Of Pooches And Clocks

Of Pooches and Clocks

Science has figured out how to convert dog years to human years – at least for one breed.

In a recent study, researchers studied genetic material from more than 100 Labrador retrievers of various ages to better understand the epigenetic clock that controls how dogs age, Popular Mechanics reported.

Scientists analyzed DNA methylation – the chemical modifications to certain DNA segments – which in humans can reveal the impact of disease, lifestyle and genetics on DNA.

DNA methylation allows researchers to better understand how people age, and the modifications have been observed in other animals, such as mice and wolves.

The research team noted that certain segments in the Labrador and human genomes showed similar rates of methylation, which means that dogs and humans age in similar ways.

Dogs’ epigenetic clocks tick much faster than the human one, but canine and human life stages sync up: For example, puppies and babies start teething at nearly the same equivalent age.

Now, to properly measure this in human years, scientists have come up with a simple formula: multiply the natural logarithm (ln) of the dog’s age in human years by 16 and then add 31.

Here’s the formula: (16 x ln) + 31

Researchers now hope to expand their study to include more dog breeds to increase the accuracy.

Thanksgiving: The Invention Of A Tradition

The Invention of Tradition

Modern Thanksgiving in the US is mostly cozy and calm, with families coming together, turkey and stuffing on tables, and lines forming at stores for Black Friday sales.

But it wasn’t always like that, JSTOR Daily reported.

Historian Elizabeth Pleck wrote that both Thanksgiving and Christmas were once flamboyant communal celebrations with poor children and “lower-class males demanding treats from the wealthy.”

Pleck explained that the Thanksgiving holiday was originally proposed by magazine editor Sarah Hale in the 19th century and that it was declared a national holiday in 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln.

Initially, the holiday was not accepted fully in the South and not everyone could afford a turkey, but things changed near the turn of the 19th century.

Thanksgiving became a tool for the Americanization of newcomers since it was seen as a family celebration acceptable in many Catholic and Jewish circles. “The melting pot in action meant, for instance, a pan of lasagna next to the turkey,” JSTOR wrote.

Mass commercialization also shaped the holiday by replacing the carnival parades of working-class people with the advertising extravaganzas we see today – think Macy’s famous parade in New York City. Meanwhile, consumer spending on Black Friday and Cyber Monday is watched by economists as a sign of national economic health.

Football also became ingrained in the holiday as a way for men to bond “with other men and their masculinity,” according to Pleck.

“Invented traditions like Christmas and Thanksgiving are based on largely fictitious history,” said the report. And as time passes, “these become traditions of their own, accruing history, even as they transform.”

We at DailyChatter wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Some Final Thoughts On The Internment of 120,000 Japanese Americans In World War II

        Let us return to the internment of some 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. The people taken into custody lost their farms, their homes, their cars and their personal property. When they were released, they all had to start life over again with nothing. Some 40 years later, President Ronald Reagan took up the cause of these Japanese Americans. He got congress to pass a bill giving each detainee $20,000 US dollars. It did not cover their losses, but it was something. By the way, these payments came with an official apology from the US government. (Rarely does the US government give an official apology.)

        I want to give you my analysis of what brought about this tragedy. In simplistic terms, it was racism. After all, Germans and Italian Americans were of Western European Ancestry. At that time, the great majority of US citizens were of Western European ancestry. Japanese Americans had a different skin color and cultural heritage. They were "yellow people."

         I once read an obscure history book called The Imperial Cruise. Here is the link if you want to buy the book:

https://www.amazon.com/Imperial-Cruise-Secret-History-Empire/dp/0316014001/ref=sr_1_1?crid=MUQC8WZICP67&keywords=the+imperial+cruise+james+bradley&qid=1574763577&sprefix=The+Imperial+Cruise%2Caps%2C187&sr=8-1 

        James Bradley told a fascinating story. In the late 1800's and early 1900's, the people in power in the US considered Chinese, Filipinos, Malaysians, Indonesians, Koreans, Vietnamese, Thais, Cambodians, Burmese, etc. to be (excuse these unkind words) "Asian Niggers." In other words, they were inferior people only useful for physical labor.

        Japan was a different case all together. These same people in power in the US (Graduates of Harvard, Yale, MIT, Dartmouth, Princeton, Colombia, The University of Pennsylvania/Wharton) held Japan in great esteem. They saw it as a country with first-rate academic institutions, great industries, incredible technical skills, culture, and great military traditions and capabilities. Japan became the partner of the US in Asia. They were, as they say in American English "our go to people in Asia."

    As is pointed out in the book, this close relationship started to sour in the early 1920's. The same elites who held Japan in great esteem started to see war with Japan as inevitable. In the 1930's plans were made to occupy Japan after the war to come. (This was later confirmed by a retired CIA officer who gave a speech that I attended.)

    When war did come, the people in power did not hold Japanese in contempt and see them as inferior people. Quite the opposite, they understood their capabilities and were frightened by them. On a personal level they felt about Japanese the way we would feel about a close friend or family member who betrayed us. They were hurt and enraged. They wanted "pay back."

         Before I finish this morning, let me give you a sample of the incredible technical skills of the Japanese. We all know that the US built the first operational atomic bombs in World War II. This was done using the Manhattan Project that spent money on a grand scale. The Japanese Army and Navy went into a contest to develop a nuclear weapon. They spent a tiny fraction of what the US spent. Serious historians believe that they developed a small tactical nuclear weapon. It was detonated in a test on the Korean peninsula before the end of World War II. The Russians were quite aware of this and rushed to capture the site where the device was detonated.

    

A Century Later, a Little-Known Mass Hanging of Black Soldiers Still Haunts Us

A Century Later, a Little-Known Mass Hanging of Black Soldiers Still Haunts Us: 100 years after one of the least-known and saddest chapters in American history, families of executed black soldiers have petitioned Trump for justice.

The First Nukes on the Korean Peninsula | National Security Archive

The First Nukes on the Korean Peninsula | National Security Archive

One Final Memory Of Veteran's Day

Before we leave Veteran's Day, let me share with you my memories of coming back from war. I flew on a C-141 Starlifter from Danang to Travis Air Force Base in September of 1971. It was a plane full of wounded men. We were so happy when we landed. It was good to be back in the USA. As we walked off the plane, each of us received a mimeographed piece of paper with the words :"President Richard M. Nixon thanks you for your service." The only welcome that I got was from my first wife. We went to a motel. We enjoyed a first-time experience of a water bed. No one ever correctly thanked us for our service. It took me 36 years to get the Purple Heart that I had earned.

Archive FOIA Cable Shows Guantanamo Prosecutors Misleading Defense | National Security Archive

Archive FOIA Cable Shows Guantanamo Prosecutors Misleading Defense | National Security Archive

Veteran's day 2019

Madame President:

     Your morning briefing...today is a holiday in many countries. We call it Veteran's Day. It was originally called Armistice Day. At 11:00 AM on November 11, 1918, World War I officially ended.

    World War I was called "The war to end all wars." Before it began in 1914, Europe was enjoying incredible prosperity People were living the good life. A series of miscalculations led us into this awful conflict. Here are the sad statistics:

Military and civilian casualties:  40 million including 15-19 million killed and 23 million wounded. 1,700,000 of the deaths were Russians. Over 1,350,000 were French. Britain lost 908,731. Germany lost over 4 million killed. The US lost 166,000 killed. Another 3.3 million prisoners of war died.

     At the same time, you had the Spanish flu epidemic that killed 20 million to 50 million worldwide. All my family survived this epidemic. They must have been very tough. I am sure that it affected Brasil also.

    The losses of World War I were so bad that everyone believed that another war would not follow. They were sadly wrong. The war so destabilized Russia that the Czar fell, The Communists came to power. Lenin was the first Communist dictator. When he died unexpectedly, Josef Stalin came to power. During his reign of terror, some 67 million Russians died in famines, purges, and World War II.

   Germany did not take kindly to its humiliating defeat. The allies imposed draconian peace terms on them. You have a book talking about the results: When Money Had No Value. This led to a resurgence of German nationalism that brought on World War II.

   Today politicians are very sensitive to world public opinion, social media, etc. We still have wars, but they are far less bloody than this disaster of over 100 years ago. Leaders like Putin and Chairman Ji are "sweet lapdogs" compared to megalomaniacs like Adolf Hitler, Chairman Mao, and Stalin. Also, with many countries armed with nuclear weapons, leaders think twice before starting a major war.

    Anna, Luah and Pedro I am so thankful that none you ever had to put on a military uniform and fight in a war.

    We must never forget what happened here or we risk it happening again.

A Third of California Methane Traced to a Few Super-Emitters

A Third of California Methane Traced to a Few Super-Emitters: NASA scientists flew over thousands of facilities in California to detect sources of concentrated methane plumes. Their findings could help the state lower emissions.

Goats Helped To Save The Reagan Presidential Library

Hero Herd

The raging wildfires causing havoc and destroying homes in California nearly burned down the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library last week, Reuters reported.

Luckily, firefighters saved the library, but they had some help from a group of unsung heroes that contributed to the operation: goats.

A herd of 500 goats munched through flammable brush surrounding the library earlier this year to create firebreak that slowed the blaze and let the firefighters douse the flames.

“We were told by one of the firefighters that they believe that firebreak made their job easier,” said library spokeswoman Melissa Giller. The brush didn’t reach the library, she said, “because the goats ate it all.”

Due to risk of fire, the Reagan Library Foundation hired the herd of Boer goats in May from a local company to clear around 13 acres of scrub.

This is not the first time that goats have been used to curb wildfires.

In Portugal, the government hired goats as an environmentally friendly method to combat wildfires in remote areas where bulldozers can’t reach, Agence France-Presse reported.

“Goats have been used for centuries for this,” said conservationist Antonio Ferreira Borges. “It is a natural way to control the vegetation.”

And with wildfires spreading in other parts of the world, goats might be a sensible alternative to chemicals.

Strict enforcement Of Parking Laws In Pacifica, California

From September of 1996 to July 4, 1999, I was on and off homeless. I was so broke that I could not buy a car or an RV. Homeless shelters were my saving grace. In those days most homeless people were cursed with alcohol and drug addiction. I had neither of these problems. I was suffering from age discrimination in the job market.  My luck changed in 1999. I found a two-bedroom apartment in the Willow Glen section of San Jose for $1,200 per month. The first two weeks of rent was free and the damage deposit was $400.00. (I got the $400 from a grant.) I only had to show reasonable good credit and prove that I was employed. Once in the apartment, I found a South Korean woman to be my platonic roommate. She paid half the rent. If I tried to rent that same two-bedroom apartment today, it would cost me a rental of $2,200.000 per month. The damage deposit would be $1,000 or more. I would have to prove an income of $72,000 per year.
   I have been friends with city council people Sue Vaterlaus and Mike O'Neil for decades. They are people of great integrity and compassion for the homeless. Their dream was to set up some sort of safe parking area for RV's. They saw a possibility of funding this year but no guarantee that funding could be continued for years to come.
    What bothers me about these RV's is that we, the taxpayer, have to subsidize these people's lifestyle. There are certain economic realities in life. If one can no longer afford the rents in an area, the common sense thing to do is move to an area with more affordable rents.
   I applaud this new enforcement of parking laws.

1979 Iran Hostage Crisis Recalled | National Security Archive

1979 Iran Hostage Crisis Recalled | National Security Archive

A Brilliant Essay On Inequality

WORLD

Back to the Future

Lately it’s been feeling a lot like 1968.

Fifty-one years ago, Americans took to the streets demanding civil rights and an end to the Vietnam War. French students set up barricades in Paris calling for university reforms. Czechoslovak protesters took to the streets in support of more independence from the Soviet Union and further unrest erupted around the world.

It was a time of anger and frustration, a tipping point when much of humanity could no longer remain silent over the status quo.

Now it’s happening again.

A list in Business Insider included protests in Hong Kong, Indonesia, France, the Netherlands, Haiti, Chile, Peru, Lebanon, Iraq, Israel, Syria and the United States, where auto workers were on strike until recently in hopes of securing better wages. The news website forgot to mention Ecuador, Spain, Zimbabwe and other countries.

“Another day, another protest,” wrote Reuters.

Unique local issues usually trigger the demonstrations. In Zimbabwe, for example, people are taking to the streets to condemn American and European sanctions on their leaders, who are accused of human rights abuses and electoral fraud, reported Al Jazeera. In Hong Kong, democratic activists say they are resisting Chinese authoritarianism. In France, rising fuel taxes initially caused the furor, which has morphed into rage over living standards and the elites.

But, as the BBC noted, there are some common threads. A handful of forces have produced a climate where ordinary people are increasingly willing to take to the streets and face riot police to air their grievances: inequality, corruption, human rights and climate change.

Some analyze the situation differently. The global economy has been growing, poverty has been declining worldwide and it’s hard to tell if corruption and government incompetence are worse today than in the past.

Instead, Jackson Diehl, deputy editorial page editor of the Washington Post, believed social media and youth movements were key factors in the discontent. “They are able to mobilize large numbers on small issues, such as fare increases, and tap into general discontent that otherwise might have remained unexpressed,” wrote Diehl.

Echoing those ideas, Slate cited research that concluded the growth of the middle class around the world has given rise to more folks who expect better public services, more career opportunities and improved public health, as their leaders cut spending and hike taxes amid sluggish economic growth.

One might ask why protesters in democracies like France or Ecuador don’t vote if they want change. Perhaps they feel as if their votes don’t matter. Democracy could be “stalling out,” a New York Times newsletter, the Interpreter, suggested.

Certainly climate activists like those in this CNN story feel their elected leaders aren’t listening.

When people shout, it’s because they feel as if they aren’t being heard.

China Takes The Lead In 5G

China debuted a super-fast, next generation 5G mobile phone service Thursday, a milestone in the country’s drive to become a technology power and in their pushback against the US’ ongoing campaign against other countries installing China’s Huawei gear, reported Bloomberg.

The debut was ahead of schedule – the launch had been planned for next year but three state-owned wireless carriers accelerated the rollout in 50 cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen following the US’ boycott of China-based 5G equipment supplier Huawei Technologies Co.

The Trump administration has alleged Huawei’s global deals could give the Chinese government the opportunity to gather intelligence in other countries.

While operators in the US, Estonia and Sweden have introduced 5G to parts of select cities, and South Korea debuted its version in April, few others outside of Turkey and Japan – slated for next year – have gotten off the ground. Also, as of this week, China will have the largest commercial operating 5G network in the world thanks to its huge population and investment by companies.

Subscribers to 5G will enjoy access to faster videos and games and more virtual reality apps but it could also increase China’s ability to use technology more effectively against its critics, reported the Washington Post.