Clipmarks | MorganLvr's clips

The Fall of John McCain

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 01:31:31 GMT

clipped by: MorganLvr
clipper's remarks: It is with deep sadness that I must agree with the NY Times. I used to admire John McCain

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

October 8, 2008

Editorial

Politics of Attack

It is a sorry fact of American political life that campaigns get ugly, often in their final weeks. But Senator John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin have been running one of the most appalling campaigns we can remember.

They have gone far beyond the usual fare of quotes taken out of context and distortions of an opponent’s record — into the dark territory of race-baiting and xenophobia. Senator Barack Obama has taken some cheap shots at Mr. McCain, but there is no comparison.

Tags: new york times, john mccain, lies, politics

Debate over slaughtering horses gains new life

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:00:53 GMT

clipped by: MorganLvr
clipper's remarks: I always have been - and always will be - against killing horses for human consumption. It can never be humane, and we could come up with other solutions to the equine over population if we REALLY wanted to.

Clip Source: www.msnbc.msn.com

The Animal Welfare Institute says these horses, including one with cut and swollen eyes, were among animals being transported to slaughter at a now-defunct Texas plant. Such cases illustrate the inhumane treatment of many horses destined for the meat market, the group says.

By Mike Stuckey

Senior news editor

MSNBC

updated 5:45 a.m. ET, Wed., Sept. 24, 2008

Mike Stuckey

Senior news editor

• Profile

The emotional debate over slaughtering horses for human consumption gained new life in Washington this week as a House committee approved a measure that would ban the practice nationwide and halt the export of U.S. horses destined for dinner tables in other countries.

Tags: slaughter, horses, washington, congress

Groups Working to Rescue Stranded Galveston Horses

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:14:32 GMT

clipped by: MorganLvr
clipper's remarks: Please check out the links in this clip and help these horses if you can.

Clip Source: www.thehorse.com

While most residents fled the island of Galveston, Texas, as Hurricane Ike approached amid National Weather Service warnings of "certain death," numerous horses and other livestock were left behind. Now rescuers are working to get the surviving animals to safety on the mainland, where a staging area for horses has been set up at Jack Brooks Park in Santa Fe, Texas.

Jerry Finch, president of Habitat for Horses, an equine protection organization based in Galveston County, is assisting in this effort. As of the evening of Sept. 15, crews were just beginning to assess the damage and see to equine needs. Finch's team covered a portion of West Galveston.

"I just went down basically to do an assessment, and there are a bunch of (horses) down there," Finch reported. "There are probably at this point 80 to 100 horses that we're going to have to pull out, in just the little section that we saw."

Tags: ike, galveston, rescue, horses, stranded

Gov. Palin’s Worldview

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 00:10:08 GMT

clipped by: MorganLvr
clipper's remarks: As a conservative leaning independent, I was seriously considering voting for John McCain - until he picked Sarah Palin as his running mate.

For once, I have to agree with the New Your Times, something this Texan hasn't done very often.

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

As we watched Sarah Palin on TV the last couple of days, we kept wondering what on earth John McCain was thinking.

Skip to next paragraph

Additional commentary, background information and other items by Times editorial writers.

Go to The Board »

If he seriously thought this first-term governor — with less than two years in office — was qualified to be president, if necessary, at such a dangerous time, it raises profound questions about his judgment. If the choice was, as we suspect, a tactical move, then it was shockingly irresponsible.

Tags: john mccain, sarah polin, running mate

Reaction Case Underlines Need for Horse Owner and Vet Communication

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:59:39 GMT

clipped by: MorganLvr
clipper's remarks: Just a reminder that it's YOUR horse and you have the right to ask questions and make your own decisions.

Clip Source: www.thehorse.com

The ability to have a straightforward, informative conversation with your veterinarian about his or her prescribed treatments for your horse can be just as important as asking questions about treatments or diagnostics that your own physician recommends. With the ever-increasing (read: overwhelming) breadth of information out there about equine veterinary topics, it's not surprising that similar to the laundry list of side effects presented with a pharmaceutical commercial, your horse could have adverse reactions to medications on the market. A horse owner shared with The Horse her story of a treatment gone wrong, with the hope that it can be an impetus to other owners to ask their veterinarians the hard questions and research the substances being administered to their horses.

Tags: horses, meditation, side effects, reactions

Gigi Garner's New Book

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:29:51 GMT

clipped by: MorganLvr
clipper's remarks: Check this out!

Clip Source: www.fivestarpublications.com

Something special happens when women get together and talk - confidences are shared, help and support given, all in the name of sisterhood and friendship. Women are compassionate listeners, knowing intuitively when to offer advice or merely a shoulder to lean on. Gigi Garner captured these intimate moments and compiled them with permission into a book for all women. Contributors include such stars as Naomi Judd, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Shari Belafonte, as well as other women, from a prison warden to an elementary school teacher. Beauty and health tips to advice on careers and relationships, this book covers them all.

$15.95 U.S. / Paperback / Nonfiction
ISBN: 1-58985-051-3
ISBN: 978-1-58985-052-1
www.GirlTalkBook.com
Published by Five Star Publications
P.O. Box 6698, Chandler AZ 85246-6698

Tags: james garner, gigi garner, girl talk, book

Gigi Garner Says Dad Is Fine

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 16:03:42 GMT

clipped by: MorganLvr
clipper's remarks: Even though I've failed to find these pictures anywhere, I'm so grateful to Gigi Garner for setting the record straight.

Clip Source: www.contactmusic.com

The daughter of beloved actor JAMES GARNER has assured fans her father is "doing fine" after recent photographs of the frail star sparked concerns for his health .
Garner was snapped visiting a Beverly Hills, California hospital, looking gaunt and distant, but his author daughter Gigi insists the pictures are deceiving.
She says, "He had a stroke on May 9th but he's doing well. He's doing really well in fact. He's perfect."
The 80-year-old star, who spent three weeks in hospital after undergoing surgery following his stroke, was photographed clutching a cane as a nurse and his driver helped him into a wheelchair.
His representative says, "Jim was at the medical centre for a routine outpatient check up with his doctor."

Tags: james garner, gigi garner, stroke, news

Special Report: Racehorse Durability

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 00:58:52 GMT

clipped by: MorganLvr
clipper's remarks: Research on the loss of durability of racehorses in the last 34 years.

Clip Source: www.thehorse.com

In this exclusive report, The Blood-Horse investigates whether the Thoroughbred racehorse is as tough today as it was 30 to 40 years ago. Editors of The Blood-Horse recently sought the answer to this question by producing a comprehensive review of 34 years of historical Thoroughbred stallion progeny records pulled from The Jockey Club's extensive database. The full study, containing more than 200 pages, is available as a free download in PDF format.

Eric Mitchell, executive editor for digital media of The Blood-Horse notes, "There has been anecdotal evidence for years that the Thoroughbred of today is not as tough as it has been in the past. We compiled stallion progeny race records for foal crops from 1970 through 2003, broke the data down by decade, and then calculated starts per foal for each stallion and each decade to look for trends. We were looking to see whether the starts per foal have decreased over time and clearly they have."

Tags: horses, racehorses, duribility, the blood=horse

Hazards Could be Hidden in Hay

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:47:28 GMT

clipped by: MorganLvr
clipper's remarks: Just a reminder to ALWAYS check anything you feed your horses.

Clip Source: www.thehorse.com

Just 24 hours after Betsy Bueno of Santa Rosa, Calif., began feeding her horses a new batch of hay, one colicked and began to show neurologic signs. Within days, two of her 12 horses required euthanasia and seven were showing similar clinical signs.

"I thought they had gotten some poisonous hemlock outside," Bueno said. But her veterinarian asked to look at her hay.

In the jumble of green material comprising a bale, it can be difficult for a horse owner to spot a dangerous plant, especially in its dried form.

Sharon Gwaltney-Brant, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ABVT, ABT, vice president and medical director of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' Animal Poison Control Center, recommends testing hay for toxic plants, even if hay is purchased from a familiar source.

"Don't send just one flake," she said. "Compile several small samples from several bales."

Tags: hay. poision, hemlock

In the Spotlight: Radiation Therapy for Equine Cancer Patients

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 22:45:05 GMT

clipped by: MorganLvr
clipper's remarks: How encouraging! As well as a darn good thing to know.

Clip Source: www.thehorse.com

While radiation therapy might seem like an unrealistic option for managing horses with cancer, Janean Fidel, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVR, Dipl. ACVIM, from Washington State University's College of Veterinary Medicine suggests the opposite. She attests that radiation therapy is a viable option for numerous equine tumors, including melanomas and sarcoids.

"Even though cancer is not as common in horses as dogs or cats, it does still occur and just like in small animals, radiation therapy is a valuable tool in the treatment of our equine oncology patients," emphasizes Fidel.

At the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) Forum, held June 4-7, Fidel reviewed the biology of radiation therapy and highlighted that the goal of this modality is to deliver the highest possible doe of radiation to the tumor while sparing the normal surrounding tissue--a challenging task at best.

Tags: horses, radiation therapy. equine, cancer

Walking Horse Exhibitors Withdraw from Show

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 22:14:05 GMT

clipped by: MorganLvr
clipper's remarks: I tried and tried to come up with an appropriate comment for this, but words fail me...

Clip Source: www.thehorse.com

Hundreds of trainers withdrew their horses from competition at a major Tennessee Walking Horse show last weekend after USDA inspectors arrived on the scene to examine horses for violations of the Horse Protection Act.

According to Earl Rogers Jr., president of the Kentucky Walking Horse Association, the four-day Owingsville Lions Club Horse Show drew more than 500 Tennessee Walking Horses, many of them contenders for the breed's championship title at the upcoming National Celebration in August. But the prospect of failing USDA testing brought the competition down to just 40 horses in the show's final two days.

"If they had been found in violation, they would not be able to show at the Celebration," said Rogers, who also manages the Owingsville show.

Tags: walking horses, exhibitors, usda, soring

Euthanasia For Wild Horses?

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 16:50:54 GMT

clipped by: MorganLvr
clipper's remarks: Surely this can't be the only way!

Clip Source: www.thehorse.com

Bonnie Matton, president of the Wild Horse Preservation League, wasn't happy when the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced that it might consider euthanasia as a means to manage wild horse herds, but she wasn't surprised, either.

"They're between a rock and a hard place," said Matton, whose Dayton, Nev. nonprofit group advocates on behalf of wild horse issues. "These herds need management, but it's expensive and the BLM's budget can't keep up."

BLM Deputy Director Henri Bisson presented the euthanasia option during the June 30 meeting of the Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board in Reno, Nev., as one solution to cope with increasing herds and a shrinking budget.

Tags: horses, wild horses, euthanasia, blm

Link Between Facial Hair Whorls and Horse 'Handedness' Reported

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:27:46 GMT

clipped by: MorganLvr
clipper's remarks: This is absolutely fascinating!

Clip Source: www.thehorse.com

Irish researchers identified a unique link between equine motor laterality, or "handedness," and specific characteristics of facial hair whorls (trichoglyphs): right-handed horses had significantly more clockwise whorls whereas whorls were more likely to flow in a counter-clockwise direction in left-handed horses.

"It has long been speculated that most horses experience some degree of motor laterality in that they prefer one lead (or side) over the other," said co-author Jack Murphy, PhD, from the department of Life Sciences at the University of Limerick. "Riders tend to find that most horses have a 'preferred' side and gallop, jump, and work better on either the left or right rein."

Equine Bone Fragility Disorder Reported in California

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 16:02:00 GMT

clipped by: MorganLvr

Clip Source: www.thehorse.com

eterinary researchers at the University of California, Davis, are working to classify a newly observed bone fragility disorder that might prove to be the culprit behind some cases of intermittent chronic lameness that have no other explanation.

After an extensive review of medical records from horses examined at the university's Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital between June 1980 and June 2006, researchers found 16 horses with lameness that could not be pinpointed. All 16 horses showed multiple sites of increased radiopharmaceutical uptake (or "hot spots") on scintigraphic images, which indicates increased bone activity (such as bone remodeling or healing after a fracture).

"The horses all have similar clinical symptoms and present with what we think are differing stages of the same disease," said Jonathan Anderson, BVM&S, resident in equine surgery at the hospital and lead author on the study.

Tags: horses, bone diseases, veterinary

Big Brown's Owners Adopt No-Drug Policy

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:37:18 GMT

clipped by: MorganLvr
clipper's remarks: This is wonderful if IEAH is truly serious about ending doping of race horses, and if others will follow suit.

Clip Source: www.thehorse.com

International Equine Acquisitions Holdings (IEAH) Stables--the partnership that races Big Brown--has taken the first bold step in securing a no-drug policy in racing by announcing Monday that all its horses starting Oct. 1 will race without any medication, with the exception of Lasix, which trainer Rick Dutrow asked that they exclude because several of his horses are bleeders and require Lasix to race.

"We have decided to withdraw all of our horses from medication, except for Lasix," IEAH co-president Mike Iavarone told Blood-Horse. "We're beginning Oct. 1 because the horses should be clear of all substances by that time.

"In addition, we are willing to allow racetracks to do pre- and post-race testing on all our horses, and we will pay all expenses."

Tags: horses, horse racing, ieah, big brown, medication

Clipmarks | MorganLvr's clips

The Fall of John McCain

Politics of Attack

Debate over slaughtering horses gains new life

Groups Working to Rescue Stranded Galveston Horses

Gov. Palin’s Worldview

The Board Blog

Reaction Case Underlines Need for Horse Owner and Vet Communication

Gigi Garner's New Book

Gigi Garner Says Dad Is Fine

Special Report: Racehorse Durability

Hazards Could be Hidden in Hay

In the Spotlight: Radiation Therapy for Equine Cancer Patients

Walking Horse Exhibitors Withdraw from Show

Euthanasia For Wild Horses?

Link Between Facial Hair Whorls and Horse 'Handedness' Reported

Equine Bone Fragility Disorder Reported in California

Big Brown's Owners Adopt No-Drug Policy