Booze - The Elixer of Life

We've all heard this by now?

"Alcohol in all forms makes blood less likely to clot readily and it increases the amount of heart-protecting good cholesterol and reduces the amount of the artery-damaging pernicious form of cholesterol. It improves the health of the lining of the arteries. The antioxidants in alcohol have many other advantages, but once the intake rises, the benefits conferred on the arteries are obscured by the damage to a person's general health by obesity, liver disease, pancreatitis and even dementia". - Dr Thomas Stuttaford -

At which point does the good effects of drinking begin to diminish, and the bad effects begin?

• Approximately two drinks per day for a woman
• Approximately four drinks per day for a man

Which Type of Beverage is Best for Health?

• Any type (clear alcohol, pale beers) - Least Best
  
• Dark Beers and White Wines - Better
  
• Red Wines - The Very Best Choice

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Benefits of Drinking Red Wine - A Dozen Links Below

• Reduces bad cholesterol
• Increases good cholesterol
• Reduces blood clotting
  
• Protects the lining of your arteries
• Heart attack rate cut in half!
• Stroke damage reduced!
• Lung Diseases reduced!
• Neuro Degenerative Diseases Reduced!
• Protection From Effects of Obesity!
• Protection from effects of Diabetes!
• Increased muscle endurance!
  
• Prostrate cancer rate cut in half!
• Reduction in Colorectal Cancer Rate!
  

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Why Red Wine Is Superior

Alcohol plays a significant role in thinning the blood, but red wines contain very powerful antioxidants, estrogens, and several other beneficial compounds including one which acts at the cellular level to instruct cells to slow their metabolism. The substance known as resveratrol invokes a "starvation reaction" response within cells. Resveratrol has been tested on yeast, worms, fish, and rats, and has been shown in each case to extend lifespans by approximately fifty percent. Not only does the organism live longer, but ages slowly, and is healthier!
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Some Reds Are Better Than Others
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White wines appear to reduce lung diseases best, but red wines which have the highest levels of polyphenols, and appear to confer the highest health benefits. Polyphenols are a type of antioxidant which play a protective role against cell damaged caused by "free radical" ionized molecules. Dark red wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon may in fact be the most beneficial wine to drink of all. Polyhenols in Cabernet Sauvignon has been shown to decrease production of a protein called endothelin-1. The protein is believed to play a significant role in the formation of arterial disease.
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My Suggestion - Move From Pale Drinks to Hearty Drinks!

I have slowly moved from beers to wines in light of all the research involving the health benefits of wine. While I don't suggest that anyone start drinking if they don't already, I would suggest to those who already drink (non-alcoholics) to continue to doing so. If you drink the hard stuff, or pale brews you might want to consider shifting over to heart healthier dark beers, and red wines!

So drink up, and without the guilt we've all been led to believe we're supposed to feel about drinking. Drinking has been given a bum rap which it doesn't deserve. When it comes to moderate drinking you're not only allowing yourself the pleasures of a fine tasting beer, or glass of wine, but you're also doing it for your health.

Note: To all those tea totalers stick with green, red, and white teas, and if you're not going to join us drinking wine, and beers please at least stop with the moral superiority baloney.

Bloody Billboards Bully Brave Bostonians

Terror Alert Puppy
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Brave Bostonians - A Word From Terror Alert Puppy
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Living in this post 9-11 world has meant many changes for the land of the free and the home of the brave. The people of America have many new responsibilities like buying plenty of duct tape, and storing enough provisions to survive dirty bomb attacks.

I wanted to take this opportunity to remind everyone that our Department of Homeland Defense has introduced a nifty indicator of the Terror Level in the United States. People everywhere need to check the terror alert indicator daily to make sure it is safe to go to work, send their children to school, fly on planes, take trains, go poop, or visit big cities like Boston!
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Have You Checked Our Terror Alert Indicator Today?
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We all need to check our terror alert level several times each day! Think of it like brushing your teeth, or going poop - you do that every day right?
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Boston Responds - Two if by Land! One if by Sea!
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With the help of the Brave Bostonian Defenders League, and with God's help the terrorist plot to destroy the city of Boston was narrowly averted! A ring of highly destructive electronic billboards secretly placed around the city of Boston was discovered. All atomic, chemical, and biological weapons found have been taken to Iraq.

The evil doers who plotted the destruction of Boston have been found, and are now behind bars awaiting execution - I mean trial.

Let's all cheer yet the great victory of the Homeland Defense League over the evil doers!
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Hurray!
Hurray!
Hurray!
Now go take a poop!
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Sinister Billboards Had Wires And A Battery!
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Breaking News From CNN!

The devices displayed a "Mooninite" -- an outer-space delinquent who makes frequent appearances on the cartoon -- greeting passersby with an upraised middle finger. But the discovery of nine of the light boards around Boston and its suburbs sent bomb squads scrambling throughout the day, snarling traffic and mass transit in one of the largest U.S. cities.

"It had a very sinister appearance," Coakley told reporters. "It had a battery behind it, and wires."

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Bostonians Looked Into The Face Of Terror!
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Aqua Teen Hunger Force!
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Please Inform Yourself About This Gang!.

What's Good About Dogs - They're Loyal

Larry Sanders Show on Loyalty

I share this YouTube video of Jon Stewart's guest appearance on the fictional Larry Sander's Show. The series was just one more "gold nugget" pick that Dave of The11thhour turned me on to over the years.

For many years now I have wanted the show to return. I realize that this will never happen, but man was it funny!
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Hank Kissing Up To Possible New Show Host - Jon Stewart
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In the scene featured we see side kick "Hank" reacting to his concern that his boss and show host Larry Sanders, played by Gary Shandling. was preparing to leave the show. Hank wanting to impress on Jon Stewart that he could work with him, tries to subtly show that he can be loyal to Jon Stewart, but instead comes off looking like a cad.
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Rip Torn, Gary Shandling, and Jeffrey Tambor
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Hank, played by Jeffrey Tambor, was a never ending victim. He took his life, and role which he played as side kick way too seriously, and looked like a fool for it. He was a cad, but that allowed other characters to be cool. Do we know anyone who feels they have played the fool just to allow someone else to look cool?

"Hey Now!"
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Bob Odenkirk
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Bob Odenkirk
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Back at SIU-C, Dave of The11thhour, introduced me to Bob Odenkirk who was destined years later to play "Stevie" Larry's agent. I've been a fan of Bob Odenkirk ever since. He's an incredibly talented, and an incredibly funny guy.

A Hobbled Hubble on a Wing and a Prayer

HST Has Provided Humankind With A New View of the Universe

Hubble Space Telescope's main ACS wide field camera has gone dead, and it looks like it won't be revived until a planned maintenance mission in 2008. This from Space.Com

It was Hubble’s ACS camera’s wide field channel, for example, that allowed astronomers to generate Hubble’s Ultra Deep Field – the deepest view into the universe to date. But that ACS channel, and a high-resolution channel used to study stars surrounded by planet-forming material, are likely lost since the latest glitch has cut off power to their systems, Hubble managers said.

“We’re not optimistic at all that those will be restored,” said David Leckrone, NASA’s senior project scientist for Hubble at the GSFC. “The saving grace here is that we have a superb new wide field camera coming along that was originally designed, in fact, to be a back up for ACS in case ACS failed. It was designed to work in tandem with ACS if [it] was full alive.”

HST's other cameras are working, but the loss of the main wide field camera reduces Hubble's abilities significantly.
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HST - Cone Nebula
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A fourth service mission using the Space Shuttle is planned for 2008. The service mission entails five space walks to install a new wide field camera, gyroscopes, sensors, and batteries. However no plan yet exist to replace the now dead ACS. This from NASA.Gov

"It is too early to know what influences the ACS anomaly may have on Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission-4 planning" said Preston Burch, associate director/program manager for the Hubble Space Telescope. "It is important that the review board conduct a thorough investigation that will allow us to determine if there are any changes needed in the new instruments that will be installed on the upcoming servicing mission so that we can be sure of maximizing the telescope's scientific output. We are continuing to make excellent progress in our preparations for the servicing mission, which is presently targeted to fly in September 2008."

Let's hope NASA's Service Mission Four planning group decides to add servicing the ACS wide field camera to its SM4 in 2008! In my opinion the Hubble Space Telescope has benefited humankind by broadening our understanding, and appreciation of the place we all call home - the Universe. The HST has been worth every penny of taxpayer money spent which is more than we can say for most government funded programs.
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Photo Credits
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HubbleSite.Org Public Domain Images

Calling on the Cult of Dionysus!

Dionysus The Good Time god Of Wine!

My Take on Dionysus

Folks I know we live in a one God state, but some of the ancient Greek, and Roman gods sound kind of fun. Why does the modern Judeo-Christian-Islamic God have to be such a stuffed shirt? O.K., I'm not really asking for a reply, we're supposed to feel pain since we're all a bunch of sinners, but I feel we're way too serious here. Life is only so long, and if someone were to propose a parade with some music, poems, roast lamb, and lots of wine - I'd be into that.
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Dionysus - A Troubled Youth

Father - Zeus - who bore him from his own thigh!
Mother - Semele who died during Dionysus' conception!
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A god of What?

• Wine
• Intoxication
• Ecstasy
• Music
• Poetry

Also Known As

• Dionysus - Greece
• Liber or Baccus - Rome
• Osirus - Egypt

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Description

• Effeminate
• Fleshy
• Young
• Wearing Grapes
• Carrying a Wine Goblet

Accompanied By (who dance possessed and intoxicated around him)

• Satyrs
• Maenids
• Bassarids
• Also known as Bacchi

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Year Round Dionysus Festivals

• Processions
• Sacrifices
  
• Wine Tasting
• Theatrical Performances

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Sources

Here for ideas
Here for image

More Fake O'Hare UFO Photographs?

Is This A Photo Of The O'Hare UFO Or A Fake?
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The photograph above looks quite convincing. I'm labeling it the "American Airlines" O'Hare UFO photo. The photo above was also sourced to AboveTopSecret.Com. Who took this photograph? When was the photograph taken, and from where was it taken? The photograph stands alone without context. This image means next to nothing without answers to those questions.

I'd also like to have someone with some expertise on the layout of O'Hare International Airport review this photo to verify if it even could have been taken at O'Hare when the O'Hare UFO was alleged to have been spotted.

What is the provenance of the photo above? No one knows, and so for now the photo above is highly suspect no matter how good it looks.
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A Closer Look At The Above O'Hare "UFO"?
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Could an object described by eye witnesses as dark gray and metallic end up looking like a cloud? This close up of the image above suggest that it wasn't based upon what eye witnesses to the O'Hare UFO allegedly spotted. Despite this concern this photo might be legitimate, still we need for the individual who took the photo to step forward. If it was taken by someone who works at O'Hare International Airport then it is likely this photo is the real deal.
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O'Hare Control Tower UFO - An Easy To Spot Fake?
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Perhaps the photo above will turn out to be a real O'Hare UFO photograph, but I highly doubt it. See below for an assessment as to why most people are labeling this photo a blatant fake.
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Source Of O'Hare Control Towers UFO Photo?
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The photograph above was discovered on the Wikipedia page for O'Hare International Airport. It appears to be the source for the "UFO" photograph above it. There are many problems with the photo. The photograph above appears to have been taken during a sunny day which contradicts eye witness accounts of the O'Hare UFO sighting. The size of the UFO as presented in the photograph is much larger than what eye witness accounts have guessed it was. For these reasons, and the probability that it was created by photo editing software, the O'Hare Control Tower "UFO" photograph is most certainly a fake.
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My Own Totally Fake UFO Slide Show I Made In One Hour
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I decided to see how long it would take using a photo editor to make up my own totally fake O'Hare UFO photo. It took me longer than I thought it would, and I must admit it doesn't look that great. I also suspect that it would not stand up under any close examination. Then again it took about an hour to cook up the image. If I had spent longer working on it, I probably could have produced an image which would fool most people, but probably not the experts.

Yet my fake UFO slide show does show that anyone with some time, imagination, and proper software can make a fake UFO photograph with little effort. That's why it is so important that we ignore the images that are being released, and focus on getting the United Air Lines employees to go public. It is simply unbelievable in this day, and age, that citizens of the United States are being coerced to remain silent simply for spotting an unusual object in the sky!
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Also

See my previous O'Hare UFO post for a look at the "first" O'Hare UFO photograph.
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Credits
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O'Hare Control Towers UFO Fake Photo on AboveTopSecret.Com Discussion Boards

Where I found a mention of my prior O'Hare UFO Post, and a link to the "American Airlines" O'Hare UFO Image.