India is a country that reveres Hanuman, commonly called Monkey-God in the West. Such being the case, they should

California Biomedical Research Association
Primates in Biomedical Research

Research with nonhuman primates plays an important role in the advancement of human and animal health.
Primates share 98 percent of human genes. For this reason, nonhuman primates are critical to biomedical
research targeting the causes, progression, prevention, and treatment of a wide variety of diseases.
Furthermore, the benefits move in both directions – breakthroughs in human medicine are also used to treat
diseases in other animals, including nonhuman primates.

Because nonhuman primates reflect the anatomical, physiological, and behavioral makeup of humans, they
provide an indispensable, and currently irreplaceable, bridge between basic laboratory studies and clinical
use. Much of what we know about the brain, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, AIDS, viruses, hepatitis, and
cancer has come from nonhuman primates.

How Many Nonhuman Primates Are Used?
It is important to stress that the majority of animals in biomedical research in the U.S. are rodents (95%).
Currently, less than one percent (about 0.30%) of all animals needed for medical discovery in the U.S. are
nonhuman primates, and approximately 30 different species are studied.

In general, the most common species studied are Old World monkeys like rhesus monkeys (Macaca
mulatta), and cynomolgus (also known as crab-eating or long-tailed) monkeys (Macaca fascicularis).
These animals are critically needed for vaccine testing, particularly for AIDS. Greater apes (chimpanzees,
gorillas, etc.) are used very sparingly and only when the investigator can provide strong justification. Of
course, in field and zoo settings, a variety of different species are studied.

Where Do These Nonhuman Primates Come From?
With few exceptions, nearly all of the nonhuman primates used for research are bred at the eight National
Primate Research Centers (NPRCs) and other institutions in the U.S. Such facilities minimize the need for
importing animals from the wild, and domestic breeding insures that animals do not possess pathogens
(viruses, bacteria) that could adversely influence the outcome of research projects. While a limited number
of animals are still imported from the wild, the overall number of primates imported to the U.S. has steadily
declined since the 1950's. Typically, the U.S. imports 12,000 to 15,000 monkeys per year for a number of
purposes, only one of which is research. Every effort is made to ensure that imported monkeys are not
captured from the wild. Old World Primates come from Asia (China, India, Philippines) and Africa. New
World Primates are found in South and Central America.

The US is one of only two countries known to still conduct medical research with chimpanzees; the other is Gabon. The European Union essentially banned such research last year.

One drug company, GlaxoSmithKline, adopted an official policy ending its use of great apes, including chimpanzees, in research.

But about a year ago, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) commissioned a long-term study by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to evaluate the necessity of using chimpanzees in medical research. The IOM released their findings last month, arguing that the use of chimpanzees should be significantly curtailed. But the researchers remained undecided on a couple of important issues, one of which was the advisability of using chimpanzees in research testing preventative vaccines for the hepatitis C virus (HCV).

MIRACLE: AP Photo. Cheat Sheet

9. Girl Swept to Sea In 2004 Found

This is the type of story that will warm even the Grinch’s heart. Seven years ago, Wati, a young girl, was swept into the Indian Ocean by the massive tsunami that killed 230,000 people in the region. Her parents assumed she was dead, along with their two other daughters. But Wati, now 15 years old, showed up at a cafe near her home town in Indonesia earlier this week, saying she had been forced to work as a beggar and had finally escaped. She was led to her grandfather, who brought her to her parents.

November 20, 2011

Chinese Premier Jimbo’s jumbo Face on Trillion Dollar Bill

Gumbo-loving Grouchy JIMBO (AKA Jiabao), the Chinese Premier and Obama recently at East Asia Summit had face-to-face conversation. It is a known factoid that the premier demanded his face put on the Trillion dollar Bill. See the cartoon below. V.Krishnaraj

The U.S. might owe China a lot of money, but President Obama didn't shy away from directly confronting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao [AKA JIMBO] on Saturday. A White House official said Wen was "grouchy" but constructive as he responded to the concerns. Cheat Sheet 11/20/2011

November 18, 2011. What is in a name? People do what their names mean and suggest.

In New Delhi, Ms. Joy was robbed by Mr. Wholesome and Mr. Winsome and caught by cops: officers Virtuous, Auspicious and Good Judgment. Police Commissioner Renganathan (the Lord of the stage) on stage gave Ms. Joy a commendation and Rs. 1000.00.

The victim (Ms. Joy) was awarded Rs.1000.00 for chasing motorcycle thieves in Auto-rikshaw and alerting police. The thieves were named by their parents:

1) Nikhil = wholesome 2) Jeetpal = Winsome.

The cops were named by the parents: First names being

1) Sadhu = virtuous person. 2) Subhdev = auspicious deity. 3) Vivek = good judgment.

The victim: Prīti = joyful

The name of the Police commissioner giving the award on the stage to Ms. Joy: Commissioner Renganathan (அரங்கநாதன் = Lord of the stage).

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/article2632608.ece

The Delhi Police have conferred a commendation card on a woman for having helped them in nabbing two criminals who were fleeing after snatching her purse at Rajouri Garden here on Monday.

Preeti Singh was on her way to Vishal Enclave for shopping when two young men on a motorcycle snatched her purse and drove off. An alert Ms. Singh waved down an auto-rickshaw and chased the snatchers to a junction where they were stuck in traffic.

The victim raised an alarm, hearing which traffic constables Sadhu Ram, Subhdev and Vivek Rana -- who were posted at the traffic signal -- rushed to her help and overpowered the suspects. They were identified as Nikhil (19) and Jeetpal Singh (19). The stolen purse containing Rs.3,515 and a mobile phone was recovered from them.

Additional Commissioner of Police V. Renganathan said Ms. Singh has been awarded a commendation card (Class-I) with a cash reward of Rs.1000.

Oct 10, 2011: Thus spake Robert Jeffress:

Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas Oct 2011 News clippings.

Jeffress’s choice of Perry is not hugely surprising – in the past, he has attacked Mitt Romney for his Mormonism, saying, “Even though he talks about Jesus as his Lord and savior, he is not a Christian. Mormonism is not Christianity. Mormonism is a cult” and saying that Mormons “worship a false god.” Mormonism isn’t the only religion Jeffress condemns – he has called Islam an “evil, evil religion”

Jeffress is also a vehemently anti-gay, anti-Muslim, and anti-Mormon Religious Right activist.

Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas proclaimed that "Mormonism is a cult" and that Christians could not vote for Romney because "Christians are uniquely favored by God, [while] Mormons, Hindus and Muslims worship a false god."

Prominent Pastor Robert Jeffress of the First Baptist Church of Dallas gave a sermon a few weeks ago saying, among other things: "The deep, dark, dirty secret of Islam: It is a religion that promotes pedophilia - sex with children. This so-called prophet Muhammad raped a 9-year-old girl - had sex with her."

Jeffress: This is the Babylonian mystery religion that spread like a cult throughout the entire world. The high priests of that fake religion, that false religion, the high priests of that religion would wear crowns that resemble the heads of fish, that was in order to worship the fish god Dagon, and on those crowns were written the words, 'Keeper of the Bridge,' the bridge between Satan and man. That phrase 'Keeper of the Bridge,' the Roman equivalent of it is Pontifex Maximus. It was a title that was first carried by the Caesars and then the Emperors and finally by the Bishop of the Rome, Pontifex Maximus, the Keeper of the Bridge.

Oct 10, 2011

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/11/books/review/arguably-essays-by-christopher-hitchens-book-review.html?scp=2&sq=hitchens&st=cse

Bill Keller writes on Christopher Hitchens who wrote, "God is not great".

BILL KELLER writes on Christopher Hitchens:

If there is a God, and he lacks a sense of irony, he will send Hitchens to the hottest precinct of hell. If God does have a sense of irony, Hitchens will spend eternity in a town that serves no liquor and has no library. Either way, heaven will be a less interesting place. --- September 9, 2011 Christopher Hitchens, a Man of His Words By BILL KELLER on book 'ARGUABLY' by Christopher Hitchens. End

Comment: Bill Keller missed the mark by a light year. God is benign towards all and esp. Christopher Hitchens. He won't be going to hell but to heaven where there is neither a drop of liquor nor a word of Faustian knowledge: these two are damaging indeed to CH. On the other hand, it is a blessing. That heaven by itself is punishment and reward to a swiller-pillar of atheists, free thinkers and writers. Lately, Hitchens hasn't touched one drop of the liquor, which in his case was the brain food. CH is not anymore drawing energy from the iridescent stills; chemotherapy took care of that. He is now using conventional energy supplier glucose for his brain sustenance. The brain, that was used to float in a sea of distilled spirits, is as much active as it is floating now in its natural humor, sterilely called by its acronym, CSF. For his sharp intelligence, slashing wit and ecumenical irreverence, hell is no place for Christopher Hitchens. Only the dull and the dangerous go to hell. If Atheist Buddha is an incarnation of Vishnu, Christopher Hitchens must be His fragment (aṃśa-avatārāh = the incarnations of portions of the Supreme Lorḍ); he will go Home to meet his maker. Krishnaraj. End

Sep 26, 2011

MUMBAI: Hotel heiress and international celebrity Paris Hilton, who is in India on a three-day business trip, showed her humanitarian side when she tipped a beggar $100.

"Yesterday (Sunday) when Paris was travelling to launch her bag store, a woman with a baby was begging near her car; she was so moved that she gave her a $100 note," a source said.

Paris arrived in India Saturday (Sep 24, 2011) to launch her new line of bags and her stores in collaboration with Brand Concepts Pvt. Ltd.

Dear Paris Hilton:

Your heart and mind are in the right place and your wallet in the wrong place. It is possible you gave money to a really needy person. Do you know that gangs operate with lookouts, and begging women at busy corners carrying rented babies in aggressive begging like banging on the car doors? That 100 dollars might have gone to the gangster running the whole enterprise. Begging is business in India in very many instances esp. in the big cities. There are reports that foreigners and NRIs with handbags are targets. The woman with the rented baby follows the target; the lookouts do hand and eye signals to control, move and engage the woman with the rented babies. There are several legitimate charities to which Paris Hilton could have given the money. Besides, many babies are drugged so they sleep through the begging expedition; the woman cannot handle a rambunctious kid, at the same time follow signals from the controller and engage the prospective donor.

Sep 16, 2011

Bebeto Matthews / AP Photo

20. Lost Colorado Cat Found in NYC

Willow the cat disappeared from her Rocky Mountain home five years ago and hadn’t been seen since—until she was found Wednesday on a Manhattan street. The calico cat, who escaped when a door was left open, was picked up in New York and identified by her microchip. "If I could microchip my kids, I would,” said Jamie Squires, her original owner. Willow will be returned to the Squires family but will find things different from when she left them: since her departure, the family has had another child and added a second dog. Cheat Sheet

August 8, 2011

MASS Extinction:

Cod is becoming so rare that Cape Cod would soon be named Cape Toad, according to a wag with a fool's cap.

July 29, 2011

10. No One Will Adopt Hitler Cat --Cheat Sheet 07292011

Maybe they'll have better luck if they stopped calling it "Kitler." The staff at a British animal shelter say no one will adopt a six-week-old kitten because of a black mark under its nose resembling Hitler's mustache. They've named the kitten, which was abandoned at the roadside, "Kitler." ''We rehome five-and-a-half thousand animals every year but we cannot find a loving owner for Kitler," said a spokeswoman for the shelter. "We think her unusual markings are putting people off."

July 11, 2011

9. Snails Survive Digestion by Birds

Escargot, anyone? Scientists in Japan have found that 15 percent of snails eaten by birds survived digestion and were found alive in the birds’ droppings. The finding suggests that birds could help spread snail populations in the same way they disperse fruit and vegetable seeds. The tiny snails that were studied came from Japan’s Hahajima island; larger snails eaten by birds have fared worse in previous studies. Cheat Sheet.

11. Swiss to Launch ‘Janitor Satellite’

Snake dies from baby’s bite

9. Girl Swept to Sea In 2004 Found

20. Lost Colorado Cat Found in NYC

10. No One Will Adopt Hitler Cat --Cheat Sheet 07292011

9. Snails Survive Digestion by Birds