Happy Birthday Patti Smith

People Have the Power

I was dreaming in my dreaming
of an aspect bright and fair
and my sleeping it was broken
but my dream it lingered near
in the form of shining valleys
where the pure air recognized
and my senses newly opened
I awakened to the cry
that the people / have the power
to redeem / the work of fools
upon the meek / the graces shower
it's decreed / the people rule
more...

posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

Evaluation of Ellagic Acid Content of Ohio Berries - Final Report

Ellagic Acid exhibits anticarcinogenic and antiimutagenic activity in humans. It is a natural occurring phenolic compound found in many plants and berries. Medical research has shown reductions in the size and number of cancerous tumors when mice are fed a diet of freeze dried strawberries or raspberries.
Berries are rich in ellagic acid. But the researchers found that ellagic acid alone could not account for the fruit's ability to inhibit cancer. "One or more additional berry components are undoubtedly contributing to the fruit's anti-cancer effects," Stoner said.
He chose black raspberries for this study because previous studies had shown that ellagic acid inhibited carcinogen-induced esophageal and colon cancer in animals
Stoner, who has also found similar anti-carcinogenic effects with strawberries, said the study results suggest that a daily diet of about 1.4 to 2 cups of fresh berries may be ideal for staving off certain types of cancer
posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

Limited War

A friend of mine, Fiddlerbob, wrote this song in 1985. It seems relevant today. Some of the players have come back to haunt and some of the names can be changed. We really don't seem to have come very far in almost twenty years.

Limited War
written by: the-fiddler@navyseals.com

Born into a hostile land
turned nine years old
put a gun in his hand
Didn't see nothin' worth killin' for
Not for a bureaucrat to watch
and keep score

Chorus 1

It's a war torn country again
good God it's a sin
and it brings me down

Looks like profits are spinnin' round
the pentagon
They sold a million missles to Viet Nam
tanks and rockets in the Middle East
people gettin bloody as we feed the beast

Chorus 1

Old St. Nick has napalm in his sack
he had eight reindeer but only one
got back
They were sittin round the Christmas tree
in El salvador
Duarte Christmas shoppin at the armament store

Chorus 2
It's a fine fine day for
a limited war
Keeps the kids outta school
so they'll never know what it's for

It's a merry merry Christmas on Capitol Hill
They just got a directive that it's
alright to kill
They sent enough guns and
the monkeys are at play
it doesn't matter why cause it's a
bull bust day

Chorus 2

The market went crazy to the sound
of the drum
We're no fools
Our investors aren't dumb
Invest in arms for an undeclared war
it just keeps on giving and the
armies need more

Chorus 2

You've got a lot of wealthy people
who love to sell guns
To someone else's daughters and sons
What the hell you doin with an M-16
I want to be a killer by the
time I'm eighteen

Chorus 2

Speak softly carry a big stick
The aggravating arm sales are makin
me sick
They'd be a lot better off with rototillers
and seeds
Guns and gas don't meet their needs

Social and economic distess
Philosophy of war is bad at best
If we don't sell them guns
they can't fight a war
Thinking people don't want it no more!

Glastnost
posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

McCarthyism Watch | The Progressive magazine

McCarthyism Watch
A collection of links defining a small area of the insanity the US is enduring. More to come... posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

Could Nightly Sleep Become Optional?

Could Nightly Sleep Become Optional?
Modafinil that's it, I'm too sleepy to remember what it's called, hence the blog.
(sold under the name Provigil) has been found to increase both wakefulness and what researchers call "vigilance," the ability to stay on task, thinking clearly and functioning normally. Other drugs designed to keep people awake, such as amphetamines, or "uppers," are not nearly as good at keeping users mentally sharp, and they often make people jumpy and anxious.
The Sleep Disorders Center at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago is doing a study to see if it can help those with Shift Work Sleep Disorder, which often hits those on the 10 p.m. to 8 a.m graveyard shift.
Rosalind Cartwright, a sleep expert from Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago, said that the research center is looking at the impacts of the drug on those who suffer from excessive daytime sleepiness, associated with chronic shift work. Modafinil is also being tested on those with sleep apnea. posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

The Petting Zoo's Stick Figure Hardcore Porn page!

No kidding... probably not safe for work, but almost worth a peek anyway. Stick Figure Hardcore Porn
"Indulge yourself in the ultimate bandwidth-friendly hardcore porn page for people who desperately need to see themselves in the middle of the hottest abstract (and we mean abstract) action!"
no end to the imagination! sexy, hilarious, over the top, and off the edge.
posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

Cakewalk Across the Constitution by Ralph Nader

Bush and the Law
George W. Bush has this thing about laws -- domestic or international -- that disagree with him. He likes to operate outside their embrace or withdraw from them or try to repeal them. It is not just personal -- as when he costs taxpayers millions to pay for his political trips on Air Force One before elections -- it also involves the health, and safety of Americans and people abroad. posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

Raw Poll Data Bush Approval

Bush Approval: Raw Poll Data (gif)
Includes data from the recent CNN/Time poll. Steadily dropping. posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

Science Under Attack By The Bush Administration

THE FDA, POLITICS AND PUBLIC PROTECTION
"In a recent letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Tommy Thompson, a dozen members of Congress expressed concern that "scientific decision-making is being subverted by ideology and that scientific information that does not fit the Administration's agenda is being suppressed." Cited as an example of ideological censorship is the removal of scientific information posted on HHS web sites, including a fact sheet on latex condom effectiveness in reducing the risk of sexually transmitted diseases and the National Cancer Institute's finding that abortions do not increase the risk of breast cancer."
In a separate letter to Secretary Thompson, Congressman Edward J. Markey expressed concern that highly qualified scientific members of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) Advisory Committee on Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention were being replaced with "individuals who are affiliated or openly sympathetic with the views of the lead industry." Markey singles out one Administration candidate, William Banner, MD, PhD, as a particularly offending example.

"Banner's nomination seriously threatens the health of children. Consider this: in his deposition during a lead paint lawsuit brought by Rhode Island against paint maker Sherman Williams, Dr. Banner opined that lead levels ten times current CDC guidelines were safe in children. Never mind that considerable scientific evidence and the overwhelming majority of experts in the field support the CDC guidelines."

posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

Hager Named to FDA 's Advisory Committee for Reproductive Health Drugs.

Kentucky physician named to FDA panel 12/25/2002

(Sign-in was required)
"In addition to his objection to RU486, Hager previously also has condemned the birth-control pill, used by an estimated 10 million American women, saying it has provided a convenient way for young people to be sexually active outside of marriage." posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

Al Gore: The real story (Metro Times Detroit)

Al Gore: The real story by Jack Lessenberry posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

U.S. Revises Sex Information

and a Fight Goes On
"Information that used to be based on science," the lawmakers said, "is being systematically removed from the public when it conflicts with the administration's political agenda."
Another example of misinformation being fed to the public. Is 'misinformation' another word for bald-faced lie?
We can scare teens into abstinence and make them believe they are terrorists in disguise for smoking a joint. Sure, I'll buy it.. posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

Controversial doctor named to FDA panel

David Hager, who else?
dammit posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

“If a voter has a choice between a Republican and a Democrat who acts like a Republican, he’ll vote for the Republican every time.” --Harry S. Truman posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

Joe Strummer dies

Clash star Joe Strummer dies
Joe Strummer, the leader of legendary Seventies punk band The Clash, has died aged 50. posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

Hundreds of Muslim Immigrants Rounded Up in CA

Madness!
"I think it is shocking what is happening. It is reminiscent of what happened in the past with the internment of Japanese Americans. We are getting a lot of telephone calls from people. We are hearing that people went down wanting to cooperate and then they were detained," said Ramona Ripston, the ACLU's executive director.

JAILS OVERFLOWING

One activist said local jails were so overcrowded that the immigrants could be sent to Arizona, where they could face weeks or months in prisons awaiting hearings before immigration judges or deportation.

What the hell can we do to stop this?
eRiposte Law observations posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

librarian.net :

avoiding the PATRIOT Act since 2001
We have been visited by the FBI
They requested your reading lists
now do you feel much more secure? posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

Is Canada one of the US's fiercest opponents?

Canada, US Opponent?
"Canada's tedium is a by-product of its success. Instead of scorning it, we should study it. Despite the country's geographical, ethnic and linguistic unwieldiness, it has made itself into perhaps the most functional democracy on earth. It is prosperous and (according to the recent Pew Centre international survey) remarkably contented. The crime rate is low, and the general tenor of day-to-day life polite and good-natured. It welcomes migrants, in unparalleled numbers relative to its population, with a minimum of fuss and conflict. Both at home and abroad, it pre-empts the possibility of conflict by a disposition to negotiate at great length."

"Canadians care about the environment (they have a lot of it). They are instinctively drawn to multilateral bodies, such as the UN and the international criminal court, which the Americans scorn. The idea of an inessential war against Iraq is widely regarded as insane. "
found via abuddhas memes. I think it demonstrates vividly the turn the US has taken away from a functional democracy. The American experiment is failing, I do hope it is only a technical difficulty.
posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

RSS Workshop

RSS Workshop
Maybe..this looks like a good place to start. posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

Report says German and US firms supplied arms to Saddam

Baghdad's uncensored report to UN names Western companies alleged to have developed its weapons of mass destruction posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

2002 War Poetry Contest

Finalist - Steve Amick posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

Ann Arbor Musicians for Peace Benefit Concert

CONCERT - Friday Dec. 20 at 8 pm
Ann Arbor Musicians for Peace Benefit Concert at The Ark, 316 S. Main. Popular local folk, rock and roots musicians perform in this benefit the Ann Arbor Area Committee for Peace! posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

Creative Commons

get creative
it can be that easy when you skip the intermediaries. creativecommons posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

Reward! For Information Leading To The Identification Of The Eli Lilly Bandit

TomPaine.com is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the identification of the person or persons who mysteriously inserted the special Eli Lilly Payback Provision into the Homeland Security Bill at the last minute.
Lisa at RuminateThis has been keeping up with this and has some good info and background into this blatant corporate protection having nothing whatsoever to do with homeland security. No one seems to know how two paragraphs suddenly appeared in the bill giving drug maker Eli Lilly & Company something it desired: a shield from lawsuits by parents who claim the company's vaccines caused their children's autism.
posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

FBI Warns Corporate Leaders Of Possible Attacks By Antiwar Activists

when the peace movement appears to be gaining traction, it is troubling to read the latest e-mail advisory from the FBI's Awareness of National Security Issues and Response (ANSIR) program
Does the FBI know more about upcoming activities of the antiwar movement than the antiwar movement itself? Or is its recent communiqué a blatant attempt to scare the public, smear the antiwar movement and discourage antiwar protests?
Jason Mark, the Communication's Director at Global Exchange, the Bay Area-based international human rights group, said neither he nor his colleagues had heard of Every Day a Circle Day. He did, however, think that the timing of the ANSIR advisory was suspicious.
"Given the FBI's notorious history for trying to discredit social justice and peace movements, I wouldn't be surprised if the agency is trying to leak the idea that this peace movement involves some violent factions," Mark added. posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

Arms Trade Resource Center

A World Policy Institute Special Report
About Face: The Role of the Arms Lobby In the Bush Administration's Radical Reversal of Two Decades of U.S. Nuclear Policy
This is the latest in a series of reports by the World Policy Institute’s Arms Trade Resource Center on Peddlers of Proliferation, analyzing the role of the arms lobby in shaping U.S. strategic policy. posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

John Ashcroft and the neo-Confederates

Joe Conason's Journal
If conservatives are sincere in their sudden agitation over Trent Lott's neo-Confederate sympathies -- and there is every reason to believe that many of them are -- then perhaps the time has come to take another look at John Ashcroft. posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

Watch the ACLU's New Flash Movie

SeeTotal Information Awareness in action. posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

Evolution of Online Distribution

peer-to-peer file sharing Our current distribution systems for books, music, and movies are skewed heavily in favor of the "haves" against the "have nots." posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

Link Crusader

Links Links, Lefty Links... posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

Nat Hentoff: The Death of Operation TIPS

The Death of Operation TIPS posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

Michigan Legislature Repeals Mandatory Minimum Drug Sentences

Families Against Mandatory Minimums Foundation (FAMM Foundation)
LANSING, Mich. – A bipartisan majority of the Michigan Senate today passed a historic package of three sentencing reform bills – HB 5394 (H-3), HB 5395 (H-2) and HB 6510 (H-1) – that eliminate most of the state’s Draconian mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses. The reform allows judges to impose sentences based on a range of factors in each case, rather than solely drug weight, and replaces lifetime probation for the lowest-level offenders with a five-year probationary period. It also permits earlier parole for some prisoners, at the discretion of the parole board. Governor John Engler is expected to sign the bills posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

'Bowling for Columbine' Named Top Documentary of All Time

Top Documentary of All Time
The International Documentary Association, or IDA, was formed in 1982 to serve as a forum for documentary filmmakers, and has since grown into a respected organization for nonfiction films with some 2,700 members in 50 countries.

For the most part, documentaries are relegated to film festivals and cable television channels because the material is generally considered too cerebral for mainstream moviegoers.

But "Columbine" has been an exception, and it is considered a front-runner for this year best documentary Oscar, which is Hollywood's top film honor handed out each year in March.

"Columbine" has already scored well with audiences, tallying $12.9 million at domestic box offices, which for a documentary is a big sum
posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

General Sees Scant Evidence of Threat Near in U.S.

"I am not aware of a significant threat to this nation" The nation's top general for domestic security says he has seen little evidence to suggest an imminent terrorism threat inside the United States by members of Al Qaeda's network, and warns against using "McCarthyism" in combating terror.
A NYTimes article (sign-in)
posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

Meet the new voices of dissent

Activists say they are slowly building a diverse constituency of dissent, one that includes labor unions, the National Council of Churches and Gulf War veterans' groups. Interviews by Time across the U.S. show that a wide variety of Americans have joined the antiwar campaign. Here are some of their stories:

Profiles in Protest posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

STOP THE WAR conference. related events.

Stop the War Conference
As the US government moves steadily towards a military confrontation with Iraq, resistance to US foreign policy in the Gulf has been growing constantly. With this situation in mind, student activists at the University of Michigan have organized the STOP THE WAR Conference, which will be a productive space both for activists to build connections to increase the effectiveness of the antiwar movement, and for those who want to learn more about the multitude of issues involved in the US war on Iraq.


This conference will be an amazing opportunity to meet and network with other activists and educate yourself on this pressing issue. Conference organizers have gathered a group of experienced activists and world-reknowned intellectuals to give lectures and lead workshops on a wide range of issues.


You can use this website as a tool to learn more about the conference. Navigate through the information presented using the menu bar at top.


If you're planning on coming to the conference, you must register. It only takes a minute, and will ensure that you receive up-to-date information on the schedule of events, in addition to helping us coordinate logistics.

• program
  
• speakers
  
• related events

posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

Solaris My Way

A lot of people have been searching for 'Solaris' lately.
I don't think it's what people really had in mind, but, I made a Flash movie a while back titled Solaris (Flash 4) The soundtrack is Craig's but he couldn't listen to it because it gave him chemo flashbacks. It's been developed further now, incorporating video, with his help, and different bits of music. I may put the new version online if we can get the file size acceptable. posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

Pot club may get official status By DAN WHITE SENTINEL STAFF WRITER December 10, 2002

Pot club may get official status
The Corrals’ attorney, Ben Rice, said "deputy" status would put WAMM under the provisions of a federal law stating a person can’t be sued for having a controlled substance if he or she is carrying it while "enforcing" local drug laws posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

JohnKerry.com
His website is looking good. It should be a good resource. Friends Say Gore Won't Run posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

Hydrogen: Empowering the People

Hydrogen: Empowering the People
By organizing collectively to control the energy they produce--just as workers in the twentieth century organized into unions to control their labor power--end users can better dictate the terms with commercial suppliers of fuel cells for lease, purchase or other use arrangements and with virtual utility companies, which will manage the decentralized "smart" energy grids. Creating the appropriate partnership between commercial and noncommercial interests will be critical to establishing the legitimacy, effectiveness and long-term viability of the new energy regime.
posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

The questioning ant goes home
To get inside the brain of an ant...I still keep trying. posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

The University of Michigan Students Vote Against War
After weeks of debate and postponements, the Resolution Against a War in Iraq was voted upon and passed, 22 to 13, at last night's Michigan Student Assembly meeting. MSA will now work with anti-war student groups to promote dialogue and educational events pertaining to the war.
It has also been resolved that MSA will urge President Bush not to preemptively or unilaterally start a war with Iraq and encourage the Bush administration to pursue a peaceful diplomatic resolution built upon international support.

posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

We'll All Be Under Surveillance by Nat Hentoff In Orwell's 1984, "the telescreen [at home] received and transmitted simultaneously," so that the viewer could be seen and heard by Big Brother. Now under development are advanced forms of interactive television that will also make this prophecy real.. posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

Pew Research Survey/Report posted by Cyndy | link |    | |

A Course of 'Confident Action' (washingtonpost.com)

A Course of 'Confident Action' (washingtonpost.com)
"I'm the commander -- see, I don't need to explain -- I do not need to explain why I say things. That's the interesting thing about being the president. Maybe somebody needs to explain to me why they say something, but I don't feel like I owe anybody an explanation."

~George W. Bush posted by Cyndy | link |    | |