I have been busy going to hospital and seeing the doctor. Seems I do not have energy to sit at this machine and do any exploring on the web. I am above ground however, and that is always a good sign.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Three possible swine flu cases in Saskatchewan
REGINA -- Saskatchewan is readying for potential swine flu cases as the world waits to see how the respiratory illness unfolds.
Although there were no confirmed cases in the province as of Monday evening, politicians and health officials reassured the public that plans are in place to handle an outbreak should one develop.
"We expect that we'll have a lot of people under investigation that we'll have to do lab tests on. We don't know how many will be positive but it's probable that we will, at some stage, get a case," Saskatchewan's chief medical health officer Dr. Moira McKinnon told reporters gathered at the T.C. Douglas building in Regina, where the health ministry has set up an "operations centre" to monitor the evolving swine flu situation.
The province is currently awaiting results of lab tests for three people in the Cypress, Five Hills and Prince Albert Parkland health regions who showed symptoms of possible swine flu, while another five people have tested negative, said McKinnon. The individuals waiting for results of lab tests, which must be confirmed in Winnipeg, are all resting at home, McKinnon said.
She emphasized that the six cases of swine flu confirmed in B.C. and Nova Scotia have all been "mild," as have the cases in the U.S., unlike in Mexico where it is suspected in more than 100 deaths.
The province is preparing "as if this is a pandemic," but the situation might instead fizzle out, she said.
Ten people are staffing the central operations centre, set up Friday, to gather infection control information, assess how the stockpile of anti-virals could be mobilized if needed, provide information to travellers and keep up-to-date on the latest developments. Individual health regions are also setting up their own operations centres.
"I would just reassure people that the ministry is on top of it, we are monitoring it and let's certainly hope that we don't have any confirmed cases but in the event that we do I think that the Ministry of Health and the regions are positioned very well," said Health Minister Don McMorris.
An information sheet is being given to visitors at airports, alerting them to "clusters of severe respiratory illness" in Mexico being tracked by the Public Health Agency of Canada.
McKinnon said potential swine flu cases involve people who develop influenza-like illness — with symptoms such as fever and cough — within 10 days of returning from Mexico and those who get sick after being in contact with others from Mexico who are unwell.
The province is asking people to see their family physicians or call the HealthLine at 1-877-800-0002 if they have concerns. Only nine people called the line with influenza related inquiries on Sunday, McKinnon said.
People are encouraged to wash their hands frequently with soap and water, or use alcohol-based hand gel, as a prevention tool. McKinnon said people should also cough or sneeze in the crook of their elbow, rather than their hands, to prevent the spread of influenza.
Saskatchewan has been preparing for a "moderate pandemic" for a few years, so if that such an event were to occur plans would be ready, she said. There is also a stockpile of anti-virals that would be enough to treat the people that estimates suggest could fall ill in that scenario, she said.
Regina, too, has been involved in planning for the possibility a pandemic might one day occur, including how the services important to the public would continue to be provided, said Grant Nicurity, deputy of public safety, planning and prevention for the City of Regina's Fire and Protective Services.
"If this or any other influenza outbreak were to escalate what we really have to do is switch into more of a business continuity mode," he said, adding the city would be directed by health authorities as action was warranted.
But he also urged people not to panic as media attention worldwide centres on the swine flu.
"The sky is not falling yet," he said.
"What we're really doing right now is due diligence."
Also watching the swine flu developments is the University of Saskatchewan's Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), which has been doing research and developing swine flu vaccinations for pigs, as well as work related to humans, said director Andy Potter.
"It's very early days," said Potter, who noted the mortality rate has not been that high. "We'll have to wait and see but everything I've seen, the cases in Canada, the cases in the U.S., would suggest that maybe we don't have too worry too much."http://www.thestarphoenix.com/News/Three+possible+swine+cases+Saskatchewan/1541730/story.html
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Conficker Worm Finally Begins Attacking PCs
"BOSTON — A malicious software program known as Conficker that many feared would wreak havoc on April 1 is slowly being activated, weeks after being dismissed as a false alarm, security experts said." http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517817,00.html
The hilarity of hyphenation
1.http://communities.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/blogs/weddeddiss/archive/2007/08/02/the-hilarity-of-hyphenation.aspx 2.More evidence dispelling hyphenation as a good idea:http://communities.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/blogs/weddeddiss/archive/2009/04/03/more-evidence-dispelling-hyphenation-as-a-good-idea.aspx
Rachel Papo:Serial No. 3817131
"Rachel Papo is an Israeli who was born in 1970 in Columbus, Ohio but was raised in Israel. She began photographing as a teenager and attended a renowned fine-arts high-school in Haifa, Israel. At age eighteen she served in the Israeli Air Force as a photographer. These two intensive years of service inspired her current photographic project titled after her own number during service -- Serial No. 3817131.
She earned a BFA in Fine Arts from Ohio State University in Columbus (1991-96), and an MFA in Photography from the School of Visual Arts in New York City (2002-05).
She began photographing Israeli female soldiers in the summer of 2004 as part of her masters thesis project. She continues to photograph in both Israel and New York, pursuing fine art photography and accepting commissioned projects. Her photographs are included in several public and private collections. She currently resides in Brooklyn, New York." http://www.serialno3817131.com/about.html
She earned a BFA in Fine Arts from Ohio State University in Columbus (1991-96), and an MFA in Photography from the School of Visual Arts in New York City (2002-05).
She began photographing Israeli female soldiers in the summer of 2004 as part of her masters thesis project. She continues to photograph in both Israel and New York, pursuing fine art photography and accepting commissioned projects. Her photographs are included in several public and private collections. She currently resides in Brooklyn, New York." http://www.serialno3817131.com/about.html
Friday, April 24, 2009
Can Cherries Relieve The Pain Of Osteoarthritis?
ScienceDaily (Mar. 21, 2009) — For the estimated 27 million Americans who suffer from osteoarthritis, pain relief may come with a cherry on top. According to researchers with the Baylor Research Institute, tart cherries, in pill form, may be a promising pain-reliever for this common and debilitating form of arthritis.
See also:
Health & Medicine
Arthritis
Joint Pain
Pain Control
Plants & Animals
Evolutionary Biology
Biology
Biotechnology
Reference
COX-2 inhibitor
Osteoarthritis
Arthritis
Cherry
More than half of the patients enrolled in a 2007 pilot study at the Baylor Research Institute experienced a significant improvement in pain and function after taking the cherry pills for eight weeks. Osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis, is considered degenerative and typically affects the hands, feet, spine, and large weight-bearing joints, such as the hips and knees. Patients with osteoarthritis of the knees were enrolled in this pilot study to assess potential efficacy of the tart cherry pills.
“The current treatment of osteoarthritis is largely focused on controlling pain through use of over-the-counter acetaminophen or prescription pain medications as well as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs,” explains John J. Cush, M.D., rheumatologist and principal investigator of the study. “These conventional medications are widely used, but have not been shown to alter the natural history of the disease. In some cases, overuse may contribute to significant gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, hematologic, renal and liver toxicity.”
Made from Montmorency tart cherries, this preparation is made up of ground whole cherries and given as a soft gelatin capsule (marketed under the brand name CherryFlex®).
“This specific type of tart cherry is one of the best studied natural products and anecdotally has been claimed to have a salutary effect on osteoarthritis and other types of arthritis as well,” adds Dr. Cush.
Baylor Research Institute together with the Arthritis Care & Research Institute is currently enrolling patients in a second study, which will test cherry pills versus placebo in an eight week double blind study.
Adapted from materials provided by Baylor Health Care System. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090319164327.htm
See also:
Health & Medicine
Arthritis
Joint Pain
Pain Control
Plants & Animals
Evolutionary Biology
Biology
Biotechnology
Reference
COX-2 inhibitor
Osteoarthritis
Arthritis
Cherry
More than half of the patients enrolled in a 2007 pilot study at the Baylor Research Institute experienced a significant improvement in pain and function after taking the cherry pills for eight weeks. Osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis, is considered degenerative and typically affects the hands, feet, spine, and large weight-bearing joints, such as the hips and knees. Patients with osteoarthritis of the knees were enrolled in this pilot study to assess potential efficacy of the tart cherry pills.
“The current treatment of osteoarthritis is largely focused on controlling pain through use of over-the-counter acetaminophen or prescription pain medications as well as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs,” explains John J. Cush, M.D., rheumatologist and principal investigator of the study. “These conventional medications are widely used, but have not been shown to alter the natural history of the disease. In some cases, overuse may contribute to significant gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, hematologic, renal and liver toxicity.”
Made from Montmorency tart cherries, this preparation is made up of ground whole cherries and given as a soft gelatin capsule (marketed under the brand name CherryFlex®).
“This specific type of tart cherry is one of the best studied natural products and anecdotally has been claimed to have a salutary effect on osteoarthritis and other types of arthritis as well,” adds Dr. Cush.
Baylor Research Institute together with the Arthritis Care & Research Institute is currently enrolling patients in a second study, which will test cherry pills versus placebo in an eight week double blind study.
Adapted from materials provided by Baylor Health Care System. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090319164327.htm
Robert Johnson-I Believe I'll Dust My Broom
I'm gointa get up in the mornin
I believe I'll dust my broom
I'm gointa get up in the mornin
I believe I'll dust my broom
Girlfriend the black man you've been lovin
girlfriend can get my room
I'm gonna write a letter
telephone everytown I know
I'm gonna write a letter
telephone every town I know
If I can't find her in West Helena
she must be in East Monroe I know
I don't want no woman
wants every downtown man she meets
I don't want no woman
wants every downtown man she meets
She's a no good dooney
they shouldn't allow her on the street
I believe, I believe I'll go back home
I believe, I believe I'll go back home
You can mistreat me here babe,
but you can't when I'm back home
And I'm gettin up in the mornin
I believe I'll dust my broom
I'm gettin up in the mornin
I believe I'll dust my broom
Girlfriend the black man you been lovin
girlfriend can get my room
I'm gonna call up Chiney
see is my good girl over there
I'm gonna call up China
see is my good girl over there
I can't find her on Phillipine's island
she must be in Ethiopia somewhere
I believe I'll dust my broom
I'm gointa get up in the mornin
I believe I'll dust my broom
Girlfriend the black man you've been lovin
girlfriend can get my room
I'm gonna write a letter
telephone everytown I know
I'm gonna write a letter
telephone every town I know
If I can't find her in West Helena
she must be in East Monroe I know
I don't want no woman
wants every downtown man she meets
I don't want no woman
wants every downtown man she meets
She's a no good dooney
they shouldn't allow her on the street
I believe, I believe I'll go back home
I believe, I believe I'll go back home
You can mistreat me here babe,
but you can't when I'm back home
And I'm gettin up in the mornin
I believe I'll dust my broom
I'm gettin up in the mornin
I believe I'll dust my broom
Girlfriend the black man you been lovin
girlfriend can get my room
I'm gonna call up Chiney
see is my good girl over there
I'm gonna call up China
see is my good girl over there
I can't find her on Phillipine's island
she must be in Ethiopia somewhere
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Study Claims Coffee Lowers Stroke Risk
"A new study found that daily coffee consumption reduces the risk of stroke. Julie Chen spoke with Dr. Jennifer Ashton about the other health benefits of coffee."http://www.happynews.com/
Taking a close look at Facebook
"Voluntary government surveillance. When Alexander Solzhenitsyn was arrested by Stalin's political police, his captors got lost.Solzhenitsyn, a war hero (Stalin distrusted and hated war heroes), showed them how to read the map and get to where they were going. That's what millions of Americans are doing now. Putting far more personal information that they should about themselves online for easy mining."http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/603.html
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season)
Ecclesiastes
OR, THE PREACHER
3
A Time for Everything
1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
OR, THE PREACHER
3
A Time for Everything
1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
Susan Boyle-a highland lassie
Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent
Uploaded by dwarthy
1.http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8ymn0_susan-boyle-on-britains-got-talent_music 2.Scroll down to listen to Susan's first CD recording:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1172203/And-said-wouldnt-change-Susan-Boyle--BGT-star-shows-new-look.html3. Susan Boyle Fansite:http://www.susan-boyle.com/
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Former astronaut: Man not alone in universe
Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, shown after his Apollo mission in 1971, claims there "is no doubt we are being visited."
(CNN) -- Earth Day may fall later this week, but as far as former NASA astronaut Edgar Mitchell and other UFO enthusiasts are concerned, the real story is happening elsewhere.
Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, shown after his Apollo mission in 1971, claims there "is no doubt we are being visited."
Mitchell, who was part of the 1971 Apollo 14 moon mission, asserted Monday that extraterrestrial life exists, and that the truth is being concealed by the U.S. and other governments.
He delivered his remarks during an appearance at the National Press Club following the conclusion of the fifth annual X-Conference, a meeting of UFO activists and researchers studying the possibility of alien life forms.
Mankind has long wondered if we're "alone in the universe. [But] only in our period do we really have evidence. No, we're not alone," Mitchell said.
"Our destiny, in my opinion, and we might as well get started with it, is [to] become a part of the planetary community. ... We should be ready to reach out beyond our planet and beyond our solar system to find out what is really going on out there."
Mitchell grew up in Roswell, New Mexico, which some UFO believers maintain was the site of a UFO crash in 1947. He said residents of his hometown "had been hushed and told not to talk about their experience by military authorities." They had been warned of "dire consequences" if they did so.
Don't Miss
Dog walker 'met man from another planet'
Hundreds of 'alien' aircraft sightings
But, he claimed, they "didn't want to go to the grave with their story. They wanted to tell somebody reliable. And being a local boy and having been to the moon, they considered me reliable enough to whisper in my ear their particular story."
Roughly 10 years ago, Mitchell claimed, he was finally given an appointment at Pentagon to discuss what he had been told.
An unnamed admiral working for the Joint Chiefs of Staff promised to uncover the truth behind the Roswell story, Mitchell said. The stories of a UFO crash "were confirmed," but the admiral was then denied access when he "tried to get into the inner workings of that process."
The same admiral, Mitchell claimed, now denies the story.
"I urge those who are doubtful: Read the books, read the lore, start to understand what has really been going on. Because there really is no doubt we are being visited," he said.
"The universe that we live in is much more wondrous, exciting, complex and far-reaching than we were ever able to know up to this point in time."
A NASA spokesman denied any cover-up.
"NASA does not track UFOs. NASA is not involved in any sort of cover-up about alien life on this planet or anywhere else -- period," Michael Cabbage said Monday.
Debates have continued about what happened at Roswell. The U.S. Air Force said in 1994 that wreckage recovered there in 1947 was most likely from a balloon-launched classified government project.
Stephen Bassett, head of the Paradigm Research Group (PRG), which hosted the X-Conference, said that the truth about extraterrestrial life is being suppressed because it is politically explosive.
"There is a third rail [in American politics], and that is the UFO question. It is many magnitudes more radioactive than Social Security ever dreamed to be," Bassett said. http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/04/20/ufo.conference/index.html
Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, shown after his Apollo mission in 1971, claims there "is no doubt we are being visited."
Mitchell, who was part of the 1971 Apollo 14 moon mission, asserted Monday that extraterrestrial life exists, and that the truth is being concealed by the U.S. and other governments.
He delivered his remarks during an appearance at the National Press Club following the conclusion of the fifth annual X-Conference, a meeting of UFO activists and researchers studying the possibility of alien life forms.
Mankind has long wondered if we're "alone in the universe. [But] only in our period do we really have evidence. No, we're not alone," Mitchell said.
"Our destiny, in my opinion, and we might as well get started with it, is [to] become a part of the planetary community. ... We should be ready to reach out beyond our planet and beyond our solar system to find out what is really going on out there."
Mitchell grew up in Roswell, New Mexico, which some UFO believers maintain was the site of a UFO crash in 1947. He said residents of his hometown "had been hushed and told not to talk about their experience by military authorities." They had been warned of "dire consequences" if they did so.
Don't Miss
Dog walker 'met man from another planet'
Hundreds of 'alien' aircraft sightings
But, he claimed, they "didn't want to go to the grave with their story. They wanted to tell somebody reliable. And being a local boy and having been to the moon, they considered me reliable enough to whisper in my ear their particular story."
Roughly 10 years ago, Mitchell claimed, he was finally given an appointment at Pentagon to discuss what he had been told.
An unnamed admiral working for the Joint Chiefs of Staff promised to uncover the truth behind the Roswell story, Mitchell said. The stories of a UFO crash "were confirmed," but the admiral was then denied access when he "tried to get into the inner workings of that process."
The same admiral, Mitchell claimed, now denies the story.
"I urge those who are doubtful: Read the books, read the lore, start to understand what has really been going on. Because there really is no doubt we are being visited," he said.
"The universe that we live in is much more wondrous, exciting, complex and far-reaching than we were ever able to know up to this point in time."
A NASA spokesman denied any cover-up.
"NASA does not track UFOs. NASA is not involved in any sort of cover-up about alien life on this planet or anywhere else -- period," Michael Cabbage said Monday.
Debates have continued about what happened at Roswell. The U.S. Air Force said in 1994 that wreckage recovered there in 1947 was most likely from a balloon-launched classified government project.
Stephen Bassett, head of the Paradigm Research Group (PRG), which hosted the X-Conference, said that the truth about extraterrestrial life is being suppressed because it is politically explosive.
"There is a third rail [in American politics], and that is the UFO question. It is many magnitudes more radioactive than Social Security ever dreamed to be," Bassett said. http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/04/20/ufo.conference/index.html
Monday, April 6, 2009
IFAW Germany "Amazing Jumbo Elephant Landing" - PSA 2009
"In the International Fund for Animal Welfare public service announcement, an elephant comes in for a landing in the style of a jumbo jet...making the point that travelers should think twice before purchasing souvenirs made from animal products."
http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2009/03/link-latte-105.html
http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2009/03/link-latte-105.html
Fleet Foxes - Mykonos- Lyrics & Music Video
The door slam loud and rows up a cloud of dust on us
Footsteps follow, down through the hollow sound, torn up
And you would go to Mykonos
With a vision of the channel cause
And a son to maybe dissipate
Shadows of the mess you made
How did any holes in the snow tipped pines, I find
Hatching from the seed of your thin mind, all night?
And you would go to Mykonos
With a vision of the channel cause
And a son to maybe dissipate
Shadows of the mess you made
Brother you don't need to turn me away
I was waiting down at the ancient gates
You go
Wherever you go today
You go today
I remember how it took you down
As the winter turned the meadow around
You go
Wherever you go today
You go today
When I walking brother don't you forget
It ain't often you'll ever find a friend
You go
Wherever you go today
You go today
[x8] http://www.rockpoplyrics.com/fleet_foxes/mykonos.php
Footsteps follow, down through the hollow sound, torn up
And you would go to Mykonos
With a vision of the channel cause
And a son to maybe dissipate
Shadows of the mess you made
How did any holes in the snow tipped pines, I find
Hatching from the seed of your thin mind, all night?
And you would go to Mykonos
With a vision of the channel cause
And a son to maybe dissipate
Shadows of the mess you made
Brother you don't need to turn me away
I was waiting down at the ancient gates
You go
Wherever you go today
You go today
I remember how it took you down
As the winter turned the meadow around
You go
Wherever you go today
You go today
When I walking brother don't you forget
It ain't often you'll ever find a friend
You go
Wherever you go today
You go today
[x8] http://www.rockpoplyrics.com/fleet_foxes/mykonos.php
Friday, April 3, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
The Worm That Ate the Web
"The latest version of Conficker isn't the first bot to plague the Internet, but it may be the smartest and most sophisticated. And it starts phoning home Wednesday."http://www.slate.com/id/2214970/
Flying object lights up sky in western Canada
TheStarPhoenix.com, and Canwest filesMarch 31, 2009 6:48 PMComments (4)
SASKATOON — A meteor the size of a small suitcase is the likely cause of an early morning spectacle Tuesday that surprised early risers in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Dr. Alan Hildebrand, a geologist at the University of Calgary, said it was likely a meteor that weighed between 10 and 100 kilograms.
Meteors that size fall in Canada about once a week, said Hildebrand. However, weather conditions obscure many such events from being seen.
Using photos of the dust cloud created by the meteor, Hildebrand said it was unlikely the object was man-made because of the speed it was reportedly moving.
“Artificial debris covers a lot of the sky and lasts tens of seconds,” said Hildebrand.
The object appeared around 6:30 a.m. According to one witness who was out for a jog on Saskatoon streets, it looked like a "lit match" going across the sky from east to west.
Another witness, Cheryl Cook-Taylor, was on her way to work in North Battleford when she saw it.
“It kind of glowed green, and it looked like it was falling very, very quickly,” she said. “It just kind of reminded me of a falling star or something.”
Cook-Taylor said she was sorry to have missed the meteor that made national headlines last November when it streaked across the prairie sky, “so it’s kind of neat I saw it this time. I guess it’s good to be up that early in the morning.”
The object was also seen in Calgary, where witness Donna Thompson described what she saw as "a meteor breaking up" in an e-mail sent to the Calgary Herald.
Thompson, who said she was driving on Highway 2 southbound between Olds and Calgary, said she saw the object at about 6:33 a.m. east of the highway. The flash lasted for about two seconds, Thompson said in her e-mail, before dispersing "like fireworks going off."
TheStarPhoenix.com, and Canwest filesMarch 31, 2009 6:48 PM
Byron Hill, a Grade 5 schoolteacher at Raymond Elementary, was out feeding his horses when he spotted the “lightbulb” streaking across the sky.
“It blazed for a few seconds then broke up and faded and flashed a few sparks,” said Hill, adding the sighting sent chills up his spine for a good tens minutes after.
His colleague Sue Fowler was out for her morning walk with a friend when the celestial event occurred.
She said the object lit up the early morning sky with a yellowish-white light and had red sparks coming of it before exploding like fireworks.
“We’ve walked for 18 years and seen a lot of shooting stars and northern lights but nothing like this,” said the Grade 2 teacher. “It was beautiful.” http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/saskatoon/Flying+object+lights+western+Canada/1448116/story.html
SASKATOON — A meteor the size of a small suitcase is the likely cause of an early morning spectacle Tuesday that surprised early risers in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Dr. Alan Hildebrand, a geologist at the University of Calgary, said it was likely a meteor that weighed between 10 and 100 kilograms.
Meteors that size fall in Canada about once a week, said Hildebrand. However, weather conditions obscure many such events from being seen.
Using photos of the dust cloud created by the meteor, Hildebrand said it was unlikely the object was man-made because of the speed it was reportedly moving.
“Artificial debris covers a lot of the sky and lasts tens of seconds,” said Hildebrand.
The object appeared around 6:30 a.m. According to one witness who was out for a jog on Saskatoon streets, it looked like a "lit match" going across the sky from east to west.
Another witness, Cheryl Cook-Taylor, was on her way to work in North Battleford when she saw it.
“It kind of glowed green, and it looked like it was falling very, very quickly,” she said. “It just kind of reminded me of a falling star or something.”
Cook-Taylor said she was sorry to have missed the meteor that made national headlines last November when it streaked across the prairie sky, “so it’s kind of neat I saw it this time. I guess it’s good to be up that early in the morning.”
The object was also seen in Calgary, where witness Donna Thompson described what she saw as "a meteor breaking up" in an e-mail sent to the Calgary Herald.
Thompson, who said she was driving on Highway 2 southbound between Olds and Calgary, said she saw the object at about 6:33 a.m. east of the highway. The flash lasted for about two seconds, Thompson said in her e-mail, before dispersing "like fireworks going off."
TheStarPhoenix.com, and Canwest filesMarch 31, 2009 6:48 PM
Byron Hill, a Grade 5 schoolteacher at Raymond Elementary, was out feeding his horses when he spotted the “lightbulb” streaking across the sky.
“It blazed for a few seconds then broke up and faded and flashed a few sparks,” said Hill, adding the sighting sent chills up his spine for a good tens minutes after.
His colleague Sue Fowler was out for her morning walk with a friend when the celestial event occurred.
She said the object lit up the early morning sky with a yellowish-white light and had red sparks coming of it before exploding like fireworks.
“We’ve walked for 18 years and seen a lot of shooting stars and northern lights but nothing like this,” said the Grade 2 teacher. “It was beautiful.” http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/saskatoon/Flying+object+lights+western+Canada/1448116/story.html
Coffee makes pain go away - study
COFFEE can make mornings more tolerable, but is it making them less painful? A US study into the effect of caffeine on cyclists found those who took a pill containing the stimulant reported less muscle pain, ensuring they could exert themselves for longer.
The study took in 25 fit men who were put through a series of different intensity trials on a stationary bicycle. The riders abstained from caffeine for 24 hours before the tests and they were then given a nondescript tablet - either a pill containing the equivalent of two to three cups of coffee or a placebo.
Oxygen consumption, heart rate and their work rate were monitored as the cyclists were also quizzed on their "perceptions of quadriceps muscle pain" during the trials.
"We've shown that caffeine reduces pain reliably, consistently during cycling, across different intensities, across different people, different characteristics," said Robert Motl of the University of Illinois.
The riders were also selected to represent heavy coffee drinkers - an intake of three to four cups daily or 400 milligrams of caffeine - and those who drank little to no coffee.
Professor Motl said this was designed to show whether a higher tolerance to the stimulant would, as anticipated, dull any other effect the caffeine could have on the riders.
"What we saw is something we didn't expect - caffeine-naive individuals and habitual users have the same amount of reduction in pain during exercise after caffeine," he says.
"If you regularly consume caffeine, you have to have more to have that bigger mental-energy effect but the tolerance effect is not ubiquitous across all stimuli."
Prof Motl said the caffeine was known to affect the adenosine neuromodulatory system in the brain and spinal cord, and this system was heavily involved in pain processing.
The study was published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. Prof Motl, a former competitive cyclist, said the research would come as no surprise to the many cyclists who have a coffee before a gruelling training ride or those people who down one on the way to the gym.
"I think a lot of people are taking caffeine before a workout and they don't realise the actual benefit they're experiencing," he said.
"That is they're experiencing less pain." http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25274123-12377,00.html
The study took in 25 fit men who were put through a series of different intensity trials on a stationary bicycle. The riders abstained from caffeine for 24 hours before the tests and they were then given a nondescript tablet - either a pill containing the equivalent of two to three cups of coffee or a placebo.
Oxygen consumption, heart rate and their work rate were monitored as the cyclists were also quizzed on their "perceptions of quadriceps muscle pain" during the trials.
"We've shown that caffeine reduces pain reliably, consistently during cycling, across different intensities, across different people, different characteristics," said Robert Motl of the University of Illinois.
The riders were also selected to represent heavy coffee drinkers - an intake of three to four cups daily or 400 milligrams of caffeine - and those who drank little to no coffee.
Professor Motl said this was designed to show whether a higher tolerance to the stimulant would, as anticipated, dull any other effect the caffeine could have on the riders.
"What we saw is something we didn't expect - caffeine-naive individuals and habitual users have the same amount of reduction in pain during exercise after caffeine," he says.
"If you regularly consume caffeine, you have to have more to have that bigger mental-energy effect but the tolerance effect is not ubiquitous across all stimuli."
Prof Motl said the caffeine was known to affect the adenosine neuromodulatory system in the brain and spinal cord, and this system was heavily involved in pain processing.
The study was published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. Prof Motl, a former competitive cyclist, said the research would come as no surprise to the many cyclists who have a coffee before a gruelling training ride or those people who down one on the way to the gym.
"I think a lot of people are taking caffeine before a workout and they don't realise the actual benefit they're experiencing," he said.
"That is they're experiencing less pain." http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25274123-12377,00.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
-
By Bill Sanderson Saudi Arabia's King Salman (right) and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef walk to greet President Obama in Riy...
