Ned's Second Line View of the World

Chilling video of Syrian Teenager Playing Music under Shelling

Sat, 25 May 2013 06:05:18 -0400

Reblogged from Hummus For Thought:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_JkMTz9IvU&w=492&h=277]
آمل أن يعلو صوتي على صوت الموت .. لتصل رسالتي …
I hope that my voice can be higher than the symphony of death in Syria .. and you all get my peaceful…

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The Abuse of "Takbir" from Ballot Boxes To Woolwich

Sat, 25 May 2013 05:55:14 -0400

Reblogged from Nervana:

For many non-Muslims, “Allahu Akbar,” or God is Great has become synonymous with radicalism, brutal murders, rape, and even cannibalismcommitted in the name of Islam. It is hardly surprising, as the Islamic slogan has been…

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Obama Nominates Latina to Federal Personnel Agency

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:25:32 -0400

nbclatino:

President Barack Obama says he will nominate Katherine Archuleta, a former top campaign aide, as director of the Office of Personnel Management. Archuleta would be the first Hispanic to direct the agency, which oversees and sets policies for the federal government’s civil service workforce.

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Immigration Talk with a Mexican American: Arpaio's Nemesis Rebecca Jimenez Elected Mayor of Guadalupe!

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:17:13 -0400

Arpaio’s Nemesis Rebecca Jimenez has been elected Mayor of Guadalupe. She was the Voter’s Clear Choice.

Congratulations Rebecca! Keep Standing Strong against Arpaio and his Masked Goon Squad.

via Immigration Talk with a Mexican American: Arpaio’s Nemesis…

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NC Holiday Inn Salmonella Outbreak Grows to 86 | Food Safety News

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:13:06 -0400

At least 86 people fell ill after eating at one of two restaurants within the Holiday Inn Bordeaux in Fayetteville, N.C., as of Friday, according to Cumberland County Department of Public Health Director Buck Wilson. That number is up from 70 cases…

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motherjones: “I Built This AK-47. It’s Legal and Totally...

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:09:47 -0400

motherjones:

“I Built This AK-47. It’s Legal and Totally Untraceable.”

In which our reporter attends a “build party” where anyone can make a rifle that no cop will ever know about.

There has to be an appropriate point to make about this but unless your are a wannabe terrorist, why would you want to do such a stupid thing

Amazon CARES: A New Beginning for Jack

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:07:08 -0400

A New Beginning for Jack

By Shannon Sullivan

Jack is a very affectionate dog who was brought to the Amazon CARES clinic in April. The young man who brought Jack in was concerned because the dog was injured, and he claimed that the dog’s owner (the young…

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The Day in Gun Violence - NYTimes.com

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:02:36 -0400

Julian Dawkins, 22, was shot in Alexandria, Va., early Wednesday morning, and authorities say a 17-year veteran of the Arlington County Sheriff’s office may be responsible. Dawkins left a family gathering after 9 p.m. and walked down the street, where he…

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The Day in Gun Violence - NYTimes.com

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:01:42 -0400

A young woman who was shot during a Wednesday night gun battle in Renton, Wash., has died of her injuries. Officers called to the scene found a 20-year-old woman with a single gunshot wound to the abdomen. They later learned that a fistfight had started…

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The Day in Gun Violence - NYTimes.com

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:59:57 -0400

Police are investigating a triple shooting in the Over-the-Rhine section of Cincinnati, Ohio, Thursday afternoon. Witnesses said the three victims were walking when two individuals opened fire from a car. After hitting all three, they drove off. The…

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The Day in Gun Violence - NYTimes.com

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:58:53 -0400

A 5-year-old boy was shot in the ankle by his 6-year-old sister in Little Rock, Ark., Thursday afternoon. Police say the gun belonged to the children’s father, who has a concealed carry permit. The man had left his two children in a vehicle when one came…

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Tohono O'odham Nation

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:56:36 -0400

Reblogged from foodliteracyproject:

Rebecca Cohen, ‘12, reflects on her first year as a FoodCorps service member on the Tohono O’odham Nation, the second largest Indian reservation in the country.

A few months after graduating back in May of 2012—and I…

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Over 75,000 Indians to be repatriated from Saudi Arabia - The Times of India

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:26:53 -0400

As Saudi Arabia implements its controversial naturalization law or Nitaqat, which seeks to replace foreigners in companies with its own citizens, India is in the midst of a gigantic effort to bring back over 75,000 people in the next few months. After…

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Amazon CARES

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:23:36 -0400

Everyone here at Amazon CARES is very excited to have both of these wonderful doctors join our team. Please join us in wishing them both a warm welcome!

via Amazon CARES.

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thepeoplesrecord: Dr. Vandana Shiva: the “GOLDEN RICE” hoax -...

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:20:03 -0400

thepeoplesrecord:

Dr. Vandana Shiva: the “GOLDEN RICE” hoax - when public relations replaces science to promote a technology for creating Vitamin A deficiency
May 15, 2013

Golden rice has been heralded as the miracle cure for malnutrition and hunger of which 800m members of the human community suffer. Herbicide resistant and toxin producing genetically engineered plants can be objectionable because of their ecological and social costs. But who could possibly object to rice engineered to produce vitamin A, a deficiency found in nearly 3 million children, largely in the Third World?

As remarked by Mary Lou Guerinot, the author of the Commentary on Vitamin A rice in Science, one can only hope that this application of plant genetic engineering to ameliorate human misery without regard to short term profit will restore this technology to political acceptability. Unfortunately, Vitamin A rice is a hoax, and will bring further dispute to plant genetic engineering where public relations exercises seem to have replaced science in promotion of untested, unproven and unnecessary technology.

The problem is that vitamin A rice will not remove vitamin A deficiency (VAD). It will seriously aggravate it. It is a technology that fails in its promise. Currently, it is not even known how much vitamin JA the genetically engineered rice will produce. The goal is 33.3% micrograms/100g of rice. Even if this goal is reached after a few years, it will be totally ineffective in removing VAD.

Since the daily average requirement of vitamin A is 750 micrograms of vitamin A and 1 serving contains 30g of rice according to dry weight basis, vitamin A rice would only provide 9.9 micrograms which is 1.32% of the required allowance. Even taking the 100g figure of daily consumption of rice used in the technology transfer paper would only provide 4.4% of the RDA.

In order to meet the full needs of 750 micrograms of vitamin A from rice, an adult would have to consume 2 kg 272g of rice per day. This implies that one family member would consume the entire family ration of 10 kg. from the PDS in 4 days to meet vitaminA needs through “Golden rice”.

This is a recipe for creating hunger and malnutrition, not solving it.

Besides creating vitamin A deficiency, vitamin A rice will also create deficiency in other micronutrients and nutrients. Raw milled rice has a low content of Fat (0.5g/100g). Since fat is necessary for vitamin A uptake, this will aggravate vitamin A deficiency. It also has only 6.8g/100g of protein, which means less carrier molecules. It has only 0.7g/100g of iron, which plays a vital role in the conversion of beta-carotene (precursor of vitamin A found in plant sources) to vitamin A. Superior Alternatives exist and are effective.

A far more efficient route to removing vitamin A deficiency is biodiversity conservation and propagation of naturally vitamin A rich plants in agriculture and diets.

The following is a list of sources rich in vitamin A which are used commonly in Indian foods. (microgram/100g)

(Amaranth leaves) Chauli saag= 266-1,166 -

(Coriander leaves) – Dhania = 1,166-1,333

(Cabbage) Bandh gobi = 217

(Curry leaves)-Curry patta = 1,333

(Drumstick leaves)-Saijan patta1 = 283

(Fenugreek leaves)-Methi-ka-saag = 450

(Radish leaves)-Mooli-ka-saag = 750

(Mint)-Pudhina = 300

(Spinach)-Palak saag = 600

(Carrot)-Gajar=217-434

(Pumpkin (yellow))-Kaddu = 100-120

(Mango (ripe))-Aam = 500

(Jackfruit)-Kathal = 54

(Orange)-Santra = 35

(Tomato (ripe))-Tamatar = 32

(Milk (cow, buffalo))-Doodh = 50-60

(Butter)-Makkhan = 720-1,200

(Egg (hen))-Anda = 300-400

(Liver (Goat, sheep))-Kalegi = 6,600 - 10,000

Cod liver oil = 10,000 - 100,000

In spite of the diversity of plants evolved and bred for their rich vitamin A content, a report of the Major Science Academies of the World - Royal Society, U.K., National Academy of Sciences of the USA, The Third World Academy of Science, Indian National Science Academy, Mexican Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Brazilian Academy of Sciences - on Transgenic Plants and World Agriculture has stated, Vitamin A deficiency causes half a million children to become partially or totally blind each year.

Traditional breeding methods have been unsuccessful in producing crops containing a high vitamin A concentration and most national authorities rely on expensive and complicated supplementation programs to address the problem. Researchers have introduced three new genes into rice, two from daffodils and one from a microorganism. The transgenic rice exhibits an increased production of beta-carotene as a precursor to vitamin A and the seed in yellow in colour. Such yellow, or golden rice, may be a useful tool to help treat the problem of vitamin A deficiency in young children living in the tropics.

It appears as if the world’s top scientists suffer a more severe form of blindness than children in poor countries. The statement that “traditional breeding has been unsuccessful in producing crops high in vitamin A” is not true given the diversity of plants and crops that Third World farmers, especially women have bred and used which are rich sources of vitamin A such as coriander, amaranth, carrot, pumpkin, mango, jackfruit.

It is also untrue that vitamin A rice will lead to increased production of beta-carotene. Even if the target of 33.3 microgram of vitamin A in 100g of rice is achieved, it will be only 2.8% of beta-carotene we can obtain from amaranth leaves 2.4% of beta-carotene obtained from coriander leaves, curry leaves and drumstick leaves. Even the World Bank has admitted that rediscovering and use of local plants and conservation of vitamin A rich green leafy vegetables and fruits have dramatically reduced VAD threatened children over the past 20 years in very cheap and efficient ways. Women in Bengal use more than 200 varieties of field greens. Over a 3 million people have benefited greatly from a food based project for removing VAD by increasing vitamin A availability through home gardens. The higher the diversity crops the better the uptake of pro-vitamin A.

The reason there is vitamin A deficiency in India in spite of the rich biodiversity a base and indigenous knowledge base in India is because the Green Revolution technologies wiped out biodiversity by converting mixed cropping systems to monocultures of wheat and rice and by spreading the use of herbicides which destroy field greens.

In spite of effective and proven alternatives, a technology transfer agreement has been signed between the Swiss Government and the Government of India for the transfer of genetically engineered vitamin A rice to India.

The ICAR, ICMR, ICDS, USAIUD, UNICEF, WHO have been identified as potential partners. The breeding and transformation is to be carried out at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack and Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana and University of Delhi, South Campus. The Indian varieties in which the vitamin A traits are expected to be engineered have been identified as IR 64, Pusa Basmati, PR 114 and ASD 16.

Dr. M.S. Swaminathan has been identified as “God father” to ensuring public acceptance of genetically engineered rice. DBT & ICAR are also potential partners for guaranteeing public acceptance and steady progress of the project.

Genetically engineered vitamin A rice will aggravate this destruction since it is part of an industrial agriculture, intensive input package. It will also lead to major water scarcity since it is a water intensive crop and displaces water prudent sources of vitamin A.

The first step in the technology transfer of vitamin A rice requires a need assessment and an assessment of technology availability. One assessment shows that vitamin A rice fails to pass the need test. The technology availability issue is related to whether the various elements and methods used for the construction of transgenic crop plants are covered by intellectual property rights. Licenses for these rights need to be obtained before a product can be commercialized. The Cornell based ISAAA (International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Application) has been identified as the partner for ensuring technology availability by ensuring technology availability by having material transfer agreements signed between the representative authority of the ICAR and the “owners” of the technology, Prof. I. Potrykus and Prof. P. Beyer.

In addition, Novartis and Kerin Breweries have patents on the genes used as constructs for the vitamin A rice. At a public hearing on Biotechnology at U.S. Congress on 29th June 2000, Astra-Zeneca stated they would be giving away royalty free licenses for the development of “Golden rice”.

At a workshop organized by the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Dr. Barry of Monsanto’s Rice Genome initiative announced that it will provide royalty-free licenses for all its technologies that can help the further development of “golden rice”.

Hence these gene giants Novartis, Astra-Zeneca and Monsanto are claiming exclusive ownership to the basic patents related to rice research. Further, neither Monsanto nor Astra - Zeneca said they will give up their patents on rice - they are merely giving royalty free licenses to public sector scientists for development of “golden rice”. This is an arrangement for a public subsidy to corporate giants for R&D since they do not have the expertise or experience with rice breeding which public institutions have.

Not giving up the patents, but merely giving royalty free licenses implies that the corporations like Monsanto would ultimately like to collect royalties from farmers for rice varieties developed by public sector research systems. Monsanto has stated that it expects long term gains from these IPR arrangements, which implies markets in rice as “intellectual property” which cannot be saved or exchanged for seed. The real test for Monsanto would be its declaration of giving up any patent claims to rice now and in the future and joining the call to remove plants and biodiversity out of TRIPS. Failing such an undertaking by Monsanto the announcement that Monsanto giving royalty free licenses for development of vitamin A rice like the rice itself can only be taken as a hoax to establish monopoly over rice production, and reduce rice farmers of India into bio-serfs.

While the complicated technology transfer package of “Golden Rice” will not solve vitamin A problems in India, it is a very effective strategy for corporate take over of rice production, using the public sector as a Trojan horse.

Source

Photos Source

Nature's child

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:13:32 -0400

Reblogged from Palestine Rose:
Dressed up, looking like a doll figurine, She holds the honeysuckle, saying: This is the real me, Not these trifling clothes you see.

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Off the Charts Blog | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities | Senator Vitter Offers — and Senate Democrats Accept — Stunning Amendment With Racially Tinged Impacts

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:31:47 -0400

In today’s Senate debate on the farm bill, Senator David Vitter offered — and Senate Democrats accepted — an amendment that would increase hardship and will likely have strongly racially discriminatory effects.

The amendment would bar from SNAP (food…

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Roma union targets inclusion issues (SETimes.com)

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:09:19 -0400

Roma union targets inclusion issues (SETimes.com):

Representatives in the parliaments of Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia and Slovakia created the Roma Inter-Parliamentary Union in order to resolve the lack of institutional state support for Roma communities in the region. The union aims to initiate Roma inclusion in all life areas, support governments in resolving Roma issues and foster better co-operation with international organisations.

Roma union targets inclusion issues (SETimes.com)

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:08:51 -0400

Representatives in the parliaments of Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia and Slovakia created the Roma Inter-Parliamentary Union in order to resolve the lack of institutional state support for Roma communities in the region.

The union aims to initiate…

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Niger suicide bombings reported to be work of Mokhtar Belmokhtar | World news | guardian.co.uk

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:57:16 -0400

UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon condemned the attacks and called on the international community to strengthen security in the region.

“The secretary general reiterates the support of the UN to the efforts of the government of Niger and other countries in…

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