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~pt.1~DONKEY TRACKS" ~~
from: The White Donkey Society
Octomber 20, 2004
~TRAILS of INSPIRATION~ Psalm 23 http://www.interviewwithgod.com/psalm23.htm
Unveiled Beauty http://www.riversongs.net/flo22/falrivr.html
~TRAILS of WISDOM~
"The lesser of two evils is still evil." â author unknown
"If there is bitterness in the heart, sugar in the mouth won't
make life sweeter." -- Yiddish Proverb
"Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you." -- Carl Sandburg
If my hands are fully occupied in holding on to something, I can neither give nor receive. --Dorothee Soelle
"If you have an open mind some people are liable to try to use it as a garbage can." â author unknown
"The moments when you have really lived are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love." - Henry Drummond
If I am like others, who will be like me? -- Yiddish Proverb
~TRAILS of KNOWLEDGE~ Protein in ear may be key to hearing
Discovery could lead to better treatments for deafness LONDON - A protein in the ear that converts sound into nerve impulses that are sent to the brain could be the long-sought key to understanding hearing and deafness, scientists said on Wednesday. The discovery of the protein called TRPA1, by researchers in the United States, could also lead to better treatments for patients with hearing problems. âPeople have been looking for this protein for a decade,â said Professor David Corey, of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Boston. TRPA1 is found on the tip of hair cells in the inner ear. It works by forming a donut-like channel in the cell membrane of inner ear hair cells which is thought to be at the centre of the bodyâs hearing mechanism.âIn the absence of sound, the hole is closed,â said Jeffrey Holt, of the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville, who contributed to the research. âBut when sound strikes the protein, the hole pops open like a trap door, allowing potassium and calcium ions to flood into the cells. Because these elements carry a positive charge, an electrical signal is generated which is relayed to the brain for interpretation,â he added. The scientists suspect that some deaf patients may have a mutated form of the TRPA1 gene. They believe a correct copy of the gene to replace the mutated one could potentially restore hearing and balance to people with hereditary inner ear disorders. The findings are reported online by the science journal Nature. âThis could allow for the development of new gene therapies for deafness and balance disorders in five to 10 years,â Holt added. More than 28 million people in United States alone are deaf or hard of hearing, according to the National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders. Different TRP proteins are thought to be involved in seeing and hearing in insects. They are also linked to taste and heat sensation in some mammals. Copyright 2004 Reuters Limited
~TRAILS of HE-HAWS~
#1 A little boy wanted $100 very badly. He prayed for weeks, but nothing happened. So, he decided to write a letter to God requesting $100. When the postal authorities received the letter to "God, USA", they decided to send it to the President. The President was so amused that he instructed his secretary to send the little boy a $5 bill. The President thought this would appear to be a lot of money to a little boy.The little boy was delighted with the $5 bill, and sat down to write a thank-you note to God. The postal authorities forwarded this letter on to the President, too. It read: "Dear God, Thank you very much for sending the money. However, I noticed that for some reason you sent it through Washington, D.C., and those guys deducted $95 in taxes!" #2 Mister, why doesn't this cow have any horns?" asked the blonde young lady from a nearby city. The farmer cocked his head for a moment, then began in a patient tone, "Well, ma'am, cattle can do a powerful lot of damage with horns. Sometimes we keep'em trimmed down with a hacksaw. Other times we can fix up the young 'uns by puttin' a couple drops of acid where their horns would grow in, and that stops 'em cold. Still, there are some breeds of cattle that never grow horns. But the reason this cow don't have no horns, ma'am,
is 'cause it's a horse." #3 The man was in no shape to drive, so he wisely left his car parked and walked home. As he was walking unsteadily along, he was stopped by a policeman. "What are you doing out here at 2 A.M.?" said the officer. "I'm going to a lecture," the man said. "And who is going to give a lecture at this hour?" the cop asked. "My wife," said the man. #4 A woman was leaving a 7-11 with her morning coffee when she noticed a most unusual funeral procession approaching the nearby cemetery. A long black hearse was followed by a second long black hearse about 50 feet behind. Behind the second hearse was a solitary woman walking a pit bull dog on a leash. Behind her were 200 women walking single file. The woman couldn't stand the curiosity. She respectfully approached the woman walking the dog and said, "I am so sorry for your loss, and I know now is a bad time to disturb you, but I've never seen a funeral like this. Whose funeral is it?"
The woman replied, "Well that first hearse is for my husband."
"What happened to him?" The woman replied, "My dog attacked and killed him."
She inquired further, "Well, who is in the second hearse?" The woman answered, "My mother-in-law. She was trying to help my husband when the dog turned on her."
A poignant and thoughtful moment of silence passes between the two women.
"Can I borrow the dog?"
"Get in line."
~cont. pt.2
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