There are so many things you can do at home to help yourself. Here are ten more surprising home remedies for everyday issues.

1. An old adage says “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

2. How about rough or scaly feet? Try mixing two cups of milk on a small tub of warm water, then soak your feet in it for 10 to 15 minutes. A milk bath will soften your feet and increase the effectiveness of using a pumice stone afterwards.

3. Have a pesky toothache? While it may not treat the cause of the toothache, a few drops of clove essential oil dabbed on the affected area can quickly relieve the pain!

4. Do leg cramps wake you up at night? Traditionally, doctors prescribed a drug known as quinine for leg cramps, but it has been discontinued because it can be dangerous in large doses. However, tonic water still contains a small amount of quinine, and drinking a glass of tonic water before bed can offer relief from leg cramps with little risk.

5. How about an upset stomach? Ginger is a great treatment for upset stomach and nausea. It works like a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug! Make ginger tea by peeling fresh ginger root, slicing it into thin slices, and adding it to boiling water. Cover and reduce heat, and let the mixture simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Strain the tea and add honey and lemon for taste. Avoid other sweeteners as they can further upset a stomach. Also, do not give ginger to a child under the age of two.

6. What should you do for insect bites? Try crushing an antacid tablet along with a pinch of plain oatmeal into a small amount of water? Take the resulting paste and dab it on the bites. The aspirin in antacid tablets helps to reduce burning and itching.

7. Feeling the burn of athlete’s foot? Try soaking your feet in mouth wash! Not only does it help to reduce foot odor, but the antiseptic in mouthwash helps to clear up the fungal infection.

8. Having trouble with canker sores? Believe it or not, aloe vera may help you! The cooling effect of aloe vera can help relieve the pain of canker sores. Just apply a small amount of the gel directly to the sore.

9. Did you know that the probiotics in yogurt can help prevent gum disease? Just add two ounces of yogurt to your daily diet.

10. Suffer from dark circles under your eyes? Witch hazel may be the answer you’re looking for. Witch hazel is a natural astringent, and can help to shrink the blood vessels beneath the eyes, reducing puffiness and dark circles. Simply soak a cotton ball with witch hazel and apply it to the area, taking care to keep it out of the eyes.

So there you have ten home remedies. Give them a try and see if they don’t help you out.

Source http://www.facebook.com/generalknowledge.facts

Published on Mar 10, 2012 by TheDailyBeastVideo

Why do extremists—in every country—want to control women? The Secretary of State said that even the U.S. ought to live its own values because “America needs to set an example for the entire world.” Watch the Secretary’s rousing call for change.

Source www.youtube.com

Here is a list of 15 things which, if you give up on them, will make your life a lot easier and much, much happier. We hold on to so many things that cause us a great deal of pain, stress and suffering – and instead of letting them all go, instead of allowing ourselves to be stress free and happy – we cling on to them. Not anymore. Starting today we will give up on all those things that no longer serve us, and we will embrace change. Ready? Here we go:

1. Give up your need to always be right

There are so many of us who can’t stand the idea of being wrong – wanting to always be right – even at the risk of ending great relationships or causing a great deal of stress and pain, for us and for others. It’s just not worth it. Whenever you feel the ‘urgent’ need to jump into a fight over who is right and who is wrong, ask yourself this question: “Would I rather be right, or would I rather be kind?” Wayne Dyer. What difference will that make? Is your ego really that big?

2. Give up your need for control

Be willing to give up your need to always control everything that happens to you and around you – situations, events, people, etc. Whether they are loved ones, coworkers, or just strangers you meet on the street – just allow them to be. Allow everything and everyone to be just as they are and you will see how much better will that make you feel.

“By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond winning.” Lao Tzu

3. Give up on blame

Give up on your need to blame others for what you have or don’t have, for what you feel or don’t feel. Stop giving your powers away and start taking responsibility for your life.

4. Give up your self-defeating self-talk

Oh my. How many people are hurting themselves because of their negative, polluted and repetitive self-defeating mindset? Don’t believe everything that your mind is telling you – especially if it’s negative and self-defeating. You are better than that.

“The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. Used wrongly, however, it becomes very destructive.” Eckhart Tolle

5. Give up your limiting beliefs

about what you can or cannot do, about what is possible or impossible. From now on, you are no longer going to allow your limiting beliefs to keep you stuck in the wrong place. Spread your wings and fly!

“A belief is not an idea held by the mind, it is an idea that holds the mind” Elly Roselle

6. Give up complaining

Give up your constant need to complain about those many, many, maaany things – people, situations, events that make you unhappy, sad and depressed. Nobody can make you unhappy, no situation can make you sad or miserable unless you allow it to. It’s not the situation that triggers those feelings in you, but how you choose to look at it. Never underestimate the power of positive thinking.

7. Give up the luxury of criticism

Give up your need to criticize things, events or people that are different than you. We are all different, yet we are all the same. We all want to be happy, we all want to love and be loved and we all want to be understood. We all want something, and something is wished by us all.

8. Give up your need to impress others

Stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not just to make others like you. It doesn’t work this way. The moment you stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not, the moment you take off all your masks, the moment you accept and embrace the real you, you will find people will be drawn to you, effortlessly.

9. Give up your resistance to change

Change is good. Change will help you move from A to B. Change will help you make improvements in your life and also the lives of those around you. Follow your bliss, embrace change – don’t resist it.
“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls” Joseph Campbell

10. Give up labels

Stop labeling those things, people or events that you don’t understand as being weird or different and try opening your mind, little by little. Minds only work when open. “The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don’t know anything about.” Wayne Dyer

11. Give up on your fears

Fear is just an illusion, it doesn’t exist – you created it. It’s all in your mind. Correct the inside and the outside will fall into place.
“The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.” Franklin D. Roosevelt

12. Give up your excuses

Send them packing and tell them they’re fired. You no longer need them. A lot of times we limit ourselves because of the many excuses we use. Instead of growing and working on improving ourselves and our lives, we get stuck, lying to ourselves, using all kind of excuses – excuses that 99.9% of the time are not even real.

13. Give up the past

I know, I know. It’s hard. Especially when the past looks so much better than the present and the future looks so frightening, but you have to take into consideration the fact that the present moment is all you have and all you will ever have. The past you are now longing for – the past that you are now dreaming about – was ignored by you when it was present. Stop deluding yourself. Be present in everything you do and enjoy life. After all life is a journey not a destination. Have a clear vision for the future, prepare yourself, but always be present in the now.

14. Give up attachment

This is a concept that, for most of us is so hard to grasp and I have to tell you that it was for me too, (it still is) but it’s not something impossible. You get better and better at with time and practice. The moment you detach yourself from all things, (and that doesn’t mean you give up your love for them – because love and attachment have nothing to do with one another, attachment comes from a place of fear, while love… well, real love is pure, kind, and self less, where there is love there can’t be fear, and because of that, attachment and love cannot coexist) you become so peaceful, so tolerant, so kind, and so serene. You will get to a place where you will be able to understand all things without even trying. A state beyond words.

15. Give up living your life to other people’s expectations

Way too many people are living a life that is not theirs to live. They live their lives according to what others think is best for them, they live their lives according to what their parents think is best for them, to what their friends, their enemies and their teachers, their government and the media think is best for them. They ignore their inner voice, that inner calling.

Read entire article here

Published on Apr 30, 2012 on www.youtube.com

I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless …midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality… I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Peace Love~Mary

Source www.facebook.com

Doctors at a hospital in Istanbul are turning to an unusual form of medicine – music. Music therapy may sound a strange approach to modern medicine but according to doctors at the Memorial hospital in the Turkish capital it is producing results. The man behind the drive is Professor Bingur Sonmez and he has been joined by his colleagues Dr Erol Can and Mehmet Susam in order to revive the traditional Islamic idea of music therapy. Pictured above: Dr Erol Can (centre), plays a yayli tanbur (an Ottoman violin) with Professor Bingur Sonmez (left) holding a flute and Mehmet Susam (right) playing guitar.

Source www.facebook.com and www.DailyMedicalinfo.net

Why has Big Pharma failed to produce new antibiotics for deadly infections like MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), VRE (vancomycin-resistant enterococci), C. Difficile and Acinetobacter baumannii even as they leap from hospital to community settings? Because there is no money in it.

Pharma executives “have shown less interest in medicines like antibiotics that actually cure disease than in those that only treat symptoms,” writes Melody Petersen, author of Our Daily Meds. “Most blockbusters are pills for conditions such as anxiety, high cholesterol or constipation that must be taken daily, often for months or years. They are designed for rich Americans who can afford to buy them.” Nor are medicines for tropical diseases like malaria, which kills a child every 30 seconds, a priority, notes Petersen. They also lack ka-ching.

Since direct-to-consumer drug advertising debuted in the late 1990s, the number of people on prescription drugs — especially prescription drugs for life — has ballooned. Between 2001 to 2007 the percentage of adults and children on one or more prescriptions for chronic conditions rose by more than 12 million, reports the Associated Press and 25 percent of US children now take a medication for a chronic condition. Seven percent of kids take two or more daily drugs. Who says advertising doesn’t work?

Of the top-selling drugs in 2011, led by Lipitor, Nexium, Plavix, Advair Diskus, Abilify, Seroquel, Singulair and Crestor, none is taken occasionally, or “as needed” and the treatment goal is never to get off the drug, like an antibiotic. Why would Pharma deal itself out of the game?

There are two ways Pharma hooks the US public on prescriptions for life. First, prescriptions that used to be taken as needed for pain, anxiety, GERD (gastroesophageal reflux), asthma, mood problems, migraines and even erectile dysfunction, gout and retroviruses (in some cases) are now full-time medicines. Instead of having a bad day or heartburn, you have a disease like anxiety or GERD which calls for full pharmaceutical artillery. Instead of having body pain to be treated transiently, you are put on an antidepressant like Cymbalta or seizure drug like Lyrica or Neurontin indefinitely.

Secondly, many of the top-selling drugs today are to prevent chronic conditions like high cholesterol, high blood pressure and osteoporosis that people are said to be “at risk” for. Needless to say, in both cases, people never know if the drugs are working or whether they would have had symptoms without them. This creates a loyal customer who is afraid to quit a prescription because it might be working. And why should they quit anyway when a third party is probably paying?

Here are some drugs — not all — that are marketed for perpetuity.

1. ADHD and Drugs for Pediatric ‘Psychopathologies’

Thanks to Pharma’s “diagnose early” and screening campaigns, millions of children are treated with stimulants for ADHD and antipsychotics for bipolar disorder and assorted conduct, oppositional defiant, development disorders and “spectrums” today. No wonder Michael Bandick, brand manager for Eli Lilly’s popular antipsychotic Zyprexa, called it “the molecule that keeps on giving” at a national sales meeting.

But giving kids daily drugs creates two problems. First, parents will never know if their kids would have outgrown their conditions, and second, it’s unlikely they’ll ever get “clean.” In fact, Pharma marketers worry about the revenue threat of kids going off their meds when they leave home and even run an ad campaigns in college newspapers to keep them on. One ad shows the lead singer of Maroon 5, declaring, “I remember being the kid with ADHD. Truth is, I still have it.” The ad’s tag line reads, “It’s Your ADHD. Own It.”

2. Hormone Replacement Therapy

When the popular HRT pill Prempro was launched by Wyeth, now Pfizer, in the 1980s, then-CEO Bob Essner told sales associates, “We can make real the full promise of HRT to create in the near future a world where the majority of women will start HRT at menopause and continue on it for the rest of their lives,” reports Philadelphia magazine. The scheme of treating estrogen “deficiency” for 30 or 40 ears worked until 2002 when HRT was found to cause breast cancer, heart attacks, strokes, blood clots and dementia. They were some of the conditions it was supposed to prevent. Oops. But Pharma has not abandoned the billion-dollar franchise and news about estrogen benefits is creeping back into the news, predicated on the public’s short memory. People don’t lose hormones because they age; they age because they lose hormones, say Pharma hormone sellers. Even men now “suffer from” testosterone deficiencies or Low T.

3. Happy Pills

Pharma’s success in convincing people with anxiety or the “blues” that they need an antidepressant was a Wall Street coup. Instead of taking the occasional Xanax, people agreed to alter their entire body chemistry with a drug they took for months, years or decades.

But as antidepressants fall in popularity, because of their many side effects, including alarming “discontinuation symptoms” when people try to stop, WebMD is conducting damage control to keep people on them. Don’t believe that antidepressants turn “you into a zombie,” make you gain weight, ruin your sex life, make you “forget your problems rather than dealing with them” or cost too much, says the huge pro-pill Web site in one article. Depression is linked to heart disease, obesity, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and cancer says a second WebMD article. Stay on your meds.

4. Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs)

Some say gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is just lowly “heartburn” whipped up by Pharma into a profitable disease. But over 110 million prescriptions were written for proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) like Nexium and Prevacid in 2009, making it the third most prescribed class of drugs. Long-term use of PPIs increases the risk of hip, wrist and spine fractures, the FDA warns and the drugs can cause potentially lethal C. difficile-caused diarrhea and community-acquired pneumonia says national health advocacy group, Public Citizen. But Pharma has a different message. GERD can lead to esophageal inflammation, scar tissue and cancer, if untreated, it tells patients and symptoms won’t go away on their own. No wonder doctors call PPIs “Purple Crack.”

5. Statins

The best-selling statin drugs like Lipitor and Crestor that lower their cholesterol risks are pretty much the definition of “lifer medications,” taken in perpetuity. Who would dare to go off of them and risk cardiovascular events?

One patient on a cholesterol drug site writes that despite feeling “miserable” on statins, “What do you do? Go off the statins and let your arteries clog up?” But medical professionals say it is not safe to stay on statins indefinitely. Patients are at risk of liver dysfunction, acute kidney failure, cataracts and muscle damage known as myopathy, reports British Medical Journal. And statins can also cause memory loss and increase the risk of developing of Type 2 diabetes and muscle damage, FDA warns.

Still the appeal of a drug that lowers the risk of cardiovascular events without a change in diet or lifestyle made Lipitor the top-selling drug in the world, until recently, when its patent expired. Statins are now prescribed for kids, for the same reason.

6. Asthma-Control Medicines

Like ADHD and “pediatric psychopathology” drugs, Pharma conducts aggressive early treatment campaigns for asthma drugs, recommending that children as young as one year be treated when “symptoms” first emerge. (“Before they go away,” says one cynical doctor.) It has also marketed daily asthma “control” medicines like Advair and Symbicort so aggressively (prescription drugs added onto patients’ regular asthma medicine — ka-ching) that nearly two-thirds of the nation’s millions of asthma sufferers take them.

Read entire article here

Russian women 108 and 113 years old. Could it be the clean air, clean food and water, and natural herbs?

Source www.facebook.com

Welcome to the Alphabet series! Every other week we will be tackling a letter of the alphabet and connecting that letter with a physical, emotional and/or spiritual ailment that impacts us individually and as a community. We will gather as many recipes, rituals, remedies and resources as we can to support the healing of these ailments. This is not by any means a comprehensive list, but a working list of possible things that can reinforce and engage healing. Please be sure to consult your doctor/practitioner/spiritual guide/intuition before using and as you use any of these therapies. We are all different and respond uniquely to various healing methods. Its important to only use what is meant for you specifically. We started of the series with A is for Anger…Lets continue with the letter B. B is for Burnout.

“Caring for myself is not self indulgence. It is self preservation-that is an act of political warfare.”
– Audre Lorde

Regardless of whether you are smart, rich, experienced, naiive, supported by tons of people, a lone strong warrior, young, old, Buddha-like, a strategiest, an activist, unemployed, or in your dream job, YOU CAN EXPERIENCE BURNOUT!!!! Burnout syndrome affects people across race, age, class, gender, sexuality, and work industry. Ofcourse certain jobs, practices, lifestyles are more prone to burnout. But it is important to recognize that burnout is something that impacts us all. Recognizing this truth allows us to be more conscious of signs when they arise in us or around us.

Burnout is often confused with stress. Unlike stress, burnout is a consistent and prolonged state of physical, emotional, mental and spiritual exhaustion caused by constant exposure to stressful demands. It is the result of persistent stress over a long period of time.
Stress vs. Burnout
Stress

Burnout
Characterized by overengagement Characterized by disengagement
Emotions are overreactive Emotions are blunted
Produces urgency and hyperactivity Produces helplessness and hopelessness
Loss of energy Loss of motivation, ideals, and hope
Leads to anxiety disorders Leads to detachment and depression
Primary damage is physical Primary damage is emotional
May kill you prematurely May make life seem not worth living
Source:Stress and Burnout in Ministry

Burnout is a disease!! and like a lot of diseases, it is contagious!! If you are someone who does not prioritize healing in your life and burnout has become a default mode of functioning, think about all the spaces you occupy on a daily basis and how these spaces are impacted by your burnout state. Think about your friends, family members, children, parents, colleagues, neighbors, partners, and community members. How you are feeling impacts them. On the flip side, if you are in stressful environments, jobs and/or relationships that are prone to burnout breakouts, you could easily be a bystander caught in the fire.

Sadly, we have not been given adequate tools to recognize the signs and symptoms and practice prevention and sustainable and intentional healing. Even sadder, burnout has become a badge of honor to legitimize people and prove that folks are doing “good work”. These unhealthy beliefs build dangerous and unhealthy patterns, clouding our ability to lead full, healthy, fulfilling, and nourishing lives. Luckily, burnout does not have to be a barrier, it can be a blessing, helping you to listen to parts of your self that need to speak.

POTENTIAL INGREDIENTS, WHAT CAUSES BURNOUT?

* Prolonged physical, mental, emotional and spiritual exhaustion
* Stressful jobs with unclear and/or unrealistic job expectations, dysfunctional power dynamics, lack of control, disconnect in values
* Stressful relationships that are co-dependent, abusive, unfulfilling, unreciprocal
* Not knowing how to listen to or name your needs
* Trauma
* Oppression
* Self judgment and rejection, feeling like nothing is ever good enough, you are never good enough
* Cultural, societal and generational messages about burnout
* Abuse
* Taking on too many responsibilities
* Perfectionist tendencies

PHYSICAL, SPIRITUAL, EMOTIONAL MANIFESTATIONS
Physically: People may experience physical exhaustion that is prolonged over time. Feeling incredibly tired and not having the will to get up or move through the day, inability to sleep, getting sick a lot, muscle aches, headaches, migraines, loss of appetite, weight gain.
Emotionally: Folks may feel a loss in motivation, internalized oppression, pessimism about everything, decreased sense of accomplisment, detachment, cynicism, helplessness.
Spiritually: People may show withdrawal from relationship to oneself and/or source of power, isolation, inability to connect to oneself and to others.
Here are a few Burnout self-tests to see where you are on the spectrum

* Burnout Self Test from Mind Tools
* Mayo Clinic Burnout Questions
* Burnout Scale from American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

RECIPES AND REMEDIES

* Use clary sage and lavendar essential oils over a prolonged period of time. You can apply it on your body or burn it on an aromatherapy vessel.
* Daily doses of the flower remedy Walnut has been shown to decrease stress and in turn help heal burnout.
* Ingesting siberian ginseng in tablet form or tincture form.
* Acupressure and acupuncture
* Use reflexology to locate major points on the hands and feet that support relaxation and stress reduction.
* Healing baths with epson salt and lavendar
* Relaxing breathing exercises
* Sleep at least 6-8 hours a day
* Yoga
* Eliminate any stressors in your life
* Take yourself out on a healing date
* “Just say ‘no’. Setting boundaries early with others should not be considered walls, but paths to your sanity.”
* Adopt healthy eating habits

If you are in a job that has high burnout factor, here are some helpful tips from the ACLU

1. Create a group culture / ethos that supports self-care, balance and sustainable work loads and patterns.
2. Take a long-term perspective of planning and working for the long haul, to keep experienced / skilled group members for as long as possible
3. Balance task focus with process and relationship / maintenance focus – in meetings, in daily work, in planning, and in evaluation
4. Provide workshops / training in stress management and burnout prevention – can be as part of conferences, gatherings or ongoing training / orientation.
5. Use regular planning and evaluation as a tool to reduce stress
6. Build stress level checks into reviews and evaluations – how stressed do people feel? What is contributing? What do we need to do about these?
7. Put stress prevention strategies on the agenda for meetings.
8. Allow people to express feelings of distress, grief and loss and frustration – regard them as normal and healthy responses to unhealthy situations and state of the world.
9. Provide individual or group debriefing after critical incidents or high stress campaigns. Keep an eye open for vulnerable individuals and see intervention as valid.
10. Create support structures, eg supervision, mentoring, support / affinity groups, larger group workshops.
11. Put value on socialising, fun, humour, relaxation time as a group.

RITUALS

* Begin and end your day with relaxing breathing exercises and meditation.
* Write down positive affirmations for yourself and place them in spaces where you will see them on a regular basis.
* Create a vision board that clearly defines what you want your life to look like.
* Do a letting go ritual to release anything in your life that is causing you burn

Read entire article here

by Dibia

Welcome to the Alphabet series! Every other week we will be tackling a letter of the alphabet and connecting that letter with a physical, emotional and/or spiritual ailment that impacts us individually and as a community. We will gather as many recipes, rituals, remedies and resources as we can to support the healing of these ailments. This is not by any means a comprehensive list, but a working list of possible things that can reinforce and engage healing. Please be sure to consult your doctor/practitioner/spiritual guide/intuition before using any of these therapies. We are all different and respond uniquely to various healing methods. Its important to only use what is meant for you specifically. Lets kick things off with the letter A. A is for Anger!!!

“And true, sometimes it seems that anger alone keeps me alive; it burns with a bright and undiminished flame. Yet anger, like guilt, is an incomplete form of human knowledge. More useful than hatred, but still limited. Anger is useful to help clarify our differences, but in the long run, strength that is bred by anger alone is a blind force which cannot create the future. It can only demolish the past. Such strength does not focus on what lies ahead, but upon what lies behind, upon what created it – hatred. And hatred is a deathwish for the hated, not a lifewish for anything else.”

~Audre Lorde

We are all recipients and givers of anger. To feel anger is normal and a natural expression of emotion. Anger, used effectively, can be an incredible atlas of discovery. It can help us uncover unhealthy patterns, highlight areas in our lives that need change, open us up to stand up for ourselves and our communities and help us release parts of ourselves that have been clogged down. On the flip side, anger can be a beaaasssstt!!! Allowed to run rampant, it can manifest violently in our physical and spiritual selves and cause damaging rippling effects in our relationships with friends, family, strangers and the earth. The trick to making anger work for us, is to find a balance of expressing anger without causing harm to yourself and/or others. How do we do that? Well, It helps to start from the root of what causes our anger and work our way up, picking up answers along the way.

Potential Ingredients: What causes Anger?

* Unaddressed emotions
* Frustration
* Your loud ass neighbor who refuses to respect silence
* Stressful environments ie people, workspaces, relationships, living spaces
* Change that feels out of our control
* Oppression
* Unforgiveness of yourself and/or others
* Abuse
* Physical, emotional and/or spiritual pain
* Not feeling heard/seen
* Any part of you being disrespected
* Self judgement
* Self rejection
* Cultural and societal messages about anger
* Biased information processing
* Fear
* Adrenal release

Physical and Spiritual manifestations

Anger can manifest in any number of ways. Physically, people may experience headaches, dizziness, stomach aches, rapid heart beat, pain in isolated parts of the body, sweating. I personally experience hot ears and sweat palms. If I’m hella angry, I have a hard time articulating my thoughts. People may also notice that they begin to pace, speak aggressively, act abrasively, raise their voice, feel anxious. Spiritually, folks might feel ungrounded, unbalanced, chaotic and foggy. Some folks might feel a deep sense of clarity. Its important to note that that these physical manifestations can also be indications of other emotional, physical and/or spiritual issues. Everybody’s expression of anger is different. Whats most important is that when anger arises, its important to pay attention to how your body physically expresses and stores it. It is important that we deal with our anger so that it does not escalate to place that is destructive to ourselves or others. If you find yourself experiencing difficulty breathing, chest pain, hurting yourself or another person, getting into verbal and physical fights, it is important to seek the help of a professional who can support your healing.

Recipes & Remedies

* Steep 1/2 teaspoon of chamomile and 1 tablespoon of finely chopped cilantro leaves in hot water for 10 minutes. Allow the tea to cool, strain and sip slowly.
* Reduce and/or eliminate sugar in your diet. Healthy fruits and vegetables can help regulate moods.
* Rose essential oil has been a successful treatment for anger. Inhale it directly from a bottle or put a few drops on the pulse points of your wrist. You can also add a few drops in a candle diffuser and burn it in your preferred space.
* Another helpful essential oil is sandalwood. Dab a drop of it on the middle of your forehead, throat, breastbone, temple, and wrists.
* Use guided imagery to imagine yourself expressing your anger to the person or thing you are annoyed with
* Listen to relaxing and calming music.
* Practice a breathing meditation for at least 10 minutes, certain forms of pranayama are particularly helpful
* Make an anger chili.
* LET IT OUT!!!!Find a productive way to express your anger; dance, writing, singing, being a part of an organizing campaign for change, visual art, screaming at the top of your lungs, beating a punching bag etc
* Come up with a safe and effective action plan to implement when you get angry. Identify ways you can be proactive rather than reactive.
* As a community, it is important to support folks dealing with anger with as much compassion and non-judgement as possible.

Rituals

* Practice a letting go ritual to release anger that is being destructive in your life.
* Create time and space with a friend and/or community to share the source of your anger.
* Participate in a grieving ritual. The root of a lot of anger we experience is deeply connected to unacknowledged and unresolved grief. The better we are at grieving, the less likely anger arising from this greif can have a negative impact on our lives.

Read entire article here

Coming up Tuesday at 9am Pacific – 12 Noon Eastern – 17:00 GMT
Will be archived here after the broadcast by Tuesday evening.

“THE KEVIN BARRETT SHOW”
EXCLUSIVE –Tuesday on KB Show:
David Macaray: “They want to privatize the world!”

Guest: David Macaray, author of “They Want to Privatize the World.” David is a playwright, labor columnist and author (It’s Never Been Easy: Essays on Modern Labor), whose labor and entertainment articles have appeared in such periodicals as the LA Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, NY Press, Beckett Monthly, Utne Reader, as well CounterPunch and CommonDreams.

The Kevin Barrett Show is independently produced and hosted by Kevin Barrett and these shows are externally produced content. All externally produced content broadcast on No Lies Radio is the sole responsibility of the program-content producer and is not the responsibility of NoLiesRadio.org. Any questions or concerns should be directed to the content producer.

On April 24, 2012, Mumia Abu-Jamal’s 58th birthday, we will gather at the Department of Justice in Washington D.C and amplify our formal request that Attorney General Eric Holder meet with a delegation to discuss police corruption and civil rights violations….Angela goes on to say that they will also demand the immediate release of Mumia Abu Jamal.

Source www.Vimeo.com

By Kate Kelland reuters.com

LONDON | Tue Mar 20, 2012 8:03pm EDT

(Reuters) – Three new studies published on Wednesday added to growing scientific evidence suggesting that taking a daily dose of aspirin can help prevent, and possibly treat, cancer.

Previous studies have found that daily aspirin reduces the long-term risk of death due to cancer, but until now the shorter-term effects have been less certain – as has the medicine’s potential in patients already diagnosed with cancer.

The new studies, led by Peter Rothwell of Britain’s Oxford University, found that aspirin also has a short-term benefit in preventing cancer, and that it reduces the likelihood that cancers will spread to other organs by about 40 to 50 percent.

“These findings add to the case for use of aspirin to prevent cancer, particularly if people are at increased risk,” Rothwell said.

“Perhaps more importantly, they also raise the distinct possibility that aspirin will be effective as an additional treatment for cancer – to prevent distant spread of the disease.”

This was particularly important because it is the process of spread of cancer, or “metastasis”, which most often kills people with the disease, he added.

Aspirin, originally developed by Bayer, is a cheap over-the-counter drug generally used to combat pain or reduce fever.

The drug reduces the risk of clots forming in blood vessels and can therefore protect against heart attacks and strokes, so it is often prescribed for people who already suffer with heart disease and have already had one or several attacks.

Aspirin also increases the risk of bleeding in the stomach to around one patient in every thousand per year, a factor which has fuelled an intense debate about whether doctors should advise patients to take it as regularly as every day.

READ FULL STORY HERE

Karine Polwart – I’m Gonna Do It All from 2006

Charming promo video of a beautiful song from Scotland’s finest contemporary singer-songwriter.

Source www.youtube.com

In a file picture dated 05 February 2005, members of the US-based Blackwater private security firm scan Baghdad city centre from their helicopter (AFP Photo / Marwan Naamani)

For skeptics of how the American government has conducted its so-called War on Drugs, don’t worry, it will soon be out of their hands.

The US Department of Defense has transferred its armed efforts in Latin and Central America in the War on Drugs to Academi, the private military contractors formerly known as Blackwater, reports BBC Spanish. Before they altered their branding to be known as Xe, then most recently Academi, Blackwater underwent immense criticism for a series of scandals involving contract employees executing civilians throughout the Middle East.

That same company that trained contractors to mercilessly slay helpless Iraqis will now be ushering military contractors south of the border to help combat the War on Drugs there, the outlet reports. With the Constitution only legally allowing the Pentagon to get away with so much, the BBC reports that the transition of control to private contractors will allow them to get away with what “US military forces are not allowed or not encouraged to do.”

The company previously known as Blackwater is just one of several private contractors that have been awarded contracts out of the Department of Defense, reports BBC, and their specific deal will award them several million dollars towards “providing advice, training and conducting operations in drug producing countries and those with links to so-called ‘narco-terrorism’ including Latin America.”

What’s more, it is reported, that those contracts were no-bid agreements authorized by the Pentagon. Under such deals, the DoD forks over federal funds to private companies without ever seeking better offers from competitors.

As long ago as 2007, the Pentagon was considering billions of dollars worth of contracts to private contractor aid in the War on Drugs, but the BBC reports that the latest deal will actually aid in the “transfer” of control out of Washington and instead put the actions of enforcing drug production and trafficking in the hands of civilians, not servicemen bound by certain rules and regulations.

Additionally, the transition will allow the government to usher billions into the War on Drugs, but to the public it will appear as if the effort is, on the periphery, nothing more than another DoD contract. Opposition has long existed to the lengthy War on Drugs, and by continuing the efforts in Central and South America without relying on further Pentagon expenditures, less money will appear to be focused on ongoing operations.

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Load up on health-boosting superfoods that combat breast cancer, heart disease and more

If you’re tired of reading about must-eat superfoods that are hard to find—and even harder to pronounce; (hello, açai berry and quinoa)—take heart: Your pantry may hold more superpowered wonders than you realize! From chocolate and coffee to red wine and walnuts, the following eight amazing everyday foods can help improve your health.

Chocolate

Good news for all the chocoholics out there: Cocoa just might be one of the heart-healthiest foods around! A 2011 Harvard study found that organic compounds called flavonoids that are contained in cacao (the bean used to make chocolate) are associated with reduced blood pressure as well as improved blood vessel health, cholesterol levels and general blood flow. “All of these things are protective against heart disease,” says Eric Ding, PhD, conductor of the study and a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. “But the HDL findings—the increase in good cholesterol—nobody knew about that until our study, as well as the improved blood flow.” As good as that news is, it’s not a green light to eat any and every chocolate bar you come across. “Eighty percent of the chocolate we consume in this country is not healthy,” says Joseph Maroon, MD, professor of neurosurgery at the University of Pittsburgh and author of The Longevity Factor. “It’s pure sugar and doesn’t have the flavonoids in it from the original cacao tree and bean.” The experts we spoke to recommend snacking on two to four squares per day of dark chocolate that has at least 70% to 75% cacao, because it has more flavonoids. If you’re not a chocolate fan, Dr. Ding and Dr. Maroon both recommend taking a 400 to 450 mg cocoa flavonoid supplement in lieu of eating squares. Photo: Martina Vignatelli/iStock

Coffee

While coffee has been widely touted for its health benefits, a recent study amounted to a small victory for male coffee drinkers. According to a 2011 Harvard study, coffee consumption has been linked to decreased rates of prostate cancer. In the study, men who drank six or more cups of coffee per day were found to have a 20% lower risk of developing prostate cancer and a 60% lower risk of developing lethal prostate cancer, according to researcher Lorelei Mucci, PhD, study author and associate professor of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. “We saw the same lower risk whether the men only drank decaf, only drank caffeinated or drank both, so it’s something other than the caffeine,” Dr. Mucci says. Though downing six cups of joe every day is probably too much for most people, rest assured that the study still found lower rates of prostate cancer in men who only drank one to three cups per day, compared to those who drank none at all. Get him in the habit by making a double batch when enjoying your morning brew. Photo: Michael Flippo/iStock

Watercress

While it may not be the most popular leafy green, watercress has been associated with one very positive health impact for women: It may inhibit the growth of breast cancer tumors. Though only a small study was conducted, scientists at England’s University of Southampton reported in 2011 that a compound in watercress can “turn off” the signal that sends blood flow to a tumor, in essence stopping the tumor in its tracks. “All cancers develop new blood vessels, so if you interfere with the development of new blood vessels, you effectively impede the blood supply to the tumor,” Dr. Maroon says. “A lot of the drugs [that treat breast cancer] prevent the tumors from making new blood vessels, and in that way, can slow, impede or eradicate the growth of some tumors.” Although more research is needed, it’s safe to assume that adding this leafy green to your diet, whether as a sandwich topping or in salads, couldn’t hurt. Photo: Stockbyte/Thinkstock

Walnuts

Most nuts are recognized as superfoods, thanks to a high concentration of unsaturated fatty acids, like omega-3s, which help lower cholesterol and decrease the risk of heart disease. However, a 2011 study indicates that walnuts might be the most super nut of them all. According to study author Joe Vinson, PhD, professor of chemistry at Scranton University in Pennsylvania, walnuts contain twice the amount of antioxidants per ounce as peanuts and almonds, two popular types of nuts consumed in the U.S. His research found that all nuts in general were better sources of antioxidants when compared to pure vitamin E (a type of antioxidant). But when walnuts were compared to peanuts and almonds, they were found to be better in terms of the “quality and quantity of antioxidants.” According to Kari Kooi, RD, corporate wellness dietitian at The Methodist Hospital in Houston, that means walnuts can not only help improve cholesterol levels but also help manage your weight by providing satisfying heart-healthy fats and protein. Photo: Thinkstock

Olive Oil

Olive oil has long been associated with the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet, but it may benefit more than just your ticker. In a 2011 study, researchers analyzed the olive oil consumption of 7,625 French people 65 or older and found that those whose use of olive oil was “intensive” were 41% less likely to suffer a stroke compared with those who never consumed olive oil. “We can’t infer which aspects of olive oil may prevent stroke,” says study author Cécilia Samieri, PhD, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the University of Bordeaux in France. However, Dr. Samieri says, it’s possible that the oleic acid in olive oil decreases the absorption of saturated fats—and, ultimately, the chance of stroke. Photo: Thinkstock

Apples

It looks like an apple a day really can keep the doctor away—especially when it comes to heart health. A 2011 study conducted by researchers at Florida State University compared postmenopausal women who ate 75 grams of dried apple a day to women who ate other types of dried fruit. The result? Women who ate the dried apple saw a 23% drop in their LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, as well as a 4% increase in their HDL (“good”) cholesterol. What’s more, the additional 240 calories derived from the dried apple slices didn’t cause participants to gain weight—the apple group actually lost an average of 3.3 lbs over the course of the year in which the study was conducted. Although dried apples were used in the study, eating the equivalent amount of fresh apples is believed to produce similar results. Photo: Stockbyte/Thinkstock

Whole Grains

New research may make you think twice before buying that loaf of white bread. Foods that contain whole grains and bran, like stone-ground whole-grain bread, brown rice and old-fashioned oatmeal, can help protect against coronary heart disease and aid in digestive health. They also improve insulin sensitivity, which can help better control your sugar levels—a vital factor for diabetics. A 2010 study found that the intake of whole grains was associated with a 16 to 31% overall reduction in the risk of dying from any cause in participants with type 2 diabetes. “Whole grains can slow the absorption of cholesterol, just like some of the drugs that you take [for high cholesterol] do,” says Dr. Maroon. In essence, by improving your overall cholesterol count, you can help lower your risk of heart disease. Photo: Thinkstock

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Moving the body demands a lot from the brain. Exercise activates countless neurons, which generate, receive and interpret repeated, rapid-fire messages from the nervous system, coordinating muscle contractions, vision, balance, organ function and all of the complex interactions of bodily systems that allow you to take one step, then another.

This increase in brain activity naturally increases the brain’s need for nutrients, but until recently, scientists hadn’t fully understood how neurons fuel themselves during exercise. Now a series of animal studies from Japan suggest that the exercising brain has unique methods of keeping itself fueled. What’s more, the finely honed energy balance that occurs in the brain appears to have implications not only for how well the brain functions during exercise, but also for how well our thinking and memory work the rest of the time.

For many years, scientists had believed that the brain, which is a very hungry organ, subsisted only on glucose, or blood sugar, which it absorbed from the passing bloodstream. But about 10 years ago, some neuroscientists found that specialized cells in the brain, known as astrocytes, that act as support cells for neurons actually contained small stores of glycogen, or stored carbohydrates. And glycogen, as it turns out, is critical for the health of cells throughout the brain.

In petri dishes, when neurons, which do not have energy stores of their own, are starved of blood sugar, their neighboring astrocytes undergo a complex physiological process that results in those cells’ stores of glycogen being broken down into a form easily burned by neurons. This substance is released into the space between the cells and the neurons swallow it, maintaining their energy levels.

But while scientists knew that the brain had and could access these energy stores, they had been unable to study when the brain’s stored energy was being used in actual live conditions, outside of petri dishes, because brain glycogen is metabolized or burned away very rapidly after death; it’s gone before it can be measured.

That’s where the Japanese researchers came in. They had developed a new method of using high-powered microwave irradiation to instantly freeze glycogen levels at death, so that the scientists could accurately assess just how much brain glycogen remained in the astrocytes or had recently been used.

In the first of their new experiments, published last year in The Journal of Physiology, scientists at the Laboratory of Biochemistry and Neuroscience at the University of Tsukuba gathered two groups of adult male rats and had one group start a treadmill running program, while the other group sat for the same period of time each day on unmoving treadmills. The researchers’ aim was to determine how much the level of brain glycogen changed during and after exercise.

Using their glycogen detection method, they discovered that prolonged exercise significantly lowered the brain’s stores of energy, and that the losses were especially noticeable in certain areas of the brain, like the frontal cortex and the hippocampus, that are involved in thinking and memory, as well as in the mechanics of moving.

The findings of their subsequent follow-up experiment, however, were even more intriguing and consequential. In that study, which appears in this month’s issue of The Journal of Physiology, the researchers studied animals after a single bout of exercise and also after four weeks of regular, moderate-intensity running.

After the single session on the treadmill, the animals were allowed to rest and feed, and then their brain glycogen levels were studied. The food, it appeared, had gone directly to their heads; their brain levels of glycogen not only had been restored to what they had been before the workout, but had soared past that point, increasing by as much as a 60 percent in the frontal cortex and hippocampus and slightly less in other parts of the brain. The astrocytes had “overcompensated,” resulting in a kind of brain carbo-loading.

The levels, however, had dropped back to normal within about 24 hours.

That was not the case, though, if the animals continued to exercise. In those rats that ran for four weeks, the “supercompensation” became the new normal, with their baseline levels of glycogen showing substantial increases compared with the sedentary animals. The increases were especially notable in, again, those portions of the brain critical to learning and memory formation — the cortex and the hippocampus.

Which is why the findings are potentially so meaningful – and not just for rats.

While a brain with more fuel reserves is potentially a brain that can sustain and direct movement longer, it also “may be a key mechanism underlying exercise-enhanced cognitive function,” says Hideaki Soya, a professor of exercise biochemistry at the University of Tsukuba and senior author of the studies, since supercompensation occurs most strikingly in the parts of the brain that allow us better to think and to remember. As a result, Dr. Soya says, “it is tempting to suggest that increased storage and utility of brain glycogen in the cortex and hippocampus might be involved in the development” of a better, sharper brain.

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Uploaded by truthseeker444 on Nov 30, 2010

On Saturday the 27th of November 2010, on a bitter cold winter morning, over 100,000 people took to the Streets of Dublin to send a clear message to their government and the EU.
Despite this huge turnout, RTE and the UK TV stations underplayed the whole protest, and seriously understated the numbers and the effect.
I have made this vid so as the true numbers can be seen, and the feelings of the people can be heard. Most of the pics used were taken by Jeremy Turkington, but I have added others that were not, ie the aerial shots.
O’Connell Street was packed from one end to the other, and the overspill went down adjoining Streets. The significance and the impact of this display of Unity, should not be undermined.
On the steps of the GPO Ireland reclaimed itself as a Sovereign Republic!
The backing tracks are from Andrew Hughes and Gareth Icke, in that order.

I would like to personally thank Jim Corr for the great work he done to promote this protest, his vid calling the people to protest has now had over 100,000 hits on you tube, and went viral within hours of being released.
I would also like to thank the 100,000-120,000 people, who braved the freezing cold on this very momentous day.
There is great strength in UNITY! This is just the start of the Irish people claiming their country back from the greedy hands of the IMF and the EU!
i am very proud to have been part of this day.
Sandra Barr

Hungary has taken a bold stand against biotech giant Monsanto and genetic modification by destroying 1000 acres of maize found to have been grown with genetically modified seeds, according to Hungary deputy state secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development Lajos Bognar. Unlike many European Union countries, Hungary is a nation where genetically modified (GM) seeds are banned. In a similar stance against GM ingredients, Peru has also passed a 10 year ban on GM foods.

Planetsave reports:

Almost 1000 acres of maize found to have been ground with genetically modified seeds have been destroyed throughout Hungary, deputy state secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development Lajos Bognar said. The GMO maize has been ploughed under, said Lajos Bognar, but pollen has not spread from the maize, he added.

Unlike several EU members, GMO seeds are banned in Hungary. The checks will continue despite the fact that seek traders are obliged to make sure that their products are GMO free, Bognar said.

During the investigation, controllers have found Pioneer Monsanto products among the seeds planted.

The free movement of goods within the EU means that authorities will not investigate how the seeds arrived in Hungary, but they will check where the goods can be found, Bognar said. Regional public radio reported that the two biggest international seed producing companies are affected in the matter and GMO seeds could have been sown on up to the thousands of hectares in the country. Most of the local farmers have complained since they just discovered they were using GMO seeds.

With season already under way, it is too late to sow new seeds, so this year’s harvest has been lost.

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Jan 26, 2012

Over Monsanto’s 110-year history (1901-2011), Monsanto Co (MON.N), the world’s largest seed company, has evolved from primarily an industrial chemical concern into a pure agricultural products company. MON profited $2 billion dollars in 2009, but their record profits fell to only $1 billion in 2010 after activists exposed Monsanto for doing terribly evil acts like suing good farmers and feeding uranium to pregnant women. Below is a timeline of Monsanto’s dark history.

Monsanto, best know today for its agricultural biotechnology GMO products, has a long and dirty history of polluting this country and others with some of the most toxic compounds known to humankind. From PCBs to Agent Orange to Roundup, we have many reasons to question the motives of this evil corporation that claims to be working to reduce environmental destruction and feed the world with its genetically engineered GMO food crops. Monsanto has been repeatedly fined and ruled against for, among many things: mislabeling containers of Roundup, failing to report health data to EPA, plus chemical spills and improper chemical deposition.

The name Monsanto has since, for many around the world, come to symbolize the greed, arrogance, scandal and hardball business practices of many multinational corporations. A couple of historical factoids not generally known: Monsanto was heavily involved during WWII in the creation of the first nuclear bomb for the Manhattan Project via its facilities in Dayton Ohio and called the Dayton Project headed by Charlie Thomas, Director of Monsanto’s Central Research Department (and later Monsanto President) and it operated a nuclear facility for the federal government in Miamisburg, also in Ohio, called the Mound Project until the 80s.

Monsanto Company History Overview

Monsanto is a US based agricultural and pharmaceutical monopoly, Monsanto Company is a producer of herbicides, prescription pharmaceutical drugs, and genetically engineered (GMO) seeds. The global Monsanto corporation has operated sales offices, manufacturing plants, and research facilities in more than 100 countries. Monsanto has the largest share of the global GMO crops market. In 2001 its crops accounted for 91% of the total area of GMO crops planted worldwide. Based on 2001 figures Monsanto was the second biggest seed company in the world, and the third biggest agrochemical company.

Historically Monsanto has been involved with the production of PCBs, DDT, dioxins and the defoliant / chemical weapon ‘Agent Orange’ (sprayed on American troops and Vietnamese civilians during the Vietnam War). Originally a chemical company, Until the late 1990s Monsanto was a much larger ‘lifesciences’ company whose business covered chemicals, polymers, food additives and pharmaceuticals, as well as agricultural products.

All of these other chemical business areas have now been demerged or sold off. Monsanto sold its chemical business in 1997 to build a presence in biotechnology, developing NON-ORGANIC GMO soybeans and corn (classified as a pesticide and banned in the EU) to resist the poisonous affects of its Roundup herbicide. Monsanto’s key business areas are now agrochemicals, seeds and traits (including GMO crops), Monsanto also produced NutraSweet, a GMO sugar substitute. Monsanto recently sold it’s GMO bovine growth hormones monopoly to Eli Lilly, and sold it’s aspartame business to Pfizer.

Monsanto’s business is currently run in two parts: Agricultural Productivity, and Seeds and Genomics. The Agricultural Productivity segment includes Roundup herbicide and other agri-chemicals, and the Animal Agriculture business. The Seeds and Genomics segment consists of seed companies and related biotechnology traits, and a technology platform based on plant genomics. In reality of course these two segments are inseparable, since the agri-chemicals are becoming increasingly dependent on the seeds segment for sales.

Timeline of Monsanto’s Dark History

1901: Monsanto was founded in St. Louis, Missouri by John Francis Queeny, a 30-year veteran of the pharmaceutical industry. Queeny funded the start-up with capital from Coca-Cola (saccharin). Founder John Francis Queeny named Monsanto Chemical Works after his wife, Olga Mendez Monsanto. Queeny’s father in law was Emmanuel Mendes de Monsanto, wealthy financier of a sugar company active in Vieques, Puerto Rico and based in St. Thomas in the Danish West Indies.

1902: Monsanto manufactures its first product, the artificial sweetener Saccharin, which Monsanto sold to the Coca-Cola Company. The U.S.

1904: Queeny persuaded family and friends to invest $15000, Monsanto has strong ties to The Walt Disney Company, it having financial backing from the Order’s Bank of America founded in Jesuit-ruled San Francisco by Italian-American Roman-Catholic Knight of Malta Amadeo Giannini.

1905: Monsanto company was also producing caffeine and vanillin and was beginning to turn a profit.

1906: The government’s monopoly on meat regulation began, when in response to public panic resulting from the publication of Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, Teddy Roosevelt signed legislation mandating federal meat inspections. Today, Salatin claims that agricultural regulation favors multinational corporations such as ConAgra and Monsanto because the treasonous science that supports the USDA regulatory framework is paid for by these corporations, which continue to give large grants to leading schools and research facilities.

1908: John Francis Queeny leaves his part-time job as the new branch manager of another drug house the Powers-Weightman-Rosegarten Company to become Monsanto’s full-time president.

1912: Agriculture again came to the forefront with the creation of the DeKalb County Farm Bureau, one of the first organizations of its kind. In the 1930s the DeKalb AgResearch Corporation (today MONSANTO) marketed its first hybrid seed corn.

1914–1918: During WWI, cut off from imported European chemicals, Monsanto was forced to manufacture it’s own, and it’s position as a leading force in the chemical industry was assured. Unable to import foreign supplies from Europe during World War I, Queeny turned to manufacturing his own raw materials. It was then his scientists discovered that the Germans, in anticipation of the war, had ripped out vital pages from their research books which explained various chemical processes.

1915: Business expanded rapidly. Monsanto sales surpass the $1,000,000 mark for the first time.

1917: U.S. government sues Monsanto over the safety of Monsanto’s original product, saccharin. Monsanto eventually won, after several years in court.

1917: Monsanto added more and more products: vanillin, caffeine, and drugs used as sedatives and laxatives.

1917: Bayer, The German competition cut prices in an effort to drive Monsanto out of business, but failed. Soon, Monsanto diversified into phenol (a World War I -era antiseptic), and aspirin when Bayer’s German patent expired in 1917. Monsanto began making aspirin, and soon became the largest manufacturer world-wide.

1918: With the purchase of an Illinois acid company, Monsanto began to widen the scope of its factory operations.

Mar 15, 1918: More than 500 of the 750 employees of the Monsanto Chemical Works, which has big contracts for the Government, went on strike, forcing the plant to dose down.

Aug 15, 1919: Thereafter much of it was declared surplus, and a contract was entered into with the Monsanto Chemical Co., of St. Louis, Mo., by which contract the Director of Sales authorized the Monsanto Co. to sell for the United States its surplus phenol, estimated at 27521242 pounds, for a market price to be fixed from time to time by the representative of the contracting officer of the United States, but with a minimum price of 9 cents a pound.

1919: Monsanto established its presence in Europe by entering into a partnership with Graesser’s Chemical Works at Cefn Mawr near Ruabon, Wales to produce vanillin, salicylic acid, aspirin and later rubber.

1920s: In its third decade, Monsanto expanded into basic industrial chemicals like sulfuric acid and other chemicals.

Jan 5, 1920: The petitioner was authorized to sell two tracts of land in the Common Fields of Cahokia, St. Clair County, containing 2.403 acres and 3.46 acres respectively, to the Monsanto Chemical Works for the sum of $1500.

1920-1921: A postwar depression during the early 1920s affected profits, but by the time John Queeny turned over Monsanto to Edgar in 1928 the financial situation was much brighter.

1926: Environmental policy was generally governed by local governments, Monsanto Chemical Company founded and incorporated the town of Monsanto, later renamed Sauget, Illinois, to provide a more business friendly environment for one of its chemical plants. For years, the Monsanto plant in Sauget was the nation’s largest producer of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). And although polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were banned in the 1970s, they remain in the water along Dead Creek in Sauget.

1927: Monsanto had over 2,000 employees, with offices across the country and in England.

1927: Shortly after its initial listing on the New York Stock Exchange, Monsanto moved to acquire 2 chemical companies that specialized in rubber. Other chemicals were added in later years, including detergents.

1928: John Queeny’s son Edgar Monsanto Queeny takes over the Monsanto company. Monsanto had gone public, a move that paved the way for future expansion. At this time, Monsanto had 55 shareholders, 1,000 employees, and owned a small company in Britain.

1929: Monsanto acquires Rubber Services Laboratories. Charlie Sommer joined Monsanto, and later became president of Monsanto in 1960.

October 1929: The folks at Monsanto Co. fished through their records, but they couldn’t find out why the company’s symbol is MTC. Monsanto went public in October 1929, just a few days before the great stock market crash. Some symbols are holdovers from the 19th century, when telegraph operators used single-letter symbols for the most active stocks to conserve wire space, says the New York Stock Exchange. Mergers, acquisitions and failure have caused many single-letter symbols to change

1929: Monsanto began production of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) in the United States. PCBs were considered an industrial wonder chemical – an oil that would not burn, was impervious to degradation and had almost limitless applications. Today PCBs are considered one of the gravest chemical threats on the planet. PCBs, widely used as lubricants, hydraulic fluids, cutting oils, waterproof coatings and liquid sealants, are potent carcinogens and have been implicated in reproductive, developmental and immune system disorders. The world’s center of PCB manufacturing was Monsanto’s plant on the outskirts of East St. Louis, Illinois, which has the highest rate of fetal death and immature births in the state.

Monsanto documents : many emblazoned with warnings such as ‘CONFIDENTIAL: Read and Destroy’ : show that for decades, the corporate giant concealed what it did and what it knew.”

Ken Cook of the Environmental Working Group says that based on the Monsanto documents made public, Monsanto “knew the truth from the very beginning. They lied about it. They hid the truth from their neighbors.” One Monsanto memo explains their justification: “We can’t afford to lose one dollar of business.” Eventually Monsanto was found guilty of conduct “so outrageous in character and extreme in degree as to go beyond all possible bounds of decency so as to be regarded as atrocious and utterly intolerable in civilized society”.

1930s: DeKalb AgResearch Corporation (today MONSANTO) marketed its first **HYBRID** seed corn (maize).

1933: Incorporated as Monsanto Chemical Company

1934: “I recognized my two selves: a crusading idealist and a cold, granitic believer in the law of the jungle” – Edgar Monsanto Queeny, Monsanto chairman, 1943-63, “The Spirit of Enterprise”

1935: Edward O’Neal (who became chairperson in 1964) came to Monsanto with the acquisition of the Swann Corporation. Monsanto goes into the soap and detergents industry, starts producing phosphorus.

1938: Monsanto goes into the plastic business (the year after DuPont helped ban hemp because it was superior to their new NYLON product made from Rockefeller OIL). Monsanto became involved in plastics when it completely took over Fiberloid, one of the oldest nitrocellulose production companies, which had a 50% stake in Shawinigan Resins.

1939: Monsanto purchased Resinox, a subsidiary of Corn Products, and Commercial Solvents, which specialized in phenolic resins. Thus, just before the war, Monsanto’s plastics interests included phenol-formaldehyde thermosetting resins, cellulose and vinyl plastics.

1939-1945: Monsanto conducts research on uranium for the Manhattan Project in Dayton, Ohio. Dr. Charles Thomas, who later served as Monsanto’s chairman of the board, was present at the first test explosion of the atomic bomb. During World War II, Monsanto played a significant role in the Manhattan Project to develop the atom bomb. Monsanto operated the Dayton Project, and later Mound Laboratories in Miamisburg, Ohio, for the Manhattan Project, the development of the first nuclear weapons and, after 1947, the Atomic Energy Commission.

1940s: Monsanto had begun focusing on plastics and synthetic fabrics like polystyrene (still widely used in food packaging and other consumer products), which is ranked 5th in the EPA’s 1980s listing of chemicals whose production generates the most total hazardous waste. From the 1940s onwards Monsanto was one of the top 10 US chemical companies.

1941: By the time the United States entered World War II, the domestic chemical industry had attained far greater independence from Europe. Monsanto, strengthened by its several acquisitions, was also prepared to produce such strategic materials as phosphates and inorganic chemicals. Most important was Monsanto’s acquisition of a research and development laboratory called Thomas and Hochwalt. The well-known Dayton, Ohio, firm strengthened Monsanto at the time and provided the basis for some of its future achievements in chemical technology. One of its most important discoveries was styrene monomer, a key ingredient in synthetic rubber and a crucial product for the armed forces during the war. Edward J. Bock joined Monsanto in 1941 as an engineer – he rose through the ranks to become a member of the board of directors in 1965 and president in 1968.

1943: Massive Texas City plant starts producing synthetic rubber for the Allies in World War II.

1944: Monsanto began manufacturing DDT, along with some 15 other companies. The use of DDT in the U.S. was banned by Congress in 1972.

1945: Following WW2, Monsanto championed the use of chemical pesticides in agriculture, and began manufacturing the herbicide 2,4,5-T, which contains dioxin. Monsanto has been accused of covering up or failing to report dioxin contamination in a wide range of its products.

1949: Monsanto acquired American Viscose from England’s Courtauld family.

1950: Monsanto began to produce urethane foam – which was flexible, easy to use, and later became crucial in making automobile interiors.

1953: Toxicity tests on the effects of 2 PCBs showed that more than 50% of the rats subjected to them DIED, and ALL of them showed damage.

1954: Monsanto partnered with German chemical giant Bayer to form Mobay and market polyurethanes in the USA.

1955: Monsanto acquired Lion Oil refinery, increasing its assets by more than 50%. Stockholders during this time numbered 43,000. Monsanto starts producing petroleum-based fertilizer.

1957: Monsanto moved to the suburban community of Creve Coeur, having finally outgrown its headquarters in downtown St. Louis, Missouri.

1957-1967: Monsanto was the creator of several attractions in Disney’s Tommorrowland. Often they revolved around the the virtues of chemicals and plastics. Their “House of the Future” was constructed entirely of plastic, but it was NOT biodegradable. “After attracting a total of 20 million visitors from 1957 to 1967, Disney finally tore the house down, but discovered it would not go down without a fight. According to Monsanto Magazine, wrecking balls literally bounced off the glass-fiber, reinforced polyester material. Torches, jackhammers, chain saws and shovels did not work. Finally, choker cables were used to squeeze off parts of the house bit by bit to be trucked away.”

1959: Monsanto sets up Monsanto Electronics Co. in Palo Alto, begins producing ultra-pure silicon for the high-tech industry, in an area which would later become a Superfund site.

1960: Edgar Queeny turned over the chair of Monsanto to Charles Thomas, one of the founders of the research and development laboratory so important to Monsanto. Charlie Sommer, who had joined Monsanto in 1929, became president. According to Monsanto historian Dan Forrestal, “Leadership during the 1960s and early 1970s came principally from … executives whose Monsanto roots ran deep.” Under their combined leadership Monsanto saw several important developments, including the establishment of the Agricultural Chemicals division with focus on herbicides, created to consolidate Monsanto’s diverse agrichemical product lines.

a host of debilitating symptoms attributable to Agent Orange exposure. Agent Orange contaminated more than 3,000,000 civilians and servicemen. According to Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to Agent Orange, resulting in 400,000 deaths and disabilities, plus 500,000 children born with birth defects, leading to calls for Monsanto to be prosecuted for war crimes. Internal Monsanto memos show that Monsanto knew of the problems of dioxin contamination of Agent Orange when it sold it to the U.S. government for use in Vietnam. Look at what the “EFFECTS” of agent orange look like… keep in mind it was used to remove leaves from the trees where AMERICAN SOLDIERS were breathing, eating, sleeping.

1962: Public concern over the environment began to escalate. Ralph Nader’s activities and Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring had been influential in increasing the U.S. public’s awareness of activities within the chemical industry in the 1960s, and Monsanto responded in several ways to the pressure.

1962: Monsanto’s European expansion continued, with Brussels becoming the permanent overseas headquarters.

1964: Monsanto changed its name to Monsanto Company in acknowledgment of its diverse product line. The company consisted of 8 divisions, including petroleum, fibers, building materials, and packaging. Edward O’Neal became chairperson (came to Monsanto in 1935 with the acquisition of the Swann Corporation) was the first chair in Monsanto history who had not first held the post of president.

1964: Monsanto introduced “biodegradable” detergents.

1965: While working on an ulcer drug in December, James M. Schlatter, a chemist at G.D. Searle & Company, accidentally discovers aspartame, a substance that is 180x sweeter than sugar yet has no calories.

regime, and was the main supplier of Zyklon-B gas to the German government during the extermination phase of the Holocaust; IG Farben was not dissolved until 2003.

1967: Searle began the safety tests on aspartame that were necessary for applying for FDA approval of food additives. Dr. Harold Waisman, a biochemist at the University of Wisconsin, conducts aspartame safety tests on infant monkeys on behalf of the Searle Company. Of the 7 monkeys that were being fed aspartame mixed with milk, 1 monkey DIED and 5 other monkeys had grand mal seizures.

1968: Edgar Queeny dies, leaving no heirs. Edward J. Bock (who had joined Monsanto in 1941 as an engineer) become a member of the board of directors in 1965, and became president of Monsanto in 1968.

1968: With experts at Monsanto in no doubt that Monsanto’s PCBs were responsible for contamination, Monsanto set up a committee to assess its options. In a paper distributed to only 12 people but which surfaced at the trial in 2002, Monsanto admitted “that the evidence proving the persistence of these compounds and their universal presence as residues in the environment is beyond question … the public and legal pressures to eliminate them to prevent global contamination are inevitable”. Monsanto papers seen by The Guardian newspaper reveal near panic. “The subject is snowballing. Where do we go from here? The alternatives: go out of business; sell the hell out of them as long as we can and do nothing else; try to stay in business; have alternative products”, wrote the recipient of one paper.

1968: Monsanto became the first organization to mass-produce visible LEDs, using gallium arsenide phosphide to produce red LEDs suitable for indicators. Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) ushered in the era of solid-state lights. From 1968 to 1970, sales doubled every few months. Their products (discrete LEDs and seven-segment numeric displays) became the standards of industry. The primary markets then were electronic calculators, digital watches, and digital clocks.

1969: High overhead costs and a sluggish national economy led to a dramatic 29% decrease in earnings.

1969: Monsanto wrote a confidential Pollution Abatement Plan which admitted that “the problem involves the entire United States, Canada and sections of Europe, especially the UK and Sweden”.

1969: Monsanto produces Lasso herbicide, better known as Agent Orange, which was used as defoliant by the U.S. Government during the Vietnam War. “[Lasso's] success turns around the struggling Agriculture Division,” Monsanto’s web page reads.

1970s: Monsanto was a pioneer of optoelectronics in the 1970s. Although Bock had a reputation for being a committed Monsanto executive, several factors contributed to his volatile term as president. Sales were up in 1970, but Bock’s implementation of the 1971 reorganization caused a significant amount of friction among members of the board and senior management. In spite of the fact that this move, in which Monsanto separated the management of raw materials from Monsanto’s subsidiaries, was widely praised by security analysts, Bock resigned from the presidency in February 1972.

1970: Cyclamate (the reigning low-calorie artificial sweetener) is pulled off the market in November after some scientists associate it with cancer. Questions are also raised about safety of saccharin, the only other artificial sweetener on the market, leaving the field wide open for aspartame.

December 18, 1970: Searle Company executives lay out a “Food and Drug Sweetener Strategy” that they feel will put the FDA into a positive frame of mind about aspartame. An internal policy memo describes psychological tactics Monsanto should use to bring the FDA into a subconscious spirit of participation” with them on aspartame and get FDA regulators into the “habit of saying Yes.”

1971: Neuroscientist Dr. John Olney (whose pioneering work with monosodium glutamate MSG was responsible for having it removed from baby foods) informs Searle that his studies show that aspartic acid (one of the ingredients of aspartame) caused holes in the brains of infant mice. One of Searle’s own researchers confirmed Dr. Olney’s findings in a similar study.

1972: The use of DDT was banned by U.S. Congress, due in large part to efforts by environmentalists, who persisted in the challenge put forth by Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring in 1962, which sought to inform the public of the side effects associated with the insecticide, which had been much-welcomed in the fight against malaria-transmitting mosquitoes.

1973: Monsanto developed and patented the glyphosate molecule in the 1970s. Monsanto began manufacturing the herbicide Roundup, which has been marketed as a “safe”, general-purpose herbicide for widespread commercial and consumer use, even though its key ingredient, glyphosate, is a highly toxic poison for animals and humans.

1973: After spending tens of millions of dollars conducting safety tests, the G.D. Searle Company applies for FDA approval and submits over 100 studies they claim support aspartame’s safety. One of the first FDA scientists to review the aspartame safety data states that “the information provided (by Searle) is inadequate to permit an evaluation of the potential toxicity of aspartame”. She says in her report that in order to be certain that aspartame is safe, further clinical tests are needed.

1974: Attorney Jim Turner (consumer advocate who was instrumental in getting cyclamate taken off the market) meets with Searle representatives in May to discuss Dr. Olney’s 1971 study which showed that aspartic acid caused holes in the brains of infant mice.

1974: The FDA grants aspartame its first approval for restricted use in dry foods on July 26.

1974: Jim Turner and Dr. John Olney file the first objections against aspartame’s approval in August.

1975: After a 9-month search, John W. Hanley, a former executive with Procter & Gamble, was chosen as president. Hanley also took over as chairperson.

1976: The success of the herbicide Lasso had turned around Monsanto’s struggling Agriculture Division, and by the time Agent Orange was banned in the U.S. and Lasso was facing increasing criticism, Monsanto had developed the weedkiller “Roundup” (active ingredient: glyphosate) as a replacement. Launched in 1976, Roundup helped make Monsanto the world’s largest producer of herbicides. RoundUp was commercialized, and became the world’s top-selling herbicide. Within a few years of its 1976 launch, Roundup was being marketed in 115 countries.

The success of Roundup coincided with the recognition by Monsanto executives that they needed to radically transform a company increasingly under threat. According to a recent paper by Dominic Glover, “Monsanto had acquired a particularly unenviable reputation in this regard, as a major producer of both dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) – both persistent environmental pollutants posing serious risks to the environment and human health. Law suits and environmental clean-up costs began to cut into Monsanto’s bottom line, but more seriously there was a real fear that a serious lapse could potentially bankrupt the company.” According to Glover, Roundup “Sales grew by 20% in 1981 and as the company increased production it was soon Monsanto’s most profitable product (Monsanto 1981, 1983)… It soon became the single most important product of Monsanto’s agriculture division, which contributed about 20% of sales and around 45% of operating income to the company’s balance sheet each year during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Today, glyphosate remains the world’s biggest herbicide by volume of sales.”

1976: Monsanto produces Cycle-Safe, the world’s first plastic soft-drink bottle. The bottle, suspected of posing a cancer risk, is banned the following year by the Food and Drug Administration.

1976: Turner & Olney’s petition on March 24 triggers an FDA investigation of the laboratory practices of aspartame’s manufacturer, G.D. Searle. The investigation finds Searle’s testing procedures shoddy, full of inaccuracies and “manipulated” test data. The investigators report they “had never seen anything as bad as Searle’s testing.”

January 10, 1977: The FDA formally requests the U.S. Attorney’s office to begin grand jury proceedings to investigate whether indictments should be filed against Searle for knowingly misrepresenting findings and “concealing material facts and making false statements” in aspartame safety tests. This is the first time in the FDA’s history that they request a criminal investigation of a manufacturer.

January 26, 1977: While the grand jury probe is underway, Sidley & Austin, the law firm representing Searle, begins job negotiations with the U.S. Attorney in charge of the investigation, Samuel Skinner.

March 8, 1977: G. D. Searle hires prominent Washington insider Donald Rumsfeld as the new CEO to try to turn the beleaguered company around. A former Member of Congress and Secretary of Defense in the Ford Administration, Rumsfeld brings in several of his Washington cronies as top management. Donald Rumsfeld followed Searle as CEO, and then as President of Searle from 1977-1985.

July 1, 1977: Samuel Skinner leaves the U.S. Attorney’s office on July 1st and takes a job with Searle’s law firm. (see Jan. 26th)

August 1, 1977: The Bressler Report, compiled by FDA investigators and headed by Jerome Bressler, is released. The report finds that 98 of the 196 animals died during one of Searle’s studies and weren’t autopsied until later dates, in some cases over one year after death. Many other errors and inconsistencies are noted. For example, a rat was reported alive, then dead, then alive, then dead again; a mass, a uterine polyp, and ovarian neoplasms were found in animals but not reported or diagnosed in Searle’s reports.

December 8, 1977: U.S. Attorney Skinner’s withdrawal and resignation stalls the Searle grand jury investigation for so long that the statue of limitations on the aspartame charges runs out. The grand jury investigation is dropped. (borderline treason)

1979: The FDA established a Public Board of Inquiry (PBOI) in June to rule on safety issues surrounding NutraSweet.

1980: September 30, FDA Board of Inquiry comprised of 3 independent scientists, confirmed that aspartame “might induce brain tumors”. The Public Board of Inquiry concludes NutraSweet should not be approved pending further investigations of brain tumors in animals. The board states it “has NOT been presented with proof of reasonable certainty that aspartame is safe for use as a food additive.” The FDA had actually banned aspartame based on this finding, only to have Searle Chairman Donald Rumsfeld (Ford’s Secretary of Defense 1975-1977, Bush’s Secretary of Defense 2001-2006) vow to “call in his markers,” to get it approved in 1981.

1980: Monsanto established the Edgar Monsanto Queeny safety award in honor of its former CEO (1928–1960), to encourage accident prevention.

January 1981: Donald Rumsfeld, CEO of Searle, states in a sales meeting that he is going to make a big push to get aspartame approved within the year. Rumsfeld says he will use his political pull in Washington, rather than scientific means, to make sure it gets approved.

May 19, 1981: 3 of 6 in-house FDA scientists who were responsible for reviewing the brain tumor issues, Dr. Robert Condon, Dr. Satya Dubey, and Dr. Douglas Park, advise against approval of NutraSweet, stating on the record that the Searle tests are unreliable and not adequate to determine the safety of aspartame.

1981: Ronald Reagan is sworn in as President of the United States. Reagan’s transition team, which includes Donald Rumsfeld, CEO of G. D. Searle, hand picks Dr. Arthur Hull Hayes Jr. to be the new FDA Commissioner. On January 21, the day after Ronald Reagan’s inauguration, GD Searle re-applied to the FDA for approval to use aspartame in food sweetener, and Reagan’s new FDA commissioner, Arthur Hayes Hull, Jr., appointed a 5-person Scientific Commission to review the board of inquiry’s decision. It soon became clear that the panel would uphold the ban by a 3-2 decision, but Hull then installed a 6th member on the commission, and the vote became deadlocked. He then personally broke the tie in aspartame’s favor. Hull later left the FDA under allegations of impropriety, served briefly as Provost at New York Medical College, and then took a position with Burston-Marsteller, the chief public relations firm for both Monsanto and GD Searle. Since that time Hull has never spoken publicly about aspartame.

July 15, 1981: In one of his first official acts, Dr. Arthur Hayes Jr., the new FDA commissioner, overrules the Public Board of Inquiry, ignores the recommendations of his own internal FDA team and approves NutraSweet for dry products. Hayes says that aspartame has been shown to be safe for its’ proposed uses and says few compounds have withstood such detailed testing and repeated close scrutiny. G.D. Searle gets FDA approval for aspartame (NutraSweet). Monsanto completes its acquisition of Searle in 1985.

1982: Monsanto GMO scientists genetically modify a plant cell for the first time!

1982: Some 2,000 people are relocated from Times Beach, Missouri, which was found to be so thoroughly contaminated with dioxin, a by-product of PCB manufacturing, that the government ordered it evacuated. Dioxins are endocrine and immune system disruptors, cause congenital birth defects, reproductive and developmental problems, and increase the incidence of cancer, heart disease and diabetes in laboratory animals. Critics say a St. Louis-area Monsanto chemical plant was a source but Monsanto denies any connection.

October 15, 1982: The FDA announces that GD Searle has filed a petition that aspartame be approved as a sweetener in carbonated beverages and other liquids.

July 1, 1983: The National Soft Drink Association (NSDA) urges the FDA to delay approval of aspartame for carbonated beverages pending further testing because aspartame is very unstable in liquid form. When liquid aspartame is stored in temperatures above 85°F degrees Fahrenheit, aspartame breaks down into known toxins Diketopiperazines (DKP), methyl (wood) alcohol, and formaldehyde.

July 8, 1983: The National Soft Drink Association drafts an objection to the final ruling which permits the use of aspartame in carbonated beverages and syrup bases and requests a hearing on the objections. The association says that Searle has not provided responsible certainty that aspartame and its’ degradation products are safe for use in soft drinks.

August 8, 1983: Consumer Attorney, Jim Turner of the Community Nutrition Institute and Dr. Woodrow Monte, Arizona State University’s Director of Food Science and Nutritional Laboratories, file suit with the FDA objecting to aspartame approval based on unresolved safety issues.

September, 1983: FDA Commissioner Hayes resigns under a cloud of controversy about his taking unauthorized rides aboard a General Foods jet. (General foods is a major customer of NutraSweet) Burson-Marsteller, Searle’s public relation firm (which also represented several of NutraSweet’s major users), immediately hires Hayes as senior scientific consultant.

Fall 1983: The first carbonated beverages containing aspartame are sold for public consumption.

1983: Diet Coke was sweetened with aspartame after the sweetener became available in the United States.

November 1984: Center for Disease Control (CDC) “Evaluation of consumer complaints related to aspartame use.” (summary by B. Mullarkey)

1985: Monsanto purchased G.D. Searle, the chemical company that held the patent to aspartame, the active ingredient in NutraSweet. Monsanto was apparently untroubled by aspartame’s clouded past, including a 1980 FDA Board of Inquiry, comprised of three independent scientists, which confirmed that it “might induce brain tumors”. The aspartame business became a separate Monsanto subsidiary, the NutraSweet Company.

1986: Monsanto found guilty of negligently exposing a worker to benzene at its Chocolate Bayou Plant in Texas. It is forced to pay $100 million to the family of Wilbur Jack Skeen, a worker who died of leukemia after repeated exposures.

1986: At a congressional hearing, medical specialists denounce a National Cancer Institute study disputing that formaldehyde causes cancer. Monsanto and DuPont scientists helped with the study, whose author provided results to the Formaldehyde Institute industry representatives nearly six months before releasing the study to the EPA, labor unions, and the public.

1986: Monsanto spends $50,000 against California’s anti-toxics initiative, Proposition 65. The initiative prohibits the discharge of chemicals known to cause cancer or birth defects into drinking water supplies.

1987: Monsanto conducted the first field tests of genetically engineered (GMO) crops.

1987: Monsanto is one of the companies named in an $180 million settlement for Vietnam War veterans exposed to Agent Orange.

1987: Monsanto consolidated its AstroTurf management, marketing, and technical activities in Dalton, Georgia, as AstroTurf Industries, Inc.

November 3, 1987: U.S. hearing, “NutraSweet: Health and Safety Concerns,” Committee on Labor and Human Resources, Senator Howard Metzenbaum, chairman.

1988: A federal jury finds Monsanto Co.’s subsidiary, G.D. Searle & Co., negligent in testing and marketing of its Copper 7 intrauterine birth control device (IUD). The verdict followed the unsealing of internal documents regarding safety concerns about the IUD, which was used by nearly 10 million women between 1974 and 1986.

1990: EPA chemists allege fraud in Monsanto’s 1979 dioxin study, which found exposure to the chemical doesn’t increase cancer risks.

1990: Monsanto spends more than $405,000 to defeat California’s pesticide regulation Proposition 128, known as the “Big Green” initiative. The initiative is aimed at phasing out the use of pesticides, including Monsanto’s product alachlor, linked to cancer and global warming.

1990: With the help of Roundup, the agriculture division of Monsanto was significantly outperforming Monsanto’s chemicals division in terms of operating income, and the gap was increasing. But as Glover notes, while “such a blockbuster product uncorks a fountain of revenue”, it “also creates an uncomfortable dependency on the commercial fortunes of a single brand. Monsanto’s management knew that the last of the patents protecting Roundup in the United States, its biggest market, would expire in the year 2000, opening the field to potential competitors. The company urgently needed a strategy to negotiate this hurdle and prolong the useful life of its ‘cash cow’.”

1991: Monsanto is fined $1.2 million for trying to conceal discharge of contaminated waste water into the Mystic River in Connecticut.

1993: By April, the Department of Veterans Affairs had only compensated 486 victims, although it had received disability **CLAIMS** from 39,419 veteran soldiers who had been exposed to monsanto’s Agent Orange while serving in Vietnam. No compensation has been paid to Vietnamese civilians and though some compensation was paid to U.S. veterans, according to William Sanjour, who led the Toxic Waste Division of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “thousands of veterans were disallowed benefits” because “Monsanto studies showed that dioxin [as found in Agent Orange] was not a human carcinogen.” An EPA colleague discovered that Monsanto had apparently falsified the data in their studies. Sanjour says, “If [the studies] were done correctly, they would have reached just the opposite result.”

1994: the first of Monsanto’s biotech products to make it to market was not a GMO crop but Monsanto’s controversial GMO cattle drug, bovine growth hormone – called rBGH or rBST, Monsanto granted regulatory approval for its first biotech product, a dairy cow hormone. Monsanto developed a recombinant version of BST, brand-named Posilac bovine somatropin (rBST/rBGH), which is produced through a genetically engineered GMO E. coli bacteria. Synthetic Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH), approved by the FDA for commercial sale in 1994, despite strong concerns about its safety. Since then, Monsanto has sued small dairy companies that advertised their products as free of the artificial hormone, including Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and most recently bringing a lawsuit against Oakhurst Dairy in Maine.

1995: Genetically engineered canola (rapeseed) which is tolerant to Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide was first introduced to Canada. Today 80% of the acres sown are genetically modified canola.

1995: Monsanto is sued after allegedly supplying radioactive material for a controversial study which involved feeding radioactive iron to 829 pregnant women.

1995: Monsanto ranked 5th among U.S. corporations in EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory, having discharged 37 million pounds of toxic chemicals into the air, land, water and underground. Monsanto was ordered to pay $41.1 million to a waste management company in Texas due to concerns over hazardous waste dumping.

995: The Safe Shoppers Bible says that Monsanto’s Ortho Weed-B-Gon Lawn Weed Killer contains a known carcinogen, 2,4 D. Monsanto officials argue that ‘numerous studies have found no link to cancer’.

1996: Monsanto introduces its first biotech crop, Roundup Ready soybeans, which tolerate spraying of Roundup herbicide, and biotech BT cotton engineered to resist insect damage.

As Monsanto had moved into biotechnology, its executives had the opportunity to create a new narrative for Monsanto. They begun to portray genetic engineering as a ground-breaking technology that could contribute to feeding a hungry world. Monsanto executive Robb Fraley, who was head of the plant molecular biology research team, is also said to have hyped the potential of GMO crops within the company, as a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Monsanto to dominate a whole new industry, invoking the monopoly success of Microsoft as a powerful analogy. But, according to Glover, the more down-to-earth pitch to fellow executives was that “genetic engineering offered the best prospect of preserving the commercial life of Monsanto’s most important product, Roundup in the face of the challenges Monsanto would face once the patent expired.”

Monsanto eventually achieved this by introducing into crop plants genes that give resistance to glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup). This meant farmers could spray Roundup onto their fields as a weedkiller even during the growing season without harming the crop. This allowed Monsanto to “significantly expand the market for Roundup and, more importantly, help Monsanto to negotiate the expiry of its glyphosate patents, on which such a large slice of Monsanto’s income depended.” With glyphosate-tolerant GMO crops, Monsanto was able ìto preserve its dominant share of the glyphosate market through a marketing strategy that would couple proprietary “Roundup Ready” seeds with continued sales of Roundup.

1996-1999: Monsanto sold off its plastics business to Bayer in 1996, and its phenylalanine facilities to Great Lakes Chemical Corporation (GLC) in 1999. Much of the rest of its chemicals division was spun off in late 1997 as Solutia. This helped Monsanto distance itself to some extent not only from direct financial liability for the historical core of its business but also from its controversial production and contamination legacy.

1997: Monsanto introduces new GMO canola (rapeseed), GMO cotton and GMO corn (maize), and buys foundation seed companies.

1997: Monsanto spins off its industrial chemical and fibers business into Solutia Inc. amid complaints and legal claims about pollution from its plants. Solutia was spun off from Monsanto as a way for Monsanto to divest itself of billions of dollars in environmental cleanup costs and other liabilities for its past actions – liabilities

that eventually forced Solutia to seek Chapter 11 bankruptcy. According to a spokesman for Solutia, “(Monsanto) sort of cherry-picked what they wanted and threw in all kinds of cats and dogs as part of a going-away present,” including $1 billion in debt and environmental and litigation costs. Some pre-bankruptcy Solutia equity holders allege Solutia was set up fraudulently as it was always doomed to fail under the financial weight of Monsanto’s liabilities.

1997: The New York State Attorney General took Monsanto to court and Monsanto was subsequently forced to stop claiming that Roundup is “biodegradable” and “environmentally friendly”.

1997: The Seattle Times reports that Monsanto sold 6,000 tons of contaminated waste to Idaho fertilizer companies, which contained the carcinogenic heavy metal cadmium, believed to cause cancer, kidney disease, neurological dysfunction and birth defects.

1997: Through a process of mergers and spin-offs between 1997 and 2002, Monsanto made a transition from chemical giant to biotech giant. Monsanto’s corporate strategy led them for the first time to acquire seed companies. During the 1990s Monsanto spent $10 billion globally buying up seed companies – a push that continues to this day. It has purchased, for example, Holden’s Foundations Seeds, Seminis - the largest seed company not producing corn or soybeans in the world, the Dutch seed company De Ruiter Seeds, and the big cotton seed firm Delta & Pine. As a result, Monsanto is now the world’s largest seed company, accounting for almost a quarter of the global proprietary seed market.

1998: Monsanto introduces Roundup Ready corn (maize).

1998: In the UK, Monsanto purchased the seed company Plant Breeding International (PBI) Cambridge, a major UK based cereals and potato breeder, which Monsanto then merged with its existing UK agri-chemicals and GMO research businesses to form Monsanto UK Ltd. Monsanto UK has carried out field trials of glyphosate-tolerant sugar / fodder beet, glyphosate-tolerant oilseed rape, and glyphosate-tolerant and male sterility / fertility restorer oilseed rape.

1998: “Survey of aspartame studies: correlation of outcome and funding sources,” unpublished: Ralph G. Walton found 166 separate published studies in the peer reviewed medical literature, which had relevance for questions of human safety. The 74 studies funded by industry all (100%) attested to aspartame’s safety, whereas of the 92 non-industry funded studies, 84 (91%) identified a problem. 6 of the 7 non-industry funded studies that were favorable to aspartame safety were from the FDA, which has a public record that shows a strong pro-industry bias.

1999: After international criticism, Monsanto agrees not to [PUBLICLY] commercialize “Terminator” seeds.

1999: Monsanto opens its Beautiful Sciences exhibit at Disneyland.

1999: Monsanto sells their phenylalanine facilities to Great Lakes Chemical Corporation (GLC) for $125 million. In 2000, GLC sued Monsanto because of a $71 million dollar shortfall in expected sales.

2000: 5 pesticide companies, including Monsanto, controlled over 70% of all patents on agricultural biotechnology. Monsanto had the largest share of the global GMO crops market.

2000: Since the inception of Plan Colombia, the US has spent hundreds of millions of dollars in funding aerial sprayings of Monsanto’s Roundup herbicides in Colombia. The Roundup is often applied in concentrations 26x higher than what is recommended for agricultural use. Additionally, it contains at least one surfactant, Cosmo-Flux 411f, whose ingredients are a trade secret, has never been approved for use in the US, and which quadruples the biological action of the herbicide. Not surprisingly, numerous human health impacts have been recorded in the areas affected by the sprayings, including respiratory, gastrointestinal and skin problems, and even death, especially in children. Additionally, fish and animals will show up dead in the hours and days subsequent to the herbicide sprayings.

2000-2002: Monsanto merges with Pharmacia & Upjohn, and changes its name to Pharmacia Corporation. Monsanto Company restructures in deal with Pharmacia & Upjohn Inc; separates agricultural and chemicals businesses and becomes stand-alone agricultural company. By 2000 the current Monsanto had emerged from various transactions, including a merger for a time with Pharmacia, as a legally different corporation from the Monsanto that had existed from 1901-2000. This was despite the fact that both Monsantos shared not just the same name, but the same corporate headquarters near St. Louis, Missouri, and many of the same executives and other employees, not to mention much of the responsibility for liabilities arising out of its former activities.

2001: Retired Monsanto chemist William S. Knowles was named a co-winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his research on catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation, which was carried out at Monsanto beginning in the 1960s until his 1986 retirement.

2001: Monsanto GMO crops accounted for 91% of the total area of GMO crops planted worldwide.

2002: Monsanto entered into an important agreement with DuPont. As a result of this “agreement” both companies agreed to drop a raft of outstanding patent lawsuits against one another and to share their patented GMO crops technologies. Some commentators see this ‘agreement’ as constituting a pseudo-merger by stealth of the two companies’ GMO crops monopolies which are too large to be permitted to merge.

August 13, 2002: Monsanto had sales of $4,673,000,000. Based on 2001 figures Monsanto was the second biggest seed company in the world, and the third biggest agrochemical company. The infamous agrochemical and biotechnology division, still known as Monsanto, was spun off as a nominally separate company with Pharmacia originally retaining an 85% share. Monsanto Company became completely separate and independent from Pharmacia on August 13, 2002, when Pharmacia distributed its remaining Monsanto shares to Pharmacia’s stockholders.

2002: Events in Argentina also affected the company in other ways: Monsanto’s Argentine unit lost $154 million in the 2002 fiscal year, due to the collapse of the Argentine economy and a deepening recession which forced the government to default on most of its public debt, and devalue the peso in January 2002. The government also converted what was a dollar economy into a peso economy and, as a result, Monsanto received devalued pesos for products it had sold in dollars, slashing its sales income.

2002: The Washington Post ran an article entitled, “Monsanto Hid Decades Of Pollution, PCBs Drenched Alabama Town, But No One Was Ever Told” about PCBs. Monsanto share price plummeted in the second half of 2002 following its sell off by former parent company Pharmacia and this was compounded by the departure of Monsanto’s CEO at the end of 2002.

December 2002: CEO Hendrik Verfaillie resigned after he and the board agreed that his performance had been disappointing and the company had faced extensive criticism for failing to deal more honestly and effectively with its difficulties. “This is a company that has been optimistic on the borderline of LYING,” said Sergey Vasnetsov, senior analyst with Lehman Brothers in New York. “Monsanto has been feeding us these FANTASIES for two years, and when we saw they weren’t real, its stock price fell.”

2003: Jury fines Monsanto and its former chemical subsidiary, Solutia, Inc. (now owned by Pharmacia Corp.), agreed to pay $600 million in August to settle claims brought by more than 20,000+ residents of Anniston, Alabama – over the severe contamination of ground and water by tons of PCBs dumped in the area from the 1930s until the 1970s. Court documents revealed that Monsanto was aware of the contamination decades earlier.

2003: Solutia, Inc. (now owned by Pharmacia Corp.) files Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

2004: Monsanto forms American Seeds Inc holding company for corn and soybean seed deals and begins brand acquisitions.

2004-2005: Monsanto filed lawsuits against many farmers in Canada and the U.S. on the grounds of patent infringement, specifically the farmers’ sale of seed containing Monsanto’s patented genes. In some cases, farmers claimed the seed was unknowingly sown by wind carrying the seeds from neighboring crops, a claim rejected in Monsanto Canada Inc. v. Schmeiser. These instances began in the mid to late 1990s, with one of the most significant cases being decided in Monsanto’s favor by the Canadian Supreme Court. By a 5-4 vote in late May 2004, that court ruled that “by cultivating a plant containing the patented gene and composed of the patented cells without license, the appellants (canola farmer Percy Schmeiser) deprived the respondents of the full enjoyment of the patent.” With this ruling, the Canadian courts followed the U.S. Supreme Court in its decision on patent issues involving plants and genes.

2005: Monsanto has patent claims on breeding techniques for pigs which would grant them ownership of any pigs born of such techniques and their related herds. Greenpeace claims Monsanto is trying to claim ownership on ordinary breeding techniques. Monsanto claims that the patent is a defensive measure to track animals from its system. They furthermore claim their patented method uses a specialized insemination device that requires less sperm than is typically needed.

2005: Environmental, consumer groups question safety of Roundup Ready crops, say they create “super weeds,” among other problems.

Read entire article here

Mike Barrett

A recent study conducted by a German university found very high concentrations of glyphosate, a carcinogenic chemical found in herbicides like Monsanto’s Roundup, in all urine samples tested.

The amount of glyphosate found in the urine was staggering, with each sample containing concentrations at 5- to 20-fold the limit established for drinking water.

This is just one more piece of evidence that herbicides are, at the very least, being sprayed out of control.

Glyphosate in Monsanto’s Roundup Impacting Global Health

This news comes only one month after it was found that glyphosate, contained in Monsanto’s Roundup, is contaminating the groundwater in the areas in which it is used. What does this mean?

It means that toxic glyphosate is now polluting the world’s drinking water through the widespread contamination of aquifers, wells and springs. The recent reports of glyphosate showing up in all urine samples only enhances these past findings.

Monsanto continues to make the claim that their Roundup products are completely safe for both animals and humans. However, many environmentalists, scientists , activists, and even doctors say otherwise.

A formula seems to have been made to not only ruin the agricultural system, but also compromise the health of millions of people worldwide. With the invention of Monsanto’s Roundup Ready crops, resistant superweeds are taking over farmland, and public health is being attacked.

As it turns out, glyphosate is also leaving behind its residue on Roundup Ready crops, causing further potential concern for public health. Glyphosate is even contributing to escalating rates of mental illness and obesity through the depletion of beneficial gut flora that directly regulates these functions.

But it certainly doesn’t stop there.

Researchers tested roundup on mature male rats at a concentration range between 1 and 10,000 parts per million (ppm), and found that within 1 to 48 hours of exposure, testicular cells of the mature rats were either damaged or killed. Even at a concentration of 1 ppm, the Roundup was able to affect the test subjects by decreasing their testosterone concentrations by as much as 35%.

Read entire article here

Goal — Get Walmart to commit to not sell GE sweet corn by April 1st.

Phase 1 (January): Build support for the campaign by collecting petition signatures and recruiting communities to come together to fight GE sweet corn.

Phase 2 (February): Coordinated actions (e.g. call-in days, petition deliveries to store managers) to put direct pressure on Walmart.

Phase 3 (March): Targeted actions at Walmart stores and parking lots across the country to build visibility and get a commitment to reject Monsanto’s GE sweet corn.

Source: Planetsave (http://s.tt/15lKK)

Why this is important: Basically, GMO companies and our policy makers are conducting a massive experiment on us. It’s not clear yet if GMOs are really safe for humans. GMOs have been linked to organ disruption in animals in at least 13 scientific studies. Why fool around and let GMOs be sold for consumption before we know they’re safe? If they’re going to be sold for consumption, at least label them so that those who want to avoid them can easily do so!

As world-leading geneticist Dr. David Suzuki puts it: “Because we aren’t certain about the effects of GMOs, we must consider one of the guiding principles in science, the precautionary principle. Under this principle, if a policy or action could harm human health or the environment, we must not proceed until we know for sure what the impact will be. And it is up to those proposing the action or policy to prove that it is not harmful.”

Read entire article here

One of the biggest factors that determines how well you age is not your genes but how well you live. Not convinced? A study published in 2009 in the British Medical Journal of 20,000 British folks shows that you can cut your risk of having a stroke in half by doing the following things: being active for 30 minutes a day, eating five daily servings of fruit and vegetables, and avoiding cigarettes and excess alcohol.

While those are some of the obvious steps you can take to age well, researchers have discovered that centenarians tend to share certain traits in how they eat, move about, and deal with stress—the sorts of things we can emulate to improve our own aging process. Of course, getting to age 100 is enormously more likely if your parents did. Still, Thomas Perls, who studies the century-plus set at Boston University School of Medicine, believes that assuming you’ve sidestepped genes for truly fatal diseases like Huntington’s, “there’s nothing stopping you from living independently well into your 90s.” Heck, if your parents and grandparents were heavy smokers, they might have died prematurely without ever reaching their true potential lifespan, so go ahead and shoot for those triple digits. Follow these 12 habits and check out Perls’ lifetime risk calculator to see how long you can expect to live.

“Evidence shows that in societies where people stop working abruptly, the incidence of obesity and chronic disease skyrockets after retirement,” says Luigi Ferrucci, director of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. The Chianti region of Italy, which has a high percentage of centenarians, has a different take on leisure time. “After people retire from their jobs, they spend most of the day working on their little farm, cultivating grapes or vegetables,” he says. “They’re never really inactive.” Farming isn’t for you? Volunteer as a docent at your local art museum or join the Experience Corps, a program offered in 19 cities that places senior volunteers in urban public elementary schools for about 15 hours a week.

That may help keep your arteries healthy. A 2008 New York University study showed that daily flossing reduced the amount of gum-disease-causing bacteria in the mouth. This bacteria is thought to enter the bloodstream and trigger inflammation in the arteries, a major risk factor for heart disease. Other research has shown that those who have high amounts of bacteria in their mouth are more likely to have thickening in their arteries, another sign of heart disease. “I really do think people should floss twice a day to get the biggest life expectancy benefits,” says Perls.

“Exercise is the only real fountain of youth that exists,” says Jay Olshansky, a professor of medicine and aging researcher at the University of Illinois at Chicago. “It’s like the oil and lube job for your car. You don’t have to do it, but your car will definitely run better.” Study after study has documented the benefits of exercise to improve your mood, mental acuity, balance, muscle mass, and bones. “And the benefits kick in immediately after your first workout,” Olshansky adds. Don’t worry if you’re not a gym rat. Those who see the biggest payoffs are the ones who go from doing nothing to simply walking around the neighborhood or local mall for about 30 minutes a day. Building muscle with resistance training is also ideal, but yoga classes can give you similar strength-training effects if you’re not into weight lifting.

Getting a serving of whole-grains, especially in the morning, appears to help older folks maintain stable blood sugar levels throughout the day, according to a recent study conducted by Ferrucci and his colleagues. “Those who do this have a lower incidence of diabetes, a known accelerator of aging,” he says.

5. Get at Least Six Hours of Sleep Each Night

Instead of skimping on sleep to add more hours to your day, get more to add years to your life. “Sleep is one of the most important functions that our body uses to regulate and heal cells,” says Ferrucci. “We’ve calculated that the minimum amount of sleep that older people need to get those healing REM phases is about six hours.” Those who reach the century mark make sleep a top priority.

6. Consume Whole Foods, Not Supplements

Strong evidence suggests that people who have high blood levels of certain nutrients—selenium, beta-carotene, vitamins C and E—age much better and have a slower rate of cognitive decline. Unfortunately, there’s no evidence that taking pills with these nutrients provides those anti-aging benefits. “There are more than 200 different carotenoids and 200 different flavonoids in a single tomato,” points out Ferrucci, “and these chemicals can all have complex interactions that foster health beyond the single nutrients we know about like lycopene or vitamin C.” Avoid nutrient-lacking white foods (breads, flour, sugar) and go for all those colorful fruits and vegetables and dark whole-grain breads and cereals with their host of hidden nutrients.

7. Be Less Neurotic

It may work for Woody Allen, who infuses his worries with a healthy dose of humor, but the rest of us neurotics may want to find a new way to deal with stress. “We have a new study coming out that shows that centenarians tend not to internalize things or dwell on their troubles,” says Perls. “They are great at rolling with the punches.” If this inborn trait is hard to overcome, find better ways to manage when you’re stressed: Yoga, exercise, meditation, tai chi, or just deep breathing for a few moments are all good. Ruminating, eating chips in front of the TV, binge drinking? Bad, very bad.

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(NaturalNews) Ever wonder what’s really in the food sold at grocery stores around the world? People keep asking me, “What ingredients should I avoid?” So I put together a short list that covers all the most toxic and disease-promoting ingredients in the food supply. These are the substances causing cancer, diabetes, heart disease and leading to tens of billions of dollars in unnecessary health care costs across America (and around the world).

If you want to stay healthy and out of the hospital, read ingredients labels and make sure you avoid all these ingredients:

Acrylamides – Toxic, cancer-causing chemicals formed in foods when carbohydrates are exposed to high heat (baking, frying, grilling). They’re present in everything from bread crusts to snack chips, and because they aren’t intentional ingredients, acrylamides do NOT have to be listed on labels.

Aspartame – Chemical sweetener that causes neurological disorders, seizures, blurred vision and migraine headaches.

Autolyzed Proteins – Highly processed form of protein containing free glutamate and used to mimic the taste-enhancer chemical MSG.

BPA (Bisphenol-A) – A hormone mimicking chemical found in nearly all food packaging plastics. Active in just parts per billion, BPA promotes cancer, infertility and hormone disorders. It also “feminizes” males, promoting male breast growth and hormone disruption.

Casein – Milk proteins. Hilariously, this is widely used in “soy cheese” products that claim to be alternatives to cow’s milk. Nearly all of them are made with cow’s milk proteins.

Corn Syrup – Just another name for High Fructose Corn Syrup (see below). Frequently used in infant formula products.

Food Colors – FD&C Red #40, for example, is linked to behavioral disorders in children. Nearly all artificial food colors are derived from petroleum, and many are contaminated with aluminum.

Genetically Modified Ingredients – Not currently listed on the label because the GMO industry (Monsanto and DuPont) absolutely does not want people to know which foods contain GMOs. Nearly all conventionally grown corn, soy and cotton are GMOs. They’re linked to severe infertility problems and may even cause the bacteria in your body to produce and release a pesticide in your own gut. If you’re not eating organic corn, you’re definitely eating GMO corn.

High Fructose Corn Syrup – A highly processed liquid sugar extracted with the chemical solvent glutaraldehyde and frequently contaminated with mercury. It’s also linked to diabetes, obesity and mood disorders. Used in thousands of grocery items, including things you wouldn’t suspect like pizza sauce and salad dressings.

Homogenized Milk – The fats in the milk are artificially modified to change them into smaller molecules that stay in suspension in the milk liquid (so the milk fat doesn’t separate). While it makes milk look better on the shelf, it’s also blamed for promoting heart disease and may contribute to milk allergies. Raw milk is healthier, which is why the government had outlawed it.

Hydrochloride – When you see anything hydrochloride, such as Pyridoxine Hydrochloride or Thiamin Hydrochloride, those are chemical forms of B vitamins that companies add to their products to be able to claim higher RDA values of vitamins. But these are synthetic, chemical forms of vitamins, not real vitamins from foods or plants. Nutritionally, they are near-useless and may actually be bad for you. Also watch out for niacinamide and cyanocobalamin (synthetic vitamin B-12).

Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein – A highly processed form of (usually) soy protein that’s processed to bring out the free glutamate (MSG). Use as a taste enhancer.

Partially Hydrogenated Oils – Oils that are modified using a chemical catalyst to make them stable at room temperature. This creates trans fatty acids and greatly increases the risk of blocked arteries. It also promotes what I call “sludge blood,” which is thick, viscous blood that’s hard to pump. This is usually diagnosed by doctors as “high blood pressure” and (stupidly) treated with blood-thinning medications that are technically the same chemicals as rat poison (warfarin).

Phosphoric Acid – The acid used in sodas to dissolve the carbon dioxide and add to the overall fizzy-ness of the soda. Phosphoric acid will eat steel nails. It’s also used by stone masons to etch rocks. The military uses it to clean the rust off battleships. In absolutely destroys tooth enamel Search Google Images for “Mountain Dew Mouth” to see photos of teeth rotted out by phosphoric acid.

Propylene Glycol – A liquid used in the automotive industry to winterize RVs. It’s also used to make the fake blueberries you see in blueberry muffins, bagels and breads. (Combined with artificial colors and corn syrup.) See shocking “Fake Blueberries”.

Sodium (Salt) – The processed white salt lacking in trace minerals. In the holistic nutrition industry, we call it “death salt” because it promotes disease and death. Real salt, on the other hand, such as “dirty” sea salt or pink Himalayan salt, is loaded with the trace minerals that prevent disease, such as selenium (cancer), chromium (diabetes) and zinc (infectious disease). Much like with bread and sugar, white salt is terrible for your health. And don’t be fooled by claims of “sea salt” in grocery stores. All salt came from the sea if you go far back enough in geologic time, so they can slap the “sea salt” claim on ANY salt!

Sodium Nitrite – A cancer-causing red coloring chemical added to bacon, hot dogs, sausage, beef jerky, ham, lunch meats, pepperoni and nearly all processed meats. Strongly linked to brain tumors, pancreatic cancers and colon cancers. The USDA once tried to ban it from the food supply but was out-maneuvered by the meat industry, which now dominates USDA regulations. Sodium nitrite is a complete poison used to make meats look fresh. Countless children die of cancer each year from sodium nitrite-induced cancers.

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Getting the winter blues? With less daylight and colder temperatures, it’s easy to do. But don’t let the season get you down or make you put your health on hold. More than ever, start paying attention to what foods you’re putting into your body. Fueling your body properly is always a step in the right direction, making you feel and look better.

To start, you simply need to follow a well-balanced diet, as if it were any other time of year. Watch your portion sizes, don’t skip meals, and concentrate on getting nutrient-dense—rather than calorie-dense—foods. But during these dreary months, certain nutrients might seem harder to come by than they might be in the warmth of summer. But in reality, no matter what the time of year, nutritious foods are always available in abundance.

Here are some of my top picks for this time of year.

Citrus Fruit. Personally, I can’t get enough of oranges, grapefruits, and clementines, so rich in vitamin C. Even though scientific research doesn’t support the claim that it actually prevents the common cold, vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that can help boost your immune-system function—and at any time of year, that’s a bonus. A clementine is easy to peel, very portable, and has only 35 calories each. I tend to buy my oranges and grapefruits already peeled in to-go containers—a little more expensive, but for me, worth the price, since I love eating but hate peeling them.

Potatoes. Surprised? They always seem to get a bad rap, and for the life of me I never know why. Like citrus, potatoes are rich in vitamin C and offer similar benefits.  They’re also a great source of potassium and fiber. And during the winter months, when we tend to feel sluggish, carbohydrates can help provide the energy we need. Minus the usual butter and cream or deep frying, potatoes can be a nutrition powerhouse. I like mine baked and topped with black bean hummus and low-fat sour cream.

Perfect for risotto, for example. Canned Salmon and Sardines. It’s funny—as a child I loved sardines, but as an adult I don’t have a taste for them. Regardless, I can’t help but mention them as a winter food must. The less daylight we have, the less sunshine too, and less opportunity to catch a dose of vitamin D. Salmon and sardines are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, which help prevent heart disease, but more important, they (along with milk) are among the very few foods that provide a good source of vitamin D during the winter months. Vitamin D promotes bone health, which may provide protection from osteoporosis. And we need to keep our bones in good shape now, especially if we tend to be more active in the spring.

Brussels Sprouts. Why do so many people hate them? My husband won’t eat them, and they seem to be at the very top of my patients’ “I don’t eat” list. And yet I can’t get enough of them. My favorite preparation is simply steaming them (I know: boring), but they can be roasted or sautéed in olive oil with herbs and spices, or shredded raw into salads. Just like potatoes and citrus fruit, Brussels sprouts are an excellent source of vitamin C, and fiber, which can help lower cholesterol. A one-cup serving, steamed, is only 56 calories—adding to your nutritional status but not your waistline.

Water. Keeping your body well hydrated can help prevent dry skin, which is so easy to develop this time of year—with dry heat indoors and cold temperatures and winds outdoors, our skin can take a beating. Luckily, water is always available as our first line of defense. If you don’t enjoy the taste of plain water, try seltzer or club soda with lemon, lime, or a splash of 100% fruit juice. If you prefer a hot beverage, try decaffeinated teas or coffee (without a ton of sugar and cream), or even low-sodium, low-calorie soups. The most important thing is to remember to drink up, even though your body might not be telling you it’s thirsty.

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Washington D.C. by Prabirghose at Allvoices and also (Reuters)

Jan 11, 2012 at 11:23 PM PST

The USS Carl Vinson has arrived in Haiti

The US naval strike group is strengthening its presence in the Arabian Sea in the wake of escalating tensions between Iran and the US. The USS Carl Vinson has arrived even as Iran plans to carry out its military exercises in the Persian Gulf with threats of blocking the Strait of Hormuz which is a major transit route for oil from Iran.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. military said on Wednesday that a new aircraft carrier strike group had arrived in the Arabian Sea and that another was on its way to the region, but denied any link to recent tensions with Iran and portrayed the movements as routine.

The shift in the powerful U.S. naval assets comes at a moment of heightened tensions with Iran, which has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz – the world’s most important oil shipping lane – if U.S. and EU sanctions over its nuclear program cut off its oil exports.

The U.S. military has said it will halt any blockade of the strategic strait and the top U.S. naval officer acknowledged on Tuesday that preparing for a potential conflict there was something that “keeps me awake at night.”

Still, the Pentagon denied any direct link between recent tensions and the movement of aircraft carriers.

“I don’t want to leave anybody with the impression that we’re somehow (speeding) two carriers over there because we’re concerned about what happened, you know, today in Iran. It’s just not the case,” said Captain John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman.

Military officials said the USS Carl Vinson arrived in the Arabian Sea on Monday to replace the outgoing USS John C. Stennis carrier strike group, which Iran last week warned not to return to the Gulf after departing in late December.

The Stennis was due to return to its home port in San Diego but the Pentagon did not say when that would happen.

Another carrier strike group, led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, concluded a port visit to Thailand on Tuesday and was now in the Indian Ocean. It is on track to join the Vinson in the Central Command area of operations, which begins in the neighboring Arabian Sea.

It is “not unusual to have two carriers in the CENTCOM theater at the same time,” a second U.S. military official said.

Another official said there had been two carriers in the Gulf region at least twice in the past 18 months.

Tensions between Iran and the United States ratcheted up again in the past week. Iran started an underground uranium enrichment plant and sentenced an American to death for spying. Washington and Europe have stepped up efforts to cripple Iran’s oil exports, and Tehran on Wednesday blamed U.S. and Israeli agents for killing an Iranian nuclear scientist.

Israel declined to comment on the killing and the United States denied any U.S. role and condemned the attack, in which the scientist was blown up by a bomb attached to his car by a motorbike hitman.

Iran had warned the Stennis not to re-enter the Gulf and it is unclear when another U.S. carrier will enter Gulf waters. The Pentagon has suggested only that, sooner or later, a carrier will pass through the Strait of Hormuz into the Gulf.

Read entire articles here and here.

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ploaded by PlayingForChange on May 26, 2011

http://www.playingforchange.com – Hello Everyone, Today we are proud to release the newest song around the world from our upcoming PFC 2 album CD/DVD release!! “Gimme Shelter” is a track we have wanted to record for years and today we can finally share it with all of you. This song expresses the urgency we all face to unite together as a planet and offers us wisdom with the words, “War, children, it’s just a shot away… Love, sister, it’s just a kiss away”. It really is that simple. We dedicate this song to all the lost, homeless and forgotten people in this world. It is in the shelter of each other that the people live.

Follow the link below to order the new album and support Playing For Change by telling all your friends and family to join the movement.

Order “PFC2: Songs Around The World” now on Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/PFCsatw2

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Herbal teas make for wonderful, low calorie and relaxing drinks.
Apart from having a beneficial effect on health, herbal teas are fragrant and appealing. Let’s take the mystery out of the herbal teas and discover together which teas are good for which symptoms…

1. Nettle Nettle is made with the leaves of stinging nettle, named for the tiny hairs on the fresh leaves which can sting the skin. Despite it’s rough exterior, nettle is one of nature’s best remedies for an assortment of ailments including anemia, high blood pressure, rheumatism, arthritis, coughs and colds, congestion, urinary tract infections, and kidney and bladder problems.
2. Chamomile Tea
Chamomile is a popular herb that’s used in teas worldwide. Chamomile soothes the stomach and relieves bloating and indigestion. Chamomile also calms the mind and helps people relax and deal better with their stresses. Some people are allergic to chamomile and should avoid taking the tea. People who find it hard to go to sleep should drink a cup of chamomile tea before going to bed. Chamomile is known to fight insomnia by relaxing the body and the mind, enabling the person to fall asleep naturally.
3. Ginger Tea
Ginger is an energizer and a stimulator. Drinking ginger tea both stimulates and soothes the digestive system. Ginger has been known to aid people experiencing nausea. Arthritic people have found ginger tea helpful since it has anti-inflammatory properties.
4. Peppermint Tea
Peppermint is a fragrant herb that makes for a soothing drink. Peppermint helps you digest foods better and also reduces flatulence and digestive issues. Peppermint is prescribed to people with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and gallstones in capsules. A cup of peppermint tea will ease nausea and vomiting, especially if you suffer motion sickness. If you have heartburn, don’t drink peppermint tea as this might aggravate your condition. Peppermint tea brings down the severity of herpes outbreaks. The natural mint flavor of the herb helps to freshen your breath. Other health benefits of this tea are control of muscle aches and chronic pain, clearing of congestion and mild coughs, mild asthma and reduction of stress.
5. Lavender Tea
Lavender tea is made out of the dried purple, pink and white colored flowers that grow on lavender shrubs. Used as a scented herb for many centuries, lavender’s medicinal uses have been appreciated and documented for centuries. A cup of lavender tea can soothe your mind and body, inducing sleep. If you are feeling down and depressed, a cup of lavender tea can help uplift your spirit.
Lavender tea helps sooth and treat flatulence, colic, bowel infections and an upset stomach. Lavender tea can be used as a wash on the chest to help reduce cough, bronchitis, asthma, cold and other respiratory issues. For both children and adults, lavender is used to reduce body temperature during fever. Lavender also has healing properties; use a wash of lavender tea to help heal wounds, cuts, ulcers and sores.
6. Lemon Balm Tea
Lemon balm tea is fragrant to drink and is a very effective tonic to calm nerves and anxiety. Cold lemon balm tea bags help relieve cold sores, or genital sores caused by the herpes simplex virus. Mix lemon balm leaves with valerian to treat anxiety, stress and insomnia. Lemon Balm contains several properties, which control herpes and also regulate the thyroid.
Lemon balm when mixed with peppermint can calm an upset stomach, sooth the digestive track and reduce flatulence. Drink lemon balm tea if you suffer from nerve pain. Drinking lemon balm tea also helps strengthen memory and brain functions and also uplifts one’s mood.
7. Rosemary Tea
Rosemary is not only good for cooking but makes a healthful and highly beneficial tea. Rosemary can help your muscles to relax. Additionally, rosemary is an effective digestive aid as well. If you have gall bladder and liver complaints, drinking rosemary tea regularly will greatly help relieve your symptoms. Rosemary tea also relieves cough and mild asthma symptoms.
8. Hibiscus Flower Tea (Sorrel)
Dried Hibiscus flowers are made into a tea that offers very high health benefits. Hibiscus tea is known to lower blood pressure, reduce high cholesterol and strengthen the immune system (it’s rich in Vitamin C). Hibiscus flower infusions have known to reduce hypertension as well, in people prone to this condition. A recent study reveals that hibiscus tea is rich in antioxidants, which protect the body against cell-damaging free radicals. Red zinger tea and sorrel tea contain hibiscus.
9. Green Tea
Green Tea comes with such a host of health benefits, that it’s called the ‘wonder herb’ by tea drinkers and medical practitioners alike.
Drinking green tea lowers cancer risk and also inhibits carcinogenic in cigarettes and other compounds when imbibed. Green Tea contains potent antioxidants called polyphenols, which help suppress free radicals. Green tea also stops certain tumors from forming. Green tea lowers cholesterol and triglyceride levels and thereby promotes heart health. Green tea also lowers blood pressure, prevents and fights tooth decay and dental issues, and inhibits different viruses from causing illnesses.
10. Cardamom Tea Cardamom is an evergreen plant that’s grown mainly in India and Guatemala. Both dried white cardamom flowers and the sweetly aromatic seeds are used to make tea.
Cardamom tea has a pungent, sweet and aromatic flavor. Cardamom tea helps treat indigestion, prevents stomach pain, and relieves flatulence. It’s also helpful to drink a glass of cardamom tea if you are feeling nauseous. Cardamom tea fights pulmonary disease where lots of phlegm is present. It also works as a good expectorant and relieves coughs. If you have drunk too many cups of coffee, drink a couple of cups of cardamom tea to help detoxify the caffeine from your system. Drinking a cup of cardamom tea is helpful for women who experience mood swings during their menstrual period.

11. Milk thistle
When consumed as a tea, milk thistle herb, (not as in dairy milk) is a gentle liver cleanser. It contains properties that help the liver to regenerate and function at a higher capacity. “Milk Thistle can also assist in the production of bile, which can help with our digestive process.
12. Rosehip tea
Rosehips are the fruit of the rose plant and are one of the best plant sources of vitamin C, which is important for the immune system, skin and tissue health and adrenal function. Consider reaching for rosehip tea next time you need a health boost.

You may want to copy and print these tips for the next time you’re in the tea aisle, so you can make a knowledgeable selection.

13. Lemongrass? The citrusy tang that comes from the lemongrass plant is favored in cooking as well as tea. Lemongrass teas are often served as an after-dinner drink to aid digestion—primarily due to a substance called citral, also the active ingredient in lemon peels. Though typically enjoyed unaccompanied by other herbs, it can also be blended to create lemon-flavored teas like Lemon Zinger.

14.Echinacea? Echinacea is widely used to prevent or cure the common cold. It’s a powerful herb that contains active substances that enhance the activity of the immune system, relieve pain, reduce inflammation and have antioxidant effects. The leaves and flowers of the uppermost part of the plant are the section believed to contain polysaccharides (a substance known to trigger the activity of the immune system).

15.Blackberry leaves ?Picked, dried in the sun and infused with boiling water, blackberry leaves are the essence of most berry-flavored teas. Studies suggest that the leaves contain a healthy dose of flavonoids, which are known for their antioxidant activity.

16. Hawthorn ?The leaves, flowers and berries of the hawthorn plant are used in a variety of peach- and berry-flavored teas. The plant is believed to contain flavonoid-like complexes that help improve cardiovascular health by helping to relax and dilate blood vessels, which increases blood circulation and lessens stress on the heart. Hawthorn berries are also believed to relieve water retention by draining the body of excess salt.

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Thomas Kohler/CC BY-SA 2.0

Germany’s promotion of renewable energy rightly gets singled out for its effectiveness, most often by me as an example of how to do things well versus the fits and starts method of promotion common in the US. Over at Wind-Works, Paul Gipe points out another interesting facet of the German renewable energy saga: 51% of all renewable energy in Germany is owned by individual citizens or farms, totaling $100 billion worth of private investment in clean energy.

Breaking that down into solar power and wind power, 50% of Germany’s solar PV is owned by individuals and farms, while 54% of its wind power is held by the same groups.

In total there’s roughly 17 GW of solar PV installed in Germany—versus roughly 3.6 GW in the US (based on SEIA’s figures for new installations though the third quarter of 2011 plus the 2.6 GW installed going into the year).

Remember, Germany now produces slightly over 20% of all its electricity from renewable sources.

The thing that got me though, other than the huge lead in solar PV installations Germany has over the US, thanks to good policy, and the fact that so much wind power isn’t owned by utilities, is what slightly over half of renewable energy being owned not by corporations but by actual biological people means—obviously a democratic shift in control of resources and a break from the way electricity and energy has been produced over the past century.

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Dear Bank of America …

What some healthy and spry Occupy Movements across the nation couldn’t quite accomplish, San Francisco geriatrics have!

KCBS reports that a small group of senior citizens between the ages of 69 and 82 successfully shut down a Bank of America in Bernal Heights on Thursday with nothing more than walkers and oxygen tanks. That’s right: No shouting, chanting, tear gas, or window-smashing.

The group, which dubbed itself “Wild Old Women” set up camp right outside the Bank of America, holding signs in what they were calling “a run on the bank.”

While the protesters said they had no intention (or oxygen) of storming the bank, as occupiers in other communities have done, officials at Bank of America shut the doors and locked them as they spotted the slow-moving group make its way to the front of the bank.

So the seniors took a seat outside the bank where they explained their demands, which were no different than every other occupiers: They want lower fees, and they want the bank to pay higher taxes and stop the foreclosures.

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Uploaded by OliviaHadassah on Apr 4, 2008

After eating raw foods, 6 diabetics are declared cured within 30 days.

This isn’t considered possible in Western Medicine, but what do we know?

This is the trailer to “Raw For 30 Days,” a film now in post production and expected to be shown at film festivals this spring (2008), with a release in theaters to follow.

Visit their website for updates:

http://www.rawfor30days.com/Site/Home.html

For more info on natural cures, visit my blog:

Red Pill Reich

http://redpillreich.blogspot.com/

I am a nurse who is exposing the Illuminati’s use of modern medicine to drug, poison and control millions in their pursuit of a New World Order.

Source www.youtube.com

By Kerri-Ann Jennings, M.S., R.D.,

As a registered dietitian and associate nutrition editor at EatingWell Magazine, I know that herbs and spices do more than simply add flavor to food. They let you cut down on some less-healthy ingredients, such as salt, added sugars and saturated fat, and some have inherent health benefits, many of which Joyce Hendley reported on for EatingWell Magazine.

Modern science is beginning to uncover the ultimate power of spices and herbs, as weapons against illnesses from cancer to Alzheimer’s disease. “We’re now starting to see a scientific basis for why people have been using spices medicinally for thousands of years,” says Bharat Aggarwal, Ph.D., professor at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and author of Healing Spices (Sterling, 2011).

Aggarwal notes that in his native India, where spices tend to be used by the handful, incidence of diet-related diseases like heart disease and cancer have long been low. But when Indians move away and adopt more Westernized eating patterns, their rates of those diseases rise. While researchers usually blame the meatier, fattier nature of Western diets, Aggarwal and other experts believe that herbs and spices-or more precisely, the lack of them-are also an important piece of the dietary puzzle. “When Indians eat more Westernized foods, they’re getting much fewer spices than their traditional diet contains,” he explains. “They lose the protection those spices are conveying.”

While science has yet to show that any spice cures disease, there’s compelling evidence that several may help manage some chronic conditions (though it’s always smart to talk with your doctor). What’s not to love? Here we’ve gathered eight of the healthiest spices and herbs enjoyed around the world.

Chile Peppers
May help: Boost metabolism.
Chile peppers add a much-appreciated heat to chilly-weather dishes, and they can also give a boost to your metabolism. Thank capsaicin, the compound that gives fresh chiles, and spices including cayenne and chipotle, their kick. Studies show that capsaicin can increase the body’s metabolic rate (causing one to burn more calories) and may stimulate brain chemicals that help us feel less hungry. In fact, one study found that people ate 16 percent fewer calories at a meal if they’d sipped a hot-pepper-spiked tomato juice (vs. plain tomato juice) half an hour earlier. Recent research found that capsinoids, similar but gentler chemicals found in milder chile hybrids, have the same effects-so even tamer sweet paprika packs a healthy punch. Capsaicin may also lower risk of ulcers by boosting the ability of stomach cells to resist infection by ulcer-causing bacteria and help the heart by keeping “bad” LDL cholesterol from turning into a more lethal, artery-clogging form.
Ginger
May help: Soothe an upset stomach, fight arthritis pain.
Ginger has a well-deserved reputation for relieving an unsettled stomach. Studies show ginger extracts can help reduce nausea caused by morning sickness or following surgery or chemotherapy, though it’s less effective for motion sickness. But ginger is also packed with inflammation-fighting compounds, such as gingerols, which some experts believe may hold promise in fighting some cancers and may reduce the aches of osteoarthritis and soothe sore muscles. In a recent study, people who took ginger capsules daily for 11 days reported 25 percent less muscle pain when they performed exercises designed to strain their muscles (compared with a similar group taking placebo capsules). Another study found that ginger-extract injections helped relieve osteoarthritis pain of the knee.
Cinnamon
May help: Stabilize blood sugar.
A few studies suggest that adding cinnamon to food-up to a teaspoon a day, usually given in capsule form-might help people with type 2 diabetes better control their blood sugar, by lowering post-meal blood-sugar spikes. Other studies suggest the effects are limited at best.

Turmeric
May help: Quell inflammation, inhibit tumors.
Turmeric, the goldenrod-colored spice, is used in India to help wounds heal (it’s applied as a paste); it’s also made into a tea to relieve colds and respiratory problems. Modern medicine confirms some solid-gold health benefits as well; most are associated with curcumin, a compound in turmeric that has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Curcumin has been shown to help relieve pain of arthritis, injuries and dental procedures; it’s also being studied for its potential in managing heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. Researcher Bharat Aggarwal is bullish on curcumin’s potential as a cancer treatment, particularly in colon, prostate and breast cancers; preliminary studies have found that curcumin can inhibit tumor cell growth and suppress enzymes that activate carcinogens.

Saffron
May help: Lift your mood.
Saffron has long been used in traditional Persian medicine as a mood lifter, usually steeped into a medicinal tea or used to prepare rice. Research from Iran’s Roozbeh Psychiatric Hospital at Tehran University of Medical Sciences has found that saffron may help to relieve symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and depression. In one study, 75% of women with PMS who were given saffron capsules daily reported that their PMS symptoms (such as mood swings and depression) declined by at least half, compared with only 8 percent of women who didn’t take saffron.
Parsley
May help: Inhibit breast cancer-cell growth.
University of Missouri scientists found that this herb can actually inhibit breast cancer-cell growth, reported Holly Pevzner in the September/October 2011 issue of EatingWell Magazine. In the study, animals that were given apigenin, a compound abundant in parsley (and in celery), boosted their resistance to developing cancerous tumors. Experts recommend adding a couple pinches of minced fresh parsley to your dishes daily.

Sage
May help: Preserve memory, soothe sore throats.
Herbalists recommend sipping sage tea for upset stomachs and sore throats, a remedy supported by one study that found spraying sore throats with a sage solution gave effective pain relief. And preliminary research suggests the herb may improve some symptoms of early Alzheimer’s disease by preventing a key enzyme from destroying acetylcholine, a brain chemical involved in memory and learning. In another study, college students who took sage extracts in capsule form performed significantly better on memory tests, and their moods improved.
Rosemary
May help: Enhance mental focus, fight foodborne bacteria.
One recent study found that people performed better on memory and alertness tests when mists of aromatic rosemary oil were piped into their study cubicles. Rosemary is often used in marinades…

Read entire article here

PHILADELPHIA — Prosecutors on Wednesday abandoned their 30-year push to execute convicted cop-killer Mumia Abu-Jamal, the former Black Panther whose claim that he was the victim of a racist legal system made him an international cause celebre.

Abu-Jamal, 58, will instead spend the rest of his life in prison.

Flanked by police Officer Daniel Faulkner’s widow, Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams announced his decision two days short of the 30th anniversary of the white patrolman’s killing.

He said that continuing to seek the death penalty could lead to “an unknowable number of years” of appeals, and that some witnesses have died or are unavailable after nearly three decades.

“There’s never been any doubt in my mind that Mumia Abu-Jamal shot and killed Officer Faulkner. I believe that the appropriate sentence was handed down by a jury of his peers in 1982,” said Williams, the city’s first black district attorney. “While Abu-Jamal will no longer be facing the death penalty, he will remain behind bars for the rest of his life, and that is where he belongs.”Abu-Jamal was originally sentenced to death. His murder conviction was upheld through years of appeals. But in 2008, a federal appeals court ordered a new sentencing hearing on the grounds that the instructions given to the jury were potentially misleading.

After the U.S. Supreme Court declined to weigh in two months ago, prosecutors were forced to decide whether to pursue the death penalty again or accept a life sentence without parole.

Williams said he reached the decision with the blessing of Faulkner’s widow, Maureen.

“Another penalty proceeding would open the case to the repetition of the state appeals process and an unknowable number of years of federal review again, even if we were successful,” the district attorney said.

Widener University law professor Judith Ritter, who represented Abu-Jamal in recent appeals, welcomed the move.

“There is no question that justice is served when a death sentence from a misinformed jury is overturned,” Ritter said. “Thirty years later, the district attorney’s decision not to seek a new death sentence also furthers the interests of justice.”

According to trial testimony, Abu-Jamal saw his brother scuffle with the patrolman during a 4 a.m. traffic stop in 1981 and ran toward the scene. Police found Abu-Jamal wounded by a round from Faulkner’s gun. Faulkner, shot several times, was killed. A .38-caliber revolver registered to Abu-Jamal was found at the scene with five spent shell casings.

Over the years, Abu-Jamal challenged the predominantly white makeup of the jury, the instructions given to the jurors and the accounts of eyewitnesses. He also complained that his lawyer was ineffective, that the judge was racist and that another man confessed to the crime.

His writings and radio broadcasts from death row put him at the center of an international debate over capital punishment and made him the subject of books and movies. The one-time journalist’s own 1995 book, “Live From Death Row,” depicts prison life and calls the justice system racist.

He garnered worldwide support from the “Free Mumia” movement, with hundreds of vocal supporters and death-penalty opponents regularly turning out for court hearings in his case.

His message resonated on college campuses and in Hollywood. Actors Mike Farrell and Tim Robbins were among dozens of luminaries who used a New York Times ad to call for a new trial, and the Beastie Boys played a concert to raise money for Abu-Jamal’s defense.

Faulkner’s widow labored to ensure her husband was not forgotten.

“My family and I have endured a three-decade ordeal at the hands of Mumia Abu-Jamal, his attorneys and his supporters, who in many cases never even took the time to educate themselves about the case before lending their names, giving their support and advocating for his freedom,” she said Wednesday. “All of this has taken an unimaginable physical, emotional and financial toll on each of us.”

Amnesty International, which maintains that Abu-Jamal’s trial was “manifestly unfair and failed to meet international fair trial standards,” said the district attorney’s decision does not go far enough. Abu-Jamal still has an appeal pending before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court over the validity of ballistics evidence.

“Amnesty International continues to believe that justice would best be served by granting Mumia Abu-Jamal a new trial,” said Laura Moye, director of the human rights group’s Campaign to Abolish the Death Penalty.

Members of Philadelphia’s police community stood with Williams and Maureen Faulkner as the decision was announced. Former police union president Rich Costello blasted the courts for ordering a new sentencing hearing.

Read entire article here

DISCLAIMER: I’m not suggesting people don’t follow their doctors orders. I explain this better at the end of the presentation. There isn’t likely any sure single silver bullet to curing existing cancer, while in the right combination in your diet you shouldn’t ever have to worry about getting it.

Version 1.0
By Ignorance Isn’t Bliss
ignoranceisfutile.org…

Acai Berries
Source: Fruits from the Açaí Palm.
en.wikipedia.org…
www.youtube.com…

Brazilian berry destroys cancer cells in lab, UF study shows
news.ufl.edu…

Acrylamide (BAD)

www.cancer.gov…

Aloe-emodin
Sources: Aloe Vera Plant, Aloe Vera Juice (inexpensive at Hispanic Markets).

Aloe-Emodin Induces Apoptosis in T24 Human Bladder Cancer Cells
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov…

Protein kinase C involvement in aloe-emodin- and emodin-induced apoptosis in lung carcinoma cell
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov…

The antiproliferative activity of aloe-emodin is through p53-dependent and p21-dependent apoptotic pathway in human hepatoma cell lines
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov…

Aloe-emodin Is a New Type of Anticancer Agent with Selective Activity against Neuroectodermal Tumors
cancerres.aacrjournals.org…

Aloe-emodin induced in vitro G2/M arrest of cell cycle in human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov…

Aloe-emodin-induced apoptosis in human gastric carcinoma cells
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov…

Aloe-emodin induces in vitro G2/M arrest and alkaline phosphatase activation in human oral cancer KB cells
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov…

Anandamide
Source: Cannabis
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov…
The endogenous cannabinoid anandamide inhibits human breast cancer cell proliferation
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov…

Anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects of anandamide in human prostatic cancer cell lines
onlinelibrary.wiley.com…

Anandamide is an endogenous inhibitor for the migration of tumor cells and T lymphocytes
www.springerlink.com…

The endogenous cannabinoid, anandamide, induces cell death in colorectal carcinoma cells
gut.bmj.com…

Apigenin
Foods: Parsley, Celery, Coriander, Licorice, Majoram, Oregano, Rosemary, Tarragon, Citrus, Tea and Wheat.
en.wikipedia.org…

Selective growth-inhibitory, cell-cycle deregulatory and apoptotic response of apigenin in normal versus human prostate carcinoma cells
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov…

Apigenin induces apoptosis…in breast cancer cells
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov…

Signal pathways involved in apigenin inhibition of growth and induction of apoptosis of human anaplastic thyroid cancer cells
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov…

Induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis by apigenin in human prostate carcinoma cells
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov…

Induction of apoptosis by apigenin in leukaemia HL-60 cells
www.ejcancer.info…(99)00168-9/abstract

5,6-Dichloro-ribifuranosylbenzimidazole- and apigenin-induced sensitization of colon cancer cells to TNF–mediated apoptosis
ajpgi.physiology.org…

Apoptosis
en.wikipedia.org…

Apoptosis (aka Programmed Cell Death) is the internal mechanism of basically all biological cells to self-destruct when ‘malfunctioning’. With cancer cells mutate and overcome this design, making them in a sense immortal. So for about as long as cancer has been understood the holy grail in cancer research has been in discovering how to reinstitute apoptosis in cancer cells safely.

The thing is this holy grail has been found in numerous forms, yet the understanding of the general public is that it hasn’t and can only be solved with damaging radiation and chemotherapy. You might ask yourself why that is, and why haven’t known safe apoptosis inducers been aggressively pursued? Perhaps preventing terrorist attacks on national monuments are more important than the 550,000 individuals who die every year from cancer?

Arachidonyl Ethanolamide
Source: Cannabis

Arachidonyl ethanolamide induces apoptosis of uterine cervix cancer cells via aberrantly expressed vanilloid receptor-1
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov…

Artemisinin
Source: Wormwood Plant
en.wikipedia.org…

Artemisinin Induces Apoptosis in Human Cancer Cells
ar.iiarjournals.org…

Effects of artemisinin and its derivatives on growth inhibition and apoptosis of oral cancer cells
onlinelibrary.wiley.com…

Transferrin receptor-dependent cytotoxicity of artemisinin–transferrin conjugates on prostate cancer cells and induction of apoptosis
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov…

Transferrin overcomes drug resistance to artemisinin in human small-cell lung carcinoma cells
www.cancerletters.info…(02)00005-8/abstract

Dihydroartemisinin induces apoptosis and sensitizes human ovarian cancer cells to carboplatin therapy
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov…

?-Elemene
Source: Ginger Root
en.wikipedia.org…

Antitumor effect of ?-elemene in non-small-cell lung cancer cells is mediated via induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptotic cell death
www.springerlink.com…

Elemene displays anti-cancer ability on laryngeal cancer cells in vitro and in vivo
www.springerlink.com…

Antiproliferative effect of ?-elemene in chemoresistant ovarian carcinoma cells
www.springerlink.com…

Effect of Local Arterial Infusion of ?_elemene on Breast Cancer Tissue Inhibition and Cell Apoptosis and Proliferation
en.cnki.com.cn…

N-(beta-Elemene-13-yl)tryptophan methyl ester induces apoptosis in human leukemia cells
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov…

ß-Glucan
Foods: Mushrooms, Grains & Yeast.
Mushrooms: Shiitake (Lentinula edodes), Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum & Ganoderma tsugae), Maitake (Grifola frondosa), Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus), Cauliflower Mushroom (Sparassis).
Grains: Oats, Barley.
Fights cancer and eases the effects of radiation.
NOTE: Literally all of the listed mushrooms above have other important anti-cancer effects not necessarily specified by this presentation.

ß-Glucan…Uses Antibodies to Target Tumors for Cytotoxic Recognition by Leukocyte Complement Receptor Type 3 (CD11b/CD18)
www.jimmunol.org…

Beta glucan induces proliferation and activation of monocytes in peripheral blood of patients with advanced breast cancer
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov…

Yeast ß-Glucan Amplifies Phagocyte Killing of iC3b-Opsonized Tumor Cells
www.jimmunol.org…

Chemosensitization of Carmustine with Maitake ?-Glucan on Androgen-Independent Prostatic Cancer Cells
www.liebertonline.com…

ß-Hydroxyisovalerylshikonin
Source: Lithospermum (herbs).
www.wikigenes.org…

ß-Hydroxyisovalerylshikonin Inhibits the Cell Growth of Various Cancer Cell Lines and Induces Apoptosis in Leukemia HL–60 Cells
jb.oxfordjournals.org…

?-Hydroxyisovalerylshikonin and Cisplatin Act Synergistically to Inhibit Growth and to Induce Apoptosis of Human Lung Cancer DMS114 Cells
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov…

Betulin
Source: The bark of Red Alder trees & White Birch trees, and the mushroom Chaga that grows on White Birch.
en.wikipedia.org…

Anti-Cancer Effect of Betulin on a Human Lung Cancer Cell Line
www.thieme-connect.com…

Betulinic Acid Inhibits Prostate Cancer Growth
cancerres.aacrjournals.org…

Apoptotic activity of betulinic acid derivatives on murine melanoma B16 cell line
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov…

Betulinic acid induces apoptosis in human neuroblastoma cell lines
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov…

Betulinic acid induces apoptosis in skin cancer cells
onlinelibrary.wiley.com…

Betulinic acid: A new cytotoxic compound against malignant head and neck cancer cells
onlinelibrary.wiley.com…

In vivo and in vitro anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive effects of the methanol extract of Inonotus obliquus
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov…

Blueberries
en.wikipedia.org…

Effect of Anthocyanin Fractions from Selected Cultivars of Georgia-Grown Blueberries on Apoptosis and Phase II Enzymes
pubs.acs.org…

Availability of blueberry phenolics for microbial metabolism in the colon and the potential inflammatory implications
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov…

Broccoli
Relatives: Romanesco, Broccoflower, Cauliflower, Kale, Raab, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Collards and Kohl Rabi.
en.wikipedia.org…
Don’t boil!

Natural Compound in Broccoli Slows Breast Cancer Stem Cells
breastcancer.about.com…

Sprouts contain 3X the amount of Sulforaphane Glucosinolate
www.broccosprouts.com…

Diindolylmethane (DIM)
www.activamune.com…

Butyric Acid
en.wikipedia.org…
This is formed naturally during the digestion of dietary fibers. Not enough BA and you’re prone to colon cancer. If you get colon cancer you it’s time to go into fiber overdrive.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com…

Caffeic Acid
Sources: Sweetpotato Leaves, Propolis, Apples, White Grapes, White Wine, Olives, Olive Oil, Spinach, Cabbage, Turnips, Radish, Cauliflower, Bok Choy, Arugula, Kale, Asparagus, and Coffee.
en.wikipedia.org…
Caffeic Acid isn’t related to Caffeine.

Growth Suppression of Human Cancer Cells by Polyphenolics from Sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.) Leaves
pubs.acs.org…

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester induces mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in human myeloid leukemia U937 cells
www.springerlink.com…

Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester Induces Apoptosis by Inhibition of NF?B and Activation of Fas in Human Breast Cancer MCF-7 Cells
www.jbc.org…

The antioxidant caffeic acid phenethyl ester induces apoptosis associated with selective scavenging of hydrogen peroxide in human leukemic HL-60 cells
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov…

Effect of caffeic acid phenethyl ester on proliferation and apoptosis of colorectal cancer cells in vitro
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov…

Capsaicin
Foods: Hot Peppers.
Sources: Pepper Spray (It’s probably a very bad idea to try and breath this stuff).
Capsaicin (what makes peppers “hot”) has been proven to trigger apoptosis in multiple lines of cancer.

Capsaicin Displays Anti-Proliferative Activity against Human Small Cell Lung Cancer in Cell Culture and Nude Mice Models via the E2F Pathway
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov…

Capsaicin-induced cell death in a human gastric adenocarcinoma cell line
www.wjgnet.com…

Capsaicin-induced apoptosis and reduced release of reactive oxygen species in MBT-2 Murine Bladder Tumor cells
www.springerlink.com…

Capsaicin-induced apoptosis in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells through caspase-independent pathway
www.spandidos-publications.com…

TRPV6 mediates capsaicin-induced apoptosis in gastric cancer cells
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov…

Capsaicin Shows Promise In Inhibiting Growth Of Pancreatic Cancer
www.medicalnewstoday.com…

Capsaicin Mediates Cell Death in Bladder Cancer T24 Cells Through Reactive Oxygen Species Production and Mitochondrial Depolarization
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov…

Carotenoids
Foods: Carrots, Sweet Potato, Kale, Apricots, Mangos, Squash, Spinach, Kale, Collard Greens, Salmon, Shellfish, Egg Yolks, Hot Peppers, Brown Algae.

Carotenoids Affect Proliferation of Human Prostate Cancer Cells
jn.nutrition.org…

Serum carotenoids and mortality from lung cancer
onlinelibrary.wiley.com…

Human Breast Cancer Cells Treated with Carotenoids or Retinoids
jn.nutrition.org…

Carotenoids, antioxidants and ovarian cancer risk in pre- and postmenopausal women
onlinelibrary.wiley.com…

Read entire article here

Veterans for Peace member Scott Olsen was wounded by a less-lethal round fired by either San Francisco Sheriffs deputies or Palo Alto Police on October 25, 2011 at 14th Street and Broadway in Downtown Oakland video of him as he was pulled away from the police line of fire.

Source www.youtube.com

October 26, 2011 MSNBC News

http://MOXNews.com

HIS NAME IS SCOTT OLSEN…..HE TOOK THE HIT FOR YOU!
Thank you for your service sir….your? sacrifice, both here an abroad will NOT be in vain…

Submitted by: FreedumbFighter28 9 hours

In case anyone wants? to send flowers or a card to Scott Olsen (Marine injured in Oakland)

USMC Scott Olsen

Highland Hospital

1411 East 31st Street

Oakland, CA 94602

Submitted by: AnonymousBelle562 9 hours ago
Source www.youtube.com

Uploaded by RussiaToday on Oct 26, 2011

Video courtesy: Ali Winston http://www.youtube.com/user/in4mant1 and http://www.youtube.com/user/ieee8023

Police have clashed with hundreds of demonstrators in the U.S. city of Oakland. It happened when hundreds marched to show their anger at police clearing an “Occupy Wall Street” camp. Officers shot several rounds of tear gas into the crowd, who were trying to reclaim their position within the city centre. Earlier on Tuesday, 85 people were arrested, after they refused to take down their tents as part of the nationwide movement against corporate greed.

Source www.youtube.com

Jackie Wilson – (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher

Source www.youtube.com

Uploaded by RTAmerica on Oct 15, 2011

Throngs of participants with the Occupy Wall Street movement marched to Times Square in New York City on October 15 in a mass protest. Once there, however, their peaceful demonstration quickly turned violent as cops attacked protesters with batons, pepper spray and . . . horses? RT marched along with them in Manhattan and collected some of this footage, which chronicles the journey from Washington Square Park to Times Square on Saturday afternoon.

Source www.youtube.com

READ FULL STORY HERE

“The first good-looking girl I see tonight is going to die.”—Edward Kemper, serial killer

Public awareness about violence against women has increased dramatically over the last four decades in the United States, thanks to women’s multi-faceted activism.  However, despite extensive media coverage on male-perpetrated murders of women—including what appear to be increasing numbers of serial killers who target women and girls—few people seem to register that most of these murders are extreme manifestations of male dominance and sexism.  In contrast, many individuals recognize that some of the murders of African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and other people of color are racist, that some of the murders of Jews are anti-Semitic, and that some of the murders of lesbians and gay men are homophobic.

As long ago as 1976, I chose the new term femicide to refer to the killing of females by males because they are female.  I cited numerous examples of these lethal forms of male violence against women and girls in my testimony on femicide at the first International Tribunal on Crimes Against Women that took place in Belgium that year.  I hoped that introducing this new concept would facilitate people’s recognition of the misogynistic motivation of such crimes.

Since then, I have engaged in many different strategies in the hope that one or other of them would inspire feminists in the United States to adopt this term instead of the gender-neutral words murder or homicide.  However, most American feminists, including those who have focused their efforts on combating violence against women, continue to use terms—such as domestic homicides—that obscure the misogynist factor in virtually all these crimes.

Although women’s male partners are by far the most frequent perpetrators of femicides (about 40 to 50 percent), it is vital to recognize that femicides are also perpetrated by strangers, acquaintances, dates, friends, colleagues, johns, and other family members.  Thousands of men who murder women every year in this country are motivated by misogyny.  Indeed, the vast majority of all murders of women are femicides.  In contrast, the relatively few women who murder men are usually motivated by self-defense.  Thus, the eradication of sexism—what feminists have been striving for since our beginning—would eliminate this most powerful motive, and few men would murder women.

In contrast to the continuing failure of efforts to get U.S. feminists to adopt the term femicide, the concept is now widely used in many Latin American countries.  Sometimes referred to as feminicide in these countries, feminists in Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Bolivia, Chile, El Salvador, Brazil, Uruguay, Peru, Nicaragua, and Honduras have adopted one or other of these terms.  Anti-femicide organizations have also been formed, eight of which have so far succeeded in getting their governments to pass laws against femicide.

What accounts for the differences in the responses of U.S. and Latin American feminists to the term femicide—and the activism that it has inspired—is a total mystery to me.

Of the few researchers who study femicide in the United States, a team led by feminist Jacquelyn Campbell reported the disheartening finding that of all the femicides perpetrated each year, the percentage of what they call “intimate partner” femicides (committed by husbands, lovers, ex-husbands or ex-lovers) increased from 54 to 72 percent between 1976 and 1996. That span of years included intense periods of feminist activity, suggesting that women’s growing independence has resulted in some men reacting with lethal violence.  Feeling their power threatened or challenged, these men appear to feel entitled to use whatever force is necessary to maintain dominance over those they consider their inferiors.  Male supremacy continues to render all women chronically and profoundly unsafe.  In Campbell’s words, “all women are at risk of femicide.” The fear of being murdered by a man is probably felt by most women at some time in their lives.

Femicides are frequently trivialized and depoliticized by the claim that the perpetrators are “crazy.”  In contrast, it is generally accepted that the lynching of African Americans and the torture and murder of concentration camp inmates were political hate crimes, the goals of which were to preserve white dominance and Aryan/Nazi supremacy, regardless of the psychopathology of the perpetrators.  In any case, being mentally ill does not free men from their misogyny or racism.

Femicides are lethal hate crimes.  While the Federal Hate Crime Law includes crimes motivated by actual or perceived gender, and 28 states have statutes that include gender, the only gender-based hate murder (femicide) that I have located was charged by the U.S. Justice Department in 2002.  The perpetrator had bound, gagged, and slit the throats of two lesbians while they were camping in a National Park.  “They deserved to die because they were lesbian whores,” he said, revealing that his hate crime was based on lesbiphobia as well as misogyny.  It’s clear that other strategies are needed to combat femicides in this country.

In the post-9/11 era, terrorism has become a major preoccupation of the U.S. government.  However, there is no recognition of the fact that women have been living with male terrorism—manifesting in high magnitudes of rape, beatings, and femicides, as well as threats of these acts—hanging over our heads on a daily basis for eons. Unlike victims of national terrorism, victims of male terror are often blamed for their deaths—while having no way to identify which men are a danger to them.  Worse still, those who kill their would-be perpetrators in self-defense are frequently accused of murder and incarcerated for many years.

Read entire article here

Decoded Science, Author: Paul A. Heckert, Ph.D.

Comets are among nature’s most spectacular celestial shows – these events should not cause fear, but historically they often have. Comets have been seen as evil omens, yet no scientific evidence for ill effects of passing comets exists.

As of this writing, the ignorance industry has raised considerable fuss and blatantly wrong speculation about Comet Elenin causing severe damage to Earth during the fall of 2012. In 1910 Halley’s comet caused similar rampant fear, yet no damage whatsoever. Elenin, Halley, and other comets pose no significant threat to Earth or its inhabitants. To understand why comets do not threaten Earth, it is necessary to first understand what a comet is.

What Are Comets?

The nucleus of a comet is a chunk of rock and ice, basically a dirty snowball, about 10 kilometers in size orbiting the Sun in highly elliptical orbits. Astronomers think that comets originate in the Oort comet cloud, which is a cloud of icy debris beyond Pluto’s orbit left over from the solar system’s formation. When something disrupts the orbit of a comet, it falls in towards the Sun in a highly elongated orbit.

When the comet is far from the Sun, it is only a dirty snowball nucleus. The icy material consists of both water ice and many other frozen materials that would be gas or liquid on Earth. As comets approach the Sun, radiant solar energy evaporates some of the icy material. The evaporated icy materials form a gaseous coma surrounding the nucleus.

The solar wind then blows the evaporated ice to form the comet’s spectacularly long tail. Many comets have two tails, a curved one consisting of dust and a straight one consisting of ionized gas. The largest, most spectacular, comets can have tails extending more than 100 million kilometers. The comet’s tail provides the often spectacular show for earthbound stargazers. Despite its size, a comet’s tail is so tenuous that it would qualify as a good laboratory vacuum on Earth. Hence, if Earth passed through a comet’s tail, it would have no significant effect.

As a comet moves further from the Sun in its orbit, the tail disappears, leaving just the nucleus until the next orbit. The passing comet, however, leaves a stream of dusty debris in its orbit. Meteor showers occur when Earth passes through a comet’s orbit and the dusty comet debris collides with Earth’s upper atmosphere to produce another spectacular show for stargazers.

Can Comets Cause Earthquakes?

There are claims that Comet Elenin caused the major earthquakes of 2010 and 2011. When there was an Earth-Sun-Elenin alignment, Comet Elenin supposedly caused these earthquakes by the increased tidal forces shifting Earth’s tectonic plates.

Neither Elenin nor any other comet generates sufficient tidal forces to cause earthquakes!

Tidal forces are the difference in gravitational force between the closest and furthest points on Earth to the astronomical object. The amount of tidal force a celestial object causes is directly proportional to the mass of the object and inversely proportional to the cube of the distance to the object. Earth receives the greatest tidal effects from the Moon. Tidal effects from the Sun are about one third as strong as those from the Moon. Tidal effects on Earth from any other astronomical object are much weaker.

By my calculations, a comet having approximately the density of water (appropriate for a mixture of rock and ice) and a radius of about 10 km would have between one millionth (10^-6) and one ten millionth (10^-7) the mass of the Moon. Therefore even if a comet came as close to Earth as the Moon, its tidal effect on Earth would be less than one millionth of the normal tidal effect from the Moon. Comet Elenin will not come closer to Earth than about 35 million kilometers (22 million miles), which is almost 100 times as far away as the Moon. At this distance the tidal effects would be another million times weaker. (100 cubed equals one million.)

Tidal effects from comets are simply far too weak to trigger earthquakes or any other seismic activity on Earth.

Is Comet Elenin a Brown Dwarf Star?

Some have claimed that Comet Elenin is really a brown dwarf star. Such claims are nonsense. Brown dwarf stars are sufficiently different from comets that it would be virtually impossible for astronomers to confuse a comet and a brown dwarf. That would be similar to biologists observing a horse and thinking that it was a horse fly.

A brown dwarf is a stage between the most massive planets and the least massive stars. Brown dwarf stars are more massive than Jupiter, but not quite massive enough to ignite the thermonuclear reactions that power stars. Hence, brown dwarfs are at the right temperature so that they emit most of their light in the infrared. Comets, on the other hand, glow from reflected sunlight and are therefore brightest in visible light. In addition, brown dwarfs are large enough in size that pictures of a brown dwarf in our solar system would show a disk larger than Jupiter’s disk. Unlike a comet, a brown dwarf would have no tail. Also, unlike a comet, a brown dwarf star passing through the solar system would gravitationally disrupt planetary orbits. It would be virtually impossible for astronomers to confuse the two types of objects. Neither Comet Elenin nor any other comet is even remotely similar to a brown dwarf.

Read entire article here

This map shows the ground track for UARS beginning in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa at 0330 GMT and ending at atmospheric interface over the Pacific Ocean at 0401 GMT. In this map, UARS’ path is shown beginning in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa at 0330 GMT and ending at atmospheric interface over the Pacific Ocean at 0401 GMT. CREDIT: NASA

NASA and the military have pinned down exactly where and when a huge dead climate satellite fell to Earth on Saturday (Sept. 24).

The defunct Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite (UARS) re-entered the atmosphere at 12:01 a.m. EDT (0401 GMT) on Saturday, falling into the Pacific at 14.1 degrees south latitude and 189.8 degrees east longitude (170.2 west longitude), according to the Joint Space Operations Center at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. NASA announced the new details today (Sept. 27).

These details close the case on NASA’s 6 1/2-ton UARS satellite, which was launched on a space shuttle in 1991 to study Earth’s ozone layer. The satellite was decommissioned in 2005, and has been slowly losing altitude since. [Photos of NASA's Huge Falling Satellite UARS]

“Six years after the end of its productive scientific life, UARS broke into pieces during re-entry, and most of it up burned in the atmosphere,” NASA wrote in a final status update. “Twenty-six satellite components, weighing a total of about 1,200 pounds, could have survived the fiery re-entry and reach the surface of Earth.”

UARS’ final entry point places it in a “broad, remote ocean area in the Southern Hemisphere, far from any major land mass,” according to the NASA statement.

UARS debris could have scattered between 300 miles and 800 miles downrange, or generally northeast of the re-entry point.

“NASA is not aware of any possible debris sightings from this geographic area,” officials wrote.

Just after the UARS spacecraft’s plunge into the Pacific, NASA officials said it was likely the satellite was at the bottom of the ocean, but the exact location and time of its re-entry might never be known. But today, NASA announced that it had identified the satellite’s re-entry point.

NASA originally announced that UARS would fall back to Earth in an “uncontrolled re-entry” in late September or early October, and later refined the prediction down to the day. But no one could predict ahead of time exactly where or when the spacecraft would fall, because its trajectory depended on radiation from the sun and other varying conditions.

Read entire article here

Jabeen Bhatti/The Wall Street Journal

Norway’s Supreme Court ruled in favor of insurance company Gjensidige over the retirement of Karin Johansen.

Companies say people must retire to make way for younger workers. But why should someone good at a job they love have to leave because of a birthday?

By JABEEN BHATTI

OSLO—Karin Johansen, a 68-year-old insurance adviser, didn’t want to retire. Her employer, Norwegian insurance company Gjensidige, said she must, and the Norwegian Supreme Court agreed. Her case is one of a growing number across Europe involving older workers challenging forced retirement even as governments slowly realize they may need them after all.

“The European situation is so complex” regarding forced retirement, says Anne Lyne, an employment attorney at Hayes Solicitors in Dublin. “This issue is contentious in almost every country and is bubbling up everywhere.”

Labor attorneys say national legal regimes and employment practices across Europe are increasingly clashing with a working population that is remaining fitter longer. Some older employees see no reason to retire and are keen to keep working past the age limits set by laws, collective bargaining agreements, employee contracts and custom. At the same time, European countries are grappling with labor shortages, low birthrates and expensive pension programs as retirees live longer.

In Norway, one of a handful of countries in Europe with an across-the-board retirement age, the law says employees must go at 70. In certain sectors, such as finance, employees retire at 67, a common-law practice that is only now being fully tested in the courts.

Nine months before Ms. Johansen’s 67th birthday on Oct. 7, 2009, she informed Gjensidige’s management in writing that she wanted to stay on at the company she has worked at for three decades. A month before her birthday, she received a reply telling her she would have to retire the day before she turned 67. She recalls her shock and anger.

“I like to go to work, be with my colleagues, talk to clients, feel useful,” she said, sitting in her lawyer’s office in Oslo just before the court hearings in mid-June. “I couldn’t understand it, why I had to leave—I was depressed by the thought.”

Gjensidige officials say their decision to fight Ms. Johansen centered on their ability to do business and make plans for their workforce of 4,000.

“This isn’t a case between the company and this particular employee, it’s about principles,” said Øystein Thoresen, a company spokesman. “We have nothing against [her], she’s doing very well at work. This is about predictability and workforce planning: If everyone stayed as long as they wanted, it wouldn’t be very predictable, would it?”

The Norwegian business community says it has been watching this case closely. “We need some clear rules because everything [has been] up in the air,” says labor attorney Kurt Weltzien of the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise, or NHO, an employers’ association. “And we should avoid a situation where companies will have to dismiss individuals of an older age based on how they are performing at work. That would be a very sad way, in our opinion, to end one’s work life.”

Across Europe, countries vary in their legal approach to older employees. A few, like Finland and Luxembourg, have mandatory, across-the-board retirement ages. More often, individual sectors set their own retirement ages: In Belgium, for example, civil servants must retire at 65; in the Czech Republic, judges and states attorneys at 70. In Belgium and the Netherlands, there is no set retirement age but employees lose their strong legal protection against dismissal at 65. In Germany and Spain, retirement ages are included in employees’ contracts and are often part of collective-bargaining agreements, and in the U.K., the mandatory retirement age was revoked in April this year.

Despite national variations, the status quo across Europe is founded on the perceived importance of age-diversity in the workforce. So far, this has been backed by many national courts and the European Court of Justice, which has ruled that discrimination against older workers may be permitted, if it is “objectively and reasonably justified by a legitimate aim.”

“The big question in the EU is whether these laws are pursuing a legitimate aim, for example, wanting to create jobs for younger people so people at retirement age have to be moved on,” says Declan O’Dempsey, a labor attorney with the Cloisters firm in London. “And this is where the logic gets creaky because essentially you’re saying that it’s okay to discriminate against the elderly for the sake of youth.”

In Germany, a pending case filed at the Labor Court of Elmshorn near Hamburg, Golke v. Autoflug, is challenging mandatory retirement ages in employee contracts on discrimination grounds.

“These cases are important because many employment contracts have these clauses and we believe this is obvious age discrimination,” says Klaus Bertelsmann, the attorney for Sigmund Golke, the plaintiff. “And if employees don’t sign these contracts, they don’t get the job.”

But German employment attorneys say they advise firms to have set ages in the contracts.

“Without it, it is hard to get rid of people under the very strict German anti-dismissal act,” says Martin Nebeling, of Bird & Bird in Düsseldorf, the attorney representing Autoflug, an aerospace and defense company, in the upcoming case. “This is a fair stipulation because at this point in time, an employee can receive a pension and there is no need to employ them any longer. There are a lot of younger employees who would like to have that job.”

As some workers fight for their rights to retire later, governments are trying to find ways to keep them at work longer in spite of their own laws and business practices.

That is because Europe’s aging population and low fertility rates are straining public finances, say analysts. Life expectancy in the OECD countries, which include Europe, rose 10.6 years from 1960 to 2007. As a result, the average number of years that OECD men spend in retirement rose from 13.4 years in 1958 to 18.5 in 2010. Simultaneously, fertility rates averaged 1.69 children per OECD women from 2005 to 2010, below population replacement levels (2.1 in the developed world).

“When you look in detail at governments’ own forecasts, the entire financial arrangement is predicated on very large increases in the age at which people stop working,” said OECD pensions expert Edward Whitehouse. “So in Italy, for example, only about one-third of people between the ages of 55 and 65 are working currently. And their projections assume that this amount will rise to 65 percent. That looks pretty ambitious to me.”

Some countries, including Germany and France, have already raised the retirement age in the past two years, others are considering doing so. But what they need to do, analysts say, is close the gap between legal retirement age (when pensions start) and actual retirement age (when people actually retire) with pension reform.

Read entire article here

Amateur astronomer Michael Mattiazzo of Castlemaine, Australia caught these two images of comet Elenin on Aug. 19 (left) and Sept. 6, 2011. The images show a rapid dimming in the comet, possibly hinting at its disintegration. CREDIT: Michael Mattiazzo

Comet Elenin was discovered on Dec. 10, 2010 by astronomer Leonid Elenin of Lyubertsy, Russia, who made the find using a remote-controlled observatory based in New Mexico. At the time, the comet was about 401 million miles (647 million km) from Earth. It is fairly faint and not expected to dazzle skywatchers, NASA scientists have said.

Since then, the comet (officially known as C/2010 X1) has made its way into the inner solar system, giving rise to many rumors — some outlandish — that link comet Elenin to 2012 end-of-the-world theories and other disaster scenarios.

NASA’s Tuesday statement counters many of those speculations in plain language. They include:

Will comet Elenin block out the sun, causing three days of darkness? No, the comet won’t cross the face of the sun as seen from Earth, and even if it did it’s much too small to have an effect.

Will the comet pass between the Earth and the moon? No, it will be 90 times farther way.

Will comet Elenin cause shifting tides or earthquakes on Earth? Not at all.

“A comet is nothing like a brown dwarf. You are correct that the way astronomers measure the mass of one object is by its gravitational effect on another, but comets are far too small to have a measureable influence on anything,” said David Morrison of the NASA Astrobiology Institute at the NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif.

And another scenario — that a brown dwarf, or even a so-called “black dwarf” star, could be hidden from NASA’s view — is also not possible, Morrison added.

“If we had a brown dwarf star in the outer solar system, we could see it, detect its infrared energy and measure its perturbing effect on other objects,” Morrison said. “There is no brown dwarf in the solar system, otherwise we would have detected it. And there is no such thing as a black dwarf.”

According to NASA, the best time to spot comet Elenin in telescopes will be in early October. Binoculars or telescopes are required because of the comet’s dim appearance.

Whether the comet will be visible to the unaided eye, however, remains to be seen.

“This comet may not put on a great show. Just as certainly, it will not cause any disruptions here on Earth. But, there is a cause to marvel,” Yeomans said in the statement. “This intrepid little traveler will offer astronomers a chance to study a relatively young comet that came here from well beyond our solar system’s planetary region. After a short while, it will be headed back out again, and we will not see or hear from Elenin for thousands of years. That’s pretty cool.”

Read entire article here

The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite hangs in the grasp of the Remote Manipulator System during deployment from Space Shuttle Discovery, September 1991. CREDIT: NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

An out-of-control satellite that’s been languishing in orbit for six years is now one the verge of falling back to Earth, NASA has announced. But there’s a long legacy that will end with the doomed satellite’s Earthward plunge.

The spacecraft, called the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS), is a 6 1/2-ton behemoth that will likely break up as it burns through the atmosphere on its trip down. However, some pieces are expected to survive intact. [Photos of Space Debris]

Here’s what you need to know about UARS and its impending demise:

What is the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS)?

UARS is a NASA Earth-observation satellite. The spacecraft was designed to measure ozone and other chemical compounds found in Earth’s ozone layer. UARS also measured winds and temperatures in the stratosphere, as well as the energy Earth received from the sun. Together, these data helped scientists understand how the upper atmosphere affects our planet’s climate.

When did the spacecraft launch?

UARS launched aboard NASA’s space shuttle Discovery, which deployed it into orbit on Sept. 15, 1991. It was originally designed to operate for only three years. Instead, it conducted scientific research for 14 years.

How high did the UARS satellite fly?

During it active mission, the UARS satellite soared above Earth at an altitude of about 375 miles (600 km), according to NASA records. Its orbital path was tilted about 57 degrees with respect to Earth’s equator.

When did UARS end its scientific life?

UARS was officially decommissioned on Dec. 14, 2005. At that point, six of its 10 scientific instruments were still functioning, according to NASA. The spacecraft made one final engine burn to lower its orbit out of the way of useful satellites, and its systems were commanded into a non-active mode.

When will UARS re-enter Earth’s atmosphere?

It’s too early to predict exactly when the spacecraft will begin its plunge to the ground, but NASA says it will likely be in late September or early October 2011. As we get closer to that time, the space agency expects to be able to predict more accurately the course and timeline of UARS’ re-entry. The timing depends on variations in radiation from the sun, as well as the spacecraft’s orientation as it loses altitude.

Where will UARS fall?

It’s also too soon to tell exactly where the spacecraft will fall, as that depends on the timing and trajectory of its course, which are also uncertain. However, an earlier analysis suggests that wherever UARS descends, any surviving debris will likely scatter within an area of 500 miles (800 kilometers) length.

Why is it falling to Earth?

Generally, satellites in Earth orbit naturally lose altitude slowly over time if they have no fuel to boost to higher orbit. The orbit of UARS has slowly decayed over the years following its deactivation, to the point that it will soon begin its final dive toward the ground, pulled in by gravity.

How large is the UARS satellite?

The bus-size UARS satellite is about 35 feet (10.7 meters) long and 15 feet (4.5 m) wide.

How much of UARS will break up during re-entry?

The spacecraft will break into pieces as it plummets through the atmosphere, but not all of it will burn up in the heat of re-entry. One analysis of the spacecraft suggests that of its total 6 1/2-ton bulk, only 1,170 pounds (532 kilograms) will survive when it reaches the ground.

Will UARS pose a risk to people on the ground?

Although most of the spacecraft will be destroyed during re-entry, some will survive. These pieces of debris could pose a small risk of damaging property or endangering people when they fall. “The risk to public safety or property is extremely small, and safety is NASA’s top priority,” NASA said in a statement.

Read entire article here

The U.S. Census Bureau released their annual report on poverty Tuesday, outlining the dramatic decline in income and employment in the U.S.

Below are the five most shocking new realities to come out of the report.

1. The number of those living in poverty is the highest in Census history.
As Clyburn pointed out at the hearing, the poverty rate rose for the third consecutive year, to 15.1 percent. The 46.2 million Americans living in poverty is the highest amount since the Census began recording the statistic 52 years ago.

2. We were richer last millennium.
Average income took a dramatic hit, declining 6.4 percent since 2007 — the last year before the recession. The current median income is 7.1 percent below the peak of median household income that was reached in 1999. In 2010, the average household earned a median of just $49,445.

3. Women still earn a fraction of what men make.
Despite the passage of years, the gender gap still has not closed in the workplace. According to the Census’ data, a woman working full-time for a full year earned approximately 77 percent of what a man working the same amount of time in the same job was paid. However, women were more likely to hold down that full-time job: Since 2007, the number of women working full-time year-round decreased by 2.8 million. More than twice that amount, 6.6 million men, left full-time jobs in the same time

4. There’s no safety in numbers.
Not only has the total number of individuals living in poverty risen, the number of families living in poverty also saw a rise from previous years. About 9.2 million families (11.7 percent) were under the poverty line, up from 2009′s 8.8 million families (11.1 percent).

5. Everything’s bigger in the South — including the poverty rate.
While poverty rates remained fairly stable in the West, Northeast and Midwest, the South experienced an increase in poverty. In 2009, 17.6 million (15.7 percent) were under the poverty line. By 2010, they had added 1.5 million to that number, sending the poverty rate to 16.9 percent.

Read entire article here

Uploaded by truthseeker444 on Mar 10, 2011

This is one of my favourite poems. We all have lessons to learn in life, but often we make the same mistakes over and over, until the lesson is learned. This short poem very eloquently sums that up.
Backing track: Adiemus by Karl Jenkins.

Autobiography in Five Short Chapters
By Portia Nelson

Chapter 1

I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost … I am helpless.
It isn’t my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.

Chapter 2

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don’t see it.
I fall in again.
I can’t believe I am in the same place.
But it isn’t my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter 3

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in … it’s a habit.
My eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.

Chapter 4

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

Chapter 5

I walk down another street…
…ends with walking down Love St.

Made by Sandra Barr

Source www.youtube.com

David DeGraw talks about global economic World War Three?

Source www.youtube.com

By Danielle Magnuson

More than 270,000 organic farmers are taking on corporate agriculture giant Monsanto in a lawsuit filed March 30. Led by the Organic Seed Growers and Trade Association, the family farmers are fighting for the right to keep a portion of the world food supply organic—and preemptively protecting themselves from accusations of stealing genetically modified seeds that drift on to their pristine crop fields.

Consumers are powerful. For more than a decade, a cultural shift has seen shoppers renounce the faster-fatter-bigger-cheaper mindset of factory farms, exposéd in the 2008 documentary Food, Inc. From heirloom tomatoes to heritage chickens, we want our food slow, sustainable, and local—healthy for the earth, healthy for animals, and healthy for our bodies.

But with patented seeds infiltrating the environment so fully, organic itself is at risk. Monsanto’s widely used Genuity® Roundup Ready® canola seed has already turned heirloom canola oil into an extinct species. The suing farmers are seeking to prevent similar contamination of organic corn, soybeans, and a host of other crops. What’s more, they’re seeking to prevent Monsanto from accusing them of unlawfully using the very seeds they’re trying to avoid.

“It seems quite perverse that an organic farmer contaminated by transgenic seed could be accused of patent infringement,” says Public Patent Foundation director Dan Ravicher in a Cornucopia Institute article about the farmers’ lawsuit (May 30, 2011), “but Monsanto has made such accusations before and is notorious for having sued hundreds of farmers for patent infringement.”

Even as the megacorporation enjoys soaring stock, the U.S. justice department continues to look into allegations of its fraudulent antitrust practices (The Street, June 29, 2011):

Monsanto, which has acquired more than 20 of the nation’s biggest seed producers and sellers over the last decade, has long pursued a strict policy with its customers, obligating them to buy its bioengineered seeds every year rather than use them in multiple planting seasons. Farmers who disobey are blacklisted forever.

It’s a wide net Monsanto has cast over the agricultural landscape. As Ravicher points out, “it’s actually in Monsanto’s financial interest to eliminate organic seed so that they can have a total monopoly over our food supply.”

Read entire story here

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Folks, it just keeps getting more insane.

Michael Taylor was just appointed senior advisor to the commissioner of the FDA. This is the same man that was in charge of FDA policy when GMO’s were allowed into the US food supply without undergoing a single test to determine their safety. He “had been Monsanto’s attorney before becoming policy chief at the FDA [and then] he became Monsanto’s Vice President and chief lobbyist. This month [he] became the senior advisor to the commissioner of the FDA. He is now America’s food safety czar. This is no joke.”

You’re Appointing Who? Please Obama, Say It’s Not So!

The person who may be responsible for more food-related illness and death than anyone in history has just been made the US food safety czar. This is no joke.

Here’s the back story.

When FDA scientists were asked to weigh in on what was to become the most radical and potentially dangerous change in our food supply — the introduction of genetically modified (GM) foods — secret documents now reveal that the experts were very concerned. Memo after memo described toxins, new diseases, nutritional deficiencies, and hard-to-detect allergens. They were adamant that the technology carried “serious health hazards,” and required careful, long-term research, including human studies, before any genetically modified organisms (GMOs) could be safely released into the food supply.

But the biotech industry had rigged the game so that neither science nor scientists would stand in their way. They had placed their own man in charge of FDA policy and he wasn’t going to be swayed by feeble arguments related to food safety. No, he was going to do what corporations had done for decades to get past these types of pesky concerns. He was going to lie.

Dangerous Food Safety Lies

When the FDA was constructing their GMO policy in 1991-2, their scientists were clear that gene-sliced foods were significantly different and could lead to “different risks” than conventional foods. But official policy declared the opposite, claiming that the FDA knew nothing of significant differences, and declared GMOs substantially equivalent.

This fiction became the rationale for allowing GM foods on the market without any required safety studies whatsoever! The determination of whether GM foods were safe to eat was placed entirely in the hands of the companies that made them — companies like Monsanto, which told us that the PCBs, DDT, and Agent Orange were safe.

GMOs were rushed onto our plates in 1996. Over the next nine years, multiple chronic illnesses in the US nearly doubled — from 7% to 13%. Allergy-related emergency room visits doubled between 1997 and 2002 while food allergies, especially among children, skyrocketed. We also witnessed a dramatic rise in asthma, autism, obesity, diabetes, digestive disorders, and certain cancers.

In January of this year, Dr. P. M. Bhargava, one of the world’s top biologists, told me that after reviewing 600 scientific journals, he concluded that the GM foods in the US are largely responsible for the increase in many serious diseases.

In May, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine concluded that animal studies have demonstrated a causal relationship between GM foods and infertility, accelerated aging, dysfunctional insulin regulation, changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system, and immune problems such as asthma, allergies, and inflammation

In July, a report by eight international experts determined that the flimsy and superficial evaluations of GMOs by both regulators and GM companies “systematically overlook the side effects” and significantly underestimate “the initial signs of diseases like cancer and diseases of the hormonal, immune, nervous and reproductive systems, among others.”

The Fox Guarding the Chickens

If GMOs are indeed responsible for massive sickness and death, then the individual who oversaw the FDA policy that facilitated their introduction holds a uniquely infamous role in human history. That person is Michael Taylor. He had been Monsanto’s attorney before becoming policy chief at the FDA. Soon after, he became Monsanto’s vice president and chief lobbyist.

This month Michael Taylor became the senior advisor to the commissioner of the FDA. He is now America’s food safety czar. What have we done?

The Milk Man Cometh

While Taylor was at the FDA in the early 90′s, he also oversaw the policy regarding Monsanto’s genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (rbGH/rbST) — injected into cows to increase milk supply.

The milk from injected cows has more pus, more antibiotics, more bovine growth hormone, and most importantly, more insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). IGF-1 is a huge risk factor for common cancers and its high levels in this drugged milk is why so many medical organizations and hospitals have taken stands against rbGH. A former Monsanto scientist told me that when three of his Monsanto colleagues evaluated rbGH safety and discovered the elevated IGF-1 levels, even they refused to drink any more milk — unless it was organic and therefore untreated.

Government scientists from Canada evaluated the FDA’s approval of rbGH and concluded that it was a dangerous facade. The drug was banned in Canada, as well as Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. But it was approved in the US while Michael Taylor was in charge. His drugged milk might have caused a significant rise in US cancer rates. Additional published evidence also implicates rbGH in the high rate of fraternal twins in the US.

Taylor also determined that milk from injected cows did not require any special labeling. And as a gift to his future employer Monsanto, he wrote a white paper suggesting that if companies ever had the audacity to label their products as not using rbGH, they should also include a disclaimer stating that according to the FDA, there is no difference between milk from treated and untreated cows.

Taylor’s disclaimer was also a lie. Monsanto’s own studies and FDA scientists officially acknowledged differences in the drugged milk. No matter. Monsanto used Taylor’s white paper as the basis to successfully sue dairies that labeled their products as rbGH-free.

Will Monsanto’s Wolff Also Guard the Chickens?

As consumers learned that rbGH was dangerous, they refused to buy the milk. To keep their customers, a tidal wave of companies has publicly committed to not use the drug and to label their products as such. Monsanto tried unsuccessfully to convince the FDA and FTC to make it illegal for dairies to make rbGH-free claims, so they went to their special friend in Pennsylvania — Dennis Wolff. As state secretary of agriculture, Wolff unilaterally declared that labeling products rbGH-free was illegal, and that all such labels must be removed from shelves statewide. This would, of course, eliminate the label from all national brands, as they couldn’t afford to create separate packaging for just one state.

Fortunately, consumer demand forced Pennsylvania’s Governor Ed Rendell to step in and stop Wolff’s madness. But Rendell allowed Wolff to take a compromised position that now requires rbGH-free claims to also be accompanied by Taylor’s FDA disclaimer on the package.

Read entire article here

One of the capital’s busiest areas was the centre of anarchy last night as hundreds of youths went on the rampage, smashing windows and looting stores.

Police arrest a man for looting in Clapham Junction Photo: AP

Riot police protect the entrance to Debenhams department store in Clapham Junction Photo: AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Up to 1,000 youths besieged Clapham Junction, south London, as they ransacked high street stores with no sign of police who appeared powerless to stop the “anarchy”.

For more than two hours, the youths, some as young as 14 and many female, destroyed buildings as they rioted throughout one of the capital’s bustling shopping districts.

Witnesses reported police were “completely outnumbered” as they tried to barricade the rioters inside St Johns Rd.

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Uploaded by RussiaToday on Jul 23, 2011

RTnews – Norwegian police say at least 84 people have been killed in a shooting spree at a youth camp on the island of Utoya, near the capital Oslo. The attack came shortly after a powerful blast shook the government centre in downtown Oslo, claiming at least seven lives. A 32-year-old Norweigan man has been arrested in Norway, in connection with the dual attacks.

Source www.youtube.com

Amy Winehouse – Me & Mr. Jones

Amy Winehouse RIP–Here’s my favorite video of Amy and it’s from 2007 live at the Isle of Wight in the UK. What a huge talent, great entertainer and musician. We will miss you and your funky downhome jazzy blues.

Source: www.youtube.com

First Posted: 7/20/11 10:39 AM ET Updated: 7/20/11 10:45 AM ET

For the first time in a while, Roseanne Barr has found herself on the tip of every smart so-and-so’s tongue. She’s blunt, surprisingly wise, hysterical and she’s showing up in more and more places.

It was her essay in New York Magazine that seemed to put her back on the map. A chronicle of struggle, success, insanity and feminism, it re-focused eyes back on a talented woman with wise cracking mouth and a complete intolerance for subordination.

Now it seems she can do no wrong. Barr’s new series, ‘Roseanne’s Nuts,’ which debuted on ‘Lifetime’ last week, is raking in ratings and praise. The setting is different than we’re used to, the Hawaii-based show has Barr managing 40 acres of macadamia nuts and a livestock farm, but her delightfully acrid personality remains.

Last night she appeared on ‘Chelsea Lately’ to talk about her new book, ‘Roseannarchy’–and smoking weed, promoting vodka and being downright nuts.

Read entire article here

The American Dream In the 50’s and 60’s,  America began to see a glimmer of what it came to call the American dream. The dream seemed within grasp. Pioneering spirits, ingenuity, inventiveness, innovative ideas, hard work, self sacrifice, and true grit positioned America in the forefront in many industries including manufacturing, oil and gas, energy, railroads, automotive, aeronautics, construction, and technology.

American workers believed hard work, dedication, top performance, and loyalty meant job security, advancement, raises, and a good retirement plan. It was the American way–what we called “The Good Life.” America was up for the challenge. Companies and workers pulled together to build a stronger and better industrial America. Ethical and fair business practices rewarded loyal service, hard work, and dedication with job and financial security and a good retirement plan.

Building the Dream

In the mid 70’s and early 80’s Americans flourished, manufacturing, construction, commercial and residential, real-estate, and the savings and loan industry; all business revolved around the major oil and gas boom and the auto industry.

Prosperous oil companies purchased land in Houston Texas for the purpose of building their world headquarters that would house oil companies from around the world.

The oil and gas community sky rocketed and construction thrived as home building and real estate surpassed all expectations. Lending prospered. Life was good!

Cracks in the Veneer

By the mid 80’s, Middle Eastern oil barons had succeeded in educating two generations of their countrymen in petroleum engineering by schooling them in prominent American Universities. No longer dependent on other countries to run their oil companies and refineries, and now in complete control of global oil prices, these oil barons no longer needed the services of American business. A long and deep recession-depression followed.

End of an Era

The oil/gas crash had the predictable domino effect wiping out all petroleum related jobs and taking with them construction, commercial, residential real estate, and the savings and loans. All of this only added to the decline of auto manufacturing.

This recession-depression was the catalyst for big business to introduce a new business model and strategies that would skirt around labor and age discrimination laws; thrusting many age 50 workers into the down side of their career cycle. It would take Americans several years to fully understand the repercussions the shelf life business model would have on their lives.

In times of prosperity when jobs are plentiful and qualified people are not available, supply and demand provides a much more level and fair playing field. However, in economic down turns, severe recession, department restructuring, or new management; older workers are the first to loose jobs, suffer the most and many times get squeezed out of the job market all together.

American Workers Speak Out

These findings are based on interviews conducted over a 30 year span with American workers age 50 and over across the nation. Most of these interviews revealed critical insight into the dilemmas facing American workers experiencing the down side of their career cycles. Interviews revealed that many workers had experienced very similar situations and had few if any solutions.

Where Is the Dream?

Those who bought into the American dream were led to believe that education, credentials, Experience, hard work, top performance, and loyalty could lead to job security, a good income, benefits, and a nice retirement plan.

Initially, our career goals and expectations are attainable, and clearly our coworkers already seem to be living the dream. When an older worker received a pink slip, it is assumed that poor performance is the issue.

After all, laws, programs, and agencies are in place to protect America’s work place. However, realistically no EEOC law has been written that can not be bent or twisted. Management, attorneys, and human resource professionals are well versed in all aspects of the EEOC and age discrimination laws.

Documentation is easily manipulated; three bad reviews and you are out. Micro management, unrealistic demands, and unattainable goals add up to bad reviews. This is not to imply that all companies are unscrupulous, however, in desperate times, people do desperate things. It only makes sense that others would play the corporate game to protect their own positions.

About the Shelf Life Business Models

Shelf life business models have loomed in the shadows; however, the devastation that followed the mid 80’s recession opened the door to a new kind of downsizing that would erode away at pension plans, health benefits, and job security with little possibility of ever retiring from any company.

Companies currently use recession, slight economic down turns, new management, reorganization of departments, or eliminate jobs only to give the jobs new titles and refill them with younger workers.

Workers age 50 and over are many times targeted by ambitious executives or new management focused on advancement, increasing bottom line, and earning large bonuses. Common practice in lowering expenditures is reducing payroll costs, retirement contributions, and insurance costs that may increase pooling prices. Typically workers age 50 and over fit into all of these categories. You can do the math.

Sadly, once the cycle begins, it is almost irreversible, and pressure from the top inevitably perpetuates the cycle.

The success and future of American companies and its employees have become inconsequential to money driven executives that have little stake in the success or failure of either and take their money and run. Bottom line, it’s all about the money.

Corporate America systematically discards its valuable talent, experience, wisdom, knowledge, and expertise, and as a result, our country is loosing its leading edge. Other countries are taking our place as industrial leaders. No other country places such little importance on such valuable assets that come with aging.

Our American government understands the value and importance of experience. A person must be 40 years old before they can run for president. Surely that should tell us something! It is a physical impossibility to put 25 years of work experience into a 20 year old body.

Our only hope of regaining a foot hold in American industry, reviving the American Dream, and saving our middle class is to band together and fight for employment reform that protects the rights of workers of all ages.

The Handwriting Is on the Wall!

The message is loud and clear, and the clock is ticking. American workers can no longer sit back and wait until it is their turn to face the same ageism issues of their predecessors.

There is power in numbers! Boomers make up 28% of the American population, and together we have a formidable political voice for employment reform.

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After decades of dedication, Ms. Porchon Lynch is considered a yoga master by many of her peers and followers, and at 92 is still active and teaching.

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[see transcript below]

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World Party – Ship of Fools
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George Carlin-Choice bit from what is now his last show. R.I.P. George, you will be sorely missed, and just when we need you the most!

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From the album “It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back” (1988). Public Enemy–This song is still relevant today and right on!

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Pakistan army soldiers seen near the house where it is believed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden lived in Abbottabad, Pakistan on Monday, May 2, 2011.

By Marc Ambinder
National Journal

From Ghazi Air Base in Pakistan, the modified MH-60 helicopters made their way to the garrison suburb of Abbottabad, about 30 miles from the center of Islamabad. Aboard were Navy SEALs, flown across the border from Afghanistan, along with tactical signals, intelligence collectors, and navigators using highly classified hyperspectral imagers.

After bursts of fire over 40 minutes, 22 people were killed or captured. One of the dead was Osama bin Laden, done in by a double tap — boom, boom — to the left side of his face. His body was aboard the choppers that made the trip back. One had experienced mechanical failure and was destroyed by U.S. forces, military and White House officials tell National Journal.

Were it not for this high-value target, it might have been a routine mission for the specially trained and highly mythologized SEAL Team Six, officially called the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, but known even to the locals at their home base Dam Neck in Virginia as just DevGru.

This HVT was special, and the raids required practice, so they replicated the one-acre compound at Camp Alpha, a segregated section of Bagram Air Base. Trial runs were held in early April.

DevGru belongs to the Joint Special Operations Command, an extraordinary and unusual collection of classified standing task forces and special-missions units. They report to the president and operate worldwide based on the legal (or extra-legal) premises of classified presidential directives. Though the general public knows about the special SEALs and their brothers in Delta Force, most JSOC missions never leak. We only hear about JSOC when something goes bad (a British aid worker is accidentally killed) or when something really big happens (a merchant marine captain is rescued at sea), and even then, the military remains especially sensitive about their existence. Several dozen JSOC operatives have died in Pakistan over the past several years. Their names are released by the Defense Department in the usual manner, but with a cover story — generally, they were killed in training accidents in eastern Afghanistan. That’s the code.

How did the helicopters elude the Pakistani air defense network? Did they spoof transponder codes? Were they painted and tricked out with Pakistan Air Force equipment? If so — and we may never know — two other JSOC units, the Technical Application Programs Office and the Aviation Technology Evaluation Group, were responsible. These truly are the silent squirrels — never getting public credit and not caring one whit. Since 9/11, the JSOC units and their task forces have become the U.S. government’s most effective and lethal weapon against terrorists and their networks, drawing plenty of unwanted, and occasionally unflattering, attention to themselves in the process.

JSOC costs the country more than $1 billion annually. The command has its critics, but it has escaped significant congressional scrutiny and has operated largely with impunity since 9/11. Some of its interrogators and operators were involved in torture and rendition, and the line between its intelligence-gathering activities and the CIA’s has been blurred.

But Sunday’s operation provides strong evidence that the CIA and JSOC work well together. Sometimes intelligence needs to be developed rapidly, to get inside the enemy’s operational loop. And sometimes it needs to be cultivated, grown as if it were delicate bacteria in a petri dish.

In an interview at CIA headquarters two weeks ago, a senior intelligence official said the two proud groups of American secret warriors had been “deconflicted and basically integrated” — finally — 10 years after 9/11. Indeed, according to accounts given to journalists by five senior administration officials Sunday night, the CIA gathered the intelligence that led to bin Laden’s location. A memo from CIA Director Leon Panetta sent Sunday night provides some hints of how the information was collected and analyzed. In it, he thanked the National Security Agency and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency for their help. NSA figured out, somehow, that there was no telephone or Internet service in the compound. How it did this without Pakistan’s knowledge is a secret. The NGIA makes the military’s maps but also develops their pattern recognition software — no doubt used to help establish, by February of this year, that the CIA could say with “high probability” that bin Laden and his family were living there.

(Step-by-step: How the U.S. killed bin Laden)

Recently, JSOC built a new Targeting and Analysis Center in Rosslyn, Va. Where the NationalCounterterrorism Center tends to focus on threats to the homeland, TAAC, whose existence was first disclosed by the Associated Press, focuses outward, on active “kinetic” — or lethal — counterterrorismmissions abroad. Its creation surprised the NCTC’s director, Michael Leiter, who was suspicious about its intent until he visited.

That the center could be stood up under the nose of some of the nation’s most senior intelligence officials without their full knowledge testifies to the power and reach of JSOC, whose size has tripled since 9/11. The command now includes more than 4,000 soldiers and civilians. It has its own intelligence division, which may or may not have been involved in last night’s effort, and has gobbled up a number of free-floating Defense Department entities that allowed it to rapidly acquire, test, and field new technologies.

Under a variety of standing orders, JSOC is involved in more than 50 current operations spanning a dozen countries, and its units, supported by so-called “white,” or acknowledged, special operations entities like Rangers, Special Forces battalions, SEAL teams, and Air Force special ops units from the larger Special Operations Command, are responsible for most of the “kinetic” action in Afghanistan.

Pentagon officials are conscious of the enormous stress that 10 years of war have placed on the command. JSOC resources are heavily taxed by the operational tempo in Afghanistan and Pakistan, officials have said. The current commander, Vice Adm. William McRaven, and Maj. Gen. Joseph Votel,McRaven’s nominated replacement, have been pushing to add people and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance technology to areas outside the war theater where al-Qaida and its affiliates continue to thrive.

(What does it mean for al-Qaida?)

Earlier this year, it seemed that the elite units would face the same budget pressures that the entire military was experiencing. Not anymore. The military found a way, largely by reducing contracting staff and borrowing others from the Special Operations Command, to add 50 positions to JSOC. AndVotel wants to add several squadrons to the “Tier One” units — Delta and the SEALs.

When Gen. Stanley McChrystal became JSOC’s commanding general in 2004, he and his intelligence chief, Maj. Gen. Michael Flynn, set about transforming the way the subordinate units analyze and act on intelligence. Insurgents in Iraq were exploiting the slow decision loop that coalition commanders used, and enhanced interrogation techniques were frowned upon after the Abu Ghraib scandal. But the hunger for actionable tactical intelligence on insurgents was palpable.

The way JSOC solved this problem remains a carefully guarded secret, but people familiar with the unit suggest that McChrystal and Flynn introduced hardened commandos to basic criminal forensic techniques and then used highly advanced and still-classified technology to transform bits of information into actionable intelligence. One way they did this was to create forward-deployed fusion cells, where JSOC units were paired with intelligence analysts from the NSA and the NGA. Such analysis helped the CIA to establish, with a high degree of probability, that Osama bin Laden and his family were hiding in that particular compound.

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States is conducting DNA testing on slain al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and used facial recognition techniques to help identify him, a U.S. official said on Monday.

Bin Laden was identified by the assault force that killed him in a firefight in Pakistan in which he resisted and was shot in the head, the official said on condition of anonymity.

Results of the DNA tests should be available in the next few days, the official told Reuters.

The strike force was on the ground for less than 40 minutes and the operation was watched real-time by CIA Director Leon Panetta and other intelligence officials in a conference room at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, the official said.

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Osama bin Laden, the longtime leader of al Qaeda, was killed by U.S. forces in a mansion outside of Islamabad, Pakistan

CNN) — The mastermind of the worst terrorist attack on American soil is dead, U.S. President Barack Obama announced late Sunday night, almost 10 years after the attacks that killed almost 3,000 people.

Osama bin Laden — the longtime leader of al Qaeda — was killed by U.S. forces in a mansion outside the Pakistani capital of Islamabad along with other family members, a senior U.S. official told CNN.

In an address to the nation late Sunday night, Obama called bin Laden’s death “the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s effort to defeat al Qaeda.”

“Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan,” Obama said. “A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties. After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.”

U.S. diplomatic facilities around the world were placed on high alert following the announcement of bin Laden’s death, a senior U.S. official said, and the U.S. State Department should be sending out a new “worldwide caution” for Americans shortly. Some fear al Qaeda supporters may try to retaliate against U.S. citizens or U.S. institutions.

Hundreds of people arrived at the White House late Sunday night and chanted, “USA! USA!” They then chanted, “Hey, hey, goodbye!” in reference to the demise of bin Laden and then spontaneously sang the national anthem.

“This welcome news is a credit to our intelligence efforts and brings to justice the architect of the attacks on our country that killed nearly 3,000 people on September 11, 2001,” said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, the ranking Republican on the Homeland Security Committee, in a statement issued Sunday night.

The news brought some relief to the grieving family members of those killed on 9/11.

“This is important news for us, and for the world. It cannot ease our pain, or bring back our loved ones,” Gordon Felt, president of Families of Flight 93, said in a statement. “It does bring a measure of comfort that the mastermind of the September 11th tragedy and the face of global terror can no longer spread his evil.”

In his speech, Obama reiterated that the United States is not at war with Islam.

“I’ve made clear, just as President Bush did shortly after 9/11, that our war is not against Islam. Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims.”

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, released a statement Monday morning welcoming the death of bin Laden.

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• target: Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles Chairman James E. Donald
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