New border rules create ‘invisible Berlin Wall’: mayor

New U.S. rules on cross-border travel that take effect Monday represent a “heightened militarization” that will hurt the traditionally close relationship between border communities, the mayor of Sarnia, Ont., says. Mike Bradley was responding to the new requirement that travellers carry a secure document to enter the U.S. by land.

Immune therapies finally working against cancer (AP)

AP – First there was surgery, then chemotherapy and radiation. Now, doctors have overcome 30 years of false starts and found success with a fourth way to fight cancer: using the body’s natural defender, the immune system.

Bausch & Lomb settles 600 eye fungus lawsuits (AP)

AP – Contact lens maker Bausch & Lomb Inc. had an overriding reason for going private in 2007: It wanted to handle a devastating recall of its flagship lens cleaner, its chief executive said, “without a lot of outside distraction.”

Study: Drug combos may raise breast cancer risk (AP)

AP – Breast cancer survivors risk having their disease come back if they use certain antidepressants while also taking the cancer prevention drug tamoxifen, worrisome new research shows.

A Chicken Coop in Your Backyard?

The City of Vancouver formally allow chicken to be raise on residential properties. If your city allows it, and If you have enough space in your backyard, you might want to consider raising chickens as pets (and eggs for food). Seriously, backyard chicken raising is a rewarding hobby and very cost-effective. Compared to other regular pets like dogs and cats, backyard chicken breeding is a lot cheaper because they actually pay for themselves in the long run.

Given that the initial cost of purchasing chicks, chicken feed and building a chicken coop would set you back a few dollars (the same situation occurs regardless of the kind of pet you want), the long term reward of having fresh eggs on a daily basis and fresh chicken meat on a weekly basis far outweighs the initial investment.

Chicken is a major source of protein and healthful eggs, and homegrown or homebred are even better. Medical health practitioners and researchers recognise that organic chicken eggs from backyard chickens have by far better quality and are more beneficial to our health compared to the chicken eggs available from the supermarket. Home-produced eggs are healthier than commercially produced eggs because they contain greater levels of Omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin E and have significantly lower levels of cholesterol. If the eggs are better, then the meat must be better as well. With more and more people realizing the importance of eating organic food, you are better off since you already have them at your backyard!

Another advantage of building a chicken coop in your backyard is that chickens do not require as much attention compared to other pets or animals. You do not need to walk, groom or bathe your chickens. Although they require feeding and watering on a daily basis, they do not have the need for the maintenance requirements of pets like dogs or cats. Regular cleaning of chicken coops is only essential on a weekly or monthly basis but then this depends on the number of chickens you have in the coops.

Another green benefit of raising chickens in your backyard is that they do double duty as a natural, chemical-free, pest and bug control agent. If you are not aware of it yet, chickens love to eat bugs, mosquitoes, ticks and the number one curse of most plants – slugs! Imagine not having to pay for pest control services anymore. What is more, your batch of feathery pest control specialists will also provide you with the best natural fertilizer for your garden and plants! Chicken dropping is one of the best naturally-produced fertilizers available.

And for an added bonus, chickens are great pets and provide you and your family with endless hours of enjoyment as they wander in the backyard or inside their coops! You will be amazed at the enjoyment they can provide you with simply by watching them do their tricks!

Immune system taught to fight deadly skin cancer (AP)

AP – For the first time, a novel treatment that trains the immune system to fight cancer has shown modest benefit in late-stage testing against the deadly skin cancer melanoma.

The Pros and Cons Of Residential Solar Energy System

Harnessing the sun’s power to produce energy to power our home is very attracting. But is everything about solar energy good? With the increasing fear on the state of the earth, there is genuinely a need to find other means of producing energy.

Whether you are an advocate of clean energy or simply care about where your finances go, looking at the pros and cons of residential solar energy system will help you decide on whether to convert or not.

The Pros

Solar energy from the sun is free. Did you know that the earth absorbs 174 petawatts (a petawatt = 1 000 000 000 000 000 watts) of solar radiation? This means that we have more than enough source of free energy to power every house in the world. Unfortunately, most of our energy is still come from oil, gas and coal. However, in recent years, there is a steady growth of demand for alternative and renewable energy like solar and wind power. It is estimated that the demand for alternative sources of energy will increase by 53% between 1999 and 2020.

Solar energy from the sun is clean, renewable and sustainable. Because the energy created from the sun’s rays does not produce by-products like those from fossil fuel power plants (sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, mercury or carbon dioxide), it does not contribute to pollution to the environment. Therefore, the increase in the use of solar energy and other alternative forms of energy will decrease the demand for greenhouse gases-producing power plants.

Today, the price of photovoltaic cells is steadily decreasing. The demand for solar panels has risen by 57% in the United States in 2007 and is steadily increasing on a monthly basis. The increase in demand results to the improvement of solar technology as a whole. The prices of photovoltaic cells have declined on the average of 4% every year over the past 15 years.

Solar panels can be installed on most roof tops, or practically anywhere with southerly exposure, eliminating the problem of finding a suitable place for installation. Solar panels require little or no maintenance. The original photovoltaic cells technology is used for most satellites orbiting our earth today which are not maintained at all. Many solar panel manufacturers give 25 to 40 years warranty on their products.

Many countries now give tax credits and or rebates to households who want to install residential solar energy system.

The Cons

Although the prices of PV cells are in continual decline, the cost of installation is substantially higher compared to the current electric cost. But the good thing is, after your initial cash lay out, you don’t have to pay every month on electric bills for the rest of your life.

On regions with heavy pollution problem, solar energy may not work as well. Weather can also affect the efficiency of solar energy system. If it is raining, overcast weather the solar panels’ efficiency is decreased.

You are only producing energy during day time.

These are the typical pros and cons you might encounter when considering change over to residential solar energy system. Your final decision should be based on location, cost, budget, rebates, tax credits and practicality.

Congressional panel to analyze VA hospital mishaps (AP)

AP – A congressional panel will question Department of Veterans Affairs officials about mistakes that put patients at risk of possible exposure to HIV and other infectious body fluids at three VA hospitals.

Many women shelve pregnancy plans in tough times

Diana Adam, 35, and her husband wanted to have a second child this year. The timing just seemed right. She had a job as a software engineer at a big market research company near San Francisco, California, and it had good benefits — including paid maternity leave. He was looking for a faculty position after finishing his Ph.D. in sociology but had a steady job as a lecturer at a state university. Their first child, a boy, was three.

New U.S. border rules will mean fewer short trips to Canada: analyst

Tough new U.S. rules governing identification required at the country’s borders go into effect Monday, which one tourism analyst says will also significantly reduce same-day trips into Canada this year.

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