Anne Bouey

"A rare and tiny island fox is on the verge of making a comeback from near-extinction in the Channel Islands, a rugged and wind-swept chain off Southern California, officials said Monday. The population of the fox dropped to an all-time low of just 70 animals on Santa Cruz Island in 2000 before rebounding to 1,300 foxes now, said Yvonne Menard, a spokeswoman for the National Park Service. Santa Cruz is the largest island. Populations on nearby San Miguel and Santa Rosa islands have also bounced back into the hundreds after dropping in 1999 to just 15 of the cat-sized animals on each island. The island fox is only found on six of the Channel Islands, a chain of eight islands, five of which form a national park. Each of the six islands has its own unique fox subspecies because of generations of genetic isolation. In a five-year period in the 1990s, fox populations plummeted more than 90 percent on the rugged and mountainous islands due to an influx of golden eagles, which preyed on... more... - Anne Bouey from Bookmarklet

Fantastic news! - Kelli H. from Android

"Thomas Sohmers, 17, of Hudson, Mass., has been working at a research lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology since he was 13, developing projects ranging from augmented reality eyewear to laser communications systems. This spring, his mom, Penny Mills, let him drop out of 11th grade. She says she "could see how much of the work he was doing at school wasn't relevant to what he wanted to learn." On Monday, Thomas and his mom learned that he is in esteemed company as a high-school dropout with a knack for computers: David Karp, 26, sold Tumblr, the online blogging forum he created, to Yahoo for $1.1 billion. Examples of tech geniuses who lack college degrees are well-known — Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg among them. But Karp left high school after his freshman year, with his mother's blessing, at the tender age of 14. Critics say dropping out of school to pursue a dream is a terrible idea. Vivek Wadhwa, a fellow at Stanford Law School who teaches and advises... more... - Anne Bouey from Bookmarklet

I feel like I'm missing something - didn't he homeschool for two years before fully "dropping out?" Apparently self-guided, but responsible for proving learning, was just as limiting as his elite high school. There are always going to be some people who chafe against requirements, and it isn't a mark for or against genius. - Jennifer Dittrich

"As the guitarist strums and softly sings a lullaby in Spanish, tiny Augustin Morales stops squirming in his hospital crib and closes his eyes. This is therapy in a newborn intensive care unit, and research suggests that music may help those born way too soon adapt to life outside the womb. Some tiny preemies are too small and fragile to be held and comforted by human touch, and many are often fussy and show other signs of stress. Other common complications include immature lungs, eye disease, problems with sucking, and sleeping and alertness difficulties. Recent studies and anecdotal reports suggest the vibrations and soothing rhythms of music, especially performed live in the hospital, might benefit preemies and other sick babies. Many insurers won't pay for music therapy because of doubts that it results in any lasting medical improvement. Some doctors say the music works best at relieving babies' stress and helping parents bond with infants too sick to go home. But amid beeping... more... - Anne Bouey from Bookmarklet

So, what we need is a huge playlist of appropriate songs and a whole lot of musicians willing to volunteer some of their time and talents to play in newborn intensive care units, till the insurance companies get a clue. - April Russo

"Finals week was dangerous for Thomas Saenz. The Navy lieutenant needed armed guards and an armored car to get to an exam site, in Kabul, Afghanistan. A deadly bomb attack also caused him to his miss classes — transmitted live via the Internet — but he persevered and earned a master's degree in engineering from the University of Southern California while commanding a top security team. His class graduated on Friday, as he joins a growing number of service members earning college degrees while deployed in a war zone. "Not only was he out there living on the edge, but he had to get his homework done," USC professor Frank Alvidrez said. The Obama administration is pushing universities to find creative ways to help service members complete their degrees as it tracks the success of its post 9/11 GI Bill, which is designed to be the most comprehensive education benefit for veterans since World War II. Enrollments for the new GI Bill number more than 480,000, according to the Veteran's... more... - Anne Bouey from Bookmarklet

THAT is fortitude. - Micah

"When the school year ends a few weeks from now, millions of kids will head off to sleepaway camp for a summer filled with color wars, kayaking and bunk life. Most will have a great time, some will make friends for life, and many will look back on the experience fondly. But amid these happy campers is another group of veterans who recall sleepaway camp quite differently. These were the kids who cried every day and sent letters home begging to be picked up. They were lonesome, miserable, bullied; hated the bugs, hated the pool. Many refused to ever go back, and decades later, they can recall their suffering in visceral detail — from poison ivy to wretched food. "Oh did I hate overnight camp," recalled Lauren Russ, 43, who lives in Chicago. "I cried every day and wrote two letters home a day asking my parents to come get me." Russ' mom and dad saved those notes and even read some of them aloud at her wedding shower 10 years ago. "I got another letter from you," reads one of the... more... - Anne Bouey from Bookmarklet

That's what I meant to add when I linked to the LA Times adult camps. There are a lot of people who have super-fond memories of camp but not every camp experience is great. If you're the type who got bullied or ostracized in school, camp was just a place to have it happen 24 hrs a day instead of merely 8. This isn't to put down the concept of camps. I think they can be wonderful for a... more... - Spidra Webster

"CHICAGO -- In the new psychiatric manual of mental disorders, grief soon after a loved one's death can be considered major depression. Extreme childhood temper tantrums get a fancy name. And certain "senior moments" are called "mild neurocognitive disorder." Those changes are just some of the reasons prominent critics say the American Psychiatric Association is out of control, turning common human problems into mental illnesses in a trend they say will just make the "pop-a-pill" culture worse. Says a former leader of the group: "Normal needs to be saved from powerful forces trying to convince us that we are all sick." At issue is the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, widely known as the DSM-5. The DSM has long been considered the authoritative source for diagnosing mental problems. The psychiatric association formally introduces the nearly 1,000-page revised version this weekend in San Francisco. It's the manual's first major update in nearly 20 years, and a backlash has taken shape in recent weeks:" - Anne Bouey from Bookmarklet

Yeah... - Stephen Mack #TeamMomo

"This short video is at once quiet, profound, powerful, true, simple -- and so supremely human. It was produced by the Cleveland Clinic, as an example of their regard for empathy. It's a profound reminder: we ALL have our story. Others have theirs. We NEVER know. And to treat others with the benefit of the doubt, with courtesy, with compassion, with respect." - Anne Bouey from Bookmarklet

My husband sent me this video a few weeks ago. Very powerful! Currently our hospital is making us attend the "Heart, Head, Heart" webinars to outline much of what this video says with much less fanfare. - Janet:#TeamMonique

"Everyone matters" <3 - ᏓᏰ #team Monique from iPhone

"Giving a little bit of formula - the equivalent of a single bottle over several days - to a newborn who's losing too much weight after birth might actually increase the likelihood that the baby will be breast-feeding three months later, according to a small Bay Area study. In a climate of aggressive public health policy trying to cut down on formula use and encourage new moms to give infants only breast milk, the study results are likely to be controversial, and they may seem counterintuitive, the authors said. But for a select group of new mothers who are eager to breast-feed, small doses of formula, given for a short and carefully monitored time, may alleviate some of the stress associated with breast-feeding and, in turn, give them confidence to stick with it, said Dr. Valerie Flaherman, lead author of the study, published Monday in the journal Pediatrics. "This study does not mean that all babies should get formula or that formula is better than breast-feeding. It's my strong... more... - Anne Bouey from Bookmarklet

I agree with you Victor. Lots of my friends have had children here in the Bay Area and lost of them have had huge amount of pressure put on them to breastfeed only. Some pushed themselves too hard when signs of problems (cracking, mastitis, etc) showed and tried to power through, only making the problems worse. If they had done a little of both they may have been able to treat the... more... - Rachel Lea Fox

In honor of today, just watch this when you miss me. :) - Anne Bouey from Bookmarklet

"Talk about high expectations for a newborn: King and Messiah are among the fastest-rising baby names for American boys. They're just a little behind Major, the boy's name that jumped the most spots on the Social Security Administration's annual list of popular baby names. Jacob is the most popular for boys — again — and Sophia is the top name for girls, according to the list released Thursday. It was Jacob's 14th straight year at the top. Next were Mason, Ethan, Noah and William. Liam cracked the top 10 for the first time, coming in at No. 6. Daniel slipped out of the top 10 for the first time since 1998, to No. 11. It was Sophia's second year in a row at the top for girls. Next were Emma, Isabella, Olivia and Ava. But what about those rising boys' names? Typically, says Laura Wattenberg, author of "The Baby Name Wizard" and founder of Babynamewizard.com, "You don't get a lot of Messiahs. You can have a lot more Majors." "I have no doubt Major's rising popularity as a boy's name is... more... - Anne Bouey from Bookmarklet

Names will date you :) Seriously, I can guess your age range based on your first name, a game my co-worker and I play. Though we have an 83 year old patient with the name Pierce who always throws us. We finally asked him about his name. He was named for a family friend! So we calculate the family friend held the name Pierce for about 125 years. - Janet:#TeamMonique

"Muneera al-Shatti has loved playing basketball since she was a child but it wasn't until Thursday that she had chance to show off her skills at a public arena in Kuwait. As part of a new initiative launching sports leagues for women, al-Shatti and her teammates from Salwa Al-Sabah club downed Qadsiya club 63-13 in a game that attracted several hundred men and female fans. The initiative to launch basketball, table tennis and athletic leagues for the first time in Kuwait illustrates how the landscape for women athletes is improving across the Persian Gulf where hard-liners have long opposed women playing sports. Several of the players, in deference to the conservative Muslim culture that is common across the Persian Gulf, wore leggings and covered their heads with hijab. Others, however, wore shorts and T-shirts. "A competition like this should have happened a long time ago," said al-Shatti, who has played in tournaments overseas and only heard about the league in her home country... more... - Anne Bouey from Bookmarklet

"Saudi Arabia's decision is part of a wider package of reforms targeting women with the aim of ending discriminatory practices that have contributed to a host of health problems, including obesity and diabetes. The private schools' announcement also follows a decision last year in the kingdom to allow two female athletes to compete in the London Olympic Games following months of intense... more... - Anne Bouey

#mapmeme - April Russo

"Any day now, billions of cicadas with bulging red eyes will crawl out of the earth after 17 years underground and overrun the East Coast of the U.S. They will arrive in such numbers that people from the southern state of North Carolina to Connecticut in the northeast will be outnumbered roughly 600-to-1. Maybe more. But ominous as that sounds - along with scientists' horror-movie name for the infestation, Brood II - they're harmless. These insects won't hurt you or other animals. At worst, they might damage a few saplings or young shrubs. Mostly they will blanket certain pockets of the region, though lots of people won't ever see them. "It's not like these hordes of cicadas suck blood or zombify people," says May Berenbaum, a University of Illinois entomologist. They're looking for just one thing: sex. And they've been waiting quite a long time." - Anne Bouey from Bookmarklet

"The males come out first - think of it as getting to the singles bar early, Raupp says. They come out first as nymphs, which are essentially wingless and silent juveniles, climb on to tree branches and molt one last time, becoming adult winged cicadas. They perch on tree branches and sing, individually or in a chorus. Then when a female comes close, the males change their song, they do... more... - Anne Bouey

"It's not a "Star Trek" tricorder, but by hooking a variety of gadgets onto a smartphone you could almost get a complete physical — without the paper gown or even a visit to the doctor's office. Blood pressure? Just plug the arm cuff into the phone for a quick reading. Heart OK? Put your fingers in the right spot, and the squiggly rhythm of an EKG appears on the phone's screen. Plug in a few more devices and you could have photos of your eardrum (Look, no infection!) and the back of your eye, listen to your heartbeat, chart your lung function, even get a sonogram. If this sounds like a little too much DIY medical care, well, the idea isn't to self-diagnose with Dr. iPhone. But companies are rapidly developing miniature medical devices that tap the power of the ubiquitous smartphone in hopes of changing how people monitor their own health. "We wanted to make sure they have all the right tools available in their pocket" is how Joseph Flaherty of AgaMatrix describes his company's tiny... more... - Anne Bouey from Bookmarklet

"Insurers are studying what smartphone technology to pay for. For example, health care giant Kaiser Permanente is about to begin a project in Georgia to sell the iBGStar alongside other diabetes monitors in its on-site pharmacies. The project will determine whether patients like the smartphone monitor, if it improves care — and if so, whether the readings should beam into patients'... more... - Anne Bouey

"Parents are reporting more skin and food allergies in their children, a big government survey found. Experts aren't sure what's behind the increase. Could it be that children are growing up in households so clean that it leaves them more sensitive to things that can trigger allergies? Or are mom and dad paying closer attention to rashes and reactions, and more likely to call it an allergy? "We don't really have the answer," said Dr. Lara Akinbami of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the senior author of the new report released Thursday. The CDC survey suggests that about 1 in 20 U.S. children have food allergies. That's a 50 percent increase from the late 1990s. For eczema and other skin allergies, it's 1 in 8 children, an increase of 69 percent. It found no increase, however, in hay fever or other respiratory allergies. Already familiar with the trend in food allergies are school nurses, who have grown busier with allergy-related duties, like banishing peanuts at... more... - Anne Bouey from Bookmarklet

"One of the more popular theories is "the hygiene hypothesis," which says that exposure to germs and parasites in early childhood somehow prevents the body from developing certain allergies. The hypothesis argues that there is a downside to America's culture of disinfection and overuse of antibiotics. The argument has been bolstered by a range of laboratory and observational studies,... more... - Anne Bouey

"When it comes to play, humans don’t play around. Other species play, but none play for as much of their lives as humans do, or as imaginatively, or with as much protection from the family circle. Human children are unique in using play to explore hypothetical situations rather than to rehearse actual challenges they’ll face later. Kittens may pretend to be cats fighting, but they will not pretend to be children; children, by contrast, will readily pretend to be cats or kittens — and then to be Hannah Montana, followed by Spider-Man saving the day. And in doing so, they develop some of humanity’s most consequential faculties. They learn the art, pleasure and power of hypothesis — of imagining new possibilities. And serious students of play believe that this helps make the species great. The idea that play contributes to human success goes back at least a century. But in the last 25 years or so, researchers like Elizabeth S. Spelke, Brian Sutton-Smith, Jaak Panksepp and Alison Gopnik... more... - Anne Bouey from Bookmarklet

"Dr. Gopnik shows this brilliantly with a game she invented with the psychologist David Sobel (her student, now a professor at Brown). In the game, which has the fetching name Blickets, players try to figure out what it is that makes an otherwise undistinguished clay figure a blicket. In some scenarios you can win even if you’re applying a prior bias. In others you can’t. Last summer I... more... - Anne Bouey

"Esther, along with most other 4- and 5-year-olds tested, bested not just me but most of 88 California undergraduates who took the “and” test. We educated grown-ups failed because our prior biases dictated that we play the game by the more common and efficient “or” rule. “Or” rules apply far more often in actual life, when a thing’s essence seldom depends on another object’s presence.... more... - Anne Bouey

"America's blacks voted at a higher rate than other minority groups in 2012 and by most measures surpassed the white turnout for the first time, reflecting a deeply polarized presidential election in which blacks strongly supported Barack Obama while many whites stayed home. Had people voted last November at the same rates they did in 2004, when black turnout was below its current historic levels, Republican Mitt Romney would have won narrowly, according to an analysis conducted for The Associated Press. Census data and exit polling show that whites and blacks will remain the two largest racial groups of eligible voters for the next decade. Last year's heavy black turnout came despite concerns about the effect of new voter-identification laws on minority voting, outweighed by the desire to re-elect the first black president." - Anne Bouey from Bookmarklet

"Overall, the findings represent a tipping point for blacks, who for much of America's history were disenfranchised and then effectively barred from voting until passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965. But the numbers also offer a cautionary note to both Democrats and Republicans after Obama won in November with a historically low percentage of white supporters. While Latinos are now... more... - Anne Bouey

The GOP is so cute. They've needed to "reach out" since like forever, assuming they were interested in anything other than consolidating power. I am not persuaded at their current hand wringing. - MoTO #TeamMonique

Founded April 24, 1800, what is the world's largest library (in terms of space and number of volumes)? - Anne Bouey

I knew all of them except the last one, and apparently, the movie one (thought it was National Treasure). - Laura Krier

"On a typical day, the Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose would be parent Shannon Rosa's worst nightmare. She and her son Leo, 12, would draw angry stares as the large boy whooped and galloped sideways, narrowly avoiding small children and never saying sorry or hello or "Can I play with you?" Other parents probably would complain. But on a recent night, no one at the museum glared at Leo or his mom or even noticed his unusual behavior. That's because all the other parents there had a child with autism, too. The museum is among a handful of similar children's centers across the country that offer special access to children with the disorder, providing services and accommodations to make it easier for them to visit. "Normally people would freak out," Rosa said. "The hardest thing is the expectations of other people. Autistic behavior makes them very uncomfortable." An estimated 1 out of every 50 children in the United States was diagnosed with autism in 2012, almost double what it... more... - Anne Bouey from Bookmarklet

Our transit museum has an after-school program for children with autism: http://www.nytimes.com/2011... I love them. - Meg V. Meg

"In the deadliest ethnic violence in China since 2009, 21 people were killed in confrontations Tuesday between police and Uighur residents of Kashgar, the country’s westernmost city. Among the dead were 15 police and neighborhood security officers and six people that the state media described as “mobsters.’’ Kashgar, which lies close to China's borders with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, has been a frequent site of violence between the dominant ethnic Han Chinese and the Uighurs, a Muslim minority. As is often the case, it was difficult to confirm details of the incident and the account offered up by authorities was vague. Tianshan.com, a website run by the Chinese government, reported Wednesday that three neighborhood security officers tried to confiscate knives from a family in Bachu county, on the outskirts of Kashgar. The “mobsters” were hiding in the basement of a house and ambushed the officers, taking them hostage, the website reported. When police responded to the scene, a gun... more... - Anne Bouey from Bookmarklet

:( - Eivind

"We're in denial: Americans underestimate their chances of needing long-term care as they get older — and are taking few steps to get ready. A new poll examined how people 40 and over are preparing for this difficult and often pricey reality of aging and found two-thirds say they've done little to no planning. In fact, 3 in 10 would rather not think about getting older at all. Only a quarter predict it's very likely that they'll personally need help getting around or caring for themselves during their senior years, according to the poll by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. That's a surprise considering the poll found more than half of the 40-plus crowd already have been caregivers for an impaired relative or friend — seeing from the other side the kind of assistance they, too, are likely to need later on... The poll found most people expect family to step up if they need long-term care — even though 6 in 10 haven't talked with loved ones about the possibility and how... more... - Anne Bouey from Bookmarklet

Wise parents, Jylli! - Anne Bouey

"Versatile Arts was delighted to present Andi for the first time on our stage, with her intense, somewhat unsettling interpretation of Alice's trip down the rabbit hole. Performed at VA, April 20, 2013." - Anne Bouey from Bookmarklet

:) - Anne Bouey

Happy Birthday one amazing young woman. - SteVe C

Haaaaaappy birthday, Kelly! ;) - Wulffy

"It began as a stunt intended to prove that hardship and poverty still existed in this small, wealthy country, but it backfired badly. Visit a single mother of two on welfare, a liberal member of Parliament goaded a skeptical political opponent, see for yourself how hard it is. It turned out, however, that life on welfare was not so hard. The 36-year-old single mother, given the pseudonym “Carina” in the news media, had more money to spend than many of the country’s full-time workers. All told, she was getting about $2,700 a month, and she had been on welfare since she was 16. In past years, Danes might have shrugged off the case, finding Carina more pitiable than anything else. But even before her story was in the headlines 16 months ago, they were deeply engaged in a debate about whether their beloved welfare state, perhaps Europe’s most generous, had become too rich, undermining the country’s work ethic. Carina helped tip the scales. With little fuss or political protest — or... more... - Anne Bouey from Bookmarklet

"The Danish model of government is close to a religion here, and it has produced a population that regularly claims to be among the happiest in the world. Even the country’s conservative politicians are not suggesting getting rid of it. Denmark has among the highest marginal income-tax rates in the world, with the top bracket of 56.5 percent kicking in on incomes of more than about... more... - Anne Bouey

YAY! If you loved me, you would've stolen and smuggled one back for me. *pouts* - Anika

Leo, yes, this was in Chengdu. - Anne Bouey

"Kiss goodbye to football as we know it. In getting machines to help men spot when goals are scored, football is making a mistake. This pact with the devil of goal-line technology will come at a cost to the sport's soul. Policed solely by humans, football can offer lessons on life for those prepared to listen. Referees who fail to spot when the ball has crossed the goal line, or who award a goal when it hasn't, remind us that nobody will ever be perfect and that making mistakes is part of the human condition. So, too, is trying to make as few mistakes as possible. Many referees do that admirably week after week. It would be better for them, the game, and for our blood pressure if we were more accepting of the maybe 5 per cent of big decisions that match officials get wrong, instead of insulting them or squandering millions on technological aids. Accepting the golden rule that the referee's word is final, even when he or she is wrong, also teaches respect for authority something our... more... - Anne Bouey from Bookmarklet

Do they have technology to detect fake injuries too? _That_ would change the soul of the game. - Brian Johns

"As tens of thousands of people gather to celebrate and smoke marijuana in Denver, police will be out in full force. But it's not the pot smoking they're concerned about at the yearly event, billed as the nation's largest April 20 celebration. Instead, police say they're focused on crowd security in light of attacks that killed three at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. "We're aware of the events in Boston," said Denver police spokesman Aaron Kafer, who declined to give specifics about security measures being taken. "Our message to the public is that, if you see something, say something." Organizers say the event — which drew 50,000 people last year — could bring a record 80,000 this year, since it's the first celebration since Colorado and Washington voted to make pot legal for recreational use. Even with the legalization, Colorado law bans open and public marijuana use. Still, authorities generally look the other way. The smoke hangs thick over a park at the base of the state... more... - Anne Bouey from Bookmarklet

His undies are split?! Oh dear...that's preparation. - Anika

:)) - ☼Shepherd☻

"You meet someone, there's chemistry, and then come the introductory questions: What's your name? Come here often? Are you my cousin? In Iceland, a country with a population of 320,000 where most everyone is distantly related, inadvertently kissing cousins is a real risk. A new smartphone app is on hand to help Icelanders avoid accidental incest. The app lets users "bump" phones, and emits a warning alarm if they are closely related. "Bump the app before you bump in bed," says the catchy slogan. Some are hailing it as a welcome solution to a very Icelandic form of social embarrassment. "It's not a good feeling when you realize that girl is a second cousin," said Einar Magnusson, a graphic designer in Iceland's capital, Reykjavik. The Islendiga-App - "App of Icelanders" - is an idea that may only be possible in Iceland, where most of the population shares descent from a group of ninth century Viking settlers, and where an online database holds genealogical details of almost the entire... more... - Anne Bouey from Bookmarklet

I guess maybe Icelanders wouldn't mind questions about consanguinity as much? - Victor Ganata

"Mountain lions, the most fearsome predators in California, lurk closer to suburbia when they are stalking prey or searching out new territory, but the cagey cats steer clear of humans when they are in the mood for romance, according to a UC Santa Cruz study. The findings, which are part of the university-run Santa Cruz Puma Project, offer the most comprehensive analysis yet of the mysterious habits of California cougars and are important because the cats have rebounded from near extinction and are now being seen in greater numbers as urban areas spread into the region's wildlands. The research paper, which was published this week in the scientific journal PLoS One, outlines a complex territorial and communications system in which urine scent markings serve as a kind of feline Facebook. University scientists collected data from 12 female and eight male cougars that were captured in the Santa Cruz Mountains and fitted with global positioning and radio telemetry collars. The data led... more... - Anne Bouey from Bookmarklet

I totally thought this was going to be about women dating younger men deciding to be anti-social. - Monique the crochet freak

Sorry for the disappointment. ;-P I actually had similar thoughts. :) - Anne Bouey