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Fat and Fit Don’t Mix
Helloooo CONSUMER friendly, let’s get fit! .
http://www.tofugu.com/2011/10/12/what-do-sumo-wrestlers-eat/I have very, very disappointing news to share with everyone: Being fit does not co-exist with being fat. At least that is what the Annals of Internal Medicine are claiming through a new study. But let us back up a little, where did this idea even come from?
Data has been floating around recently about the idea that one can be fit even if one is obese. Due to this data the acceptance of being overweight wasn’t thought of as anything more than a choice. But can there be repercussions from choosing to be fit and obese? Could there be health issues unbeknownst to us that the study is trying to bring attention to?
Related Article: To be Fat or Not to be Fat?
There is a stockpile of data showing that there is no ‘healthy level’ of obesity. Over 60,000 patients in 8 studies weighed in on the findings presented by the study mentioned above. The result was that those who were metabolically healthy but obese had a higher risk of death or cardiovascular events later in their lives than others of normal weight. The study simply concludes that being overweight or having excess weight poses a threat to your longevity. In addition to weight management, which of course is the inferred solution, one should always check their blood pressure and cholesterol levels to ensure their body stays healthy and fit.
Related Article: Fat, Poor Kids Just Got a Little Less Fat
Who wants to check their weight now? Go here for a Body Mass Index calculator! It will tell you whether you are at a societally normal weight, underweight, overweight, or obese. It is better to know than to be in denial.
In the end both your fitness level and your health level is quite clearly determined by you. If you choose to be a little overweight and still feel great then who is to say that in fact you aren’t going to live forever? Honestly, living life the way you want to is what matters most, if indeed you wish to be happy then live the way that makes you feel happiest. Doesn’t hurt to adjust some parts though! Cheers to living!
Research:
AoIM: Are Metabolically Healthy Overweight and Obesity Benign Conditions?
CNN Health: You Can Be Fat AND Fit, Researchers Say
NIH: Calculate your Body Mass Index
Wondergressive: The Dangers of Fat Acceptance
Wondergressive: To be Fat or Not to be Fat?
Wondergressive: Fat, Poor Kids Just Got a Little Less Fat. Still Poor.
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Amazon Releases Drones that Deliver Packages in 30 Minutes
Nowadays Santa has more time to himself, Amazon Drones fit down chimneys much easier. http://regmedia.co.uk/ The Founder and CEO of Amazon.com, Jeff Bezos, recently told 60 Minutes about Amazon’s newest piece of technology: delivery drones. Bezos admitted that it sounds like science fiction, but it is however, very real. Within 4 or 5 years, 86% of the products on the site will be delivered to your door by a flying drone within 30 minutes. The new service will be called Amazon Prime Air. You can even order at any time of the day or night. As long as what you order is less than 5 pounds, it’ll get to your door faster than Jimmy Johns.
Here’s the craziest part: all of the drones will be automated. Robots will be flying through the air, originating from one of ninety-six Amazon fulfillment centers, and landing at your home clutching your consumerist drug fix without the help of a human master! Renegade robots; this is the beginning of the end…
Although Bezos didn’t mention it, I wonder if we will eventually be able to input any set of coordinates into Amazon and have, let’s say, a tent delivered to yourself after you make camp at Rocky Mountain National Park. Just a thought.
This announcement comes at a time drones are becoming a source of increasing concern around the world. Drones controlled by a technician have been used in war as reconnaissance devices and as mobile missile launchers. They are also being used by police within the U.S. as surveillance devices. These uses of drones have given the technology a connotation befitting a 1984 subplot.
The future of warfare, inspired by Call of Duty. http://www.washingtonpost.com It is frankly amazing that Amazon will be at the forefront of this emerging technology, and won’t be using it to kill from a distance and peer through windows as we download music and movies. This presents a great example of how a technology can have such drastic extremes in the way it is developed, used, and anticipated.
Some people are not so optimistic about Amazon’s drone initiative. According to CNBC’s Jim Cramer, drones will crash everywhere, hit people in the head, and wreak general havoc. Cramer urged,
Holy cow. It could be like ‘World War Z’ out there.
Regardless of the inherit dangers with delivery drones I think an automated robot that doesn’t text and drive and has complete awareness of its surroundings and precision control of its body is far safer than a fumbling human surrounded by metal, rocketing down the road at 80 mph. Google’s self-driving cars have already proven just how safe and effective an automated machine can be.
Amazon has a colossal presence on the internet and on the planet itself. There are fulfillment centers and headquarters spread across five continents. The company is a big name in multiple industries, including tablet PCs, online retail, and cloud storage. Despite its presence, it still has massive growth potential. The Amazon stock price is at an all time high and in the last year has increased by 63%. In the last 5 years it has increased 800%. Although the stock seems incredibly overpriced based on the stock price relative to its earnings, the price continues to rise and the company continues to grow.
The Amazon rain forest slowly dies, while Amazon.com slowly takes over the world…
Here’s a video of the automated amazon drones at work:
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Bezos#The_Washington_Post
https://wondergressive.com/news/drones/
http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=8037720011
https://wondergressive.com/news/hollywood-pirates-hollywood/
http://www.cnbc.com/id/101238720
https://www.aclu.org/blog/tag/domestic-drones
https://wondergressive.com/news/googles-self-driving-car-initiative/
http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/amzn
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/06/amazon-deforestation-nasa-photos_n_1748759.html
60 minutes, AI, amazon affiliate, amazon centers, amazon drone danger, amazon drone delivery, amazon drones, amazon fulfillment, amazon fulfillment center, amazon prime, amazon prime air, amazon product, amazon rain forest, amazon seller, amazon stock, amazon stock price, amazon.com, automated, ceo amazon, cloud storage, cnbc jim cramer, comapany, corporation, deforeestation, founder amazon, google self driving car, gps, gps coordinate, jeff bezos, jimmy johns, machine, rocky mountain national park, tablet pc, us police drones, war drones, warfare drones -
Precocious Puberty: A Growing Issue for Young Girls
When I first read the novel Little Women, it made me feel…reassured. The story of the March sisters’ journey from girls to women seemed much less intimidating than I thought the transition would be.The story’s central character, Jo, reflects on the experience of growing up saying,
I think she is growing up, and so begins to dream dreams, and have hopes and fears and fidgets, without knowing why or being able to explain them.
That was growing up for a girl then. Growing up now, the things a girl can’t explain include over developed breasts and the early onset of a menstrual cycle. According to a 2011 study published in the Journal of Pediatrics, American girls are maturing physically earlier and earlier. Preteen girls who have not yet let go of their American Girl dolls are being fitted for their first bras, scrubbing away at acne, and carrying pads in their backpacks to deal with periods that are increasingly starting in fourth grade or earlier.
Related Article: Oral Sex on the Rise
With the body maturing faster than the mind, young girls are being exposed to a myriad of risks, both physical and psychological.
Causes of Precocious Puberty
when someone’s body begins changing from a child into an adult too soon. The process of changing from a child into an adult is known as puberty, and puberty that begins before age 8 for girls and before age 9 for boys is considered precocious puberty.
irls of today are experiencing precocious puberty more often and are hitting puberty sooner than any generation in history. About 15% of American girls now begin puberty by age 7, according to a study of 1,239 girls published last year in Pediatrics. Over the last 30 years, we’ve shortened the childhood of girls by about a year and a half. (Early physical maturation is occurring in boys as well, though that won’t be the focus of this article.)
The early onset of puberty has consequences that continue to be an issue well into adulthood, thus, even if a woman has gone through the puberty phase, she will forever feel the effects of it starting early. There are many explanations as to why this process, known as precocious puberty, begins early.
Related Article: Balls of Fury: Eunuchs Live Longer?
According to Dr. Frank Biro, director of adolescent medicine at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, the rise in the childhood obesity rate is partly to blame. Fatty tissue produces leptin, which stimulates the release of sex hormones. According to Biro,
The girls who are obese are clearly maturing earlier. BMI is, we found, the biggest single factor for the onset of puberty.
Yeah, but they were on sale… http://www.saferchemicals.org/ Additionally, there may be environmental factors involved. Dr. Biro goes onto say that some investigators are focusing on environmental contaminants like PBBs and more notoriously, BPA, common ingredients in plastic products that have endocrine-disrupting powers of their own. The Centers for Disease Control says that the blood of the average American carries traces of 212 different chemicals. All of these chemicals have the power to disrupt the endocrine system by either mimicking hormones, blocking them, or changing the way they’re metabolized and excreted. The longer we ignore these often times preventable causes, the more we will continue to upset the biological balance.
The Effects of Early Puberty
There is another kind of biological balance that is even harder to control. Young girls who fall into precocious puberty are forced to balance their rapidly changing bodies with the standard development of their minds. When pre-sexual minds find themselves in newly sexualized bodies, substantial emotional damage can be done. Dr. Michelle Klein, a pediatric endocrinologist at Mount Sinai Medical Center, treated a 6 ½ year old who was already developing breasts and pubic hair. Klein stated that,
She would get into a bathing suit at camp, and the other kids would tease her. She was already a good deal taller than her peers, and adults would talk to her as if she was older and more mature–and expect more-mature behavior out of her too.
Did I shrink or did you explode upward? http://www.saferchemicals.org/ This becomes problematic to a child because she is not receiving a message consistent with her actual age. She won’t understand the expectations on her because she is not mentally prepared to do so.
Related Article: All Your Kids Are Sexting
People are judging girls based on what they can see, but as with everything, appearances are deceiving. According to Erin Diamond, author of “Big Feet, Training Bras,” and “Going All the Way”:
Girls who develop physically faster are assumed to be more sexually active than their peers…Early developers are also more likely to engage in relationships of a sexual nature before they are emotionally prepared to do so.
This leads to a myriad of psychological disorders, including depression, anxiety, poor self-esteem, eating disorders…all due to a process that is beyond their control. Not only are young girls at an increased risk of emotional turmoil, they also have physical side effects to contend with. According to the Journal of Pediatrics, early sexual maturity means more estrogen exposure for breast tissue, thus, introducing a cancer risk. If a girl gets her first period before 12 years of age, the risk of breast cancer is 20% more than if she got it at 14. Additionally, breast cancer risk is increased by 5% for every year younger a woman is when she begins her periods. As you can see, growing up, more than ever before, is now hazardous to a girl’s health.
What Doctors and Parents are Doing to Help
The biological process driving the worst years of our lives. http://www.lupronped.com In light of these hazards, it is now time to reset the puberty clock. Science is offering new options that will help to literally shut off puberty for a year or two so that a child’s chronological, psychological, and physical age all align. The new treatment involves monthly injections of Lupron, a medication that neutralizes the effect of the puberty inducing hormones, otherwise known as GnRH. It does this not by reducing the level of the hormone in the body, but by increasing it. GnRH is released by the hypothalamus in a pulsing pattern, and the injections are designed to fill in the gaps between the pulses. The body interprets the neutralized GnRH state as no GnRH at all, and the sped-up maturation stops.
Related Article: For Cure Administer Two Times Daily- How Effective is Our Medicine?
While drugs are effective, they can be expensive. For uninsured Americans, these drugs can cost $1000’s each month. Presently, the only drug available for precocious puberty is Lupron. But according to the Physicians’ Desk Reference, Lupron has 265 possible risks and side-effects, including cancer. Lupron can cause severe problems such as tremors, seizures and memory loss.
In light of these dangers, it is important to know that there are natural methods available to help prevent or mitigate the problem. They may seem small when compared to medicinal treatment, but if we all practice these small solutions regularly, we could help to create a change in a young girls life that she will carry with her as long as she lives.
First, throw out your plastic water bottles; microwave your food in glass containers as opposed to plastic. This can lower your exposure to the dangerous BPA chemical. Since obesity is a strong contributing factor to precocious puberty, keeping weight down can prevent the hormonal effects of carrying too much body fat. This is where a healthy diet and regular exercise become very important.
Related Article: The Dangers of Fat Acceptance
Don’t judge your children, love them. http://www.amagazineofrandom.com In addition to all of this, the most effective strategy may simply be awareness; we need to be aware of the pressures faced by young girls in our society. It is the responsibility of parents, teachers, coaches and any other significant figure in a girl’s life to remind her that her worth is not tied to her outward appearance. Little girls need to be assured that they are loved no matter when changes to their body and mind may occur. It is important to remember that to any child, happiness is knowing you are loved.
And that is the most important thing; the happiness and contentment of little girls as they navigate their way through such an arduous journey. But for some, the journey is complicated in a way they may not be emotionally mature enough to handle. By discussing the causes, examining the effects, and identifying some solutions, we see more than ever that just because a little girl looks like a woman on the outside, that does not mean she is woman on the inside. While today’s little girls grow up much differently than the March sisters, they do still have one thing in common. As author Louisa May Alcott said,
The emerging woman will be strong-minded, strong-hearted, and strong-souled,
and that is true about a woman at any age.
Sources:
http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1112716850/puberty-in-boys-age-102112/
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2013/10/30/peds.2012-3773.abstract
http://www.amazon.com/Little-Signet-Classics-Louisa-Alcott/dp/0451532082
http://www.americangirl.com/index.php
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2010/08/09/peds.2009-3079.abstract
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/precocious-puberty/DS00883
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/268337.php
http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1112993027/us-girls-entering-puberty-earlier-than-ever-110413/
http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_A
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polybrominated_biphenyl
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endocrine_disruptor
http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2097388,00.html
http://www.bradley.edu/sites/bodyproject/sexuality/puberty/
http://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(07)00983-3/abstract
http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/FirstPeriodOccursBeforeAge12.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23084519
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2927128/
https://www.lupronped.com/central-precocious-puberty/treating-precocious-puberty.aspx
http://www.biolreprod.org/content/56/4/1012.full.pdf
http://www.whale.to/a/sellman.html
15% american girls, 401k, age of puberty, american girl dolls, american girls, behavior, big feet, boobs, BPA, breast cancer, breasts, cancer risk, CDC, centers for disease control, chemicals, childhood, childhood obesity, cincinnati children’s hospital, dr. frank biro, dr. michelle klein, Dreams, early maturation, early puberty, endocrine, Endocrine disruptor, erin diamond, estrogen, estrogen exposure, fears, frank biro, girls health, girls to women, gnrh, going, growing up, hormone, jo, journal of pediatrics, journey, little women, love, love and be loved, lupron, march sisters, mature, maturing, medicine, memory loss, michelle klein, new treatment, pads, pbb, physicians desk reference, plastic, precocious puberty, preteen, psychological disorders, puberty, puberty boys girls, pubes, pulsing pattern, risk, sex, sexual, sexually, sexually active, side effects, siezures, study, tampons, tits, training bras, young girls -
Fracking Worse Than You Think: Delusional America and Special Interest Gangs
Mam, your water’s just fine, a pungent gasoline smell is normal nowadays. news.nationalgeographic.com A recent peer reviewed study has revealed that greenhouse gas emissions from drilling and fracking are 50% worse than previously thought. According to the Harvard study US fossil-fuel-industry methane leaks are dramatically higher than the official estimates have claimed. Not surprisingly, the coal seam gas industry in Australia (one of the largest in the world) has rejected the study outright.
The report, published in the US journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, directly challenges the EPA’s decision to cut its methane emission (produced from fossil fuel extraction) estimates by 25% for 1990 – 2011. The report states that:
We find that [methane] data from across North America instead indicates the need for a much larger adjustment of the opposite sign
Fracking is altering the climate far faster than we first thought. However, before we continue with fracking, let’s first understand the difference between Australia’s coal seam gas and America’s natural gas.
Coal Seam Gas Vs. Natural Gas:
As an end-use product, coal seam gas is the same as natural gas...The only difference between CSG and natural gas is in the way that it is formed by nature. CSG is composed predominantly of methane and small percentages of nitrogen and carbon dioxide. The coal seam is both the source and the reservoir, which is different from the sandstone reservoirs of conventional oil and shale gas. As coal forms over millions of years, large quantities of methane-rich gas are generated and trapped in coal seams by water and ground pressure. CSG is trapped in the coal in tiny fractures, or cleats, under hydrostatic pressure. CSG is extracted at low pressures from coal.
Shale gas is methane held within shale layers, rather than a coal seam. Shale is much harder than coal and always requires fracturing ('fracking') to allow the gas to flow.
Seems pretty technical boys, just throw in all the chemicals you can’t pronounce. http://www.usatoday.com While natural gas produces less CO2 than coal, the savings become irrelevant when considering the amount of methane that is sprayed into the atmosphere from methane leaks at well sites and while transporting the fuel. The reason for all the worry is that methane traps about 20 times more heat over a 100 year period compared to CO2, despite remaining in the atmosphere for less time.
Related Article: What is the Solution to Smog? A Vacuum!
A natural gas addiction has infected the U.S. with fracking spreading across the country like a viral epidemic. Fracking is the process of harvesting natural gas, or shale gas. It involves mixing dangerous chemicals with large quantities of water and sand and injecting the mixture into shale wells at extremely high pressure. It is for this reason that fracking is believed to be poisoning well water all across the U.S. and in other areas of the world. According to the NRDC (Natural Resources Defence Council):
Over the last decade, the industry has drilled thousands of new wells in the Rocky Mountain region and in the South. It is expanding operations in the eastern United States as well, setting its sights most recently on a 600-mile-long rock formation called the Marcellus Shale, which stretches from West Virginia to western New York. Fracking is a suspect in polluted drinking water in Arkansas, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming, where residents have reported changes in water quality or quantity following fracturing operations.
The U.S. is ripe for the fracking! http://www.geomore.com Immense wells of shale gas are spread across most of the U.S. mainland. These sites each undergo several fracking pumps. Although the media portrays natural gas as the new and improved, next-gen, problem free energy source, it couldn’t be further from the truth. Pipeline incidents and injuries abound and reports of polluted drinking water continue to pop up across the nation with greater frequency. Studies have directly linked shale gas fracking to:
- Contaminated Ground Water
- High Levels of Radioactivity in Wastewater Discharge
- Elevated Levels of Air Pollutants
- Death of Pets and Farm Animals
- Potentially causing Earthquakes
- Methane Leaks
The EPA still has not issued its report on the effect of fracking on drinking water. Despite all of the science pleading with us to reconsider our actions, fracking continues unimpeded.
Related Article: A Cheaper Alternative to Pollution
Fracking Denial and Delusions
By far the worst issue surrounding fracking is that as a whole, we still seem to have no clue that fracking is even taking place, let alone destroying the water supply and decimating the health of 1000’s of people as well as the land. I suppose this isn’t surprising though as many nations are just as clueless about climate change. Afterall, climate denial is a real thing, actively and directly supported by a large number of the 90 institutions that are responsible for climate change since the industrial revolution. So, why shouldn’t the natural gas and fracking industries involve the same type of nonsense?
Superhuman denial abilties…
http://www.frankejames.com/The truth is that human beings, especially us good ol’ Americans, will buy into anything given the opportunity. People are often fooled into passionate belief, and the denial campaigns and propaganda of billion dollar industries do a great deal of fooling.
Related Article: Climate Change too Fast for Evolution
Let’s consider climate change again: Many Americans continue to believe that climate change is either a hoax or an over-dramatized issue. This ignorance is a wrench in the spokes of global progress, especially in light of increasingly volatile weather patterns; increasing extinctions in land and marine life; warnings from scientists across the globe; and the potential loss of trillions of dollars due to the costly effects of climate change. This is cognitive dissonance in its purest form: we know the facts, but we are refusing to change.
Crony Capitalism and Special Interest
Despite America’s lack of progress in reducing emissions, most Americans’ desire a green, renewable energy policy. This applies to fracking as well; a large number of Americans are completely against it. Unfortunately though, oil, coal, and gas companies are at the top of the special interest dole list.
Special interest comes in the form of better government subsidies, tax cuts, court rulings, and allowances. We all know it takes place, and it has been widely practiced and wildly accepted. It is called crony capitalism, and it has been an an ongoing, yet somehow overlooked problem in America.
Related Article: Team Red = Team Blue
No. Well, for the entertainment value, yes. bigdanblogger.blogspot.com When Bush appointed Dick Cheney to lead an energy task force to revolutionize America’s energy policy, Cheney quickly organized a private meeting with fossil fuel giants at the head of the fracking movement. Companies such as Exxon Mobil, Conoco, Shell Oil, BP America and Chevron made the top of the list. Today, these companies are still given billions of dollars in tax cuts and subsidies despite raking in hundreds of billions of dollars in private profit. According to PBS:
In 2005, Bush, who has received more from the oil and gas industry than any other politician, signed an energy bill from the Republican-controlled Congress that gave $14.5 billion in tax breaks for oil, gas, nuclear power and coal companies. The Energy Policy Act of 2005, which was based on recommendations by Cheney’s energy task force, also rolled back regulations the oil industry considered burdensome, including exemptions from some clean water laws. All of this transpired only one year after Congress passed a bill that included a tax cut for domestic manufacturing that was expected to save energy companies at least $3.6 billion over a decade.
During the time that Bush and Cheney, both of whom are former oil executives, have been in the White House, the oil and gas industry has spent $393.2 million on lobbying the federal government. This places the industry among the top nine in lobbying expenditures. The industry has also contributed a substantial $82.1 million to federal candidates, parties and political action committees, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. 80 percent of the industry’s contributions have gone to Republicans.
It is clear that special interest is taking place and is supporting companies in defiance of America’s health, wealth, and overall best interest. The truth is that a complete multi-industry infiltration of the U.S. government has taken place. Men and women with stake in the fracking, agriculture, pharmaceuticals and more are casting votes and making decisions that directly benefit the industries and leave citizens stripped of their money and power.
Monsanto the Usurper
The most obvious example of a corporation infiltrating the U.S. government is that of Monsanto. Monsanto, in case you didn’t know, is responsible for destroying thousands of local farms, using known harmful herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides, using chemicals responsible for colony collapse disorders in bees, and much more.
Related Article: The Senate is Useless and Should be Dismantled
Monsanto and Monsanto products are banned in several countries. Numerous petitions to cut government ties to Monsanto have circulated, yet to no avail. I wonder, why they didn’t succeed?
First, follow this link to view a list of 71 senators who voted against your right to know if what you are eating is GMO. Oh, and that’s despite 90% of the population saying they would be in favor of mandatory labeling.
Whoa, there must be some huge cracks in the U.S. government for these people to slip through. https://www.facebook.com/GrowFoodNotLawns Next, check out the following list of U.S. government/Monsanto ties and the answer will be obvious.
David Beier
MONSANTO POSITION: Head of Government Affairs for Genetech, (Now Monsanto)
FEDERAL POSITION: Chief Domestic Policy Advisor to Vice President GoreWilliam Conlon:
MONSANTO POSITION: Worked for Monsanto’s Legal Team
FEDERAL POSITION: Department of JusticeSam Skinner:
MONSANTO POSITION: Worked on Monsanto’s Legal Team
FEDERAL POSITION: Department of JusticeRobert Fraley:
MONSANTO POSITION: Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer
FEDERAL POSITION: Serves as advisor in public agencies, including the USDA, among othersMichael A. Friedman:
MONSANTO POSITION: Senior Vice President for Clinical Affairs at G.D. Searle &Co. (Merged with Monsanto)
FEDERAL POSITION: Acting Commissioner of the FDAMarcia Hale:
MONSANTO POSITION: Director of International Government Affairs
FEDERAL POSITION: Assistant to President Clinton and Director of Government AffairsArthur Hull Hayes:
MONSANTO POSITION: Consultant to Searle’s (merged with Monsanto) Public Relations Firm
FEDERAL POSITION: Previously was FDA CommissionerJohn L. Henshaw:
MONSANTO POSITION: Director of ESH Quality & Compliance
FEDERAL POSITION: Senior Advisor to U.S. Secretary of LaborRob Horsch:
MONSANTO POSITION: Vice President of Product and Technology Cooperation
FEDERAL POSITION: Advisor to the National Science Foundation and the Department of EnergyMichael Kantor:
MONSANTO POSITION: Board of Directors, also represented Monsanto as a lawyer
FEDERAL POSITION: U.S. Secretary of CommerceGwendolyn S. King:
MONSANTO POSITION: Monsanto Board Member
FEDERAL POSITION: Commissioner of SSA 1989-1992Richard J. Mahoney:
MONSANTO POSITION: CEO of Monsanto for 14 years
FEDERAL POSITION: Serves as Director of U.S. Soviet, Japanese and Korean Trade Councils, a Member of the U.S. Government Policy CommitteeMargaret Miller:
MONSANTO POSITION: Oversaw the Approval of rBGH, was a top Monsanto scientist
FEDERAL POSITION: In, 1991, Margaret was appointed Deputy Director of the FDAGeorge Poste:
MONSANTO POSITION: Sits on Monsanto’s Board of Directors, previously a Monsanto Animal Specialist
FEDERAL POSITION: In 2002, Poste was appointed head of Bioterrorism division of Homeland SecurityWilliam D. Ruckelshaus:
MONSANTO POSITION: Member of the Monsanto Board of Directors
FEDERAL POSITION: In 1970, he was the first Chief Administrator for the EPA, later the acting director of the FBI, then Deputy U.S. Attorney GeneralDonald Rumsfeld:
MONSANTO POSITION: Previous CEO of Searle (merged with Monsanto), he successfully had ASPARTAME legalized while in that position.
FEDERAL POSITION: Appointed to Secretary of Defense in 1975, then appointed to Secretary of Defense again in 2002Suzanne Sechen:
MONSANTO POSITION: Worked on Monsanto-funded rGBH in connection with her graduate work at Cornell University
FEDERAL POSITION: FDA Reviewer on Scientific DataRobert B. Shapiro:
MONSANTO POSITION: Previously the President and CEO of Monsanto, Chairman and CEO of Nutrasweet, and Chairman and CEO of Monsanto
FEDERAL POSITION: Previously Served as President’s Advisory Committee on Trade Policy and on the White House Domestic Policy Review of Industrial InnovationIslam Siddiqui:
MONSANTO POSITION: Former Vice President of CropLife America, which represented Monsanto
FEDERAL POSITION: Chief Agricultural Negotiator for the Office of the Trade RepresentativeMichael Taylor:
MONSANTO POSITION: Former Attorney for Monsanto for seven years, previous h Head of the Monsanto Washington D.C. Office
FEDERAL POSITION: Former FDA Deputy Commission for Policy. In 2010, appointed by the FDA as a senior advisor of the FDA CommissionerDr. Charles Thomas:
MONSANTO POSITION: Previous Monsanto Researcher in charge of the Manhattan Project, creating the atomic bomb. Later, became Monsanto’s Chairman of the board.
FEDERAL POSITION: Previously Served as a consultant to the National Security Council and as a U.S. Representative of the United Nations’ Atomic Energy CommissionClarence Thomas:
MONSANTO POSITION: Former lawyer for Monsanto, a notorious chemical polluter. Thomas would later cast the decisive vote in 2000 on the Supreme Court, ratifying the stolen election that put George W. Bush Jr. into office
FEDERAL POSITION: In 1991, was appointed to the U.S. Supreme CourtAnne Veneman:
MONSANTO POSITION: Previously served on the Board of Directors of Calgene, a Monsanto Biotech subsidiary
FEDERAL POSITION: In 2001, was appointed Head of the USDAJack Watson:
MONSANTO POSITION: Former Staff Lawyer with Monsanto in Washington D.C.
FEDERAL POSITION: Chief of Staff to President CarterSeth Waxman:
MONSANTO POSITION: Hired by Monsanto to prosecute two Farmers who fought against Monsanto’s Seed Policies in 2002
FEDERAL POSITION: Former U.S. Solicitor GeneralDr. Virginia Weldon:
MONSANTO POSITION: Retired Senior Vice President for Public Policy at Monsanto
FEDERAL POSITION: Previously, was a member of the FDA’s Metabolism & Endocrine Advisory CommitteeRufus Yerxa:
MONSANTO POSITION: Former Chief Counsel at Monsanto
FEDERAL POSITION: In 1993, was nominated as U.S. Deputy to the World Trade OrganizationToby Moffett:
MONSANTO POSITION: Monsanto Consultant
FEDERAL POSITION: U.S. Congressman (D)Dennis DeConcini:
MONSANTO POSITION: Monsanto Legal Counsel
FEDERAL POSITION: U.S. Senator (D)Josh King:
MONSANTO POSITION: Director, International Government Affairs
FEDERAL POSITION: White House Communications (Clinton)Carol Tucker-Forman:
MONSANTO POSITION: Monsanto Lobbyist
FEDERAL POSITION: White House Appointed Consumer Advisor (Clinton)Linda Fisher:
MONSANTO POSITION: Vice President, Government & Public Affairs
FEDERAL POSITION: Deputy Administrator EPA (Clinton, Bush)Lidia Watrud:
MONSANTO POSITION: Manger, New Technologies
FEDERAL POSITION: USDA, EPA (Clinton, Bush, Obama)Hillary Clinton:
MONSANTO POSITION: Rose Law Firm, Monsanto Counsel
FEDERAL POSITION: U.S. Senator (D), Secretary of State (Obama)Roger Beachy:
MONSANTO POSITION: Director, Monsanto Danforth Center
FEDERAL POSITION: Director USDA, NIFA (Obama)How to Patch a Sinking Ship
It appears that industries spanning every sector, including fracking, agriculture, pharmaceuticals and more are playing a game with the U.S. government, swapping players each season for their own sake, not mine and yours. When congress, the congress of the people, stops acting in the people’s best interest we have a serious problem. Right now we are in the heart of the danger zone. What are we to do?
So, let’s make this happen immediately. shadesofgreeninc.org In a capitalistic society you are a consumer first and foremost. A capitalistic society feeds on your spending, and it feeds you with the sweet satisfaction of ‘things.’ You have power in your purchases; use your buying power to support sustainability-minded companies. If companies are getting away with infiltrating and orchestrating sections of the government, then why not make sure they are excellent companies willing to appease, not disease the masses.
Buy local, support the little guy. Sure, it may sometimes be more expensive, but try not spending your money on a few of your monthly non-essentials and you’d be surprised how quickly your savings add up.
Related Article: Income Inequality in America
Become more independent and deplete your dependence on ‘the system’ by making purchases with awareness. Find satisfaction in the little things and start wanting less. Become more aware of how each and every decision you make affects the rest of the world. Imagine that everyone else on planet Earth is you; what effect would you like to have on yourself?
Grow a garden, go foraging for food, or keep honeybees. Learn about permaculture and begin practicing a zero-waste lifestyle. It’s way easier than you think, and is actually really fun.
Arguably the most important thing you can do is vote. Contact your elected officials and tell them what you think. Demand that they act as your representative, not a rogue speaker. Help fight fracking by joining organizations that fight to stop it.
Educate yourself and spread awareness about issues that are important to you.
Consider. Constantly consider the effect you are causing.
Source:
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2013/03/12/factbox-csg-australia
http://epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/gases/ch4.html
http://www.dartgas.com/content/Document/Factsheets/What%20is%20CSG.pdf
http://www.nrdc.org/energy/gasdrilling/
http://www.nature.com/news/is-fracking-behind-contamination-in-wyoming-groundwater-1.11543
http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/2012/03/reproductive-problems-death-animals-exposed-fracking
http://www.npr.org/2012/01/05/144694550/man-made-quakes-blame-fracking-and-drilling
http://www.businessinsider.com/epa-data-links-groundwater-contamination-fracking-2012-10
http://www.dangersoffracking.com/
http://www.fractracker.org/map/
http://www.climatecentral.org/news/americans-uninformed-about-fracking-says-new-study-16762
http://www.pewresearch.org/2006/02/28/both-reds-and-blues-go-green-on-energy/
http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/347/oil-politics.html
http://www.organicconsumers.org/gefood/countrieswithbans.cfm
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_27635.cfm
http://justlabelit.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Mellman-Survey-Results.pdf
http://www.monsanto.com/whoweare/pages/robert-fraley-bio.aspx
http://organicconsumers.org/monsanto/revolvedoor.cfm
http://www.rense.com/general33/legal.htm
http://www.aiard.org/meetings/2004forum/horsch.htm
http://www.monsanto.com/whoweare/pages/gwendolyn-king-bio.aspx
http://organicconsumers.org/monsanto/revolvedoor.cfm http://www.gao.gov/assets/200/196503.pdf
https://webapp4.asu.edu/directory/person/629659
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Rumsfeld#Career_in_government_.281962.E2.80.931977.29
http://www.gao.gov/assets/200/196503.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_B._Shapiro
http://www.gao.gov/assets/200/196503.pdf
http://www.nap.edu/booksearch.php?booksearch=1&record_id=4548&term=monsanto&chapter=338-353
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/07/supreme-court-monsanto-seeds_n_1946361.html
http://www.organicconsumers.org/corp/veneman.cfm
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/20/business/justices-signal-a-monsanto-edge-in-patent-case.html?_r=0
http://beckerexhibits.wustl.edu/mowihsp/bios/weldon.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rufus_Yerxa
http://www.organicconsumers.org/corp/foremancfa.cfm
http://one.gaslandthemovie.com/take-action/contact-elected-officials
https://wondergressive.com/news/90-companies-responsible-climate-change/
https://wondergressive.com/news/fooling-people-into-passionate-belief/
https://wondergressive.com/news/warning-weather-hazards-ahead/
https://wondergressive.com/news/unprecedented-changes-and-extinctions-occurring-in-marine-life/
https://wondergressive.com/news/climate-change-too-fast-for-evolution/
https://wondergressive.com/news/costly-climate-changes/
https://wondergressive.com/news/ask-an-astrobiologist-global-warming-and-what-to-expect/
https://wondergressive.com/news/mystery-of-the-dyingdisappearing-honeybees-solved/
https://wondergressive.com/news/bowman-monsanto-court-case/
https://wondergressive.com/news/afraid-to-wake-up-conquering-fear-and-living-the-lives-we-want/
https://wondergressive.com/news/awareness-and-dealing-with-rejection/
america green energy, Australia, australia coal seam gas, bees, bp, bush, bush and cheney, bush oil, buying power, cannabis, capitalism, capitalistic, cause and effect, center for responsive politics, cheney, cheney haliburton, cheney oil, chevron, Climate change, Colony Collapse Disorder, conoco, contact representative, Crony capitalism, dupont, earthquakes fracking, energy policy act, energy subsidies, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, exxon mobil, fossil fuel extraction, frack, fracking, fracking bad, fracking chemicals, fracking dangers, fracking drinking water, fracking natural gas, fracking water supply, gas pipe, greenhouse gas, greenhouse gasses, harvard, harvard study, hydro, hydrostatic, karma, local farms, methane, methane cows, methane danger, methane greenhosue gas, methane more heat, methane vs co2, methane wiki, monsanto, monsanto agent orange, monsanto bad, monsanto company, monsanto control goverment, monsanto danger, monsanto doj, monsanto epa, monsanto evil, monsanto profit, monsanto us, National Academy of Sciences, natural gas, natural gas vs coal seam gas, natural resources defence council, nature, nrdc, official estimates, PBS, petition monsanto, pipeline, poison well water, renewable energy, report, satisfaction, senators monsanto, shell, shell gas, special interest, special interest gangs, subsidies, tax cuts, terminator seed, under oath, us fossil fuel industry, us journal proceedings of the national academy of sciences -
Climate Change Caused by 90 Companies Since Industrial Revolution
Land of beauty, prosperity, and climate change… vimeo.com A recent analysis on climate change has revealed that just 90 companies are responsible for 63% of all greenhouse gas emissions since 1854, the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. The companies range from private corporations such as BP and Exxon to government-run companies. 83 of the 90 companies are oil, gas, and coal based energy companies, with the remaining 7 companies being cement manufacturers. Information from the climate change analysis comes from public records and data from the US Department of Energy’s Carbon Dioxide Information and Analysis Center.
Related Article: A Cheaper Alternative to Pollution
The author of the analysis, Richard Heede, from the Climate Accountability Institute of Colorado concluded in the study that
There are thousands of oil, gas and coal producers in the world, but the decision makers, the CEOs, or the ministers of coal and oil if you narrow it down to just one person, they could all fit on a Greyhound bus or two.
Heede exhibited concern over the fact that many of the companies, besides being the presiding polluters of history, are also sitting on huge reserves of fossil fuel which represent a potential for an even more daunting future afflicted by climate change.
Related Article: Sweden is Running Out of Trash
Former US President Al Gore was very excited about the study as it is one of the most major efforts to hold individual carbon producers accountable for climate change rather than governmental policy. Gore stated that:
This study is a crucial step forward in our understanding of the evolution of the climate crisis. The public and private sectors alike must do what is necessary to stop global warming. Those who are historically responsible for polluting our atmosphere have a clear obligation to be part of the solution.
Talk about exponential! http://www.climatechangeconnection.org/ The actual solution itself is tough to set in stone. Global industrial emissions since 1751 stand at 1,450 gigatonnes. If we are to slow down and eventually halt extreme climate change, a necessary step is to understand who is producing greenhouse gases and who should be held ultimately responsible. Unfortunately, it is difficult to decide who we should be pointing the finger at regarding climate change. According to Naomi Oreskes, professor of the history of science at Harvard,
There are all kinds of countries that have produced a tremendous amount of historical emissions that we do not normally talk about. We do not normally talk about Mexico or Poland or Venezuela. So then it’s not just rich v poor, it is also producers v consumers, and resource rich v resource poor.
Another aspect of the issue that clouds facts is the climate denial movement. Oreskes has already shown in the past that several of the top companies from the study are some of the major sources of funds used in the global campaign of climate denial. Despite evolution not being able to keep up with climate change, marine life being destroyed, and weather becoming increasingly more extreme across the planet, companies and governments around the world maintain a stance of cold apathy to the problem or at worse vehement denial.
Related Article: Costly Climate Changes
How about some highlights from Heede’s study? Sure thing:
- Government run companies in the former Soviet Union produced more greenhouse gases than anyone else at approximately 8.8% of the total.
- Chinese run companies came in a close second at 8.6% of total emissions.
- ChevronTexaco was the leading emission producer among private companies at 3.5% total emissions, followed by Exxon, and BP.
Operations of the companies currently span the globe, which is very disconcerting for those of us concerned about climate change because
These entities extract resources from every oil, natural gas and coal province in the world, and process the fuels into marketable products that are sold to consumers on every nation on Earth.
There is hope after all! http://www.myseek.org/ This is where Heede hits upon the most important point in the study: consumers. Despite the profundity of this study, why point fingers at the producers when we are just as much, if not more at fault for climate change as consumers. Although there are countries like Germany paving the way for a green world, most countries aren’t, and we are still enjoying the life that greenhouse emissions have provided. Our daily purchases are the reason these companies exist, and the reason they continue to influence climate change. Despite income inequality, we are all living like kings and queens relative to our ancestors, due in major part to harmful greenhouse emissions.
Related Article: The Ugly Face of Overpopulation
If we are to live in harmony with the environment, we must also live in harmony with ourselves and make decisions that reflect our true values. Don’t waste your money, but instead use your buying power as a consumer to influence the world in a more positive way. If we don’t start making dramatic changes soon (some climate change scientists have already said it is far too late), the future may not be as grand as we all hope for.
Sources:
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10584-013-0986-y
https://wondergressive.com/news/income-inequality-in-america-whats-the-big-deal/
https://wondergressive.com/news/20-biggest-wastes-money/
https://wondergressive.com/news/the-ugly-face-of-overpopulation/
https://wondergressive.com/news/germany-sets-example-for-global-climate-battle/
https://wondergressive.com/news/cheaper-alternative-pollution/
https://wondergressive.com/news/solution-smog-vacuum/
https://wondergressive.com/news/warning-weather-hazards-ahead/
https://wondergressive.com/news/climate-change-too-fast-for-evolution/
https://wondergressive.com/news/costly-climate-changes/
https://wondergressive.com/news/ask-an-astrobiologist-global-warming-and-what-to-expect/
https://wondergressive.com/news/refuse-reduce-reuse-recycle-rot/
https://wondergressive.com/news/fresh-air-turned-into-gasoline/
https://wondergressive.com/news/unprecedented-changes-and-extinctions-occurring-in-marine-life/
al gore, carbon dioxide, ceo, climate accountability, climate denial, coal, detriment, environment, gas, germany green energy, global, greenhouse gas, greenhouse gas emissions, greyhound, harmony, harvard, industrial revolution, Japan, kyoto protocol, Mexico, naomi oreskes, natural gas, obligation, oil, Poland, pollution, richard heede, Smog, solar power, us department of energy, Venezuela, Wind Power, worse greenhouse gas, worst greenhouse gas -
Eat Nuts For a Longer Life
NUMMYYY!!!!!! Give me my nuts!
http://house-of-health-nuts.wikispaces.com/A new study posted in the New England Journal of Medicine claims that a key to a longer life may be as easy as snacking on some delicious and healthy nuts!
Over 170,000 participants were included in the study over a period of 30 years. Participants reported their diet on a 2 year cycle in which data was gathered and applied to the study.
The final analysis gathered information from a little over 118,000 of those original 170,000 participants due to incomplete information and/or cessation in participation. The study yielded some really interesting results:
As compared with participants who consumed nuts less frequently, those who consumed nuts more frequently were leaner, less likely to smoke, more likely to exercise, and more likely to use multivitamin supplements; they also consumed more fruits and vegetables and drank more alcohol.
Related Article: Obese? Got a Fatty Liver? No Problem.
Did I just read that correctly? Are nuts a mind infusing, brainwashing, positive health boosting, youth extending, feel good super-food? What are you waiting for?! Get with the program and eat some already! But wait, healthy you say? Where are you drawing this from other than said study? Plenty of different sources agree that nuts are good for you, in fact the study talks about just how good they are nutritionally. They contain:
unsaturated fatty acids, high-quality protein, fiber, vitamins (e.g., folate, niacin, and vitamin E), minerals (e.g., potassium, calcium, and magnesium), and phytochemicals (e.g., carotenoids, flavonoids, and phytosterols), may confer cardioprotective, anticarcinogenic, antiinflammatory, and antioxidant properties.
Related Article: The Wonderful, Healthier World of Fasting
What if I don’t like to snack on peanuts? What if I hate walnuts? No worries, there are 9 different types of nuts that we can indulge in, so even if you aren’t too fond of a peanut, there may be hope for you yet. Not to mention each of these 9 different types have different amounts of protein and different amounts of nutrients.
This is quite a bold claim that the study is making but I would say that it is all relative to your own state of mind. Drawing from this study, I believe if you are snacking on tree nuts you are also likely avoiding junk food snacking, which is in itself already a recipe for a healthier lifestyle. Not only that but snacking on something packed with protein and nutrients helps you function better throughout your day, allowing for a productive and positive life. Cheers!
Research:
Association of Nut Consumption with Total and Cause-Specific Mortality
Wondergressive: Obese? Got a Fatty Liver? No Problem.
Wondergressive: The Life Changing and Life Lengthening World of Fasting
almond, best nut to eat, Brazil nuts, cahsiew, cashew, death, fasting, funny, hazelnuts, healthier, healthiest nuts, healthy, healthyheartbeatz, life, lifestyle, macadamias, multivitamin, New England Journal of Medicine, nut nutrition, nuts, nutty, omega nut, peanuts, pecan, pine nuts, pistachios, study, walnuts, wondergressive -
No More Red: Charge Your Phone Battery With Wi-Fi
Please God, NO!
erdemuen.com Death of the phone batteryCords tangled and left spewed in a jumble on the floor. Power outlets installed every few feet in the house. The little phone battery symbol ominously running down to red; the screen dimming in a desperate attempt to conserve what little power remains. This is just an inescapable part of everyday life, right? Maybe not for much longer.
Related Article: Meet the Needle Beam; No More Signal Loss
Although wireless power has existed for some time, the greatest hurdles in mass commercialization of wireless power have been efficiency and cost. Researchers at Duke University’s Pratt School of Engineering are rapidly making these hurdles irrelevant. Undergraduate engineering student Allen Hawkes, graduate student Alexander Katko, and lead investigator Steven Cummer have developed a way to convert microwaves already buzzing around our heads into pure energy. The most exciting aspect of this development is the potential to convert Wi-Fi into energy and charge our phone battery passively with Wi-Fi in the area.
The revolutionary device.
http://www.pratt.duke.eduThe device the researchers created consists of five fiberglass and copper energy conductors wired together on a circuit board. The device converts microwaves into 7.3V of electricity, a 32% increase in charge compared to USB which provides only 5V. This amount of energy could give your phone battery a little boost.
Related Article: Free Internet, Help Yourself
The efficiency and design is very similar to modern solar panels. While solar panels convert light energy from the sun into electrical current, the new energy harvester can be tuned to harvest the signal from such sources as satellites, sound, or even Wi-Fi. With this new technology a phone battery could be charged with anything, anywhere.
According to the team,
We were aiming for the highest energy efficiency we could achieve. We had been getting energy efficiency around 6 to 10 percent, but with this design we were able to dramatically improve energy conversion to 37 percent, which is comparable to what is achieved in solar cells.
The device takes advantage of a relatively new breakthrough in science called metamaterials; artificial materials not found in nature that are specifically engineered to capture various forms of wave energy. Metamaterials have been traditionally thought of as materials reserved for the distant future, but the researchers have proved this notion utterly wrong.
Related Article: Solar Powered, Internet Wielding Balloons
Until now, a lot of work with metamaterials has been theoretical. We are showing that with a little work, these materials can be useful for consumer applications.
Using metamaterials, the researchers have outlined a whole string of applications for their breakthrough device, not just the charging of a phone battery. According to the researchers,
a metamaterial coating could be applied to the ceiling of a room to redirect and recover a Wi-Fi signal that would otherwise be lost. Another application could be to improve the energy efficiency of appliances by wirelessly recovering power that is now lost during use…With additional modifications the power-harvesting metamaterial could potentially be built into a cell phone, allowing the phone [battery] to recharge wirelessly while not in use. This feature could, in principle, allow people living in locations without ready access to a conventional power outlet to harvest energy from a nearby cell phone tower instead.
Whoa! Why not just paint the whole house with a paint/metamaterial mixture. Sprinkle metamaterials on the lawn. Think of a world where the phone battery is always full. Spread Wi-Fi harvesting capability by mixing some metamaterials into water balloons and letting the kids go at it. Metamaterials for everyone!
Related Article: Why Unplugging Your Charger is Pointless
After just completing a 9 month backpacking trip through several different countries, finding a power outlet to charge my phone battery, camera, and kindle was a daily struggle. Wi-Fi on the other hand was everywhere, even at the top of many mountains in Asia. If a device like this could drastically alter the life of a simple backpacker, imagine what it could do for society at large! The excuse “My phone battery died” will become completely obsolete.
Here you are world, that incredible thing you were waiting for.
http://www.pratt.duke.edu/Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_power
http://www.ee.duke.edu/faculty/steven-cummer
http://dukespace.lib.duke.edu/dspace/handle/10161/8006
http://www.pratt.duke.edu/news/wireless-device-converts-lost-energy-electric-power
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metamaterial
http://inhabitat.com/duke-university-students-find-a-way-to-charge-cell-phones-with-wi-fi/
https://wondergressive.com/news/meet-the-needle-beam-no-more-signal-loss/
https://wondergressive.com/news/free-internet-help-yourself/
https://wondergressive.com/news/a-non-loony-google-project-called-loon/
https://wondergressive.com/news/vampires-arent-half-bad/
alexander katko, allen hawkes, best phone charger, charge phone wifi, charge with wi-fi, convert light, copper conductors, duke university, metamaterial, metamaterial science, phone charger, phone wi-fi, power harvesting, power outlet, pratt school of engineering, seven cummer, society, usb charger, wireless power -
No Heart? No Pulse? No Problem!
You don’t always need a physical heart to have a heart of GOLD.
http://shanaerirynale.wordpress.com/2012/05/15/guild-wars-2-the-tin-man-mmo/True to my username, this next one hits very close to home. For the first time in our human history a man survives and continues to live on without a pulse! Dr. Billy Cohn and Dr. Bud Frazier of the Texas Heart Institute installed a mechanical device in place of a dying heart in Craig Lewis’ chest. The success of the operation is a revolutionary step in the medical world! The replacement artificial organ is composed of a device that uses blades to continuously pump blood through his body.
Related Article: No Breathing Required
How does one know if he is still alive? A pulse? First real life undead zombie? Not at all! This man is blessed with an extended life due to his mechanical heart replacement. And don’t worry, he wasn’t the doctors’ first subject to their heart-less procedure. It had previously been tested on animals and with overwhelming success, thus the doctors opted to perform the surgery on Craig to save his life.
Related Article: Merge Biology with Electronics
This exceptional feat opens up the floor to discussion on the use of artificial organs and how they could help humans survive and extend their lives. Some would argue morality issues, others would argue the fine line between cyborg and human. I however believe any new way of surviving and staying healthy should always be considered when facing a dire situation. Especially when on the verge of death.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2096314/Meet-HEARTLESS-man-able-live-heartbeat-PULSE.html His smile says it all. This man is very happy to be alive and well.
Although the invention and operation were a success, Craig only lived another 5 weeks after having the pumps put in. There was another man however in the Czech Republic who lived for 6 months with a similar pump while he was on a waiting list for a real heart.
There are multiple artificial heart designs floating around out there, but in order to commercialize this incredible invention the doctors must decide on a final design, find a manufacturer and get FDA approval. Fortunately, Dr. Frazer seems very optimistic about the current design, stating:
These pumps don’t wear out. We haven’t pumped one to failure to date.
Undoubtedly we can learn from this technology and use it to its full potential sometime in the future, but for now we learn and we continue to struggle. In the mean time, cheers to life!
Research:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19977958
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3D Printing for All: New, Cheap 3D Printers
Does it use fruit as ink? Fruity 3D printer
http://stuffthatspins.com/2013/09/23/the-peachy-printer-the-first-100-3d-printer-scanner-by-rinnovated-design-kickstarter/3D printing has been a revolutionary new invention in recent years but it is unfortunately too expensive for the masses. I mean, we can all use one from a company but to own one? A 3D printer for the masses? Hundreds to thousands of dollars are needed. Not to mention all the repair costs and expensive supplies you need to account for.
Finally a commercialized version has surfaced and at a consumer friendly price of $100! What started as a kickstarter project with a goal of $50,000… turned into a $651, 091 donation success by the name of The Peachy Printer. Just a heads up, this 3D printer is the most creative thing I have read about in a long time and I am very happy to share it on Wondergressive.
Related Article: 3D Printing: The Next Revolution in Creativity
$100 for a printer that prints out 3D objects is ridiculously cheap as compared to other 3D printers. How is it possible you say? The creators described the 3D printer as simply a product with a laser, mirrors, and electromagnets made from household items. Household items and of course a laptop or computer where encoding for the printing will take place. Pretty amazing to think that something so complicated came from everyday items working together.
What is even more mind-boggling is that all of this is done through your computer’s sound jack! The 3D printing of the desired object is done by converting the 3D model into a sound file which then moves the 3D printer’s mirrors (amount of movement is determined by the volume of the sound file) which control the 3D printer’s laser. The laser then cures light sensitive resin into your desired object. Again, all of this is done with household items and without any motors or microchips. Brilliant!
Related Article: Scientists Develop 3D Printer Capable of Printing Working Cartilage
So how did this idea come to play? The creator Rylan Grayston, in an interview with CBC, said:
I didn’t have enough money for a 3D printer that I wanted, so I just started thinking about how can I do this myself?
Boy did he figure it out in a big way. Not only that but Grayston did all this without a degree in engineering or computer science! I am sure he had a lot of exposure to all the software he worked with but it is definitely quite a feat to pull off what he did. A 3D printing method that defies current expensive methods and uses no expensive processors or technology. Definitely brilliant.
Related Article: 3D? Let’s go one more! 4D!
Now I know what you’re thinking, you want to get in on this deal for a 3D printer. The project did pass its kickstarter initiative but it hasn’t come to the public just yet. Although the website is not taking orders for the 3D printer, there is a mailing list you can join to be one of the first to know when the 3D printer is available for purchase.
So how cool is that? Here is a guy who has no schooling in creating working machines or converting sound to movements and he was able to pull off something extraordinarily unique but also very complex and intuitive. He is a true inventor and genius of sorts in my book. And now, the moment you have been waiting for, a preview and more thorough explanation of the Peachy Printer.
That’s peachy… Cheers!
Research:
Kickstarter – The Peachy Printer
Wondergressive: 3D? Let’s go one more! 4D!
Wondergressive: Scientists Develop 3D Printer Capable of Printing Working Cartilage
Wondergressive: 3D Printing: The Next Revolution in Creativity
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The Strength of the Chelyabinsk Meteor
Look at the size of that meteor!
http://www.slate.comFebruary 15, 2013 was no ordinary day, it was the day of an explosion in the sky! For some it was also a very unexpected and stressful day. For those that haven’t heard, on that day in Chelyabinsk, Russia, a meteor exploded and injured over 1200 people! This all happened in a relatively small city so the injuries sustained weren’t high in number, but what would happen if it were in a dense urban setting?
Isn’t that unbelievable though? A meteor entered the Earth’s atmosphere at 19 kilometers per second and exploded with a light 30 times brighter than the sun. I don’t know about you but I would definitely be scared out of my mind that the world was ending if I had seen that explosion.
Related Article: Let’s Capture US an Asteroid!
So what about all of this explosion talk? Glad you asked! According to new studies, the Chelyabinsk meteor explosion was comparable to the Hiroshima bomb, except multiplied by 30! 30 times the bomb that wiped out over 30% of the population of Hiroshima, some 70,000 people. 30 times a nuclear bomb! Holy cow! Did I mention that it outshone the sun over 30 times as well? How scary would it be if it got closer in the atmosphere over a populated area like Chicago?
Related Article: Amateur Astronomer Films Jupiter Explosion
NASA surely is doing something about this right? Preparing missiles or sensors or something? More-so since they recently talked about a re-occurrence of the meteor of Chelyabinsk is 7 times more likely than they originally thought. In fact, Professor Peter Brown, a planetary scientist at the University of Western Ontario, who is actively involved in NASA’s study of the Chelyabinsk meteor says:
We should see something like Chelyabinsk every 30 to 40 years rather than every 120 to 140 or so — a factor of three or four more of these impacts than the telescopic data suggest.
Related Article: Sign Me Up for Mars!
What does that mean? Are we heading towards a meteorite influenced nuclear warfare future? Will our Earth be constantly bombarded by meteor spectacles in our daily sky? NASA assures us that recurrences of the event are likely over ocean waters rather than populated areas, but still, I wonder. Maybe it really is time to venture out and explore space for new habitats to ensure our survival? For now… here’s a compilation of Chelyabinsk meteor explosions as captured by civilians and enthusiasts alike! Cheers!
Research:
Wikipedia – Chelyabinsk meteor
EuroNews: New study claims asteroid explosion 30 times Hiroshima
Youtube: Chelyabinsk Meteor Compilation
Wondergressive: Let’s Capture Us an Asteroid!
Wonder about your world…
Take the plunge down the rabbit hole of insanity and wonder in this fast-paced, nonstop psychological thriller that will leave you questioning the very nature of reality and beyond. Part thriller, part romance, part existential horror, A Dream of Waking Life delves into lucid dreaming, psychedelics, existential ontology, video games, the nature of love, the nature of reality, and more.
Mendel’s Ladder delivers an adrenaline-fueled journey set on a dystopian future Earth, brimming with high-stakes action, adventure, and mystery. This epic series opener plunges readers into a world filled with diverse cultures, heart-pounding battles, and characters who will captivate your heart and imagination.
“E.S. Fein is raising the bar for quality as it’s a very well-written and thought-provoking book…There are points and themes in the story that could be discussed for eons as people will have their own idea on where it leads. It’s a book I would highly recommend.” – Andy Whitaker, SFCrowsnest
Wondergressive 