April 3, 2013

Breakthrough Cancer-Killing Treatment Has No Side-Effects, Says MU Researcher

Source: University of Missouri News Bureau

The scientific crusade against cancer recently achieved a victory under the leadership of University of Missouri Curators’ Professor M. Frederick Hawthorne. Hawthorne’s team has developed a new form of radiation therapy that successfully put cancer into remission in mice. This innovative treatment produced none of the harmful side-effects of conventional chemo and radiation cancer therapies.

The physical properties of boron made Hawthorne’s technique possible. A particular form of boron will split when it captures a neutron and release lithium, helium and energy. Like pool balls careening around a billiards table, the helium and lithium atoms penetrate the cancer cell and destroy it from the inside without harming the surrounding tissues.

“A wide variety of cancers can be attacked with our BNCT technique,” Hawthorne said.

Read more: http://munews.missouri.edu/news-releases/2013/0403-breakthrough-cancer-killing-treatment-has-no-side-effects-says-mu-researcher/

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This is very encouraging news.

One caveat: unnamed sources say Todd Akin claims that this only works on "legitimate cancers."

January 7, 2013

Activists Strom TransCanada Keystone HQ

Source: From FiredogLake

Cross-posted from Environment & Energy

Read more: http://www.democraticunderground.com/112732424

January 7, 2013

Activists Storm TransCanada Offices

http://my.firedoglake.com/kitoconnell/2013/01/07/live-tar-sands-blockade-storms-transcanada-offices/

What: Tar Sands Blockade protesters take over TransCanada Keystone XL offices in Houston. 2 Blockaders currently locked to front doors of the office, demanding accountability for abuses by TransCanada

Where: 2700 Post Oak Blvd, Suite 400, Houston TX 77056 (next to the Houston Galleria)

When: Underway now!

Who: 100+ protesters gathered to confront pipeline company over land abuses, toxic legacy and climate change connected to TransCanada’s Keystone XL pipeline.

The Tar Sands Blockade is a group of environmentalists and landowners working to stop the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline through direct action.

Why: This action kicks off a new phase of the Tar Sands Blockade targeting the corporate and financial infrastructure behind the Keystone XL pipeline. TransCanada’s pipeline uses seized land to transport toxic tar sands oil through Texas and Oklahoma communities, in order to export it from Houston ports. These dangerous business practices and the backlash from communities across the country make this pipeline a toxic investment for our state and TransCanada’s corporate lenders.

The Livestream feed at the site is now in post-event mode.

December 15, 2012

A thought on Gun Control

Three quarters of NRA members favor background checks. How 'bout we help them find their voices?

Join the NRA--yes, join them--and show up at a convention. Force them to force their lobby to force their congresspersons to force a bill. Why go toe-to-toe with the big machine? Join them. Infect them with reality. Force their leadership out. Bring reason to their world. Change this organization from within. They're not the Kremlin for chrissakes.

Disrupt the hate. Disrupt the machine. Hell, Republicans do it with government every day. Why can't we do it with their organizations? What will they do? Kick us out? That would be cool. I know plenty of lawyers who would love to showcase NRA dysfunction as they turn on their own members. And I would love to see members actually siding with us.

The NRA's strength lies in their unanimity. So how great would it be to see a bunch of "NRA member for gun control" facebook and twitter posts? How cool would it be to send them back to the woods? How cool would it be to free the voices of reasonable people to actually speak their minds and support gun control?

Just a thought while waiting for my coffee to finish brewing...

December 13, 2012

Susan Rice Removes Herself from Consideration as Secretary of State

Source: NBC NEWS / MSNBC

According to Brian Williams, Ambassador Rice has submitted a letter to President Obama, requesting she be removed from consideration as Secretary of State.

She reportedly cited the politicization of her role as UN Ambassador.

More as it comes in.

Read more: Link to source

September 8, 2012

Amazing: Big Dog's DNC Speech was Drafted 20 Years Ago.

As I sat rapt whilst the Big Dog swung his Presidential Timber around Charlotte, I remembered this debate moment from '92.

Excerpt from Bush/Perot/Clinton Debate '92

We've been fighting this fight since Reagan rigged the Iranian Hostage Crisis and dismantled the Air Traffic Controller Union.

And in my humble opinion, we may have finally landed a knockout punch.