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(according to this http://www.newstarget.com/z019659.html, plain html, and this http://www.alternet.org/workplace/74262/, as examples)

I think we all know that the Russians during the communist era were willing to experiment on their people in a way that would be completely unthinkable in the US.

Really? What makes you believe that?

If you've got a better way of slaughtering the huge numbers of cows that Americans consume every year in an economical manner

I guess the magic words are "economical manner". Granted, eating shit is quite economical (resulting illnesses notwithstanding), but I prefer paying a little extra for shit-free meat.

There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What's there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced nor objectively interpreted and you create a nation of law-breakers.

From what I have read, there are no conclusive data that link Alzheimer's and smoking, and a according to a recent study pointed by that second link, there was a study debunking the studies that said smoking prevents Alzheimer's.

FWIW, my mother works in a nursing home and says that half of the Alzheimer's patients smoke and half don't, but that's, of course, hardly a representative sample.

Finally someone with some sense! Although, don't fool yourself into thinking that illegal drugs impact driving as much or more than many prescription drugs people regularly drive on. The biggest problem is the rise in prescription drugs, and people who take them yet continue to drive a vehicle. Their driving skills are often far more impaired than the stoned driver, yet because they "have to" take drugs they continue to drive around all day under the influence. Especially people who are tired or use caffeine to stay awake so they can drive. They are the largest majority of the most impaired drivers on the road.

We need to throw all of these dangerous drivers in prison. There is no excuse for endangering human life. If they've got a serious medical condition that requires them to take drugs, then they should not be allowed to operate a motor vehicle. If they've worked all day and they're exhausted, then they definitely should not be operating a motor vehicle. Same goes if they're taking drugs(such as caffeine) to keep their body awake while their mind is actually exhausted.

We need to quit being hypocrites with this bullshit that just targets the people that nobody would ever defend. We need to step back and look at the real threat here. Vehicles are dangerous when used improperly. People should be well rested and free of any mind altering substances or distractions while driving. This isn't even taking into account all of the accidents caused by listening to music, talking to someone, or allowing their mind to wander while behind the wheel. Or even the accidents caused from inexperienced or poor driving. Those behaviors all need to be criminalized as well if we actually want to help people. Otherwise we're nothing more than hypocrites for throwing one person in jail while letting a far more dangerous criminal roam free.

There are dumbasses everywhere partaking in these reckless behaviors and endangering lives. If we want to save society from decay, we have to get rid of these problems before their actions end up killing another one of the few good citizens we have left in this country.

http://casr.adelaide.edu.au/t95/paper/s1p2.html
http://www.news.utoronto.ca/bin/19990329a.asp
http://www.newstarget.com/004823.html

The problem that I have with the legalisation argument is that you are going to be depending on one of two bodies for control of drugs in the US: the federal government, or the pharmaceutical industry.

Boy, I sure (FEMA) feel safe in (REAL ID) the hands and (FDA) wisdom of the federal government. Equally as much do I feel (Fosamax) that the ever-benevolent (Adderall) drug industry would be (Vioxx cover-ups) very responsible and ethical regarding decisions about drugs with high risk of addiction and death.

While you're all right about the idiotic justice system in this country, legalising such drugs and putting them under control of the government/pharm industry would be like taking the Death Star away from Palpatine and handing it over to a Hutt...

------ Related links:

Fosamax * http://www.lawyerseek.com/Practice/Pharmaceutical- Injury-C1/Fosamax-P76

Adderall * http://www.lawyerseek.com/Practice/Pharmaceutical- Injury-C1/Adderall-P16/

Vioxx * http://www.newstarget.com/003068.html

A good article on the cancer industry--> http://www.newstarget.com/021892.html

GM crops have the potential to cause unknown harm. As humanity (and other species) evolved eating certain foods, we have developed the ability to safely digest those foods. Horticulture takes many generations to make changes in the food we eat... until now. What happens when you manufacture a new species? Will there be unknown side affects?

Probably. Look at Monsanto's GM corn MON863. It appears to cause kidney and liver problems. Here is a link. http://www.newstarget.com/021784.html

"And why doesn't everyone use fluorescent lighting"

because you can't use a dimmer switch on them.

because one broken bulb could cost you $2,000.00.
http://www.newstarget.com/021916.html

because you can't throw them in the trash and my city's recycling service won't pick them up.

I must store them then transport them to a qualified recycle center or pay to ship them to a recycle center.

Our ability to fuck with mother nature is what separates us from the animals. It's why we are Earth's supreme overlords. Earth is our bitch.

You seriously think the owners of Mc.D. eat the burgers themselfes aswell? ;-)

"but you are relying on unscientific methods..."

Really? Are you sure it's just unscientific speculation?

(apologise for including a fox news link, I think my point stands nonetheless)

"to conduct your 'survey' and concluding based on these biased methods (that you created) that your results are the only results possible"

My survey? Biased methods? That I created? All those articles aren't quoting me you know! I wasn't even alive for the 1958 study!

"Btw something which has 'exceptions' doesn't make 'fact' status"

Did I say 'fact' or did I say 'trend'? (problems with vocabulary recall?) I think you'll find it was the latter (and here's the link to my post if you're in doubt)... although, it is a fact that there is a trend, as the numerous research projects have shown. The fact that there are exceptions is what makes it a trend, not a law.

What's in that milk?

"The sale of Posilac is illegal in virtually every developed country with the exception of the United States. Recent studies have shown that lab rats absorbed IGF-1 during the digestive process, which subsequently caused cysts and other cancerous growths to form in the test animals flesh. Despite numerous official requests for the FDA to revoke the approval for Monsanto's product, no such action has been taken thus far."

Don't try and tell people though.

As for FDA, I can't even begin to tell you how badly it's managed. Thankfully they thought about a perfect side dish to our Dolly steaks. Maybe we shouldn't wonder why health care costs are skyrocketing and people are getting fatter...

What's in that milk?

"The sale of Posilac is illegal in virtually every developed country with the exception of the United States. Recent studies have shown that lab rats absorbed IGF-1 during the digestive process, which subsequently caused cysts and other cancerous growths to form in the test animals flesh. Despite numerous official requests for the FDA to revoke the approval for Monsanto's product, no such action has been taken thus far."

Don't try and tell people though.

As for FDA, I can't even begin to tell you how badly it's managed. Thankfully they thought about a perfect side dish to our Dolly steaks. Maybe we shouldn't wonder why health care costs are skyrocketing and people are getting fatter...

I don't normally post here, but I'm sick of hearing this reactionary argument. While cervical cancer is devastating and I fully support making this vaccine available on the market, I for one would most certainly not have my daughter vaccinated until it has been in WIDE SPREAD USE for at least 5 or more years. And, given that this is a from Merck, one of the companies practically infamous for selling medical technologies that they KNOW aren't safe (See Vioxx and Fosamax) all the while suppressing negative evidence against them, I may well be inclined to wait even longer.

So while you're happy to line your daughters up as consumer testers stage 1, I think I'm going to show a bit more caution and reserve with the most important and irreplaceable thing in the world to me.

Oh, and for the record I'm not particularly religious and I'm very much a political liberal - so yeah, the Christian wingnut thing most certainly doesn't apply.

Look, I didn't throw that little tidbit about deaths in there so you could latch on to it and mount a full on straw man attack.

Sodium has been consistently clinically demonstrated to not have an extremely significant effect on blood pressure in the majority of the population, and even in those it does, cutting it produces only a temporary and mild drop.

Sodium is not the bogeyman. It will greatly benefit anyone with high blood pressure to lose some weight and examine the entirety of their diet for other excesses and deficiencies before automatically blaming sodium for high blood pressure.

Sodium is neither good nor bad news. It's one more substance vital to our lives that the panicky idiots in the media have demonized such that everyone out there who thinks he/she knows anything about nurtition will endlessly rip on it.

Seems to be a day for ignoring knowledge and dictating what populations should think... so...

Just type in "cancer causing food" into google and you get sites like this :

http://www.newstarget.com/002079.html

"Prof John Toy : It is essential that 'cancer-causing' claims are based only on scientifically proven facts, not scaremongering."

I can choose for myself, and freespeach is freespeach.

"Are the drug companies spending money on advertising for fun, or is it with the aim of producing a return? Presumably, they are aware of the economics of their field and know the balance for return on R + D, and return on advertising. Also, genuine question, do you have the figures to verify this statement? I have an interest in this anyway, so i'm not just trying to undermine your argument."

http://www.newstarget.com/010315.html

Also, several studies on direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising have been published in JAMA of which I've read some abstracts, but I don't have an online JAMA subscription so I can't read 'em unless I go to the library.

Also some good stuff here:

http://www.fda.gov/cder/ddmac/globalsummit2003/
http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2003/203_dtc.html

All these from this google search:

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en& q=direct+to+consumer+prescription+drug+advertising &ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

I don't know why anyone would think China is the worst, just listen to the Chinese government. They just have trouble accessing the internet sometimes, so you can't blame them for that. I mean, I'm sure they know if they're censoring their own people or not, and why would they lie to us anyway? What could they gain from that??? (was that sarcastic enough? I can never tell...)

Reminds me of aspartame. Except that aspartame doesn't have any of the benefits.

This is a slightly better article discussing more of the substance of the claim.

O great more positive PR. If only people knew whats really going on. Im not going to trust anything these drug companys, drug industry is cooking up.There is just too much conflict of intrest and reports of corruption abound,accompanied with evidence I have read that around 90% of diseases can be cured with out drugs surgery or even side effects for dollars a day. theres too much positive news on alternative medicine and nutrition.Of course u wont hear these storys on the media outlets heavily funded by big pharma (drug industry) commercials. The drug industry needs to start getting some results from all the negative pr they have been getting lately. Even the big bad FDA's own scientist are coming out and talking some.But u wont see this stuff in the evening news would u? good read: http://www.newstarget.com/019717.html

Bring on the High-Fructose Corn Syrup. Drink more Dew. Drink more Sprite. Obey your thirst. Feed your kids drinks with less than 100% fruit juice.

Tongue in cheak of course.

Almost reminds you of the idea people have with introducing insects into non-native environments and the bug turns out to be hostile so they introduce a second bug to kill the first, but which turns out to be worse than the first.

1. Farmer thirsty in corn field.
2. Farmer tired of water and lemonade. Sees future in vending machines.
3. Develops early soft drink laced with party enhancers.
4. People like the buzz, but sugar is about all they can stand.
5. Full out sugar drinks get people hyper. Farmer gets bizarre idea to melt corn into corn syrup.
6. Farmer spits in corn syrup, calls it an enzyme.
7. Scientist notes modified corn syrup is sweet and calls it high-fructose to cover up the farmer's spit and replaces sugar in soft drinks.
8. Consumers fresh off the previous ingredient used to lace the drink, get hooked on zero calories.
9. Diabetes Type II breaks out among all soft drink guzzlers.
10. Scientist come out with new way to treat diabetes without addressing a major concern of how it all got started.
11. No one will blame the soft drink makers.

Yeah but it's the bun not the meat that hurts you.
 
  Really?
 
And it's certainly that I couldn't find more sources but this is just the one I care to cite. Not because it's better than any other but I figure if you're too lazy to google the facts for yourself you're probably too lazy to listen too.
 
Don't get me wrong, the bun is bad too but you're far too limited in scope to see the whole picture. And as a non "hollow eyed unhealthy vegetarian" I can tell you that you're pretty wrong on your "facts". Sure, it can be unhealthy, so is water if you drink too much of it. So what's your point really?

That's why the most common reason why people are put in gaol ( jail for Yanks ) is for non-payment of medical bills.

Don't make stuff up, it tanks the credibility of the rest of what you're saying. Violent offenses make up over 50% of those sentenced to prison as of 2004. I've never heard of *anyone* going to jail because of non-payment of medical bills; it's incredibly rare as the system has a bunch of "safety nets" built in. There's plenty you can do before jail becomes relevant.

The US system is what everyone else in the western world points at, and say "at least we're not that fucked up yet".

Now, this part has more truth to it. The WHO lists the US as 37th in Healthcare, well below most other developed nations and 72nd in overall health (that's right down there with Iraq at 75th, althogh in the US's case obesity is probably largely the issue). Of course, this data is from 1997 and healthcare has changed since then, but you get the picture. Many people in the US are starting to go to India to have medical procedures done (yes this is true) because it's cheaper to fly to India and have an Indian doctor perform the surgery or whatever procedure than have a US doctor do it. See here if you're interested.

no. http://www.newstarget.com/003639.html

This is false. In half of bankruptcies filed in the US, medical expenses are a major cause.

an interesting editorial by John Horgan that is being run by the New York Times asking "will there ever be another Einstein?"

With all the parents doping up their kids on antidepressants, I'd say not likely. (We're already seeing that Generation Y can barely wipe its own nose in the workplace. )

Some nutritionists and natural food advocates believe that consumption of high fructose corn syrup should be avoided due to its possible links with obesity and diabetes. Also cited as reasons to avoid HFCS are that it is highly refined, that it might be produced from genetically modified corn, that various molds found on corn might leave harmful byproducts in the final product, or that corn products in general should be avoided. [2], [3] Other nutritionists say that HFCS is no more or less harmful than other forms of sugar and that all sugars should be consumed sparingly. It may be the case that confusion has arisen between the effects of consuming pure fructose as compared to pure glucose, versus the effects of consuming mixtures of the two sugars from different sources.

Actually, they do. Pop is one of the greatest health hazards in common consumption, and no doubt leads fairly directly to many deaths.

Here's a short list of possible health effects:
  - osteoporosis
  - improper bone formation in kids
      - (interesting fact: the only bone I've ever broken is a rib)
  - dental cavities, etc.
  - kidney stone recurrence
  - allergic penicillin reactions
  - white blood cell suppression for 7 hours from one soft drink (effect of sugar)
  - internal methanol production (from aspartame in diet soda)
      - I had a CS professor who always drank diet soda, and also experienced frequent headaches. They have actually discovered cavities in the brains of diet soda drinkers.
  - obesity
  - bladder cancer
  - 50% decrease in fertility
  - rashses and asthma from sodium benzoate

Also, do not take cola and antacids together. They react and cause a variety of uncomfortable conditions.

All this makes me wonder why we ever let food companies hire chemists.

I got almost all of this stuff from this article: http://www.newstarget.com/004416.html

There are reasons pecuiliar to medicine - you know, that involve insuring lots of people don't die because of this device - require extremely expensive testing and no one will be willing to foot that bill unless they have a good chance of making money on it.

So, they are perfectly willing to let those people die if they can't get a patent and guaranteed profits? If one of those people is in their families, you can bet they will do their best to come up with a cure, with or without a patent. If they're only in it for the money, then I would expect a shoddy product put on to the market long before it's ready. Kind of like certain computer operating systems and applications. I would wager that much more money goes to lobbying than to actual R&D.

Well great science fiction is actually at great way to make
at statement about our society that you could not have made directly.

For the reason that ether people would consider you a lunatic
or if you had solid evidence the intelligence services would
arrange a deadly accident for you.

If you only consider it science fiction and don't
see how it is an analogy to the world we live in then
the will be several things that you don't understand in the plot.

Like why the robot in matrix feed on human energy and etc.

Here is a small test which show if you are out of the matrix
http://www.newstarget.com/gullibility.html

I am 100% out of the matrix according to the test.

... when Wonder Bread became healthy.

Yeah, it's pretty rich for someone using the DMCA to accuse the receipient of such notices of being evil.

No problem, just use this. That way, the would-be spammer has to actually touch you. On the other hand, things could get nasty on a crowded subway train . . .

More evidence of misplaced priorities:

http://www.newstarget.com/000757.html
155 ephedra deaths called "tragic" while 100,000 prescription drug deaths ignored by FDA

http://www.consumersunion.org/pub/core_product_saf ety/000721.html
December 30, 2003
CONSUMERS UNION PRAISES FDA MOVE TO BAN EPHEDRA
Yonkers, NY--December 30, 2003--Consumers Union (CU), the independent nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, praised the FDA on Tuesday for taking action to ban dietary supplements containing ephedra.

As reported in the January issue of Consumer Reports, ephedra, an herbal substance also known as "ma huang," is a dangerous heart and central nervous system stimulant similar in effect to amphetamines and speed. The FDA has received at least 16,961 adverse event reports regarding ephedra supplements, including reports of heart attacks, strokes, seizures and fatalities.

Hopefully these kids (and those who are following this story) will learn the following lesson:

It doesn't matter how many security holes a system has; never, ever talk about them or try to get them fixed.

Take, for example, the US's Airport "security." That system is a complete joke. I mean, it is not even funny how easy it is to sneak things past the "guards." If you try to point out where the flaws are, they will arrest you.

Remember, their goal is not to provide security, but rather the illusion of security. The unwashed masses need the government to "do something" so they can go on about their little lives without fear. It doesn't matter if that "something" works or not, or how much money is wasted.

are you telling me you don't realise that the pharmacutical companies do exactly as you are stating. http://www.newstarget.com/001955.html/, http://www.mnwelldir.org/docs/editorial/pharm.htm/ ,

VR hasn't died, it's evolved. Apparently.

Back in the days of VR being a buzzword, I, like many others, was most interested in the game potential. The problem of the VR world not being very touchable lead me (like others I assume) to imagine games where the VR word corresponds to real-world walls, but the VR supplies the fantastical element. Eg, Like how a game of laser-tag is played in a building, but key your headset so that a circular wall becomes the base of a kilometre-high tree or something, or other players are sometimes depicted as non-combatants or ghosts or animals, depending on how the game is intended to play.

It seems like running around a solid world with a real-world-aware VR headset is a an easy low-tech way to solve the locomotion and tactile problems of VR.

That's a good point - consumer electronics companies benefit from IP jsut as much as the copyright cartel. That's why they are ambivalent, at best.

I've been seeing the "market" for DRM-free content exploding recently. Our Media, dead-simple free blogs, and Wikimedia, Creative Commons is becoming downright trendy, and the library of share-alike content grows daily.

Currently, device makers are riding on the coattails of open (or at least unclosed) standards (mp3) in order to sell their DRM-encumbered alternatives (iTunes). No manufacturer is seriously going release a device that can only play closed-format content (Look at Sony)

As demand for unemcumbered content solidifies, demand for non-DRMed formats and players will likewise solidify. There's no way the market will buy a device that requires DRM, so long as there is enough popular content out there that doesn't need it.

So the solution is this: produce and release as much quality share-alike content as fast you possibly can.

Wow. I read a few of those articles and immediately thought 'This is ad copy, these guys are selling something'. Pretty quick comes up an article about how governments are stockpiling Tamiflu, which might not be effective against bird flu anyway. Oh, but the author has researched some herbal antiviral supliments and they are really powerful and better than Tamiflu anyway. Oh, look, some nice google ads for some herbal antiviral supliments.

Don't miss the other articles, like "Vitamins are deadly! ...and other nonsense you will hear in the mainstream press"

Then I notice the authors bio at the bottom of the page. He's a health nut with thousands of hours of studying nutrition etc etc, and has written all these books, etc, etc, and then:

In the technology industry, Adams is president and CEO of a well known email marketing software company.

Yes, thats right, he's a spammer (evidently a very healthy one, but a spammer none-the-less).

Read it, but keep the BS detector powered up.

The Americans are already using armed robots to kill, er, I mean, free Iraqis.

Concerning the North's efforts to contain bird flu, the ROK has been asked to help/send assistance to the North. The threat of bird flu (H5N1) and the resulting destruction of an important food source does not bode well for the DPRK.

Perhaps the South's robot technology can lead to robots that can spray disinfectants in the big chicken farms the North Koreans have (or had). Humans have to wear protective suits to do that.

Check out what one scientist says about bird flu killing 1 billion people.

Hope North Korea gets the aid it needs to contain the virus for a while longer.

The US is sending testing kits needed to determine the scope of the problem.

Concerning the North's efforts to contain bird flu, the ROK has been asked to help/send assistance to the North. The threat of bird flu (H5N1) and the resulting destruction of an important food source does not bode well for the DPRK.

Perhaps the South's robot technology can lead to robots that can spray disinfectants in the big chicken farms the North Koreans have (or had). Humans have to wear protective suits to do that.

Check out what one scientist says about bird flu killing 1 billion people.

Hope North Korea gets the aid it needs to contain the virus for a while longer.

The US is sending testing kits needed to determine the scope of the problem.

Please do a modicum of research before makings posts such as the parent.

The suit to which zerkon refers was initially dismissed by the district court for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. The plaintiffs appealed to the 2nd Circuit, and that court has reversed a portion of the summary judgment. The plaintiffs haven't won at all, unless you count it as a victory that their case will get to trial.

But don't take my (or zerkon's) word for it: http://www.newstarget.com/003994.html

And in the future, this is a pretty useful site http://news.google.com/

It's also been linked to nerve system damage.

Date: Tue, 16 Nov 2004 15:58:45 -0800 (PST)
From: spatch3
Subject: Opposition to bill HR4077
To: feinstein, boxer

Dear Senators,

I realize it is an ongoing, uphill, losing battle to
continually oppose more egregious and draconian
copyright bills that keep cropping up in both the
house and senate. I believe, as do the courts, that
the DMCA of 1998 has many un-constitutional provisions
in it and bill HR4077, presently going to the Senate,
is no different than the DMCA in this respect.
I strongly encourage you to vote against the bill referred to here:

To enhance criminal enforcement of the copyright laws, to educate the public about the application of copyright law to the Internet, and for other purposes.

Please see the following sites for dissenting voices
about this legislation:

Senate May Ram Copyright Bill

Your Rights Online: Senate May Rush Copyright Legislation

Bad: HR4077 Passed the House


Thank you for your consideration.

Chris


PS: Links to court cases that have struck down or
clarified significant portions of the 1998 DMCA:

Court strikes a good balance in file swapping case

Lexmark loses printer toner cartridges lawsuit; DMCA dives, consumers win big

Lexmark Loss Good for Consumers

United States: Circumvention Provision Of The Digital Millennium Copyright Act Is Not A New Property Right