Here's some more mind games for you...if you can't/couldn't be bothered to do the spelling game for FREE RICE then how about NeoWORX flag/country identification game...do you know which country etc... I've just got 15/20 but considering the amount of travel I do (and the amount of time looking at the country-counter in the blog side-bar!) maybe I should have done better; however...some are VERY difficult!

Here's some more mind games for you...if you can't/couldn't be bothered to do the spelling game for FREE RICE then how about NeoWORX flag/country identification game...do you know which country etc... I've just got 15/20 but considering the amount of travel I do (and the amount of time looking at the country-counter in the blog side-bar!) maybe I should have done better; however...some are VERY difficult!

How’s your spelling /vocabulary? At the weekend I was directed to a website that I enjoyed immensely…by testing your vocabulary - and it’s not easy. [freerice.com] It starts off easy-ish and gradually finds your level by progressively getting harder/easier if you get three in a row right or dropping a level or so each time you fail...and all the while you are providing rice to hungry people for free (endorsed by the United Nation World Food program: WFP) I provided 1000 grains and will return to do some more soon enough; I was level 42 and 43 (I think the range is from somewhere very low up to 50) I’ve added an image link to the Owsblog sidebar to encourage others to use it.

This could be construed as one of my "Acts of Kindness", as trumpeted on blogcatalog and also on YouTube although the actual 'official' day was yesterday (17-12-07)

How’s your spelling /vocabulary? At the weekend I was directed to a website that I enjoyed immensely…by testing your vocabulary - and it’s not easy. [freerice.com] It starts off easy-ish and gradually finds your level by progressively getting harder/easier if you get three in a row right or dropping a level or so each time you fail...and all the while you are providing rice to hungry people for free (endorsed by the United Nation World Food program: WFP) I provided 1000 grains and will return to do some more soon enough; I was level 42 and 43 (I think the range is from somewhere very low up to 50) I’ve added an image link to the Owsblog sidebar to encourage others to use it.

This could be construed as one of my "Acts of Kindness", as trumpeted on blogcatalog and also on YouTube although the actual 'official' day was yesterday (17-12-07)

Only Oliver...

Pax Quæritur Bello...Peace is sought through War: motto of The English Commonwealth (during the English Interregnum) "Peace is sought through War", heard that somewhere before? :-) 16th December was the day that Oliver Cromwell was given outright power as Lord Protector and the Commonwealth, in existence since only 1649, became a Protectorate. A constitution, the first in the history of the world, granted executive power to the Lord Protector of the "Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland". Is the jury still out over Oliver Cromwell? All time Top 10 Briton or genocidal war criminal?

Only Oliver...

Pax Quæritur Bello...Peace is sought through War: motto of The English Commonwealth (during the English Interregnum) "Peace is sought through War", heard that somewhere before? :-) 16th December was the day that Oliver Cromwell was given outright power as Lord Protector and the Commonwealth, in existence since only 1649, became a Protectorate. A constitution, the first in the history of the world, granted executive power to the Lord Protector of the "Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland". Is the jury still out over Oliver Cromwell? All time Top 10 Briton or genocidal war criminal?

Oslo oration's obvious ommission...

Al Gore, whilst collecting his Nobel Peace Prize [BBC] said some interesting things but failed to mention a very important and 'inconvenient truth'. He said:

"The Earth has a fever, and the fever is rising. The experts have told us it is not a passing affliction that will heal by itself"... ..."We are what is wrong, and we must make it right."

That is dead right...but not in the way he or 'the experts' mean. What he could have said, and been nearer the truth, were the words of Agent Smith during Morpheus' interrogation:

"The only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet."

So in a way Gore is right, WE are what is wrong. Of course he wants to cry doom and gloom over "the climate impacts that might lie ahead"; there are two ways of looking at this: (a) climate change will happen anyway so let's learn to deal with it and survive the changes as long as possible rather than try to stop it (because we can't) or (b) climate change may not happen and we can stop it...so...let's target the easiest and most efficient way we can by targeting the main reason, that worryingly clear reason is amply illustrated HERE; we must reduce the population/stop population growth. World population has doubled in about 40 years and tripled in less than 80...our parents lifetimes...quadrupled in the last century...whichever way you read it the figures are ominous...the planet can't/won't sustain much more.

"In every land the truth, once known, has the power to set us free"

said Gore...but that truth, once known, is rather unpleasant and so are the various cures.

Oslo oration's obvious ommission...

Al Gore, whilst collecting his Nobel Peace Prize [BBC] said some interesting things but failed to mention a very important and 'inconvenient truth'. He said:

"The Earth has a fever, and the fever is rising. The experts have told us it is not a passing affliction that will heal by itself"... ..."We are what is wrong, and we must make it right."

That is dead right...but not in the way he or 'the experts' mean. What he could have said, and been nearer the truth, were the words of Agent Smith during Morpheus' interrogation:

"The only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet."

So in a way Gore is right, WE are what is wrong. Of course he wants to cry doom and gloom over "the climate impacts that might lie ahead"; there are two ways of looking at this: (a) climate change will happen anyway so let's learn to deal with it and survive the changes as long as possible rather than try to stop it (because we can't) or (b) climate change may not happen and we can stop it...so...let's target the easiest and most efficient way we can by targeting the main reason, that worryingly clear reason is amply illustrated HERE; we must reduce the population/stop population growth. World population has doubled in about 40 years and tripled in less than 80...our parents lifetimes...quadrupled in the last century...whichever way you read it the figures are ominous...the planet can't/won't sustain much more.

"In every land the truth, once known, has the power to set us free"

said Gore...but that truth, once known, is rather unpleasant and so are the various cures.

Obliterated or only oblivious...

Today marked the day, in 1979 when the World Health Organisation (WHO) certified the eradication of one orthopoxvirus: smallpox, it is the "only human infectious disease to have been completely eradicated from nature" - surely one of the great triumphs of modern science; however..."eradicated from Nature"...but not eradicated from evil Man: despite the wish to eradicate stocks it is still with us: not only in fiction, but also in fact (Nov 2007). The bio-terrorism threat is real; "preparedness" is available: Logical Images VisualDx.

Despite various other 'pox' affecting a range of animals - many can be passed to humans: zoonosis - we (mankind) are the only known hosts of the variola virus. It has killed billions, literally, and is thought to have been the cause of death of 300 - 500 million people in the last century before eradication alone.

Recorded instances of variolation (innoculation with variola - smallpox) began as early as the 10th century through intranasal insufflation of dried crusts of smallpox lesions...hmmm, nice...enjoying your sandwich? In 18th-century Europe, brought to England by Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (oh yes!...not a commoner she) from her experiences in Turkey, the method consisted of subcutaneous injection of fluid from smallpox pustules or scabs (like some mustard on that sandwich?) Variolation caused a mild form of smallpox, but prevented more significant problems...like death. There was a certain amount of prejudice from the medical world despite Lady Mary having her daughter treated in front of 'physicians of the Royal Court'. Experiments followed on prisoners and then orphans (hahaha...imagine that today!) until finally acceptance followed the successful treatment of the two daughters of the Prince of Wales.

Religous powers were equally sceptical as they believed the 'providence of life should be in God's hands' (see image of Gentleman's Magazine 1750 - courtesy of the ILEJ, Internet Library of Early Journals click image to enlarge); they got even more irate when variolation became Satan's tools...or vaccination as we know it. Vaccination from vacca, the Latin for cow (cowpox...) throughout England there was a popular concept that dairy maids who had caught cowpox were thereafter immune to smallpox.

Despite Edward Jenner being the man famous for 'inventing' vaccination, there has been a growing recognition of Benjamin Jesty as the first to vaccinate against smallpox . "The breakthrough in vaccination came in 1774 with a Dorset farmer, Benjamin Jesty... [he would have been] aware of the rural 'myths' that people who had earlier caught the mild disease of cowpox did not catch the normally fatal disease of smallpox. Furthermore country people had noticed for some time that dairymaids caught the much milder cowpox from their cows but never smallpox. In fact dairymaids were renown for their pure complexions and Jesty’s milkmaids had previously caught cowpox, nursed family members with smallpox yet still had not caught smallpox.

Jesty became convinced that cowpox somehow protected against smallpox and during a smallpox outbreak in the summer of 1774 took his family to a farm where there was an outbreak of cowpox. He took infected pus from the udder of a cow and used the sharp point of a stocking needle to scratch his wife and his sons’ arms just below the elbow where he inserted the pus.

This was the first recorded vaccination and it took place not in the context of established medical procedure by medical experts but on a farm in rural Dorset." (IBMS Institute of BioMedical Science - history zone). The Jestys freely admitted that they were probably not the first with vaccination, but he was the "first person (known) that introduced the Cow Pox by inoculation"...that's their gravestone inscription. Also there are those none-too-happy that Jenner didn't give credit to previous work and 'much of his correspondence was deliberately destroyed leaving enough gaps to wonder how much he knew about Jesty’s experiment which was known about in medical circles.' Some go further, in 1995, Richard Horton, now editor of The Lancet) said:

"The limping truth is that Edward Jenner was a political opportunist who obtained priority in the discovery of vaccination (1796) through his reputation (he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1779 on the strength of his research on cuckoos) and aristocratic social standing (he received financial support from the Duke of Bedford and the lord mayor of London)."

Oooer...not happy at all. That said, it shouldn't lessen our appreciation of Jenner's accomplishments, indeed as early as 1801 he predicted eradication of smallpox. 'It was his relentless promotion and devoted research of vaccination that changed the way medicine was practiced' and ...

In science credit goes to the man who convinces the world, not the man to whom the idea first occurs. — Francis Galton

Obliterated or only oblivious...

Today marked the day, in 1979 when the World Health Organisation (WHO) certified the eradication of one orthopoxvirus: smallpox, it is the "only human infectious disease to have been completely eradicated from nature" - surely one of the great triumphs of modern science; however..."eradicated from Nature"...but not eradicated from evil Man: despite the wish to eradicate stocks it is still with us: not only in fiction, but also in fact (Nov 2007). The bio-terrorism threat is real; "preparedness" is available: Logical Images VisualDx.

Despite various other 'pox' affecting a range of animals - many can be passed to humans: zoonosis - we (mankind) are the only known hosts of the variola virus. It has killed billions, literally, and is thought to have been the cause of death of 300 - 500 million people in the last century before eradication alone.

Recorded instances of variolation (innoculation with variola - smallpox) began as early as the 10th century through intranasal insufflation of dried crusts of smallpox lesions...hmmm, nice...enjoying your sandwich? In 18th-century Europe, brought to England by Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (oh yes!...not a commoner she) from her experiences in Turkey, the method consisted of subcutaneous injection of fluid from smallpox pustules or scabs (like some mustard on that sandwich?) Variolation caused a mild form of smallpox, but prevented more significant problems...like death. There was a certain amount of prejudice from the medical world despite Lady Mary having her daughter treated in front of 'physicians of the Royal Court'. Experiments followed on prisoners and then orphans (hahaha...imagine that today!) until finally acceptance followed the successful treatment of the two daughters of the Prince of Wales.

Religous powers were equally sceptical as they believed the 'providence of life should be in God's hands' (see image of Gentleman's Magazine 1750 - courtesy of the ILEJ, Internet Library of Early Journals click image to enlarge); they got even more irate when variolation became Satan's tools...or vaccination as we know it. Vaccination from vacca, the Latin for cow (cowpox...) throughout England there was a popular concept that dairy maids who had caught cowpox were thereafter immune to smallpox.

Despite Edward Jenner being the man famous for 'inventing' vaccination, there has been a growing recognition of Benjamin Jesty as the first to vaccinate against smallpox . "The breakthrough in vaccination came in 1774 with a Dorset farmer, Benjamin Jesty... [he would have been] aware of the rural 'myths' that people who had earlier caught the mild disease of cowpox did not catch the normally fatal disease of smallpox. Furthermore country people had noticed for some time that dairymaids caught the much milder cowpox from their cows but never smallpox. In fact dairymaids were renown for their pure complexions and Jesty’s milkmaids had previously caught cowpox, nursed family members with smallpox yet still had not caught smallpox.

Jesty became convinced that cowpox somehow protected against smallpox and during a smallpox outbreak in the summer of 1774 took his family to a farm where there was an outbreak of cowpox. He took infected pus from the udder of a cow and used the sharp point of a stocking needle to scratch his wife and his sons’ arms just below the elbow where he inserted the pus.

This was the first recorded vaccination and it took place not in the context of established medical procedure by medical experts but on a farm in rural Dorset." (IBMS Institute of BioMedical Science - history zone). The Jestys freely admitted that they were probably not the first with vaccination, but he was the "first person (known) that introduced the Cow Pox by inoculation"...that's their gravestone inscription. Also there are those none-too-happy that Jenner didn't give credit to previous work and 'much of his correspondence was deliberately destroyed leaving enough gaps to wonder how much he knew about Jesty’s experiment which was known about in medical circles.' Some go further, in 1995, Richard Horton, now editor of The Lancet) said:

"The limping truth is that Edward Jenner was a political opportunist who obtained priority in the discovery of vaccination (1796) through his reputation (he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1779 on the strength of his research on cuckoos) and aristocratic social standing (he received financial support from the Duke of Bedford and the lord mayor of London)."

Oooer...not happy at all. That said, it shouldn't lessen our appreciation of Jenner's accomplishments, indeed as early as 1801 he predicted eradication of smallpox. 'It was his relentless promotion and devoted research of vaccination that changed the way medicine was practiced' and ...

In science credit goes to the man who convinces the world, not the man to whom the idea first occurs. — Francis Galton

Outbreak of optimism...

Update: Thursday 6th December: Spoken like a true Statesman...NOT! Chavez is now truly losing the plot: today at a press conference - with the Army, Navy, Air Force and National Guard chiefs - designed to reinforce the point that he wasn't pressured into recognising the 'No' win said: "Fue una victoria de mierda y la nuestra una derrota de coraje"

"It was a shit victory and ours a courageous loss"!!!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Update: Tuesday 4th December: Predictably, the abstention rate of 44% is causing some concern: what's clear is that while millions of Mr Chavez's supporters probably still back him, they were unconvinced by his proposed reforms to the (new!) Constitution"

Perhaps I made a mistake in the timing of my proposals, that could be, that we are not politically mature enough,"... "It's a challenge for us, we're going to convince those of our comrades who have doubts, those who have fears concerning socialism."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Venezuela and the Latin American blogosphere is alight with far more optimism than pessimism over yesterday's very close defeat in the referendum for constitutional change. (some say TOO close!) The main emphasis for most is that at least 3 million voters from Chavez's re-election failed to show up to vote in the referendum: the following from Vcrisis:

"The result of the referendum lends itself to different readings, the most obvious being number of votes for and against the illegal, and now unpopular, reform: 4.379.392 in favor (a year ago 7.309.080 people voted for Chavez in the presidential race) and 4.504.354 against it. Ergo while the opposition, led by the student movement, managed to increase its numbers by some 200,000 (compared to votes cast for Manuel Rosales last December), officialdom, in spite of the huge advantage in terms of funds and media, saw 3 million of its supporters shunning the reform and sitting out the vote. Some chavistas have attributed this defeat to poor performance on behalf of Chavez´s government. Such candid admissions, to be applauded and encouraged by all of us, just reiterate what we have been saying all along."

More interestingly, because of the polls indicating a win for the 'No' camp, Chavez had tried to make this a definitive 'for me' or 'against me'...he even said:

"Those who vote NO are doing a favor to George W. Bush. Our real opponent, our real enemy is the US Empire. On Sunday we are going to deal another knockout blow to the American imperialism. Nobody should forget that it is the backdrop of the battle."

It seems that finally the Venezuelan public are recognising the difference between reality and rhetoric.

Outbreak of optimism...

Update: Thursday 6th December: Spoken like a true Statesman...NOT! Chavez is now truly losing the plot: today at a press conference - with the Army, Navy, Air Force and National Guard chiefs - designed to reinforce the point that he wasn't pressured into recognising the 'No' win said: "Fue una victoria de mierda y la nuestra una derrota de coraje"

"It was a shit victory and ours a courageous loss"!!!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Update: Tuesday 4th December: Predictably, the abstention rate of 44% is causing some concern: what's clear is that while millions of Mr Chavez's supporters probably still back him, they were unconvinced by his proposed reforms to the (new!) Constitution"

Perhaps I made a mistake in the timing of my proposals, that could be, that we are not politically mature enough,"... "It's a challenge for us, we're going to convince those of our comrades who have doubts, those who have fears concerning socialism."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Venezuela and the Latin American blogosphere is alight with far more optimism than pessimism over yesterday's very close defeat in the referendum for constitutional change. (some say TOO close!) The main emphasis for most is that at least 3 million voters from Chavez's re-election failed to show up to vote in the referendum: the following from Vcrisis:

"The result of the referendum lends itself to different readings, the most obvious being number of votes for and against the illegal, and now unpopular, reform: 4.379.392 in favor (a year ago 7.309.080 people voted for Chavez in the presidential race) and 4.504.354 against it. Ergo while the opposition, led by the student movement, managed to increase its numbers by some 200,000 (compared to votes cast for Manuel Rosales last December), officialdom, in spite of the huge advantage in terms of funds and media, saw 3 million of its supporters shunning the reform and sitting out the vote. Some chavistas have attributed this defeat to poor performance on behalf of Chavez´s government. Such candid admissions, to be applauded and encouraged by all of us, just reiterate what we have been saying all along."

More interestingly, because of the polls indicating a win for the 'No' camp, Chavez had tried to make this a definitive 'for me' or 'against me'...he even said:

"Those who vote NO are doing a favor to George W. Bush. Our real opponent, our real enemy is the US Empire. On Sunday we are going to deal another knockout blow to the American imperialism. Nobody should forget that it is the backdrop of the battle."

It seems that finally the Venezuelan public are recognising the difference between reality and rhetoric.