MikeLigalig.com

(Credit: Adam Proctor)

In Europe, you can find Forvik, a tiny Shetland Isle founded by an Englishman (from Kent) to promote transparent governance.

more at http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20151103-the-countries-that-dont-exist, By David Robson, 4 November 2015

Hutt River, in Australia, [is] a small “principality” set up by a family of farmers hoping to escape the government’s strict grain quotas; they soon developed their own royal titles, currency and postal service. “They have a thriving stamp business,” says Middleton (although initially, letters had to be flown through Canada). After decades of struggle, the government gave up the fight and the family no longer have to pay Australian taxes.

In Australia, meanwhile, the Republic of Murrawarri was founded in 2013, after the indigenous tribe wrote a letter to Queen Elizabeth II asking her to prove her legitimacy to govern their land. The Murrawarri gave her 30 days to reply â€" and with nothing but a deafening silence, they formally reasserted their claim to rule their ancient homeland.

"Murrawarri wrote a letter to Queen Elizabeth II asking her to prove her legitimacy to govern their land â€" they gave her 30 days to reply."

(Credit: Adam Proctor)

There’s Barotseland, an African kingdom with a population of 3.5 million that has mounted a case to leave Zambia, and Ogoniland, which is attempting to disengage from Nigeria; both declared independence in 2012.

(Credit: Adam Proctor)

...the Republic of Lakotah (with a population of 100,000). Bang in the centre of the United States of America (just east of the Rocky Mountains), the republic is an attempt to reclaim the sacred Black Hills for the Lakota Sioux tribe.

Their plight began in the 18th Century, and by 1868 they had finally signed a deal with the US government that promised the right to live on the Black Hills. Unfortunately, they hadn’t accounted for a gold rush â€" and the government soon forgot about its deal as prospectors swarmed over the sacred land. The Lakota would have to wait more than a century for an apology, when, in 1998, a judge at the Supreme Court concluded that “a more ripe and rank case of dishonest dealings may never be found in our history”. The Court decided to compensate the Lakota Sioux (in nearly $600m) but they have refused to take the cash. “They say if we take the money, it’ll be like saying the crime was alright,” says Middleton.  Instead, in 2007 a delegation marched to Washington to declare their formal withdrawal from the US, and they continue to mount a legal battle for their independence.

Countries that don't exist

There really is a secret world of hidden independent nations, with their own populations, governments â€" and football leagues. In fact, you’ve almost certainly visited one without realising.


Christiania is a country within a city (Credit: Raymond Brooke / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0)

...Christiania [is] an enclave in the heart of Copenhagen. The latter country was formed by a group of squatters occupying a former army barracks in 1971. On 26 September that year, they declared it independent, with its own “direct democracy”, in which each of the inhabitants (now numbering 850) could vote on any important matter. So far, the Danish government has turned something of a blind eye to the activities; smoking cannabis, for instance, is legal in Christiania, but outlawed in the rest of the Denmark (though the Christianians themselves have decided to ban harder drugs).

what a very expensive coat.

QuoteAmerica, however, did express, albeit with certain caveats, its commitment to come to the rescue of the Philippines if the latter’s vessels and troops come under attack in the Pacific theatreâ€"but not necessarily if it involves a military showdown over contested land features. Kissinger made it clear that the “MDT may apply in event of attack on [Philippine] forces deployed to third countries, which. . . is fundamentally different from case where deployment is for purpose of enlarging Philippine territory.”

This is precisely why the United States chose to encourage the Philippines to find a diplomatic compromise when China wrested control of Philippine-claimed Mischief Reef (1994) and Scarborough Shoal (2012). Nonetheless, in Manila’s calculation, America’s augmented military presence on its soil will serve as a ‘latent deterrence’ against further Chinese revanchism with its 200 nautical miles exclusive zone.  After all, China only started to chip away at Philippine-claimed features when American bases vacated the country in 1992.

ooops...

Also, it would be politically difficult for America to desist from meaningfully aiding a besieged Philippines when a significant amount of its troops are located on the Southeast Asian country’s soil. In short, America will be compelled to act if Sino-Philippine disputes get out of control and transform into a full-fledged confrontation. This is why EDCA means that China will have to more seriously take a American military response into consideration if and when it chooses to coercively occupy Philippine-controlled/claimed features.

Nonetheless, there is no guarantee that this will be enough to rein in Chinese ambitions in the area. Not to mention, China could in fact accelerate its construction activities, expand its paramilitary patrols and step up its military footprint in the Spratly chain of islands to pre-empt the expected spike in American military presence in the area. What is clear, however, is that China’s neighbors like the Philippines are desperate for American assistance like never before.

Richard Javad Heydarian is an Assistant Professor in international affairs and political science at De La Salle University, and previously served as a policy advisor at the Philippine House of Representatives. As a specialist on Asian geopolitics and economic affairs, he has written for or been interviewed by Al Jazeera, Asia Times, BBC, Bloomberg, Foreign Affairs, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times and USA TODAY, among other leading international publications. He is the author of Asia’s New Battlefield: US, China, and the Struggle for Western Pacific (Zed, London). You can follow him on Twitter: @Richeydarian.

Image: Flickr/U.S. Navy.

http://nationalinterest.org/

America, however, did express, albeit with certain caveats, its commitment to come to the rescue of the Philippines if the latter’s vessels and troops come under attack in the Pacific theatreâ€"but not necessarily if it involves a military showdown over contested land features. Kissinger made it clear that the “MDT may apply in event of attack on [Philippine] forces deployed to third countries, which. . . is fundamentally different from case where deployment is for purpose of enlarging Philippine territory.”

This is precisely why the United States chose to encourage the Philippines to find a diplomatic compromise when China wrested control of Philippine-claimed Mischief Reef (1994) and Scarborough Shoal (2012). Nonetheless, in Manila’s calculation, America’s augmented military presence on its soil will serve as a ‘latent deterrence’ against further Chinese revanchism with its 200 nautical miles exclusive zone.  After all, China only started to chip away at Philippine-claimed features when American bases vacated the country in 1992.

Back in the 1970s, Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, in a diplomatic cable, made it clear that “there are substantial doubts that [Philippine] military contingent on island in the Spratly group would come within protection of (MDT),” instead only offering “helpful political actions” in an event of conflict between the Philippines and a third party. In absence of a legal and diplomatic settlement of these disputes, Kissinger clarified that “[we] do not see legal basis at this time, however, for supporting the claim to Spratlys of one country over that of other claimants.”

For top officials like Kissinger, America’s limited commitment was due to the fact that the signing of the MDT preceded the Philippines’s effective occupation of features such as Thitu (Pag-Asa) Island, plus there was a necessity to ensure that bilateral security obligations would not be exploited as a carte blanche for Philippine territorial adventurism. As Kissinger argued, in absence of international settlement, what matters is “[c]ontinuous, effective, and unconstested occupation and administration of territory”, but “[Philippine] occupation could hardly be termed uncontested in face of claims and protests of Chinese and Vietnamese.”

China wasted no time in lashing out at the newly-approved agreement between the Philippines and America. The Xinhua News Agency, China’s leading state-owned portal, accused Manila of "turning to Uncle Sam to back its ambition to counter China," warning that the Philippines will "bear the negative consequences of its stupid move [author’s own emphasis] in the future". It prodded the Philippines to instead solve "disputes with China through negotiations without seeking help from a third party." Zhu Feng, an expert at Nanjing University, warned that the implementation of EDCA will make the disputed theatre “more crowded, and the risk for a military conflict will continue to rise."

There is, however, nothing in EDCA that commits America to come to the Philippines’s aid in the event of a conflict between Manila and Beijing over disputed features. The Obama administration continues to equivocate on the question of whether the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (see articles 4 and 5) covers Philippine-claimed land features in the South China Sea. For decades, America has wavered on this specific issue.

In the Philippines, proponents of the deal have described EDCA as an urgently-needed initiative to upgrade the country’s bilateral alliance with the United States. After all, the new pact, which builds on the 1998 Visiting Forces Agreement, facilitates the expansion of joint military exercises and enhances interoperability among their armed forces. To accommodate America’s massive military platforms, Manila expects Washington to upgrade the facilities as well as the surrounding infrastructure of designated Philippine bases. The two allies are also contemplating the prospects of joint patrols close to South China Sea land features occupied by China.

Down the road, Manila hopes that America will increase its paltry military aid to its Southeast Asian ally, which is caught in a bitter maritime dispute with the Chinese juggernaut. For example, a country like Egypt receives up to $1.3 billion in annual military aid, while the Philippines, a vibrant democracy and a former colony that has fought shoulder-to-shoulder with America throughout twentieth century conflicts, has had to settle for $40 million. The Middle East’s most powerful military, Israel, is seeking $5 billion in annual aid in compensation for its cooperation during the negotiation and implementation of the Iranian nuclear deal. Simply put, there is a lot of room for improvement as far as Philippine-U.S. security relations are concerned.

Twenty-First Century Bases

Signed shortly after President Obama’s visit to Manila in mid-2014, the EDCA immediately faced a backlash in the Philippine Senate, which insisted that the new pact is a treaty that demands ratification. The case was eventually dragged to the Philippine Supreme Court, which after almost a year of deliberations ruled that the EDCA is an executive agreement that falls within the prerogative of the Benigno Aquino administration. The Philippines’s deteriorating position in the South China Sea, especially in light of China’s expanding footprint in the Spratly chain of islands, was clearly at the center of the high court’s favorable verdict.

Unlike the Cold War days, the Philippines won’t receive billions of dollars for renting out its bases to America. In fact, the host country will shoulder transportation and utility costs of the visiting U.S. forces. America, however, will gain negotiated, rotational decade-long access to the Philippines’s most important military facilities, including those in Subic and Clarkâ€"the site of America’s biggest overseas bases during the Cold Warâ€"as well as Oyster Bay in Palawan, all of which are near disputed waters in the South China Sea. This allows the U.S. Navy to more quickly and effectively respond to any contingency in the increasingly volatile region, which could very well end up as Asia’s new battlefield. Arguably, the EDCA represented a critical component in the operationalization of the military dimension of America’s pivot to the region.

Though there is certainly an emerging Sino-American “Great Game” across the Eurasian landmass, Beijing’s strategic priority remains in its own backyard, particularly the East and South China Seas, which it views as its national “blue soil.” Underlining its determination to consolidate its claims in adjacent waters, China kicked off the year with a bang by conducting multiple test flights to the newly-furbish airstrip on Fiery Cross in the South China Sea. This was followed by reports of China’s decision to (once again) deploy its giant oil platform, Haiyang Shiyou 981, to Vietnamese-claimed waters, just as Hanoi grapples with what looks like a testy political transition.

America, however, received a major strategic boost when the Philippine Supreme Court cleared the implementation of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). The new security pact allows America to gain access to premiere Philippine military bases and facilities, including those that embrace the South China Sea. Pentagon’s soon-to-be-augmented military footprint in the area, however, runs the risk of being too provocative to China, heightening regional tensions, but also too little to fully rein in Chinese ambitions. 

Leveraging its massive capital and technology, China has been wooing both disgruntled American allies and empowered U.S. adversaries. For example, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Tehran earlier this week.

China’s strategy in the Middle East is not only about infrastructure, oil, exports, and (in light of the rise of ISIS and its implications for Uighur insurgency in Xinjiang) counter-terrorism. But as Wang Jisiâ€"a leading Chinese strategist at Peking Universityâ€"argued: it is also about counteringâ€"à la Mao’s dictumâ€"America’s Pivot to Asia strategy, which is aimed at constraining Beijing’s territorial assertiveness in the East Asian seascape. As America pushes back against China in East Asia, the latter hopes to chip away at Western influence in West Asia.

Will America Go to War for the Philippines?


The U.S. military is back in the Philippinesâ€"but the dispute with China over islands remains.

Richard Javad Heydarian
January 27, 2016

Mao Zedong, the Great Helmsmen, once famously said: “Where the enemy advances, we retreat. Where the enemy retreats, we pursue.” In places like the Middle East, where the United States is perceived to be engaged in a gradual strategic retreat, China is on the offensive. The Asian powerhouse has been reaching out to key American allies such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt. as well as to post-sanctions Iran, which is expected to play an even more consequential role in creating a post-American order in the region.

Iran is soon expected to join the China-led Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which is largely seen as the emerging rival to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance. And Iran, straddling the Eurasian landmass and rimland, will be very much at the center of China’s New Silk Road initiative. Across the continental Islamic sphere, stretching from Central Asia to Turkey, China has been engaged in a "Marching West" strategy aimed at increasing its footprint on the ruins of Russian and Western botched military interventions.

Another Saudi man in September stashed 12 bottles of booze in special pockets stitched into his trousers and then covered with a traditional white robe

A similar technique was adopted by another Saudi man last September, who stashed the booze in special pockets stitched into his trousers, which he then covered with the tunic.

Customs officials became suspicious of the man after noticing he was walking oddly as he re-entered the Saudi Arabia from Bahrain.

Alcohol is illegal in Saudi Arabia and as a result there are tough penalties such as public flogging or long detention for anyone caught trying to break the law.

Last week, Saudi customs seized two shipments of liquor from Bahrain, including 415 bottles concealed in various parts of a vehicle and 83l of liquor hidden inside the fuel tank reserve of a truck.
In October, a British man was caught with homemade wine and faced public lashing.

Karl Andree, 74, was arrested by Saudi religious police and spent more than a year in prison. He was spared flogging because of his age and ill-health.

Though alcohol is illegal throughout the Gulf kingdom, many expats have taken to brewing their own alcohol, which is largely consumed inside Western compounds.

www.dailymail.co.uk/

Saudi drinker is caught trying to smuggle alcohol into the country after trying to hide 14 bottles of booze in his underwear â€" and now he faces getting lashed

#Saudi man stopped on King Fahd causeway while returning from Bahrain
#Customs inspectors found the booze attached with tapes to his legs
#Alcohol is illegal in Saudi Arabia and man faces tough punishment

By GIANLUCA MEZZOFIORE FOR MAILONLINE
26 January 2016
     
This smuggler was caught trying to sneak 14 bottles of liquor in his underwear into Saudi Arabia, according to official Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

The Saudi man was stopped at customs on his way back from the island kingdom of Bahrain on the 16-mile-long King Fahd Causeway linking the two Gulf countries, according to head of customs Fahad Dhufallah al-Otaibi.

After a search, inspectors detected the bottles of booze which were attached with adhesive tapes to the man's upper and lower legs and hidden by the man’s traditional long white robe.


Saudi smuggler was caught with 14 bottles of liquor in his underpants while returning from Bahrain

makabawi ba kaha intawon ning mga gagmay nga negosyante sa ilang abang nga mora man ug mahal-mahal?

you just unmade my day!

aaargh! give me a break!

GLOBAL CHURCH. Flags of different nations representing the delegates to the International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) are paraded during the opening Mass at the Plaza Independencia in Cebu City. (CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO)

http://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/

CONGRESS OPENS Catholic priests and faithful attend Mass at Plaza Independencia during the opening of the 51st International Eucharistic Congress in Cebu City on Sunday. MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/

[Papal envoy Cardinal Charles Bo of Myanmar] called Filipinos the “beacon of Catholicism” to the world, saying that having a Philippine presence in any country means there will be Catholicism. Close to 10 million Filipinos live and work outside the Philippines, with most practicing their Catholic faith, often in countries that do not have majority Christian populations.

Bo remarked on the Philippine church and its people being “the only church in the world that welcomed” priests from his country, which he said was a “suffering church” for more than five decades under military rule.

more at http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2016/01/26/papal-envoy-opens-eucharistic-congress-by-declaring-war-on-poverty/

paakon ug kamrason ta ka!

At the hospital, I learned that Mom's kidneys had failed, and she'd been slipping into a coma. If Macy hadn't woken her up, the doctors don't know what would have happened. But her recovery has gone well, and I think it's because she feels so protected -- and she has Macy's unconditional love.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

When my mom got pneumonia, I went to Virginia to help care for her and brought Macy. Mom wasn't an animal person, but Macy followed her everywhere. One night, my mom fell asleep around midnight, and I went to the other bedroom. Around 2 A.M., I woke up to Macy hitting my arm with her paw insistently. I thought she wanted to go outside, but she ran into the hall and stopped in my mom's doorway, refusing to move. I walked in and saw Mom was in distress -- it looked like she was having a seizure. Macy jumped on the bed and laid her body completely across my mother. My dad called EMS, who told him to get any pets out of the way, so I put Macy in the family room and set up the baby gate. When EMS came, she tore down the gate to run back to my mom.

The Dog Who Saved My Mom's Life

Macy is a quick-thinking Boston terrier who could give a certain heroic collie a run for her money.

01/25/2016
by Susie Thompson
The Oprah Magazine


COURTESY OF SUSIE THOMPSON

We picked up Macy when her previous family returned her to the shelter because they wanted a bigger dog, which we couldn't understand -- she's so funny and clever. If she leaves a toy in the yard, I'll say, "Macy, don't leave your toy outside." She'll grab it and bring it in.

Catholics attend a mass at John the Baptist Church during the annual pilgrimage near the baptism site along the Jordan River, Shouneh, Jordan. (Reuters/VOA)

naglain tingali si sir bana kay puro man iro iya.

QuoteAyaw intawon mog kompeyansa sa iring kay naay rabies. Ako nagpa anti rabies ko, wa ra bay supply ang govt. hospitals. Migasto kog Pl,250 sa tulo ka injections

true. pareha rag iro, sir fd. mao nga usa mokugos ug makigduwa sa iring, sigurohon nga limpyo ni ug human na ang anti-rabies vaccine. libre ni sa gobyerno kun para sa iro ug iring ang vaccinations (sa department of agriculture). 

kun di libre sa inyong dapit, it's time to question where the budget for this kind of vaccinations went. 

btw, kun sa tawo na, medyo mahal-mahal na kay sa doctor ug pharmacy na man ang imong puntirya.

dobleng latos sa mga ginikanan ani. 

gusto man diay nilang makaanak ug bitin, why man gihitsura pa gyod nga bata?

A Sri Lankan displays a star blue sapphire, claimed to be the world's biggest star blue sapphire, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The Gemological institute of Colombo, a local gem industry body, has certified that the gem weighs 1,404.49 carats (281 grams). (AP/VOA)

Ukrainians wearing traditional costumes sing Kolyadky or Ukrainian Christmas Carols, as a part of Orthodox Christmas in Kyiv. (AP/VOA)

Mount Sinabung volcano spews lava and ash during an eruption as seen from Tiga Serangkai village in Karo, Indonesia's North Sumatra province, in this photo taken by Antara Foto. (Reuters/VOA)

ESA astronaut Tim Peake took this photograph over the west coast of Canada from the International Space Station on Dec. 31, 2015, and shared it with his Twitter followers on Jan. 5, 2016. The photograph shows Canada's Coast Range of mountains, with King Island and Burke Channel in the center. The Pacific Ocean is visible at the bottom and north is to the left. (ESA/NASA/VOA)

Eta Carinae's great eruption in the 1840s created the billowing Homunculus Nebula, imaged here by Hubble, and transformed the binary into a unique object in our galaxy. Astronomers cannot yet explain what caused this eruption. The discovery of likely Eta Carinae twins in other galaxies will help scientists better understand this brief phase in the life of a massive star. (NASA/VOA)

A driver climbs out of a window of his car after driving onto a flooded road in Van Nuys, California, Jan. 5, 2016. (Reuters/VOA)

Vehicles move past a graffiti, depicting the provincial chief executive with the message Fix It!, near an uncovered drain hole along a road in Karachi, Pakistan. According to local media, a group of activists launched an idea to promote a campaign-project to draw the attention of authorities towards civic issues by art, by spray painting stenciled images of lawmakers with messages. (Reuters/VOA)

The Volcano of Fire releases lava, seen from Escuintla, Guatemala, Jan. 4, 2016. (AP/VOA)

Policemen walk past “Je suis Ahmed," or "I am Ahmed,” spray painted on the sidewalk, in the red, white and blue colors of the French flag near a plaque commemorating late police officer Ahmed Merabet in Paris, France. President Francois Hollande honored 17 victims killed in Islamic extremist attacks on the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, a kosher market and police a year ago this week. (AP/VOA)

His cheek wet with tears, President Barack Obama President Barack Obama recalls the 20 first-graders killed in 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School, while speaking in the East Room of the White House in Washington about steps his administration is taking to reduce gun violence. (AP/VOA)

Villagers ride a motorcycles passing trees covered with volcanic ash of Mount Bromo during eruption at Ngadisari village in Probolinggo, Indonesia, in this photo taken by Antara Foto. (Reuters/VOA)

A man carries a child as they try to reach a shore after falling into the sea while disembarking from a dinghy on which they crossed a part of the Aegean sea with other refugees and migrants, from Turkey to the Greek island of Lesbos. (AP/VOA)

Visitors look at a 24m x 25m (wide) image of two monkeys displayed to celebrate the "Year of the Monkey" from the Chinese zodiac at the Hitachi Seaside Park in the Japanese city of Hitachinaka in Ibaraki prefecture, some 100 kilometres north of Tokyo, Japan. The display was made of around 15,000 pine cones and plants collected in the park. (AFP/VOA)

An Afghan policeman stands guard in front of a French restaurant "Le Jardin" after a suicide attack in Kabul, Afghanistan January 2, 2016. A suicide attack on a French restaurant in the Afghan capital Kabul on Friday killed a 12-year-old boy and wounded more than a dozen other people, officials said. (REUTERS/Mohammad Ismail)

Smoke rises as Iranian protesters set fire to the Saudi embassy in Tehran, Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016. Protesters upset over the execution of a Shiite cleric in Saudi Arabia set fires to the Saudi embassy in Tehran. (Mohammadreza Nadimi/ISNA via AP)

Egyptians celebrate in front of the great Pyramids during New Year's Eve celebration in Giza, Egypt , 01 January 2016. (Khaled Elfiqi/EPA)

Pope Francis asperses incense as he celebrates a mass after opening the Holy door of the St. Mary Major's Basilica in Rome, Friday, Jan. 1, 2016. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Image: Facebook The Logical Indian

The Facebook posts have been liked over 20,000 times and probably repurposed for countless phone backgrounds.

The adorable friendship is a tribute to the power of animal compassion. A Facebook post from The Logical Indian said the fatherly monkey "makes sure the [puppy's] stomach is full before eating himself" and "protects the pup from other stray dogs."

Cross-species love, man. It's always something to smile about.

http://news.yahoo.com/

All you need is the love between this monkey and his new adopted puppy

Mashable
By Diana Shi
January 22, 2016



The animal kingdom has one thing in common â€" everyone loves puppies.

TIME reports that recent photographs of a monkey holding onto a puppy were captured in Rode, India. The heartwarming friendship/adoption sent waves of sweetness across the Internet and softened hearts like melted butter.

attagirl, aw, attalady!  looks like she's not missing a husband.

If an expired medication is taken, and the patient notices the drug has limited or no therapeutic effect, the medication should be replaced. If the medication is a biologic product, insulin, EpiPen, refrigerated liquid, eye drop, injectable, or looks like it is degraded or cloudy, it should be discarded and replaced. If questions still remain about how to handle an expired medication, it is wise to speak with your pharmacist or physician, who can offer additional information and advice.

http://www.drugs.com/

What is the bottom line?

Should patients use expired medications or not? If a medication is needed, and the patient is not able to replace the expired medication, there is no evidence that it is unsafe to take the medication in most cases.1 However, if a medication is essential for a chronic and potentially life-threatening disease, for example, a heart condition, seizure, or life-threatening allergy, it is probably wise to get a new prescription once expired.

If an expired medication is for a minor health problem, for example, for a headache, hayfever, or mild pain, it may also be safe to take it, although drug potency might not be 100 percent. Research has shown many military stockpile medications retained 90 percent of their potency in their original stock bottle.3 However, storage conditions of these medications were optimized for temperature and humidity, and probably do not mimic the typical storage conditions of the average household prescription bottle.

Proper storage of medications may help to extend their potency. The bathroom and medicine cabinet are not ideal places to store medications due to heat and humidity. Similarly, medications should not be left in a hot car. Medications remain most stable in dry, cool spaces away from light. Keep the prescription bottle caps tightly closed and always keep medications out of reach of children and pets.

Insulin is used to control blood sugar in diabetes and may be susceptible to degradation after its expiration date. Oral nitroglycerin (NTG), a medication used for angina (chest pain), may lose its potency quickly once the medication bottle is opened. Vaccines, biologicals or blood products could also be subject to quick degradation once the expiration date is reached. If a patient finds a medication is powdery or crumbling, has a strong smell, or has dried up (as in the case of or ointments or creams), these drugs should be discarded.

EpiPen autoinjectors should not be used after the expiration date as the epinephrine has been shown to lose its potency. Epipens are used in life-threatening situations like anaphylaxis, so there is a major health threat with an expired EpiPen. Expired medications that contain preservatives, such as ophthalmic (eye) drops, may be unsafe past their expiration date. Outdated preservatives may allow bacterial growth in the solution.

Is it safe to take expired medications?

There are no specific reports linking expired medication use to human toxicity. In 1963, a report was published that tied degraded tetracycline use with a form of renal tubular damage known as "Fanconi Syndrome"; however, that formulation of tetracycline in no longer marketed in the U.S.

Solid dosage forms, such as tablets and capsules, appear to be most stable past their expiration date. Drugs that exist in solution or as a reconstituted suspension, and that require refrigeration (such as amoxicillin suspension), may not have the required potency if used when outdated. Loss of potency can be a major health concern, especially when treating an infection with an antibiotic. Additionally, antibiotic resistance may occur with sub-potent medications. Drugs that exist in solution, especially injectable drugs, should be discarded if the product forms a precipitant or looks cloudy or discolored.

Do expired medications lose their potency?

The American Medical Association (AMA) concluded in 2001 that the actual shelf life of some products is longer than the labeled expiration date. The AMA stated the best evidence resides in the Shelf Life Extension Program (SLEP) undertaken by the FDA for the Department of Defense. The original purpose of the SLEP program was twofold: to determine the actual shelf life of stockpiled military medications for future use, and to save government dollars.5 Over 3000 lots, representing 122 different drug products, were assessed in the SLEP program. Based on stability data, expiration dates on 88 percent of the lots were extended beyond their original expiration date for an average of 66 months. Of these 2652 lots, only 18 percent were terminated due to failure. Examples of common drug products that were tested with no failures included amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, diphenhydramine, and morphine sulfate injection. Drug expiration extension dates on these products ranged from 12 to 184 months.

These results suggest that many drug products may have extended shelf lives beyond their expiration date. However, it is difficult for any one consumer or health care provider to know which product could have an extended shelf life. The ability for a drug to have an extended shelf life would be dependent upon the actual drug ingredients, presence of preservatives, temperature fluctuations, light, humidity, and other storage conditions. Additionally, the drug lots tested in the SLEP program were kept in their original packaging. Once a drug is repackaged into another container, as often happens in the pharmacy, the shelf-life might decline.

At the pharmacy, "beyond-use" dates are often put on the prescription bottle label given to the patient. These dates often say "do not use after..." or "discard after..." and are required by the Board of Pharmacy in many states. These dates are typically one year from the date on the stock bottle. But why would these expiration dates be different? According to the manufacturer, the stability of a drug cannot be guaranteed once the original bottle is opened. Therefore, the United States Pharmacopeia (USP), the body that sets the standards for pharmaceutical quality in the U.S., recommends using "beyond use" dates. The "beyond use" date would never be later than the expiration date on the manufacturer's bottle.

The expiration date of a drug is estimated using stability testing under good manufacturing practices as determined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Drug products marketed in the US typically have an expiration that extends from 12 to 60 months from the time of manufacturer. Once the original container is opened, either by the patient or the health care provider who will dispense the drug, that original expiration date on the container can no longer be relied upon. However, the actual shelf life of the drug may be much longer, as stability studies have shown.

 
What does an expiration date mean?

The expiration date is the final day that the manufacturer guarantees the full potency and safety of a medication. Drug expiration dates exist on most medication labels, including prescription, over-the-counter (OTC) and dietary (herbal) supplements. U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturers are required by law to place expiration dates on prescription products prior to marketing. For legal and liability reasons, manufacturers will not make recommendations about the stability of drugs past the original expiration date.

Drug Expiration Dates - Are They Still Safe to Take?

Patients often have questions about drug expiration dates: Can they take a medication if it has reached the drug expiration date? Are there recommendations about the best way to store medications? Are there certain drugs that should never be used past their expiration date? For many patients, these questions arise because medications can be expensive, and it is costly to frequently replace expired but unused medications.

latuson nako ang mga ginikanan ani.

Established in 1996, the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League took their name as a tribute to Edgar Allan Poe â€" who lived and died in Baltimore in 1849.

all-that-is-interesting.com/

Nearly 40 years after his death, the remains of Edgar Allan Poe’s wife Virginia (above) finally made their way to be interned beside her husband. It was a strange journey: one of the writer’s biographers, William Gill, had acquired her bones and kept them under his bed in a box for a number of years before eventually sending them to Baltimore to be buried next to her husband. Image Source: Wikipedia

While moving his body to its new resting place, Poe’s coffin broke apart, exposing the writer’s remains to those in attendance. Pieces of the coffin became prized collector’s items. Image Source: Wikipedia

Poe’s body was moved 26 years after his death. Originally buried in an unmarked grave at his grandfather’s family plot, his body was then moved to a coveted spot at the Westminster Burying Grounds in Baltimore. The first burial plot now contains a marker to identify where the author once rested. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

Edgar Allan Poe’s obituary was written by his professional and personal rival, Rufus Wilmot Griswold (above). Griswold wrote a scathing and libelous account of the deceased poet’s life, signing it with the name “Ludwig” in an attempt to conceal his identity. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

There are many theories as to the true cause of Edgar Allan Poe’s death, but no one really knows the circumstances of the poet’s demise. All medical records and even Poe's death certificate have been lost to time. Image Source: Wikipedia

In the days before his death, Poe was found at a tavern, Ryan’s Fourth Ward Polls, on the day of a Baltimore city election. The writer was incoherent, “in great distress” and wearing the clothes of another man. These facts lead many to believe Poe had been a victim of cooping (depicted above), a common practice of the time where unwilling people were taken from the streets, intoxicated or drugged, then taken from one polling location to another to manipulate the vote for a certain candidate. The writer was taken to Washington Medical College where he would die four days later. Image Source: Wikipedia

His 1841 story depicted above, "Murders in the Rue Morgue," is credited with creating the modern detective story. The lead character Mr. Dupin was the inspiration for many literary detectives to follow, including Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

Edgar Allan Poe’s most famous work, "The Raven," was not quite the money-maker you might expect. The magazine American Review paid the author $9 for the rights to print what would become one of the most recognized poems of all time. Image Source: Wikipedia

"Tamerlane and Other Poems" doesn’t even carry Poe’s name; instead it is credited to “A Bostonian,” which was another attempt to prevent his foster father from ascertaining Poe's whereabouts. Image Source: Wikipedia

One of only 12 existing copies of Poe’s first published work, 1827’s "Tamerlane and Other Poems" (above) sold at a 2009 auction for $662,500 â€" a record for a piece of American Literature. Image Source: Wikipedia

In 1836, Edgar Allan Poe married his 13 year-old first cousin Virginia, depicted above. The marriage certificate falsely lists her age as 21. Image Source: Wikipedia

Poe joined the United States army in 1827 under the false identity of Edgar A. Perry. He claimed to be 22, even though he was just 18 at the time. He did this in order to prevent his foster father from locating him; they never got along with each other, and Poe was looking to escape their troubled relationship. He ended up disclosing the identity lie, and was honorably discharged. Above is an excerpt from the court proceedings which led to Poe's honorable discharge. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

Poe’s middle name, Allan, was not given to him by his biological parents, but instead came from John and Frances Allan â€" who took him in at the age of two after his father abandoned him and his mother died. Image Source: Wikipedia

It is quite possible that Edgar Allan Poe is named for the character Edgar in William Shakespeare’s "King Lear" (depicted above). Poe’s parents were both actors and were in a production of "King Lear" shortly before his birth. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

The Strange Life (And Even Stranger Death) Of Edgar Allan Poe

By Erin Kelly
January 19, 2016

January 19th marks the 207th birthday of one of the most recognized names in the history of American literature. His name is synonymous with dark poetry and tales of murder and suspense, but many elements of his own life contain their fair share of mystery and surprise, as these intriguing Edgar Allan Poe facts show:

And while Dusty doesn't quite know any tricks (yet), he does respond to his name when called and communicates with the family using gestures, Stewart said.

"Once, when I was going for a drive around the farm, we loaded the dogs in the bed of the truck and Dusty came up, appeared to look up at me like he wanted to tag along," he said. "So I let him hop on back, and we all went for a ride. He also sometimes comes up to you and puts his arm around you asking to be pet or scratched."

"He’s just a pet like any dog or cat, and yeah, he just happens to be a kangaroo," Stewart added.

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"They've got an especially close bond, and Dusty is very attached to her," he said. "He'll groom Lilly and even affectionately lick her."

The four-foot tall kangaroo is free to roam outside around the farm and graze, but he always comes back to his family, Steward added.

"Since kangaroos are a bit nocturnal, sometimes he'll wander and graze at night, but he always comes back and sleeps next to the dogs," he said. "When my children are home from boarding school, Dusty also likes to come into the house and sit in the lounge, and then he'll go outside and walk with the dogs."


Ashley Stewart
PHOTO: Dusty the kangaroo is pictured here with Lilly the Golden Retriever and Rosie the Border Collie in the bed of Ashley Stewart's truck at their farm in Esperance, Australia.

"Dusty acts just like a dog," he said. "Wherever the dogs go, he goes with them and does what they do. He sleeps together with them in a bed, play fights with them and likes to get pet and scratches, too."

Stewart added he and his wife and three kids believe Dusty thinks Lilly the Golden Retriever is his mother.


Ashley Stewart
PHOTO: Dusty the kangaroo is pictured here with Lilly the Golden Retriever and Rosie the Border Collie in Ashley Stewarts home in Esperance, Australia.

Meet Dusty, the Australian Pet Kangaroo Who Thinks He's a Dog

By AVIANNE TAN
Apr 24, 2015


Ashley Stewart
PHOTO: Dusty the kangaroo is pictured here with Lilly the Golden Retriever outside Ashley Stewart's home in Esperance, Australia.

Dusty the kangaroo is considered a family pet to an Australian family in Esperance that rescued him as a baby from his mother's pouch when they found her dead on the side of the road in 2013.

Today, you can find Dusty, now 2, hopping around and in and out of Ashley Stewart's family home on a farm.

The friendly kangaroo actually thinks it's a dog, Stewart told ABC News today, adding Dusty is always following and playing with their two dogs, Lilly the Golden Retriever, 5, and Rosie the Border Collie, 11.

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maayo gihapon, sir fd. happy new year! dia pay mga kataw-anan, o...

Though Crampton said she sells some of the sheep on her farm, Little Dorrit will definitely not be up for grabs.


Ooooo the dog in Little Dorrit must join the pack

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