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New Type of Flu From the Middle East

Generally, people do not keep up with the latest infectious diseases that could come their way. We all know about the Asian flu because it has been around for a while. However, there is little fear involved because many believe that they will not catch it.

Last year a new disease appeared called Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). It killed more than half of the 79 people infected. In the serious 1957-1958 Asian Flu outbreak the death rate was 0.13 per cent.

While MERS is still present, the number of new cases has held steady. There is a worry that the disease could suddenly become highly contagious. It is not yet known whether the virus is spread by human contact or it has an animal source. The number of cases did rise during the Muslim hajj to Mecca.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is in an emergency sitting at present considering whether to declare the coronavirus a public health emergency. An emergency would allow travel restrictions to be put in place. Pilgrims may deem to ignore this and travel anyway, putting their faith in God. The Saudi government is not keen to stop Muslims attending the hajj. Countries cannot be forced to implement restrictions.

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Health

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Ten End of the World Is Not Nigh!

Times have always been bad. Before this enlightened age a person could be "bludgeoned" to pieces at random by a man wielding a massively heavy and crude sword. Murder was seldom punished. The law was mainly aimed at theft, settling property disputes, heresy against the church or a challenge to the crown.

Even before Christ people were claiming that the end of the world was nigh. The fiasco about the Mayan calendar shows how such "precognition" can be totally wrong. Once again the recent "clash" of a meteor and asteroid with Earth has drawn the doomsayers out of the woodwork.

Wonders in the heavens have occurred since man came down from the trees. It is not something that stops, then starts again. The lightning strike at St. Peter's Basilica after the Pope announced he would step down was just coincidence. Lightning strikes happen regularly and despite the myth it does strike twice in the same place.

Rabbi Jonathan Cahn says he was inundated with communications asking if the world was coming to an end. Cahn himself is a supporter of the end of the world scenario declaring people are renouncing religion, and there is more sin and immorality.

Sex is not in itself sin. It is a normal human and animal function to beget offspring and continue the species. It is words from angry people that make is appear dirty and sinful. The Catholic Church in particular is responsible for this. Celibacy is unnatural, No other animal does it. It should be noted that homosexuality is practised by other animals: apes and dolphins are examples. Personally, I am not in favor of same sex marriage, but if the majority want it then I will accept it.

People tend to see only what they want to see. It is a fact that a Holy War is going on in the world at the moment. There are no stories in the press about this directly. The war in Alfghanistan and terrorism are mentioned. No one, even organized religion will tackle this issue. It is assumed that maybe it will go away. However, this war will go on for decades. The only real solution is for one religion to win. That, of course, will not happen. Perhaps a new prophet will arise who will dramatically change entrenched views and values. Hope does reign eternal - not much else does!

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Society

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World Food at Record High Prices

Enjoy "cheap" food prices now, because they are going to rise and stay high long into the future. The world population is increasing and developing countries are developing Western tastes. Meat demand is increasing, particularly beef.

When drought hits, like in Russia, the US, Ukraine and Kazakhstan at present, high demand pushes food prices up. Farmers reap the benefit. South Australian farmers are getting 30 per cent more for grain. Though Australia relies on the export of minerals for income, it is hoped that this country will be one of the world's future food baskets. Everyone concentrates on the mineral industry. Note that SA's agricultural income rose by at third from 2009-10 to 2010-11. This is a result of food being at record high prices over the last two months.

When the US cannot supply Australia jumps in as provider. This has always been the case. The reverse is also true. Another factor in rising prices is that local consumers are moving to chicken as other meat is too expensive. There has been an incredible rise in poultry production since 2004, from 10.5 tonnes to 66.25 tonnes.

Despite high prices for pork, demand remains solid, Lamb is no longer an Australian staple. This is due to lambs being bred mainly for wool, so the meat tends to have more fat than that produced in say New Zealand or Britain. Diligent farmers are no longer producing sheep. They have moved to vegetable production such as tomatoes and mushrooms.

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Agriculture

The Aim Is to Eradicate Polio

Smallpox was a serious problem in the 20th century. The World Health Organization declared in 1979 that smallpox was no longer a danger to the world's population. The aim has been to "silence" other diseases. It was hoped that polio could also be eradicated, but a stubborn region for this has remained in Pakistan. More cases were identified in Pakistan than in any other country in 2011.

The Edhi Foundation, a major charity, and the Pakistan government are working with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative to target the disease. Cases have fallen so that now Nigeria is the main trouble spot. There are fears that the progress could be short lived and figures could rise again.

Polio spreads far more easily than smallpox. The smallpox vaccine lasts for five years and is very effective. For the war on polio to be won, just about every person must be vaccinated. As the disease can only spread from person to person this goal must be achieved.

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Health

Views on Climate Change Has Altered in the US

The common view on climate change (CC) has shifted. This is due to the shocking weather in the US over the last few years. A survey of respondents at Yale University shows those who believe that global warming is happening has increased from 57 per cent in 2010 to 66 per cent currently.

People with common views have been identified:

Alarmed - 13%
Concerned - 26%
Cautious - 29%
Dismissive - 10%
Disengaged - 6%
Doubtful - 15%

These figures were obtained in 2011, a year before the Yale study which noted the changes as follows:

Alarmed - 13%
Concerned - 26%
Cautious - 34%
Dismissive - 10%
Disengaged - 2%
Doubtful - 15%

Other important opinions in each group include:

Alarmed - 57% = Extremely sure CC is happening
Dismissive - 94% = Strongly dstrust Pres. Obama
........"....- 70% = Strongly distrust climate scientists
All Respondents - 58% = US could afford to act on CC
........"..........- 79% = Solar & wind power are answers

People have to directly "live" dramatic change in weather for their view to alter. This is the experience in the US and it is probably the same elsewhere. As bad weather occurrences become permanent the global common opinion will be that damage has been done to the world's climate by human activity.

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Science

Western Adults Have Chronic Raised Immune Responses

People who live in industrialized countries are physically weak when they are attacked by parasites, microbes and viruses. This is because children are increasingly being brought up in clean, sterile environments. If they are not exposed to these dangers as children they could die if "bugs" invade their bodies when they become adults.

In Ecuador, the Shuar people have a high childhood death rate, three times that in Western countries. However, as adults their immune systems are stronger. A group of Shuar adults was tested for inflammatory levels. Some had very low levels. Others had moderately high levels, below the chronic level, probably because they were in the process of becoming ill or had been sick.

Western adults have a generally high level of inflammation, constantly. There bodies fight "minor" infections all the time. Consequently, damage is caused to the body resulting in diabetes, cancer, heart attack and stroke. A Chronic level of inflammation can be a killer.

As susceptible Shuar children die, adults develop the "correct" immune response, only fighting back strongly against dangerous infections. Western adults' immune systems are not "tuned", as childhood minor infections are prevented. Basically, this is why people in developing countries may die in an epidemic, but they can survive an infective environment better than first world adults. Third world adults carry infections and have a mild immune response, when Western people would probably not survive living in such muddy conditions, particularly with the dirty water.

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Health

Fungal Infections Kill Many People

Fungal infection is the most difficult thing to treat. Taking medication and applying ointment may seem to solve the problem - for a while. Unfortunately, the skin may appear to be free of infection but it is still there and will reappear.

It is not commonly known that deaths from fungal infection are higher than all the deaths from malaria and tuberculosis. Treatment for other ailments can involve immunossuppressive medication. This allows fungal infections to run wild.

You would think there is enough demand and money for pharmaceutical companies to develop better anti-fungal drugs. However, sufferers do not know how deadly the "disease" can be, so they are not prepared to pay a high price for new treatments. This is despite the fact that fungal infection can appear in any part of the body.

Unfortunately, the World Health Organization shows little interest in the problem. Doctors also tend to brush aside fungal infections when examining patients. If asked, doctors say it is common and people live with it without treatment. This is a great mistake. It should be treated when first seen in order to stop it becoming well established, because long term fungal infection is difficult to treat.

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Health

Cats in a Tough World

"It's a tough world out there."

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Funny Animal Photos

Eye Size Is Determined by Distance From the Equator

Eye Size is not accidental. It is determined by evolutionary factors. This is not so obvious today because in the twentieth century people moved to new countries in regions quite different from their place of origin.

Eye sockets were measured from 55 skulls of native people throughout the world. The skulls were in museum collections from the 1800s. Large eyes were synonymous with large craniums. The native population of Micronesia had the smallest eyes. Scandinavians had the largest. This is contrary to the belief that Africans have the largest eyes.

Eyes size is affected by the length of day and sun brightness. Bigger craniums were due to more brain allocation to sight. It did not make people smarter.

This finding must mean that being able to get about in low light was important for survival. Features important for survival until the age of reproduction are carried on to later generations. Some things, however, can remain in a population if they affect life after puberty, for example sickle cell anemia.

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Anthropology

Can City Sanitary Systems Stand Up to Fat People?

The fattest people in the world are Americans closely followed by Australians. This is not true. Bahrain has the fattest women. Even in that country fat people are looked down upon. They have a high risk of getting many life-threatening diseases. I don't want to be rude but women in Islamic states do tend to be on the large side. Perhaps this is due to the men not wanting them to be attractive to other men. Maybe Australian wives are fat because their husbands take the same view.

New research has shown that fat people have lower activity in frontal lobes. This increases risk-taking behavior. Gambling apparently has a cause. Mass produced foods are causing behavioral change in societies. As developing countries adopt Western dietary habits their societies change as well. Preservatives and colorings are the main factors. High carbohydrate and protein diets are also detrimental. Gone are the days when women foraged for wild vegetables and berries while their men brought home meat once a week. Eating too much food definitely contributes to diabetes. This disease is rising as people eat, eat and eat.

A human being should only eat one meal a day. Many have four meals a day and eat between meals. Treat-taking is becoming the norm. When people do the weekly shopping they fill the trolleys with soft drinks, chips, chocolates and lollies. Rich, sweet deserts are popular. Your body can do without them. It is not a question of whether the health systems can stand up to this onslaught. In the long run city sanitary systems may not cope.

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Who Do We Owe Money To?

Everyone is in debt. That seems to be the case. But if we all owe money to whom are we indebted? Who are these fat cats who spend their days on the beach having cool drinks brought to them while they while away the time sunbathing?

If truth be known the money does not actually exist. It has been created in the books of independent and national banks. In centuries passed the local blacksmith acted as the bank. Gold, silver and promissory notes were left in his safe. He soon became aware that the "goods" left for safe keeping would not be taken out by the owner for a very long time, if ever. For storing the valuable minerals and promissory notes he gave promissory notes in return. This meant that he could create money. He could also give loans, a large part of which would return directly back because the debtor opened a new account.

When large private banks started, governments gave an assurance that a run on an institution would be protected by public money. We have seen how silly this concept has proved to be by the US and European governments bailing out private banks. Private debt has become public debt. This on top of the mushrooming private debt worldwide.

Much of Western debt is owed to China which buys US bonds. It is a mistake to believe that it wants the money back any time soon. If it did the world economy would grind to a halt. Then, who would buy its exports?

The real problem is economics. This social science is just theory. There are complicated models that do not apply to the real world, with demand and supply curves, meeting long term average costs and so on. Real business doesn't operate that way. There is not one model for cost plus 10 or 20 percent, or get it cheap and sell high until demand stops then throw the stuff out. That is how business really runs. Note the supermarkets, they don't cut the price of everything that doesn't sell. They would rather throw it away than sell it. After all, they make the supplier take the loss. Economic advisers have not helped one government to balance the books. And the advice they are giving now to raise taxes and cut spending will surely prolong the recession. Cutting debt is like turning the water tap down - someone has to go without! Let's be honest much of this debt will never be paid. It doesn't really exist.

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