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[tapu]

Originally Posted by MsDemeanor

Not to worry, the Supremes can take care of this pesky little ruling....

Stop! In the name of love... Before you break...

[MsTinkerbelly]

Originally Posted by DapperButch

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/1..._lnk2%7C118130

Secretary Clinton’s speech, and what matters as much or more
By Adam Bink

Like many of you here, I read through Secretary Clinton’s speech today (a top 8 moments can be found here). It certainly made headlines not just in the US around the world, and it was an important gesture and decision to stand up for a minority that often goes voiceless. But many of you thought as I did, which is, okay, great, she made a speech. Speeches educate the public and change minds. But what does that compel other countries to do? What do representatives in, say, Nigeria, whose lawmakers not only have “banned” being gay but are moving to criminalize same-sex marriage with a jail term of up to 14 years, care about a speech?

Then the following memorandum issued by the White House came into my inbox. In it are important measures to be taken by this Administration, including relating to foreign aid. These kinds of things are the ones that make countries listen.

In my opinion, that’s the real positive outcome of today: that this Administration says it will walk the walk, and not just talk to talk. The memorandum can be found below.

December 06, 2011
Presidential Memorandum — International Initiatives to Advance the Human Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Persons

MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES

SUBJECT: International Initiatives to Advance the Human Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Persons

The struggle to end discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons is a global challenge, and one that is central to the United States commitment to promoting human rights. I am deeply concerned by the violence and discrimination targeting LGBT persons around the world whether it is passing laws that criminalize LGBT status, beating citizens simply for joining peaceful LGBT pride celebrations, or killing men, women, and children for their perceived sexual orientation. That is why I declared before heads of state gathered at the United Nations, “no country should deny people their rights because of who they love, which is why we must stand up for the rights of gays and lesbians everywhere.” Under my Administration, agencies engaged abroad have already begun taking action to promote the fundamental human rights of LGBT persons everywhere. Our deep commitment to advancing the human rights of all people is strengthened when we as the United States bring our tools to bear to vigorously advance this goal.

By this memorandum I am directing all agencies engaged abroad to ensure that U.S. diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect the human rights of LGBT persons. Specifically, I direct the following actions, consistent with applicable law:

Section 1. Combating Criminalization of LGBT Status or Conduct Abroad. Agencies engaged abroad are directed to strengthen existing efforts to effectively combat the criminalization by foreign governments of LGBT status or conduct and to expand efforts to combat discrimination, homophobia, and intolerance on the basis of LGBT status or conduct.

Sec. 2. Protecting Vulnerable LGBT Refugees and Asylum Seekers. Those LGBT persons who seek refuge from violence and persecution face daunting challenges. In order to improve protection for LGBT refugees and asylum seekers at all stages of displacement, the Departments of State and Homeland Security shall enhance their ongoing efforts to ensure that LGBT refugees and asylum seekers have equal access to protection and assistance, particularly in countries of first asylum. In addition, the Departments of State, Justice, and Homeland Security shall ensure appropriate training is in place so that relevant Federal Government personnel and key partners can effectively address the protection of LGBT refugees and asylum seekers, including by providing to them adequate assistance and ensuring that the

Federal Government has the ability to identify and expedite resettlement of highly vulnerable persons with urgent protection needs.

Sec. 3. Foreign Assistance to Protect Human Rights and Advance Nondiscrimination. Agencies involved with foreign aid, assistance, and development shall enhance their ongoing efforts to ensure regular Federal Government engagement with governments, citizens, civil society, and the private sector in order to build respect for the human rights of LGBT persons.

Sec. 4. Swift and Meaningful U.S. Responses to Human Rights Abuses of LGBT Persons Abroad. The Department of State shall lead a standing group, with appropriate interagency representation, to help ensure the Federal Government’s swift and meaningful response to serious incidents that threaten the human rights of LGBT persons abroad.

Sec. 5. Engaging International Organizations in the Fight Against LGBT Discrimination. Multilateral fora and international organizations are key vehicles to promote respect for the human rights of LGBT persons and to bring global attention to LGBT issues. Building on the State Department’s leadership in this area, agencies engaged abroad should strengthen the work they have begun and initiate additional efforts in these multilateral fora and organizations to: counter discrimination on the basis of LGBT status; broaden the number of countries willing to support and defend LGBT issues in the multilateral arena; strengthen the role of civil society advocates on behalf of LGBT issues within and through multilateral fora; and strengthen the policies and programming of multilateral institutions on LGBT issues.

Sec. 6. Reporting on Progress. All agencies engaged abroad shall prepare a report within 180 days of the date of this memorandum, and annually thereafter, on their progress toward advancing these initiatives. All such agencies shall submit their reports to the Department of State, which will compile a report on the Federal Government’s progress in advancing these initiatives for transmittal to the President.

Sec. 7. Definitions. (a) For the purposes of this memorandum, agencies engaged abroad include the Departments of State, the Treasury, Defense, Justice, Agriculture, Commerce, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the Export Import Bank, the United States Trade Representative, and such other agencies as the President may designate.

(b) For the purposes of this memorandum, agencies involved with foreign aid, assistance, and development include the Departments of State, the Treasury, Defense, Justice, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security, the USAID, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the Export Import Bank, the United States Trade Representative, and such other agencies as the President may designate.

This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

The Secretary of State is hereby authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

BARACK OBAMA

[SoNotHer]

Thank you for posting this. It is good to see action accompanying the speech. I would encourage those who haven't visited Iamkeri's thread with a video of the speech to do so as well.

Originally Posted by MsTinkerbelly

Secretary Clinton’s speech, and what matters as much or more
By Adam Bink

Like many of you here, I read through Secretary Clinton’s speech today (a top 8 moments can be found here). It certainly made headlines not just in the US around the world, and it was an important gesture and decision to stand up for a minority that often goes voiceless. But many of you thought as I did, which is, okay, great, she made a speech. Speeches educate the public and change minds. But what does that compel other countries to do? What do representatives in, say, Nigeria, whose lawmakers not only have “banned” being gay but are moving to criminalize same-sex marriage with a jail term of up to 14 years, care about a speech?

Then the following memorandum issued by the White House came into my inbox. In it are important measures to be taken by this Administration, including relating to foreign aid. These kinds of things are the ones that make countries listen.

In my opinion, that’s the real positive outcome of today: that this Administration says it will walk the walk, and not just talk to talk. The memorandum can be found below.

December 06, 2011
Presidential Memorandum — International Initiatives to Advance the Human Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Persons

MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES

SUBJECT: International Initiatives to Advance the Human Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Persons

The struggle to end discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons is a global challenge, and one that is central to the United States commitment to promoting human rights. I am deeply concerned by the violence and discrimination targeting LGBT persons around the world whether it is passing laws that criminalize LGBT status, beating citizens simply for joining peaceful LGBT pride celebrations, or killing men, women, and children for their perceived sexual orientation. That is why I declared before heads of state gathered at the United Nations, “no country should deny people their rights because of who they love, which is why we must stand up for the rights of gays and lesbians everywhere.” Under my Administration, agencies engaged abroad have already begun taking action to promote the fundamental human rights of LGBT persons everywhere. Our deep commitment to advancing the human rights of all people is strengthened when we as the United States bring our tools to bear to vigorously advance this goal.

By this memorandum I am directing all agencies engaged abroad to ensure that U.S. diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect the human rights of LGBT persons. Specifically, I direct the following actions, consistent with applicable law:

Section 1. Combating Criminalization of LGBT Status or Conduct Abroad. Agencies engaged abroad are directed to strengthen existing efforts to effectively combat the criminalization by foreign governments of LGBT status or conduct and to expand efforts to combat discrimination, homophobia, and intolerance on the basis of LGBT status or conduct.

Sec. 2. Protecting Vulnerable LGBT Refugees and Asylum Seekers. Those LGBT persons who seek refuge from violence and persecution face daunting challenges. In order to improve protection for LGBT refugees and asylum seekers at all stages of displacement, the Departments of State and Homeland Security shall enhance their ongoing efforts to ensure that LGBT refugees and asylum seekers have equal access to protection and assistance, particularly in countries of first asylum. In addition, the Departments of State, Justice, and Homeland Security shall ensure appropriate training is in place so that relevant Federal Government personnel and key partners can effectively address the protection of LGBT refugees and asylum seekers, including by providing to them adequate assistance and ensuring that the

Federal Government has the ability to identify and expedite resettlement of highly vulnerable persons with urgent protection needs.

Sec. 3. Foreign Assistance to Protect Human Rights and Advance Nondiscrimination. Agencies involved with foreign aid, assistance, and development shall enhance their ongoing efforts to ensure regular Federal Government engagement with governments, citizens, civil society, and the private sector in order to build respect for the human rights of LGBT persons.

Sec. 4. Swift and Meaningful U.S. Responses to Human Rights Abuses of LGBT Persons Abroad. The Department of State shall lead a standing group, with appropriate interagency representation, to help ensure the Federal Government’s swift and meaningful response to serious incidents that threaten the human rights of LGBT persons abroad.

Sec. 5. Engaging International Organizations in the Fight Against LGBT Discrimination. Multilateral fora and international organizations are key vehicles to promote respect for the human rights of LGBT persons and to bring global attention to LGBT issues. Building on the State Department’s leadership in this area, agencies engaged abroad should strengthen the work they have begun and initiate additional efforts in these multilateral fora and organizations to: counter discrimination on the basis of LGBT status; broaden the number of countries willing to support and defend LGBT issues in the multilateral arena; strengthen the role of civil society advocates on behalf of LGBT issues within and through multilateral fora; and strengthen the policies and programming of multilateral institutions on LGBT issues.

Sec. 6. Reporting on Progress. All agencies engaged abroad shall prepare a report within 180 days of the date of this memorandum, and annually thereafter, on their progress toward advancing these initiatives. All such agencies shall submit their reports to the Department of State, which will compile a report on the Federal Government’s progress in advancing these initiatives for transmittal to the President.

Sec. 7. Definitions. (a) For the purposes of this memorandum, agencies engaged abroad include the Departments of State, the Treasury, Defense, Justice, Agriculture, Commerce, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the Export Import Bank, the United States Trade Representative, and such other agencies as the President may designate.

(b) For the purposes of this memorandum, agencies involved with foreign aid, assistance, and development include the Departments of State, the Treasury, Defense, Justice, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security, the USAID, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the Export Import Bank, the United States Trade Representative, and such other agencies as the President may designate.

This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

The Secretary of State is hereby authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

BARACK OBAMA

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by DapperButch

I agree with what you are saying here when it comes to medication. I strongly disagree that our government doesn't have clear evidence of cancer being caused right now by a slew of environmental situations that they ignore. Every. Single. Day. But that is just my belief.

I also think that people are entitled to sound research on prescription medications in order to make informed decisions about taking them. There are situations in which one decides that whatever side effects do not outweigh the benefits for them. We do have to make difficult decisions in life like this, but I don't believe that we get the data from objective researchers in order to really base these decisions on. I don't like that these variables exist, but, sometimes quality of life can outweigh longevity for some people. But they need the best researched data to consider what they want to do.

[MissItalianDiva]

Just read this and thought this was pretty awesome. Still much to be done but nice to see progression

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A new scorecard compiled by the nation's largest gay rights group shows the number of major U.S. companies covering the cost of gender reassignment surgery for transgender workers has more than doubled in the past year. The Human Rights Campaign says in a report to be published Thursday that 207 of the 636 businesses it surveyed for its annual Corporate Equality Index either are providing transgender-inclusive employee health benefits or plan to at the start of next year. Last year, 85 companies had insurance plans that paid for sex transformation surgeries. Only 49 did in 2009. A decade ago, when the campaign launched the index, none did. Among the corporations that expanded their insurance coverage this year are Apple, Chevron, General Mills, Dow Chemical, American Airlines, Kellogg and Office Depot.

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by DapperButch

I agree with what you are saying here when it comes to medication. I strongly disagree that our government doesn't have clear evidence of cancer being caused right now by a slew of environmental situations that they ignore. Every. Single. Day. But that is just my belief.

Had to come to this- I think the evidence is clear when research is supported by our government and done by unbiased researchers. Like drug studies, far too often environmental research gets farmed outside of the agencies that are responsible to all of us concerning these hazards. The whole conflict of interest investigations. This has happened due to so much due to funding cuts and contracting out to private entities to do studies. It is extremely depressing to see how much research grants to universities have been eliminated and these would most likely bring in the best work.

I see the point you are making, but there is a huge lag in follow-up studies in order to replicate findings which would really get firm conclusions out to the public. Again, due to lack of resources. Think about how so many environmental impact studies not done simply because a loophole is found that gets around having to do them. Even when sound regulations are developed calling for testing, there always seems to be a way around them. This happens often with environmental studies.

I think overall, that there is more fruad and deception in areas like drug studies because the FDA allows the very company developing a drug to do studies in the first place. But also, to cut costs, our own government agencies allow environmental studies to done by research "companies" in the private sector and often further studies of the possible negative outcomes are not done because of weak methodology and what is or isn't considered "significant." Makes me sick how politics ends up rolling over research design and methodology. Also so many talented scientists are wooed to private jobs by huge increases in salaries and leave public research.

[SoNotHer]

Combining Medical Marijuana with Opiates to Fight Chronic Pain

ENN: Environmental News Network -- Know Your Environment
From: David A Gabel, ENN
Published December 7, 2011 09:43 AM


Scientists have found that patients who suffer from chronic pain can receive greater relief if medical marijuana is combined with their opiate-based pain medicine. Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco have conducted a small scale study to see if this combination produces any real benefits. They intended to show that the cannabis, rather than relieving pain itself, actually caused the opiate medicine such as morphine or oxycodone to be more effective. While the cannabis did not bolster the opiates in the blood, the patients all declared that their pain had been significantly decreased.

According to the National Centers for Health Statistics, 76 million Americans suffer from chronic pain, more than diabetes, heart disease, and cancer combined. "Pain is a big problem in America and chronic pain is a reason many people utilize the health care system," said the paper's lead author, Dr. Donald Abrams, professor of clinical medicine at UCSF and chief of the Hematology-Oncology Division at San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center (SFGH). "And chronic pain is, unfortunately, one of the problems we're least capable of managing effectively."

The study was conducted by administering controlled amounts of cannabinoids, the main ingredient in medical marijuana, via inhalation through a vaporizer. The goal was to see if adding the cannabinoids changed the level of opiates in the blood stream. The researchers measured the opiate levels prior to the cannabis. Then, the 21 patients were subject to vaporized cannabis for four consecutive days. The result was a very slight drop in opiate levels, leading the scientists to believe that the patients would receive less pain relief.



However, they were surprised to find that the patients actually reported an increase in their overall pain relief. Those who were on morphine reported a 33 percent reduction in pain, and those on oxycodone reported a 34 percent reduction.The results imply that patients may be able to decrease their intake of opiates but receive greater pain relief by also taking medical marijuana. This can be extremely beneficial due to the negative side effects of opiates, which can be highly addictive, suppress the respiratory system, and cause nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite.

The researchers intend to expand their study by examining individual chemicals within marijuana. For example, the main psychoactive ingredient is Delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta-9 THC). Another ingredient which is good at fighting pain, without creating the "high" sensation, is cannabidol (CBD). The next step, according to Dr. Abrams, would be to conduct similar medical trials with each cannabis strain.

The report was published in the journal, Clinical Pharmacology & Therpeutics.

Link to published article: http://www.nature.com/clpt/journal/v...t2011188a.html

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by SoNotHer

Combining Medical Marijuana with Opiates to Fight Chronic Pain

ENN: Environmental News Network -- Know Your Environment
From: David A Gabel, ENN
Published December 7, 2011 09:43 AM


Scientists have found that patients who suffer from chronic pain can receive greater relief if medical marijuana is combined with their opiate-based pain medicine. Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco have conducted a small scale study to see if this combination produces any real benefits. They intended to show that the cannabis, rather than relieving pain itself, actually caused the opiate medicine such as morphine or oxycodone to be more effective. While the cannabis did not bolster the opiates in the blood, the patients all declared that their pain had been significantly decreased.

According to the National Centers for Health Statistics, 76 million Americans suffer from chronic pain, more than diabetes, heart disease, and cancer combined. "Pain is a big problem in America and chronic pain is a reason many people utilize the health care system," said the paper's lead author, Dr. Donald Abrams, professor of clinical medicine at UCSF and chief of the Hematology-Oncology Division at San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center (SFGH). "And chronic pain is, unfortunately, one of the problems we're least capable of managing effectively."

The study was conducted by administering controlled amounts of cannabinoids, the main ingredient in medical marijuana, via inhalation through a vaporizer. The goal was to see if adding the cannabinoids changed the level of opiates in the blood stream. The researchers measured the opiate levels prior to the cannabis. Then, the 21 patients were subject to vaporized cannabis for four consecutive days. The result was a very slight drop in opiate levels, leading the scientists to believe that the patients would receive less pain relief.



However, they were surprised to find that the patients actually reported an increase in their overall pain relief. Those who were on morphine reported a 33 percent reduction in pain, and those on oxycodone reported a 34 percent reduction.The results imply that patients may be able to decrease their intake of opiates but receive greater pain relief by also taking medical marijuana. This can be extremely beneficial due to the negative side effects of opiates, which can be highly addictive, suppress the respiratory system, and cause nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite.

The researchers intend to expand their study by examining individual chemicals within marijuana. For example, the main psychoactive ingredient is Delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta-9 THC). Another ingredient which is good at fighting pain, without creating the "high" sensation, is cannabidol (CBD). The next step, according to Dr. Abrams, would be to conduct similar medical trials with each cannabis strain.

The report was published in the journal, Clinical Pharmacology & Therpeutics.

Link to published article: http://www.nature.com/clpt/journal/v...t2011188a.html

This is really interesting- especially if results continue to yield what looks like a way to decrease opiates due to their side effects that so often hurt daily quality of life for people with chronic pain (as well as the addiction). So many end up chronically depressed not fully due to the constant pain, but the suppression of neurotransmission and output caused by opiates. This could prove to be a big help!

[SoNotHer]

Indeed, it would. I think pain is important inasmuch as it's your indication that something is off; nevertheless, I find studies like this promising, especially for folks in chronic pain.

Originally Posted by AtLast

This is really interesting- especially if results continue to yield what looks like a way to decrease opiates due to their side effects that so often hurt daily quality of life for people with chronic pain (as well as the addiction). So many end up chronically depressed not fully due to the constant pain, but the suppression of neurotransmission and output caused by opiates. This could prove to be a big help!

[Kobi]

The US Air Force dumped the cremated, partial remains of at least 274 troops in a landfill before halting the secretive practice in 2008, the Washington Post reported Thursday.

The procedure was never formally authorized or disclosed to senior Pentagon officials, who conducted a review of the cremation policies of Dover Air Base -- the main point of entry for US war dead -- in 2008, the Post said.

Nor was the dumping ever disclosed to the families of the fallen troops, who had authorized the military to dispose of the remains in a respectful and dignified manner, the Post said, citing Air Force officials.

The newspaper quoted officials as saying that a precise count of the remains disposed of at a Virginia landfill would require searching through the records of 6,300 troops whose remains have passed through Dover since 2001.

An additional group of 1,762 remains -- which could not undergo DNA testing because they were badly damaged or burned -- were also disposed of in this manner, the Post said, citing the Air Force.

Defense officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Last month investigators said they had found "gross mismanagement" at the US Air Force mortuary, with body parts lost and remains mishandled.

After allegations from whistle-blowers, an Air Force probe found that two "portions of the remains" of fallen troops had been lost and uncovered other problems at the morgue.

New procedures have been put in place at the mortuary and the commander at the morgue, a colonel, together with two civilian officials were disciplined over the episode but not sacked.

The Dover affair echoes a scandal that erupted last year at Arlington National Cemetery, the country's hallowed ground for war dead. Investigators there uncovered cases of misidentified remains and mismanagement.

Following an Army probe, the conduct at Arlington is now the subject of a criminal investigation.

http://news.yahoo.com/remains-274-us...081234306.html

[Kobi]

Sandusky's wife says he would not harm children

By GENARO C. ARMAS and MARK SCOLFORO | AP – 2 hrs 19 mins ago

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — The wife of ex-Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky said Thursday that her husband is innocent of the child sex abuse allegations against him and that his accusers are making up their stories.

Dottie Sandusky's comments were the first she has made since her husband was arrested last month and accused of molesting boys he met through a charity he founded for troubled youth.

She released the statement through her husband's lawyer a day after a grand jury report said one alleged victim screamed in vain for her to help him while Sandusky attacked him in a basement bedroom.

Dottie Sandusky said she is devastated by the accusations and that no such incident occurred.

"I am so sad anyone would make such a terrible accusation which is absolutely untrue," she said. "We don't know why these young men have made these false accusations, but we want everyone to know they are untrue."

She added that she and her husband love children and have always tried to help and care for them, and would never do anything to hurt them.

Sandusky faces more than 50 charges stemming from what authorities say were assaults on 10 boys in his home, on Penn State property and elsewhere. He has maintained his innocence.

___

http://news.yahoo.com/sanduskys-wife...211724380.html

[SoNotHer]

Chile glacier in rapid retreat
Thu, Dec 8, 2011

The Jorge Montt glacier is seen in Southern Patagonia, some 1,800 km south of Santiago. The Jorge Montt glacier in southern Chile is melting at a rate of a kilometer (0.6 miles) per year, making it one of the world's most visible milestones of global warming, according to researchers. (AFP Photo/)

The Jorge Montt glacier is seen in Southern Patagonia, some 1,800 km south of Santiago. …



Chile's Center for Scientific Studies (CECs) said Wednesday that several glaciers in the country's south have shrunk because of global warming but that the 454-square-kilometer Jorge Montt is one of those shrinking the fastest. The withering glacier is part of the 13,000-square-kilometer (5,020 square mile) Southern Ice Field, the third largest frozen landmass after Antarctica and Greenland.

During the 1990s, the glacier retreated some seven kilometers, but its rate of melting has "accelerated," releasing an increasing number of icebergs into the fjord where the glacier lay, according to Andres Rivera, of the CECs. The latest study of the glacier took place between February 2010 and January of this year, during which two stationary cameras timed to shoot four times a day took some 1,445 pictures of the glacier.

Baraer and his colleagues examined satellite views of the Cordillera Blanca glaciers and levels of water discharge, as well as how much the flow varied over time. They found that peak discharge from the glacier is over, Baraer said. That means that less water will reach the Rio Santa Valley during the June to November dry season, when rain is minimal and communities rely on meltwater to supply towns and agricultural fields. If the glaciers disappear completely, Baraer said, water discharge from the mountains during the Rio Santa dry season may shrink by another 30 percent of the current level. Dams could save up wet season precipitation in reservoirs for the dry season, Baraer said, but liquid reservoirs evaporate faster than solid ice glaciers, meaning that the lakes wouldn't be able to provide as much water as the glaciers have traditionally stored.

"Dams, of course, can be seen as a solution for some very particular projects, but we have to know that these dams will never ever replace the hydrological systems that are in place today," he said. Other South American regions in Bolivia, Chile and Ecuador may soon face similar challenges, he said. Peruvian officials expected this day to come, Baraer added, but many expected to have decades to plan for the end of peak water.

"What it means now for the population is that instead of having 10, 20, 30 years' perspective to find some solution for water use and allocation, in fact, these years do not exist," Baraer said.

You can follow LiveScience senior writer Stephanie Pappas on Twitter @sipappas. Follow LiveScience for the latest in science news and discoveries on Twitter @livescience and on Facebook.

http://news.yahoo.com/chile-glacier-...171225862.html

[*Anya*]

From Medscape Medical News > Psychiatry

FDA Forced to Rule on Potential BPA Food Packaging Ban

Barbara Boughton

December 8, 2011 (San Francisco, California) — As part of a settlement in a lawsuit brought against the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the agency has agreed to rule on whether the controversial chemical bisphenol A (BPA) should be banned in food and beverage packaging.

The lawsuit was brought by the Natural Resources Defense Council, a national nonprofit environmental advocacy group, which filed a petition with the FDA in 2008 requesting that BPA be banned as a food additive.

When the FDA did not reply in the timeframe required by law — at most 180 days — the NRDC took its case to court. The new settlement announced on Wednesday requires the FDA to decide on BPA use by the end of March 2012.

"There have been hundreds of studies that show that bisphenol A causes harm in many different ways and in many different body systems, including the reproductive system, and it poses a risk for development of cancer. It hasn't been shown to be safe," Sarah Janssen, MD, PhD, senior scientist with the NRDC, told Medscape Medical News.

"We're happy that the FDA will be required to respond to our petition but at the same time we had to go to the courts to get them to do their job," Dr. Janssen added.

Dr. Janssen noted that the FDA could respond in a range of ways to the NRDC petition — by denying it in whole, by revoking approval for BPA in all food-related products, or by revoking approval in certain products named by the NRDC as a particular concern, such as baby food jars.

Because of the controversy surrounding the use of BPA, many baby bottle manufacturers and some plastic water bottle manufacturers have already stopped using BPA in their products.

BPA Ubiquitous

However, the chemical is ubiquitous in modern-day consumer products — it is found in polycarbonate plastic products, such as water bottles; resins used to line metal products, such as canned foods; as well as juice boxes, packaged foods, and even cash register receipts.

Animal studies as well as human epidemiologic studies have linked BPA to increased risk for precancerous growths in the mammary and prostate glands and to such health conditions as heart disease, liver disease, diabetes, and behavior conditions in children (eg, depression, anxiety, and hyperactivity).

Yet the link between BPA and health conditions in humans has been controversial, and in 2008 a report by the US National Toxicology Program expressed some concerns about the chemical's health effects on just fetuses, infants, and children. The report also concluded that the low levels of BPA most people are exposed to as adults were of "negligible concern."

The FDA declined a request by Medscape Medical News for an interview, but in its latest statement on BPA, released in January 2010, the agency noted that recent studies raise some concern about the potential effects of the chemical on the brain; behavior; and the prostate gland in fetuses, infants, and children.

Yet the agency's statement also noted that there are "substantial uncertainties with respect to the overall interpretations of these studies and their potential implications for human health."

New scientific studies on humans and animals now underway may provide at least some answers to the questions of how harmful BPA is to infants, children, and adults — if it is harmful at all.

Some Remain Unconvinced

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has earmarked $30 million in funding to study BPA, and it's expected that results from some human and animal studies will be available within the next 6 to 12 months, according to Joe M. Braun, MSPH, PhD, from the Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.

In a study published in Pediatrics in October and reported by Medscape Medical News at that time, Dr. Braun and colleagues found that prenatal exposure to BPA was associated with anxious, depressive, and hyperactive behaviors in female children at age 3 but not in male children of the same age.

"The new study results [of a soon-to-be-released paper] may help resolve some of the inconsistencies we've seen in both human and animal studies regarding BPA," Dr. Braun told Medscape Medical News. "Newer studies may help resolve questions about the potential harm of BPA, but then some people may even then remain unconvinced," he said.

Whatever the FDA ultimately decides, the agency's judgment will be welcomed by both industry and consumers alike, said Gilbert Ross, MD, medical and executive director of the American Council on Science and Health, a nonprofit that receives funding from industry as well as other sources.

"BPA use is widespread in consumer products, and its safety is well-studied," Dr. Ross said. "The consensus of the scientific data is that there is no serious threat to human health," he added. On the basis of the scientific evidence, concern about the health effects of BPA are unjustified, he added.

Canned Goods a Major Source

"If BPA were to be banned from consumer products such as canned goods, in which the chemical keeps metal from leaching into foods, substitutes would have to be found," Dr. Ross noted." And none of the possible substitutes are as well studied as BPA," he said.

Dr. Janssen acknowledged that it's likely that the FDA will revoke approval for use of BPA in baby bottles and sippy cups in response to an industry petition filed several months ago.

"But we know that the major source of exposure isn't baby bottles, but canned foods," Dr. Janssen wrote in the NRDC's blog, Switchboard, after the announcement of the settlement.

"Every day millions of American consumers are exposed to this dangerous chemical...The FDA has an obligation to use scientific evidence to assure us that food additives such as BPA are safe," Dr. Janssen writes.

Dr. Janssen, Dr. Braun, and Dr. Ross have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

Medscape Medical News © 2011 WebMD, LLC

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by Kobi

Sandusky's wife says he would not harm children

By GENARO C. ARMAS and MARK SCOLFORO | AP – 2 hrs 19 mins ago

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — The wife of ex-Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky said Thursday that her husband is innocent of the child sex abuse allegations against him and that his accusers are making up their stories.

Dottie Sandusky's comments were the first she has made since her husband was arrested last month and accused of molesting boys he met through a charity he founded for troubled youth.

She released the statement through her husband's lawyer a day after a grand jury report said one alleged victim screamed in vain for her to help him while Sandusky attacked him in a basement bedroom.

Dottie Sandusky said she is devastated by the accusations and that no such incident occurred.

"I am so sad anyone would make such a terrible accusation which is absolutely untrue," she said. "We don't know why these young men have made these false accusations, but we want everyone to know they are untrue."

She added that she and her husband love children and have always tried to help and care for them, and would never do anything to hurt them.

Sandusky faces more than 50 charges stemming from what authorities say were assaults on 10 boys in his home, on Penn State property and elsewhere. He has maintained his innocence.

___

http://news.yahoo.com/sanduskys-wife...211724380.html

She sure is. This is so common with offending spouse's complete denial over many years. Very common. In fact, this entire case is text book (no pun intended)! And one can see total rationalization in Sandusky's eyes when he is interviewed. And a pet peeve is going on for me with all of the comments from his friends about him being a "big kid." He is a grown man and a sexual predator. How much has that persona projection thwarted his closest associates seeing what he was up to?

Actually, at trial with a DA and team with expertise with child sexual abuse (especially serial offenders), his interviews will be key evidence against him with expert witnesses. His lawyer is an idiot!

Thankfully, he is under house arrest and has to wear a GPS device- just like any other person with these kinds of charges.

[RiverBoi]

Originally Posted by Kobi

The US Air Force dumped the cremated, partial remains of at least 274 troops in a landfill before halting the secretive practice in 2008, the Washington Post reported Thursday.

The procedure was never formally authorized or disclosed to senior Pentagon officials, who conducted a review of the cremation policies of Dover Air Base -- the main point of entry for US war dead -- in 2008, the Post said.

Nor was the dumping ever disclosed to the families of the fallen troops, who had authorized the military to dispose of the remains in a respectful and dignified manner, the Post said, citing Air Force officials.

The newspaper quoted officials as saying that a precise count of the remains disposed of at a Virginia landfill would require searching through the records of 6,300 troops whose remains have passed through Dover since 2001.

An additional group of 1,762 remains -- which could not undergo DNA testing because they were badly damaged or burned -- were also disposed of in this manner, the Post said, citing the Air Force.

Defense officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Last month investigators said they had found "gross mismanagement" at the US Air Force mortuary, with body parts lost and remains mishandled.

After allegations from whistle-blowers, an Air Force probe found that two "portions of the remains" of fallen troops had been lost and uncovered other problems at the morgue.

New procedures have been put in place at the mortuary and the commander at the morgue, a colonel, together with two civilian officials were disciplined over the episode but not sacked.

The Dover affair echoes a scandal that erupted last year at Arlington National Cemetery, the country's hallowed ground for war dead. Investigators there uncovered cases of misidentified remains and mismanagement.

Following an Army probe, the conduct at Arlington is now the subject of a criminal investigation.

http://news.yahoo.com/remains-274-us...081234306.html

The fact that this has been going on for a long time is fairly disturbing. I can understand that they have to do something with the bodies of unidentified soldiers or soldiers whose family asked them to dispose of the bodies. A landfill is just not the proper place! I think that, since it is not feasible to bury the cremains of every fallen soldier in time of war, they should at least put the cremains out to sea. Such an injustice to those who die serving our country. I was in the Air Force and Air National Guard for 12 years. Sadly, there are many things that the civilian would would be very aghast over if they were to be informed by our government. This would be a prime example.

[AtLast]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43257536/ns/health-diabetes/
Indian tribe turns to tradition to fight diabetes
Arizona's Tohono Nation hopes indigenous foods can help stop skyrocketing disease rate

[SoNotHer]

Abuse May Alter Child's Brain Activity

FRIDAY, Dec. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Children who are abused or exposed to family violence have changes in brain activity similar to those seen in combat veterans, a new study finds. The brains of these children become increasingly "tuned" for identifying possible sources of danger, said U.K. researchers who used functional imaging to monitor brain activity.

When the study authors showed pictures of angry faces to children with a history of abuse, the children's brains showed increased activity in the anterior insula and amygdala, which are involved in detecting threat and anticipating pain. These changes don't indicate brain damage but are the brain's way of adapting to a challenging or dangerous environment, study author Eamon McCrory, of University College London, explained. The study appears in the Dec. 6 issue of the journal Current Biology.

"Enhanced reactivity to a biologically salient threat cue such as anger may represent an adaptive response for these children in the short term, helping keep them out of danger," McCrory said in a journal news release. "However, it may also constitute an underlying neurobiological risk factor increasing their vulnerability to later mental health problems, and particularly anxiety."

The findings are important because of the large numbers of children who are exposed to family violence. "This underlines the importance of taking seriously the impact for a child of living in a family characterized by violence. Even if such a child is not showing overt signs of anxiety or depression, these experiences still appear to have a measurable effect at the neural level," McCrory said.

More information

The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more about child abuse.

This article is available here -

http://news.yahoo.com/abuse-may-alte...170206644.html

[DapperButch]

Highlighted by me in this color

Originally Posted by *Anya*

From Medscape Medical News > Psychiatry

FDA Forced to Rule on Potential BPA Food Packaging Ban

Barbara Boughton

December 8, 2011 (San Francisco, California) — As part of a settlement in a lawsuit brought against the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the agency has agreed to rule on whether the controversial chemical bisphenol A (BPA) should be banned in food and beverage packaging.

The lawsuit was brought by the Natural Resources Defense Council, a national nonprofit environmental advocacy group, which filed a petition with the FDA in 2008 requesting that BPA be banned as a food additive.

When the FDA did not reply in the timeframe required by law — at most 180 days — the NRDC took its case to court. The new settlement announced on Wednesday requires the FDA to decide on BPA use by the end of March 2012.

"There have been hundreds of studies that show that bisphenol A causes harm in many different ways and in many different body systems, including the reproductive system, and it poses a risk for development of cancer. It hasn't been shown to be safe," Sarah Janssen, MD, PhD, senior scientist with the NRDC, told Medscape Medical News.

"We're happy that the FDA will be required to respond to our petition but at the same time we had to go to the courts to get them to do their job," Dr. Janssen added.

Dr. Janssen noted that the FDA could respond in a range of ways to the NRDC petition — by denying it in whole, by revoking approval for BPA in all food-related products, or by revoking approval in certain products named by the NRDC as a particular concern, such as baby food jars.

Because of the controversy surrounding the use of BPA, many baby bottle manufacturers and some plastic water bottle manufacturers have already stopped using BPA in their products.

BPA Ubiquitous

However, the chemical is ubiquitous in modern-day consumer products — it is found in polycarbonate plastic products, such as water bottles; resins used to line metal products, such as canned foods; as well as juice boxes, packaged foods, and even cash register receipts.

Animal studies as well as human epidemiologic studies have linked BPA to increased risk for precancerous growths in the mammary and prostate glands and to such health conditions as heart disease, liver disease, diabetes, and behavior conditions in children (eg, depression, anxiety, and hyperactivity).

Yet the link between BPA and health conditions in humans has been controversial, and in 2008 a report by the US National Toxicology Program expressed some concerns about the chemical's health effects on just fetuses, infants, and children. The report also concluded that the low levels of BPA most people are exposed to as adults were of "negligible concern."

The FDA declined a request by Medscape Medical News for an interview, but in its latest statement on BPA, released in January 2010, the agency noted that recent studies raise some concern about the potential effects of the chemical on the brain; behavior; and the prostate gland in fetuses, infants, and children.

Yet the agency's statement also noted that there are "substantial uncertainties with respect to the overall interpretations of these studies and their potential implications for human health."

New scientific studies on humans and animals now underway may provide at least some answers to the questions of how harmful BPA is to infants, children, and adults — if it is harmful at all.

Some Remain Unconvinced

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has earmarked $30 million in funding to study BPA, and it's expected that results from some human and animal studies will be available within the next 6 to 12 months, according to Joe M. Braun, MSPH, PhD, from the Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.

In a study published in Pediatrics in October and reported by Medscape Medical News at that time, Dr. Braun and colleagues found that prenatal exposure to BPA was associated with anxious, depressive, and hyperactive behaviors in female children at age 3 but not in male children of the same age.

"The new study results [of a soon-to-be-released paper] may help resolve some of the inconsistencies we've seen in both human and animal studies regarding BPA," Dr. Braun told Medscape Medical News. "Newer studies may help resolve questions about the potential harm of BPA, but then some people may even then remain unconvinced," he said.

Whatever the FDA ultimately decides, the agency's judgment will be welcomed by both industry and consumers alike, said Gilbert Ross, MD, medical and executive director of the American Council on Science and Health, a nonprofit that receives funding from industry as well as other sources.

"BPA use is widespread in consumer products, and its safety is well-studied," Dr. Ross said. "The consensus of the scientific data is that there is no serious threat to human health," he added. On the basis of the scientific evidence, concern about the health effects of BPA are unjustified, he added.

Canned Goods a Major Source

"If BPA were to be banned from consumer products such as canned goods, in which the chemical keeps metal from leaching into foods, substitutes would have to be found," Dr. Ross noted." And none of the possible substitutes are as well studied as BPA," he said.

Dr. Janssen acknowledged that it's likely that the FDA will revoke approval for use of BPA in baby bottles and sippy cups in response to an industry petition filed several months ago.

"But we know that the major source of exposure isn't baby bottles, but canned foods," Dr. Janssen wrote in the NRDC's blog, Switchboard, after the announcement of the settlement.

"Every day millions of American consumers are exposed to this dangerous chemical...The FDA has an obligation to use scientific evidence to assure us that food additives such as BPA are safe," Dr. Janssen writes.

Dr. Janssen, Dr. Braun, and Dr. Ross have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

Medscape Medical News © 2011 WebMD, LLC

Thanks for posting this. It was BPA that I was referring to when I spoke of the water cooler at work (I think it was this thread?). It is still found in hard plastics.

[Cin]

Originally Posted by SoNotHer

Abuse May Alter Child's Brain Activity

FRIDAY, Dec. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Children who are abused or exposed to family violence have changes in brain activity similar to those seen in combat veterans, a new study finds. The brains of these children become increasingly "tuned" for identifying possible sources of danger, said U.K. researchers who used functional imaging to monitor brain activity.

When the study authors showed pictures of angry faces to children with a history of abuse, the children's brains showed increased activity in the anterior insula and amygdala, which are involved in detecting threat and anticipating pain. These changes don't indicate brain damage but are the brain's way of adapting to a challenging or dangerous environment, study author Eamon McCrory, of University College London, explained. The study appears in the Dec. 6 issue of the journal Current Biology.

"Enhanced reactivity to a biologically salient threat cue such as anger may represent an adaptive response for these children in the short term, helping keep them out of danger," McCrory said in a journal news release. "However, it may also constitute an underlying neurobiological risk factor increasing their vulnerability to later mental health problems, and particularly anxiety."

The findings are important because of the large numbers of children who are exposed to family violence. "This underlines the importance of taking seriously the impact for a child of living in a family characterized by violence. Even if such a child is not showing overt signs of anxiety or depression, these experiences still appear to have a measurable effect at the neural level," McCrory said.

More information

The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more about child abuse.

This article is available here -

http://news.yahoo.com/abuse-may-alte...170206644.html

I could have told them that. Hypervigilant was always added to anything any shrink ever had to say about me. I will tell you though this hyper- vigilance saved my ass more than once. It is so fine tuned I’ve managed to duck before there was any sign something was heading my way. I remember walking out of a bar and even though I never saw anyone I just felt something coming at me; I just knew it somehow and moved just enough that the person just grazed my face. The people I walked out with weren’t as lucky. I guess they weren’t from abusive and violent homes. Who says good stuff doesn’t come from bad.

The good news is I don't have any mental health problems or anxiety issues, at least none I'm aware of. However, addictive behavior is another story. I can pretty much get addicted to anything. I try to focus this in directions that can help me. Like work, exercise, projects around the house, stuff like that. I can be relentless. I never quit.

I get that growing up in abusive and violent homes are not ideal situations. Really it doesn't take Einstein to figure that out. Of course there will be long term effects.

Knowing that always left me feeling there is something wrong with me. And I felt guilty or ashamed and I never understood exactly why. i remember a job I had working at a home for abused kids. The director and I were looking through applications from DYS and he said this one is out because there's too much physical abuse. We won't be able to work with this kid. I remember getting a sick feeling in my stomach and I only tried half-heartedly to talk him out of his opinion. I felt too ashamed to talk about my personal experiences. Like I was defective and just a throw away. You know i'm not sure where I'm going with this LOL. I guess nowhere really. I don't know what I'm trying to say. Reading the article just brought shit up for me. Thanks for posting the article though

[SoNotHer]

Hyper-vigilance downshifted my adrenals considerably (I'm on hydrocortisone at the moment among other things), but I'm quite sure it saved my ass too. I worked with a really smart, savvy body-centered psychotherapist in recent years who educated me on the brain shift and, most importantly, how to recenter and reshift out of residence in the primal, fear-based center. When you realize you don't have to some part of your guard up at all times and keep awake even while sleeping, it's quite a fine thing.

And speaking of awake, I can only hope the consciousness will continue to grow about how a primordial abuse sets in motion a lifetime of "stuff."

Originally Posted by Miss Tick

I could have told them that. Hypervigilant was always added to anything any shrink ever had to say about me. I will tell you though this hyper- vigilance saved my ass more than once. It is so fine tuned I’ve managed to duck before there was any sign something was heading my way. I remember walking out of a bar and even though I never saw anyone I just felt something coming at me; I just knew it somehow and moved just enough that the person just grazed my face. The people I walked out with weren’t as lucky. I guess they weren’t from abusive and violent homes. Who says good stuff doesn’t come from bad.

The good news is I don't have any mental health problems or anxiety issues, at least none I'm aware of. However, addictive behavior is another story. I can pretty much get addicted to anything. I try to focus this in directions that can help me. Like work, exercise, projects around the house, stuff like that. I can be relentless. I never quit.

I get that growing up in abusive and violent homes are not ideal situations. Really it doesn't take Einstein to figure that out. Of course there will be long term effects.

Knowing that always left me feeling there is something wrong with me. And I felt guilty or ashamed and I never understood exactly why. i remember a job I had working at a home for abused kids. The director and I were looking through applications from DYS and he said this one is out because there's too much physical abuse. We won't be able to work with this kid. I remember getting a sick feeling in my stomach and I only tried half-heartedly to talk him out of his opinion. I felt too ashamed to talk about my personal experiences. Like I was defective and just a throw away. You know i'm not sure where I'm going with this LOL. I guess nowhere really. I don't know what I'm trying to say. Reading the article just brought shit up for me. Thanks for posting the article though