Sunday, February 24, 2013

Our Visit from a Wild Boar Yesterday

Our woods are LOADED with hogs, but we've never seen one this close to the house.  Dom went out with a handgun.... estimated it at maybe 300 pounds.  The beast looked him in the eye, and started walking towards him.  When it got about 150 feet away, he came inside to get his rifle.  By the time he got back outside, it was gone.

We're waiting for our other Game Camera to arrive this week..... hope to get alot of pictures of him and his family.

I just wish that I could have gotten a closer shot of him... but, I sure wasn't going outside to get closer!  This was through the living room window.

Friday, February 22, 2013

A Busy, Busy Week- VA Review, Casino, Doctors and Deer

Hi gang-

Firstly, let me say that our patient is doing very well.  He looks and feels great.

Last week, Dom was scheduled for a Disability Review from the VA.  As he's in remission, and no longer taking any cancer medications, they may wish to reduce his benefits.  (Which infuriates me, as MM is not curable.  He will always be under treatment for this cancer.)

The doctor would not allow me to join them.  After about a half an hour of questioning, prodding and poking, Dom came out.  We headed to the lab for ALOT of bloodwork, then hit the road.

We spent the night at the Beaux Rivage Casino in Biloxi.  We were fortunate enough to get a "corner room", which is basically 2 complete walls of window overlooking the city of Biloxi and the Gulf of Mexico.
We played a bit of video poker, drank a few beers and had dinner at their buffet.  It's been a few years since our last visit, and Dom was very disappointed to find that they no longer serve Snow Crab Legs on weekdays.  Miss Piggy, however, made up for it by eating mass quantities of boiled shrimp and creme brulee.

All in all, it was a good day and a fun time.  But, I'm a bit concerned with the VA right now.  Time will tell.  (A few days later, we received notice that the VA would be doing an ultrasound on him next Monday... apparently they've not made a decision yet)
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We had our quarterly appointment with Dr. Safah yesterday.  We'll hear about his M-SPIKE in a couple of weeks. In the meanwhile, she is putting together a letter for us stating that Dom is "unemployable" due to his cancer.... Neuropathy, Dizziness, Fatigue, Low Tolerance to Heat and Sun, etc.

We then stopped by his Urologist's office with the same type of request, but separate issues involving his Prostate.  No problem.

This was all suggested by my new buddies at AGENT ORANGE LEGACY on Facebook  These guys really stick together, and I'm grateful for their guidance.  THANKS, GUYS!
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This is pretty neat, gang....  Dom ordered a couple of Wild Game Cameras for the property.  We've been loaded with deer lately.  They're coming right up to the house on a daily basis, and Dom has been keeping them loaded with corn.  We get such a kick out of this!  He mounted the camera about 3 feet from our house.  One night, the camera took 82 pictures!  What fun.  Here's an example..... I get a kick out of the one it took of Dominic.




Our property is being over-run by Wild Boars.  They're doing alot of damage....so, the other camera is going to be set up where they hang out in the woods.  The area is all dug up and smells terrible.... there's no mistaking their stomping ground....  Hoping to have a pig roast in the near future!

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Top 10 ways to avoid GMOs



 GMOs exist for one reason only: for the chemical companies who make them to enable themselves to sell more chemicals to farmers. Do not, I repeat, do not fall for any marketing sales efforts that claim GMOs will help feed the world and save farmers from drought. It’s a lie!!!! 


Here are 10 ways to avoid GMOs:

1. Buy USDA-certified organic food. It is currently the only official way you can avoid GMOs, since GMOs are not allowed to be used according to USDA organic regulations. THANK YOU, GOVERNMENT! (For once!)
 
2. Avoid all nonorganic soy products like the plague. That means things like nonorganic veggie burgers, tofu, tempeh, edamame, and miso products.
 
3. Don’t buy anything that claims to be “non-dairy” that isn’t organic. Soy is used to create everything from Cool Whip to Coffee-Mate…in addition to the obvious non-dairy soy treats in your health-food store freezer. Yup, they are filled with GMOs, too.
 
4. Don’t buy or eat anything with corn in it that isn’t organic. That means corn chips, cereals with corn (or soy, for that matter), or even corn bread!
 
5. At all costs, eliminate high-fructose corn syrup (a.k.a. “corn sugar”) from your diet. It is just an excuse for chemical companies to convince farmers they can keep growing GMO corn and poisoning you and your family.
 
6. Avoid biofuels and ethanol; they’re a toxic GMO festival. No one seems to care if corn is poisoned if it’s just going to drive our cars. Problem is, we are all being poisoned by it.
 
7. Don’t buy any meat, fish, poultry, or eggs unless they’re certified organic or from a farmer you completely trust. TIP: Ask farmers what they feed their animals when they aren’t eating grass. If a farmer feeds her animals nonorganic food, it is most certainly filled with GMOs. Those GMOs are definitely harming the animals, and they are probably harming you…we won’t know for sure until we all find out together, since we are all guinea pigs in this giant experiment.
 
8. Buy certified-organic cotton clothing, bedding, and towels. Again, it’s the only way to be certain that you are not supporting GMOs. Even though you don’t eat cotton (although cottonseed oil is a part of many processed foods, so technically, you may be eating it), you are still supporting a toxic, dangerous farming system.
 
9. Read! This GMO arena is constantly changing as the industry tries to sneak around consumers and farmers. Be vigilant, keep an eye out, and read whatever you can to try to stay informed.
 
10. TAKE ACTION! Ultimately, the only thing that can stop the GMO invasion is you. All of you. Write letters. Send petitions. Speak up. Demand change and demand organic!!!!

 

50 Shades of Green: GMO 101


OMG, GMOs WTF? Genetically modified organisms are being talked about more and more these days, the subject gaining popularity by the many controversies surrounding the topic.  A genetically modified organism is exactly what the title infers- an organism that has been genetically modified.  If you can think of it, scientists have probably tried to genetically alter it for one reason or another, from blue roses to pigs with enhanced digestive enzymes, for commercial purposes or cutting edge medical breakthroughs, it’s been done. Some biotechnology companies advocate that genetically altered crops are a more sustainable practice than conventional farming and are more beneficial for our environment.  The living organisms are able to withstand conditions that other organisms can’t, food grows faster, bigger and doesn’t need the same TLC.

A major source of conflict relating to GMOs is the recent introduction into our food supply. One can’t mention GMO crops without mentioning Monsanto; Monsanto is a multinational biotechnology company owning 90% of GMO crops in the world.  Monsanto first introduced the approved Roundup Ready Soybean into our food supply in 1996. Through patented technology, Monsanto created a roundup resistant gene and inserted it into the soybean’s cell penetrating the DNA and creating a protein resistant to Roundup, a pesticide also manufactured by Monsanto.  Farmers are now free to spray entire crops with Roundup herbicide without fear of killing the food along with the weeds and pests. At present, Monsanto has introduced several other GMO crops including:  cotton, corn, potatoes, wheat etc… GMOs are in almost every manufactured food source these days, if it contains partially hydrogenated soybean oil or high fructose corn syrup it’s a good indicator it came from these altered crops.

Monsanto is a concrete giant and has monopolized the farming industry, coupled with it multimillion dollar lobbyists and close political connections it’s hard to weed out the truth concerning GMOs.  For every naysayer there are ardent supporters advocating the science and advancements behind GMOs.  One could argue for days on either side and the verdict would seem none the clearer, which is exactly what has taken place thus far.  I won’t try to argue facts, it won’t go anywhere I say potato and they say “potahto.” Besides there are no conclusive studies showing the long lasting health implications of consuming GMO food, quite simply it hasn’t been around long enough to examine the data thoroughly anyway. But whatever studies have been done showing the detrimental health effects of GMOs, Monsanto has quickly and quietly tried to discredit and sweep the studies by the way side. This doesn’t surprise me much, Monsanto has a vested interest, so one couldn’t really trust what they about its own products if we were examining it objectively- it’s just too bad the FDA doesn’t agree.  GMOs have been linked with ailment after ailment- from cancer or to be more specific, precipitating a cancer enhancing environment for the disease to one day flourish (since no long term studies have concluded this yet, I must remain politically correct here) to asthma, food allergies, digestive disorders and more…

Monsanto has also been involved in a host of lawsuits, as in Monsanto hosts the lawsuit and sues smaller businesses and farmers for patent infringement, the smaller ants cannot afford to fight the legal battle whether they are right or not and end up folding to the bully.  I don’t think I need to explain why allowing our food chain to be monopolized could be bad for us and why putting small farmers out of business is bad for our economy.  Countries in South America who originally wouldn’t allow GMO crops have now been cross pollinated and have had no choice but to allow the GMO seed into their borders- putting local farmers out of business, driving jobs away and families from self sustainable communities into city slums and poverty. That’s one way to feed the world, grow the food for those that could have grown food on their own so it can be subsidized to feed the starving- just doesn’t sound very sustainable to me.





Monday, February 18, 2013

Rare Disease Day 2013: Maintaining bone health in people with Multiple Myeloma


(BPT) - In honor of the sixth annual Rare Disease Day, celebrated on Feb. 28, it is important to drive awareness about some rare cancers that are many times undiagnosed until the cancer has already spread. One particular cancer, multiple myeloma, often goes undiagnosed until the disease has spread to the bone.

Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the plasma cells, a type of white blood cell found in the bone marrow.  An estimated 70,000 people in the United States are currently living with multiple myeloma and once the disease has spread to the bone, patients will likely have a skeletal-related event in the back or ribs due to bone lesions. Patients may also have growths that form on the bone, which may cause difficulty walking. Additionally, patients’ bones may easily break or they may experience loss of appetite, nausea, thirst, fatigue, weakness or numbness.

“For people living with multiple myeloma, it’s extremely important to maintain their bone health,” says Dr. Doris Browne, oncologist and president and CEO of Browne and Associates, Inc.

Browne suggests the following tips and changes to a multiple myeloma patient’s diet, exercise routine and lifestyle modifications that can be made to help protect bone health. She advises it is very important to consult with a physician before engaging in any of these activities.

* Eat a well-balanced diet enriched with calcium and vitamin D. Low-fat dairy products, and foods and drinks with added calcium are good sources of calcium. Good sources of vitamin D include egg yolks, fatty fish, such as salmon and tuna, and milk with vitamin D. Some people may also need to consider taking nutritional supplements in order to get enough calcium and vitamin D in their diets. Fruits and vegetables also contribute other nutrients that are important for bone health.

* Get plenty of physical activity. Like muscles, bones become stronger with exercise. Good exercises for stronger bones are weight-bearing. Walking, climbing stairs and yoga are some good exercises to help build strong bones. Try to get 30 minutes of exercise each day. Remember, it is important to talk with your health care provider before starting physical activity.

* Live a healthy lifestyle. Avoid smoking, and, if you choose to drink alcohol, try not to drink too much.

* Prevent falls. Falling down can cause a bone to break, especially for someone with multiple myeloma. But most falls can be prevented. Check your home for dangers like loose rugs and poor lighting. Have your vision checked. Increase your balance and strength by participating in weight-bearing and strength-building activities.

Talk to your doctor about your bone health. If you are concerned about your bone health, go over your risk factors with your health care provider and ask which tests you may need.


Stem Cells- Future hope for Macular Degeneration

I found this to be great news, as my mother suffered from Macular Degeneration.  She was legally blind in one eye, and couldn't see out of the other!  I was recently tested and thankfully got a clean bill of health from a Tulane opthamologist.


SCIENTISTS are turning human skin cells into eye cells by using stem cell research, with their sights set on unravelling a common but incurable form of blindness.

Age-related macular degeneration, which results from dying retinal cells, affects one in seven older Australians and costs the country's economy $5.15 billion a year, figures show.

But little is understood about how or why it occurs.

Enter a team at Melbourne's Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA), which is taking skin cells from affected patients, turning them into stem cells and then into new retinal cells.

These are then compared with the patient's damaged cells, allowing the researchers to see in detail what's gone wrong.

MORE HERE

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Caution: GMO Inside!


More and more foods are contaminated with genetically engineered ingredients.  Here’s nine of the most common to look out for.  If a product contains these ingredients and is not labeled non-GMO Verified or Organic Certified, there’s a good contains GMOs:

1.  Soy:  94 percent of the US soybean crop was genetically modified in 2011.

Watch out for: soybeans, tofu, soy  sauce, miso, tempeh, and products containing lecithin.

2.  Cottonseed: 90 percent of the US cotton crop was genetically modified in 2011.

Watch out for: margarine, salad dressings, and frying oils.

3.  Corn: 88 percent  of the US corn crop was genetically modified in 2011.

Watch out for: in addition to corn itself literally hundreds of processed foods contain corn in some form, including high-fructose corn syrup, corn starch, corn flour, corn oils.

4.  Canola Oil: 90 percent of the US canola crop was genetically modified in 2010.

Watch out for: canola cooking oils and sprays.

5.  US Papaya: 80 percent of the US papaya crop was genetically modified in 2010.

Watch out for:  all papaya grown in the US.

6.  Sugar Beets: 95 percent of the US sugar beet crop was genetically modified in 2009.

Watch out for:  bags of sugar and products containing conventional sugar that do not specify “pure cane sugar” likely contain sugar beets.

7.  Aspartame: Aspartame, an artificial sweetener, is derived from genetically engineered microorganisms.

Watch out for: Nutrasweet, Equal, or anything containing aspartame.

Also, there are GMO foods that are being tested or are in production in the US or elsewhere, that will likely end up in supermarkets soon.  These include zucchini, yellow crookneck squash, sweet peppers. Potatoes, tomatoes, apples and salmon!

All those GMOs getting you down?  Don’t panic, eat organic!  And look for products labeled Non-GMO Verified.  Go to our How to Avoid GMOs page for more tips!
Link
Another Link


GMO fail: Monsanto foiled by feds, Supreme Court, and science


It’s been a good week if you enjoy a little GMO schadenfreude. The FDA has reportedly bowed to public pressure to extend the comment period on its approval of genetically engineered salmon, and Illinois, Maryland, and Iowa are the latest states to buck GMOs by introducing labeling bills into state legislature.
Even the Supreme Court has an opportunity to take Monsanto down a peg. On Feb. 19, the court will hear arguments in a patent infringement case between an Indiana farmer and Monsanto (I covered it in detail here). If Monsanto prevails, it’ll move a few more paces towards agricultural monopoly; if it loses, the company will take a couple steps back. It’s encouraging that the Supreme Court chose to hear the case over the solicitor general’s urging to dismiss it, but Monsanto could have an inside man: As in other Monsanto-related cases, former Monsanto-lawyer-turned-Supreme-Court-Justice Clarence Thomas has no plans to recuse himself.

Jump to the Rest of the Story Here


Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Why Is A Monsanto Lobbyist Serving On A Water Resource Panel?


Hawaii Senate President Donna Kim Mercado has chosen a Monsanto lobbyist to be on the group that recommends candidates for the state water commission.

The choice is a controversial one because the Commission on Water Resource Management controls the allocation of state water resources, and Monsanto, a huge agri-business company, has a major stake in how water rights are granted. The commission has been at the center of fights among developers, large plantation owners, environmentalists, the military and Native Hawaiian groups.

A four-member selection committee chooses candidates for most slots on the seven-member water commission.

The committee forwards the nominees to the governor who picks a candidate who still has to be confirmed by the Senate. Two positions on the commission will become vacant at the end of June.

Last week, Kim appointed Alan Takemoto, the community affairs manager at Monsanto, to the nominating committee.

The company, which tests genetically modified organisms on seed crops in Hawaii, recently applied to the water commission for a permit to use 2.6 million gallons of water a day from a new well in Waipahu-Waiawa. The permit was denied.

Takemoto was recommended by Sen. Malama Solomon, who received at least $2,500 in campaign donations from Monsanto during this last election cycle, according to campaign finance records. That's about 2 percent of the $115,000 total Solomon took in during the campaign.

Solomon, who made the recommendation to Kim, did not return a call for comment.

But Kim, who records show also got $500 in campaign donations from Monsanto, defended the decision. As Senate president it’s ultimately her choice, but she said that she deferred to Solomon because she is chair of the Senate Water and Land Committee. Kim said that she reviewed Takemoto's experience and that she believes he is qualified.
“He has this broad experience, and I thought it would be important that someone be representative of the agricultural community,” said Kim.

Takemoto did not respond to a call from Civil Beat.

But Kim noted that his experience goes far beyond working for Monsanto. Takemoto has also served as director of the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation and is on the board of the Agribusiness Development Corporation.
“Being one of four people, it’s hard for me to imagine that all three names will be all Monsanto people,” said Kim. “So I think there is a balance.”

As for Monsanto’s campaign contributions, she said that isn't a concern.

“If you look, I think people get all sorts of contributions,” she said. “If you eliminated everyone, than I don’t think the mayor would be mayor or the governor would be governor.”

Anti-GMO groups such as Occupy Monsanto and Babes Against Biotech immediately criticized the appointment on Facebook, circulating petitions and posters with such slogans as, “Hands Off Our Water!!!”

“Our major concern is that the lines between corporations and government are blurring right in front of us,” said Nomi Carmona, president of Babes Against Biotech. “And it’s an absolute conflict of interest for our Senate president to appoint a registered Monsanto lobbyist to a position where he would be appointing water commissioners.”

The water commission has become a political lightning rod. Last year, Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s nominees to the commission were opposed by groups such as Earthjustice and the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation. The groups have contested two rulings on Maui by the water commission, which have gone to court. One of them — the Na Wai Eha case — is before the Supreme Court.

Isaac Moriwake, an Earthjustice attorney, said that as a lobbyist for the Hawaii Farm Bureau, Takemoto was “hostile to the public trust in water resources."

The groups are closely monitoring who is chosen to the nominating committee and to the commission itself. In the past, the groups have criticized appointees for not having experience in water resource management and knowledge of Native Hawaiian cultural practices.

Because of the historical and legal complexity of the issues involving water rights, the law requires that commissioners, who are in charge of enforcing the state water code, have significant experience with water resource management.

However, there are no qualifications required for serving on the selection committee, according to Katie Ersbak, an assistant to William Tam, deputy director of the water commission.

The governor has also appointed two people to the selection committee, Rebecca Soon, CEO of Solutions Pacific, a business consulting firm, and Guy Kaulukukui, the former deputy director of the Hawai Department of Land and Natural Resources and an executive at Bio-Logical Capital in Honolulu.

The governor had initially picked John Radcliffe, a major lobbyist in Hawaii who has also represented Monsanto. But Radcliffe declined the appointment on Monday, according to Louise Kim McCoy, a spokeswoman for the governor.

The House Speaker picks the fourth member of the selection committee.
Former House Speaker Calvin Say chose Gary Caulfield, vice chairman and chief information officer for First Hawaiian Bank, shortly before leaving office in mid-January.

However, when the current House speaker, Maui Rep. Joe Souki, came in, he chose Denise Antolini, an associate dean at the William S. Richardson School of Law, where she previously served as director of its Environmental Law Program. Antolini previously worked for Earthjustice.

Ersbak said that the attorney general will decide which appointee will serve on the nominating committee.

LINK

Rep. Gibson's new bill cites Agent Orange

Would help Vietnam veterans
U.S. Rep. Chris Gibson was in Kingston Monday to discuss several bills he is supporting to help veterans.

KINGSTON — U.S. Rep. Chris Gibson updated local veterans on efforts in Congress to help them during a meeting Monday at his district office.
Those efforts include a bill he's introduced, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act.
The legislation would grant presumptive Agent Orange exposure status to U.S. service members — primarily those serving in the Navy — who served in the so-called territorial waters, up to 12 miles off the shore in Vietnam.
"We had sailors who served just off the shore ... but they don't get presumed coverage," Gibson said. "That's not right."
Agent Orange, used as a defoliant by the United States in Vietnam, has been linked to cancer and various nerve, respiratory and digestive disorders, among other ailments. Those service persons with presumed exposure are entitled to certain health benefits.
Gibson said his measure is "gaining momentum," with 126 co-sponsors when it was introduced in the last session of Congress, and 50 already signed on for this go-round.
Among the legislation that did pass in the previous Congress, Gibson touted the VOW to Hire Heroes Act. (VOW stands for Veterans Opportunity to Work.)
Gibson said the act gives tax credits to small businesses that hire veterans, and also offers job retraining assistance for up to 100,000 unemployed veterans.
It also helps link veterans to employers in the field in which they are retrained.
Gibson, who served 24 years in the U.S. Army, is a member of the House Armed Services Committee. He said his office pursues a policy of "aggressive advocacy for veterans." He represents New York's 19th Congressional District, which includes all of Sullivan and Ulster counties.

Widow blames ExxonMobil for husband’s multiple myeloma


The widow of Ernest Lewis has filed a lawsuit against ExxonMobil and Mobil Oil Refining, claiming the companies negligently exposed him to the hazardous chemical benzene.

Artie Lewis filed the suit Feb. 4 in Jefferson County District Court.

According to the lawsuit, Ernest Lewis was employed by ExxonMobil, where was exposed to benzene. No dates of employment are given.

“As a result of such exposure, Ernest Lewis developed multiple myeloma from which he died a painful and terrible death on Oct. 10, 2012,” the suit states.

The suit also alleges the defendants knew for decades that benzene exposure caused blood disorders but still allowed employees to work with benzene products.

The plaintiff is suing for exemplary damages.

Attorney Keith Hyde of the Beaumont law firm Provost Umphrey represent the plaintiff.

Judge Gary Sanderson, 6oth District Court, is assigned to the case.

LINK

Monday, February 11, 2013

Stem cell implants can fix broken bones


LONDON: Researchers have pioneered a new technique combining bone stem cells with a degradable rigid material to encourage real bone to regrow.

The material developed by the Universities of Edinburgh and Southampton is a honeycomb scaffold structure that allows blood to flow through it, enabling stem cells from the patient's bone marrow to attach to the material and grow new bone. The plastic slowly degrades as the implant is replaced by newly grown bone.

Amazing Times we Live in!

The Revolving Door: FDA and the Monsanto Company



According to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), its responsibilities include “[p]rotecting the public health by assuring that foods are safe, wholesome, sanitary and properly labeled.” This responsibility entails regulating a large number of companies producing this nation’s food, making appointments to the high-level positions within the agency very important.

Most high-level FDA employees have a background in either medicine or law, but one of the largest private-sector sources is the Monsanto Company. Over the past decades, at least seven high-ranking employees in the FDA have an employment history with the Monsanto Company.

Connections have led many to speculate whether any conflicts of interest exist within this revolving door between the big food companies and the department charged with regulating them.

At the forefront of this controversy is Michael R. Taylor, currently the deputy commissioner of the Office of Foods. He was also the deputy commissioner for Policy within the FDA in the mid ’90s. However, between that position and his current FDA position, Mr. Taylor was employed by Monsanto as Vice President of Public Policy.

During his employment with Monsanto, the company was developing rBGH, a type of beef growth hormone. Mr. Taylor advised the company on the possible legal implications of using the hormone on cattle that could reach beef markets for human consumption. However, when Taylor left Monsanto for the FDA, he became one of the main authorities behind the FDA’s rBGH labeling guidelines, posing potential conflicts of interest.

Also tied up in the rBGH debacle are Margaret Miller and Susan Sechen. Miller, the deputy director of the Office of New Animal Drugs at the FDA, and a former Monsanto scientist, helped develop rBGH. Sechen, a data reviewer in Miller’s department, worked as a graduate student on some of the initial bovine drug studies. These studies were conducted at Cornell University and were financed by none other than Monsanto.

Other Monsanto alumni include Arthur Hayes, commissioner of the FDA from 1981 to 1983, and consultant to Searle’s public relations firm, which later merged with Monsanto. Michael A. Friedman, former acting commissioner of the FDA, later went on to become senior Vice President for Clinical Affairs at Searle, which is now a pharmaceutical division of Monsanto. Virginia Weldon only became a member of the FDA’s Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee, after retiring as Vice President for Public Policy at Monsanto.

Well aware of its accused ‘revolving door’ connection with the FDA and other government agencies, Monsanto has issued several press releases denying collusion with the government. In fact, it posted on its official website that collusion theories relating to these agencies, including the FDA, “ignore the simple truth that people regularly change jobs to find positions that match their experience, skills and interests.”

Monsanto’s statements help shed light on the balancing act regularly occurring on Capitol Hill when appointments to these top agency positions arise. The importance of the food industry cannot be overstated and, therefore, the pending question remains: Do Americans want industry insiders regulating it, or those from the academic realm?

LINK

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Jack Osbourne's stem cell jabs: Ozzy's son flies to Germany for banned MS treatment

TV star, who went public about his health crisis last summer, said he is currently feeling well and getting plenty of rest


Jack Osbourne is to ­undergo cutting-edge stem cell replacement therapy to help him beat Multiple Sclerosis.

Jack, 27 – son of rocker Ozzy and TV star Sharon – will go to Germany for the treatment as it is banned in America, where he is based.

He will fly out after covering the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles today for US music channel Fuse TV.

Jack said: “There are odd restrictions here in America because everybody still thinks it’s, like, what it isn’t. So I’m going to Germany. They clone stem cells from your own blood then inject them back into you.

“Hopefully it will repair any damaged cells and nerves and things like that.”

Jack, who went public about his health crisis last summer, said he is currently feeling well and getting plenty of rest – despite being a new dad to nine-month-old daughter Pearl.

He said: “I’m good. That’s the thing about MS – one minute you’re good, one minute you’re not. I’m hanging on in there, healthy and doing what I got to do.” Jack said he and wife Lisa are getting plenty of help with babysitting from his parents, who are relishing their role as grandparents.

He said: “Now she’s nine months and not so delicate they can play more and have more fun with her. Ozzy is pretty hands-on. But when she starts crying he hands her off.”

Jack – who was at the MusiCares Person Of The Year in LA on Friday with Katy Perry – told Access Hollywood the Black Sabbath frontman has a soulmate in Pearl. “She pretty much understands him,” he said. “They’ve had some heart-to-hearts.”

LINK

Want to avoid V-Day candy with GMOs?


With Valentines Day just a week away its pretty hard to escape all those heart-shaped, pink and red candies. While they may seem temping, many of them contain GMOs. GMO Inside is leading the push to get Hersey and Mars to stop making candy with GMOs in 2013, or at least to start labeling their products as containing GMOs.

GMO Inside is a coalition of businesses and organizations that support a healthy, GMO-free food system. Their most recent campaign is aimed at Hersey and Mars, that combined comprise nearly 70 percent of the U.S. chocolate market. Both companies have also spent more than a million dollars to oppose GMO labeling in California in the November 2012 election.

Because GMO corn, sugar and soy, which are commonly used for many of Hershey’s and Mars candy products, it may be wise to avoid them if you are trying to minimize or eliminate your consumption of GMOs.

Here are a couple of popular Valentine’s Day candies that contain GMOs:

Reese’s Peanut Butter Filled Hearts – BUMMER*
Hershey Hugs
Valentine’s colored M&M’s
Valentine’s Snickers

GMO Inside released a Valentine’s Day Villains shopping guide for consumers who want to avoid giving GMO treats to their honeys.

*GD Meg makes her own – here’s her favorite recipe for homemade GF peanut butter cups  RECIPE


Super Bowl Weekend- Big Fun!


We had big fun on Super Bowl Weekend.  Friend Chris, Cousin Joe and Ping arrived on Sat. morning.  We did alot of shooting, alot of eating, and alot of laughing.

Girlfriend, Goldie in Danville, KY sent me a beautiful 17 pound Country Ham.  Along with that, we had Buffalo Wings, Balsamic Deviled Eggs, Crockpot Meatballs, and plenty of cold beer. Chris surprised us with a Bavarian Cream King Cake and Joe brought over a good bottle of wine.

Ping gave the boys their haircuts, and my boyfriend, Barnabas the cat with thumbs and an overbite, stuck around for the festivities.















Saturday, February 9, 2013

GMO faqs



What are GMOs?


GMOs, or “genetically modified organisms,” are plants or animals created through the gene splicing techniques of biotechnology (also called genetic engineering, or GE). This experimental technology merges DNA from different species, creating unstable combinations of plant, animal, bacterial and viral genes that cannot occur in nature or in traditional crossbreeding.


What crops are commonly genetically modified?


More and more foods and products are being genetically engineered or contain genetically engineered ingredients. Here are eight of the most common to look out for. If a product contains these ingredients and is not labeled non-GMO Verified or Organic Certified, there’s a good chance  it contains GMOs:
  1. Alfalfa
  2. Canola
  3. Corn
  4. Cotton
  5. Papaya
  6. Soy
  7. Sugar Beets
  8. Zucchini and Yellow Summer Squash
ALSO high-risk: animal products (milk, meat, eggs, honey, etc.) because of contamination in feed. Read more »


What product ingredients commonly contain genetically engineered crops?


Amino Acids, Aspartame, Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Ascorbate, Vitamin C, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Ethanol, Flavorings (“natural” and “artificial”), High-Fructose Corn Syrup, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Lactic Acid, Maltodextrins, Molasses, Monosodium Glutamate, Sucrose, Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), Xanthan Gum, Vitamins, Yeast Products.Read more »


Why should we be concerned about GMOs?


Human Health Risks: More and more studies point to the idea that there’s grave cause for concern about the health effects of consuming GMOs and the chemicals they are sprayed with, including food allergies, irritable bowels, organ damage, cancer
Environmental Risks: Seventy-two percent of US GMO crops are engineered to tolerate a certain type of herbicide. But the weeds that these herbicides used to kill are coming back bigger and stronger, creating herbicide-resistant “superweeds” that require greater quantities of more toxic pesticides to eradicate.
The Risk To Farmers In Developing Countries: Every three minutes, a farmer commits suicide in India due to meet rising debts, a phenomenon that has been steadily rising since the 1970s. While the causes behind the farmers’ crushing debt and resultant suicides are complex—ranging from unfair government floor prices for cotton to international trade agreements skewed in favor of other countries—GM seeds do appear to play a role.
The Risk to Organic Farmers: Even when a farmer isn’t growing GM crops, contamination can easily occur—through seed mixing or pollen drift from neighboring GM fields. While this contamination is troubling for those of us who wish to avoid GMOs, it can be an economic disaster for organic and family farmers. Read more »


How can we avoid GMOs?


There are several choices you can make when buying groceries and eating out to try and avoid GMOS.
  1. Look for the Non-GMO Project label.
  2. Buy organic certified produce and packaged foods.
  3. Avoid high-risk ingredients.
  4. Be wary of non-GMO claims that lack certification.
  5. Avoid processed foods.
  6. Watch out for restaurants.
  7. Buy and plant your own organic seeds.

7 recent reasons why GMOs are unsafe for human consumption



1.  A recent Italian study found that Monsanto's NK603 genetically-modified (GM) corn causes organ damage and tumors in mammals.

2.  A report issued by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has uncovered that most genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) in commercial use today contain a viral gene that appears to be unsafe for human consumption.

3.  Researchers have found that this viral gene can induce unintended phenotypic changes, which can involve physical and biochemical mutations, in organisms.

4.  Based on earlier research involving the link between viral genes and plant and human health, the new discovery raises many concerns about the safety of many GMOs in commercial production today.

5.  Since the purpose of viral genes is to disable the host in order to allow for pathogenic invasion, their presence in the GMO-ridden food supply represents a threat to both plant and human health.

6.  According to Independent Science News' analysis of the function of this viral gene, the genetic defect not only facilitates the assembly of potentially deadly viruses in plant tissue, but it also suppresses natural anti-pathogenic defenses, making crops, and potentially the humans that eat them, more susceptible to disease.

7.  None of the governments that have approved viral gene-containing GMOs for commercial use have ever required that proper safety tests be conducted to identify any potential health threat.

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Friday, February 8, 2013

A Comprehensive Article about Blood Cancers

           Blood Cancers: Stem Cell Transplantation Can Save a Life

Cancer can arise from any of the tissues of the human body, so the blood forming tissues (Bone marrow and Lymph glands) are no exception. Cancer that begins in the marrow is commonly called Leukemia and these cancerous cells circulate in the blood and can be easily detected by looking at the blood under a microscope. Cancer arising from the lymph glands is commonly called a Lymphoma. Another cancer arising in the bone marrow is called a Multiple myeloma but this one remains inside the bones which are often eaten up by the cancerous cells and tend to break easily. There are many subtypes of Leukemia and Lymphomas some of which are acute and aggressive; others are more indolent and run a chronic course over several years.

Cancers of the blood are commonly called Hematologic cancers as opposed to rest of the cancers which are called Solid tumors. Whereas the solid tumors constitute 90% of all cancers Blood cancers account for about 10%. This translates to about 150,000 cases of blood cancers diagnosed in the US each year. Among all human cancers, Blood cancers tend to be generally more curable, with a few exceptions. No age is exempt from developing blood cancer. In fact among the Blood cancers, Leukemia is one of the more common cancers among the pediatric age group. Fortunately children respond to cancer treatments with much better results such that childhood leukemia is cured in more than 80% of cases.

Much More Here - Symptoms, Treatments, Stem Cell/Bone Marrow Transplants

Thursday, February 7, 2013

ROBIN ROBERTS RETURNING TO 'GMA'


Robin Roberts is returning to "Good Morning America" after a 5-month leave so she could recover from her bone marrow transplant.

Robin has been battling a rare blood disorder -- myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) -- and has been struggling with the symptoms for a year.

She recently passed the 100-day mark -- an important milestone for bone marrow transplant recipients -- and has been easing her way back into action by showing up at the GMA studio to see how her skin would react to the lights and how she would react to the stress.

Sources close to Robin told us several weeks ago ... she would not be returning until May at the earliest, but apparently her doctors felt her progress exceeded expectations.

ABC now says it's all systems go ... and, by the way, side benefit for ABC -- it's all happening smack in the middle of sweeps.

LINK

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

AGENT ORANGE DOCTORS NOTE FOR PATIENTS


COVVHA has worked diligently putting together a letter that the Children Of Vietnam Veterans can take to their doctors.  The intent is to increase doctor/patient communication and awareness regarding the health and medical effects of generational Agent Orange/Dioxin exposures.

Print this patient information letter to bring to your doctors visit. Request that your doctor review the information and place in your medical chart.

Direction for printing: Click on the title link above the document to be re-routed to SCRIBD. Use the Download and Print options on the right hand side.

JUMP to Children of Vietnam Veterans site

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

VA won't say how many veterans die waiting for disability benefits


How many veterans die annually while they wait for the embattled U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to approve their claim for disability benefits? The answer: The VA won’t say.

In half a dozen calls and emails, The Baltimore Sun asked the VA over a period of about two weeks for information about its backlog to process disability claims for American veterans — and the consequences of the delays on servicemen and servicewomen.

The Sun’s report showed the Baltimore office, which handles claims for all of Maryland’s 450,000 veterans, is the worst performing in the country. The local office was the slowest and had the highest error rate in the U.S., according to latest information available.


The VA has made strides in improving transparency and access to information with an interactive online database of processing times and error rates called ASPIRE. The agency also created an online portal called eBenefits for veterans to learn the latest status on their claims, although many find it confusing and the information it provides not timely.

The ASPIRE Dashboard was integral in producing the Sun investigation. But it couldn’t answer all the questions, most notably, the number of veterans who die before the agency approves or denies their claim.

Nearly 19,500 veterans died from October 2011 to September 2012, the federal fiscal year, while they waited for benefits, according to an article published in San Francisco’s Bay Citizen. That figure is based on the $437 million in retroactive benefits paid to the survivors of the deceased veterans, according to the report. The number of veterans who died waiting during that period is likely higher.

The VA did not respond to repeated requests to provide the figure for veterans whose claims were pending at the time of their death. When pressed on the existence of the data, an agency spokeswoman said the retroactive benefits paid to survivors "aren’t necessarily cases where veterans died while waiting for their benefits." No further explanation was provided.

The number of deceased veterans with outstanding claims increased as the backlog did, the California newspaper reported. This year, more than 900,000 veterans have outstanding disability claims, which take an average of nine months to process nationally and nearly 12 months at the Baltimore office, according to VA statistics.

In addition to the lack of information on deceased veterans, the agency would also not provide the number of VA managers and senior-level staff members who were removed from positions, retrained or reprimanded because of the ongoing problems, among other information.

LINK

A GREAT WEBSITE HERE

Is Monsanto really killing bees to make room for their new "Super Bee" ?

GMO Companies Want to Make a Super Bee That Will not Die from their Pesticides
Monsanto is killing bees to make room for their new "Super Bee"? Soon to be whistle-blower who worked for Monsanto will be releasing documents detailing how Monsanto planned to kill off bee colonies in order to introduce a “new and improved” species of bee that will only pollinate Monsanto crops.

Many Links Here

Saturday, February 2, 2013

"GMOS, changing the human genome one meal at a time!"


         Video: 'GMO-A-Go-Go' informs the             world about the truth of GMOs 


Natural News have teamed up with Infomatic Films to produce a cartoon video all about genetically modified organisms and how good they are - well, for Big Pesticide anyway. "GMOS, changing the human genome one meal at a time!"

Made by InformaticFilms.com and sponsored by NaturalNews.com, the new animated cartoon video gives us all the basics on why GMOs are dangerous, as well as informing children, tongue-in-cheek, that they don't have to worry about eating good healthy vegetables any more.

With a horror theme, we are gradually introduced to how genetically modified seeds and crops are made and how they produce pesticides within the plants to kill insects. We also find that these insects are now getting immune to the built-in pesticides as nature adapts to get around the problem.

We are introduced to those silly scientific tests being performed on genetically modified organisms, where scientists are finding out that rats develop organ failure and tumors from eating GMOs.

We are further introduced to those pesky farmers in India, who are being "recycled" in an effort to take away the debt from their families, as under Indian law, when a person dies, their debt dies with them. However, don't worry, Big Pesticide will find a way around that problem too.

GMO-A-Go-Go

Friday, February 1, 2013

The Monsanto Mafia


THE MONSANTO MAFIA: How come Obama and Tony Blair's top advisors BOTH are MONSANTO MEN? Report by Chris Everard: Spin the clock back to 2003 - Doctor David Kelly is 'suicided' in the woods. Tony Blair and his spin doctor, Alistair Campbell snigger and make 'Walter Mitty' derisory jokes about the slain Dr Kelly, who had warned the public through leaks that Iraq really did not have Weapons of Mass Destruction…

Campbell resigned - he jumped before he was pushed. In comes, at a minutes notice, Mr David Hill holding 95,000 share options in MONSANTO - an arch lobbying and PR guru for Chime Communications, where he put MONSANTO on the map and spun all the negative info about GMO…

Mr Hill lost (so they tell us) all his MONSANTO share options the moment he started brown-nosing for Blair…

Now flash-frame to Washington DC… 2009: The FDA announced that Michael Taylor, a former Monsanto executive, had joined the FDA agency as “senior advisor to the commissioner.” He is a food Tsar at the Food and Drug Administration: 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…

Soooo…. As you can see Obama and Blair both have puppet masters from Monsanto spinning the GMO web of lies.. And more and more unlabelled GMO cereals are placed into kids' breakfast flakes, biscuits, Pop Tarts - you name it…. Hmmmm…. Shall we be worried?

Reprinted from http://www.enigmatv.com/

Genetic Changes to Food May Get Uniform Labeling

With Washington State on the verge of a ballot initiative that would require labeling of some foods containing genetically engineered ingredients and other states considering similar measures, some of the major food companies and Wal-Mart, the country’s largest grocery store operator, have been discussing lobbying for a national labeling program.

Executives from PepsiCo, ConAgra and about 20 other major food companies, as well as Wal-Mart and advocacy groups that favor labeling, attended a meeting in January in Washington convened by the Meridian Institute, which organizes discussions of major issues. The inclusion of Wal-Mart has buoyed hopes among labeling advocates that the big food companies will shift away from tactics like those used to defeat Proposition 37 in California last fall, when corporations spent more than $40 million to oppose the labeling of genetically modified foods.

More Here