Author Archives: DrE

Animal Altruism: Crow helps hedgehog cross road

Altruism (definition): Behavior that is motivated by a desire to benefit someone other than oneself for that person’s sake.

Some of God’s creatures are more altruistic than humans.

On May 20, 2020, in Ogre, Ogres pilsēta, Latvia, traffic came to a stop when a hooded crow helped a hedgehog cross the road. 

The hooded crow (Corvus cornix), aka hoodie, is a Eurasian bird species in the genus Corvus. This crow is a separate species from the common black or carrion crow.

Crow Helps Hedgehog to Cross the Street || ViralHog

make animal GIFs like this at MakeaGif

~E

Sunday Devotional: Everyone who does wicked things hates the light

John 3:14-21

Jesus said to Nicodemus:
“Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, 
so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, 
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish 
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, 
but that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, 
but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, 
because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
And this is the verdict,
that the light came into the world, 
but people preferred darkness to light,
because their works were evil.
For everyone who does wicked things hates the light
and does not come toward the light, 
so that his works might not be exposed.
But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, 
so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.

“For everyone who does wicked things hates the light….”

So don’t be surprised or disheartened when people hate you for speaking the truth, and for believing in and loving Jesus the Christ.

As we were warned in Mark 13:13:

And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.

We don’t need fanciful or elaborate prayers to talk to Our Lord, as this humble factory worker named Ben shows. The video made me weep….

So, join me today in saying this simple prayer:

“I just came by to tell you, Lord,
how happy I have been,
since we found each other’s friendship,
and you took away my sin.
Don’t know much of how to pray,
but I think about you every day.
So, Jesus, this is (your name),
just checking in today.”

May the peace and love of Jesus Christ, Our Lord be with you,

~E

Coffee drinking associated with less pneumonia among elderly

Pneumonia is the leading cause of infection-related deaths in the United States, with potential for severe complications such as respiratory failure and sepsis. (CDC)

The mortality of rate is pneumonia is highest among the elderly (age 70 and over). In 2017, 261 out of 100,000 people died in this age group due to pneumonia. (Our World in Data)

From 2009 to 2014, a team of 13 Japanese scientists, led by Kyoko Kondo of Osaka City University Hospital, sought to find if there’s an association between coffee and green tea intake and pneumonia among the elderly.

The team undertook a matched case–control study of 65 years or older patients who were newly diagnosed with pneumonia by a physician at 24 hospitals in Japan. As a control, patients with the same sex and age who visited the same hospital around the same time for a disease other than pneumonia were selected.

A total of 199 cases and 374 controls were enrolled.

The study found a negative or inverse association between coffee drinking and pneumonia, i.e., the more coffee drinking, the less likelihood of pneumonia.

Compared to those who do not drink coffee, the odds ratio (OR) for pneumonia of those who drink less than one cup of coffee per day was 0.69, OR of those who drink one cup was 0.67, and OR of those who drink two or more cups was 0.50.

No association was found between pneumonia and green tea consumption.

The scientists conclude that their study “suggested” there is “a preventive association between coffee intake over 2 cups per day and pneumonia in the elderly“:

A large prospective cohort study in the United States showed an inverse association between coffee intake and total death, and there were inverse association between coffee intake and chronic respiratory diseases and pneumonia and influenza in deaths by cause3. Other cohort studies have also reported an inverse association between coffee intake and death from respiratory diseases (pneumonia, influenza, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and related symptoms)4,14. These findings suggest that coffee may have a preventive influence for chronic and acute respiratory diseases….

In addition to coffee drinking’s positive effects on respiratory functions, coffee also promotes anti-bacterial activity and intestinal flora:

Caffeine contained in coffee has arousal effect, inotropic effect, diuretic effect, and respiratory function improving effect, and theophylline of its metabolites, has bronchodilation, stimulation of respiratory center, and anti-inflammatory effect16. In addition, coffee components such as caffeine, chlorogenic acid, and trigonelline have been reported to have antibacterial activity17,18,19,20,21,22.

There are also some research reports on the association between coffee and intestinal flora. Mills CE and colleagues have tested in vitro that chlorogenic acid, a type of polyphenol abundant in coffee beans23, improves the balance of the gut flora24. In addition, arabinogalactan contained in coffee beans has an effect of growing specific bifidobacteria25, and bifidobacteria grown in the large intestine have a function of activating immune cells26. Because the intestinal flora changes with aging, for example the number of bifidobacteria that work well for the body reduce significantly after the age of sixty27, these coffee components may have a beneficial effect on the gut flora. The role of these components in coffee may have played a role in reducing the risk of pneumonia in the elderly seen in this study.

To read the report of the study, see Scientific Reports volume 11, Article number: 5570 (2021)

Source: Nature.com

Also, a 2018 study by the National Cancer Institute and the National Institutes of Health found that drinking coffee is associated with a lower risk of early death. In fact, drinking up to seven cups every day could cut death rates by 16%. (Independent)

~E

Little penguin loves his human

The little penguin (Eudyptula minor) is the smallest species of penguin.

It grows to an average of 13 in. in height and 17 in. in length. It is found on the coastlines of southern Australia and New Zealand.

In Australia, they are often called fairy penguins because of their small size. In New Zealand, they are more commonly known as little blue penguins or blue penguins owing to their slate-blue plumage’

Cookie is a Little Penguin who lives in the Cincinnati Zoo.

Cookie loves his caregiver.

Watch what Cookie does when he sees his caregiver, beginning at around the 1:00 mark in the video below. 🙂

Cookie has his own Facebook page, here.

H/t PawMyGosh

~E

Outspoken conservative Milo Yiannopoulos says he’s no longer homosexual

Milo Yiannopoulos, 36, the former Breitbart editor and outspoken, openly-homosexual conservative who had sparked riots on university campuses, now describes himself as “ex-gay” and “sodomy free,” and is leading a daily consecration to St. Joseph online.

Why aren’t the mainstream Democrat media reporting this?

I know, I know.

It’s a rhetorical question.

In an interview with LifeSiteNews, Milo said:

When I used to kid that I only became gay to torment my mother, I wasn’t entirely joking. Of course, I was never wholly at home in the gay lifestyle — Who is? Who could be? — and only leaned heavily into it in public because it drove liberals crazy to see a handsome, charismatic, intelligent gay man riotously celebrating conservative principles.

That’s not to say I didn’t throw myself enthusiastically into degeneracy of all kinds in my private life. I suppose I felt that’s all I deserved…. I don’t suppose I’ll ever be brave enough to declare it a thing of the past. I treat it like an addiction. You never stop being an alcoholic…. [T]he guy I live with [whom Milo married 3 years ago] has been demoted to housemate, which hasn’t been easy for either of us….

My own life has changed dramatically, though it crept up on me while I wasn’t paying attention. I’m someone who responds to micromanagement and accountability, so I’ve found counting days an effective bulwark against sin. In the last 250 days I’ve only slipped once, which is a lot better than I predicted I would do.

It feels as though a veil has been lifted in my house — like there’s something more real and honest going on than before. It’s been a gradual uncovering, rather than a dramatic reveal. Maybe that lack of theater or spectacle is a sign the gay impulses truly are receding?

The best metaphor I know is that of a flower blooming — of nature’s Epiphany — an image I know Caryll Houselander was fond of. I think it was Houselander who said, “Whatever is loving in man and whatever is lovable in man is Christ in man.” I take this to mean that the more love and the less lust in us, the more we cease to obscure Christ and instead reveal Him, in whose image we are made.

I don’t mean to suggest it’s been easy, just simple: Our Lord endured worse than any of us and promised us that we have to take up a heavy cross each day. Ronald Knox says the Via Crucis shows us the 3 ways we can carry our cross: With bitterness, like the unrepentant thief; with grim resignation, like the repentant thief who said it was what he deserved; or with love, like the Lord, who never minimized suffering but said it would, in God’s time, redeem us….

The best advice I can give others in my situation is: Check your pride, not your privilege. So often it’s vanity or conceit or self-satisfaction that gets in the way of accepting Christ. Learn to catch it before it takes root, and difficult things suddenly don’t seem so difficult….

Secular attempts at recovery from sin are either temporary or completely ineffective. Salvation can only be achieved through devotion to Christ and the works of the Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. St. Joseph is the spiritual father figure of the Holy Family. In this time of gender madness, devoting myself to the male protector of the infant Jesus is an act of faith in God’s Holy Patriarch, and a rejection of the Terror of transsexuals. Trannies are demonic…. Don’t even get me started on Drag Queen Story Hour. I only have to see those four words to be overwhelmed by the urge to buy rope….

I hope people will support and pray for me, if for no other reason than they share my delight at the prospect of Milo Yiannopoulos furiously and indignantly railing against homosexuals for sins of the flesh.

As you might expect, my professional priorities are shifting somewhat, given my new spiritual preoccupations. Over the next decade, I would like to help rehabilitate what the media calls “conversion therapy.” It does work, albeit not for everybody. As for my other aspirations and plans, well, no change: I’ve always considered abortion to be the pre-eminent moral horror of human history. I’ll keep saying so — even more loudly than before.

They say if you let one sin in, others will follow, and now I truly know what that means: As I’ve begun to resist sinful sexual urges, I’ve found myself drinking less, smoking less … you name it.

I’m reminded of the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Heaven must be rejoicing….

Milo’s website is here.

Please keep Milo Yiannopoulos in your prayers.

~E

The world’s richest

Infographic: The World’s Richest Families | Statista Infographic: World's 26 Wealthiest Own As Much As Poorest 50% | Statista Infographic: Which Countries Are Really the Richest? | Statista Infographic: The United States are Home to Most Millionaires | Statista Source: statista

~E

Where the Atlantic meets the Pacific Ocean

Did you know that where the waters of the Atlantic Ocean meet the Pacific Ocean, there actually is a visible border?

Below is a video showing the border between the Atlantic Ocean (light green color) and the Pacific Ocean (darker blue color).

https://youtu.be/bK7PBIOn2Rc

Rickie Anderson writes for Healthy Water Guide, November 27, 2020:

The Pacific and the Atlantic are the vastest oceans in the world. In a nutshell, the Pacific and the Atlantic Ocean border goes from Cape Horn, the tip of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago in South America, to Antarctica’s shores.

This border space is where the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean meet. The area of sea is the Drake Strait or passage, named as such for Sir Francis Drake. Drake was an explorer during the Elizabethan era (the 16th century)….

The water of the Atlantic Ocean is denser than that of the Pacific as it contains more salt. The Atlantic is also much colder than the Pacific, which also makes its waters more condensed. The two different currents run into each other at Cape Horn….

Sometimes, yes, the oceans do appear to be different colors. This distinction happens when events like silt and sediment from melting glaciers or rivers washing down into the oceans occur.

For a while, the oceans will appear to be different hues until they blend. The appearance of varying shades of the sea does not last, however. Eventually, the waters of the two different oceans do merge.

Here’s another explanatory video, showing 15 other borders between two waters:

https://youtu.be/U93QRMcQU5Y

~E

Women can, but men can’t do this

From “The Physics Factbook“:

The center of mass is the balance point of an object’s mass. If a pivot were placed at this point, the object would remain in place and be balanced. The center of mass of a system is not always at the geometric center of the system…. When a system is balanced around its center of mass, it is said to be in a state of equilibrium….

A person’s center of mass is slightly below his/her belly button, which is nearly the geometric center of a person. Males and females have different centers of mass — females’ centers of mass are lower than those of males.

Below are two videos on how men and women differ in their centers of mass (or gravity):

https://youtu.be/_YEmYqziusg

I took both tests — and, being a woman, I passed both.

I’m really interested in how our male readers do.

P.S. These tests should be administered to athletes who claim to be transgender!

~E

Baby goats line up to get hugs

This is too precious for words…. (h/t Elizabeth)

But wait!

The alpaca, waiting so patiently, needs a hug too!

Here are 5 health benefits of hugging and cuddling (source:  Well+Good):

  1. You sleep better: Hugs and cuddling lead to the brain releasing oxytocin, which counters the production of the “stress hormone” cortisol. The lowered cortisol and increased oxytocin promote feelings of safety, security, and relaxation—all of which facilitate sleep. A higher level of oxytocin has also been linked to having fewer nightmares.
  2. Lessen stress: Stress really can make us sick. In addition to oxytocin, cuddling also lowers stress when the body produces serotonin, the “happy hormone” that promotes feelings of happiness and pleasure.
  3. Improve digestive functioning: The more often we cuddle, the more serotonin we produce, and the more serotonin we produce, the better our ability is to digest and process food. This is why we feel depressed, we may lose our appetite.
  4. Reduce pain: The oxytocin that’s released when we cuddle is an antidote to physical and emotional pain. Serotonin, the happy hormone, also decreases our sensitivity to pain.
  5. Boost our immune system: Cuddling improves our immune system because oxytocin and serotonin lower stress. Serotonin is also linked to gut health, and gut health is linked to immunity. A stronger immune system, in turn, helps us to manage stress,  reduce inflammation, fight illnesses like Covid-19, and stay healthy.

By the way, studies show that we can derive the same health benefits from hugging and cuddling our pets!

See also “Baby elephant loves to cuddle“.

~E

Sunday Devotional: The Ten Commandments

Exodus 20:1-3, 7-8, 12-17

In those days, God delivered all these commandments:
“I, the Lord am your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery.
You shall not have other gods besides me.

“You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain.
For the Lord will not leave unpunished
the one who takes his name in vain.

“Remember to keep holy the sabbath day.
Honor your father and your mother,
that you may have a long life in the land
which the Lord, your God, is giving you.
You shall not kill.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife,
nor his male or female slave, nor his ox or ass,
nor anything else that belongs to him.”

an examination of conscience

1. I am the Lord your God: you shall not have strange Gods before me.
Do I accord more importance to creation — to people and things? Do I idolize entertainers or politicians, idealizing and placing them on a pedestal? Am I my own god — grandiose, arrogant, and do as I will? Do I subscribe to a self-serving moral relativism– that what is right depends on the situation and on what benefits me? Do I practice humility by serving others? Do I ask for forgiveness when I have wronged another?

2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
Have my words denied, devalued, or insulted God? Do I use His holy name as a profanity, or as an emotional outburst?

3. Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.
Do I avoid, when possible, work that impedes worship to God, joy for the Lord’s Day, and proper relaxation of mind and body? Do I look for ways to spend time with family or in service on Sunday? Do I say “Thank You” for all that He’s given me — my body, mind, work, family, friends, and for life itself?

4. Honor your father and your mother.
Do I show my parents due respect? Do I seek to maintain good communication with my parents where possible? Do I criticize them for lacking skills I think they should have? Do I blame them for my own flaws and problems? Do I honor that which they gave birth to by treating my body and mind with respect, and refraining from impairing and corrupting myself with drugs, indolence, and pornography?

5. You shall not kill.
Have I killed the body, no matter how small, of another? Have I injured another’s body, spirit and emotions with my actions and words?

6. You shall not commit adultery.
Have I stayed true to my marital vows? If unmarried, have I honored another’s marital exclusivity? Have I respected the physical and sexual dignity of others and of myself, and of the institution of marriage?

7. You shall not steal.
Have I taken or wasted the possessions, resources or time that belong to another? Have I dis-respected God’s creation by being wasteful and profligate?

8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Have I told lies or embellished stories at the expense of another?

9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s spouse.
Have I honored my spouse with my full affection and exclusive love? Have I, instead, longed for or lusted after another, including fantasy figures?

10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.
Am I content with what I have, or do I compare myself to others, and feel envious, resentful, or entitled to what others have?

May the peace and love of Jesus Christ our Lord be with you!

~E