Rate of Food Allergies Is Rising

Why does Australia have the highest rate of food alergy in the world?  This is a question that should be answered.  Managing the problem is important.  Research is needed to find out why this is the case.

People in developing countries are rapidly catching up with the Western world as they adopt a "modern" food consumption style.  Clearly we are eating the wrong kind of food.  Refined products and those with artificial food flavoring, coloring and preservatives must be responsible. 

Humans have eaten natural food for over 99 per cent of evolutionary time.  The way we live has also changed.  Children today are protected from the natural environment.  Only a small minority of Western children actually play outside, where there are are natural flora and fauna so they can build resistance.

Food allergy has increased more than alergies such as asthma.  Only northern Europeans evolved to be able to digest milk.  It is no wonder that mixed race citizens and even those of general European decent have a milk allergy.  When Asian people move to Western countries whole families go down with allergies.

We need a return to the old ways.  Children need to put down electronic game pads, go outside and experiment with nature.  A controversial thing is mothers' milk.  Feeding young children cows milk is unnatural.  Mothers pass on disease resistance when they feed babies breast milk.  It contains immune-modulating compounds that make a young child's gut operate more efficiently.

For many allergies there is no treatment.  The only answer is to find the "culprit" and stop ingesting it or being near it.  Even autism has been shown to respond to high doses of probiotics.
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Science
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Cat Doss House

"Hey buster, do yuh want a room or don't yuh?"
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Funny Animal Photos
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Mammoth Cloning Still Not Possible

We have heard so much about how scientists are going to clone a mammoth. For many this idea remains "pie in the sky" - a lot of talk and no action. There is plenty of mammoth raw material around to do tests on. The problem is getting good DNA that can be cloned.

Scientists are jumping up and down again with the recent find of a frozen mammoth in Siberia. They say this time their will be "living cells". This is very optimistic. The new mammoth will probably be like all the others. Only partial DNA will be found. Even though bone marrow has been identified this time, cloning is a long shot. No living cells have so far been found in any extinct animal, as far back as 10,000 years when mammoths roamed the Earth.

There are problems in analyzing human DNA even though the human genome is known. The complete DNA of mammoths has not yet been determined. A prize is offered by the X Prize Foundation for the first cloned extinct animal. Scientists can hope I suppose.
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Science
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Cat Fight

"Don't fool yourself kid. You can't hurt me!"
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Funny Animal Photos
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MOZILLA FIREFOX 14 WILL NOT UPDATE TO FIREFOX 15 IN WINDOWS 7, won't, can't, cannot

MOZILLA FIREFOX 14 WILL NOT UPDATE TO FIREFOX 15 IN WINDOWS 7

Firefox programmers are just as useless as those at Microsoft Internet Explorer.  They drink coffee all day and then go home to play with their hardware.

They are paid to do a job then do something else, wasting their work hours away.  You would not believe that programmers must be the most absent minded people in the world.  They concentrate on putting useless complex things into software that users just will not use, but they forget to cover the basics.

There is a reason why Firefox 14 will not update to Firefox 15.  Firefox 14 is installed in a Mozilla Firefox folder in the C: drive Programs Files folder in Windows 7 64bit.  Oddly, Firefox 15 is installed in C:\users\name\AppData\local\Mozilla folder in Windows 7 32bit and in the 64bit.  You are given no option to change it.

To see the AppData folder go to the "name" folder from "Users" in Explorer.  Click "Organize".  Click "Folder and search options".  Click the "View" tab.   Then click the little circle to the left of "Show hidden files, folders and drives".

You will need to access this folder later.
MOZILLA FIREFOX 14 WILL NOT UPDATE TO FIREFOX 15 IN WINDOWS 7
UPGRADING TO MOZILLA FIREFOX 15
 
Forget  about Firefox 14 in the program folder for the moment.  Download a fresh copy of Mozilla Firfox 15 and install it.  Mozilla will just leave the old Firefox 14 where it is so you can drag out a fresh shortcut link from the exe file onto your desktop and run both versions.  Aren't Firefox programmers clever.  Don't tell them - they haven't noticed it yet!

Run Firefox 15 from the start menu or from the new link it "hopefully' put on your desktop.  From the word GO you will get a warning band across the top of the page in the browser when you encounter a website with background sound.  You will probably get a message telling you that you need to install Quicktime.  After you install it you will get the warning again and again.  You may get something else - a warning telling you that Quicktime has malfunctioned.  Every time you go to a website with sound you will get the same warning.  With no sound from Firefox 15 you go to Google, search and find this blog.

It is not a Quicktime problem!
MOZILLA FIREFOX 14 WILL NOT UPDATE TO FIREFOX 15 IN WINDOWS 7

SOLUTION

You can go to "Add-ons" and not see Windows Media Player there.  Download Firefox WMP Plugin from here.  You will probably still not get any sound.

Open this folder: C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox
(the old Firefox 14 folder)
 
In another window open this folder: 
C:\Users\name\AppData\Local\Mozilla Firefox.   
Be careful because it may be in a sub,sub folder like,  
C:\Users\name\AppData\Local\Mozilla\Firefox.

Copy the "Plugins" folder from Firefox 14 to the folder of Firefox 15.

THE IDIOTS HAVE NOT PROVIDED A PLUGINS FOLDER IN FIREFOX 15.  HOW COULD THEY POSSIBLE FORGET???
MOZILLA FIREFOX 14 WILL NOT UPDATE TO FIREFOX 15 IN WINDOWS 7
You will now have sound in Firefox 15.  If you have already uninstalled Firefox 14 you can get the files in the Plugins folder from here
 ★

The French Eat Golf-Ball Chips

We do live in a weird world where everything is possible but the odd thing, you think, would be impossible. In the modern world you would think a machine could be developed that could sort real golf balls from freshly picked potatoes. Unfortunately, this problem persists in France.

A golf course is situated next to a potato field. When miss-hit golf balls fall among the potatoes the machine carefully picks up potatoes and golf balls together. When the golf balls and potatoes are then processed in the chip factory the golf balls are cooked and sliced with the potatoes. They do know that a fat, juicy golf ball produces 18 slices of "chips".

The real problem arises when cooking and slicing is completed and golf ball chips and potato chips look the same. Apparently, people have actually eaten the golf ball chips from the packet. There have been complaints, however. Customers have said that it could endanger health, so a new machine will be created to identify golf balls in the potato field. Just how long this will take is not known.
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Society
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Racoon Road Crossing

"Is it okay to cross the road?"
"Think so. Can't see any cars."
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Funny Animal Photos
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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
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Dog Fan

"Yaaaah! Tom, Tom Cruise, it's me."
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Funny Animal Photos
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Much to Learn About the Human Genome

It was thought that once the human genome was known "interpreting" how things work would be easy. However, this is not the case. The hereditary sequencing in our genes is not the only factor determining what we are and what we do. Only 3 per cent of human genes are actually involved in the "code". Little is known about what the rest do.

It has been discovered recently that these "dumb" genes turn the letter genes on and off. They determine whether a cell becomes a brain or kidney cell, for example. There are 3 billion base gene structures, so there is a long way to go in understanding basic functions. At any one time 80 per cent of genes are active. Some are triggered by proteins. Others change into RNA that regulate letter genes.

In regard to understanding human health, many bases just keep chromosomes quiet. A complicating factor is that genes overlap and have many end points - not singular. Over 4 million gene triggers have be found and they are not all located near their target letter gene. The next step is to find out which base changes affect susceptibility to arthritis, diabetes and so on.
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Science
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Dog Haircut

"Good haircut, huh?"
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Funny Animal Photos
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No Sympathy for the Unemployed

Even though Australia is booming with the economic downturn hurting elsewhere, the unemployed are being targeted by the government. Several years ago pensioners were given a significant rise in payments. The unemployment rate remained the same. The "dole" is indexed to inflation, but it remains very low.

Youth Allowance is paid to young people to the age of 20, full-time student under 24, and also apprentices to this age. Those living at home receive A$110.15 a week (2010). Independent recipients get A$167.35. Living away from home, sharing the rent of a house could easily cost more than A$100.00 a week. Attending university would be just as expensive, so the burden falls on parents.

Newstart which is the actual "dole" paid to eligible unemployed workers over 18 years is A$228.00 a week. There are severe restrictions on getting the full amount. Recipients must sign an Unemployment Pathway Plan (Activity Agreement) where they are monitored and told to do certain activities in preparation for work. If they earn more than A$32.00 a week the benefit is reduced. It ends entirely when income reaches A$228.00.

Those who own a home must have assets valued below A$161.500 to receive the full rate. Non-homeowners can have A$278,500 of assets. More benefits are paid to people who have children. Rent assistance can also be obtained.

Conservative governments tend to be harder on dole recipients. John Howard, for example, toughened Activity Agreements. The present Labor government has not increased the unemployment rate. Obviously, sympathy for the unemployed is not important to them either. Labor has got rid of Work for the Dole for those unemployed for more than six months.

Government policy on all sides seems to be to keep the unemployed on their toes and anxious. Because there are few jobs available unless you move to the bush to mining companies, this appears to be the only purpose. learning to use computers, write resumes and do interviews serves no real function. Australia's workforce is becoming increasingly part-time and "casualized". Many work three days a week or less. Little research has been done into under-employment in this country.
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Society
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Black Tulips and Blue Roses - All Is Possible

"Nah! I don't care. Take my photo."
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Funny Animal Photos
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Black Tulips and Blue Roses - All Is Possible

The black tulip will soon be a reality. Development of a blue rose has nearly be achieved. A new rose that is "nearly" blue is soon to be released onto the Japanese market. The asking price - a quite low $30 each.

There is no blue pigment in a rose, so it is impossible for a natural rose to display this color. The tone has to be put into the plant. It has been done by genetically splicing color into the rose from Petunias. This flower has a blue pigment called Delphinidin. The combined project by both Japanese and Australians has taken twenty years to create the "blue" rose.

American nurseryman Samuel Parsons said as long ago as the 19th century that one day scientific advances would lead to the cultivation of a blue rose. Attempts have been made in the 20th century. A blue-grey rose was bred, but it flowered only once.

For many years roses dyed blue have sold well in England. Unfortunately, horticultural advisor to the Royal Horticultural society, Helen Bostock, believes a blue rose will not be accepted. She is probably wrong about this. People are fascinated by anything new. It is probably "sour grapes" that the blue rose was not created in England. Another English rose grower Bernard Mehring is a bit miffed as well. He says he wouldn't grow it in his garden. He wants British controls to keep the plant out of the country. This is a sad situation that wreaks of elitism. China, however, will want the new rose because there a blue flower signifies hope toward reaching an unattainable love.
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Society
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