mooreeffoc
April 8, 2009
“coffee-room, viewed from the inside through a glass door, as it was seen by Dickens on a dark London day; … used by Chesterton to denote the queerness of things that have become trite, when they are seen suddenly from a new angle.”
[J.R.R. Tolkien]
Prowess
April 2, 2009
This was the 2008 state of the art.
Should I venture to project the general trend in technology upon the future of robots then this is a sketchy beginning to ‘beings’ who can extend the will of any fascist regime without a murmur or a stir of conscience.
Here is the visible top of the iceberg of our not so distant future, a TED TALK about robots and warfare
13 is a bad number
March 24, 2009
It should have been OK – zero killed – but the game ended 1400:13
The ratio of the dead in Gaza, of Palestinians to Jews, tell the story.
Can you read the numbers?
Where did he go?
March 1, 2009
Mountebanks
February 26, 2009
The Blog sphere is teaming with talented and committed writers who wish to share the salient points of their philosophies. The desert has filled with mountebanks and wisdom is flowing. But one might fear that there is more expression than listening; much effort and not enough attention; that the ratio output to notice taken is severely slanted – 1000:1 and that the ratio notice taken to action taken is another sobering 1000:1
With a one in a million conversion rate we are moving like giants of clay with molten feet.
Look! Another writer has just taken the chair; it’s a great post on our food supply:
http://allergykids.wordpress.com/2009/02/04/duped-a-nation-of-eaters/#comment-336
Nature worth millions
February 25, 2009
Nature as the most expensive commodity… the privilege of the rich… Who would have thought that back when poor folks lived in the forest and the suburb, poaching the Kings tail and feathers?
Back then most people wanted in on the city life; best if you could have a house next to the Church and facing the plaza; but then every one with a bit of money began leaving again. The Church was suddenly empty and water front was the property to get; down town became a place for pimps and pushers trying to tickle the king’s nose with a feather.
Nature has a late recognition, almost like that of some dead artists; he or she is not going to produce any more paintings so the previous work – if good – soars in value.
Mother Nature is loosing her brush and color and now she is worth millions.
Bt Brinjal GMO; an unhealthy choice?
February 25, 2009
January 2009
Effects on health and environment of transgenic (or GM) Bt brinjal
By Pr. Gilles-Eric SERALINI, University of Caen, France, and President of the Scientific Council of the Committee for Independent Research and Information on Genetic Engineering (CRIIGEN).
SUMMARY
“The dossiers submitted by Mahyco in support of their application for commercialization of genetically modified (GM) Bt brinjal raise serious concerns. …Bt brinjal has been modified to produce an unknown chimeric insecticide toxin containing Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac modified sequences. In the toxicity tests on target and non-target insects, this chimeric toxin has not been used but instead, an improper Cry1Ac toxin was used because this control was easier.
…Bt brinjal produces into the vegetable cells a protein inducing resistance towards at least kanamycin, a well known antibiotic. This is typical of the first generation of GMOs which have been made without consideration of the problem.
Antibiotic resistance is recognized to be a major health problem because of the growing
development in the environment and bodies of antibiotic resistance genes. It is very inappropriate to consider commercializing a food containing an antibiotic resistance gene since several modern biotechnology companies have already developed transgenic plants without this kind of marker genes. It is possible that Mahyco has bought an old unused GMO technology to Monsanto Company.
…in feeding trials, numerous significant differences were noted compared to the best corresponding non-Bt controls: Bt brinjal appears to contain 15% less kcal/100 g, have a different alkaloid content, and 16-17 mg/kg Bt insecticide toxin poorly characterized for side effects, and produced by the plant genetically modified for this.
Parameters affected in animals fed with this GMO are in blood cells or chemistry, but in different manners according to the period of measurement during the study or the sex: in goats prothrombin time is modified, and biochemical parameters such as total bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase are also changed, as well as feed consumption and weight gain. For rabbits less consumption was noted and also prothrombin time modification, higher bilirubin in some instances, albumin, lactose dehydrogenase and the hepatic markers alanine and aspartate aminotransferases. Sodium levels were also modified, as well as glucose, platelet count, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration and haematocrit value. In cows milk production and composition were 10-14% changed. There was more milk and more roughage dry matter intake like if the animals were treated by a hormone. Rats GM-fed had diarrhoea, higher water consumption, liver weight decrease as well as relative liver to body weight ratio decrease. Feed intake was modified in broiler chickens as well as glucose in some instances. Average feed conversión and efficiency ratios are changed in GM-fed fishes. All that makes a very coherent picture of Bt brinjal that is potentially unsafe for human consumption.
…. Brinjal is known to have existed in India for 4000 years. Given that India is also a functional Centre of Origin of brinjal, any release of Bt Brinjal into the environment, poses a significant risk of contamination to sexually compatible wild species and consequent harm to the environment in addition to the contamination of Non-GM varieties. The commercialization of Bt Brinjal will exacerbate that risk. The release of Bt brinjal for these reasons as well would be a problem. The agreement for Bt brinjal release into the environment, for food, feed or cultures, may present a serious risk for human and animal health and the release should be forbidden.”
For the FULL version of the SUMMARY please visit:
http://sejswhirlpool.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/btbrinjal-ges_-final-final-final.pdf
Right out of the Bible belt
February 22, 2009
‘Toodles‘; notice the influence of the good Book. Still, I’m going to tell little red riding hood to stay away from that there field and keep a respectful distance to grandma. Good day to you Madam.
Tar and Feathers
February 22, 2009
In smoking, as in so many other areas of life, the long term is sacrificed to the short term.
I am very sorry for your pain Miss… it is brave of you to share your story.
The tobacco industry has tared its own feathers. Making money on human weakness is just not ethical.
As a society we still have to realize, promote and legislate in defense of the fact that the health of the cell is the health of all.
What is good for one cell is good for the whole body and inversely.
Its time…
