Odds n’ Ends (7)

1. California may levy a Porn Tax to help with State budget shortfall. http://www.kutv.com/content/news/watercooler/story.aspx?content_id=7276089e-3b07-44e9-9ce4-2cd6e1c31b37. The proposal would impose a 25 percent tax on the production and sales of pornographic videos -- the vast majority of which are made in southern California. Let's see how strong of a lobby the pornographic community is in California.
   

 

1. Federal House Bill Proposes a National Fingerprint Registry.
   http://www.openmarket.org/2008/05/23/fingerprint-registry-in-housing-bill/. The legislation would require thousands of individuals working even tangentially in the mortgage and real estate industries — and not suspected of anything — to send their prints to the feds.
   

   
    

   
    

2. Article in Nature Magazine Claims the Origination of a De Novo Gene. http://www.nature.com/nrg/journal/v9/n6/full/nrg2394.html. De Novo Origination of a New Protein-Coding Gene in a yeast species by Wen Wang et al.
   

   
    

   "THE total number of different proteins in all organisms on earth is estimated to be 10exp10 to 10exp12. How the protein repertoire evolved the giant diversity that underlies the evolution of the complexity of life is attracting many evolutionary biologists to the field.
   

   
    

   Origination of new genes is an important mechanism generating genetic novelties during the evolution of an organism. Processes creating new genes using pre-existing genes as the raw materials are well characterized, such as exon shuffling, gene duplication, retroposition, gene fusion, and fission. However, the process of how a new gene is de novo created from noncoding sequence is largely unknown.
   

   
    

   On the basis of genome comparison we have identified a new de novo protein-coding gene, BSC4 that may be involved in the DNA repair pathway, when shifted to a nutrient-poor environment.
   

   
    

   
    

3. Frogamander. http://news.aol.com/story/_a/scientists-discover-frogamander-fossil/n20080521180809990022?ecid=RSS0001. It is interesting that no pictures of the cross between a salamander and a frog have not yet been revealed. I also question how they came up with the dating if this fossil being 290 million years ago (MYA). Because this nicely fits in between the first fish with legs that lived on land (400 MYA) and the first salamanders (250 MYA). It's an interesting story, I hope they tell us more about it. (Thanks Ed for bringing it up.)
   

Odds n’ Ends (6)

1. Mind's Limit Set at 4
   

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20080428/sc_livescience/mindslimitfound4thingsatonce;_ylt=AlhU8yOCs06R_J6SwInUMfCs0NUE

Early research found the working memory cut-off to be about seven items, which is perhaps why telephone numbers are seven digits long (although some early telephone dialing started with a two- or three-letter "exchange," often the first letters of a community name, followed by four or five figures, e.g. PEnnsylvania 6-5000). Now scientists think the true capacity is lower when people are not allowed to use tricks like repeating items over and over or grouping items together.

"For example, when we present phone numbers, we present them in groups of three and four, which helps us to remember the list," said University of Missouri-Columbia psychologist Nelson Cowan, who co-led the study with colleagues Jeff Rouder and Richard Morey. "That inflates the estimate. We believe we're approaching the estimate that you get when you cannot group. There is some controversy over what the real limit is, but more and more I've found people are accepting this kind of limit."

The study was published April 14 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

 

2) Ocean Cooling to Briefly Halt Global Warming, Researchers Say

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601124&sid=aU.evtnk6DPo&refer=science

April 30 (Bloomberg) -- Parts of North America and Europe may cool naturally over the next decade, as shifting ocean currents temporarily blunt the global-warming effect caused by mankind, Germany's Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences said.

Average temperatures in areas such as California and France may drop over the next 10 years, influenced by colder flows in the North Atlantic, said a report today by the institution based in Kiel, Germany. Temperatures worldwide may stabilize in the period.

 

3) Republican blogger has Al Franken's Senate campaign reeling

EAGAN, Minn. - Senate candidate Al Franken wants to talk about jobs, health care and global warming. Republican blogger Michael Brodkorb wants to talk about Franken's failure to pay all his income taxes on time.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080502/ap_on_el_se/franken_s_foe

That's routine stuff in the world of political blogging, but in the last two months Brodkorb has scored two direct hits that have the Franken campaign reeling. Brodkorb scooped the traditional media by detailing extensive bookkeeping problems in New York and California that ultimately prompted Franken, this week, to pay about $70,000 in back taxes to 17 states.

In person, Brodkorb is a dark-haired, soft-spoken and polite 34-year-old whose infant twin daughters sometimes nap not far from his laptop. He dropped out of college in 1995 to work on the failed U.S. Senate campaign of Rudy Boschwitz. In the late '90s, Brodkorb worked for state Senate Republicans, where he started to learn how to do "opposition research" — digging up dirt on opponents. He did it well enough to become director of research for the state Republican Party, and served in similar roles for several Republican campaigns.

Odds n Ends (5)

Good Day to you (snow and nasty wind here in Minnesota this morning). Here are the stories I found interesting from the past week:

 

1. Best-selling author Joel Rosenberg gives 4 Signs of the End-Times on Glenn Beck last night. Perhaps the leading voice of Pre-Trib/Pre-Millennialism end-times views is writer Joel Rosenberg and his new book 'Dead Heat' was on cable news shows of Glenn Beck last night. Here is his list of 4 warning signs Jesus' return is near:
   

• A Dictator appears in Russia who threatens Israel;
  
• An speedy building of the city of 'Babylon';
  
• Re-building of the 3^rd Temple in Jerusalem;
  
• Missiles striking Israel from Hamas.
  

Joel Rosenberg's website (www.joelrosenberg.blogspot.com) has a portion of the interview from Glenn Beck's show.

 

1. Increase in "Plague of Autism" may just be change in reporting methods. There is more evidence this month demonstrating that we are not, in fact, presently suffering through an age of increased incidence of autism, but rather as the definition of autism is refined, we discover individuals who were previously misdiagnosed… Using today's criteria, the researchers found nearly a quarter of the participants to have an autistic disorder rather than one based on spoken language. "Our study shows pretty direct evidence to support the theory that changes in diagnosis may contribute towards the rise in autism," says Dorothy Bishop, the lead on the new study. "These were children that people were saying were not autistic in the 1980s, but when we talk to their parents now about what they were like as children, it's clear that they would be classified as autistic now." http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2008-04/increase-autism-due-only-changes-diagnosis
   

 

1. New chip will let an IPOD store 500,000 songs. Hey, I like this one! No more worrying about whether or not to download every song from a CD? I'm in – Here's the link: http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article3728060.ece. "Mobile phones, iPods and other consumer devices may soon be able to hold a hundred times more information than they do at present thanks to a breakthrough in storage technology…"
   

   
    

2. Major Merck clinical trial was cancelled when vaccine may have actually increased the chances of people developing Aids.. Most scientists involved in Aids research believe that a vaccine against HIV is further away than ever and some have admitted that effective immunization against the virus may never be possible, according to an unprecedented poll conducted by 'The Independent'. Nearly two thirds believed that an HIV vaccine will not be developed within the next 10 years and some of them said that it may take at least 20 more years of research before a vaccine can be used to protect people either from infection or the onset of Aids. But a substantial minority of the scientists admitted that an HIV vaccine may never be developed. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/is-it-time-to-give-up-the-search-for-an-aids-vaccine-814737.html.

Odds n’ Ends (4), and a quick discussion of Signs in the Olivet Discourse

Here are some news stories that caught my eye:

 

1. James Ossuary Trial – You may recall the news story in 2002 of a burial box (ossuary) that had written on its outside : "James son of Joseph, Brother of Jesus". Well, the trial on its authenticity is now taking place in Israel. The Israeli paper, Haaretz, has an updated report on the trial of the alleged founder of the James Ossuary. Those who wish to keep up with the progress of the trial over its authenticity can read about it at:
   

   http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/974483.html
   

   In sum, it looks like a case has been made against the authenticity of this find. The defense is getting its turn now. (copied from the Primetime Jesus Blog).
   

   
    

   2) The Deputy Commander in Chief of Iran's Army: If Israel attacks Iran, Iran will "eliminate" Israel. http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSHAF52999620080416. Iran will respond to any military attack from Israel by "eliminating" the Jewish state, a senior army commander said on Tuesday (April 15^th).
   

   Deputy commander-in-chief Mohammad Reza Ashtiani was echoing Iran's late leader of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini, who said Israel should be wiped off the map…
   

   
    

   3) A Strong, Unusual Earthquake Hits Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Wisconsin. http://news.aol.com/story/_a/rare-large-earthquake-hits-midwest/20080418062509990001. OK, everyone has already seen this news story. So why am I bringing it up here? I thought I would tie in the Disciples' question to Jesus about what would be the signs of Jesus Return (Matthew 24:3). It's very exciting to read what Jesus has taught about the end of the age. The Olivet Discourse is the second longest recorded teaching of Jesus (the longest being the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapters 4 through 6). This Discourse is of such importance that it is reported in all three of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21), and is Jesus' longest teaching about the end of the age.
   

   
    

   The long list of signs contained in Olivet Discourse is understood by those using the Pre-Trib Method as the signs of what will take place before Jesus' return. An example of a use in understanding these signs is shown by Pastor John MacArthur as he describes six birth pangs of God's Creation that calls out for Jesus Christ's return in his book The Second Coming, pp. 83-102. These birth pangs are:
   

   
    

   1. False Messiahs (Matt. 24:5); Pastor MacArthur describes a number of false Messiahs that we have faced in our own time: Sun Myung Moon, David Koresh, Jim Jones, Marshall Applewhite and Charles Manson. Since Pastor MacArthur wrote his fine book, another example is shown through the false Christ described in Dan Brown's best-selling novel The DaVinci Code, and this looks like it could certainly be added as another example.
      

      
       

   2. Wars, and rumors of war (Matt. 24:6); Pastor MacArthur teaches that this is a reference to the constant talk of wars and possibilities of wars, with such talk dominating public discourse. MacArthur at p. 91.
      

      
       

   3. Famines, Pestilences, and earthquakes (Matt. 24:7-8); this sign makes it clear that the birth pangs are a display of God's judgment. We just had an Earthquake in the Midwest? Is this a sign of the world's birth pangs? And how could our world with its tremendous production of wheat and corn lead to famines? I hope you have also seen the worldwide food shortages caused by corn production being used for ethanol production. It's crazy, but this could be happening despite our wonderful farming methods.
      

      
       

   4. Persecution of the righteous (Matt. 24:9);
      
   5. Defection of false Believers (Matt. 24:10);
      
   6. The Gospel is Proclaimed to the Whole World (Matt. 24:14);
      

   
    

   So we see "unusual" earthquakes in the Midwest – is this one of the birth pangs of the world that is Earth's crying out for Jesus' return? I bring it up only because it is so unusual. Keep your eyes focused on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).

Odds n Ends (3)

Happy Birthday to my daughter Zola. There's way too many interesting news stories that I want to discuss. One thing is for sure, it's a crazy world out there:

 

1. Malaria Coming to Great Britain because of Global Warming. From my previous posts on malaria, you may remember that malaria can survive only in warm climates, which is the reason why Great Britain (and Minnesota) do not see cases of malaria. But here is the first news report I've seen claiming that one of the effects of Global Warming will be to bring malaria to more northern countries, according to the British Medical Assoc. Here is a blurb from the news story:
   

Climate change could bring malaria and other diseases to Britain and trigger more frequent heatwaves that will have huge health impacts, British doctors said on Thursday. With the exception of Lyme disease, insect-borne diseases are largely unknown in Britain. But global warming could change that in a few decades, according to a report from the British Medical Association (BMA). http://news.aol.com/story/_a/global-warming-may-bring-malaria-to/n20080402191209990022?ecid=RSS0001.

 

1. Biologists Create Sugar Eating-Fuel Making Bacteria. Biologists can now create organisms that have never before existed—including designer bacteria that turn sugar into fuel. Genetically modified E. coli turn sugar into blobs of a hydrocarbon that is similar to gasoline. http://www.popsci.com/oilbug.
   

 

1. Muslims in Middle East Coming to Christ in Record Numbers. Famous Pre-Trib author Joel Rosenberg (his best-selling book is entitled 'Epicenter' – he is also a great resource on things taking place in Israel) reports on a story going untold in the Mideast where hundreds of thousands of Muslims just celebrated their first Easter. Here is his report of individual countries: In Afghanistan there were only 17 Christians in the entire country. Today there are now over 10,000 Christians and this number is growing steadily; Egypt More than 1,000,000 (one million) Muslims have trusted in Jesus over the past decade; 70,000 Christians now in Iraq. And most surprisingly, in Iran there are well over 1 million Shia Muslim converts to Christianity. Check out the story at: http://joshuafund.blogspot.com/2008/03/big-untold-story-in-middle-east-2008.html
   

Odds n’ Ends (2)

Here are some news reports that caught my attention:

 

1. Human-Cow Hybrid Embryo Created. UK's first human-animal hybrid embryos were created. The BBC reported that the Newcastle cybrids lived for three days, and that the largest grew to contain 32 cells, not quite large to be useful for scientific research. The ultimate aim is to grow these for six days, and then to extract embryonic stem cells for use in research. (from Times Online) Under the microscope the round bundles of cells look like any other three-day-old embryos. In fact they are hybrids - part-human, part-animal. They were created by injecting DNA derived from human skin cells into cow eggs taken from its ovaries which have had virtually all their genetic material removed. So what possible justification can scientists offer for doing what the Catholic Church has branded "experiments of Frankenstein proportion"? The Newcastle team said they are using cow ovaries because human eggs from donors are a precious resource and in short supply. The hybrid embryos are purely for research and would never be allowed to develop beyond 14 days when they are still smaller than a pinhead. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7323298.stm
   

 

1. Paranoia Exists in One –Third of All People. Exaggerated fears of others afflict as many as one in three people, scientists claim. Wearing headsets to be immersed in the virtual environment, 200 volunteers chosen to be broadly representative of the general population walked around a virtual London underground car in a four-minute trip between station stops.
   
   The carriage contained what the researchers said were neutral computer people, called avatars, that breathed, looked around, and sometimes met the gaze of the participants. One avatar read a newspaper; another would occasionally smile if looked at. A soundtrack of a train carriage was played.
   
   Freeman and colleagues found that the participants interpreted the same computer characters very differently. The most common reaction was to find the virtual reality characters friendly or neutral, but almost 40 percent of the participants experienced at least one paranoid thought, said Freeman. http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080331_paranoia
   

   
    

   
    

2. DNA Damage Plays a "Direct Role" in the Process of Aging. The Oxford Journals published a study concluding that the data presented here demonstrate for the first time that longevity correlates with DNA repair capacity in C. elegans (C. elegans are a simple multi-cellular organism that has a nucleus, and it was the first organism to have its genome mapped out). Decline in DNA repair capacity or defects
   in repair factors are thought to contribute to premature aging
   in mammals. The results in this study strongly support the hypothesis that DNA damage plays a direct role in the process of aging. However, additional studies are needed to determine the exact relationship between specific factors that influence life span, stress resistance and DNA repair capacity in C. elegans. http://nar.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/36/4/1380.
   

   
    

   The unanswered question from this report is how do we help our DNA repair capacity? Does diet and exercise play any role in the repair of DNA? Does beer drinking help J ? Keep your eye out for more stories on this topic.

Dr. Dobson Attacks Senator McCain

Yesterday, on Super Tuesday, Dr. James Dobson made a very strong statement on the nationally broadcast Laura Ingraham show (here in the Twin Cities it is on the Patriot, AM 1280). He again made clear that he would not support Senator McCain, but his comments go even further. Here are Dr. Dobson's personal comments about the reasons he cannot support Senator McCain:

 

"I am deeply disappointed the Republican Party seems poised to select a nominee who did not support a Constitutional amendment to protect the institution of marriage, voted for embryonic stem cell research to kill nascent human beings, opposed tax cuts that ended the marriage penalty, has little regard for freedom of speech, organized the Gang of 14 to preserve filibusters in judicial hearings, and has a legendary temper and often uses foul and obscene language.

I am convinced Sen. McCain is not a conservative, and in fact, has gone out of his way to stick his thumb in the eyes of those who are. He has sounded at times more like a member of the other party. McCain actually considered leaving the GOP caucus in 2001, and approached John Kerry about being Kerry's running mate in 2004. McCain also said publicly that Hillary Clinton would make a good president. Given these and many other concerns, a spoonful of sugar does NOT make the medicine go down. I cannot, and will not, vote for Sen. John McCain, as a matter of conscience.

But what a sad and melancholy decision this is for me and many other conservatives. Should Sen. McCain capture the nomination as many assume, I believe this general election will offer the worst choices for president in my lifetime. I certainly can't vote for Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama based on their virulently anti-family policy positions. If these are the nominees in November, I simply will not cast a ballot for president for the first time in my life. These decisions are my personal views and do not represent the organization with which I am affiliated. They do reflect my deeply held convictions about the institution of the family, about moral and spiritual beliefs, and about the welfare of our country. " (emphasis supplied.)

 

So Dr. Dobson, perhaps the leading evangelical Christian voice in America, has clearly stated that he will not support or vote for Senator McCain because of his anti-family positions. This is yet another conservative voice, including Rush and David Limbaugh, Dennis Prager, George Will, and Charles Krauthamer, attacking Senator McCain. Senator McCain's response today was for conservatives to settle down. He will speak to conservative group CPAC tomorrow, and this will be interesting, as he snubbed their group last year. Stay tuned, the excitement is just starting!

A couple of interesting news stories in this morning's Drudge Report:

 

1. The Number of US Abortions Performed is at Lowest Level Over the Past 35 Years
   

   
   
   The report shows that there were "only" 1.2 million abortions performed in 2005.
    

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080117171119.g3u627l1&show_article=1

 

2)                    A First Temple Seal Discovered.

 

A stone seal bearing the name of one of the families who acted as servants in the First Temple and then returned to Jerusalem after being exiled to Babylonia has been uncovered in an archeological excavation in Jerusalem's City of David, a prominent Israeli archeologist said Wednesday.

Photo: Edwin Trebels courtesy of Dr. Eilat Mazar

The 2,500-year-old black stone seal, which has the name "Temech" engraved on it, was found earlier this week amid stratified debris in the excavation under way just outside the Old City walls near the Dung Gate, said archeologist Dr. Eilat Mazar, who is leading the dig.

According to the Book of Nehemiah, the Temech family were servants of the First Temple and were sent into exile to Babylon following its destruction by the Babylonians in 586 BCE.

The family was among those who later returned to Jerusalem, the Bible recounts.

The seal, which was bought in Babylon and dates to 538-445 BCE, portrays a common and popular cultic scene, Mazar said.

 

The full news story can be found at:

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1200475897717&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull