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> Dot's Information Service Hotline > "Unbossed and unbought news and information you can use" > Visit The DISH online at www.thedish.org > Vol. 9 No 27...Dedicated to the Dialogue on Race... 07-07-06 > ******************************************************** > > > > Table of Contents > > > > 1. Venue for an Artist...Obesity...By Robert W. Service (1874-1958) > 2. Phantom Scribbler...The Stuff (1985) > 3. Science Stranger Than Fiction...By John Burl Smith > 4. Disgruntled > 5. Atlanta Vibe...Japan Funk Tour Documentary > 6. News You Use...GM/GE: Human Health Hazard? > 7. Hood Notes...Obesity > 8. Mailbox > ******************************** > > > > Venue for an Artist > Obesity > By Robert William Service (1874 - 1958) > > > > With belly like a poisoned pup > Said I: 'I must give bacon up: > And also, I profanely fear, > I must abandon bread and beer > That make for portliness they say; > Yet of them copiously today > I ate with an increasingly sense > Of grievous corpulence. > > > > I like a lot of things I like. > Too bad that I must go on strike > Against pork sausages and mash, > Spaghetti and fried corn-beef hash. > I deem he is a lucky soul > Who has no need of girth control; > For in the old of age: > 'Il faut Souffrir pour etre bean.' > > > > Yet let me not be unconsoled: > So many greybeards I behold, > Distinguished in affairs of state, > In culture counted with the Great, > Have tummies with a shameless bulge, > And so I think I'll still indulge > In eats I like without a qualm, > And damn my diaphragm!' > > > > About Me: Born January 16, 1874, Service immigrated to Canada in 1896. > He > tried his hands at banking and ranching before discovering his love for > the > written word. His works include Songs of a Sourdough, Ballads of a > Cheechako, The Trail of 8 and Rhymes of a Rolling Stone. He died in 1958. > For more, see www.artdamage.com/service.htm. > > > > > > > > Phantom Scribbler > The Stuff (1985) > > > > Pure science fiction, The Stuff (1985) opens with miners discovering white > goo oozing out of the ground. It looks like plain yogurt. Unbelievably, > they decide to do a taste test. The stuff tastes good, and the race is on > to sell this substance of unknown origin and content to a gullible public. > Overnight, stuff becomes the latest consumer craze. Multi-million dollar > advertising campaigns sing its praise. Everybody, so it seems, is eating > stuff. Unfortunately, it has a negative side-effect. Stuff consumers > turn > into zombies. > > > > Fearful of the gooey dessert's impact on future corporate profits, the > world's ice cream manufacturers call in a professional to learn the truth > about stuff and obtain its apparently addictive formula. Enter ex-FBI > agent > David 'Mo' Rutherford (Michael Moriarty) turned industrial spy. Tasked > with > the job of getting stuff's formula, Rutherford teams up with an unlikely > trio of stuff fighters determined to stop the spread of the dreaded > dessert. > > > > Directed by Larry Cohen, The Stuff co-stars include Andrea Marcovicci as > Nicole Kendall, an advertising executive concerned about the health > effects > of eating stuff, Scott Bloom as Jason, a kid whose family has turned into > zombies addicted to the creamy dessert, and Garrett Morris as Chocolate > Chip > Charlie, a martial arts master pissed over the loss of his cookie company > in > a hostile takeover. > > > > Movie critics panned The Stuff, even though it was entertaining and made > important statements about senseless consumerism and the ineffectiveness > of > government regulatory agencies in safeguarding the public health against > dangerous substances being sold by well-funded organizations. With the > advent of genetically-modified (GM) foods, hormone-treated meats, > processed > foodstuffs and chemicals galore being used and consumed by the public, > coupled with lax government oversight, The Stuff's messages deserve a > second > look. But, don't expect to find this little gem on your local video > store's > shelf. > > > > > > > > Science Stranger Than Fiction > By John Burl Smith > > > > Ironically, sometimes maxims like "Art imitates life or truth is stranger > than fiction" take on the power of prophecy. An email received June 21, > 2006 entitled Test Tube Meat Nears Dinner Table verified for me the > validity > of these maxims, like a soothsayer. A report on Dr. Henk Haagsman, > Department of the Science of Food of Animal Origin, Faculty of Veterinary > Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands gave scientific relevance to > a > strange fiction that had lived in my head since 1998. > > > > Conjuring up images of Frankenstein, as I read that Dr. Haagsman, a highly > respected Veterinary Biochemist, who has published over 80 scientific > papers > on cardiovascular research, the pulmonary surfactant system, regulation of > proteolytic systems in muscle cells and innate mucosal defense systems of > the gastro-intestinal tract, was growing meat for human consumption in > test-tubes. Currently, Professor of Meat Science, he is the recipient of > a > 2 million euro ($2.5 million) grant from the Dutch government to grow > artificial pork meat from pig stem cells. They hope to grow minced meat > suitable for making burgers, sausages and pizza toppings in a few years. > > > > Incredibly, this is where the stranger than fiction and imitating life > maxims upstaged reality. Back in 1998, Dot, my wife, had a dream that I > believed would make an excellent plot for a novel. I desired a novel in > Archangel: A Hip Hop Vision of Love and the Battle of Good vs Evil, (which > will be released by PublishAmerica this fall) that made statements on the > order of The Stuff (1985) and that timeless classic Soylent Green (1973). > > > > Archangel's plot involves Nazi scientists, who, while experimenting on > Jews, > learned to grow meat in the laboratory. These scientists are brought to > the > United States after the war ends by a group of Americans who supported > Adolf > Hitler and wants to recreate his terror in the US. With concentration > camps > out of the question, they plan to produce fast food from Nazi > test-tube-meat > called "New Grub" to eliminate poor and black people in America. > > > > Although a fiction, background for the plot is drawn from the turbulent > 1960s and 70s, when I led a black power group called the Invaders in > Memphis, Tennessee. The stranger than fiction Nazi scenario is based on > Prescott Bush, the grandfather of Pres. George W. Bush. While a partner > at > Brown Brothers Harriman, he managed Union Banking Corporation, a Nazi > front > business, as well as helped bring former Nazis to the US after the war. > Archangel's thesis is that, like a collage, life sometimes brings > seemingly > unrelated events together, morphing historical and scientific facts by > recasting them into an artful imitation of reality that is neither quite > clearly fact nor entirely fiction, real or imagined, true or false, art or > life. > Consequently, totally unaware of Dr. Haagsman's research, as I wrote > Archangel, never in the wildest science fiction rattling around in my > head > did I think test-tube-meat was actually being grown for human consumption. > Passionate and suspenseful, Archangel was written to fit squarely in the > romance-mystery genre not Sci-fi. It is all about boy meeting girl and > the > evil that lurks in the shadows behind every decision. What to do? is the > question that weighs heavily on every fateful move, as the hope for true > love hangs in the balance for our hero and heroine. Now, the plausibility > of > Archangel's far-fetched backdrop has gained validity with Dr. Haagsman's > research. It seems in real life, science may truly be the evolution of > fiction. > > > > Laboratory grown meat has a monstrously evil intend in Archangel. If > "frankenmeat" is like other genetically engineered foods, it will hit > supermarket shelves before we know about it. Once presented by the > powerful > food manufacturing lobby as a cheap alternative that gives poorer > consumers > choice and a means of stretching limited food dollars, there will be no > turning back. Then, the stranger than fiction test-tube "New Grub" > imitating life scenario so artfully fictionalized in Archangel will come > alive with ominous implications for poor and black people worldwide. > > > > > Disgruntled feels: Collusion! Earlier this year, the BBC reported on the > behind-the-scene machinations of vaccine industry officials in shaping > legislation to shield them from lawsuits filed by people hurt or killed by > their drugs and the compliance of congressional GOP leaders Senator Bill > Frist and Rep. Dennis Hastert in inserting anti-liability language in a > defense spending bill. The deal was sealed without debate. On June 30, > 2006, the FDA's "Final Rule" went into effect. The rule asserts that > consumers cannot sue drug companies for the harm caused by any > FDA-approved > drug. Annually, FDA-approved prescription drugs and devices injure and > kill > millions of people. With this lethal history, any legislation or > regulatory > measure that ties the hands of consumers and prevents them from seeking > legal redress is the result of collusion and should be ruled > unconstitutional. > > > > Disgruntled says: According to George W. Bush, "...free nations are > peaceful nations. Free nations don't attack each other. Free nations don't > develop weapons of mass destruction." When he made this declaration, the > audience applauded. The USA is considered a free and democratic nation. > While it has not attacked another nation it considers "free and > democratic," > the US has had no problem threatening and attacking nations it has labeled > undemocratic. Moreover, as the world's sole superpower, it possesses the > deadliest arsenal of weapons of mass destruction; weapons it developed. > Lest we forget, the US is the only nation that has dropped atomic bombs, > killing and maiming millions. Sometimes, many people in the US applaud > this > kind of Bush rhetoric without thinking about how ridiculous it sounds and > its utter lack of truthfulness. > > > > Disgruntled wants to know: Under the pretext of desiring to rescue a lone > kidnaped soldier, Israel launched an armed assault against the West Bank > and > Gaza Strip, destroying vital Palestinian infrastructure, including > electrical power plants. It is generally agreed, such actions amount to > collective punishment, which is illegal under international law. So, > where > is the collective international outrage and threats to impose United > Nations > Security Council sanctions against Israel? > > > > > > > > Atlanta Vibe > Japan Funk Tour Documentary > > > > Putting the world on notice, like North Korea's missile program, Yohannes > Sharriff and Aqiyl Thomas are back! > > > > Greeted with more anticipation than the second season of the Chappell > Show, > the team that brought you the groundbreaking spoken word play The Block > and > the first World Party in Munich, Germany presents Japan Funk Tour 2005. > Documenting their historical tour of Japan in which they opened for Zapp > and > P Funk, Japan Funk Tour 2005 provides a rare opportunity to journey > through > the heart of Tokyo and get a taste of life on tour. > > > > On Sunday evening (July 23, 2006), before the hottest open mic in the city > begins (Free Forum Xchange), join two of Atlanta's finest spoken word > artists for one of the most provocative tour documentaries ever filmed. > Come join the celebration at the Apache Café, 64 3rd Street in downtown > Atlanta. The viewing begins at 6:30 PM. > > > > For more info, hit up Aqiyl Thomas at www.myspace.com/aqiylthomas or > [EMAIL PROTECTED] and Yohannes Sharriff at www.myspace.com/yohasha or > [EMAIL PROTECTED] Special thanks: Kimani of Free Forum Xchange, Asa Fain > owner of Apache Café, OmniBlue Systems, www.thedish.org and the Atlanta > Vibe. > > > > > > > > News You Use > GM/GE: Human Health Hazard? > > > > According to a March 2001 Center for Disease Control report, food was > responsible for twice the number of illnesses in the USA compared to 1984 > estimates. This increase roughly corresponded to the period Americans > began > eating genetically modified (GM) foods. The question is, are genetically > modified foods contributing factors in increased deaths and > hospitalizations, the national obesity epidemic and/or rise in lymphatic > cancers? > > > > While people continue to get sick and die, we do not know why or what > connection there is, if any, to the consumption of GM foods. According to > Dr. Arpad Pusztai www.freenetpages.co.uk/hp/a.pusztai/, who has conducted > research and lectured on GM food, these crops are being grown and consumed > by the public even though there is little scientific study on their health > risks. While scientists suspect these foods can carry unpredictable > toxins > and may increase the risk of allergenic reactions, the available > technology > to assess their potential harm remains inadequate. > > > > The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting public comments on > the > commercial approval of a genetically engineered (GE) plum, known as "C5." > If approved, C5 will be the first commercially released GE tree variety in > the US and the first GE fruit approved for human consumption. Approval > will > pave the way for more GE food and tree varieties and guarantee the > widespread genetic contamination of conventional and organic stone fruit > varieties, including plums, peaches, cherries and apricots. > > > > Since commercial approvals of GE soy, corn, cotton, and canola almost a > decade ago, grassroots activists have effectively stopped new approvals of > GE crops. Genetically Engineered crops have contaminated organic varieties > and contributed to the corporate takeover of the seed supply. > > > > To join other grassroots activists in efforts to stop frankenplums, > contact > the USDA today. Online at www.organicconsumers.org/plum_alert.htm, you > can > sign the petition to the USDA and demand strict health, safety and > environmental testing of all GE crops. > > > > > > > > Hood Notes > Obesity > > > > Obesity is a risk for any number of health conditions, including heart > disease and diabetes. It is frequently associated with chronic fatigue, > depression and low self-esteem. According to the World Health Organization > (WHO), there are more than 300 million obese adults and 1.1 billion > overweight people worldwide. > > > > In the United States, more than half of the adult population is overweight > (64.5 percent) and nearly one-third (30.5 percent) are obese. Obesity > among > adults is one of the non-modifiable causes of childhood obesity cited by > the > National Institute of Health (NIH) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC). > Genetically, obesity has been found in the children of obese or overweight > parents. > > > > Since 1980, the percentage of overweight children has more than doubled. > Over this period, obesity among adolescents has more than tripled. Factors > that contribute to childhood obesity cited by the CDC and NIH include a > lack of regular physical activity, eating habits and patterns, low family > incomes, lack of recreational facilities and over-exposure to advertising > of > high-calorie foods. Ironically, none of the obesity factors cited > includes > genetically-modified foods, hormone-treated meat and other animal > by-products, including cheese and milk, from animals that ingest growth > hormones. > > > > Except for genetics, what we get from our parents, the other factors cited > as causes of obesity can be modified. The CDC, NIH and other > organizations > have developed strategies to impact these factors that include greater > emphasis on physical education programs in public schools and healthy > choices in food and beverages outside school lunches. For more about > these > strategies and other information about obesity, see www.nlm.nih.gov, > www.obesity.org and www.cdc.gov. > > > > > > > > > Mailbox: E-Mails, Faxes and Phone Calls > > > > Email www.legitgov.org Spy Agency Sought U.S. Call Records Before 9/11, > Lawyers Say 30 Jun 2006 The U.S. National Security Agency asked AT&T Inc. > to > help it set up a domestic call monitoring site seven months before the > Sept. > 11, 2001 attacks, lawyers claimed June 23 in court papers filed in New > York > federal court. "The Bush Administration asserted this became necessary > after > 9/11,'' plaintiff's lawyer Carl Mayer said in a telephone interview. "This > undermines that assertion.'' > > > > Email [EMAIL PROTECTED] Checking the Decider...By Eugene Robinson for > the Washington Post, June 30, 2006: Finally. It seemed almost too much to > hope for, but the Supreme Court finally called George W. Bush onto the > carpet and asked him the obvious question: What part of "rule of law" do > you > not understand? The justices rejected the kangaroo-court tribunals the > administration had planned for the detainees who have been held for years > without charges at Guantanamo Bay -- proceedings engineered to have the > appearance of due process but not the substance. The ruling is a > complicated, nuanced set of concurrences and dissents that will take some > time to fully digest, but the fundamental message is clear: Despite his > outrageous claims of virtually unlimited presidential power, the > self-proclaimed Decider doesn't get to decide everything. > > The solution to the below is so obvious and simple: BE A VEGETARIAN!! > > Email www.cnn.com Canada confirmed on Tuesday its sixth case of mad cow > disease and said it would investigate where the cow was born and what > other > animals may have eaten the same feed. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency > said test results confirmed what was suspected last week. The animal was > at > least 15 years of age, and was born before Canada implemented restrictions > on potentially dangerous feed in 1997. Mad cow disease is believed to > spread through feed, when cows eat the contaminated tissue of other > cattle. > Humans can get a related disease, variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, in > similar fashion - by eating meat contaminated with mad cow. > > > > Email www.organicconsumers.org Study Says Mad Cow Epidemic May Be > Incubating...A new study in The Lancet medical journal (UK) suggest > variant > Creutzfelt-Jakob disease (vCJD), the human variant of mad cow disease, may > not peak in the human population for several decades, by which time many > thousands of beef eaters and hospital patients (who) have received tainted > blood transfusions could die. The study shows how Kuru, a similar fatal > brain-wasting prion disease in New Guinea, has been found to have an > incubation people of 35 to 41 years. Researchers suspect it could be > longer > for vCJD because the infection is transmitted between species, from cows > to > humans. The 160 fatal human cases of the disease that have already > surfaced > around the world could represent a distinct genetic subgroup of the > population with an unusually short incubation period, according to John > Collinge, the study leader and a professor at University College, London. > > > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Great things are happening at Yahoo! Groups. See the new email design. http://us.click.yahoo.com/TISQkA/hOaOAA/yQLSAA/LRMolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! 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