Exactly right Miss C. If you ever get a chance, pick up a copy of Pain; The Gift That Nobody Wants by Dr. Paul Brand & Philip Yancey. Fascinating book. Brand was a missionary doc in India, and did a lot of groundbreaking work in treating leprosy, which led to similar work in treating diabetics. He also discusses this disorder in the book.

In both leprosy and diabetes, sensation is lost in the extremities, which allows small injuries to go unnoticed. For most of us, we get an injury, it hurts, and we take care of it. For someone with leprosy or advanced diabetes, the little injuries can go unnoticed and untreated. If untreated for too long, even a hangnail can end up requiring amputation.

When I broke my ankle a few years back, I spent a couple months on crutches and my foot wouldn't fit into a shoe for three months. My foot shed the calluses it had and ended up as smooth as a baby's butt. That is until it healed up and was able to get back into a shoe.

"Mommy? Why is your smile stuck like that? It looks funny."

I don't think Norwegian Cruise Lines "sent" a ship to pick the dog up; Fanning Island is a regular stopover for them. A friend of mine in Hawaii has made two or three trips to Fanning Island on humanitarian missions, traveling via the Norwegian cruise ship; they make a stop at Fanning Island (also known as Tabuaeran) every two or three weeks.

As to why the pets couldn't be shipped home, Fanning Island is remote to the extreme (GoogleMapsLink); no working airfield, and the only regular boat traffic is the cruise line. Any other ship traffic is by chance or chartered, at enormous cost.

I would love to know how it was first determined that coffee beans that have been through this critter's gut tasted better. Was it a prank that somebody pulled and the victim actually liked the result? Weird.

They did a good job of keeping a safe distance, and were in the right place at the right time. That there is the Holy Grail for a storm chaser.

Agreed; the soundtrack was totally unnecessary.

Wow. And Alex (and many commentors) had the nerve to suggest that the lady with the voices was crazy.

I guess all the skepticism about miracles is to be expected in a world that believes we all evolved from pond slime with no intelligent intervention. With that sort of beginning, heck, anything is possible.

Miracle.

Miracles are far more real and commonplace than skeptics like andrew could comprehend (or would want to, since it proves them wrong.) Petwhac? I think not. How statistically probable was it for this woman to be able to correctly diagnose a condition a doctor would likely have missed?

Poor puppies.

That'd be great; my sibling gets one of these things, and I'd be a monkey's uncle.

I can see the appeal for some people; many enjoy having a tiny dependent who doesn't talk back, and is little more than glorified toy. It's when those toys start growing up and thinking for themselves that those people start regretting having kids. A monkey, however, will forever act like a three year old kid, and will forever be needful of a "parent".

That said, I don't think it's a good idea. Wait until the first custody fight over a monkey.

It's just an ad, but there are plenty of things happening that make it seem like a there is maybe a plan behind a map like that. Just Google "Mexican invasion".

Indeed, things change and people change, but the only time it's not fixable is when one of the two parties involved doesn't want it to be fixed. The trouble with most couples is that divorce is to readily considered as a solution to difficulties that arise.

The bit about the sun rising and setting makes sense when you consider that the Maasai are from Kenya, which straddles the Equator. There day and night are of equal lengths, and stays that way year round.

Sammy: Barack Obama has the Magic Negro thing wrapped up for now.