Turkish Dogs - particularly Anatolian Shepherd Dogs

In May 2008, I blogged briefly about a game called Foldit which came to mind today when I read a short article in The-Scientist which described how Foldit was used to solve a real life, ten year old, protein structure puzzle for an AIDS-like retroviral protease. This protein structure that defeated scientists was finally solved by the game playing public who played the game. Yay gamers!

The game was designed by a scientist who progressively incorporated computational tweaks advised by loyal gamers.

A group of scientists who were stymied by the structure problem of aforementioned retroviral protease, submitted their protein puzzle to the game.

About 600 players from 41 teams submitted more than 1.25 million solutions. Narrowing those down to 5,000, Jaskolski and colleagues subjected them to a computational technique called molecular replacement (MR), which tests the models against X-ray crystallography data. ...

And the puzzle was solved.

The final breakthrough came from Foldit user mimi, a member of The Contenders and a science technician at a high school near Manchester, UK, who has been playing Foldit for about 3 years. She “tucked in a flap” of the protein that was sticking out, she explains, to make the protein more “globular.” But she emphasizes that “the achievement was very much a group effort,” noting that it wasn’t possible for her to tuck in the flap until others in the group had made their key adjustments to the protein’s structure.

Details for the story and how the solution was picked out are here at The Scientist, and a copy of the resulting paper that was published in Nature, is here.

Pretty amazing story considering all the teamwork in input from such a diverse population of individuals.

Labels: games, Science

Top of the news for us is that we have some exciting new import Anatolian Shepherd Dog bloodlines from Turkey!

At least one Turkish Import Anatolian pup will be available to a qualified Code of Ethics breeder home. There is a little information and some pictures, both on the top of my homepage and on a copy of a recent advertisement PDF here.

Still trying to not over do activities but I will be getting some new photos on the blog, and my miscellaneous meanderings, in good time.

I've had a long absence due to issues of aortic replacement and surgical repair. Recovery is slow and ongoing but very gradually I've been getting back to some of the routines of life. I'm doing pretty well considering all that has happened over the past two years. It truly is amazing what can be done in complicated thoracic surgery.

Labels: absence, Turkish_Imports, Turkishdog

This blog is now located at http://blog.cobankopegi.com/.
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I initiated virtual migration after reading that Google's Blogger has depreciated FTP hosted blogs.

I wasn't aware that the previous deadline for migrations was back in February until I read something about it a couple days ago (mid March). Just haven't spent a lot of time on internet lately. Anyhow, that deadline is now for May. For now, I am now keeping an eye on various parameters and may be getting back to blogging in a few months.

For now, posting a pic of Akilli, a nine year old male Anatolian who has recently joined my family. :)

Labels: Akilli, blogging

Fun! Geno sent me pics today, some of which have Helmut's perspective of Hurley's US Open of Surfing at Huntington Beach.











To read a little more about it and see a slide show, see the OC register, or OrangeCounty.com. Or visit the official US Open of Hurley site: http://www.usopenofsurfing.com/.

Judging by the various slide shows, there were thousands of people at the beach! I saw some pictures of little dogs in some of the slide shows. Very likely Helmut will turn up in another picture collection of this event too. I wonder if the camera dude in the orange shirt marked STAFF, got some pics of Helmut too. :)

Labels: Helmut

Keeping busy these days. Lots going on. I'll keep this one short, lol.

Two health care flow charts:

Obama Care


Free Market

Speaking of health, during some of my recent downtime, I got a chance to watch a lot of "Andromeda". I never paid much attention to it while it was originally airing (I'm so indifferent to TV and have no TV habit). James rented or bought most all of the whole series and I've really enjoyed the persistent theme of hope that runs through the whole series. My favorite character in the show (aside from Captain Hunt) is Trance.

Labels: health, humor, Politics

Lately, way too much going on. Thought I get this one posted at least! I have some nice photos from my crew, and also updates from Helmut. :)

For the ongoing stuff... Legislative session continues as we work to prevent Mandatory Spay and Neuter from being implemented statewide.

Head over to LegalBroadcastNetwork.com to see video interview regarding MSN from three champions people who love their dogs.

"The LB Network is the home base for lawyers across America as well as the professional networking page of The Legal Broadcast Network. It’s entirely Free to join and it opens the door to the future of professional networking and media for attorneys."

Dog Regulations Run Amok? The CDOC vs The City of Los Angeles

No area of the law or regulation creates more controversy and passion then anything linked to dogs, cats and other domestic pets and the lawsuit brought by Concerned Dog Owners of California (CDOC) against the City of Los Angeles over their mandatory spay and neuter regulations is no exception. Last year they filed a lawsuit to over turn the mandatory spay and neuter regulations imposed on all dog owners in the City, in which set dates for spay and neuter are established, civil and administrative penalties are outlined and entire categories of dog breeders, owners and hobbyists now fall under increasingly strict laws and oversight...

Interviews are with:
David Frei - Westminster Kennel Club
John Jensen - lead attorney on the lawsuit against the City of California
Cathie Turner - Executive Director of Concerned Dog Owners of California

the videos are also archived here.

For up-to-date info on California animal law lobbying issues for the first half of 2009, go to True Agendas.

Labels: animal_control

Ohmidog! blog has a blog post titled, "What's that Wayne Pacelle really up to?"
A sort of devil's advocate posting? :)

OhMiDog! says:

Some critics say HSUS has a secret “vegan agenda” — that it wants to take our steaks away. As a meat lover, and a smoker, and a person who likes smoked meats, I say, even if that were the case, so what? The animals I eat deserve a spokesperson.

Secret Agenda? No secret.

Remember Readin', Ritin', and Ritmatic? Those are the three Rs that are the basis of an old time education, of course.

HSUS and Animal Welfare Information Center (AWIC) each have published versions of their own three Rs.

First see Animal Welfare's (via AWIC's) point of view as it refers to the use of animals in science. Science is dear to my heart as is microbiology, aspects of clinical medical technology and research. I've worked in clinical medicine, grown many types of microorganisms and am familiar with animal components as used in a scientific diagnostic laboratory.

USDA's, AWIC has a presentation on their version of the three Rs' which seeks to educate scientists on ways to minimize animal use or harm to animals in order to meet animal welfare standards. Find it on the page above...
Under WORKSHOPS /and then/ WORKSHOP MATERIALS.
From a PDF slide show. The three R's mentioned are.

* Reduction -Minimize the number of animals used.

* Refinement -Employ techniques that reduce pain and distress.

* Replacement -Substitute animal with nonanimal methods or lower organisms.

NOW... Wayne Pacelle/HSUS mentions three Rs in a blog entry:

We believe in the Three Rs [my formatting below]

* reducing the consumption of meat and other animal-based foods;

* refining the diet by eating products only from methods of production, transport, and slaughter that minimize pain and distress; and

* replacing meat and other animal-based foods in the diet with plant-based foods.

It's no secret.


Here's another NonSecret, there is absolutely NO such thing as a vegan.

Labels: Animal_Rights, HSUS, Vegan

This legislative session in California has really been a PAIN. We have a little problem in that California spends money like a bimbo and creates legislation to force compliance with any number of Politically Correct fads and hairbrained schemes without considering the collateral damage to businesses and farms. Additionally the voting population is not really involved with their own government. I guess we all like to believe that there are checks and balances and that our Constitution will prevail. If you are suspicious, you must be a tin foil hatter. Anyway, California is paying for these sins, left and right, and YET... while we are dealing with these mistakes, our pathetic government continues to pass more pork because of ideas that 'sound good' to the citizens.

If you want to cut right to the chase and do stuff about this bill, go here, a google document page where I have placed essential contact information and instructions on what to do.

The mandatory spay and neuter bill is one such idiot package. SB 250 is our current reincarnation of AB 1634 which did not pass last year when our legislators found the bill to be fundamentally flawed. However the people anxious to pass the bill are trying again. It does NOT work. It will be a disaster for our farms and for millions of dollars income for the state. Furthermore, the premise of the bill presents a false problem and presents an equally false solution!
Charts from saveourdogs.com -click to enlarge
See SAVE OUR DOGS for detail and more issues about Mandatory Spay and Neuter (MSN)

Why are some places passing this bill? In Los Angeles, it passed because the promoters flippantly stated (LIES) as if it were fact that Santa Cruz's problems would be helped with MSN. But as you can see from the chart, they are an unmitigated FAIL. Additionally, since Los Angeles willingly used false info to get the bill passed, they too have increased kills and are not solving their original problem. The first step in solving a problem is to correctly identify it.


The hydra strategy.......
The thing is now, the MSN groups are undaunted with their total failures. They seem to think that their failure is not due to them analyzing their problem but is due to all other people that do not have MSN. Thus, they have multiplied their 'divide and conquer' strategy; it resembles the life form known as a hydra. They have chopped up the bigger goals so that the smaller pieces can pass first and like that hydra, the small bits rebuild into a monster. The multiple bills come together after passage, with many complicated ordinances that can be much worse than the original big bill because the smaller ones are amended further and include even more invasive bits tacked onto them.

Read the news and you will see this in action--HSUS lobbyists go to the legislators of other states and say "your state is behind on animal care issues; this and that bill passed in California and other states." This makes legislators think it's really "by the people" since the other states were 'won' and they become convinced that HSUS represents mainstream thought. This is beyond disingenuous, but this is what they are doing.

HSUS and others in the extremist groups discuss this strategy to educate their peers in how successful it is and get sleepy little towns with their boards of supervisors swinging happily from imaginary "progressive" monkey vines.

JQP becomes part of the problem as they sit back and let these laws be enacted without seeing the need for checks and balance.

Anyway, a great post was on another of the forums I read, so I will copy bits of it here. Some of this material is revived from when we were fighting AB 1634.

http://www.ahba-herding.org/AB1634.htm*

It estimated* the benefit dogs give to California ranchers at *about *$140 million.* Add to that about *$1.3 million* boosting local economies by *herding trial exhibitors.*

another

The AKC conducts ongoing research regarding the economic benefits of our events, and our estimates conclude that these exhibitors contributed approximately *$92 million* to local California economies.

Registries such as AKC (American Kennel Club) and CFA (Cat Fanciers of America) conduct ongoing research regarding the economic benefits of our events, and their estimates conclude that these exhibitors contribute nearly 100 million annually to local California economies. This is the contribution from dog and cat shows and does not include the money spent on vets, groomers, handlers, supplies, pet food, etc.

* So far, this looks like AKC dog shows, CFA cat shows, herding trials and working ranch dogs contribute at least $233.3 million to California's economy every year. * This doesn't include hunting trials and other canine performance events including Schutzhund events, sighthound courses, UKC or ARBA dog shows, etc.

Senate Bill 250 is the linchpin on which all the other HSUS-backed radical animal rights bills depend. Sen. Florez -thinks California can afford to lose these animals, their genetics and their owners? In addition to the *$65 million lost by Long Beach* when AKC cancelled the Eukanuba contract a couple of months ago?

See SAVE OUR DOGS (on Twitter)/web for more updates. See True Agendas (on Twitter)/web for frequently updated brief details.

Labels: animal_control, Animal_Rights, HSUS, spay-neuter

Realists celebrate the human/animal bond. Much of the quality of our lives depends on this relationship.

Public health is important. We would not have clean public water nor much commercial food for ourselves or for the animals we care for, without the use of the animal components in laboratory testing media. In the laboratory we prepare tests using media which helps to differentiate the different types of microorganisms, based on what we are looking for. Here's one page showing a type of media used for testing samples for coliforms.

Products cleared for public health standards must pass minimum requirements imposed via technology used in public safety. Restaurants (even "vegan" ones), canneries and more must be able to pass public health requirements with clean standards. Produce such as lettuce, tomatoes, legumes, some nut products, pet foods, as well as lemon festooned drinks (see video) have recently been in the news--for they were contaminated with bacteria that did not meet passing levels. This contamination cannot be determined by use of a coin toss. Coliforms are natural occurring. They are everywhere. On doorknobs, the skins of grapes or on the surfaces of any coinage in your pockets.

Here's an interesting dichotomy. Vegans actively seek consumables such as vitamins, foods and clothing that are not dependent on animal sources or which somehow fit their individual definition of "cruelty free". White sugar and over the counter pregnancy testing involve animal media, and are therefore not vegan. This viewpoint seems rather selective as the same vegan sips from a glass of water or can of soda, or uses public water in their bathing and cooking. Veganism clearly does not exist in reality. Vegans may mean well but tend to languish in scientific denial. I prefer the term, vegetarian. It is certainly more honest. I have vegetarian friends and family members and I do enjoy vegetarian dishes. This commentary only seeks to address the fact that selective denial as practiced by vegans should not be part of our policy making and political processes which influence the balance of good that we (including "vegans") all enjoy because of technology. Imagine if public water and food safety testing ceased.

Using this dichotomy... This denial of reality is used by Animal Rights political groups to condone their activities. These political groups and including Animal Rights Terrorists selectively make targets out of attention getting issues which they feel will not compromise the faith and following of their support groups. In other words, keep the ignorance there, use bad "science", but use this source of ignorant energy to attack others.

Divide, and conquer. What a shame. Imagine what we could accomplish by working together for the goals of human and animal welfare.

That H₂O from the faucet or a plastic bottle; those frozen snow peas, cans of mixed vegetables and Wayne Pacelle's jar of 'vegan' peanut butter are clean foods because of animal products. Vegan irony? Or simple Reality? You'd probably be hard pressed to find a vegan that processes their own sewage using vegan technology and no coliform testing to produce potable water.

There's probably no question that it is good for businesses to find niches to support. Sellers of vegan goods are only doing what is right for them, for business and our economy by appealing to this population. Remember, when people wanted to use 'cholesterol free' vegetable oils, companies knew that putting the 'cholesterol free' label onto these veggie oils could make the difference between making a sale, and not.

So much technology! Why do we need animal testing when we can simulate some things? The answer lies in the complicated realities of unique cellular systems, epigenetics, genome and more. It is not possible to program computers for scenarios when we have insufficient data upon which to base predictions.

"Soybeans and Livestock blog" recently used the following list of charities to remind all, just how much we rely on animal testing and animal media. The charities below are purportedly working to help improve some aspects of life. I'm not making recommendations. Even charities need checks and balances.

If you support reality and research, please consider signing the petition at Americans for Medical Progress and sharing balanced knowlege to discourage ignorance and discourage support for organizations that play on the ignorance of the masses.

*Charities on the People For the Ethical Treament of Animals (PETA) “Do Test” (on animals) List:

AIDS/HIV

1. American Foundation for AIDS Research (AMFAR)

2. Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

3. Pediatric AIDS Foundation

ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

4. Alzheimer’s Association

5. Alzheimer’s Disease Research

ARTHRITIS

6. Arthritis Foundation

BIRTH DEFECTS

7. March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation

8. Muscular Dystrophy Association

9. Shriners Hospitals for Crippled Children

10. Shriners International Headquarters

11. The Smile Train

12. United Cerebral Palsy

BLIND/VISUALLY IMPAIRED

13. Foundation Fighting Blindness

14. Massachusetts Lions Eye Research Fund

15. Research to Prevent Blindness

BLOOD

16. American Red Cross

17. Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation, Inc

18. Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of America

19. National Hemophilia Foundation

BURNS

20. Shriners Burn Institute/ Shriners International Headquarters

CANCER

21. American Cancer Society

22. American Institute for Cancer Research,

23. The Breast Cancer Research Foundation

24. Cancer Research Foundation of America

25. Children’s Cancer Research Fund

26. City of Hope

27. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

28. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

29. G & P Foundation for Cancer Research

30. The Jimmy Fund

31. John Wayne Cancer Institute

32. Lance Armstrong Foundation,

33. Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of America

34. Lombardi Cancer Center

35. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

36. National Cancer Research Center

37. National Foundation for Cancer Research

38. Nina Hyde Center for Breast Cancer Research/Lombardi Cancer Research Center,

39. The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund

40. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

41. Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation

42. The V Foundation for Cancer Research

CHILDREN

43. Boys Town National Research Hospital

44. Children’s Cancer Research Fund

45. Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation

46. Children’s National Medical Center

47. Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

48. The Jimmy Fund

49 Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF),

50. Pediatric AIDS Foundation

51. Shriners Hospitals for Crippled Children/ Shriners International Headquarters,

52. The Smile Train

53. Society for Pediatric Pathology

54. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

55. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Alliance

DEAF/HEARING-IMPAIRED

56. Boys Town National Research Hospital

57. Deafness Research Foundation

DIABETES

58. American Diabetes Association,

59. Joslin Diabetes Center

60. Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International

ELDERLY

61. American Federation for Aging Research,

EMOTIONAL/BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS

62. National Alliance for Research of Schizophrenia and Depression

63. National Alliance for the Mentally Ill

EPILEPSY

64. Epilepsy Foundation of America

HEART

65. American Heart Association

66. National Heart Foundation

KIDNEY

67. Kidney Foundation of Canada

68. National Kidney Foundation

LUNG

69. American Lung Association

MISCELLANEOUS

70. Alliance for Lupus Research

71. American Brain Tumor Association

72. American Digestive Health Foundation

73. American Health Assistance Foundation

74. American Liver Foundation

75. American Tinnitus Association,

76. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association (ALS)

77. BNI Foundation,

78. Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America

79. Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

80. Endometriosis Association

81. Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy

82. Huntington’s Disease Society of America

83. Lupus Foundation of America

84. National Multiple Sclerosis Society

85. Project A.L.S

PARALYSIS

86. American Paralysis Foundation

87. Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation

88. Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association

89. Miami Project to Cure Paralysis

90. Paralyzed Veterans of America

PARKINSON’S DISEASE

91. American Parkinson Disease Association

92. Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research

93. National Parkinson Foundation

94. Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, Inc.,

STROKE

95. National Stroke Association

VETERANS:

96. Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association/Paralyzed Veterans of America

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Labels: Animal_Rights, Science, Vegan

Trying to keep track of where all the time goes is just impossible these days. I've certainly had a lot of distractions.

Yummy stuff. Dragon Boat Festival is coming up soon (June 8). Mom doesn't cook any more so her vegetarian or traditional version of zongzi will not happen this year. I did find a page with a pretty classic version of zongzi, and am really happy with the find. Google images of this traditional Chinese food stimulates the appetite for me! :) Of course, it's a pretty huge undertaking (like making homemade tamales but since they are bigger servings, goes quicker) so I'll be trying to find a local place where I can pick some up premade.

Something new to me that I learned this month came by way of Marlene in an email where she mentioned chicken diapers. I had to find a site that featured them to learn more about this oddity and now it doesn't really seem that odd. Chicken diapers allow chickens to kept as house pets. Chickens do make really sweet affectionate companions, except for the occasional rooster from heck (they can get dangerous if they are unpredictable and aggressive, especially if their spurs are long an untrimmed). Some roosters have very nice personalities. If you do not have a good ratio of hens to roosters, your hens will get rather bedraggled; the roosters are pretty randy guys. My chickens have always been livestock and live outside except for that period of time that they need to be under the heat lamp--new peepers from the post office are always exciting! A sick or injured bird however, would be kept in the house, in a cat crate where I could give it attention through the day. It's so easy to imagine making a house pet of one. Imagine a pet rooster waking you up from your headboard in the morning. No snooze button? Maybe some corn scattered on the floor! And you get a few eggs a week from your hen, but if she has no nest, every day could be an Easter egg hunt. :)

HSUS was pretty interesting in the recent week. A stable link to the WSB exposé on HSUS is here. It's been quite an eye opener to see the obsessive levels to which censorship can happen.

Other finds this week. The Library of Congress has some famous and interesting photos on its own Flickr account. From a pit bull chat forum, I learned about this beautiful blog where a man travels on his bike with his pit bull who rides a sidecar. They have beautiful photography there. Check it out, Ara and Spirit's blog, The Oasis of My Soul.

A really funny video. I always wince when it looks like people are getting hurt, but overall, I really had a good laugh with this one. :)


I've had a Twitter account for many months but didn't make much use of it. I've found it very handy for following issues in legislation, foodie blogs, posts about science, agriculture, my breed, genetics, games, humor, photography, news, photo editing and seriously, all manner of other things that interest me. I've added a sidebar to this blog that shows my latest 'tweets' and connects to my Twitter profile.

Labels: Animal_Rights, Chickens, Food, HSUS, humor, Twitter, Video