Wonderful Women Of The World
Posted by Michelle Moquin on August 21st, 2010
I love Hummingbirds. I am fascinated by them. I am intrigued by their tiny size, and the hum of their fast fluttering wings. Every so often a hummingbird surprises us and flies into our garden. I am delighted when I catch a fleeting glimpse, captivated by its magical movements.
I am always left wishing for more. And if I am lucky, and my wish comes true, I am blessed with a face-off: A brief moment of one hovering, fluttering in my face..only to dash away again in search of the perfect flower full of nectar. It is a split second thrill and one I am can never get enough of.
So I have to say that when I discovered wildlife cinematographer/producer Ann Johnson Prum, who with today’s technology was able to capture the enchanting lives of hummingbirds in a way that has never been seen before, I was excited.
By using a hi-speed computer controlled camera called the Phantom, she is able to slow down the actions of these little hummers, so that we get the opportunity to really see just what these fast little flyers actually do in their daily lives. By watching in slow mo, our fleeting glimpses turn into moments of magic.
If you are a lover of birds, and even in you aren’t, this is simply wonderful. Congratulations to Prum for her fine work, allowing us to see, discover, and enjoy the intimate secret lives, of one of life’s little pleasures.
Hummingbirds: Magic In The Air
Readers: Charming yes? If you would like to see more click here to see entire documentary.
Doug: I knew you would especially enjoy this.
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Felicia: I must’ve missed your comment when I was posting. Congratulations on your weight loss. I HOPE that you keep it off for good.
Ricky, Lloyd, Urkel: My pleasure. Keep us posted…would love to hear how the competition plays out. I am a huge MAC fan, but I think the fame is going to their heads a bit. I would like to see some stiff competition give them a run for their money.
Trish: Thanks for the compliment. But Horace really said it best by taking the time needed to say what I didn’t have time to say yesterday. Thanks Horace. My sentiments exactly. :)
Bob: The mood on this blog can always use a good lightening up, so you are very welcome to do just that.
Ai-Mu: A good observation. Time will tell.
Josh: Hmm… interesting - No I did not see that hidden clue but I am not a big believer in coincidences. 100 calls – really?! Wow. Love playing the lottery though. Lately I have been winning…Now It’s my time to collect the biggie!
Bdb: Now that was funny.
Readers: FYI: There are so many wonderful informative comments posted here. Please do not be offended if I do not respond to one, (even if you are directly commenting to me) especially if it is one that would take me quite awhile to respond to, to make my point. I do read all of you comments but to respond to all of the issues that pass through here daily would be just too much for me.
That being said, I do like to respond and I will when I can. But unless I am especially passionate over the subject or I am compelled to say more, I will most likely keep my comments brief, which means that I won’t usually say all that I want to say because of the lack of time. And as much as I love reading responses to my write, I too love reading the conversation between yourselves.
This tells me that I may be the impetus to a fun and interesting blog, but the back and forth banter between all of us is certainly a major part that drives me to continue.
Have a fab day – see ya tomorrow. Peace out.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my ‘loyal’(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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August 21st, 2010 at 10:42 am
Part of my favorite time of the day is between 5-8pm as the sun sets behind the bamboo curtain. It is these quiet moments that the Hummingbirds frolic in the garden. Thanks for this!
August 21st, 2010 at 7:55 pm
Don’t Let Heartburn Turn Deadly
Anil Minocha, MD
University of Mississippi
Nearly everyone suffers from heartburn from time to time, but frequent episodes (two or more times weekly) can signal a condition that must be taken seriously.
Chronic heartburn, also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), can lead to internal bleeding and scarring — even a deadly form of cancer. More than 20 million Americans have GERD.
Alarming new finding: The number of people hospitalized for conditions related to GERD doubled between 1998 and 2005, according to the US government’s Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
WHAT GOES WRONG
When you eat or drink, food and liquid move from your mouth to the esophagus, where a valve, called the lower esophageal sphincter, relaxes to allow the food and liquid to pass into your stomach.
The lower esophageal sphincter then squeezes shut to keep stomach contents from backing up (a process known as reflux) into the esophagus.
Some degree of reflux occurs normally — including after meals. But when reflux becomes excessive, causes complications or affects quality of life, it is called GERD.
Symptoms that may be misdiagnosed: GERD, with or without heartburn, also can be characterized by chronic hoarseness or cough, sore throat or asthma — conditions that occur when gastric contents come in contact with the upper respiratory tract.
A LIFE-THREATENING DANGER
No one knows exactly why some people suffer from frequent reflux. But regardless of the cause, chronic reflux can lead to injury and bleeding in the esophagus, which sometimes affects swallowing.
With time (sometimes just a few years), cells lining the esophagus can become precancerous as a result of chronic inflammation.
This condition, known as Barrett’s esophagus, can lead to esophageal cancer, which is often fatal and is the most rapidly increasing cancer in the US.
Important: Because GERD can lead to serious, even life-threatening complications, see a doctor if you have heartburn two or more times weekly –
or if you have symptoms, such as difficulty swallowing or unexplained chronic cough or hoarseness, that don’t respond to standard treatment, such as medication and lifestyle changes.
GETTING THE RIGHT DIAGNOSIS
A primary care doctor or gastroenterologist usually diagnoses GERD on the basis of the symptoms described earlier.
In some cases, the doctor will perform endoscopy, in which a thin, flexible, fiber-optic tube is passed down the throat to examine the esophagus and upper part of the stomach.
Ask your doctor about: An esophageal acidity test. With this procedure, a tiny device is placed in the esophagus to monitor levels of acidity for 24 hours (very high levels usually indicate GERD).
This test typically is used when a patient has not responded to treatment or has atypical symptoms (such as chronic cough or hoarseness).
BEST MEDICATION CHOICES
Over-the-counter (OTC) antacids, such as TUMS, Rolaids and Maalox, neutralize stomach acid and may help relieve heartburn, but they do not heal the injury to the esophagus caused by reflux.
People who have frequent heartburn usually get better results from acid-reducing prescription medication, such as H2 blockers, including ranitidine (Zantac) and famotidine (Pepcid), or proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), including omeprazole (Prilosec) and esomeprazole (Nexium). Some of these medications are available OTC.
Ask your doctor about: Potential side effects of long-term use of PPIs, which include reduced absorption of vitamin B-12, calcium and magnesium, higher risk for bone fractures and increased risk for respiratory infections.
SMALL CHANGES THAT HELP
If followed conscientiously, lifestyle changes can eliminate the need for medication in up to 20% of GERD sufferers. My advice…
Check your medications. Calcium channel blockers and beta-blockers taken for high blood pressure or heart disease, as well as some antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication, can reduce lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure and may worsen GERD.
If you have heartburn symptoms, ask the doctor who prescribed your medication about alternatives.
Modify your eating habits. Small, frequent meals leave the stomach quickly, thus providing less opportunity for reflux.
Avoid foods that may worsen GERD: Onions, chocolate and fatty foods reduce LES pressure, allowing reflux to occur.
Sleep right. If you’re troubled by reflux when you sleep, place a foam wedge under the mattress or wooden blocks under the bedposts to elevate the head of your bed by four to six inches.
Important: Extra pillows under your head will not do the job. They will raise your head, but won’t change the angle between your stomach contents and your LES.
ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES
Stress causes the LES to relax more often, increasing reflux episodes. Practicing a regular stress-reduction technique, such as deep-breathing exercises, has been shown to reduce the amount of acid in the esophagus. Also helpful…
Acupuncture. This ancient Chinese practice is most likely to help people diagnosed with “slow stomach” — that is, their GERD is worsened by food taking longer to leave the stomach.
Acupuncture can improve the movement and emptying of stomach contents.
Probiotics, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, are “friendly” bacteria that reduce the harmful effects of acid in the esophagus. My advice: Eat yogurt or kefir containing “live, active” cultures twice daily.
THE SURGICAL OPTION
Surgery usually is an option if drug treatment and alternative approaches have failed.
In the standard procedure, called fundoplication, part of the upper stomach is wrapped around the LES to strengthen it.
This operation can be performed with tiny incisions (laparoscopically), rather than by opening the chest.
In one study of 100 individuals, 90% expressed overall satisfaction with the surgery.
Although 80% continued to take anti-reflux medications, most took lower doses than before the surgery. Some new procedures, which involve injections or sutures to tighten the LES, are promising but unproven.
Bottom Line/Health interviewed Anil Minocha, MD, professor of medicine and director of the division of digestive diseases, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi. He is the author of How to Stop Heartburn (Wiley).
August 21st, 2010 at 8:15 pm
Hafa adai
Got contracting skills? Looking for a job? Guam is the place to be.
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Guam needs 10,000 construction workers
By EDU LOPEZ
August 21, 2010, 4:36pm
About 10,000 workers would be needed in Guam as the construction contract of the $700-million Naval hospital will be awarded before the end of September 2010.
“The construction of the hospital will begin by the first quarter of 2011,” said Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz in a statement.
Baldoz said construction for the military facilities will be until 2020 and every year, a project worth about a billion US dollars would be awarded requiring around 7,000 to 10,000 construction workers.
She said a Filipino contractor in Guam informed the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in the area that 50% of the required manpower can be sourced out from the Philippines because of its workers’ experience and track record of performance.
The Saipan-based labor attaché said that considering Guam cannot accommodate all training for the relocation.
The US military looks at the island of Tinian in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI) to provide opportunities for training groups of 200 marines or larger due to greater land availability.
The proposed military training on Tinian includes firing ranges for known distance rifle, automated pistol combat, platoon battle course, field training, and airspace use.
Should this project push through, there would also be employment opportunities for Filipino workers in CNMI, the report added.
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If you come, bring your best behavior.
Peter
August 21st, 2010 at 8:48 pm
3-year-old Reese :
‘Our Father, Who does art in heaven,
Harold is His name.
Amen.’
August 21st, 2010 at 9:20 pm
I found this very interesting.
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Panel nixes painkiller plan
Here’s how hilariously ineffective the FDA’s new plan to combat painkiller abuse is: The agency couldn’t even convince one of its own rubberstamp panels to rubberstamp it.
The feds have been so concerned by the massive increase in the abuse of prescription painkillers, especially opioids, that they came up with a plan that would… well, let’s be honest here–It would do almost nothing.
The proposal called for voluntary training for the 750,000 doctors allowed to prescribe opioids for the 4 million patients who take them every year. The patients, in turn, would get “information sheets.”
If classes no one has to attend and extra brochures for the waiting room sounds like a whole lot of inaction to you, you’re not alone.
The FDA panel voted 25-10 against the plan, which would have impacted all extended-release and long-acting opioid drugs.
The panel essentially told the agency to go back to the drawing board and create a plan with teeth–one that includes mandatory training for the prescribing doctors.
After all, what we’re facing isn’t a problem–it’s a full- blown crisis, and the main reason for it is the easy availability of powerful opioid painkillers like OxyContin.
There were 6.2 million prescriptions written for OxyContin alone in 2002, and 23 million prescriptions for extended- release and long-acting opioids in 2009.
All those extra drugs are doing extra damage: One recent survey found that 5.2 million people abuse prescription painkillers, and another study found that 40 percent of the people who abuse these meds get them from friends and relatives with prescriptions.
So it shouldn’t be any surprise that opioid deaths have more than tripled in less than a decade, from 4,000 in 1999 to 13,800 in 2006, and now kill more people than cocaine and heroin combined.
And that brings us full circle to the doctors who are giving these things out like ice cream at a summer picnic. One recent study found that these dangerous drugs are even prescribed for common conditions like arthritis and headaches–
despite the fact that studies have found the high risks don’t outweigh the modest benefits for these patients.
The feds say the government can’t afford mandatory training for all of these doctors–but members of the panel said there’s no reason the companies that make these drugs can’t pay for it.
And they’re absolutely right. Those companies are certainly making enough money off these painkillers.
You might even say they’re making a killing.
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Helena
August 21st, 2010 at 9:22 pm
That was the most beautiful video ever of hummingbirds.
Thanks Michelle
August 21st, 2010 at 9:23 pm
This was sent to me. I liked it.
A young couple moves into a new neighborhood.
The next morning while they are eating breakfast and
the young woman sees her neighbor hanging the wash outside.
“That laundry is not very clean”, she said.
“She doesn’t know how to wash correctly.
Perhaps she needs better laundry soap.”
Her husband looked on, but remained silent..
Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry,
the young woman would make the same comments.
About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a
nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband:
“Look, she has learned how to wash correctly.
I wonder who taught her this.”
The husband said, “I got up early this morning and
cleaned our windows.”
And so it is with life. What we see when watching others
depends on the purity of the window through which we look.
——————-
There’s a lesson in there somewhere.
Ruth
August 22nd, 2010 at 9:47 am
I was sent this article by a friend. She was attempting to point out that Sharron Angle, the republican candidate running for the Senate against Harry Reid, is a bigot.
I already know this, she’s a republican. But I found something more interesting in the article. Here he Huffington Post like most white forms of media seldom question the claims of their fellow whites.
Here is a quote of the last sentence of the white reporter doing the story. “such a stance would not be entirely uncharacteristic of the deeply religious Senate candidate that Angle…”
After you read the article, You tell me if you come away thinking this person is “deeply religious.”
This shows that the white psyche has no idea what being religious means. To the rest of humanity it might mean being kind to you fellow man. But the the white boy it means using the words of god to justify doing evil to your fellow man.
So it is very natural for this reporter to see her calling the color black evil as being deeply religious. She is not being a racist son of a bastard, she is white so she is just “deeply religious>”
This kind of stance with their own is why the world is in the shape it is in. The white boy refuses to smack down members of his race when they are obviously being racists, bigoted or just plain mean or evil to another race.
Whites have no problem with a white woman who says a black football jersey is evil because it is black. So the implication that the black children attending the high school must be evil because they are black can be looked over because and I quote the author of the piece thinks she is “deeply religious.”
Yet anyone not white who maligns the white race is a terrorist, anti-white racists. The list is long, Malcom X, Reverend White, Supreme Court Justice Sottomayor, President Obama, and any black jury that doesn’t convict a black man, etc. etc.
They get non stop news play. Every white form of media available is reminding the world that the white race is under attack by this evil person.
Here’s the article you be the judge:
Sharron Angle Campaigned Against Black Football Jerseys On Religious Grounds: Color is ‘Thoroughly Evil’
The Huffington Post | Nick Wing First Posted: 08-19-10 12:32 PM | Updated: 08-19-10 01:08 PM
Nevada Republican Senate candidate Sharron Angle once partook in a campaign against a local high school’s use of black football jerseys, arguing that the dark color was ungodly and wicked, Bill Roberts of Nevada’s Pahrump Valley Times recently reported.
It was Homecoming of 1992 and Nevada’s Tonopah High School football was seeking to depart from their school colors, specifically in wearing black jerseys instead of the usual red and white.
The uniform change was meant to be a display of solidarity; the year before, the team had suffered an embarrassing loss at the hands of a rival that had, up to that point, been winless. The Homecoming game in 1992 was their chance to make up for that plaguing defeat in front of the whole school, and they wanted to do something special to build the team’s spirits.
Enter Sharron Angle and her color-crusading cohort.
While some detractors made the argument that adopting the new color was unacceptable simply as a breach of tradition, Angle — who was in the midst of an eventually successful campaign for school board — and others argued that wearing black jerseys was closer to sacrilege.
“I cannot quote scripture as they did to justify their point but the gist of their argument was that black as a color was thoroughly evil, invoking the supernatural and especially the devil,” Roberts reports. “Whichever argument prevailed, school administrators caved in and prohibited the Muckers from wearing the black apparel.”
The black uniforms were then confiscated and held under “lock and key” by the administration, which refused to compensate the team for the money they had spent acquiring the jerseys.
Though Sharron Angle sought to downplay the nearly 20-year old incident at a press conference Wednesday, claiming that she had “no recollection of the controversy or any position she may have taken,” such a stance would not be entirely uncharacteristic of the deeply religious Senate candidate that Angle has shown herself to be since capturing her primary victory in June.
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Robert
August 22nd, 2010 at 9:55 am
Wonderful change of pace Michelle. Loved the article about the hummingbirds.
August 22nd, 2010 at 9:58 am
Robert you are a truly sick fuck. I am white and I don’t hate your black bastards. I do have the ones that hate us.
God is Lord and the Bible says it like it is. If you can’t get behind the Bible, then you with the rest of your kind will rot in hell.
Harry
August 22nd, 2010 at 10:01 am
I found this on that site Robert. Some do see it for what it is.
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for years the more involved have been warning the nation that “these intolerant tyrants with “god on my side, divine OK to run, etc” has a plan for starting religious control of USA, their religion,not all religions
The start at lower levels where core fanatics can elect at lower levels, such as school boards and move up form there.
Doubt that, look about a school boards and other smaller elected government offices, always one or two “a bit our there” getting the TV and media time, building “name recognitions”.
Note read resume of elected pols, less educated on “boards-commission-etc, the more educations AG/Prosecutors-etc” and moved up from there, increasing core support as planned.
Angle is bizarre, but then most of what claims to be/supported by Tea Klan, are preachers at that bizarre alter of hate, fear, ignorance and intolerance as they push what might be called “the Crusade”.
Do not laugh at these fools and their like supporters. More then a few major horrors started at same level by same propagandists.
These Ubers/supporters are disgustingly similar during economic downturns, blame and target various minorities of choice as the must have “the evil ones”, as without hate of “Them” to generate irrational fears, they have no power.
The BIG question as MS Speaker asked.. Who is in the shadows pulling the strings and funding such? Find that source, which NO ONE has so far, will discuss, you may find core, “next super race”?
August 22nd, 2010 at 10:05 am
Think about it in terms of pigment: mix all the paint colors together, and you get black. In terms of the material, black is the presence of all colors. Even so, the absence of light isn’t “black”, it’s darkness, which the eye can’t perceive and instruments can’t measure.
August 22nd, 2010 at 10:09 am
You niggers and nigger lovers can rant and rave all you want. But come November Sharron Angle will be the next US Senator from Nevada.
You filthy mud, wets, slopes, and nigs will also see us take our country back come 2012.
God is for a god fearing America
Mary
August 22nd, 2010 at 10:11 am
See what you started Robert. Crawl back into your anti-white hole.
August 22nd, 2010 at 10:14 am
Q: Whenever I use Super Glue, I end up making a mess and getting it stuck on my fingers for days. What is the correct way to use it?
A: Proper preparation can help you avoid mishaps with Super Glue. Clear a space on which to work, and cover the surface with newspaper or another disposable protective covering.
Tape off any portions of the broken item that you wish to remain glue-free. Wear rubber or vinyl gloves to protect your hands.
For applications that require a particular tactile sensitivity or dexterity, use thin, disposable gloves, such as those used by physicians –
they can be purchased at drugstores, hardware stores, medical-supply stores and online. If you are allergic to latex, nonlatex gloves are available.
If you still get glue on your skin, acetone will remove it. Nail-polish remover usually works fine — make sure the brand contains acetone.
Our inside source: Steven Elder, retired home inspector and home-repair specialist, Pittsboro, North Carolina.
August 22nd, 2010 at 10:16 am
Thanks so much for the interesting topic. I had to find and watch the full program. It was just great.
Ming