Not That Vampires Exist And Were On To Anything...

These times demand the Times:

Young Blood May Hold Key to Reversing Aging

Two teams of scientists published studies on Sunday showing that blood from young mice reverses aging in old mice, rejuvenating their muscles and brains. As ghoulish as the research may sound, experts said that it could lead to treatments for disorders like Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease.

“I am extremely excited,” said Rudolph Tanzi, a professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, who was not involved in the research. “These findings could be a game changer.”

The research builds on centuries of speculation that the blood of young people contains substances that might rejuvenate older adults.

So what is in youngster's blood that is lacking in old-timer's blood?

To pinpoint the molecules responsible for the change, Dr. Wagers and her colleagues screened the animals’ blood and found that a protein called GDF11 was abundant in young mice and scarce in old ones. To see if GDF11 was crucial to the parabiosis effect, the scientists produced a supply of the protein and injected it into old mice. Even on its own, GDF11 rejuvenated their hearts.

It also gave a boost to skeletal muscles and some parts of the brain.

This is all wonderful news for aging mice. But will the idea work in humans?

But scientists would need to take care in rejuvenating old body parts. Waking up stem cells might lead to their multiplying uncontrollably.

“It is quite possible that it will dramatically increase the incidence of cancer,” said Irina M. Conboy, a professor of bioengineering at the University of California, Berkeley. “You have to be careful about overselling it.”

 

Comments

[Jane on Ipad]

I'm in!

[The Brain]

The same thing we do every night, Pinky—try to take over the world!

[The Brain]

Your mouse overlords will be more gentle than your computer overlords.

[BR]

Space aliens have a sense of humor :)

"U-2 spy plane"

"The computers at the L.A. Center are programmed to keep commercial airliners and other aircraft from colliding with each other. The U-2 was flying at 60,000 feet, but the computers were attempting to keep it from colliding with planes that were actually miles beneath it.

Though the exact technical causes are not known, the spy plane’s altitude and route apparently overloaded a computer system called...."

"Edwards Air Force Base is 30 miles north of the L.A. Center."

"...spokesman for Edwards Air Force Base, would not comment on the Wednesday incident, but said, “There are no U-2 planes assigned to Edwards.” "

[Jim Eagle]

Bono has a plane that flies that high? Who knew!

[C. Montgomery Burns]

You know, it's funny, Smithers. I tried every tincture and poultice and tonic and patent medicine there is, and all I really needed was the blood of a young boy.

[Miss Marple]

Good morning!

Yesterday there was an article on an element in mitochondrial DNA that also affects aging.

[Miss Marple]

Sherly Atkisson interview is on Fox now. She is detailing contradictions in various testimony over Benghazi and also the influence of places like Media Matters.

[Marlene]

Morning! A team of Bar Harbor middle schoolers won 1st Place at the First Lego League World Festival in St.Louis. Their win was for robot design,they also won 3rd Place for robot performance. They spent months practicing for the competition.
I probably should have posted this on the previous thread,but it is science-y. :) Also a feel good story for a Monday morning.

[AliceH]

Let's see:
We've got millions of young people with huge college debt and no job prospects.

We've got millions of old people with a lifetime of savings who've shown a willingness to spend vast sums on anti-aging face creams, anti-oxidants, plastic surgery, hair implants - anything to mitigate the physical deteriorations of age.

win win?

[daddy]

Watching CNN International in the Hotel Room. They just did a segment on Piketty's book. They concluded the segment by saying that:

"You must read this book. Even if you do not think you will agree with Piketty you must read this book. And if you do not have the time to read this book, you need to go to our website and click on The UK Guardians's write up on this book. They are the best crib notes around about this Book."

That's not exact verbatim but darn close. So the science is settled---the book is super-important and you must read it.

I wonder what other books CNN has told us that we must read?

[Janet - the districts lie fallow, while the Capitol gorges itself]

Our world is starting to sound like "Never Let Me Go".

[Miss Marple]

daddy,

The answer, of course, is "Dreams of my Father."

[pagar]

"the influence of places like Media Matters."

How about the influence of MB?

http://www.independentsentinel.com/barack-obama-has-a-preference-for-muslim-brotherhood-advisers/

"The smoking gun emails of Sept. 14, 2012, cc’d one Mehdi K. Alhassani who is a Special Assistant to the Office of the Chief of Staff, National Security Council Staff, and Executive Office of the president."

Very few even seem to think that is strange.

[daddy]

On Alice's point, I recall as a young college kid when hitchhiking thru Greece back in 1975, that the Youth Hostel I was staying at advertised where to go to sell your blood for cash, so naturally I put the backpack on and made it over to whatever building it was, and did some paperwork and then they sucked out a huge bunch of my blood, stuck a gauze bandage on my arm, gave me a glass of OJ, and paid me a bunch of Drachmas.

I don't recall how much it was, but 2 months later coming back to Athens from Israel, I went in and did it again.

If I am any example, I don't think college kids will have any reluctance to donate their blood for cash.

[daddy]

The answer, of course, is "Dreams of my Father."

I'm sure you're correct, Miss Marple, and I suppose Hillary's forthcoming tome of lies will be the next "Must Read" they push on us.

[sbw]

In 2003 I asked an expert, Carman Manella, an expert st NYS Wadsworth Lab:

1) How are mitochondria replicated within a cell? By fission? Do we understand the initiating circumstances?

This is not so clear. We know mitochondria grow by a complex process of protein and lipid import and assembly into the respiratory chain complexes on the inner membrane. This involves coordination between the mitochondrial genetic and protein synthetic systems and those in the nucleus/cytosol. MtDNA is replicated (10x faster than nuclear) and transcribed to mRNA more-or-less continuously. In addition, there is considerable evidence that mitochondria undergo fission (and fusion) all the time. You could see what looked like that in the video I showed. There are numerous published EM pictures of what look like dividing mitochondria. Proteins involved in mito fission are being discovered (like ftz) but I dont know if there is a specific mechanism that triggers fission. (Might it be that there a limit to how big one mito "thread" can get before it is unstable?) In the past, there was no evidence for an actual mito division cycle in the cell (possibly coordinated with cell division), but I should ask around if that's still the case. On the flip side, mitochondrial fragmentation (multiple fissioning) is an integral part of cell death (apoptosis). Mutations in a protein needed for mito fissioning (drp-1, a dynamin like protein) blocks apoptosis.

2) What part of mitochondria are damaged by free radicals? How are they damaged?

The big three are hit by oxygen radicals: DNA, protein and lipid. The most serious damage would be mutations in DNA since that would propagate (hence theories linking radicals to mito-based mechanisms of ageing, cancer...) Mito DNA quality control and repair is supposedly less robust than nuclear, although that is an area of investigation. Lipid damage is interesting: unsaturated fatty acid chains are more susceptible to radicals and these are highest in cardiolipin, which is a key lipid component for the respiratory chain (esp. the terminal cytochrome oxidase) and the ATP/ADP carrier protein (very important). There are multiple types of damage to the different types of molecules. Molecular damage to lipids from radicals (and secondarily peroxides) predominantly consists of peroxidation and truncation of lipid chains (usually at the double bonds). This changes the physical properties of the membranes and disrupts specific protein-lipid interactions that determine enzymatic and transporter activity. Protein damage consists of oxidation of amino acid residues which can lead to reduced function due to direct modification of an active site, to misfolding, or to destabilization and aggregation. Radicals can oxidize either the sugar or base component of the deoxyribonucleotides in DNA, causing defects (like single base gaps or breaks in one strand of the DNA) that lead to mutations if not repaired. The consensus is that mtDNA has weaker repair mechanisms (plus its physically closer to the source of the radicals) than nuclear DNA so it's more prone to oxidative damage.

3) What is the density of the rotating F1 ATP Synthase subunits in each crista? In other words, each mitochondria may have how many ATP generating motors.

I couldnt find this number anywhere. I know the motors appear to pack closely in EM but they are not equally distributed everywhere on the membranes. Here's a quick calculation. There are about 10exp10 (1 with 10 zeroes) mito (avg length = 1 micrometer) per mg protein. Conversely, each mito weighs about 10exp(-10)mg of protein. The ATPase makes up (conservatively) about 2% of the total mass of the mitochondrion, so the total mass of ATPase in 1 mito = M = .02 x 10exp(-10)mg = 2x10exp(-8)mg of ATPase. Each ATPase weighs m = 380,000 daltons = 3.8x10exp5 x 1.6x10exp(-21)mg/dalton = about 6x10exp(-16)mg. Dividing M/m we get around 3x10exp7 ATPase motors = 30,000,000 in one mitochondrion. If they spin at around 10 revs per second, with 3 ATP per rotation, each mito kicks out 30 x 3x10exp7 = about 10exp9 or 1 billion ATP molecules per second. This sounds reasonable to me but I'd want to double check if you need a hard number.

[sbw]

Gawd, I love real science!

[daddy]

What I have also noticed on CNN and BBC, since that's all I have had lately, is that in all the reporting of the Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped and raped by Islamic militants, the headlines and reporting never mention "Islamic militants." I keep seeing the ticker come across saying "Missing Schoolgirls" or "Abducted Schoolgirls", but it never says abducted by who.

It is as if they very consciously have decided not to do any specific identification of the perpetrators, and the more I watch the more the Press seems to be working the story to focusing on parents angry at Nigeria's officials for not doing more to rescue or recover the girls. I am hearing harsher commentary about the Nigerian Officials than I am about the Islamic perps.

[AliceH]

daddy@8:14 sell your blood for cash

Plasma pays better.

I never did this, but had a friend in college who subsidized his bar bill via weekly plasma donations. I think they paid him $20 per.

[GMax]

You can donate plasma more frequently. I don't think it pays more, but in a given time period the multiple donations would add up to more.

[Rick B]

Perhaps they felt identification of the child rapists as followers of the Child Rapist was superfluous?

[GMax]

I am generally disdainful of PHEW polling as there are numerous incidents of horribly skewed polling from them. But I would say assume its skewed and then guess what, its even worse for Democrats that they say. Here:

Back in October, before the national health care law was implemented and during the government shutdown, Pew found that Democrats held a big 6-point lead on the generic congressional ballot (49 percent to 43 percent). Republicans now have a strong 4-point lead over Democrats on the generic ballot (47 percent to 43 percent)–the best the GOP has performed in 20 years at this point in an election cycle in a Pew surge

[GMax]

Can you say shellacking?

I knew you could...

[henry]

Ah, now we know how PP keep Pelosi and Reid under control and why they hate Christians-- fetal blood supplies must be protected.

[GMax]

Did I mention its a Registered Voter poll, and especially in midterms a Likely voter poll is going to be even more Republican?

Well I did now.

[Steve]

VIDEO: Fox News Reporting - Benghazi White House Cover-Up Revealed?

http://commoncts.blogspot.com/2014/05/fox-news-reporting-benghazi-white-house.html

[pagar]

Selling blood doesn't produce the income that selling:

http://www.christianpost.com/news/28-y-o-medical-student-auctions-her-virginity-and-guess-whats-her-no-1-reason-for-doing-it-118954/

[AliceH]

NBC written story has this headline: "Boko Haram Claims It Kidnapped 200 Nigerian Schoolgirls"

First sentence states: "The Islamist militant group Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for the abduction of more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls during a raid last month, the French news agency AFP reported on Monday."

However, there is quite a distinction between what they WRITE and what they SAY.

I watched the first video and SURPRISE...there's the slightest of references to a "terror group" about a minute in.

Different stories/relevant points for those who read than for those who look at pictures/listen to speech.

LUN

[narciso]

well they are just a group, concerned about good government, in Nigeria, Darnok when the walls fell.

[Centralcal on iPad]

Looks like Michelle,s brother has been fired as head coach of Oregon State.

[Jane]

Marlene, that is a feel good story, and very cool.

"Looks like Michelle,s brother has been fired as head coach of Oregon State."

is it wrong of me to smile?

[NK(withnewsoftware)]

Speaking of Africa, John Effin' Kerry had some observations for State dept employess (link below); Africans being subject to tyranny from religious 1000-2000 year old dogma? Well that's undeniably true as far as Africans subject to Islamic fascism (Islam = Submit) But we all know John Effin' Kerry wasn't talking just about Islam. The glory of the Hebrew and Christian Bible is that the Word of God shows the way, but gives us all free will. We are all allowed to make our choices, knowing that someday we'll be judged. Islam is terribly different. Islam says, Submit, or the guys with the power will take care of you. Islam is all about the power on earth. As Gutfeld said the other day, the WHCD and I would add John Effin' Kerry, show us why we detest those 'modernists' so much. http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/kerry-religion-not-way-i-think-most-people-want-live_789066.html

[narciso]

there's yet another piece in pocketful of liberty, that misrepresents the Bundy story,

If Del Toro's the Strain series, about the blood thirsty Strigoi, one would think that all these pieces are promotion, like the Winter Soldier tag, and the Transcendence one,

[NK(withnewsoftware)]

Michelle's brother; he's a good basketball man. Shame he lost his job.

[GMax]

Yet another clue that the Hildabeast may take a pass on running, that PHEW polls says 65% of registed voters want an administration with different policies than Obama. Only 30% want similar policies. My guess is that if that continues, she stays on the sidelines and Lizzy the Squaw can take the beating.

[narciso]

Bruce Reidel realizes what we figured out Syria a year ago, in the Daily Beast

[Captain Hate]

Looks like Michelle,s brother has been fired as head coach of Oregon State.

My Terps did their best to keep him in place by tanking to those mutts.

[Miss Marple]

http://news.investors.com/politics-andrew-malcolm/050514-699553-obama-benghazi-talking-points-ben-rhodes-memo.htm

Money quote at the end:

"What could President Barack Hussein Obama have possibly been doing that deadly night, what could his physical and mental condition have been that's so terrible and shocking that the know-everything chief executive would rather Americans think he was asleep at the national security switch?"

[Janet - the districts lie fallow, while the Capitol gorges itself]

Undate - Gosnell Movie
A historic crowdfunding campaign for a movie about America's biggest serial killer, abortionist Kermit Gosnell and the media cover-up.

$1,862,416USD
raised of $2,100,000 goal
89%
8 days left

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/gosnell-movie

[Jim Eagle]

Feliz Cinco de Mayo:

During the French-Mexican War, a poorly supplied and outnumbered Mexican Army under General Ignacio Zaragoza defeated a French Army attempting to capture Puebla de Los Angeles, a small town in east-central Mexico. Victory at the Battle of Puebla represented a great moral victory for the Mexican government, symbolizing the country's ability to defend its sovereignty against threat by a powerful foreign nation.
In 1861, Benito Juarez became president of Mexico, a country in financial ruin; he was forced to default on his debts to European governments. In response, France, Britain, and Spain sent naval forces to Veracruz to demand reimbursement. Britain and Spain negotiated with Mexico and then withdrew. But France, ruled by Napoleon III, decided to use the opportunity to carve a dependent empire out of Mexican territory. Late in 1861, a well-armed French fleet stormed Veracruz, landing a large French force and driving President Juarez and his government into retreat.

Certain that French victory would come swiftly in Mexico, 6,000 French troops under General Charles Latrille de Lorencez set out to attack Puebla de Los Angeles. From his new headquarters in the north, Juarez rounded up a rag-tag force of loyal men and sent them to Puebla. Led by Texas-born General Zaragoza, 2,000 Mexicans fortified the town and prepared for the French assault. On the fifth of May, 1862, Lorencez drew his army, well-provisioned and supported by heavy artillery, before the city of Puebla and began their assault from the north. The battle lasted from daybreak to early evening. When the French finally retreated they had lost nearly 500 soldiers to the fewer than 100 Mexicans killed.

Although not a major strategic victory in the overall war against the French, Zaragoza's victory at Puebla tightened Mexican resistance; six years later France withdrew. The same year, Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, who had been installed as emperor of Mexico by Napoleon in 1864, was captured and executed by Juarez' forces. Puebla de Los Angeles, the site of Zaragoza's historic victory, was renamed Puebla de Zaragoza in honor of the general. Today, Mexicans celebrate the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla as Cinco de Mayo, a national holiday in Mexico.

[NK(withnewsoftware)]

CaptH-- you mentioned Dr. jack ramsey yesterday, a terrible loss. In a sport lacking in dignity, Dr Ramsey provided gravitas. His NBA title Trailblazer team was a thing of beauty. Injuries detroyed the team from wining multiple titles. But Br Jack never lost his genius and love for the game, and his great humanity. Doubly tragic that he died when that mutt Donald Sterling hogged the headlines. RIP.

[NK(withnewsoftware)]

JiB-- yesterday you reminded us about the anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea, the first fleet engagement battle in history, where neither fleets' ships visually sighted the other. That was the first military history I ever read, Queens Public Library book (Auburndale Branch) 4th grade spring 1967.

[Jeff Dobbs]

Looks like Michelle,s brother has been fired as head coach of Oregon State.

Oregon State athletic director Bob De Carolis:

Dude really needs to check his privilege.

[Captain Hate]

NK, listening to Dr Jack and Hubie Brown doing the playoff games on radio was like listening to two people who really understood the game and would comment accordingly. They both knew that no matter how talented players like Lebron and Durant are, they succeed because they execute the fundamentals flawlessly. And they'd call out players who failed to do so.

I wasn't a Portland fan but recognize what you stated. I was a bigger fan of his in Philly and Buffalo previously where he didn't have quite so much to work with but still played exciting basketball that was fundamentally sound. The Bullets and Braves used to really go to war in the playoffs.

[pagar]

"that the know-everything chief executive would rather Americans think he was asleep at the national security switch?""

Well he has these guys advising him.

http://www.dcclothesline.com/2014/05/01/sharia-advisors-barack-obamas-muslim-appointees-high-security-positions/

[NK(withnewsoftware)]

Hubie and Dr Jack were both basketball geniuses, no doubt. I was a bigger fan of Dr Jack's broadcasting, he just had more humanity and humility than Hubie, but Hubie has certainly mellowed with age. In November 1983, my then officemate got the Paramount Corp company tickets to a Knick-Bucks game at MSG from his dad. No corporate boxes then at the Garden, and no courtside seats, the Tix were a few feet behind the Knicks bench. Hubie was the coach, and I thought he'd have another coranary during the game. In timeouts his face was maroon, and he sweat like a race horse shouting instruction to a useless group of players who didn't listen. I listened, everything he described would happen, did happen after the timeout. Oh, Dustin Hoffman and one of his kids sat at the end of the Knicks bench, so he did have courtside seats.

[Janet - the districts lie fallow, while the Capitol gorges itself]

Here's MSNBC's view of Cinco de Mayo -

and Pelosi is calling for amnesty again to honor Cinco de Mayo.
How 'bout we do this - for every citizen of another country here illegally, that is given amnesty, the feds have to give a "get out of jail free" token to every AMERICAN CITIZEN. If citizens of other countries don't have to obey our laws...then we shouldn't have to obey them either.

One million illegals get amnesty....then each of us gets one million tokens to use at our discretion.
Send a token in on April 15th. Hand the policeman a token when you're pulled over for speeding. ...

[Dave (in MA)]

Well he has these guys advising him.

http://www.dcclothesline.com/2014/05/01/sharia-advisors-barack-obamas-muslim-appointees-high-security-positions/

Walid Shoebat was on Boston talk radio this morning and he was rattling off Muzz Bros. connections so fast that my caffeine-deprived cranium couldn't keep up.

[Captain Hate]

Hubie was intense and could be grating. And he also had the brilliant idea to play Patrick Ewing at strong forward and Marvin Webster as the center, which probably served to improve Ewing's outside shooting but got Brown fired. When Jerry West took over the operations of the Memphis Grizzlies he coaxed Hubie out of retirement and he quickly made them competitive before retiring again. I watched a game where he returned to do their game on a national broadcast and the crowd gave him a standing O when he was introduced. The Griz fans are great and I was sorry to see them eliminated on Saturday.

[Happy, happy, joy, joy Ignatz]

--How 'bout we do this - for every citizen of another country here illegally, that is given amnesty, the feds have to give a "get out of jail free" token to every AMERICAN CITIZEN.--

How bout Barry negotiates a treaty with our Latino brothers to the south that for every one of their citizens here illegally an American citizen is allowed to enter their country illegally and to stay and do whatever he pleases as long as he pleases, including becoming a ward of their state, and if he likes it enough he can become a citizen. And of course if he sends any money he makes back to the US that's OK too.

Back to work.

[matt]

The time around Cinco de Mayo is also recognized by the French Foreign Legion. They still muster and parade the wooden hand of CPT Danjou at Aubagne, their headquarters.

Danjou and his contingent were wiped out by the Mexican Army at a place called Camerone. This was a year after Puebla. The war went on for 3 years. This is sort of like our honoring Custer's Last Stand, but the French have a flair for the pointless gesture.

[Captain Hate]

Wow. A fellow member of the Horde just said that HuffingChoads said CBS is about to can Lara Logan for her Benghazi reporting. Talk about a war on women!

[narciso]

Not subtle at all are they, anyone who is any good at such stories they fire.

[Jane]

Dave,

Did you see the front page of the Herald this morning?

[James D.]

In timeouts his face was maroon, and he sweat like a race horse shouting instruction to a useless group of players who didn't listen.

That Knicks team did have Bernard King, who at least was fun to watch even if the rest of the players stank.

[Janet - the districts lie fallow, while the Capitol gorges itself]

This is something - http://weaselzippers.us/184979-john-kerry-attacks-jihadists-for-not-offering-health-care-plans/

"“I will tell you, my friends, I have seen this scourge of terror across the planet, and so have you,” he continued. “They don’t offer anything except violence. They don’t offer a health care plan, they don’t offer schools. They don’t tell you how to build a nation, they don’t talk about how they will provide jobs. They just tell people, ‘You have to behave the way we tell you to,’ and they will punish you if you don’t."

??? Exactly HOW is this different than the PC mob of the left??

They just tell people, ‘You have to behave the way we tell you to,’ and they will punish you if you don’t.

[James D.]

Very true, Janet.

But the rest of his statement is just as bad. Kerry's assumptions of what a government ought to do as a matter of course:

Offer you a health care plan
Provide you a job

NO! Government's role is to defend the borders, provide a framework of laws to keep the peace, maintain a civil dispute-resolution system, and a handful of other tasks that, if done competently, result is a society where individuals can create jobs themselves, provide for their own health care, etc.

[NK(withnewsoftware)]

Bernard K was a tremendous talent and entertaining player, his performance against Boston that season in the '84 playoffs was epic. Listen to Hubie timeout instructions?.... not so much.

[Jim Eagle]

They don’t offer a health care plan, they don’t offer schools. They don’t tell you how to build a nation, they don’t talk about how they will provide jobs.

A lot of good a health care plan and a job will do for a suicide bomber.

[Porchlight]

OT,

I was very excited to watch California Chrome win the Kentucky Derby Saturday. You gotta love this story - four regular folks buy a nothing mare for $8k, one owner sees her (not yet born) chestnut foal win Derby in a dream, chestnut 3 year old wins Derby.

I'm sensing a lot of snobbery against this horse because he's not aristocratic and neither are his owners.

You get a sense of it in this WaPo coverage:

"As the field rounded the final turn, California Chrome shot to the lead and seized command. To the eye, this looked like the type of bold move with which great horses such as Unbridled and Spectacular Bid have captured the Derby. But it was an illusion. California Chrome wasn’t accelerating; his rivals were fading. The winner covered the final quarter mile in a slow 26.21 seconds and crossed the finish line in a time that translated into a Beyer Speed Figure of 97 — the lowest ever for either a Derby or Preakness."

So? You don't have to set a record. You just have to beat the pack. I loved watching him break away, just as he did in the Santa Anita.

As far as I am concerned he's the Tea Party horse. Go California Chrome!

[Jane]

"As far as I am concerned he's the Tea Party horse. Go California Chrome!"

Okay, you got me!

[Rick B]

Porchlight,

Just another example of the oppressive breedism afflicting horse racing. We will never have true equality until we see a Clydesdale in the winner's circle at the Derby.

[lyle]

Just so, RB. I won't watch any more horse racing until this vile "competition" between horses is put to a stop and ALL horses are afforded equal outcome. The idea of a "winner" is an outlandish equine microaggresion. Who will stand with me?

[Sue]

In all fairness, the racing world is looking for the next Secretariat.

[Miss Marple]

I am looking for the next Seabiscuit.

[maryrose]

Sue:
we haven't had a Triple Crown winner in about 34 years.
Raptor/Brooklyn game yesterday was exciting. I have no favorite team for the semi-finals. Just don't want Miami again,though my brother in Ocala,Florida is behind them.
Of course dems are in a panic. Hillary and Obammy are imploding at the same time. Their future is dim and the economy is still in stall mode. This summer all of Bammy's shortcomings will be on display 24/7 to remind November voters just how awful the last 5 and half years have been.
Gas prices are at an all-time high, Russia is thumbing their nose at us and Iran has a gas deal with Iraq. He has ruined everything that has felt his touch and after the Senate approves the Keystone pipeline he will veto it because he can. Loser president who is so lame he still thinks he has some mojo left.

[Porchlight]

But that's just it, Sue. If they were, they'd pay more attention to this horse. He doesn't have the bloodlines of Secretariat but he has shown similar speed in prior races and the same capacity to break away.

I really think they don't like his owners. They're not the usual racing elite. Imagine, seeing a victory in a dream. How vulgar.

[Sue]

Every year since you tube, I go back and watch the 1973 Triple Crown winner and I cheer him on just like I don't already know the outcome. he won the Belmont Stakes by 25 lengths. Beautiful horse. Beautiful stride. The best part of the Preakness was the announcer says the jockey on Sham was using a heavy left whip, the jockey on Secretariat wasn't using a whip.

[Porchlight]

From Wiki:

Coburn describes the team as "just everyday people";[9] the Martins own and operate the Martin Testing Laboratories, located at the former McClellan Air Force Base,[3] a business that does product assurance testing and reliability testing of new technologies and materials.[10][11] Steve Coburn works as a press operator for a company that makes magnetic strips.[12] Carolyn Coburn retired in March 2014 from a career in the health care industry.[10]

[Clarice Feldman]

I think California Chrome is the sports story of the year. Love it.The Tea Party ought to make him their mascot.

[Sue]

Porch,

Sure. They even did a segment on Orb and Mine That Bird, and all but admitted the snottiness. Orb was from royalty, Mine That Bird wasn't.

[Porchlight]

Sue,

Did you ever see the Secretariat entry for ESPN's Top 100 athletes of the 20th century? It was controversial because of course Secretariat was the only non-human. Jack Nicklaus has talked about how he fell to his knees weeping watching the Belmont. Just incredible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtuEoiYiqZw

[Sue]

I love their name and the mascot their wives chose. DAP, Dumb Ass partners, and a jackass. Awesome!

[Porchlight]

Best photo of Secretariat is from the Belmont - jockey Ron Turcotte looking back over his shoulder at the rest of the field, far far away. Gives me chills every time I see it.

[Porchlight]

Sue - totally. As the NYDN had it Saturday - who's the dumbass now?

:)

[glasater]

Porch and Sue-

I know nothing about horses but love to photograph them and their riders.
That CA Chrome story is so sweet and thanks for mentioning it.

I keep looking for the "like" button here on JOM and never do find it :)

[NK(withnewsoftware)]

This is a worthwhile read about what the Fed Reserve has done to T-Bond market. Once you understand this, the effect on Dollar value and the resulting fuel/food inflation becomes a logical connection: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-05-05/reason-relentless-treasury-bid

[Bori]

Janet-

Offer you a health care plan
Provide you a job

This is one reason that Republicans will always struggle with the Black vote.

Much is made of welfare and other transfer programs but not much is said about the high percentage of particularly AA minorities are employed by the government.

In 2010-11 Howard University did a study and found that almost a quarter of AA's are employed by the government(23%). The percentage of College graduates or some college was almost 50%.

Government jobs offer stability, promotion opportunities, sometimes preference that other jobs will not or cannot offer. Not to mention that they will hire graduates whose degrees are worthless outside of government.

Smaller government, means losing or minimizing that opportunity. Until this is addressed Republicans will continue to fare badly with AA's. They feel their jobs, future and lives are on the line.

[NK(withnewsoftware)]

Bori-- fair points, all true. But I don't think repubs can or will change their gov't job cut positions. 80% of the AA vote is a writeoff for Repubs. A reality that has to be dealt with. Unfortunate but true.

[Porchlight]

I keep looking for the "like" button here on JOM and never do find it :)

Me, too, glasater. FB will do that to you. :)

[Old Lurker]

I knew Secretariat. Really. Next farm over from my Grandmother's farm in Paris, KY. Mom took my wife and me over to visit after the triple crown excitement. It was exciting, I must admit and to this day my wife talks about petting Secretariat and then seeing the statues of all the other famous horses from there.

I promise you the horse had nicer digs than my daughter has in NYC.

[rich@gmu]

Janet-

iirc that sentiment was said out loud by the dimmest bulb in the Senate-Pattie Murray after 9/11.

>>>Here's MSNBC's view of Cinco de Mayo<<<

that looks racist to me.

[Old Lurker]

BTW. Whoever said long plane rides are harder as you age knew what they were talking about.

[centralcal]

I was worried, GOP might go with a "good ole boy" instead of the right guy. Glad I was wrong to worry:

Shannon Bream ‏@ShannonBream 41s

BREAKING: Per @MikeEmanuelFOX - Rep @TGowdySC will be tapped to head #Benghazi select committee

[Miss Marple]

Tell me about it, Old Lurker. From the time I left my hotel in Rome until I touched down in Indy, 23 hours! (I had to fly to Heathrow, then Chicago, then Indy. Stuck in plane in Chicago while they de-iced, too. Layovers at each stop.)

When I got off the plane a kind man lifted my suitcase (not overloaded) off the carousel. I was so exhausted I could barely walk, let alone lift it.

[lyle]

From NK's link:

Our only question is what type of event could force the GPIF and other fixed income asset allocators to finally stop buying bonds - because if not even the "cheerful" perspective of the US recovery, for 288K jobs certainly is that unless of course one actually reads the writing between the line, can lessen the bid (certainly facilitated by the Ukraine civil war), then we are at a loss what could halt this buying juggernaut into an asset class that the Fed and its central bank peers loathe with a passion, and are hoping will slid back to the mid-3% soon, or else the narrative about some recovery will be completely crushed.

Yep. For all the blather about the "good" jobs number last Fri., bond yields are not signalling "recovery." Oh, and just a something to ponder:

The Fed Now Owns One Third Of The Entire US Bond Market

Thus disguising the true cost of the explosion in US deficit borrowing. Yay!

[Bori]

NK,

Not suggesting that they do. A better effort is needed to point that out to other minorities who are enjoying the benefits of those policies is needed. Hispanics are woefully underrepresented in government (9%).

Despite that Hispanics are doing better as a whole that the AA community. Those policies are only benefiting the very few and detrimental to them. If we could convey that message properly it might help.

Wow, I just realize how naive that sounds.

[Jane]

"BREAKING: Per @MikeEmanuelFOX - Rep @TGowdySC will be tapped to head #Benghazi select committee'

My heart sings!

[maryrose]

Leaving on vacation .Will post when possible.

[NK(withnewsoftware)]

Bori-- unfortunately arithmatic and hard facts trump 'outreach' here. When 100,000 AAs are laid off from the USPS because of, well life, the other ethnic groups should count themselves lucky they didn't become gov't jobs slaves.

[Sue]

Porch,

I've used up all of my monthly you tube allotment watching that. I hadn't seen it before. Thanks.

[Sue]

Maryrose,

Have fun!

[Marlene]

Ron Turcotte lives in Grand Falls,New Brunswick,a stone's throw from the Maine border. Last year the National Film Board of Canada produced a documentary about him..."Secretariat's Jockey-Ron Turcotte."

[lyle]

Top Men, I tell ya. TOP. MEN.

But GOP strategist Ford O’Connell, who advised John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign, said Republicans who want to see further inquiry into Benghazi need to be careful about their approach.

“The Republicans really have a little more going for them, but they have to be careful not to be too political about it, and make this about transparency and good government,” O’Connell said

http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/us_politics/2014/05/expert_democrats_better_off_to_join_benghazi_probe

[jimmyk]

As spine-tingling as the Belmont was, the Preakness was amazing in its own way. Secretariat started out in the back of the pack and then just sped past the whole field midway through the course almost like they were standing still.

[Porchlight]

You're welcome, Sue. It's a good 'un.

Have fun on vacation maryrose!

[Rick B]

"Wow, I just realize how naive that sounds."

Bori,

It's not particularly naive but it might be untimely. Sean Trende made a throwaway point in a tweet questioning the theoretical upper bound of white support for the GOP. The value of the Plantation bloc for Democrats drops rather precipitously when their polarization tactics are coupled with sub par performance by the AA Hire in Chief.

The current race mongering has the potential to generate blowback detrimental to Dems to an extent which will totally negate any positive value in whipping votes in the Blue Hell Plantations. The black moat may be deep but it ain't very wide.

[NK(withnewsoftware)]

Funfact, thanks to a HS buddy's gambler father, I was on the Belmont infield a couple of hundred feet from the main track rail about even with the 1/8th pole. As Secretariat was on his own at that point you could hear him coming down the back stretch. By himself, he sounded like a locomotive engine, I close my eyes and I can still hear the sound of his breathing and hooves clear as a bell over the wall of crowd sound coming from the Grandstand and get tingles. he was a huge animal and his autopsy showed he had a huge heart muscle and lungs. Big Red was one of a kind, a magnificent athletic machine.

[Jane]

I suppose this is good news. The continued meeting with DCF is nothing short of chilling.

BOSTON (MyFoxBoston.com) -- Health and Human Services Secretary John Polanowicz outlined plans for Justina Pelletier to be reunited with her family in a letter to State Rep. Brad Jones Monday.

In the letter, Polanowicz outlines a four-step plan state officials shared with the Pelletier family earlier in the day.

According to Polanowicz, Justina will be moved to the JRI Susan Wayne Center for Excellence in Thompson, Conn. next week. He says DCF will support the return of custody to Justina's parents once they've met four conditions. The conditions include attending visits with Justina at JRI, following through with the Tufts Medical Center care plan, participating in family therapy, and meeting with DCF to review progress.

The 15-year-old was taken into DCF custody in February 2013 after a dispute over her medical diagnoses at Boston Children's Hospital. In March, a judge ordered the state take over permanent custody.

Last week, Polanowicz submitted a letter to FOX 25 saying Justina should return home to her family to get the care and support that she needs. The letter also says the court, and not DCF, has the final say in custody matters.

Read more: http://www.myfoxboston.com/story/25431022/polanowicz-details-reunification-plan-for-justina-pelletier#ixzz30rbwDgfx