Book Review: Animals Make Us Human

Animals Make Us Human: Creating The Best Life for Animals by Temple Grandin and Catherine Johnson.

Autism has given the equivalent of a sixth sense to Temple Grandin, an expert in designing humane systems for handling animals used in agriculture. She has developed an uncommon affinity for understanding the sensibilities, sensitivities, motivations and fears of nonhuman animals. This 2009 book shares practical insights to help people better understand the animals in their lives, including dogs, cats, horses, pigs, cows, chickens, zoo inhabitants, and wildlife. As Grandin helps you learn about learning, you will experience flashes of insight page by page. You’ll discover the real reasons why negative reinforcement (such as in horse training) so often fails, what works better – and why. You’ll come to understand why nonhuman (and human) animals react to novel stimuli they way they do, the unfortunate widespread adoption of animal handling techniques that consistently backfire, core emotions such as fear and seeking – and why, and how, acting in anticipation of a reward is usually more motivating and triggers more brain activity than having the reward. Don’t read just read the parts about the species in your own life; nuggets of enlightenment abound.

For an alternative and enlightening view, please see the editorial by Jeffrey Masson and Jeff Nelson at http://www.vegsource.com/articles2/masson_grandin.htm

Must hear alt-Americana

William Elliott Whitmore is an alt-Americana voice that must be heard. From doubtfulsounds.wordpress.com: "[WEW's new album] Animals In The Dark takes a defiant stance against authority.... addressing current social and political themes, Whitmore frames them with a sound that is as old as the blues itself. The instruments are primarily acoustic with guitar, banjo and minimal drums.... His voice [sounds] like it contains the a century of dust and nicotine from the corners of rural America.”

Double Security Summit in DC

FOSE teamed up with GovSec at the Washington Convention Center to show off the latest tech advances for the public sector.
On view:
* IES Interactive Training (ies-usa.com) demonstrated their simulation programs, and dared put a high-caliber gun in the hands of Ms. Question Authority (me). Turns out that I’m a pretty good shot. Watch out, bad guys.

* T3 Motion Personal Mobility Vehicles. Segways, move over. These T3 plug-ins get 30 miles on a single change and go 25 miles an hour.

* 3-D TV!

5 easy green ways to save $ at home

Veggies protect your prostate (if you have one)

The Molecular Nutrition and Food Research just published data that suggests a diet high in vegetable intake can reduce the risk of prostate cancer. The primary mechanism of this protective vegetable effect is antioxidant protection against DNA and cell damage.

Trick New Bikes for Easier Commuting

Robin's Eco Simple column in this Sunday's Examiner (DC regional and San Francisco regional editions) ... two cool new bicycles to make self-powered commuting easier. The article appears on page 29 of the San Francisco and bay area editions, and in DC area editions including: http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/launch.aspx?eid=a6c97966-b6e5-461d-814e-600abef44cb2&pnum=44

Love Handles Put the Squeeze on Lungs

Another reason to battle bulging love handles: Not only is abdominal obesity associated with diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and other health problems collectively known as “metabolic syndrome,” a new study indicates that a high waist circumference is strongly associated with decreased lung function.

Paris-based researchers analyzed data from more than 120,000 people and published the results this month in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. The researchers adjusted for age, sex, BMI [body mass index], smoking history, alcohol consumption, exercise and cardiovascular history. Natalie Leone, M.D., of French National Institute for Health and Medical Research wrote: "We found a positive independent relationship between lung function impairment and metabolic syndrome due mainly to abdominal obesity.” They defined abdominal obesity as having a waist circumference greater than 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men.