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Report urges Kenya to ban plastic bags

Wednesday, March 9, 2005File:Plastic bag stock sized.jpg

They are cheap, useful, and very plentiful, and that is exactly the problem, according to researchers. A report issued on Feb. 23 by a cadre of environment and economics researchers suggested that Kenya should ban the common plastic bag that one gets at the checkout counter of grocery stores, and place a levy on other plastic bags, all to combat the country’s environmental problems stemming from the bags’ popularity.

Fur fans flock to Toronto’s Furnal Equinox 2019

Monday, March 25, 2019

From March 15 to 17, the Canadian city of Toronto played host to the tenth Furnal Equinox, an annual event dedicated to the “furry fandom.” Wikinews attended. Programming ranged from music to gender, science to art, covering dozens of aspects of the varied subculture. The event’s featured guests were visual artists Moth Monarch and Cat-Monk Shiro, as well as the co-owners of US fursuit costume builders Don’t Hug Cacti.

The event raised nearly CDN$11,000 for Pet Patrol, a non-profit rescue organization in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, run by volunteers. This exceeded their goal of $10,000, the funds needed to finish a rural sanctuary. The furry community is well-known for their charitable efforts. Along with direct donations, the funds were raised through a charity auction offering original artwork, and a fursuit design by guests of honour “Don’t Hug Cacti.” Last year, Furnal Equinox raised funds for a farm animal sanctuary.

While only 10–15% of people within the fandom own a fursuit according to a 2011 study, event organizers reported this year 908 of the 2240 attendees at Furnal Equinox brought at least one elaborate outfit to the event. The outfits are usually based on original characters, known as “fursonas”.

Guests of Honour Cherie and Sean O’Donnell, known within the community as “Lucky and Skuff Coyote”, held a session on fursuit construction on Saturday afternoon. The married couple are among the most prominent builders in the fandom, under the name Don’t Hug Cacti. The scale of their business was evident, as Sean had made over a thousand pairs of “handpaws”, costume gloves.

The couple encouraged attendees to continue developing their technique, sharing that all professional fursuit makers had developed different techniques. They felt that they learned more from failed projects than successful ones, citing the Chuck Jones quote that “every artist has thousands of bad drawings,” and that you have to work through them to achieve. Cherie, known as Lucky, recalled receiving a Sylvester the Cat plush toy from a Six Flags theme park at age 10. She promptly hollowed the toy out, turning it into a costume. Creating a costume isn’t without its hazards: the company uses 450°F (232°C) glue guns. They’re “like sticking your hand in an oven.”

Other programming included improv comedy, dances, life drawing of fursuiters, a review of scientific research by a research group at four universities called FurScience, a pin collector’s social, and workshops in writing.

The “Dealer’s Den” hall was expanded this year, with even more retailers and artists. While many offered “furry” versions of traditional products, at least one business focused on “pushing the boundaries of fursuit technology.” Along with 3D printing a bone-shaped name tag when Wikinews visited, Grivik was demonstrating miniature computer screens that could be used as “eyes” for a fursuit. The electronic displays projected an animation of eyes looking around, blinking occasionally. The maker has also developed “a way to install a camera inside suit heads, to improve fursuiter visibility.” He hopes the tech would reduce suiting risks and accidents. Without the need for eyeholes, fursuit makers would have “more options for building different eyestyles.”

Image: Nicholas Moreau.

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Gastric bypass surgery performed by remote control

Sunday, August 21, 2005

A robotic system at Stanford Medical Center was used to perform a laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery successfully with a theoretically similar rate of complications to that seen in standard operations. However, as there were only 10 people in the experimental group (and another 10 in the control group), this is not a statistically significant sample.

If this surgical procedure is as successful in large-scale studies, it may lead the way for the use of robotic surgery in even more delicate procedures, such as heart surgery. Note that this is not a fully automated system, as a human doctor controls the operation via remote control. Laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery is a treatment for obesity.

There were concerns that doctors, in the future, might only be trained in the remote control procedure. Ronald G. Latimer, M.D., of Santa Barbara, CA, warned “The fact that surgeons may have to open the patient or might actually need to revert to standard laparoscopic techniques demands that this basic training be a requirement before a robot is purchased. Robots do malfunction, so a backup system is imperative. We should not be seduced to buy this instrument to train surgeons if they are not able to do the primary operations themselves.”

There are precedents for just such a problem occurring. A previous “new technology”, the electrocardiogram (ECG), has lead to a lack of basic education on the older technology, the stethoscope. As a result, many heart conditions now go undiagnosed, especially in children and others who rarely undergo an ECG procedure.

Psilocybin induces mystical and spiritual experiences: study

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

A study published by researchers at John Hopkins University (Balitmore, Maryland) concluded that psilocybin, a hallucinogenic drug, causes experiences of “substantial personal meaning and spiritual significance” in users. A majority of the participants felt a better sense of well-being, even months after consuming the drug. Researchers expect that the results can be used for further investigation of psychoactive substances and cognition.

The experiment, led by Roland R Griffiths, assessed the degree of mystical experience and attitudinal effects of the psilocybin experience; this report was published in the journal Psychopharmacology.

Thirty volunteers without prior experience with hallucinogens were given psilocybin and methylphenidate (Ritalin) in separate sessions. The Ritalin sessions served as the control group who used that drug as a placebo. The tests were double-blind, with neither the subject nor the administrator knowing which drug was being administered.

The degree of mystical experience was measured using a questionnaire on mystical experience developed by Ralph W Hood; 61% of subjects reported a “complete mystical experience” after their psilocybin session, while only 13% reported such an outcome after their experience with Ritalin. Two months after taking psilocybin, 79% of the participants reported moderately to greatly increased life satisfaction and sense of well-being.

About 36% of participants also had a strong to extreme “experience of fear” or dysphoria (eg, a “bad trip”) at some point during the psilocybin session (which was not reported by any subject during the methylphenidate session), with about one-third of these (13% of the total) reporting that this dysphoria dominated the entire session. These negative effects were reported to be easily managed by the researchers and did not have a lasting negative effect on the subject’s sense of well-being.

The Right To One’s Own Health Is Individual Responsibility

Our personal health is vitally important and every aspect is a major responsibility that must never be taken lightly. Health is often referred to as man’s irreplaceable personal wealth and rightly so because this treasure is very significant above and beyond anything that a person takes care of. It should also be understood that health in the human being should be taken more seriously than any other living creature on the planet. Health consists of the overall functioning of the internal and external being, be it male or female and health cannot only include just the internal or external alone; being health always refers to the inside and outside. Others define and consider a healthy person as someone that is a holistically and positively functioning being in general society, mind, body and soul.

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Health is usually defined as the absence of disease, illness, impairment and is the one aspect that man sometimes finds difficult to maintain at the level it should be to remain optimal and in top form. Many are the times that pains and aches in various body locations will come and go without any explanation as well as the unexpected injuries and traumas that no one can really prepare for. There are fine examples that really do support the necessity for health and medical insurance coverage benefits.

Insurance companies have several ways to formulate and offer great deals on insurance that will give each person or situation the adequate coverage required. Businesses also have benefit packages for their employees that include free medical services for their dedication to the company. There are however, fees that must be paid when admission to a health treatment facility is necessary or just a medical check up. In addition to these bills there are prescription drug coverage that generally is included in a heath insurance plan.

However, not all hospitals and health care institutions credit health insurances. Thus, it is vital that prior to getting health insurance offers, ensure that such kind of Health Insurance Company is well recognized and duly accredited in most of the hospitals found in your place of residency.

Apart from getting your health and yourself insured, it is always best to be conscious of one’s health. The mind, the body and the soul are the most important aspects in the existence of man and these do last as long as man desires to. Thus, each and every individual must be responsible and critical enough to keep their health always at an optimum level of functioning by eating right, doing right and living right.

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

Are You Eligible for a Tummy Tuck?

Abdominoplasty is commonly referred to as a “Tummy tuck”. The surgery is done to remove fat, wrinkles and tighten the skin on the abdominal region. Many female and male celebrities, actors and models have undergone this surgery.

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Abdominoplasty is becoming more common and many may wonder if they are a proper candidate for the surgery. It is true that not just anyone can have the procedure. Therefore, you should consult a plastic surgeon before making your decision. Here are a few things that will help you in determining if a tummy tuck is right for you:

Do you think you are physically fit? If you are working hard to make the tummy flatter but the condition has not improved even with regular exercise, you may be eligible for a tummy tuck Austin. Most of the time, the inability for a person to tighten the abdominal muscles is because of slackness of the muscles underneath.

Pregnancy

Women who have had more than one pregnancy find it difficult to get the flat appearance back. The reason is excessive stretching of the skin and abdominal muscles. Sometimes it is almost impossible to get the skin back to its original state.

Weight Loss

Massive weight loss could be another reason for loose skin in this region. Patients who loose weight from lap band surgery or dieting may be able to undergo the tummy tuck procedure. Because of the high volume weight loss, there could be excessive skin in the abdominal area, which can be corrected with a tummy tuck.

Aging

People who have loose skin and lax muscles in the abdominal region during the normal aging process are a good candidate for a tummy tuck.

A Mental Preparation

One must be mentally and emotionally prepared before going in for a tummy tuck. This procedure will improve self-confidence and body image.

Candidates who should not Undergo Tummy Tuck Process

If you are pregnant or are planning to become pregnant, it is better to postpone the surgery until the childbearing years are over. Always consult the doctor to talk about other medical conditions and issues that can make you ineligible for the surgery.

Some Facts you didnâ€™t know about pigeons

Most of the people love pigeons and are enthralled by their ability to fly and admire the many sizes, shapes and colors they come in. But some of their species, especially feral pigeons also referred to as “flying rats” or “rats with wings”; bring trouble when they take up residence in or on structures used by humans. This is largely because pigeons carry the same number of germs and viruses that rats do but also because they tend to settle in one area and prove to be almost impossible to get rid of pigeon via conventional means. Pigeons are responsible for the spread of several parasites and pathogens harmful to people. There’s also the health risk of bacteria, fungi and parasites that live and grow in their droppings, which can carry and transmit any of 60 known diseases. Even the fleas, mites and ticks that bury themselves in pigeons can carry a number of diseases. Among them are diseases such as Salmonella, Histoplasmosis, encephalitis, toxoplasmosis, Cryptococcosis and Psittacosis, and to name a few. A pigeon dropping not only gives off smell but can cause diseases related to respiratory system and skin.

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In addition, Pigeon feces are unsightly, corrosive and responsible for millions of dollars in structural damage every year. Pigeons spread disease through their feces and harbor disease-carrying parasites on their bodies and in their nests that can migrate into homes. They will readily take up residence in any structure they see as conducive to nest building and raising a brood. It is their habit of nesting and living near humans that makes pigeons such a dangerous menace. Pigeons prefer to feed on grain but will substitute their diet with garbage, insects and many other food items. Pigeons are long-lived animals, some up to 15 years. Pigeons breed all year, peaking in spring and fall and a single pair can have several broods per year. Pigeons mate for life and spend most of their lives in close proximity to their nesting site. Each clutch consists of two eggs with the next clutch being laid before the previous young leave the nest. The net result of longevity and good reproduction is a lot of pigeons. Since they are social birds, the smell of feces attracts other pigeons. Dust from the accumulated pigeon droppings carries fungal spores that can cause Histoplasmosis, a sometimes fatal respiratory disease. In addition, pigeons around airports can be a hazard to airborne planes.

So what are some methods and solutions for dealing with nuisance pigeons? First and foremost, never feed pigeons. Deterring pigeons have many ways, and you choose what suits you the most.USA Bird Control is dedicated to providing the very best in affordable and humane pigeon deterrents. The site offers a full line of easy to use products that can remedy virtually any pest bird problem, and the products are designed for home use! Whether you have pigeons under an eave, geese in your yard, or sparrows nesting on a window sill, USA Bird Control has the right product for you!

Ethan Mark works for USA Bird Control, Inc. in marketing and public relations. His interests include birds, gardening, reading, and writing. More information on humane pigeon control and how to get rid of pigeon is available on the website.

Gay Talese on the state of journalism, Iraq and his life

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Gay Talese wants to go to Iraq. “It so happens there is someone that’s working on such a thing right now for me,” the 75-year-old legendary journalist and author told David Shankbone. “Even if I was on Al-Jazeera with a gun to my head, I wouldn’t be pleading with those bastards! I’d say, ‘Go ahead. Make my day.'”

Few reporters will ever reach the stature of Talese. His 1966 profile of Frank Sinatra, Frank Sinatra Has a Cold, was not only cited by The Economist as the greatest profile of Sinatra ever written, but is considered the greatest of any celebrity profile ever written. In the 70th anniversary issue of Esquire in October 2003, the editors declared the piece the “Best Story Esquire Ever Published.”

Talese helped create and define a new style of literary reporting called New Journalism. Talese himself told National Public Radio he rejects this label (“The term new journalism became very fashionable on college campuses in the 1970s and some of its practitioners tended to be a little loose with the facts. And that’s where I wanted to part company.”)

He is not bothered by the Bancrofts selling The Wall Street Journal—”It’s not like we should lament the passing of some noble dynasty!”—to Rupert Murdoch, but he is bothered by how the press supported and sold the Iraq War to the American people. “The press in Washington got us into this war as much as the people that are controlling it,” said Talese. “They took information that was second-hand information, and they went along with it.” He wants to see the Washington press corp disbanded and sent around the country to get back in touch with the people it covers; that the press should not be so focused on–and in bed with–the federal government.

Augusten Burroughs once said that writers are experience junkies, and Talese fits the bill. Talese–who has been married to Nan Talese (she edited James Frey‘s Million Little Piece) for fifty years–can be found at baseball games in Cuba or the gay bars of Beijing, wanting to see humanity in all its experience.

Below is Wikinews reporter David Shankbone’s interview with Gay Talese.

1 On Gay Talese
2 On a higher power and how he’d like to die
3 On the media and Iraq
4 On the Iraq War
5 State of Journalism
6 On travel to Cuba
7 On Chinese gay bars
8 On the literary canon
9 Sources