By The Way

2008 has been declared the year of the frog by environmentalist groups across the planet. For several years scientists have noticed that the frog population has been dying. The loss of habitat and environmental pollutants were first thought to be the cause, but even in seemingly pristine habitats frogs were dying.

The culprit has turned out to be a parasitic fungus called chytrid. The fungus is currently unstoppable and can kill up to 80 percent of the population once a habitat has become infected. It is deadly to hundreds of species of amphibians.

The Amphibian Ark was formed to try to save the worlds amphibian population. The AArk is a joint effort of three principal partners: the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), the IUCN/SSCConservation Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG), and the IUCN/SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (ASG).

The group believes that without immediate action the world could see the largest mass extinction since the dinosaur. In a press release AArk said without intervention up to half of the amphibians could be extinct after 360 million years of existence.

The only solution thus far has been is to isolate the amphibians from the wild. Holding environments have been created to protect and preserve a variety of frogs, salamanders and other amphibians from infection.

For more information on the amphibian crisis visit the AArk website at www.amphibianark.org.

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I always plan to make some of my Christmas gifts each year but each year time gets away from me and I never get around to making those things I have planned to give my family and friends.

I found a site on the web the other day that intrigued me enough to go back for more than one look. The name of the website is “Not Made of Money” and it can be found at www.notmadeofmoney.com.

The website is loaded with information, and while looking around, I found a blog about gift making. The best part is that there were links to many websites with easy to make gifts that are also attractive enough to give. A plus when it comes to homemade offerings.

If you have the time and inclination to make a few crafty items for your family and friends, then check out 50 Homemade Gift Ideas – From Around the Web. The website can be found at notmadeofmoney.com/blog/2006/11/50-homemade-gift-ideas-from-around-the-web.html

Happy gift making!
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Ever wish you could learn enough sign language to talk to a hearing impaired friend or co-worker? A great website for learning the basics can be found at www.lifeprint.com. Not only does it contain numerous resources, it also discusses teaching babies sign language to communicate their needs before they develop speech. The baby’s 100 first signs section is a great starting place to learn the rudiments of American Sign Language.

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The Center for Disease Control (CDC) continues to be concerned that our germaphobia is creating a far more dangerous situation than the one we are theoretically trying to prevent. With the rising use of antibacterial household cleaners we are creating super germs, which are becoming more and more resistant to our efforts to rid ourselves of them. We are also killing the beneficial bacteria we need to maintain a healthy environment.

Antibacterial cleaners were originally developed for use in hospitals and medical facilities, but have since been marketed aggressively for home use with substantial success. Most households use antibacterial products with regularity even though no one in the home is ill. The CDC has repeatedly said that there is no scientific evidence that shows that the use of antibacterial cleaners have any significant effect on the reduction of illnesses in a family over that of ordinary soap and water.

We are also seeing more bacteria resistant to antibiotics as well. We tend to think that every time we become ill the doctor should prescribe a miracle in the form of a pill or shot which will cure us instantly. This has led to the over use of antibiotics which in turn is creating resistant strains of bacteria.

With the rise in incidences of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylcoccus aureus (cMRSA) we are seeing evidence that the super bug issue is a real one.

Can we be too clean? Apparently we can.

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One of my favorite recipe sites on the web is allrecipes.com. The website has a recipe for just about anything you can stand to cook.

Since the biggest cooking holiday of the year is nearing at a rapid pace, I thought I’d add a link to the Thanksgiving section of allrecipes.com for those cooks who are looking for something new or those who are in a panic.
AllRecipes.com

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Did you know that Arkansas has an elephant sanctuary located in Greenbrier. The 330-acre sanctuary currently houses 13 Asian and African elephants, including a male elephant named Maximus (Max) who was born there in 2003. Max was the subject of an Animal Planet documentary “Growing Up Elephant”

Owned and operated by Scott and Heidi Riddle the sanctuary was established in 1990. The mission statement says that the primary objective is to provide a safe haven for elephants.

The Riddles offer an amazing opportunity for those who want to learn more about this rapidly disappearing species.

For more information visit www.elephantsanctuary.org

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