A world-weary college professor hobbled by grief and confused about his own future discovers the joy and pleasure of small things and magic moments.
Monthly Archives: July 2010
Spiritual Literacy Blog: Friends, Neighbors and Facebook
How friendship and neighborliness are changing in this age of social networking.
More on Sharron Angle’s appearance on "Libertarian Politics Live" – Politico jumps in with criticism
From Eric Dondero:
The Washington Post was critical of Sharron Angle's appearance on our show "Libertarian Politics Live" on Thursday. And now, like clockwork, the other liberal DC establishment media is joining in.
From Politico, Sunday, July 4, "Sharron Angle: I'm not a 'birther'":
Republican Sharron Angle, who is challenging Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in the Nevada Senate race, declared Friday that she is not “birther,” a day after she avoided answering a question about whether she had any doubts about President Barack Obama’s citizenship.
In an interview Friday with the conservative blog Hot Air, Angle was asked whether she believed Obama was born somewhere other than Hawaii, and she replied: “No. Is that flat-out enough for you?”
Her comments came a day after she appeared on the conservative blog talk show Libertarian Politics Live, when Angle was asked by a caller whether she had “any doubts whether or not President Obama is a legitimate president or a naturalized born citizen.”
Note the description of our show explicitly named "Libertarian Politics Live" as "Conservative."
Later in the article:
Andre Traversa, the host of the Thursday show, said the question was “irrelevant” because “what’s really important is [Obama’s] ideology is dangerous.”
“I think so too,” Angle said. “I think his policies as I’ve said have been a failure, and Harry Reid has failed because he has pushed forward those policies, and that is what has put us in this position – especially here in Nevada. … You’re exactly right: his ideology has failed us and continues to fail Americans.”
Angle has faced a barrage of criticism from Reid’s campaign over some of her staunchly conservative views, some of which she’s kept off her newly revamped website. And she’s been criticized for limiting her appearances before the mainstream media in favor of mostly sympathetic news outlets.
And a few paragraphs later they mentioned my question to Sharron; whether she could see the makings of a "Liberty Caucus" in the Senate:
On the radio show Thursday, Angle was praised by conservative callers and the hosts who badly want to take down Reid, who faces sagging approval numbers back home and who polls show is trailing Angle in the race. And she went on the offensive against Reid, accusing him of wanting to "raid and pillage" the Social Security trust fund and for presiding in Washington as the top Senate Democrat as Nevada's economy has bottomed out.
Angle predicted she’d win November and create a “strong minority within the minority” of fiercely conservative members in the Senate Republican Conference, including Sens. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) – along with Senate GOP hopefuls Pat Toomey in Pennsylvania, Rand Paul in Kentucky and Marco Rubio in Florida.
WaPo didn't even mention the Liberty Caucus question, which could be seen as the most newsworthy event to come out of the show. Politico could be given some praise for picking that up.
Of course, both WaPo and Politico completely missed Dave Nalle's calling into the show to announce the official endorsement of the Republican Liberty Caucus. Somehow a set-up question from the 617 area code (Boston) on Birtherism is more important than a national political organization representing the libertarian wing of the GOP endorsing a US Senate candidate.
OHIO: Kasich increases lead over embattled Democrat Gov. Strickland
From Eric Dondero:
Fantastic news coming out of Ohio. Fiscal Conservative stalwart John Kasich has actually increased his lead over scandal-ridden incumbent Gov. Ted Strickland. Rasmussen reports that Kasich is up by 2 points over a similar poll done in May.
From Rasmussen:
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of the governor’s race in Ohio finds Republican John Kasich with a 47% to 40% lead over incumbent Democrat Ted Strickland - for the second month in a row. Three percent (3%) of Likely Voters in the state prefer some other candidate, and 10% are undecided.
In the last poll, Kasich had 47%, but Strickland was at 42%.
The latest on the Robert Byrd replacement issue; opportunity for the GOP
From Cliff Thies:
We broke it here. There may be a special election to fill the late Senator Robert Byrd's unexpired term this year.
The WV Secretary of State notices, as we did, that West Virginia's law is unclear about this, when such a vacancy occurs with more than 2 1/2 years left in a term but prior to the filing date for the primaries, as happened this year. Her reading of the law is that the special election is to take place in 2012, coincident with the regular election. Her reading of the law is informed by a 1994 WV court ruling dealing with a would-be Republican candidate for a vacancy in a judicial office. But, the filing period for independents and third-parties is not past. They have until July 30th to file for the ballot by petition, which is their "primary" (and the law on this seems clear enough, the petitioning period IS the primary period for those who are nominated by petition).
If the Republicans are too prissy to push the issue, the WV Libertarian Party should attempt to put a candidate on the ballot. The WV LP does not have a petitioning drive underway, there being no regularly-scheduled statewide election this year. This is good news and bad news. It is good news, since an attempt to qualify a candidate for a special election for the unexpired term of Senator Byrd would not disrupt a petitioning drive already underway. It is bad news, since the infrastructure of a petitioning drive is not already set up, and the deadline for filing is soon upon us. Should enough valid signatures be submitted, I am confident the Secretary of State will promulgate rules allowing nomination by convention for the parties of the state that nominate by primary (i.e., the Democrats, Republicans and Mountain Party), rather than risk losing an appeal of a ruling that there is no special election, since she has already admitted that the WV law is unclear.
Solid as Steele behind Petraeus, War in Afghanistan
From Eric Dondero:
The liberal media is exploiting a supposed gaffe made by libertarian-leaning Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, earlier last week. He was speaking off the cuff at an outdoor picnic.
Now Steele has responded with a clarification of his remarks. Through his spokesman, Doug Heye (via National Journal):
"The responsibility for building and maintaining [a] strategy falls squarely on the shoulders of the President. Like so many Americans, Chairman Steele wants to hear an explanation from President Obama on what his strategy is for winning the war in Afghanistan," Heye said.
Heye called Petraeus's confirmation hearings, held this week, a "missed opportunity" to flesh out Obama's strategy. And Steele himself, at a fundraiser on Thursday, said winning wars in Afghanistan has proven difficult in history. On Friday afternoon, Steele reiterated his support for the general and aimed to clarify his historical point.
"As we have learned throughout history, winning a war in Afghanistan is a difficult task. We must also remember that after the tragedy of September 11, 2001, it is also a necessary one," said Steele.
"That is why I supported the decision to increase our troop force and, like the entire United States Senate, I support General Petraeus' confirmation. The stakes are too high for us to accept anything but success in Afghanistan."
For the record, we here at Libertarian Republican fully support the Chairman, and recognize that any calls for his resignation, will only be hurtful to our ultimate objective; a massive defeat of Democrats in November. Those who call for his resignation, are in all practicality, aligning themselves with the Democrats against the Republican Party, and just as bad, aligning with the liberal media.
Libertarian Defense Caucus blasts Libertarian Party National Director for anti-Iraq & Afghanistan War Letter
BREAKING NEWS!!
From Eric Dondero:
Ryan Christiano, Co-Chairman of the Libertarian Defense Caucus and an editorial board member of Libertarian Republican, asked us to publish the following letters in full. The first is from LDC's longest standing and most Senior member, LDC Co-Chair Kevin Bjornson. It is in response to a release sent out by Libertarian Party Executive Director Wes Benedict. Below Bjornson's response is Benedict's letter in full to Libertarian Party members. Needless to say, and I believe I speak for the LR editorial board, endorse Bjornson's remarks.
It should be noted Kevin Bjornson is an original member of the Libertarian Party; as in he was there at the founding of the LP way back in the early 1970s. He lives in Washington State, one of the two states where John Hospers the LP's first Presidential candidate was on the ballot in 1972. Benedict, on the other hand, is relatively new to the LP. Both Bjornson and Benedict attended the recent Libertarian Party national convention in St. Louis.
Bjornson's Letter
Wes Benedict, "LP executive director":
Your recent communique (appended below) tends to alienate at least half of your LP audience. Is that your intention?
Do you intend to cleanse the LP of all but a tiny clique centered around spurious sources like IBC and anti-war.com?
Fact-checking your statistics is an Alice-in-Wonderland journey through America's anti-war fringe, where far-left meets far-right.
For example: your claims for US-caused civilian casualties are sourced to this website:
However, when I click unto their source, I get this:
Clearly, this source is self-referential. They do claim a few sources, in general terms (like "media reports " or "Iraqi government sources"--with no links as to where specifically all these numbers were published, or proof linking the statistics to reality.
In fact, the statistics of alleged US victims mostly include:
"suicide bombers" "roadside bombs" and "shot" by insurgents. So attributing the cause of their misfortune to the US is disingenuous--akin to blaming US attacks on Hitler as the cause of the holocaust.
In fact, this page reaches a dead-end, wherein they assert as proof of their statistics, that they are from irregular and non-transparent sources:
1 We join UNAMI's call for the Iraqi Government to provide this information of important public interest regularly and in a transparent manner. UNAMI HR Report, 1 Jan - 31 Mar 2007. Page 3 Para 2. (PDF)
Yet another "source" is self-referential:
Worse, this "source" admits they record all violent deaths, simply assuming they are all the fault of the US.
And further assuming, our only alternative to present policies is withdrawal to US soil, in the vain hope that oceans and a pious attitude will protect our homeland while saving foreign
victims.These series of self-referential websites read as if written by grad students doing a parody of a superficially academic style.
Pompous enough to persuade the gullible, but without credibility or substance.
I must protest at this sophomoric display. This clearly diverges from your job description-which is executive and not policy-devising.
You are not recruiting libertarians, but trying to re-make the LP in your image. You are making dovish foreign policy dovishness, and not the pledge or NAP, the litmus test for libertarianism.
You pontifications are causing grave harm to the LP.
Thank goodness the LP has near-zero credibility, or your editorials would cause grave harm to the country.
Civilization is engaged in a war with barbarism and religious zealotry. This conflict will continue until we are vanquished or victorious, and cannot be ended unilaterally by the partial surrender you advocate.
If you cannot restrain your actions to those within your legitimate purview, you have sat too long in your position for any good you have been doing. In that case, your best course is to depart, and let us have done with you. In the name of Ayn Rand, go!
Kevin Bjornson
Libertarian Defense Caucus
Wes Benedict's original letter to LP Members
July 5, 2010
Dear Friend of Liberty,
The long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been back in the news recently, and we just had the bizarre spectacle of the Republican National Committee Chairman saying he didn't like Obama's war in Afghanistan, while the DNC chastised him for failing to support the troops.
Here are ten reasons to end the wars now. I hope you'll take a look at some of the links.
1. American military and contractor casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan.
2. Iraqi and Afghanistan civilian and military casualties.
3. These wars are a tremendous waste of taxpayer money in a time of extreme deficits, high unemployment and a falling stock market.
4. Invading and occupying Afghanistan and Iraq feeds terrorism.
5. Osama Bin Laden and his co-conspirators who attacked the World Trade Center were Saudi Arabian.
6. As Congressman Ron Paul recently said: "In Afghanistan, we are fighting the Taliban, those dangerous people with guns defending their homeland. Once they were called the Mujahideen, our old allies, along with bin Laden, in the fight to oust the Soviets from Afghanistan in the 1980s."
7. Most Republicans in Congress now admit Iraq was a mistake.
8. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele's comments show that even the hawkish Republican Party can't support this war with a straight face.
9. As James Madison said, "If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy." (Witness the PATRIOT Act.)
10. The U.S. military has been in Iraq over seven years, and in Afghanistan almost nine years. It's time to give peace a chance.
(Note, the LP doesn't necessarily endorse the organizations linked above. We encourage you to research these issues for yourself.)
Sincerely,
Wes Benedict
For more info on the Libertarian Defense Caucus DefendLiberty.org
Book Excerpt: Make Room for God
Susan K. Rowland on seeing beauty in the clearing away of clutter that steals our time and drains our energy.
Coffee Can Prevent Certain Types of Cancer, New US Study Says
Drinking coffee may reduce a person's chances of developing oral cancer and even brain tumors.
According to a study published in the medical journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, it was found that people who drank three to four cups of coffee per day reduced their risk of neck & head cancer by as much as thirty-nine percent.
According to Dr. Mia Hashibe, a researcher from the University of Utah, the findings of the new study is significant because coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world.
The survival percentage for oral cancer and other associated cancers is low, so the findings provide hope for both men and women. Unfortunately, the study did not make use of data from people who drank decaffeinated coffee. In addition to oral cancer and neck cancer, another study (this time, from London) discovered that coffee also reduced the risk of people developing tumors in the brain.
Other studies agree on the benefits of coffee
Studies around the world seem to acquiesce with the recent findings in the United States; it also appears that coffee may be more than just a cancer preventive:
1. A recent study performed in Sweden states that women who drank four to five cups of Scandinavian coffee (which requires boiling) reduced their risk of developing breast cancer over the long term.
It appears that boiled coffee provides more health benefits because it can contain up to eighty different fatty acids, which have been shown to have cancer-preventing effects when taken by the human body. The benefits of boiled Scandinavian coffee was noted for women between the ages of 49 and 55.
2. According to researchers who published a study in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, regular coffee intake may ward off adult-onset diabetes or type 2 diabetes. In animal tests, it was shown that coffee increased the sensitivity of the animals to insulin. Coffee was also effective in combating the sudden rise of blood glucose levels according to the researchers.
3. Past US studies show that coffee may be helpful in reducing LDL or “bad” cholesterol levels. Coffee also contains polyphenols, which are natural antioxidants that protect the body from free radical damage. Polyphenols are also present in abundant quantities in green tea.
4. Based on a Harvard Medical School study on aggressive/advanced prostate cancer and coffee-drinking, it was found that males who regularly drank coffee were sixty percent less likely to develop advanced prostate cancer, compared to males who did not drink coffee at all.
5. A Netherlands study produced the following findings for coffee consumption: 2 to 4 cups of coffee a day reduced the incidence of heart problems by twenty percent. Coffee intake also slightly reduced the chances of a person dying from the most common causes (cancer, heart problems, stroke, heart attack, diabetes, etc.)
Sources:
sciencedaily.com
sciencedaily.com
sciencedaily.com
sciencedaily.com
sciencedaily.com
sciencedaily.com
European Study Confirms Calcium’s Heart-Healthy Benefits
According to a European study, calcium is good not only for the bones of postmenopausal women, but also for their hearts.
In a very recent study presented in the Annual Congress of European League Against Rheumatism, researchers discovered that low levels of calcium translated not only to weaker, less dense bones for postmenopausal women but it also predisposed the latter to high blood pressure.
According to the researchers, women with low calcium levels were forty-three percent more prone to developing degenerative bone conditions such as osteoporosis. The same percentage applies to a woman’s risk of eventually developing hypertension. According to Maria Manara, one of the key researchers, their study establishes the coordinates that associate low intake of calcium with heart problems and bone problems.
Further benefits of getting enough calcium
The RDA for calcium is 990 to 1,000 mg per day for individuals between the ages of nineteen and fifty, according to the National Institutes of Health. Doses exceeding 2,500 milligrams per day may interfere with the body’s ability to absorb other nutrients.
Here are some more reasons to love your calcium supplements and low-fat dairy products:
1. According to a study published in the American Journal of Epidimiology, taking calcium reduces one’s risk of dying from a sudden heart attack.
2. Taking calcium along with the mineral magnesium may help reduce the risk of males from dying of different causes, including heart problems and certain cancer.
3. Combined with vitamin D supplementation, calcium may also help prevent the onset of prostate cancer. According to another study, the same potent combination can also help stop colorectal cancer in its tracks. According to Emory University researchers, laboratory tests show that the two nutrients are capable of normalizing intestinal cells. The study made use of 2,000 mg of calcium, combined with 800 international units of vitamin D.
4. Based on a study published in Obesity Reviews, regular intake of calcium may help in weight loss efforts. Studies show that calcium increases the amount of fat excretion. According to Arne Astrup, a researcher from the University of Copenhagen, calcium may also prevent folks from regaining the weight they have already lost. It was noted that people who had formerly low calcium levels will have enhanced benefits from calcium supplementation.
5. Enough calcium ensures that your muscles will contract and relax efficiently whenever you are on the move. Calcium deficiency can cause problems like muscle pain and cramps.
6. Having problems with premenstrual syndrome? Adding calcium to your daily supplementation may help improve the symptoms of PMS.
7. Sufficient calcium also ensures that your teeth will remain firmly anchored in your gums.
Sources:
nutraingredients.com
nutraingredients.com
nutraingredients.com
nutraingredients.com
vitamins-nutrition.org
Omega 3: Not Just For the Heart
Omega 3 can help reduce the incidence of age-related hearing loss.
We know that omega 3 fatty acids are good for the heart – but it appears that this wonder compound is not just good for the heart, but may also be beneficial to our ears as well. Just recently, a study regarding the additional benefits of omega 3 fatty acids was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The omega 3 study
According to the US study, eating fish at least twice a week can reduce the risk for age-related hearing loss by a whopping forty-two percent. Paul Mitchell, lead researcher, also stated that regular doses of omega 3 fatty acids can delay or even completely prevent age-related hearing loss (also known as presbycusis).
Mitchell and other researchers made use of questionnaires that were given out to 2,900+ respondents. They measured the respondents’ fish intake with the prevalence of hearing loss. An inverse trend was noted: respondents who ate a lot of fish tend to have minimal hearing loss. The risk for age-related hearing loss was also reduced with increased fish consumption.
Hearing loss is one of the most prevalent sensory-related conditions in the United States, affecting more than 30 million individuals around the country.
More reasons to love omega 3
Omega 3’s dazzling spectrum of benefits does not end with hearing loss prevention and heart health:
1. Omega 3 is considered an essential nutrient because it is required for normal body function. The body is incapable of producing them; therefore, dietary sources of omega 3 are vital to good health.
2. Suffering from painful joints? Existing studies state that regular doses of omega 3 can help ease the stiffness and inflammation associated with arthritic conditions. If you have been prescribed anti-inflammatory medication already, you can still take omega 3 to increase the effectiveness of your current anti-inflammatory medication/s.
3. Eating more fish may reduce your risk for depression. According to existing studies, cultures that consume fish on a very regular basis also have fewer incidences of clinical depression. Omega 3 may also help treat depression as it enhances the potency of anti-depressant medication.
4. Pregnant women can also benefit from EPA & DHA: there is evidence that omega 3 fatty acids can improve the general wellness of pregnant women and also aid in the development of the unborn child – specifically with the child’s brain development.
5. In addition to calcium supplementation, omega 3 can also help people with osteoporosis. There is some evidence that this compound can help increase bone density.
6. Surprisingly, omega 3 can also be used by individuals with asthma. In addition to improving the over-all condition of the lungs, omega 3 may also help reduce the amount of asthma medications a person needs to manage his/her condition.
7. Giving fish oil to school-aged kids can help manage the symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD.
Sources:
nutraingredients.com
webmd.com
The Simple Answer That No-One Wants to Hear
There's nothing you can do right now that will have a greater immediate effect on your life expectancy than exercise and calorie restriction. The best thing you can do for future improvement is to help researchers raise funds to develop repair technologies for human aging. But no-one wants to hear that. Everyone wants a silver bullet now, and it doesn't exist: "Friends occasionally ask me how they might best live healthy, longer. They inquire because I went to medical school, work in biotech, and focus professionally on developing drugs to treat diseases of aging by targeting aging genes. My response seems to surprise them, because it does not center on pharmaceutical products. The current answer on how to increase healthy human lifespan is simple: 'Eat less, and exercise more.' ... Modern medicine has discovered an impressive number of lifesaving new drugs for devastating diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and infectious diseases. Nevertheless, for most of us, active lifestyles and less food will have a more profound effect than taking more medicines. Hard as it is, we should walk, run, and bike more, and reduce our food intake. The best way we can increase our chances to live healthy, longer is simple: eat less and exercise more."
View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2010/07/05/a_simple_hard_answer_to_long_life/
Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/
A Religious Viewpoint
A response to recent discussion of the Catholic hierarchy's views on engineered longevity: "Michael Anissimov and Aubrey de Grey call our attention to Pope Benedict's Holy Saturday address from 3 April of this year. In the address, the Pope presents perspective on immortalism, suggesting that radical extension of life as we currently know it is not a cure for death, but rather a cure for death must 'transform our lives from within' and 'create a new life within us, truly fit for eternity'. The Pope's message contains some ideas with which I disagree. For example, he questions the value of extending life hundreds of years and suggests it would be condemnation; does he consider us already condemned as a consequence of extending life well beyond the few decades that were available to our ancestors? Perhaps he does, as do many Catholics, embracing a doctrine of original sin and assuming life as we now know it to have no possibility of naturally improving beyond the consequences of that original sin. He reasons that immortalism would leave no room for youth, yet youth is precisely the goal of immortalism - not merely a perpetuation of geriatric hacks. He also reasons that immortalism would kill capacity for innovation, yet capacity for innovation has only improved as we've extended our lifespans. Finally, he implies that death itself is where we should look to find the beginning of the fullness of life. While I don't consider death the absolute end of identity, I consider it to be among the worst of hollow and meaningless contradictions to equate death with life."
View the Article Under Discussion: http://lincoln.metacannon.net/2010/06/pope-benedict-and-immortalists.html
Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells From Blood
From Wired: "Blood drawn with a simple needle stick can be coaxed into producing stem cells that may have the ability to form any type of tissue in the body, three independent papers report... The new technique will allow scientists to tap a large, readily available source of personalized stem cells. ... Because taking blood is safe, fast and efficient compared to current stem cell harvesting methods, some of which include biopsies and pretreatments with drugs, researchers hope that blood-derived stem cells could one day be used to study and treat diseases. ... Three research groups used similar methods to prod certain immune cells in human blood to become induced pluripotent stem cells. Because they are reprogrammed adult cells, these stem cells share many of the same regenerative abilities as true embryonic stem cells but may not have as much versatility. ... Scientists' manipulations turned the stem cells in the new studies into several types of mature blood cells, including infection-fighting T cells. What's more, all the groups showed that a batch of the stem cells implanted into mice developed into the three main types of progenitor cells found in human embryos."
View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/07/stem-cells-from-human-blood-can-be-reprogrammed/
Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/
Improved Association of Longevity Genes With Longevity
Via ScienceNews: "In the new study, researchers looked at genetic markers called single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs, in 1,055 centenarians and 1,267 younger people, all of European descent. The scientists found 150 genetic SNP variants linked to extreme longevity. Initially, the team identified only 33 SNPs found more often in people aged 90 to 114 years but not in a control group made up of people who will presumably live an average lifespan. ... biostatistician Paola Sebastiani [devised] a different statistical method to identify additional SNPs that would improve the team's ability to predict longevity. The team tested their predictions on a separate group of centenarians and controls. With the 150 SNPs, the researchers could correctly predict who was a centenarian 77 percent of the time. ... Now on one side, 77 percent is a very high accuracy for a genetic model, which means that the traits that we are looking at have a very strong genetic base ... On the other hand, the 150 SNPs can't explain why the remaining 23 percent of centenarians in the study have reached such ripe old ages. It could mean that those people have other, rare genetic variants or lifestyles responsible for their longevity or some combination of the two."
View the Article Under Discussion: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/60772/title/For_most_centenarians,_longevity_is_written_in_the_DNA
Read More Longevity Meme Commentary: http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/
Longevity Meme Newsletter, July 05 2010
McDonald's threatened with lawsuit over toys in Happy Meals
The Los Angeles Times recently reported that the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is planning to sue fast-food giant McDonald's if the company does not comply with its demands to remove toys from "Happy Meals". CSPI claims that marketing unhealthy food with toys is contributing to the childhood obesity epidemic and should be stopped immediately.
The announcement by CSPI comes just weeks after a California county banned not only toys but all other promotions aimed at children that involve McDonald's Happy Meals. By doing this, the county believes that children will be less attracted to fatty foods that are high in salt and calories.
According to the same article, back in April, Santa Clara County, California, also banned toy promotions from fast food meals sold in unincorporated parts of the county.
Spokesmen from McDonald's denied that Happy Meals are inherently unhealthy, citing the fact that the meals are of an appropriate size and that children have the option to swap out the fries and soda for apples and juice. They also explained that giving away toys with children's meals is part of the fun of a family dining experience.
Since 2008 when apples were first introduced as an option in Happy Meals, customers have ordered them more than 100 million times, illustrating that when given healthier options, customers often choose them for their children instead. Read more...
Cold symptoms
A not so rare but frequently disregarded Metabolic Disorder – Pyrroluria
The abbreviation KPU stands for pyrroluria, which is a frequently disregarded metabolic disorder that may cause numerous unspecific symptoms. However, it is comparatively easy to treat. In general, KPU (a.k.a. pyrroluria, malvaria, or HPU) is a genetically determined anomaly of hemal production (an aspect of blood formation) which causes increased hemal pyrrole concentrations.
Normally, this substance does not circulate freely in the blood but is bound by bile acid and excreted through the intestines. In KPU-cases, however, crypto pyrrole is increasingly excreted in the urine – unfortunately along with vitamin B6, zinc, and manganese which the body lacks due to this process.
In combination with increased stress (e.g. acute viral rhinopharyngitis, burns, injuries/accidents, intestinal infections, or psychic stress) this causes a wide range of symptoms, such as:
disturbances of memory and sleep, erratic mood swings, depression, hair loss, proneness to infections, and chapped skin. There is also a possible relation to ADHD with children and juveniles. Read more...
Immunice for Immune Support
McDonald’s threatened with lawsuit over toys in Happy Meals
The Los Angeles Times recently reported that the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is planning to sue fast-food giant McDonald's if the company does not comply with its demands to remove toys from "Happy Meals". CSPI claims that marketing unhealthy food with toys is contributing to the childhood obesity epidemic and should be stopped immediately.
The announcement by CSPI comes just weeks after a California county banned not only toys but all other promotions aimed at children that involve McDonald's Happy Meals. By doing this, the county believes that children will be less attracted to fatty foods that are high in salt and calories.
According to the same article, back in April, Santa Clara County, California, also banned toy promotions from fast food meals sold in unincorporated parts of the county.
Spokesmen from McDonald's denied that Happy Meals are inherently unhealthy, citing the fact that the meals are of an appropriate size and that children have the option to swap out the fries and soda for apples and juice. They also explained that giving away toys with children's meals is part of the fun of a family dining experience.
Since 2008 when apples were first introduced as an option in Happy Meals, customers have ordered them more than 100 million times, illustrating that when given healthier options, customers often choose them for their children instead. Read more...
Cold symptoms
Acupuncture May Trigger Natural Painkiller
(HealthDay News) -- The needle pricks involved in acupuncture may help relieve pain by triggering a natural painkilling chemical called adenosine, a new study has found.
The researchers also believe they can enhance acupuncture's effectiveness by coupling the process with a well-known cancer drug -- deoxycoformycin -- that maintains adenosine levels longer than usual.
"Acupuncture has been a mainstay of medical treatment in certain parts of the world for 4,000 years, but because it has not been understood completely, many people have remained skeptical," lead author Dr. Maiken Nedergaard, co-director of the Center for Translational Neuromedicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center, said in a news release. "In this work, we provide information about one physical mechanism through which acupuncture reduces pain in the body." Read more...
