Fish Oil Prevents Premature Birth

Over recent years there has been a host of controversial claims about fish oil, calcium and glucosamine. The questions are do these supplements do any good and do they all have to be taken? Some doctors say take them and other GPs say claims about them are nonsense.

Some tests have been done. It has still not been proven that taking calcium prevents deterioration of bones in old age. And there is no proof that glucosamine gets into joints thus reducing pain. Tests on fish oil offer some hope of benefit.

During research into omega 3 (which is in fish oil) on young children a potential benefit came to light. It seems that premature birth is delayed when fish oil is taken. Omega 3 prolongs pregnancy. Subjects who took the supplement also had larger babies. Their birth date was later than predicted. Of course, this brings up another question: Are heavier babies healthier? As the cause of premature birth is unknown perhaps this benefit overrides the perceived consequences of larger babies.

http://www.adventure--australia.blogspot.com/

http://www.tysaustralia.blogspot.com/

http://adventure--australia.blogspot.com/atom.xml

http://www.technorati.com/blogs/

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Health

Vista Computer Solutions Blog 

Australian Blog★                        

Dog Eat Lobster

 
"No, I can't eat it with this"

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Funny Animal Photos

Vista Computer Solutions Blog

-------Australian Blog-------

The Flores "Hobbit" had a Small but Sufficient Brain

The "miniature" humans on the island of Flores in Indonesia have had extensive tests performed on them. Their remains have been examined in detail.  While their brain was as small as an orange it was large enough for them to develop many skills. At a third of the weight of modern-day people it was in proportion.

The world of the "Hobbit", Homo floresiensis, was composed of pygmy animals, so it was a natural environment for them. They would not have perceived themselves to be small.

This sub-species developed from one of the first branches of humans that walked upright, going back two million years. Their direct forebear, Homo erectus, was larger than modern humans. It roamed over a large part of Asia.

Isolation on a small island led to dwarfism occurring. All mammals progress this way when trapped in a limited domain, though reptiles get larger. It was doubtful that they hunted the much bigger reptiles. If their environment was more challenging they would have developed larger brains. A small brain was sufficient. They did use flaked stone points in their weapons. This points to Homo erectus having such knowledge.

Early Hobbits first arrived on Flores 95,000 years ago, before humans moved out of Africa, so they possibly shared the world with Homo erectus with no challenge from Homo sapiens. The problem is the gap between the demise of Homo erectus at 300,000 years ago and the branching off of the large version of the Hobbit. Apart from Homo erectus no direct ancestor has been found.

http://www.adventure--australia.blogspot.com/

http://www.tysaustralia.blogspot.com/

http://adventure--australia.blogspot.com/atom.xml

http://www.technorati.com/blogs/

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Evolution

Vista Computer Solutions Blog 

Australian Blog★                        

Mouse Under Bird Wing

"Let me take you under my wing."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Funny Animal Photos

Vista Computer Solutions Blog

-------Australian Blog-------

Damage Claims for RSI and Internet Related Radiation Are Falling

Watch that computer. It could be bad for your health. Remember when complaints were rife about Wi-Fi signals damaging your brain? This charge was also aimed at mobile phones. Signals from towers were so small as to be hardly measurable. Radio and television transmissions are stronger. Home WiFi and computers generally are extremely low. 

You are more likely to suffer repetitive strain injury from using a computer than brain damage. Repetitive strain is becoming a problem in all industries because computer use is so widespread. The upper-limb and neck are the danger areas. Even now though, many "experts" say the "illness" is imagined.

It is difficult to prove that the injury was caused at work. People do many odd things away from work, though employment is the greatest culprit.  Like factory jobs where the same movements are repeated, data processors are likely to suffer from RSI. In the 1980s half of Telstra telephonists claimed they had RSI. Oddly, today few suffer from this, or fewer complain. Over time, the number of people off sick with this complaint has fallen despite computer use becoming more widespread.  It seems workers are putting up with the problem rather than being ridiculed.

http://www.adventure--australia.blogspot.com/

http://www.tysaustralia.blogspot.com/

http://adventure--australia.blogspot.com/atom.xml

http://www.technorati.com/blogs/

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Health

Vista Computer Solutions Blog 

Australian Blog★                        

Dog Examination

"No, I can't see anything down there."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Funny Animal Photos

Vista Computer Solutions Blog

-------Australian Blog-------

New Zealand Migration to Australia Is Not Bob Birrell's Problem

Hate the Kiwi seems to be quite widespread in Australia, though personally I have not experienced any bad feeling toward them. Indeed, most Australians welcome New Zealanders into society seeing them as ideal immigrants who can fit in immediately.

Bob Birrell, a Monash University demographer, says New Zealanders are the cause of the the recent jump in unemployment in Australia. He points out that New Zealanders holding temporary visas increased by 5.4 percent over a year. This is 1,620 of the 30,000 coming here.  Considering the rise in unemployment was 0.6 per cent across the whole nation, New Zealanders working here could not possibly be responsible for all of this.

Surely, Kiwis bring some capital of their own and spend nearly all of their income here. Australia benefited a great deal economically by paying the fares here for European immigrants in the middle of the last century. These were mostly unskilled, poor people. New Zealander moving to this country should be no different.

The door has always been open for New zealanders to come here. It also works the other way. Australia can move to New Zealand very easily. It would be a pity if this partnership is damaged. Our history is intertwined. The ANZAC spirit is getting even stronger with the younger generation.

http://www.adventure--australia.blogspot.com/

http://www.tysaustralia.blogspot.com/

http://adventure--australia.blogspot.com/atom.xml

http://www.technorati.com/blogs/

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Society

Vista Computer Solutions Blog 

Australian Blog★                        

Cow at Trough

"Good of Humans to provide food in these special containers."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Funny Animal Photos

Vista Computer Solutions Blog

-------Australian Blog-------

Energy Use Due to Mobile Phones Is Unstainable

There is an energy crisis slowly creeping up on us. We go about our daily business enjoying the benefits of computer advances while not realizing that massive amounts of energy are being consumed.

Mobile phones are designed with very little hard storage. Reliance on cloud services is increasing at a rapid pace. Many developing countries do not enjoy continuous energy supplies. When the electricity goes off so does cloud storage. In advanced countries aluminium producers were blamed for eating up too much power, now everyone is responsible.

A new study, The Power of Wireless Cloud, clearly shows that the continuing use of electricity is not sustainable. Energy use by cloud services will be equivalent to 4.9 million cars over the period 2012-2015. This is known by comparing energy from petrol to power station input.

It is not just the cloud. Wi-Fi will use more power than anything else. Computing networks are not "clean". Many do not consider that most electricity is still being produced with dirty energy inputs. Even nuclear is dirty - it contaminates.

http://www.adventure--australia.blogspot.com/

http://www.tysaustralia.blogspot.com/

http://adventure--australia.blogspot.com/atom.xml

http://www.technorati.com/blogs/

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Society

Vista Computer Solutions Blog 

Australian Blog★                        

Bear Down Here

"We are down here!"

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Funny Animal Photos

Vista Computer Solutions Blog

-------Australian Blog-------

Tony Abbott's Broadband Will Be an Op Shop Network - Money for Burried Copper

Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull's plan to use old copper from the node to the house will notwork. You could see the stress all over Mr Turnbulls's face as Tony Abbott spelt out the plan to the media. Malcolm was exceptionally reticent. He looked like he wanted to say something, perhaps the truth.

Tony Abbott offered a much slower broadband speed than Labor and promised faster speeds in the future. How will this be possible without putting in optic fiber? He has said only $30 billion will be needed. However, he has to buy the old copper from Telstra first. The government cannot set its own price. The contract has been signed. There will be massive financial consequences if the contract is broken. Telstra has already shown legal consideration by starting the roll-out. The deal is set in concrete.

Using existing copper will produce a patchwork broadband network that will damage Australia's economy. This nation will be left with a slow network compared to other nations. Let's face it copper is twentieth century technology. It may as well be left in the ground to rot. With "extra" high definition visual media coming online there is no way copper can handle it. Optic fiber all the way to homes is the only way everyone can enjoy such products. Australian CEOs will not be able to join international online conferences. They will not be able to communicate fully. Australia will become a backwater.

The Coalition's plan is too "soft". It is doing this just to be different from Labor. Many Coalition members of parliament know that the national government must step in and lead the way. Private industry will not achieve much without being pulled along on a leash. Telcos will concentrate on where the profit is - in the populated cities.

http://www.adventure--australia.blogspot.com/

http://www.tysaustralia.blogspot.com/

http://adventure--australia.blogspot.com/atom.xml

http://www.technorati.com/blogs/

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Society

Vista Computer Solutions Blog 

Australian Blog★                        

Frog to Prince

"Please, just one kiss"

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Funny Animal Photos

Vista Computer Solutions Blog

-------Australian Blog-------

"Extinct" Animals Are Still With Us

Animals are going extinct, though some are still turning up. This is true. In the past 100 years many species have been declared extinct. Oddly, a third of these have been found still living. Many have not been seen for a very long time. This is the reason for them still being around.

The okapi a zebra-like animal was recently re-found in the Congo. In Cuba the solenodon "rat" was seen jumping around. Another find was the Indonesian Talaud Flying Fox. In Australia the rock rat was identified. And the Christmas Island shrew came to light.

This is embarrassing for the conservationists about to meet in Japan at the United Nations Summit on Biodiversity. It appears that emotion has won out over rationality. It is too easy to make predictions about what will happen in the future. With climate change, little real knowledge is available to researchers, though change is occurring. Perhaps now more cautious steps will be taken.

http://www.adventure--australia.blogspot.com/

http://www.tysaustralia.blogspot.com/

http://adventure--australia.blogspot.com/atom.xml

http://www.technorati.com/blogs/

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Society

Vista Computer Solutions Blog 

Australian Blog★                        

Funny Walk Cat

"Imagine you have a book on your head"

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Funny Animal Photos

Vista Computer Solutions Blog

-------Australian Blog-------

The Climate Changes in 20-30 and 50-70 year Cycles

Climate change is not all one way. There are cycles. Research on coral areas has shown two cycles, 20-30 years and 50-70 year. The region tested is in the northern Pacific which has a strong influence on Asian Monsoons. The amount of rainfall can vary a lot.

In regard to Australia, the climate varies across the continent. Western Australia is usually out-of-kilter with the rest of Australia. When there are floods in the east there are droughts in the west.

The cycles were discovered by drilling out cores and examining the undersea strata with ultraviolet light, a process called Spectral Luminescence Scanning.

Findings have helped to clarify changes in the climate of Madagascar since 1950. Changes in rainfall and river run off have left their mark. Cycles can be traced as far back as 1708.

http://www.adventure--australia.blogspot.com/

http://www.tysaustralia.blogspot.com/

http://adventure--australia.blogspot.com/atom.xml

http://www.technorati.com/blogs/

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Society

Vista Computer Solutions Blog 

Australian Blog★                        

Tertiary Dog

"How learn-ed am I?"

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Funny Animal Photos

Vista Computer Solutions Blog

-------Australian Blog-------

The Polluted Environment

As human beings take more medications, so the environment becomes saturated with drugs. Sewerage treatment works are having a difficult problem removing them and providing usable water.

Even low levels of these dangerous chemicals can damage fish, for example. When exposed to anti-stress drugs they get hungry like drug addicts and eat until they are blotted.

Very small microbes that keep the environment running effectively no longer do their work on slime to create food for fish. Chemicals such as shampoo, washing powder, disinfectants, caffeine, antihistamines and antibiotics upset the ecosystem. They slow production of algae a base food source.

Basically, waterways are being sterilized. It is difficult to ascertain the impact of each drug because there are a number of pollutants present at any one time. Pesticides and fertilizers are mixed in with drugs.

http://www.adventure--australia.blogspot.com/

http://www.tysaustralia.blogspot.com/

http://adventure--australia.blogspot.com/atom.xml

http://www.technorati.com/blogs/

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Society

Vista Computer Solutions Blog 

Australian Blog★                        

Watch Out

"There is something behind you!"

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Funny Animal Photos

Vista Computer Solutions Blog

-------Australian Blog-------

If you want to see weird animals go visit Australia. Most animals are spread throughout the world but Australian marsupials stay strictly at home on this "lost continent". Two hundred kinds of marsupials live only in Australia the kangaroo being the most commonly known.

When the platypus was first taken to England scientists of the day said it was a hoax, a made up animal. The koala seemed to be a cuddly bear. Unfortunately wild koalas can be very nasty and do not take kindly to being picked up. So aligned to its environment, the Tasmanian Tiger soon became extinct with the arrival of Europeans.

Besides marsupials, other creatures make life difficult for people living on this continent. Red back and funnel web spiders are dangerous. The box jellyfish also causes much pain to humans. Small animals have died from their sting. Don't let the presence of these put you off from a visit to this great country. Oh, I nearly forgot; crocodile lives up north.

http://www.adventure--australia.blogspot.com/

http://www.tysaustralia.blogspot.com/

http://adventure--australia.blogspot.com/atom.xml

http://www.technorati.com/blogs/

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Nature

Vista Computer Solutions Blog 

Australian Blog★                        

Dog View

"What do you think of the view?"

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Funny Animal Photos

Vista Computer Solutions Blog

-------Australian Blog-------

Economic Theory No Longer Applies

For the first time economic theory is being challenged by the Internet. Economics has always put forward the premise that the consumer was all-knowing, in that the "going price" for products was known. Of course, in the past this has been a lie. The demand curve was absolutely false. Buyers did not know where they could get the best price.

Now, potential buyers can go to a store, try on a particular brand of clothing to find the correct size, then go and buy it on the Internet. Some shops are charging for such browsing. This will only drive consumers away to another store.

There isn't much doubt that there are too many stores in the market selling the same goods. This is a problem caused by local councils allowing shopping center development even when it is contrary to local planning laws. Councils are too easily influenced by cashed-up big business.

As chain stores move into populated centers of rural areas the future looks bleak for the corner store. The days of local monopolies of one grocery store, one fruit shop, a chemist and a fishmonger are well and truly gone. It is no wonder the majority of small startups fail.

We cannot turn back the clock. The consumer is currently very informed about price if not quality. Economics never did include quality into its theories. It cannot easily be defined.  With oligopolies taking over small rivals economics is no longer relevant. It cannot be applied any more. The idea that prices fall to clear the market of "surplus" products was never real world practice. Shops have always operated on a percentage mark-up.

http://www.adventure--australia.blogspot.com/

http://www.tysaustralia.blogspot.com/

http://adventure--australia.blogspot.com/atom.xml

http://www.technorati.com/blogs/

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Economics

Vista Computer Solutions Blog 

Australian Blog★                        

Cat Fish Bowl box

"Why can't we have a fish bowl like other homes?"

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Funny Animal Photos

Vista Computer Solutions Blog

-------Australian Blog-------

Google Dictates Word Use in Dictionaries

Google won a court case in Australia stopping others from using words similar to their trade name, for examples, boogle and doogle, etc. It seems Google is still intent on ruling the world over use of language.

It is interfering with Sweden's intention to put a word in dictionaries. The Swedish version of the word "ungoogleable" is "ogooglebar" and is widely used. Google says it should not be in a dictionary as it is because part of the word "google" is a registered trade name. This is silly consider the word "hoovering"is in the Pocket Oxford dictionary. How much more power does Google want? It already has too much influence on societies.

Google is not complaining about the word's inclusion. It wants a reference to Google being a trade name added to the definition. Sweden decided to leave the word out altogether. Google wants the word "Google" with a capital "G" shown , apparently to gain free advertising.

Swedish authorities point out that language has no bounds particularly when it comes to taking trade marks into new words.

Google said it intended to keep the company great. Does it means something like in Great Britain? A look will show the British Empire is long gone. No attempt to save it helped. The French tried to stop the franglais of English words like "le week-end". It failed.

http://www.adventure--australia.blogspot.com/

http://www.tysaustralia.blogspot.com/

http://adventure--australia.blogspot.com/atom.xml

http://www.technorati.com/blogs/

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Society

Vista Computer Solutions Blog 

Australian Blog★                        

Cat Occasion

"Come on guys get a move on!"

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Funny Animal Photos

Vista Computer Solutions Blog

-------Australian Blog-------

The Impact of Peak Oil

It seems that we have pushed the peak oil period further forward by obtaining coal seam gas from just about everywhere we look. Fracking does damage the environment and the current freedom for the gas companies could be curtailed.

When peak oil is reached the impact on Australia's rural areas will be significant. Supplies of oil will fall and prices for the scarce commodity will rise. Farmers use advanced machinery to sow, plant and harvest food crops. If governments set priorities then agriculture will have to be given precedence over private use. Transport will be next in line.

There are two aspects of transport. Movement of food is very important, but as people will not be able to freely use their cars they will opt for public transport to get to their places of employment.

People will have to live with limited mobility as they did in the days of the horse and buggy. A day out will be a luxury. Economies will go into recession as trade slows down. Perhaps people will turn to other sources of energy like wood. This will not be sustainable. Stricter and clearer laws will be needed to control activities. Rationing will not be a choice. It will be absolutely necessary.

http://www.adventure--australia.blogspot.com/

http://www.tysaustralia.blogspot.com/

http://adventure--australia.blogspot.com/atom.xml

http://www.technorati.com/blogs/

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Society

Vista Computer Solutions Blog 

Australian Blog★                        

Dog Driver

"Get out of my way!"

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Funny Animal Photos

Vista Computer Solutions Blog

-------Australian Blog-------

New Solar Power Station in Western Australia

Australia goes its own way in lower carbon power generation by opening a solar-diesel power station, the world's first, in Western Australia. Solar panels track the sun during the day. The station is built in a location that holds the record for the most days of maximum temperature. Use of the solar panels will lessen greenhouse gas emissions by 1119 tonnes a year.

the local Aboriginal community is fully supportive of the power plant in the Pilbara. Aboriginals named it Pippunyah, the name of the river nearby. Funding came from the Federal Government in its renewable remote power generation program via the Office of Energy in Western Australia.

It is unfortunate that solar power generation had to be combined with fossil fuel generation. Even getting natural gas there would have been better than diesel. It seems there is no perfect solution to the pollution problem. New systems only seem to meet requirements half way.

http://www.adventure--australia.blogspot.com/

http://www.tysaustralia.blogspot.com/

http://adventure--australia.blogspot.com/atom.xml

http://www.technorati.com/blogs/

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Energy

Vista Computer Solutions Blog 

Australian Blog★