Christmas and Its Long History of Change

Take Christmas Day, December 25. According to popular belief, December 25 is the date of Jesus Christ’s birth. Yet some scholars assert that December 25 was only used as a day of convenience for both Christians and pagans after the death of the Roman emperor Constantine in the 4th century. In Roman religious tradition, December 25 was the Natalis Solis Invicti, or the Birthday of the Unconquerable Sun, a celebration tied to the official religion of the Roman empire in 207 AD, Sol Invictus. Sol Invictus was in celebration of the Persian sun god, Mithra (Roman Mithras).

Davao Today - Fair. In-Depth. Relevant.

No Bags, Thanks!

With all due respect to Kermit the Frog, it's easy being green. Although we may be overwhelmed by the environmental catastrophes that seem to occur around us with alarming regularity, Karen Pearce says there is a simple way each and every person can make a difference. It doesn't involve travelling the world to clean up oil spills or standing in the path of bulldozers to prevent land clearing. It actually involves shopping …

Recycling shopping bags is a 'gift' to our earth!

No Bags, Thanks!

Flower Power

The air is humid and warm. With sunshine, a little water and some compost, it’s a perfect environment to make something grow.

And more than flowers have grown at Fairview Greenhouse in Carthage.

The greenhouse operation, which has existed since the 1920s, is now among the “Top 100” in the United States, doing more than $9.9 million in sales across the lower Midwest. Fairview ranks as No. 90, according to Greenhouse Grower, a trade magazine, said Claude Newport, manager of the greenhouse.

TheFlower Power

Humans can't calm Fido's fear of thunder

Dogs that are terrified of thunderstorms are only calmed by the presence of other dogs, not humans, a new study suggests.

Veterinarian and researcher Dr Nancy Dreschel of Pennsylvania State University in the US and team report their findings in the current issue of the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science.

The findings support the theory that dogs benefit from the companionship of other dogs, particularly during stressful situations.

The effect becomes even more pronounced for thunderstorm-phobic dogs, whose outrageously high anxiety levels were measured for the first time in this study.

Humans can't calm Fido's fear of thunder

Water Shortage & Drought

Our subtropic region has two seasons: the rainy and the dry season, which brings a natural cycle of flood and drought. We also have one of the nation's fastest growing populations, which increases demand and can decrease supplies of water storing lands.

Our dry season usually starts in November, and continues through May. Temperatures fall and humidity decreases, but not radically. From spring through winter, millions of seasonal visitors visit the region, further increasing the demand for water.

Water Shortage & Drought

One chemical, many foods - Los Angeles Times

Endorsing the view that reducing risk is always for the best are the California attorney general and environmental activists. They want to warn consumers about the presence of acrylamide, a known carcinogen, in French fries and potato chips.

Taking a more pragmatic approach are food scientists. They say that acrylamide has been discovered in many foods — black olives, coffee, bread, breakfast cereal — and that humans have been eating the chemical for years with few, if any, ill effects.

As the two sides square off, two questions frame their debate: At what level does acrylamide pose a threat to humans? And how much risk is acceptable?

One chemical, many foods - Los Angeles Times

Toward The Future Of Cancer Prevention

Can most types of cancers be prevented? It's a question that has emerged in the past 20 years, given advances in screening and early diagnosis, rapid developments in genetics and molecular biology, and progress in the treatment of early disease and in next-generation targeted therapies.

And finding answers is one of the top goals of The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, which has one of the largest cancer prevention research programs in the world.

Toward The Future Of Cancer Prevention