Friday, May 2, 2008
petition to ban blackwater
there are already over 8,ooo signatures on the petition to congress to stop outsourceing our millitary. its only been 2 days since the release. sign. lets show that americans are ready to take back control...
http://www.couragecampaign.org/page/s/banblackwater
http://www.couragecampaign.org/page/s/banblackwater
US plan to protect right whale from shipping blocked by Cheney
"Efforts to protect the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale from being killed by ships are being blocked by Vice President Dick Cheney according to leaked documents.
A behind the scenes struggle is raging between the White House and US government scientists who want to force ships to slow down near the calving grounds of the almost extinct right whale."
1/29/09...
Thursday, May 1, 2008
"pixie dust" used to grow a finger
In every town in every part of this sprawling country you can find a faceless sprawling strip mall in which to do the shopping.
Rarely though would you expect to find a medical miracle working behind the counter of the mall's hobby shop.
That however is what Lee Spievak considers himself to be.
"I put my finger in," Mr Spievak says, pointing towards the propeller of a model airplane, "and that's when I sliced my finger off."
I think that within ten years that we will have strategies that will re-grow the bones, and promote the growth of functional tissue around those bones
Dr Dr Stephen BadylakUniversity of Pittsburgh
It took the end right off, down to the bone, about half an inch.
"We don't know where the piece went."
The photos of his severed finger tip are pretty graphic. You can understand why doctors said he'd lost it for good.
Today though, you wouldn't know it. Mr Spievak, who is 69 years old, shows off his finger, and it's all there, tissue, nerves, nail, skin, even his finger print.
'Pixie dust'
How? Well that's the truly remarkable part. It wasn't a transplant. Mr Spievak re-grew his finger tip. He used a powder - or pixie dust as he sometimes refers to it while telling his story.
Mr Speivak's brother Alan - who was working in the field of regenerative medicine - sent him the powder.
For ten days Mr Spievak put a little on his finger.
"The second time I put it on I already could see growth. Each day it was up further. Finally it closed up and was a finger.
"It took about four weeks before it was sealed."
Now he says he has "complete feeling, complete movement."
The "pixie dust" comes from the University of Pittsburgh, though in the lab Dr Stephen Badylak prefers to call it extra cellular matrix.
Pig's bladder
The process he has been pioneering over the last few years involves scraping the cells from the lining of a pig's bladder.
The remaining tissue is then placed into acid, "cleaned" of all cells, and dried out.
It can be turned into sheets, or a powder.
How it works in detail
It looks like a simple process, but of course the science is complex.
"There are all sorts of signals in the body," explains Dr Badylak.
"We have got signals that are good for forming scar, and others that are good for regenerating tissues.
"One way to think about these matrices is that we have taken out many of the stimuli for scar tissue formation and left those signals that were always there anyway for constructive remodelling."
In other words when the extra cellular matrix is put on a wound, scientists believe it stimulates cells in the tissue to grow rather than scar.
If they can perfect the technique, it might mean one day they could repair not just a severed finger, but severely burnt skin, or even damaged organs.
Clinical trial
They hope soon to start a clinical trial in Buenos Aires on a woman who has cancer of the oesophagus.
The normal procedure in such cases is often deadly. Doctors remove the cancerous portion and try to stretch the stomach lining up to meet the shortened oesophagus.
In the trial they will place the extra cellular matrix inside the body from where the portion of oesophagus has been removed, and hope to stimulate the cells around it to re-grow the missing portion.
So could limbs be re-grown? Dr Badylak is cautious, but believes the technology is potentially revolutionary.
"I think that within ten years that we will have strategies that will re-grow the bones, and promote the growth of functional tissue around those bones. And that is a major step towards eventually doing the entire limb."
That kind of talk has got the US military interested.
They are just about to start trials to re-grow parts of the fingers of injured soldiers.
Skin burns
They also hope the matrix might help veterans like Robert Henline re-grow burnt skin.
He was almost killed in an explosion while serving in Iraq. His four colleagues travelling with him in the army Humvee were all killed.
He suffered 35% burns to his head and upper body. His ears are almost totally gone, the skin on his head has been burnt to the bone, his face is a swollen raw mess.
So far he has undergone surgery 25 times. He reckons he has got another 30 to go.
Anything that could be done in terms of regeneration would be great he says.
"Life changing! I think I'm more scared of hospitals than I am of going back to Iraq again."
Like any developing technology there are many unknowns. There are worries about encouraging cancerous growths by using the matrix.
Doctors though believe that within the so called pixie dust lies an amazing medical discovery.
Rarely though would you expect to find a medical miracle working behind the counter of the mall's hobby shop.
That however is what Lee Spievak considers himself to be.
"I put my finger in," Mr Spievak says, pointing towards the propeller of a model airplane, "and that's when I sliced my finger off."
I think that within ten years that we will have strategies that will re-grow the bones, and promote the growth of functional tissue around those bones
Dr Dr Stephen BadylakUniversity of Pittsburgh
It took the end right off, down to the bone, about half an inch.
"We don't know where the piece went."
The photos of his severed finger tip are pretty graphic. You can understand why doctors said he'd lost it for good.
Today though, you wouldn't know it. Mr Spievak, who is 69 years old, shows off his finger, and it's all there, tissue, nerves, nail, skin, even his finger print.
'Pixie dust'
How? Well that's the truly remarkable part. It wasn't a transplant. Mr Spievak re-grew his finger tip. He used a powder - or pixie dust as he sometimes refers to it while telling his story.
Mr Speivak's brother Alan - who was working in the field of regenerative medicine - sent him the powder.
For ten days Mr Spievak put a little on his finger.
"The second time I put it on I already could see growth. Each day it was up further. Finally it closed up and was a finger.
"It took about four weeks before it was sealed."
Now he says he has "complete feeling, complete movement."
The "pixie dust" comes from the University of Pittsburgh, though in the lab Dr Stephen Badylak prefers to call it extra cellular matrix.
Pig's bladder
The process he has been pioneering over the last few years involves scraping the cells from the lining of a pig's bladder.
The remaining tissue is then placed into acid, "cleaned" of all cells, and dried out.
It can be turned into sheets, or a powder.
How it works in detail
It looks like a simple process, but of course the science is complex.
"There are all sorts of signals in the body," explains Dr Badylak.
"We have got signals that are good for forming scar, and others that are good for regenerating tissues.
"One way to think about these matrices is that we have taken out many of the stimuli for scar tissue formation and left those signals that were always there anyway for constructive remodelling."
In other words when the extra cellular matrix is put on a wound, scientists believe it stimulates cells in the tissue to grow rather than scar.
If they can perfect the technique, it might mean one day they could repair not just a severed finger, but severely burnt skin, or even damaged organs.
Clinical trial
They hope soon to start a clinical trial in Buenos Aires on a woman who has cancer of the oesophagus.
The normal procedure in such cases is often deadly. Doctors remove the cancerous portion and try to stretch the stomach lining up to meet the shortened oesophagus.
In the trial they will place the extra cellular matrix inside the body from where the portion of oesophagus has been removed, and hope to stimulate the cells around it to re-grow the missing portion.
So could limbs be re-grown? Dr Badylak is cautious, but believes the technology is potentially revolutionary.
"I think that within ten years that we will have strategies that will re-grow the bones, and promote the growth of functional tissue around those bones. And that is a major step towards eventually doing the entire limb."
That kind of talk has got the US military interested.
They are just about to start trials to re-grow parts of the fingers of injured soldiers.
Skin burns
They also hope the matrix might help veterans like Robert Henline re-grow burnt skin.
He was almost killed in an explosion while serving in Iraq. His four colleagues travelling with him in the army Humvee were all killed.
He suffered 35% burns to his head and upper body. His ears are almost totally gone, the skin on his head has been burnt to the bone, his face is a swollen raw mess.
So far he has undergone surgery 25 times. He reckons he has got another 30 to go.
Anything that could be done in terms of regeneration would be great he says.
"Life changing! I think I'm more scared of hospitals than I am of going back to Iraq again."
Like any developing technology there are many unknowns. There are worries about encouraging cancerous growths by using the matrix.
Doctors though believe that within the so called pixie dust lies an amazing medical discovery.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
hemp oil for everything
This almost sounds like a late night infomercial, but its got the data, stories and advise to back it all up. The film shows the amazing healing properties and strategies to use/make hemp oil. From rashes to cancer. No wonder the aliens brought us this wonder drug....
Hemp oil literally stopped three of these guys TERMINAL CANCER when the other drugs had failed and doctors had given up. The website has plenty of information, is not-for-profit and has ideas on making hemp oil (note: it is not hemp SEED oil).
http://www.phoenixtears.ca/
Part one of seven:
so why is it that hemp is illegal? oh ya
i know that hemp is a wonder drug and product. i know that industry and government want to keep it down. the above documentary is the BEST argument i have found that supports the way i feel. check it.
ALSO:
DR.s FIND NO LINK FROM WEED TO CANCER
"The largest study of its kind has unexpectedly concluded that smoking marijuana, even regularly and heavily, does not lead to lung cancer."
...
The new findings "were against our expectations," said Donald Tashkin of the University of California at Los Angeles, a pulmonologist who has studied marijuana for 30 years.
"Earlier work established that marijuana does contain cancer-causing chemicals as potentially harmful as those in tobacco, he said. However, marijuana also contains the chemical THC, which he said may kill aging cells and keep them from becoming cancerous."
Hemp oil literally stopped three of these guys TERMINAL CANCER when the other drugs had failed and doctors had given up. The website has plenty of information, is not-for-profit and has ideas on making hemp oil (note: it is not hemp SEED oil).
http://www.phoenixtears.ca/
Part one of seven:
so why is it that hemp is illegal? oh ya
i know that hemp is a wonder drug and product. i know that industry and government want to keep it down. the above documentary is the BEST argument i have found that supports the way i feel. check it.
ALSO:
DR.s FIND NO LINK FROM WEED TO CANCER
"The largest study of its kind has unexpectedly concluded that smoking marijuana, even regularly and heavily, does not lead to lung cancer."
...
The new findings "were against our expectations," said Donald Tashkin of the University of California at Los Angeles, a pulmonologist who has studied marijuana for 30 years.
"Earlier work established that marijuana does contain cancer-causing chemicals as potentially harmful as those in tobacco, he said. However, marijuana also contains the chemical THC, which he said may kill aging cells and keep them from becoming cancerous."
Recycle Your Nalgene
On April 18th, 2008, Health Canada announced that Bisphenol A is toxic to human health. Bisphenol A is used in Nalgene Brand polycarbonate water bottles, but on the same day Nalgene announced that all Bisphenol A products will be phased out.An alternative is available in the polyethylene versions of these products (made out of HDPE, Nalgene's traditional material), which are free of these chemicals. They can be identified by their greater flexibility, by their translucent, "milky" appearance, and by the number 2 triangular plastic recycling symbol on the bottom, rather than the number 7 on a polycarbonate bottle.
Albert Hoffman
70 years after first producing LSD, Albert Hoffman died yesterday at 102 years old of a heart attack
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
get that fish!!
apparently, this is first time an orangutan has been seen using a tool to hunt...
tight
A Fake Group Fights for Monsanto's Right to Deceive You
The American Farmers for the Advancement and Conservation of Technology, or Afact, calls itself a "grass-roots organization" that came together to defend their right to use the artificial growth hormone recombinant bovine somatotropin, also known as rBST or rBGH, in their milk production.
What they do not tell you is that Afact is not only an organization of dairy farmers. The group actually has close ties to Monsanto, the makers of rBGH, which is marketed under the brand name Posilac.
Monsanto and a Colorado consultant that lists Monsanto as a client helped to organize Afact. The group has also worked with marketing firm Osborn & Barr, whose founders include a former Monsanto executive.
As a growing number of consumers are choosing to buy milk that does not contain artificial growth hormones, Afact has started a counteroffensive to stop milk labels from being allowed to say they contain "no artificial growth hormone."
Cows treated with Posilac produce about one gallon more per day than untreated cows. Certain farmers want to keep using the hormone to boost their profits, while many consumers wonder about the potential health risks to humans and cows.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has declared that Posilac is safe, but many other countries have refused to approve it.
Sources: New York Times March 9, 2008
What they do not tell you is that Afact is not only an organization of dairy farmers. The group actually has close ties to Monsanto, the makers of rBGH, which is marketed under the brand name Posilac.
Monsanto and a Colorado consultant that lists Monsanto as a client helped to organize Afact. The group has also worked with marketing firm Osborn & Barr, whose founders include a former Monsanto executive.
As a growing number of consumers are choosing to buy milk that does not contain artificial growth hormones, Afact has started a counteroffensive to stop milk labels from being allowed to say they contain "no artificial growth hormone."
Cows treated with Posilac produce about one gallon more per day than untreated cows. Certain farmers want to keep using the hormone to boost their profits, while many consumers wonder about the potential health risks to humans and cows.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has declared that Posilac is safe, but many other countries have refused to approve it.
Sources: New York Times March 9, 2008
more on rummys products
from donald rummy's old company, we give you a 'safe' artificial sweetner (nutriSweet). i wonder if he drinks it in his coffee? i wonder why the FDA has approved it?
"How Does Aspartame Damage Your Brain?
Consuming a lot of aspartame may inhibit the ability of enzymes in your brain to function normally, according to a new review by scientists from the University of Pretoria and the University of Limpopo.
The review found that high doses of the sweetener may lead to neurodegeneration. It has also previously been found that aspartame consumption can cause neurological and behavioral disturbances in sensitive individuals.
Specifically, the review found a number of direct and indirect changes that occur in your brain as a result of high consumption levels of aspartame, including disturbing:
* The metabolism of amino acids
* Protein structure and metabolism
* The integrity of nucleic acids
* Neuronal function
* Endocrine balances
Further, the breakdown of aspartame causes nerves to fire excessively, which can indirectly lead to a high rate of neuron depolarisation.
Despite these growing concerns, neither the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have changed their guidelines regarding the safety of the ingredient or intake advice.
Sources:
* Food Quality News April 6, 2008
* European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2008, 62, 451-462"
"How Does Aspartame Damage Your Brain?
Consuming a lot of aspartame may inhibit the ability of enzymes in your brain to function normally, according to a new review by scientists from the University of Pretoria and the University of Limpopo.
The review found that high doses of the sweetener may lead to neurodegeneration. It has also previously been found that aspartame consumption can cause neurological and behavioral disturbances in sensitive individuals.
Specifically, the review found a number of direct and indirect changes that occur in your brain as a result of high consumption levels of aspartame, including disturbing:
* The metabolism of amino acids
* Protein structure and metabolism
* The integrity of nucleic acids
* Neuronal function
* Endocrine balances
Further, the breakdown of aspartame causes nerves to fire excessively, which can indirectly lead to a high rate of neuron depolarisation.
Despite these growing concerns, neither the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have changed their guidelines regarding the safety of the ingredient or intake advice.
Sources:
* Food Quality News April 6, 2008
* European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2008, 62, 451-462"
Monday, April 28, 2008
Electron
not my words but anyhow...
sup yall
got some great great news...
Electron will be playing at Cervantes on Sunday 5/11...
this is the Triumphant return of Electron...Electron = Marc Brownstein + Aaron Magnar + Tommy Hamilton + Joe Russo
I cant remeber their last show but I know its been a while...
I've been told that they will be playing CHEMICAL WARFARE BRIGADE in its entirety!!!
this is a show not to be missed for several obvious reasons...
1) 1st electron show in years
2) It at Cervantes
3) CWB in full
enjoy your day
peace
love
respect
sup yall
got some great great news...
Electron will be playing at Cervantes on Sunday 5/11...
this is the Triumphant return of Electron...Electron = Marc Brownstein + Aaron Magnar + Tommy Hamilton + Joe Russo
I cant remeber their last show but I know its been a while...
I've been told that they will be playing CHEMICAL WARFARE BRIGADE in its entirety!!!
this is a show not to be missed for several obvious reasons...
1) 1st electron show in years
2) It at Cervantes
3) CWB in full
enjoy your day
peace
love
respect
Spring Cleaning
Right now's the perfect time to get your "fast" on and do some detox from the inside out.
The Master Cleanse includes drinking a lemonade concoction every day made from purified or spring water, fresh squeezed lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper- It helps clean out your entire digestive track not just the last four feet like a typical colonic. The cleanse has been known to improve over-all health by removig the toxins our bodies store within fat tissue and a mucous lining the intestinal walls. It's done for a minimum of 10 days but many have found more benefits from going longer.
I recommend reading The Master Cleanser by Stanley Burroughs, Lose Weight, Have More Energy, and Be Happier in 10 Days by Peter Glickman, or The Complete Master Cleanse by Tom Woloshyn.
Other cleansing ideas are drinking only fresh organic fruit juice for a week or as long as you can make it, or merely limiting your diet to raw fruits vegetables, nuts and seeds for a period of time. Both of these cleanses give the organs a break from working extra hard to break down meat and dairy and other cooked or processed foods. This allows for more nutrients to be absorbed through the intestinal walls with less energy used and allows for the body to get rid of some of the old toxins we've all built up over the years.
If anyone is interested let me know- company is always welcome and we can support each other through the cleanse! Happy Cleansing!!!
Words from the Papa
> I've got some heartfelt words to share with you concerning Railroad
> Earth's soon-to-be-released CD "Amen Corner." It's important to note
> that what you are about to read are my words and my words only.
>
> "Amen Corner" is an incredible piece of work. I'm lucky enough to
> have heard it, and all of you will definitely want to buy it and
> listen to it repeatedly. And that's what I want to talk to you
> about. BUYING it.
>
> The music industry has changed drastically with the explosion in
> information technology. The industry-wide sales of CDs have dropped
> dramatically since the ability to burn and copy CDs became
> commonplace. I recently read a statistic that blew my mind: 48% of
> teenagers in this country have never bought a CD. This is the
> demographic historically responsible for a huge share of the market.
> Now, they either download music or blissfully practice music piracy.
>
> We've all done it, have we not? Copied and burned copyrighted
> music. I am asking you to stop doing that and not do it anymore.
> Railroad Earth's CD has prompted me to write this, but it's wrong to
> pirate music by any artist.
>
> Musicians work their asses off for years, honing their craft, and we
> all benefit from their awesome talents. It is not an easy life, and
> frankly not financially lucrative (with a few exceptions). So,
> please do the right thing. Think about the times that Railroad
> Earth's music has created for you and in you a state of joy, and
> doing the right thing will be easy.
>
> You folks on the Earthboard will want to buy "Amen Corner," I
> guarantee. You may want to buy two or three copies, so you have one
> for the house, one for the car, perhaps another to give to someone
> you want to turn on to some great music. Then ask them to follow
> this simple lesson in doing the right thing, and maybe we can change
> the trend of a downturn in music sales, at least in this instance.
>
> While I am admittedly not objective, "Amen Corner" is, in my opinion,
> worthy of consideration for award. But, just to be considered for
> such a thing requires strong sales. The core of fans reading this
> will be important in realizing this goal. The first step is to
> buy "Amen Corner." The second step is to not copy the CD and don't
> accept copies. Then encourage everyone you know - or strangers for
> that matter - to buy themselves a copy of this splendid effort by
> Railroad Earth.
>
> You can accept or reject my words. But you know what I am saying is
> right. And doing the right thing will make you feel good. And I
> want you to feel good.
>
> Sincerely and Thanks for Reading This,
> Papa Phil
PS - This is post 420 of shredsomething!!!! wooo!!!!!! wooooooooooooo!!!!!
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Trivia: What did former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld do before becoming involved in politics?
From 1977 to 1985 Rumsfeld served as Chief Executive Officer, President, and then Chairman of G.D. Searle & Company, a worldwide pharmaceutical company based in Skokie, Illinois, whose products included, among others, Metamucil, Dramamine, Aspartame, and the oral contraceptive pill Enovid. During his tenure at Searle, Rumsfeld led the company's financial turnaround that in turn earned him awards as the Outstanding Chief Executive Officer in the Pharmaceutical Industry from the Wall Street Transcript (1980) and Financial World (1981). Rumsfeld is believed to have earned around $12 million from Searle's sale to Monsanto.[22]
did someone say propaganda?
never in the bush administration could there ever be propaganda:
original NYT article from last week:.
"Internal Pentagon documents repeatedly refer to the military analysts as “message force multipliers” or “surrogates” who could be counted on to deliver administration “themes and messages” to millions of Americans “in the form of their own opinions.”
while this may not be news to everyone, it is news that has finally made it to the mainstream consciousness a little more. hopefully this story does not get killed in the 24 hour cable news era of now....
original NYT article from last week:.
"Internal Pentagon documents repeatedly refer to the military analysts as “message force multipliers” or “surrogates” who could be counted on to deliver administration “themes and messages” to millions of Americans “in the form of their own opinions.”
while this may not be news to everyone, it is news that has finally made it to the mainstream consciousness a little more. hopefully this story does not get killed in the 24 hour cable news era of now....
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