NEWS

[towhom]

If plants could talk, what would they say?
EurekAlert
Public Release: 6-Mar-2009
www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-03/esr-ipc030609.php

If plants could speak they will boast about being part of remedies such as the common aspirin to a leukaemia drug derived from the rosy periwinkle. Over a quarter of western medicines contain plant toxins some deriving from tropical forest species. Forest plants have been the source of the most effective drugs in the history of pharmacology but only two per cent have been screened for their pharmaceutical potential.

The Social Life of Plants, a one day event, as part of the Economic and Social Research Council's Festival of Social Science (6th to 15th March), will reveal the links between humans and plants. Hands-on activities like basket weaving, growing your own herb garden, exhibitions and films will give members of the public the chance to rediscover the fundamentals of a plant life. Anthropologists and Ethnobotanists will explore how plants affect the lives of individuals around the world, in medicine, food, materials and rituals.

As well as bringing people and plants together, the many entertaining and informative films on show will look at the fascinating and often overlooked facts on plants. One such film, Seeds of Plenty, Seeds of Sorrow, will show the more problematic side of the green revolution and the damage it has done to the social structure and ecologies of developing countries. [Note: Did you catch that Monsanto...]

Practitioners and researchers of the event hope that the social life of plants will be an inspiration for people of all ages and create a sense of excitement about plants and their place in our lives. We tend to forget the use plants in our everyday life, from our daily hot drink, the colour of the jumper we wear, ingredients in our food to the medicine we take.

2009 is a big year for botany with the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth. Darwin's observations so many years ago contributed to the groundbreaking understanding of plant biodiversity. This event also compliments, the Royal Anthropological Institute's educational outreach programme, where 14-19 year old, deal with above issues as part of the national curriculum.

[ninathedog]

"They use depleted uranium ballast in airplanes along the wings and the tail to balance the plane."
— Leuren Moret states 11 minutes and 35 seconds into
PDX 9/11 Truth - Leuren Moret Depleted Uranium and 9/11

So does this mean that Buffalo NY was essentially nuked on February 13th 12th when Flight 3407 crashed? Does this mean that every plane crash is essentially a nuke? My world just turned upside down AGAIN.

[towhom]

Mar 7, 2009 4:18:18 GMT 4 @ninathedog said:

"They use depleted uranium ballast in airplanes along the wings and the tail to balance the plane."
— Leuren Moret states 11 minutes and 35 seconds into
PDX 9/11 Truth - Leuren Moret Depleted Uranium and 9/11

So does this mean that Buffalo NY was essentially nuked on February 13th when Flight 3407 crashed? Does this mean that every plane crash is essentially a nuke? My world just turned upside down AGAIN.

Hi nina!

Well, I need to see some data on this. Depleted uranium half-life statistics are dependent upon the radium series referred to [see this link for general information: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uranium-238].

I guess the best thing to do is research the structural plans of the planes and the gases used for ballast. It is my understanding that the ballast would be uptake from the surrounding airflow and the controllers for these functions are internal hydraulic systems. I'm no airplane design specialist by any means, but I do know people who are jet mechanics.

A simple test using a geiger counter would indicate radioactivity in the areas where planes have crashed. Given the personnel surrounding most crash sites helping recover victims and survivors (bless them all), one would think there would be an increase in trackable radiation sickness if that were the case.

I am not saying Leuren Moret is not credible. I am saying that specific information is suspect and requires additional supportive data.

Hope this helps.

Peace and Joy
Always

Sally Anne

[ninathedog]

Thanks, Sally Anne! That helps a lot. I'm still trying to calm down over here and your words do have a calming effect....also, I'm making rice pudding in my electric-hybrid solar cooker for the first time ever! I hope this works out deliciously

[Eagles Disobey]

I will have this notice placed on the Eagles Forum too. Both my public email address and Dan's private one are down due to Yahoo maintenance through the night, until later 03/07.

Marci

[towhom]

Brown upbeat on global banking deal
The Independent
By Andrew Grice, Political editor
Saturday, 7 March 2009
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brown-upbeat-on-global-banking-deal-1639257.html

A global consensus on measures to reform the banking system is emerging ahead of next month's London summit of 20 world leaders, Gordon Brown said yesterday.

Promising to "clear up and clean out" Britain's banks, the Prime Minister gave an upbeat assessment of the prospects for the G20 meeting following his talks with Barack Obama in Washington.

At the Scottish Labour Party conference in Dundee, he outlined a four-point plan he will propose at the meeting:

• International principles to end the short-term banking bonus culture and build rewards on long-term sustainable results to influence pay;
  
• Bringing tax havens and the "shadow banking system" of non-bank institutions such as hedge funds into the regulatory net;
  
• Using international institutions to revamp the banking system in countries that cannot afford to do so;
  
• A better global framework for financial supervision.

Mr Brown said: "I believe there is an emerging consensus on how we strengthen global regulation of our financial markets to prevent any recurrence of the collapse that has caused so much damage to economies around the world. There is an agreement that we cannot allow the lowest common denominator approach when we need the highest standards of banking trust."

Turning to Britain, Mr Brown said: "What makes me angry is that good people, hard-working people, are being squeezed by banking mistakes and that's why we need the urgent clear-up and clear-out in our banking system."

He did not acknowledge that any mistakes had been made by Labour since 1997, despite pressure from some advisers for him to accept some responsibility for the economic crisis. He insisted that Britain had led the way in calling for reform of international institutions to oversee not just each bank but the global financial market.

"But what was outside the scope of any national regulator was that, in global markets, the failure of one bank acts like a power cut to the system as a whole," he said. "So whilst we must retain the benefits that open financial markets bring to the world economy, international financial market regulation must be toughened."

Philip Hammond, the shadow Chief Treasury Secretary, said: "Gordon Brown's call for a global crackdown on bonuses rings hollow when he's allowed Northern Rock and RBS – the banks he directly controls – to pay out millions of pounds in bonuses."

I'll say it again - We are VERY aware of the thinly-disguised fraudulant practices of the current systems in place. "Creative accounting" has been approved at governmental levels - I have no doubt about that. These same practices are in place today within a large majority of financial institutions, markets, investment funds, etc. The usage of such phraseology -"the lowest common denominator approach when we need the highest standards of banking trust" (nice little descriptive package) - doesn't cut it with me. Big words do not reforms make, dude. And let me clue you in - WE DON"T TRUST THE BANKS. They've done nothing for us - NOTHING. This is what the "good people, hard-working people being squeezed by banking "mistakes" (let's re-word that, shall we..."protocols") see daily: we bail them out, they pocket the money, rewarded themselves and re-work their protocols to extract more of our hard-earned money or unemployment benefits to increase their profit margins or cover make up for their "mistakes".

Regulators - yeah, I would like to see regulators. You need regulation reform first - regulations that are sensible and clearly defined. In addition, you need ENFORCEMENT of these regulations. I would also like to see regulators from some non-affliated diverse group - not one that would be controlled by lobbyists and special financial interest groups (no goobers).

Oh, and Mr. Hammond...the "shadow" guy...what's up with you?

Peace and Joy
Always

Sally Anne

[41n350e]

Hey, Nina,

Good addition to the thread here. SAlly Anne makes a great point. This is exactly the kind of report that demands quality science, not glib lip-service given to junk science. Ms. Moret is very passionate about her position,and not without good reason, but to come out and accuse anyone of launching a Nuclear attack through the use of crashing a plain constructed partially of DU is, in my book, fear -mongering. Certainly there is no comparison between the detonation of a nuclear warhead and the crash of such a plane. Also, I think it is going beyond reason to even categorize such an event as a dirty-bomb attack. We use DU in a number of military machines used by our own men. Let's see the real science here so we can speak intelligently to this issue and so that we have a prayer of placing MS. Moret's cause in a proper perspective. I am sure it is serious...and it needs to be clarified through the filter of good science.

Thanks for staying on top of this issue.

41

[ninathedog]

Hi 41 --
thanks for your response and your excellent points! Ms. Moret did not make the accusation that crashing a plane is a nuclear attack. She only said that DU is used as ballast on the wings and tails of airplanes. I was the one who jumped to conclusions! I'm not a scientist, I'm only an artist and so I don't think like a scientist...I think like an artist! For me, emotional response comes first and logic may never even enter the picture. This is why Sally Anne's response was so appreciated as she applied the brakes to my runaway imagination. Now, in defense of my artistic temperament, variety in human response is what make the world an interesting place and most especially in these times, we need a myriad of outlooks to find solutions. Anyway, don't take my outburst too seriously and please don't blame Ms. Moret for my shortcomings in critical thought

The video offers some really interesting material and I hope some of the other people here will take the time to listen to Ms. Moret speak.

[towhom]

Hiya nina!

First of all - how did the rice pudding come out? I hope it was great!

Secondly - absolutely no apology is necessary nor is defense required for the artist within. I love art. My favorite period is Impressionism. I also love watercolors. I was a potter for years - it settles my soul to work with clay. Art is found everywhere we look; in every sound we hear; in all the stars that shine. Heck - I even have coloring books and crayons. I love to color mandalas.

I love music of all kinds. That's audio art. Very cool!

When I started surfing the net I, too, came across many "information" sources that had me scrambling for months. I decided to use the sifting technique - a grain here and a grain there. Even disinformation carries grains embedded in piles of dubious doo-doo. I looked and if possible listened (hearing loss prevents my understanding most audio interviews) to quite a bit of "stuff". I learned to trust my inherent instinct and doo-doo detector - and if that wasn't enough, I just thanked God for free will and left it alone.

Make no mistake - I constantly joke about the "goobers". They are real. They are powerful. They seek to maintain control and their amassed wealth.

But you know what? I'm powerful, too. So are you. You are the best you there is. So are we all - individually and collectively. I do not care to listen to the tripe they spread (which I fondly refer to as verbal diarrhea) - it's their fears guiding them on their so called "illuminated" paths - fear of losing control. Personally, I think they're all operating in the dark and are clueless, corrupted planetary burps (yeah, even celestial bodies need to release gas at times).

You're a good person. Don't sweat the small stuff!

Peace and Joy
Always

Sally Anne

[towhom]

Converting Solar Light To Electricity: Silicon-free Photoelectric Module Integrates Easily
ScienceDaily
Mar. 6, 2009
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090223083354.htm

A team of researchers at the Ikerlan-IK4 technological centre in Spain have made a laboratory-scale photoelectric panel which, apart from fulfilling the function of converting solar light into electricity, solves the problems of integratability and availability that current technology presents.

The installation of solar photoelectric panels - capable of converting the sun’s light energy into electricity for its subsequent use in households or for sale to an energy supply company - has taken place at such a frenetic pace in recent years that it has given rise to a demand that is greater than the production capacity of the manufacturing companies. On the one hand, legislation obliges the installation of solar panels on all local authority buildings of new construction. Likewise, tariffs for the sale of electrical energy, favourable to individuals selling to energy suppliers, have been set. This has encouraged the construction of many small energy-producing stations – also called solar gardens – by small investors, who have seen solar photoelectric energy as a way of assuring or increasing their pension plans.

Nevertheless, the growing demand for panels, and especially the raw material needed for their manufacture - mono or multi-crystalline silicon -, has made the end price for installation rise to such levels that the period of redemption is greater even than the guaranteed life of the solar panels. More conflictive is perhaps the dependence on the producers of these cells (most of which are located in Far Eastern countries) and created by the module assembly and installation companies – Spain being a leading country in this respect. Although this scarcity of raw material has been sometimes described as transitory and it this has been repeated actively or passively that the production of cells has increased, the price per panel continues to be relatively high - an so other kinds of investment, despite having very low interest rates, continue to be more profitable.

Apart from the price, the traditional photoelectric technology based on silicon panels that are voluminous, heavy, opaque and dark, also finds widespread rejection in the construction sector. Architects, obliged by law to implement it in buildings, do not find easy solutions, limiting the installation to places with little visual impact, such as roofs and terraces.

For these reasons, one of the most innovative lines of research worldwide is the quest for new materials that comply with the function of converting solar light into electricity and, at the same time, solve problems of integratability and availability that are present in current technology.

The photoelectric panel made by the research team from Ikerlan-IK4 technological centre met with all expectations. This panel was manufactured with plastic materials – known as organic polymers – the production of which was carried out in chemical laboratories and, thus, their availability practically infinite.

But, without doubt, what has made the most impact is their appearance and design, it being possible to make them in different colours and involving a fine coating of plastic that can be deposited on almost any kind of surface, whether rigid or flexible. The versatility and simplicity of the manufacturing processes and the low cost of this technology make the fields of application limited only by the imagination of the researchers and industrial promoters. The sector benefiting most could precisely be that of construction, given that this technology enables the manufacture of semitransparent windows or photoelectric curtains which allow certain passage of light to the interior and, at the same time, convert part of this solar energy into electricity.

Neither is the textile sector left out of these advances, as chargers for portable electronic devices, such as mobile telephones or reproducers of music may be incorporated into garments, bags or even tent material for aficionados of camping.

Research into these types of materials is increasingly more common, with many countries having national research programmes dedicated exclusively organic photoelectric technology. Ikerlan-IK4 launched their activity in this field two years ago and the results could not have been better. Recently, photoelectric conversion efficiencies were measured as being above 4% in photoelectric cells manufactured at Ikerlan’s own laboratories with solar simulators officially approved at photoelectric panel specification centres unconnected to Ikerlan.

Likewise, the manufacture of modules is not simple, as different individual cells have to be electrically connected on the same substrate during their manufacturing process. The semitransparent module built by Ikerlan is 30 mm x 30 mm and connects 16 individual cells on the same glass substrate. It is the first example constructed within Spain and one of the few on the international stage. This advance demonstrates the viability and potential of organic photo-electricity and is a further stride on the road to the industrialisation of this technology.

Ikerlan is currently working on alternative designs to produce larger sized panels which can be of use in various applications, from small panels to replace batteries in portable electronic devices to large modules for installing in roofs and walls, without visual impact and respecting the architectural aesthetics of the building and its surroundings.

Adapted from materials provided by Basque Research.

This originally appeared on EurekAlert:
Ikerlan designs silicon-free photoelectric module of easy incorporation
Public release date: 23-Feb-2009
www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-02/ef-ids022309.php

Additional information available from Solar Daily:
Ikerlan Designs Silicon-Free Photoelectric Module Of Easy Incorporation
Barcelona, Spain (SPX) Feb 26, 2009
www.solardaily.com/reports/Ikerlan_Designs_Silicon_Free_Photoelectric_Module_Of_Easy_Incorporation_999.html

[towhom]

Virus-free Embryonic-like Stem Cells Made From Skin Of Parkinson's Disease Patients
ScienceDaily
Mar. 8, 2009
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090305121649.htm

Whitehead Institute researchers "reprogrammed" human skin cells from Parkinson's disease patients into an embryonic-stem-cell-like state. After removing the reprogramming genes, the scientists used these so-called induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells to create dopamine-producing neurons, the cell type that degenerates in Parkinson's disease patients. To confirm that the iPS cells had become dopamine-producing neurons, the researchers stained the cells green for a neuron-specific protein (class III beta-tubulin) and red for a dopamine-producing neuron-specific enzyme (tyrosine hydroxylase). (Credit: Image courtesy of Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research)

Whitehead Institute researchers have developed a novel method to remove potential cancer-causing genes during the reprogramming of skin cells from Parkinson's disease patients into an embryonic-stem-cell-like state. Scientists then used the resulting induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells to derive dopamine-producing neurons, the cell type that degenerates in Parkinson's disease patients.

This marks the first time researchers have generated human iPS cells that have maintained their embryonic stem-cell-like properties after the removal of reprogramming genes. The findings are published in the March 6 edition of the journal Cell.

"Until this point, it was not completely clear that when you take out the reprogramming genes from human cells, the reprogrammed cells would actually maintain the iPS state and be self-perpetuating," says Frank Soldner, a postdoctoral researcher in Whitehead Member Rudolf Jaenisch's laboratory and co-author of the article.

Since August 2006, researchers have been reprogramming adult cells into iPS cells by using viruses to transfer four genes (Oct4, Sox2, c-Myc and Klf4) into the cells' DNA. Although necessary for reprogramming cells, these genes, the known oncogene c-Myc in particular, also have the potential to cause cancer. In addition, the four genes interact with approximately 3000 other genes in the cell, which may change how the cell functions. Therefore, leaving the genes behind in successfully reprogrammed cells may cause unintended alterations that limit the cells' applicability for therapeutic use, for drug screens or to study disease in cell culture.

In the current method, Whitehead researchers used viruses to transfer the four reprogramming genes and a gene coding for the enzyme Cre into skin cells from Parkinson's disease patients. The reprogramming genes were bracketed by short DNA sequences, called loxP, which are recognized by the enzyme Cre.

After the skin cells were reprogrammed to iPS cells, the researchers introduced the Cre enzyme into the cells, which removed the DNA between the two loxP sites, thereby deleting the reprogramming genes from the cells. The result is a collection of iPS cells with genomes virtually identical to those of the Parkinson's disease patients from whom original skin cells came.

Removing the reprogramming genes is also important because of those genes' effect on an iPS cell's gene expression (a measure of which genes the cell is using and how much it's using those genes). When the researchers compared the gene expressions of human embryonic stem cells to iPS cells with and without the reprogramming factors, iPS cells without the reprogramming genes had a gene expression closer to human embryonic stem cells than to the same iPS cells that still contained the reprogramming genes.

"The reprogramming factors are known to bind to and affect the expression of 3,000 genes in the entire genome, so having artificial expression of those genes will change the cell's overall gene expression," Dirk Hockemeyer, who is also a co-author of the Cell article. "That's why the four reprogramming genes can mess up the system so much. From now on, it will be tough for researchers to leave the reprogramming genes in iPS cells."

Jaenisch says that the process to remove the reprogramming genes is very successful, when compared with earlier experiments. "Other labs have reprogrammed mouse cells and removed the reprogramming genes, but it was incredibly inefficient, and they couldn't get it to work in human cells," he says. "We have done it much more efficiently, in human cells, and made reprogrammed, gene-free cells."

After removing the reprogramming genes, the Jaenisch researchers differentiated the cells from the Parkinson's disease patients into dopamine-producing nerve cells. In Parkinson's disease patients, these cells in the brain die or become impaired, causing such classic Parkinson's symptoms as tremors, slowed movement, and balance problems.

Because the cells reside in the patients' brains, researchers cannot easily access them to investigate how the disease progresses at the cellular level, what kills the cells, or what might prevent cellular damage. Therefore, the ability to create patient-specific iPS cells, derive the dopamine-producing cells, and study those patient-specific cells in the lab could be a great advantage for Parkinson's disease researchers.

Although the initial results are extremely promising, Jaenisch acknowledges that the process is far from over. "The next step is to use these iPS-derived cells as disease models, and that's a high bar, a real challenge. I think a lot of work has to go into that."

Journal reference:
Frank Soldner et al. Parkinson's disease patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells free of viral reprogramming factors. Cell, March 5, 2009

Adapted from materials provided by Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research.

[towhom]

Former NASA Official Charged in Scheme to Steer "Earmarked" NASA Funds to Consulting Client
Date Released: Friday, March 6, 2009
Source: United States Attorney's Office District of Columbia
www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=27687

WASHINGTON - A former high-ranking National Aeronautics and Space Administration ("NASA") official, Courtney A. Stadd, 54, of Bethesda, Maryland, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with actions he took that resulted in over $9.5 million of NASA funds being allocated to one of his consulting clients in 2005, U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Taylor and NASA Deputy Inspector General Thomas J. Howard announced today.

The three-count indictment, which was returned earlier today by a federal grand jury sitting in the District of Columbia, charges Stadd with one count of Acts Affecting a Personal Financial Interest, in violation of 18 U.S.C. S 208, and two counts of False Statements, in violation of 18 U.S.C. S 1001(a)(2). If convicted, Stadd faces up to five years of imprisonment on each charge. An arraignment date has not yet been set by the court.

According to the indictment, in the spring and summer of 2005, Stadd, who previously served as NASA Chief of Staff and White House Liaison, exerted his authority as a Special Government Employee in NASA's Office of the Administrator to ensure that $12 million of a $15 million Congressional "earmark" for earth science applications was spent in Mississippi, where his client, Mississippi State University, was located. In doing so, it is alleged that Stadd knowingly and willfully participated as a government officer in recommending and rendering advice on the allocation of NASA funds to Mississippi State University, a matter in which Stadd knew he had a financial interest.

Mississippi State University later received $9,603,428 of the "earmarked" funds from NASA. As part of his scheme, Stadd made false statements to NASA ethics officials concerning his participation in NASA matters involving Mississippi State University.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty. In announcing the indictment, U.S. Attorney Taylor and NASA Deputy Inspector General Howard commended the outstanding investigative work of the agents of the NASA Office of Inspector General. They also acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney David S. Johnson, who is prosecuting the case.

I would like to point out the obvious unstated flip-side of this coin:

Uh, what about the "ear-marked" funds in pretty much all of the crap legislation produced and passed by the "Hill of Beans"? I bet we could employ quite a few people currently unemployed to begin investigations into the "affiliations" of all the Legislative Beans members.

NASA has so many cost overruns that we could probably feed the hungry for a year on that alone.

And let's not forget "THE BLACK HOLE" aka Undisclosed Funded Operations aka "Project Blank Check".

Whatever...

[towhom]

Well, SOHO is having "hard ware problems" and apologizes for the inconvenience.

SuperDARN is completely down - page unavailable (again).

Spitzer hasn't updated its site since January 15th.

Mars Spirit rover has to make a long trek around a plateau.

Cassini is out there. We'll get to see the pictures "soon".

The Kepler launch was successful so we'll begin to look for Earth-sized exoplanets revolving around suns like ours. Too bad the launch of OCO was a failure - we'll look for new planets but the carbon signature in our own atmosphere will have to wait...

Space - the final frontier...these are the voyages of the starship...

Opps, let's try that again.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...

Uh, sorry...one more time...

NASA - no matter where you go, there you are...

;D

[ninathedog]

hey, Sally Anne -- thanks for your kind words! You made me smile and now I have to say that I'm sorry if that came off as an apology for the Nature Of Who I Am because I really wasn't apologizing, I was just 'splaining the way I think and how I can over-react and touching lightly on the joys and sorrows of being a creative type of person. I think many people here can probably relate to this. Anyway, the rice pudding turned out a little gloppy to be honest because I sort of forgot about it while it was cooking -- I was too busy learning a little more about genocide, which is a topic that has interested me since I became aware of what's going on in Gaza some years back, but it tasted great and my dog loved it too! We also had some for breakfast, but it was much better last night when it was warm. Cold gloppy rice pudding is even gloppier than warm gloppy rice pudding.

You're so right about sifting through material and looking for the gold nuggets -- like you, I don't like to dismiss information out of hand without looking at it first and seeing what it might have to offer. I wonder if Dan would be willing to contribute his thoughts on the effects of depleted uranium and global depopulation programs, so I will ask Nodstar* to ask him Regarding the goobers.....yeah, I know they're there for real.

[fr33ksh0w2012]

Monday, March 09, 2009 » 12:50am

The Prime Minister has used 'coarse' language during a meeting with sacked Pacific Brands workers.
Kevin Rudd isn't known for his 'colourful' language like predecessors Mark Latham and Paul Keating but the global economic crisis seems to be enough to cause a slip of the tongue in even a mild-mannered leader.

The prime minister made the slip when explaining that current circumstances made it necessary to borrow to keep the wheels of the economy turning, but that created a political 'sh*t storm'.

Mr Rudd told the Seven Network it was necessary to keep building long-term economic infrastructure even in the down times to keep the foundation for jobs in place.

But he noted it meant that opponents would then complain about governments going into debt.

'There's a very simple alternative here: you either sit back as government and do nothing and just wait for the free market to fix it all up or you step in and try to fill the breach for a temporary period,' Mr Rudd said.

'People have to understand that, because there's going to be the usual political sh*t storm,' he said, before quickly correcting himself.

'Sorry, political storm over that.'