Open Thread
Posted on 30 April 2008 by Jack
I’ve never done this before. I usually choose the topic and then others weigh in. I’ve been thinking that this idea is a bit unfair. Others should get to choose the topic once in awhile.
To that end I’m going to open this thread to anything that people consider important and we’ll see where it goes. Please keep it clean and presentable but this thread belongs to my visitors.
Call it as you see it.
Popularity: 23% [?]
April 30th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Today, JNW posted up a Telegraph article under International category which reported on findings of elevated levels of arsenic in infant rice cereals. The reports of arsenic-lace rice products have surfaced over the last six months and they carry major health implications including, kidney, renal and liver failures. Also implicated is lower IQ levels in affected populations.
I just now googled the possible sources of the elevated arsenic levels and it appears it’s affected by ground waters’ toxic contents: Accredited medical articles are provided in the link below:
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/274/5285/174
There’s more than enough reading to be done there to glean for the implications down the road. But the main point to be made is that concentration on bio-fuels production may be only part of the problem of world food shortages right now. Exporters are now being advised contaminated products issuing from their businesses will be prosecuted. Therefore, it’s likely due to countries’ rice producers are holding back on the exports claiming they’re doing protectionist policies because they won’t have enough of these foodstuffs for their own citizens.
Since ‘all politics is local’, I think Canadians at this point should try to buy almost exclusively local produce. Even if it means eating only the local potatoes — potatoes include every vitamin/mineral/trace elements in perfect balance. Families can have have lived exclusively on this food staple in the past without any detriment to their health. In fact, I personally know of a family of 12 who lived on nothing but for years on end. They were all incredibly healthy, eventually attained high placed careers in their communities. Some will guess. This story is out of Ireland. It is.
Health Canada, like Britain, must be advised to screen the infant rice cereals currently sitting on store shelves as Britain has done. The British have discovered ONE THIRD of the rice is affected with these elevated arsenic levels. Right now, the alternative is wheat and oats, but infants are advised by pediatricians right now to start babies off with the rice versions of pablum immediately after they are weaned from the bottle as it’s easier on their digestion. I’m afraid I’d personally go with strained versions of the oat version for clear safety reasons.
I’ll never forget an Indian lady, middle-aged — this was at least 20 years ago, at the Calgary General Hospital. She was being treated for an unidentified illness. She had recently visited her country of origin, India and had walked barefoot on the home property, stepping into puddles of water here and there. On her return to Canada, one entire leg, up to her groin area, had turned into, what I can only describe as “twisted colours of tissue — red,blue green, yellow.” Before considering amputation, her medical team decided to wash the leg daily in a disinfecting chemical called mercurachrome. I got to watch this process and she told me she believed, as well as her doctors, that the ailment was picked up in possibly infected waters.
Fact is, the rice paddies in these countries rely on the ground waters. And we don’t know how long we’ve been eating these products or how long they’ve been affected. Twenty years? This is an emergency. It’s not to be ignored while our politicians in the HoC spew undocumented charges against our standing gov’t.
Now is the time for them to switch focus to our “food ads.” The contents and whether the poisoning has been intentional.
There’s also the whole other story reported by the FDA today that they’re allegedly leaning toward thinking that the contaminants in exported Heparin drugs, “was intentional.”
Now, can we all concentrate on first problems, FIRST. EH?
Thanks, Jack.
Perhaps several thousand readers a day can engage. And rightly so.
April 30th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
After all that, I got the word press, java script warning. Thought it was lost.
April 30th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
“After all that, I got the word press, java script warning. Thought it was lost.”
I think I just found the problem, Anna and I’m forwarding the link to Cynapse for his thoughts before I say more.
April 30th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
Okay, Jack and looks like Guardsman, LG and others having the same problem.
I have two more items I will speak up on in this thread. Matters are getting serious now. While some will philosophize whether bi-partisan efforts have worth and others will linger over money laundering possible scandals, it’s easy now to see where the priorities lie with our own citizens first and by extension our international brothers and sisters. For now, I’ll say WHEN THE INFORMATION GETS OUT, the Liberals are “TOAST.” As well they should be.
Next comment I make will have to do with the EARNED TRUST OUR STANDING GOV’T HAS PROVED BEYOND A SHADOW OF A DOUBT.
You offered this open thread two years ago when I personally didn’t know what the heck was going on. That’s changed. AND, what’s set to change, IS THE CORRUPTION THAT’s PRESENTLY GOING ON. When citizens know…
If Craig Oliver can get a grip (Question Period) the rest are due to as well.
April 30th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
Add me to the list f those having a problem with that word press thingee Jack.
April 30th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
The problem has been found and fixed. Please scan your computer for spyware and remove it all. Explanation here.
April 30th, 2008 at 10:25 pm
Very pleased you will have an open thread, as it gives us a chance to brings articles to everyones attention. I know it is impossible for one person to read all the papers and sites, but between us I bet the majority are covered. Therefore, more information available, and possibly more lies and bias discovered.
May 1st, 2008 at 8:38 am
TESTING.
May 1st, 2008 at 8:47 am
Last night there was a story on Calgary local late night news, that could affect all those with internet phones.
Family called 911, were told call/help would come. 30 minutes later they used neighbors landline, called 911 and got help. But, by then the child was dead.
It seems when you call 911 from your computer it goes to the companies call center and is then re-directed to your local area. Officials at 911 say they have no record of call coming from said call center.
He said everyone with said phone system should check to see how 911 calls are handled.
Best to find out now, not after you may need help. More on the story and problems tonight.
Wonder where the call center is located, in Calgary, Canada or off shore, as so many are.
Of course company officials were unavailable for comment.
May 1st, 2008 at 11:16 am
Jack, one of the reasons I come here is because you do such a good job of picking a variety of stories from a variety of sources…but I’ll try to throw in a tip on the open thread if I come across something.
With regards to the internet phone 911 issue, that is disturbing, but hardly unexpected.
I have phone service through my cable company, and when we first got it, power outages caused our phone to go out, and sometimes the modem would need to be reset. It was a new community, so with all the construction going on, brief outages were not uncommon. They upgraded the modems with ones with a battery backup, and now it’s much more stable. However, I still think we have phone outages more frequently than through traditional phone lines, maybe every couple of months during a storm or whatever.
I would recommend that any household that plans on using VOIP phones, or cable phones should also have a cell phone available for emergency situations.
I know that disconnected cellphones can still call 911, does anyone know if disconnected traditional phones can do that? Or is there a physical disconnection from the system?
May 1st, 2008 at 1:49 pm
This story re 911 is in the Calgary Sun.