BioArts International partnered with Sooam Biotech Research Foundation of South Korea to successfully clone Missy, BioArts CEO Lou Hawthorne’s family dog,(top photo).  It took 10 years of research and work. There are now three identical clones of Missy (2nd photo) back with the original family. The clones are named Mira (after a Korean myth of an all-powerful benevolent dragon), Chingu (which means "friend" in Korean) and Sarang ("love").

Since Dolly was cloned in 1996, scientists have successfully cloned other mammals including cattle, goats, mice, pigs, rabbits, cats, mules and horses. For many years, however, dog cloning stumped numerous scientists. 

Cloning dogs is so much more difficult than cloning other species due to poorly understood physiology and a fundamental knowledge gap.  Dogs are unusual in that they only go into estrus (periods of fertility) once or twice a year at virtually random intervals. Only dogs in estrus can donate eggs for cloned embryo production or serve as embryo recipients. It is also extremely challenging to obtain these eggs at the precise time they are fully mature – a window of just a couple hours within a 6-12 month reproductive cycle and whereas most mammalian ova are translucent so the inside of the ova can be seen and manipulated, canine ova are opaque with dark lipids that are an energy source for the egg, but unfortunately it makes the eggs difficult to work with.

One myth that has been proven false is the theory that clones are born "old" or age rapidly. This myth was reinforced by speculation that the early death of Dolly the cloned sheep was due to premature aging. But Dolly developed a common respiratory infection, and there's no evidence that being a clone had anything to do with it. The age of the genetic donor (the animal whose DNA is used to produce a clone) does not affect the age or aging process of the clone.

As many of you know, our lil' darling, LuciaGirl, had surgery to remove a "lump on the brain", as she calls it.  The surgery went very well and now comes the hard part.  She is going to need extensive chemo and radiation treatments.  One thing the doctors warned about was nutrition.  No more junky preservatives, no more dirty water hot dogs, and over-processed, over-salted food.  Well, I guess my kitchen's empty now. 

I will be learning about organic gardening and naturally prepared menus, so I thought I'd share it with you guys.  Nothing beats nature.  If you just take a minute to look around at all the wonder that is going on around you, it's amazing that we've been convinced to live without it or eat any of that horrid, man-made crapola (one of my favorite and probably most overused words).  Just check out these amazing photos of a Cecropia Moth caterpillar morphing to a fabulous moth!

So where do I go for info when I'm clueless about a subject? The web, of course. The first site I found that will really be helpful is HelpfulGardener.com.  The photos were taken by a forum member in his own garden! (See larger images)

The Helpful Gardener offers tips and advice for gardening, ranging from hydrangeas, growing vegetables to bonsai, Japanese garden design and container gardening in apartments. Their focus on organic and earth friendly gardening methods helps gardeners grow beautiful gardens without the use of chemical products.  Gardening with nature rather than against it is their philosophy.

Most of the articles were written by Scott Reil. Scott has over 25 years in the nursery business, was an advanced Master Gardener instructor, and is a frequent speaker at garden clubs and industry gatherings. He is currently an executive manager for an organic nursery supplier on the east coast.

In addition to the articles, a lively garden forum provides a place where gardening enthusiasts and experts gather and discuss their gardens. Although there are several other forums serving gardeners, the Helpful Gardener’s forum distinguishes itself for being free of charge, devoid of pop-up advertising and for the friendliness of its members. This is by design. The forum guidelines discourage negative behavior, resulting in a cheerful forum community united by their common interest in gardening. The positive energy on the forum makes it a favorite of gardeners of all ages.

With thousands of discussions on a myriad of gardening topics, it’s no wonder the Helpful Gardener forum has been called one of the leading resources about gardening on the Internet.

Barnes & Noble.com

According to Time Out New York, "David Sedaris may be the funniest man alive." He's the sort of writer critics tend to describe not in terms of literary influences and trends, but in terms of what they choked on while reading his latest book. "I spewed a mouthful of pastrami across my desk," admitted Craig Seligman in his New York Times review of Naked.

From the Publisher

Once again, David Sedaris brings together a collection of essays so uproariously funny and profoundly moving that his legions of fans will fall for him once more. He tests the limits of love when Hugh lances a boil from his backside, and pushes the boundaries of laziness when, finding the water shut off in his house in Normandy, he looks to the water in a vase of fresh cut flowers to fill the coffee machine. From armoring the windows with LP covers to protect the house from neurotic songbirds to the awkwardness of having a lozenge fall from your mouth into the lap of a sleeping fellow passenger on a plane, David Sedaris uses life's most bizarre moments to reach new heights in understanding love and fear, family and strangers. Culminating in a brilliantly funny account of his venture to Tokyo in order to quit smoking, David Sedaris's sixth essay collection will be avidly anticipated.

The New York Times - Vanessa Grigoriadis

[Sedaris] tallies up the last 25 years, the prime of his life, and isn't impressed by the sum: "How had 9,125 relatively uneventful days passed so quickly," he writes, "and how can I keep it from happening again?" As usual, Sedaris has lots of answers to the first question but not many to the second in this delightful compilation of essays circling the theme of death and dying, with nods to the French countryside, art collecting and feces.

Kirkus Reviews

Older, wiser, smarter and meaner, Sedaris (Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, 2004, etc.) defies the odds once again by delivering an intelligent take on the banalities of an absurd life. The author's faithful fans probably won't be turned off by his copyright-page admission that these pieces, most seen before in the New Yorker, are only "realish." They feel real, whether Sedaris is revealing his troubling obsession with a certain species of spider or describing a lift from a tow-truck driver who kept saying things like, "yes, indeedy, a little oral give-and-take would feel pretty good right about now"-the ring of truth adds to the book's horrified-laughter factor. The author still draws from the well of familial tragicomedy in pieces that dissect his parents' taste in modern art ("Adult Figures Charging Toward a Concrete Toadstool") and their reactions to what he wrote about them in his first book ("fifty pages later, they were boarding up the door and looking for ways to disguise themselves"). Most of the essays, however, chronicle expatriate life in England, France and Japan with his long-suffering and improbably talented boyfriend Hugh.

Tim Russert, NBC News’ Washington bureau chief and the moderator of “Meet the Press,” died after a sudden heart attack at the bureau, NBC News said Friday. He was 58. He collapsed at work. No details were immediately available.

Meet the Press is the longest-running program in the history of television. 

Timothy John Russert Jr. was born in Buffalo, N.Y., on May 7, 1950. He was a graduate of Canisius High School, John Carroll University and the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. He was a member of the bar in New York and the District of Columbia.  Earlier this year, Time Magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

R. Kelly was acquitted of all charges in his child pornography trial.  The Grammy award-winning singer had faced 15 years in prison if convicted. 

The whole case was based on a video tape mailed to the Chicago Sun-Times in 2002 that supposedly showed Kelly engaged in graphic sex acts with a girl as young as 13 at the time. Both Kelly, 41, and the now 23-year-old alleged victim had denied they were the ones on the tape. Neither testified during the trial.  The prosecutor was unable to convince the jury that the man on the tape was Kelly.

Many celeb babies have been born recently.  Jessica Alba and husband Cash Warren welcomed a baby girl, Honor Marie Warren, earlier this month.  Jack Black and wife Tanya Haden have welcomed their second son, also named Jack Black.  Tori Spelling and husband Dean McDermott had their second baby, a daughter, Stella Doreen.  

Like them or not, neckties are the Father's Day gift. Americans buy a staggering 100 million ties. That's roughly one tie for every male over the age of 20 in the United States.

Male Identity

Men's neckwear has been made of every kind of material: silk, cotton, wool, leather, rope, string, lace, linen, rayon, and polyester. And whether they were called cravats, jabots, bandannas, bolos, ascots, bootlaces, bows, butterflies, kerchiefs, or simply ties, neckties have been closely linked to the male ego.

Ties have been used to proclaim status, occupation, and even identity, as well as allegiance to a group or cause, often military.  Neckwear has also had utilitarian purposes—to protect the neck or hide buttons on a shirt.

The earliest known version of the necktie was worn by Shih Huan Ti, China's first emperor, Shih Huang Ti, who was buried in 210 B.C. Desperately afraid of death, the emperor wanted to slaughter an entire to army to accompany him into the next world. His advisers ultimately persuaded him to take life-size replicas of the soldiers instead.  Each figure was different - except in one respect: all wore neck cloths.  Since silk was a great luxury, the cloths could indicate the ultimate honor Shih Huang Ti bestowed on his soldiers; they were trusted enough to guard him until the end of time.   Did Romans Wear Ties?


Great Father's Day Gift: Paul Fredrick Neckties!

I don't know about where you live, but here in NYC it's hot as a Mo-Fo!

Have I mentioned that I hate the heat? 

I love sunny days but broiling is strictly reserved for my shrimp kababs! 

I think I need to whip out that blender I got from some relative for some holiday and make a cool, refreshing snack.

Ingredients:

1 cup ice cubes
1 cup pineapple chunks
1/2 mango, peeled, pitted, and cut in 1/2" pieces
1 cup fresh lime juice
6 ounces Tequila
4 ounces Cointreau
1/4 cup sugar

Cooking Instructions

Place all the ingredients into the jar of a blender. Blend until smooth. Serve.
Serves 4 to 6

Equipment List:

Easy Pineapple Slice Tool

Margaritaville's Margarita Maker

By the end of the year, more than 12 million children in America will worry about having the food they need.

Share Our Strength® is a national organization working to make sure that no kid grows up hungry in America. By raising funds through programs like Share Our Strength's The Great American Dine Out^®, presented by American Express^®, Share Our Strength weaves together a net of community groups, activists and food programs to catch children at risk of hunger and surround them with nutritious food where they live, work and play.

Share Our Strength's Great American Dine Out helps raise critical funds for organizations in communities across America that are working with Share Our Strength to end childhood hunger.

Having limited access to nutritious food has enduring lifelong consequences on children:

• Weaker immune systems
• Impeded growth and development
• More stomach- and headaches, colds and ear infections
• Increased susceptibility to obesity
• Impaired performance at school—academically, athletically and socially

CHEFS Catalog has joined Share Our Strength (SOS) in the fight against childhood hunger. To date, SOS has raised over $200 million to fight hunger in America and around the globe and has invested critical funds in over 1,000 hunger-related organizations.

Poverty is complex; feeding a child is not.

It's time to roll up our sleeves and put an end to childhood hunger.

Help make "No Kid Hungry" a reality.

Highlights of this day in history - June 6th:
The D-Day invasion of World War II;
Israel invades Lebanon to drive out Yasser Arafat;
Remains of fugitive Nazi doctor Josef Mengele exhumed in Brazil;
First drive-in theater opens in Camden, N.J.

I am amazed at the healthy, strong and radiant hair in the commercials.
I finally found some insider information on the tools they use for celebrity hair.

Most of the products mentioned can be found at drugstore.com and Beauty.com

ON-SET SUPPLY SECRETS FOR SLEEKNESS:

T3 Curling Irons, Hot Tools Curling Iron; Goody Mosaic So Smooth brush

Sunsilk Waves of Envy Gel & Cream Twist; Biolage Shine Endure Spritz

Garnier Fructis Melting Masque; Redken All Soft Gold Glimmer Perfecting Shine

Got 2 B Dazzling Shine Spray; Charles Worthington Big Hair Salon Shine Uplifting Mousse

Kerastase Lait Nutri-Sculpt to hold hair in place. “It seals the little flyaways, but your hair won’t get stiff.”
To return hair to its “virginlike state,” - Nexxus Emergencee treatment.

Medium boar-bristle brush, 
Deluxe Lash / Brow Groomer (use to keep bangs smooth)
Vavoom Gold Heat Iron-In Control spray,
Domed styling iron

Anti-Frizz shine serum,
Round hairbrush,
Styling iron

Protective Thermal spray,
T3 Twirl 1 1/2-inch curling Iron,
L'Oréal Professionnel Texture Expert Infinium 4 hairspray,
Mason Pearson hairbrush

Fekkai Coiff Oceanique Tousled Wave spray,
1 1/2-inch digital curling iron,
Mason Pearson hairbrush

Kérastase Volumactive mousse,
T3 Twirl 1-inch curling iron and T3 Twirl 1 1/2-inch curling iron
Spray finishing wax

Personalized Hair Care Analysis from Beauty.com

You never know when or where danger can strike.  If this crane fell north instead of south, Tallulah May Puppy and I may have been smooshed!  I live a block away from this construction site and we were just out walking before the crash.  If I didn't need to go to the bank I may have continued walking right through the site (as I have been doing for months) and then... 

NEW YORK - A crane collapsed on the Upper East Side Friday morning, smashing into a high-rise apartment building -- killing two people and injuring four others, city officials say. At least one of those injured is in critical condition, fire officials said.

This is one of several crane accidents to happen in the past few months, here in NYC.  My theory is either the crane company is not servicing these things to keep them in working order or the operators at the construction sites are being a little too cavalier in how they use them or they are not prepping the site for such tall structures.  I just said the other day when I walked by this giant monstrosity that I felt the base of the crane was too narrow for how tall it was.  It looked like it would tip over if they swung it too quickly.

"I Have a Bump on My Brain."

We have some of the best doctors in the country working on her and I have complete confidence in their abilities. 

I ask that everyone pray for a miracle in regards to the pathology report.  We won't know the results till at least a week after the surgery.

Jessica Simpson graced the cover of Glamour Magazine wearing this season's hottest color trend yellow but the Fendi dress retails for $8,090!

As seen in Glamour: Sweet as a rose! Rampage's best selling dress is available in Yellow to hit this trend head on with enough money left over to pay your rent!

Bubble Dress with Flowers