 colts a few hours old. To
the Black Hills National Cemetery on Memorial Day to decorate a soldier’s
grave that did not have any flowers. We decorated two graves, both
were KIA during WWII. This is something we do wherever we are on Memorial
Day, we must remember.
It made me think, these men, women who may have had differences above
the ground, now are equal. A shame that we spend time quibbling over
small things, trivial actually.
So who cares if you are a democrat or a republican… in 100 years..you
are under the ground. We need to try to be better than that, this
is an opportunity to be bigger and better. I am a conservative, maybe
even more so than most of you, but if Obama gets in, we must remember
we have the other two branches of government to balance things out.
Also, the office usually makes the man, not vice versa. - BJ
Subscription
I
haven’t received RGQ in over a year. I didn’t unsubscribe or change
anything, it just stopped. I tried to contact you and even tried to
subscribe again, all to no avail. All of a sudden out of the blue
it shows up this morning. I don’t know what happened but hopefully
and thankfully you’re back to stay. - Rick in Roanoke
[Yahoo hasn’t
been the most reliable venue, but, for the price, it has been somewhat
functional. Check your spam filters and/or your ISP’s settings
if we disappear again. Sometimes spam filters react to things
coming from the Yahoo domain and we all get blocked. Add us
to your whitelist at both places. Welcome back even though
you didn’t leave. - Cliff]
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Disclaimer- All quotes printed in this publication are believed to be
accurately attributed, but no guarantees are made that some incorrectly
attributed, or even outright false quotes won’t get in here from time
to time. I assure readers that I will do my best to weed out incorrect
quotes, and will print a retraction as soon as I become aware of any errors.
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