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July 22nd

7/22/2013

www.guardian.co.uk

We live in a wonderful world full of incredible natural beauty and containing diversity amongst all living things. However, the earth is rumbling. Two powerful earthquakes have struck China's north-west Gansu province, killing at least 47 people and injuring almost 300.

The US Geological Survey reported that the first earthquake near Dingxi city had a magnitude of 5.98 and was shallow, with a depth of just 9.8 km (6 miles). The closer to the surface an earthquake strikes, the more damage it can cause. Just over an hour later, a magnitude 5.6 quake hit the same area.

news.nationalgrographic

At least 5,600 houses in the province's Zhangxian county are seriously damaged and 380 have collapsed, while some areas suffered from power cuts. Crews of fire fighters and rescue dogs have already arrived at the scene.

The earthquake reportedly triggered a series of mudslides and landslides, state-run news agency Xinhua reported. The Gansu military police has deployed 500 soldiers, including 120 specialist rescuers.
500 emergency tents and 2,000 quilts are also being transported to affected areas.

www.breakingnews.com

Major earthquakes in China

v April 2013 - 6.6 magnitude quake in Sichuan province kills at least 160

v September 2012 - 5.6 magnitude quake in south western Yunnan and Guizhou provinces kills at least 80

v March 2011 - magnitude 5.4 earthquake in Yunnan kills at least 22

v April 2010 - magnitude 6.9 quake hits Qinghai province, killing over 1,100

v May 2008 - magnitude 7.9 earthquake in Sichuan kills up to 90,000

The country of China occupies such a large land mass. It's bound to experience more natural events than other areas. However, they've had a bad run of momentous events. The Red Cross and other organizations are collecting donations to send aid to those affected.

July 21st

7/21/2013

Will mankind's blundering ever cease? It has emerged that US fighter jets dropped inert bombs on the Great Barrier Reef off Australia's coast during a training exercise with Australian military personnel that went wrong. Why do they train in such a precious environment?

The two planes jettisoned four unarmed bombs in more than 50m (165 ft) of water, away from coral, to minimize damage to the World Heritage Site, the US navy said. The planes were low on fuel and couldn't be unloaded at the base, so they dumped them.

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral structure rich in marine life.

It stretches for more than 2,600km (1,680 miles) along Australia's eastern coast.

Australia's Great Barrier Reef is already in trouble according to the country's government. The conditions are poor and extreme events in recent years, such as cyclones, flooding, and the effects of climate change are to blame. Also, chemicals used in farming, which find their way into the water, have had a big impact. Poor water quality is bad news for the fish and sea creatures.

One of Australia's most remarkable natural gifts, the Great Barrier Reef is blessed with the breathtaking beauty of the immense coral reef. The reef contains an abundance of marine life and comprises of over 3000 individual reef systems and coral cays and literally hundreds of picturesque tropical islands with some of the worlds most beautiful sun-soaked, golden beaches.

In 1986, I traveled to the Great Barrier Reef with a wealthy family I worked for on their private fishing boat. They visited friends on Lizard Island and I snorkeled off the land to see the myriads of fish and corals. Underwater, it's like a floating dream.

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven wonders of the natural world, and pulling away from it, and viewing it from a greater distance, you can understand why. It is larger than the Great Wall of China and the only living thing on earth visible from space.

v Thirty species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises have been recorded in the Great Barrier Reef

v Six species of sea turtles come to the reef to breed

v 215 species of birds (including 22 species of seabirds and 32 species of shorebirds) visit the reef or nest or roost on the islands

v Seventeen species of sea snake live on the Great Barrier Reef

v More than 1,500 fish species live on the reef

v There are at least 330 species of ascidians (sack-like invertebrates - sea squirts) on the reef system

I'm aghast about the jettisoned bombs. If they'd been armed, would the fighter jet personnel have bombed the reef? This is what I think: Mankind's toys of war are getting out of hand.

July 20th

7/20/2013

Everyone's complaining about the heat-wave in the UK this summer. But something's missing. There don't seem to be many wasps around.

Numbers are low so far this year because of a huge decline in the wasp population in 2012, say experts. An unseasonal spell of good weather in late February last year resulted in mated queen wasps coming out of hibernation early. When temperatures dropped again, many wasps died because of a lack of food. While people might not miss wasps buzzing around them, a decline numbers is not good for nature. Wasps feed on other insects that people call pests, as well as helping to fertilize crops.

It's not all bad news for wasps. This year's late spring could actually help build up wasp numbers in 2014, say experts. Wasp queens who have survived will have stayed in hibernation for longer and will have emerged when the warm weather started with lots of energy to lay eggs.

There could also be a bumper crop of fruit in September for wasps to feed on. The cool weather earlier in the year also meant apple trees remained dormant for longer and are now putting that stored energy into producing fruit.

House flies seem to have vanished too after a short burst of particularly dozy ones earlier in the season. Behind our home, a stable with fields for horses to graze guarantees a build-up of the little critters. I've yet to hear of a way flies benefit nature apart from their maggots being used to clean wounds in medicine.

Back in 1975, I tried to control flies with the power of my mind. Well, I was only 33 years old--a mere babe and under half my present age. We lived in Robe, South Australia, a lobster fishing village popular with tourists in summer. The 150 year-old cottage we bought needed a lot of attention so we had new windows fitted, made in the original style. Fly screens were part of the requirement.

So, in the heat of summer, hundreds of flies would be buzzing outside the screen. I'd sit and concentrate on the odd one that managed to get in, rather like a child playing the part of a magician. 'Go toward the chimney', I'd think. 'Fly up to the nice air. Be free'. My powers weren't strong enough, but I never gave up. Beats whacking them with a wire fly-swat, which I think is much better than a chemical spray.

The Victorians used to think they were friendly insects because they hovered so close.

If you have a safe way of discouraging flies from entering your home, let me know.

July 19th

7/19/2013

England is entering the second week of high temperatures. The southern area is on a stage three alert to care for vulnerable people. The figures have not yet been released, but the heat has caused hundreds of deaths and the ambulance service has received thousands of extra calls.

Unfortunately, here in Hertfordshire we have to lock our windows at night.

About five years ago, I heard a bang and click coming from the direction of the front door when I was sitting alone at night watching television. I assumed my husband had returned home from his job. However, he didn't appear. I became curious, and then apprehensive. Not much I could do, but I had to look at what had caused the noise.

We only have one point of entry so I couldn't slip away. I heard another noise.

I picked up my walking stick to use in defense and tip-toed towards the front of my home and the door. Nobody in the passage, so I checked the bedroom with one glance. Nothing illuminated by the street light outside. After a quick glance as I passed the bathroom, I entered my study and turned on the light. Nothing. I called, "Anybody there?"

How strange. Unsettled, I returned to my chair.

The next day, I noticed a pot-plant had been moved outside my study window. A few days later, a police officer knocked to ask if I'd heard or seen anything next door. The Artichoke Pub had been robbed. I hadn't, but I told the officer about the noise I'd heard in my flat. He went out to the garden and I pointed out moved the pot-plant. After inspecting the window, he informed me that there were leverage signs on the frame where someone had attempted to remove the glass.

Just goes to show that an old lady with a walking stick can deter a thief. And it also explains why we don't leave our windows unlocked at night to let the cool breeze in. I'm sure there are clever windows that allow air in while keeping burglars out, but we couldn't afford to purchase them.

The Pub has now been converted to a shteibel and maintains high security. We live downhill, on the left of the building. Drivers passing the former Artichoke pub on Elstree Hill North might well have cause for a double-take. For, although a pub sign remains, it now depicts a tallit-draped Jew, as befits the conversion of the historic hostelry into the Elstree Shtiebel. They don't use any electrical equipment for 24 hours on Friday. Someone knocks on our window to ask my husband to turn on and off their air-conditioning, lights etc.

My top ten ways to stay cool:

v Open all windows in the cool of the morning.

v Close them when the air heats up.

v Wear light, cotton clothing.

v Don't go outside in the hottest time of the day.

v Keep occupied by reading or writing.

v Wash face and hands often.

v Maintain fluids.

v Eat lighter meals.

v Keep a sense of humor.

How do you handle a heat wave?

July 18th

7/18/2013

Music is found in every known culture, past and present, varying wildly between times and places. Since all people of the world, including the most isolated tribal groups, have a form of music, it is likely to have been present in the ancestral population prior to the dispersal of humans around the world. Consequently music may have been in existence for at least 50,000 years. The first music may have been invented in Africa and then evolved to become a fundamental constituent of human life.

Popular modern music has evolved into songs.

In this video, Pentatonix give a brief rundown of songs from the 11th century to the present time with brilliant voices and choices.

toneme.wikispaces.com

en.wikipedia.org

www.mexicanartdealing.com

www.pearsonhighered.com

With music playing such an important part throughout history, we should accept its importance to mankind. It's been scientifically proven that singing is good for you. Open your mouth and sing. What's stopping you? Wrong time? Wrong place? Piffle. Convention. Go on. You know you want to.

July 17th

7/17/2013

www.conserve-energy-future.com

I'm sitting in my study in the coolest part of early morning with the windows open. I'll close them soon to stop hotter air entering. I use this time of day to work on my computer.

Meanwhile, an intense heat wave hovers over England. Only last week, I felt cold. My neighbor, a well endowed woman with high blood pressure, doesn't ever feel the cold. Perhaps it's not so bad to carry extra fat. (The same can't be applied to the high blood pressure, but medicine controls that.)

This week, it's almost too hot. My husband reported two separate incidents in our local high street yesterday. Ambulance attendants were treating collapsed people at either end of the road.

There's something wrong with our weather. It goes from extreme cold in the winter, more rainfall than ever recorded in spring, to record-breaking heat in summer.

www.zmescience.com

A television program explained why, during a time of global warming, England experiences such cold winters. As the North Pole ice melts and falls into the sea, the direction of the wind changes to blow cold Siberian air west instead of east. Other countries are even hotter. When balanced out, the temperatures have risen overall. This melting ice triggers extreme fluctuations in the weather. We can expect more of the same if the trend continues.

Whether global warming is a natural phenomenon or caused by man, the earth will survive. However, mankind is in danger. Apparently, humans have developed to their present stage in the last three thousand years of steady weather conditions. If a change occurs, we need to find ways to adapt.

Worrying about what might not happen is useless. Let's make the best of today. Let's love those around us (thy neighbor) and treat others with understanding. I'm going to write more of my current novel and make it the best I possibly can. What about you?

July 16th

7/16/2013

www.guardian.co.uk

In the seventies, I read a proposition that what we do in a past life affects our present one. For instance, if we lived a life of poverty and starvation, we'd try to make up for that in the next life. Whether you believe in reincarnation or not, new research, funded by the Rosetrees Trust and the Medical Research Council, shows that might be true. Some people are born with a condition that keeps them eating.

An international group of scientists solved the mystery of a genetic flaw which greatly increases the risk of obesity in one in six people. A version of an obesity gene, called FTO, had been linked to a bigger belly, but the reason why was uncertain.

The FTO mutations were probably life-saving at one point in human history when piling on the pounds in the summer would help people survive the winter.

www.bbc.co.uk

A study, published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, showed it made fatty foods more tempting and altered levels of the hunger hormone, ghrelin. Although fat, people with this gene were still hungry. Obesity experts said drugs targeting the hormone might reduce weight gain.

There is a strong family link with obesity, and a person's genetic code is thought to play a major role in the risk of them becoming overweight. Also, the tendency to overeat in a society with too much food and no need for exercise is inherited.

www.health.com

Understanding how FTO affected the odds of becoming overweight would help patients. Exercise such as cycling, and eating protein meals lowers ghrelin levels. Anything that suppresses the hormone is more likely to be effective in FTO patients.

By discovering the factors which make people overweight, and also changes in the brain, scientists have made an important step forward. One giant leap for all those suffering snide remarks and the pain of rejection amongst their peers. And the knowledge that they are suffering from a physical condition like many others—diabetes, osteoporosis or lack of thyroxin.

July 15th

7/15/2013

Does evil exist? We all know it does although we'd rather not face the fact. Some say the fallen angel Lucifer began the trend by arguing against the creator. A story in the bible shows a snake tempting Eve, which led to mankind's present state of lying and therefore evil deeds.

I say it's all about balance.

When something goes wrong (evil) we need to adjust our thinking. This leads to growth.

An example would be like this excerpt from my newly released novel, Tidal Surge. Click on the link to Amazon.

The dashboard in her sight faded. Liliha struggled for breath in a sudden searing wind before inhaling the familiar lily perfume. A dizzy sensation spun her out of control and sucked her into the aperture.

* * * *

I shrug off my reluctance. My experience helps to take in the urban surroundings without the fuzzy edges making me dizzy. The colorful lights of a large city glow in the distance. Below, a young boy, approximately eight years old, stumbles along a paved area beside a sheet of illuminated water.

Concerned, I observe while descending. His steps take him close to tree limbs. He veers over a paved area to lurch toward the edge of the river protected by a metal fence where he staggers and falls.

Wondering if he's ill, I dive close to see a cute little Japanese face with spiky hair. He shouldn't be out alone during the night. I notice new white trainers. Someone must care for him. A half-empty bottle of sake protrudes from his coat pocket. Blood covers his knuckles and dots the front of his clothing.

He must have been in a fight. Where would a child pick up a bottle of alcohol? Desperate to help, I bond with him. I can't believe what I learn. Small for his age at twelve years old, Daiki mugs people. He stole those trainers. Underneath the recent memories, I discover other acts of terror on many more people—a total of seventeen in all. Each fills him with self importance.

Rather than judge society, I wonder what sort of life has led him to this point. He needs emotional help as well as physical. I must rescue his body if not his mind. I disengage from the small dazed boy and search the street.

Footsteps echo in the dark, revealing a man and woman walking together.

With a puff, I direct their attention to the boy's slumped form.

Mobile in hand, the man calls an ambulance.

Finished here, I slip into the void.

* * * *

Liliha shuddered. The child, with the face of a cherub, possessed the mind of a devil. Once Daiki was admitted to hospital, she hoped the authorities would find out what he'd done and provide counseling. Although she couldn't save him, other innocent people would be protected from further mischief while he took in whatever help he could handle.

Here’s a blurb:

Wearing her magic ring during visions, an idealist battles against her nemesis and discovers her own daughter is trapped by an evil scarab-bracelet. The novel was released by Solstice Publishing. The cover is on the right.

If not for evil, we would carry on making the same mistakes, never aware of our own wrongdoing.

I like to think I'm one of the good people. Every now and again in the past, my husband has pulled me up about my attitude toward him. I've been thoughtless or not given him credit for what he's done. After careful consideration, I apologize, adjust my thinking and restore calm to my own little paradise.

Partners all have these little tussles. Just remember to take the positive from every situation.

July 14th

7/14/2013

www.bubblews.com

A recent heat wave has descended on England. Experts issued the usual warnings about elderly people needing extra care when temperatures soar, especially those who live alone. That set me thinking about why mature people don't cope as well as younger ones. As a person ages, the body's response to temperature change—shivering in low temperatures and sweating in high temperatures—is delayed and reduced.

I love higher temperatures. My younger years spent in Australia acclimatized my body to respond well to warm days. Besides that, here in England, my home is built on higher ground and remains relatively cool, shaded by trees and surrounded by sweeping fields.

Enjoy this relaxing music composed by Richard Maddock set against a background of little grebes making a nest on cool water while you read. Video by bellamoonnature.

Source: http://www.disastercenter.com/guide/heat.html

Heat can kill by pushing the human body beyond its limits. Under normal conditions, the body's internal thermostat produces perspiration that evaporates and cools the body. However, in extreme heat and high humidity, evaporation is slowed and the body must work extra hard to maintain a normal temperature. Elderly people, young children, and those who are sick or overweight are more likely to become victims of extreme heat. Because men sweat more than women, they are more susceptible to heat illness because they become more quickly dehydrated.

The duration of excessive heat plays an important role in how people are affected by a heat wave. Studies have shown that a significant rise in heat-related illnesses happens when excessive heat lasts more than two days. Spending at least two hours per day in air conditioning significantly cuts down on the number of heat-related illnesses.

People living in urban areas may be at greater risk from the effects of a prolonged heat wave than people living in rural regions. An increased health problem, especially for those with respiratory difficulties, can occur when stagnant atmospheric conditions trap pollutants in urban areas, thus adding unhealthy air to excessively hot temperatures. In addition, asphalt and concrete store heat longer and gradually releases heat at night, which produces significantly higher nighttime temperatures in urban areas known as the "urban heat island effect."

Watch for Signals

v Heat exhaustion: Cool, moist, pale, or flushed skin; heavy sweating; headache; nausea or vomiting; dizziness; and exhaustion. Body temperature may be normal, or is likely to be rising.

v Heat stroke: Hot, red skin; changes in consciousness; rapid, weak pulse; and rapid, shallow breathing. Body temperature can be very high -sometimes as high as 105 degrees F. If the person was sweating from heavy work or exercise, skin may be wet; otherwise, it will feel dry.

How to Treat a Heat Emergency

v Heat stroke: Heat stroke is a life-threatening situation. Help is needed fast. Call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number. Move the person to a cooler place. Quickly cool the body. Immerse victim in a cool bath, or wrap wet sheets around the body and fan it. Watch for signals of breathing problems. Keep the person lying down and continue to cool the body any way you can. If the victim refuses water, is vomiting, or there are changes in the level of consciousness, do not give anything to eat or drink.

v Heat cramps: Get the person to a cooler place and have him or her rest in a comfortable position. Lightly stretch the affected muscle and replenish fluids. Give a half glass of cool water every 15 minutes. Do not give liquids with alcohol or caffeine in them, as they can cause further dehydration, making conditions worse.

v Heat exhaustion: Get the person out of the heat and into a cooler place. Remove or loosen tight clothing and apply cool, wet cloths, such as towels or sheets. If the person is conscious, give cool water to drink. Make sure the person drinks slowly. Give a half glass of cool water every 15 minutes. Let the victim rest in a comfortable position, and watch carefully for changes in his or her condition.

www.lifedynamix.com

The physical condition, age and other factors also affect the way a body copes with heat and cold.

Lean people tolerate heat better than obese people. The more obese a person is, the less skin surface area the person has in relation to their weight. Greater surface area provides more exposed skin to perspire and cool the body through evaporation. (This reminds me of an elephant's wrinkled skin, which must cool them.)

But this same fat can be beneficial to a person who lives in cold climates because the fat insulates skin tissue. The Inuit living in cold regions tend to have more body fat than people who live in warmer climates.

Humans are essentially tropical animals and are not equipped to deal with even mild cold. The only way we can live in cold climates is to wear appropriate clothing and to build shelters.

Successfully surviving cold requires two simultaneous events:

v generating sufficient body heat by burning appropriate food

v preventing the loss of that heat by suitable clothing and shelter.

Physiological responses such as shivering divert blood away from the extremities. The surface of the skin will then kick in. By this means, a reasonably well nourished adult can maintain their core temperature in still air just above freezing point wearing only light clothing.

The main advice seems to be to acclimatize to the outside temperature by ten degrees—either by heating or cooling the air inside. And keep a watch on elderly neighbors who live alone.

How do you cope with extremes of temperatures?

July 13th

7/13/2013

The reason why women outlive men can be explained by our differences. Men behave badly while women support each other. Simplistic? Yes. Scientists and experts like to explain it in other terms.

A new study suggests women live longer than men partly because their immune systems age more slowly. The Japanese study set out to investigate the controversial question of whether age-related changes in the immune system could be responsible for the difference in average life expectancy between men and women.

A report in The Immunity & Ageing journal shows that as the body's defenses weaken over time, men's increased susceptibility to disease shortens their lifespan. The immune function protects the body from infection and cancer, but causes disease when not properly regulated.

www.foxnews.com

In 2008, Time reported: One important reason is the big delay — and advantage — women have over men in terms of cardiovascular disease, like heart attack and stroke. Women develop these problems usually in their 70s and 80s, about 10 years later than men, who develop them in their 50s and 60s.

One reason for that delay in onset of cardiovascular disease could be that young women, because of menstruation, are relatively iron-deficient compared to men. Iron plays a very important part in the reactions in our cells that produce damaging free radicals, which glom onto cell membranes and DNA, and may translate into aging the cell. In fact, in our diets, red meat is the main source of iron, and lack of iron is probably one major reason that being vegetarian is healthy for you. There was a very good study looking at the intake of red meat and heart disease in Leiden in the Netherlands: in regions where people didn't eat red meat, those populations had half the rate of heart attack and stroke compared to the populations that did eat red meat.

www.shape,com

Another more complicated possibility for women's longevity is that women have two X chromosomes, while men have one. (Men have an X and a Y.) They each behave differently when they undergo aging. In other words: Men come from Mars and women come from Venus.

Of course, there are exceptions. Over time, a few men have done horrendous damage to themselves with smoking and drinking, yet they still reach 100. They might have the right combination of some really special genetic variations . In other words, longevity enabling genes. Meanwhile, other individuals may do everything right and only make it into their 80s.

It is a fact of life that men enjoy certain physical advantages over women. On average, men are stronger, taller, faster and less likely to be overweight. But none of these attributes seem to matter over the long haul. For whatever the physical virtues of maleness, longevity is not among them.

There are a few other reasons that men die earlier in life. Men in their late teens and 20s go through a testosterone storm. The levels of the hormone can be quite high and changeable, and that can induce some pretty dangerous behavior among young men. They don't wear their seatbelts; they drink too much alcohol; they can be aggressive with weapons and so on and so forth. These behaviors lead to a higher death rate.

Overall, about 70% of the variation around average life expectancy (just over 80 for women and just over 75 for men in the U.S.) is probably attributable to environmental factors like behaviors and exposures.

www.straitstimes.com

Friendships have a profound affect on the health of both genders. Men and women who report loneliness die earlier, get sick more often and don't deal with stress as well as those with a strong support network. But men rely more heavily on their wives to ward off the health effects of loneliness. Married men live significantly longer and healthier lives than bachelors or widowers. Married women, by contrast, are only slightly better off than unmarried women or widows when it comes to health and most research cites the support they receive from friendships outside their marriage as the difference. Men often have strong support networks available to them as well, but they are far less likely to rely on them.

But, in general, there are three things men do worse than women. They smoke a lot more. They eat more food that leads to high cholesterol. And, perhaps related to that, men tend not to deal with their stress as well as women. They may be more prone to internalizing that stress rather than letting go. Stress plays a very important role in cardiovascular disease.

Throughout human history women have banded together for protection and mutual support. They care for each other in times of illness and even help each other tend for their young. They boost each others confidence, keep each others secrets, laugh and cry together. While their non-stop chatter can drive men crazy, it helps them keep women well.

Probably only 30% of longevity is due to genetics. And that's very, very good news. There's so much we can do. Most of us should be able to get into our late 80s. It's very much the case that the older you get, the healthier you've been during your lifetime.

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Francene Stanley, author of many published novels. If you like my writing, why not consider purchasing one of my books? You'll see them on the sidebar below.
Born in Australia, I moved to Britain half way through my long life.

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