Professor: FDA Electronic Cigarette Study Is Unscientific Proproganda | |||
In an interview a respected scientist and reseacher into tobacco harm reduction has criticised the FDA's stance towards the electronic cigarette
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In a recent interview on the electronic cigarette with E Cigarette Direct, Carl Phillips, Associate Professor at the University of Alberta, Canada, launched a devastating attack on an FDA study into the electronic cigarette. "There's no significance of those findings whatsoever from a scientific or health stand point. From a political standpoint the fact that they did that was quite significant." The original FDA study found traces of carcinogens in NJOY and Smoking Everywhere electronic cigarettes. Diethylene Glycol was also found in one Smoking Everywhere cigarette. The study was followed up with an FDA press release warning of the dangers of using the electronic cigarette. However, the professor argued that the tiny quantities of carcinogens found invalidated the FDA's warning, pointing out that these could also be found: "in nicoderm, nicorette, any product that contains nicotine that has been extracted from a tobacco plant...." The quantities, which are similar to those found in nicotine cessation products licensed by the FDA, were: "...so many orders of magnitude smaller than those, say, in smokeless tobacco, which has been shown to not cause a measurable risk of cancer, so we know that that doesn't matter." The full interview with Professor Phillips can be read here: Electronic Cigarette Interview with Carl Phillips. E Cigarette Direct is the UK based online retailer of the NJOY Electronic Cigarette. E Cigarette Direct has a strong interest in promoting research into the electronic cigarette and tobacco harm reduction. More information on the product as well as several technical articles, interviews and information can be found on its website www.ecigarettedirect.co.uk. |
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
FDA Electronic Cigarette Study Is Unscientific Proproganda
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Overlooked 150 Year Old Household Cleaner a Remedy for Swine Flu?
I would not be surprised at all if this worked. All of you who might be feeling icky--TRY IT and let me know if it works. I'm trying it bc I've felt so icky lately too. can't hurt. I use baking soda in water for stomach upset and it just nails it. And i use it for abotu 100 other things. it's one of those miracle products. Wouldn't it be cool if this product could solve so many health issues?
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Must-Reads for Modern Fiction & Non-Fiction
*I present my list (which continues to get larger) of books I feel are more than worth the time to read...these are based on my own opinions and preferences, and yours may vary. But check them out just in case there's a gem in there for you.
1. One Door Away From Heaven (Dean Koontz)
[I think this is Koontz's best book).
As is typical with a Koontz novel, nothing turns out to be what it seems, and the meticulously crafted plot tightens like a noose with every turn of the page. His characters are exceptionally drawn, driving the novel forward with realism and warmth. Micky is one of his more attractive young heroines, but the real star is Leilani, a mature young girl whose plucky nature and sparkling dialogue instantly make her Koontz's most memorable creation. She embodies his belief that despite violence, pain, and suffering, there is always goodness to be found in every person and situation. Koontz has once again proven why he is one of the premier novelists of his generation. --Jonathan Weir, Amazon.co.uk
2. Another Day in the Frontal Lobe: A brain Surgeon Exposes Life on the Inside (Katrina Firlik, M.D.)
The brain is my business," says Connecticut neurosurgeon Firlik. "Many of the brains I encounter have been pushed around by tumors, blood clots, infections, or strokes that have swollen out of control. Some have been invaded by bullets, nails, or even maggots." In these pages, a carpenter with a nail in his left frontal lobe goes home within a day of surgery; a boy develops a raging bacterial meningitis because his New Age mother gave him herbs instead of antibiotics for a routine ear infection; and an infant with hydranencephaly looks cute despite the absence of brain matter in his skull. Along the way, Firlik muses that a healthy brain has the consistency of soft tofu, and she flies solo in the OR for the first time as she saves an 18-year-old victim of a car accident who didn't buckle up. A woman in a male-dominated specialty, Firlik doesn't get worked up over minor things that can be construed as sexist; she finds that handling a patient's anxiety can be more complicated than the surgery itself, and she expects to be sued someday for malpractice. This witty and lucid first book demythologizes a complex medical specialty for those of us who aren't brain surgeons. (On sale May 2)
3. Forbidden Knowledge: From Prometheus to Pornography (Roger Shattuck )
4. The God Delusion (Richard Dawkins)
~George Johnson is author of Fire in the Mind: Science, Faith, and the Search for Order and six other books. He resides on the Web at talaya.net
5. The Bible
(yes, the Bible. But Cover to cover, without any help. Just read it all. And don't lie and say you have--most HAVEN'T, especially Christians. For myself, as anyone who knows me understands, my spiritual path was halted by reading the Bible. By the time i got to the end, i was an atheist. Amazing what the clergy will hide form you. It's worth your time to really read it, cover to cover. I don't have any reviews to place below here, as that would be a bit absurd, considering. But a review, of sorts, will be had in my book about this journey, Supernatural Hypocrisy: The Cognitive Dissonance of a God Cosmology, hopefully available by the end of this year).
6. Maximum Ride series (James Patterson) The Angel Experiment, Book 1
*you won't often catch me reading Young Adult fiction at this age...but I'm telling you, I could not resist these. Each one, just as compelling and entertaining as the last.
*we interrupt this booklist for an important announcement. I thought the above byline was from Pissedaway Public Library. Until i looked at it again. I'm sure i Pissed Away many hours at the libray in my lifetime. Okay, not Pissed away. It was time well spent.
We now return to your regularly scheduled Booklist, already in progress....
7. The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy by James Trefil, Joseph F. Kett, and E. D. Hirsch
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
8. Everything You Know About God Is Wrong: The Disinformation Guide to Religion (Russ Kick, Neil Gaiman, and Richard Dawkins)
Richard Dawkins shows us the strange, scary properties of religion; Neil Gaiman turns a biblical atrocity story into a comic (that almost sent a publisher to prison); Erik Davis looks at what happens when religion and California collide; Mike Dash eyes stigmatics; Douglas Rushkoff exposes the trouble with Judaism; Paul Krassner reveals his "Confessions of an Atheist"; and best-selling lexicographer Jonathon Green interprets the language of religious prejudice.
Among the dozens of other articles and essays, you'll find: a sweeping look at classical composers and Great American Songbook writers who were unbelievers, such as Irving Berlin, creator of "God Bless America"; the definitive explanation of why America is not a Christian nation; the bizarre, Catholic-fundamentalist books by Mel Gibson's father; eye-popping photos of bizarre religious objects and ceremonies, including snake-handlers and pot-smoking children; the thinly veiled anti-Semitism in the Left Behind novels; an extract from the rare, suppressed book The Sex Life of Brigham Young; and rarely seen anti-religious writings from Mark Twain and H.G. Wells.
Further topics include exorcisms, religious curses, Wicca, the Church of John Coltrane, crimes by clergy, death without God, Christian sex manuals, the "ex-gay" movement, failed prophecies, bizarre theology, religious bowling, atheist rock and roll, "how to be a good Christian," an entertaining look at the best (and worst) books on religion, and much more.
9. Letter to a Christian Nation (Sam Harris)
"This combination of ruthless argument with polemic designed to provoke (he describes the Catholic Church as the “institution that has produced and sheltered an elite army of child-molesters") will further delight Harris’ supporters and infuriate his critics.” – San Francisco Chronicle
“Harris has consolidated his disdain for religion in a withering attack on Christianity, delivered in the form of an open letter. . . . Mr. Harris wants to grab your lapels and give you a good shake. . . [he] makes a good case for a new and intellectually honest conversation about morality and human suffering.”–NY Observer
“As infidels go, Harris is an astonishingly successful one. . . Letter is a readable, exhortatory screed.”–Newsweek
“Bracing.”–The Nation
“[Letter to a Christian Nation] crackles with a focused, potent energy. . . . [Harris’] arguments resonate with a satisfying common sense.”–Contra Costa Times
“Sam Harris’s elegant little book is most refreshing and a wonderful source of ammunition for those who, like me, hold to no religious doctrine. Yet I have some sympathy also with those who might be worried by his uncompromising stance. Read it and from your own view, but do not ignore its message.”
–Sir Roger Penrose, emeritus professor of mathematics, Oxford University, author of The Road to Reality
“Reading Harris’ Letter to a Christian Nation was like sitting ring side, cheering the champion, yelling ‘Yes!’ at every jab. For those of us who feel depressed by this country’s ever increasing unification of church and state, and the ever decreasing support for the sciences that deliver knowledge and reduce ignorance ...
"A breath of fresh fire." —Wall Street Journal
“I dare you to read this book...it will not leave you unchanged. Read it if it is the last thing you do.” —Richard Dawkins, author of The Selfish Gene and The God Delusion
“It’s a shame that not everyone in this country will read Sam Harris’ marvelous little book Letter to a Christian Nation. They won’t but they should.” —Leonard Susskind, Felix Bloch Professor in theoretical physics, Stanford University
10. Atheism: The Case against God (George H. Smith)
The first place he starts is, naturally enough, to define what atheism is. This he does well, explaining the difference between "weak" atheism, which is simply the lack of belief in any gods, and "strong" atheism, which is the outright denial that any gods exist (he uses the less common terms "implicit" and "explicit"). This is the definition which most atheists today understand, which atheists have been using for the past couple of hundred years, and which is attested to in most major, unabridged dictionaries.
But the heart of Smith's book is his discussion about reason vs. faith. According to Smith, reason and faith are two ways of thinking which are diametrically opposed to each other. His explanation of the nature of "reasonable" thinking is very good, and something which most people should read.
Reason isn't simply one "mode" of thinking, or one possible choice out of a variety of equally valid options. Reason is, instead, our very ability to think in abstract, complex ways. Similarly, rational demonstration is not simply one way to demonstrate something, but rather it is the ability to demonstrate anything at all. The denial of reason is thus the denial of our basic ability to think coherently about our lives.
This in turn is contrasted with faith - but here his argument breaks down somewhat. The perception is given that he is making an argument which is valid against all forms of faith and thus all forms of theism, but this is mistaken on two accounts.
First, what he says does not apply to all the ways in which people - even religious people - understand the nature of faith. It is true that it is valid against the usual way in which you will see a religious person using it, and particularly in the way which Christians use it. Because of this, his discussion will be very useful on a practical level, and what he says, when limited properly, is very accurate: "Insofar as faith is possible, it is irrational; insofar as faith is rational, it is impossible."
It is undeniable that a defense of reason is probably the best argument against the "faith" many religionists promote; but in not making it clear that this is one of many ways to understand "faith," he makes an error similar to that of religionists who claim that if the atheist has "faith" in a spouse or in the sun rising tomorrow, then that is equivalent to the theist's faith in their god.
A second error is in the premise that all forms of theism are equivalent - further compounded by the exclusive use of Christianity as the theistic foil for his arguments. Not all theists necessarily resort to "faith" in the way he describes - some refuse to use it at all and insist that their beliefs can be defended with reason alone. They may be mistaken in their belief that they would be successful, but that doesn't change the fact that an assault on one type of faith is not the same as an assault on all forms of faith and all forms of theism.
To a degree, Smith seems to understand this, because he devotes a significant portion of the book to refutations of common attempts to provide rational arguments for the existence of gods. Although these rebuttals are limited because they do not take into account more recent formulations, they do provide a clear, understandable introduction to them and how to go about dealing with them.
All of the book's problems stem, I think, from the question of theory vs. practice. In practice, most atheists will encounter Christians making the sort of faith-based arguments Smith describes and refutes. Because of this, his book is very good and very useful. But in theory, an atheist could easily encounter theists and religions who make different arguments, and the atheist will look foolish trying to formulate rebuttals to positions which the theist does not hold.
Unfortunately, this isn't just speculation - I see it happen all the time that atheists essentially construct straw man arguments against principles which are associated with Christianity and particular ideas of faith, only based on learning that a person is a theist or is a Christian. The chief reason is, I am sure, because they don't often encounter different sorts of theists and because they are most familiar with Christianity. Even worse, some atheist books contribute to the problem when they could be working to eliminate it.
And Smith's book isn't alone in this - not by a long shot. Most of the atheist books out there may start out with a more general discussion about the nature of atheism and broad considerations about general beliefs in the existence of gods, but few stick with just those arguments. Most end up attacking Christianity in the end - understandable, for the practical reasons I describe above, but ultimately problematic.
Too many atheists are simply ignorant of the variety of ways in which theists defend their beliefs, and while educating them about Christian arguments is a good idea, it is self-defeating to only focus on Christianity. It is also self-defeating to mix up anti-Christian arguments with anti-theism arguments, without making the clear distinction between the two. A true "Case Against God" book would not spend much time on Christianity-only arguments, but instead would have left that to a second volume entitled "The Case Against Christianity."
Nevertheless, this book still provides a sound introduction to atheism - what it is, what it is not, and how it can be effectively defended against the most common critiques. It also provides a basis for atheists to critique religious faith and common theistic arguments, so long as they keep in mind the limitations described above. ~Austin Cline, Guide at atheism.about.com
10. God Game (Andrew M. Greeley)
This is the dilemma that faces our hero, who quickly finds that being given the kingdom, the power, and the glory is dangerous--but addictive. The troubles of the people he sees flashing on his computer screen are all too real--and his troubles are just beginning. . .
Father Greeley received the S.T.L. in 1954 from St. Mary of Lake Seminary. His graduate work was done at the University of Chicago, where he received the M.A. Degree in 1961 and the Ph.D. in 1962.
Father Greeley has written scores of books and hundreds of popular and scholarly articles on a variety of issues in sociology, education and religion. His column on political, church and social issues is carried by the carried by the Chicago Sun Times and may other newspapers. He stimulates discussion of neglected issues and often anticipates sociological trends. He is the author of more than thirty bestselling novels and an autobiography, Furthermore!: Confessions of a Parish Priest.
11. That's Not in My American History Book: A Compilation of Little-Known Events & Forgotten Heroes (Thomas Ayres)
That's Not in My American History Book collects an illuminating treasury of stories edited out of your textbooks. It explains why the Fourth of July isn't really our Independence Day. It dispels the myth of Paul Revere's ride. It reveals nineteenth-century political mudslinging that labeled Andrew Jackson a murderer and his wife an adulteress. It even unveils the only vice president ever to compose a number-one pop hit.
For generations, history classes reduced the American story into a dry litany of dates, names, and places. Now, Thomas Ayres fills in the gaps, supplying the messy details, reclaiming the overlooked heroes, and correcting the facts you thought you knew. With insight, irreverence, and wit, That's Not in My American History Book uncovers our unknown past.
12. The Greatest Stories Never Told: 100 Tales from History to Astonish, Bewilder, and Stupefy (Rick Beyer)
"History like you've never read it before.Amusing." (The Tennessean )
"100 stories you haven't heard will delight in knowing..Lively, offbeat and surprising in quick-hit snippets." (Denver Rocky Mountain News )
"Surprising.the essentials of fascinating stories are here." (Dallas Morning News )
This is history candy -- the good stuff. Here are 100 tales to astonish, bewilder, and stupefy: more than two thousand years of history filled with courage, cowardice, hope, triumph, sex, intrigue, folly, humor, and ambition. It's a historical delight and a visual feast with hundreds of photographs, drawings, and maps that bring each story to life. A new discovery waits on every page: stories that changed the course of history and stories that affected what you had for breakfast this morning.
Consider:
* The Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock because they ran out of beer
* Some Roman officials were so corrupt that they actually stole time itself
* Three cigars changed the course of the Civil War
* The Scottish kilt was invented by an Englishman
Based on the popular Timelab 2000® history minutes hosted by Sam Waterston on The History Channel®, this collection of fascinating historical tidbits will have you shaking your head in wonder and disbelief. But they're all true. And you'll soon find yourself telling them to your friends.
13. Borrowed Lives (Laramie Dunaway) first published in the UK as "Wicked Women"
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
"When i finally arrived at the police station, Wren was standing on the front steps under a bright light, a pair of blue panties balled up in her right fist. She was waving her fist around as if she was about to do some sort of magic trick with her panties, turn them into a dove or something. At the same time, her flushed face was leaning into some young uniformed cop's pale face, yelling at him. The top to my Rabbit was down, so i could hear each word as crisp as snapping carrots.
"This is total bullshit!" Wren hollered.
The skinny young cop was leaning as far back as he could without flipping backward over the railing. His eyes were wide and unfocused, as if he'd just been told he was the offspring of incest. Like most men who've come face-to-face with Wren's temper, he looked both a little murderous and a little in love.
I quickly swung the Rabbit to the curb and honked twice.
Wren didn't take her fierce eyes off the young cop. She continued to glare at him as she backed down the steps toward my car without actually looking where she was going. As if she were guided by some psychic homing device. Anyone else I'd have been worried would trip and fall. But not Wren. She had never done one ungraceful thing in her entire life. She's probably pirouetted out of her mothers' womb and did the Maypole dance with the umbilical cord. Finally, Wren turned toward me. This is when i noticed the huge tan bandage the size of a business card angled across her forehead, partially covering her left eyebrow. A moist rusty spot soaked through the center of the bandage. Three drops of blood formed a teardrop constellation on her white T-shirt.
Wren had only descended two steps when she stopped abruptly and pivoted back around toward the cop. Her tennis shoes squealed against the smooth cement. The startled young cop flinched. His hand dropped to his gun.
"And you are an asshole!" Wren proclaimed, pointing her panties at him. "You hear what I'm saying, Officer? Do you?"
She marched toward my car, climbed in, and slammed the door. "Let's get the fuck out of here before I kill someone else."
14. Earth Angel (Raymond Obstfeld)
*Not surprisingly, Obstfeld is the real name of Laramie Dunaway, one of my other favorite authors. It's him, writing under a female pseudonym.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
15. Life 101:Everything We Wish We Had Learned About Life in School--But Didn't (John-Roger and Peter McWilliams)
WHEN YOU ARE...
Angry, Depressed, Anxious, Tired, Resentful, Upset, Nervous, Unhappy, confused, Frightened, or in any way not healthy, wealthy and happy, then School is in Session!
But it's not "school" as you remember it. This is a book about learning, doing and enjoying that's actually fun. Really.
By the time we graduate form high school, most of us have spent more than 14,500 hours in the classroom. Along the way, we learned (and promptly forgot) several million little facts.
But in all that time, did we learn--or even explore--the meaning of life? Did we learn how to love ourselves? Did we learn the importance of forgiving ourself and others? Did we learn about worthiness (and how to get it), the power of thoughts (and how to use them), or the value of mistakes? Did anyone teach us how to use guilt, resentment, pain and fear for our learning, upliftment and growth? Did we learn our purpose in life?
If not, it's not too late. You are holding the class you've been waiting for in your hands.
16. An Underground Education:The Unauthorized and Outrageous Supplement to Everything You Thought You Knew About Art, Sex, Business, Crime, Science, Medicine, and Other Fields of Human (Richard Zacks)
Bizarre photographs!
Fascinating & sometimes deeply weird true stories!
Just a small taste of the intellectual smorgasbord contained in this volume.
Did you know:
....that in the original story of Goldilocks the bears torture and kill their impolite visitor?
...that Pope Leo XIII appeared in an advertisement for cocaine-laced wine in the 1880s?
...that people didn't eat with forks until the 1700s?
...that Sir Isaac Newton's famous humble-pie quote "If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants" was actually written to a dwarf scientist named Robert Hooke and clearly meant as an insult?
...that Thomas Edison secretly helped develop the electric chair in a scheme to have the lethal machine named after his arch-rival, George Westinghouse?
that the first pediatric guide written in the United States recommended that expectant mothers breastfeed puppies?
...that for two centuries French scientists obsessively experimented on freshly decapitated heads in an effort to discover whether the bodiless brain still functioned?
...that Cleopatra was ugly as sin?
17. Everything You Know is Wrong:The Disinformation Guide to Secrets and Lies (Russ Kick)
*in fact, all of these Disinformation Guides are Must-reads. They are a wealth of information not found through normal channels.
"It's a great read." -- Jane Magazine, August 2002
"Much of it will shock your sensibilities. It's mindboggling stuff. But read it you should." -- Discourse & Disclosure, Summer 2002
"The kind of book you want to buy and give to everyone you know" -- Rain Taxi Summer 2002
"These stories can be scary" -- Seven Magazine, July 2002
"This book could change the way you process information. This book could actually make you smarter." -- Tacoma Reporter, July 25, 2002
"[A] fun and compelling read" -- Enter Stage Right, June 2002
"[A]nother engrossing and infuriating compilation of muckraking articles, exposes, and provocative claims ... recommended for most public libraries." -- Library Journal
"a bracing collection of contrarian articles covering a broad spectrum of subjects" -- The Guardian, October 5, 2002
"bold and brash and just a little bit frightening, irregardless of which side of the political center readers find themselves" -- The Boox Review, July 10, 2002
18. Lessons in Survival (Laramie Dunaway)
*surprise! I really do love "her" writing. Thanks, Raymond.
You might have to find a copy of this in bookstores and libraries--it' s a little hard to track down sometimes.
Divorced high school biology teacher Blue Erhart leads a quiet, conventional life until her notorious bank-robbing parents are released from prison. Hounded by the press and TV-movie producers, she goes on the lam, much as she did in her youth with her fugitive Mom and Dad. Led largely by her libido, Blue leaps from Rush, a sometime Hollywood agent, to cult-leader Thomas Q, the subject of her master's thesis. Her quest for identity and renewed focus gets pretty frenetic, and her parents' continuing lust for robbing banks doesn't help. But, just in time, true love finds a way, and Blue and Rush live happily ever after. Not as clever and refreshing as Dunaway's first book, Borrowed Lives ( LJ 10/15/92), this is nonetheless very innovative, entertaining, and itself a prime candidate for a TV movie. Recommended.
19. The Illustrated Brief History of Time & The Universe in a Nutshell (Stephen Hawking)
Now, in a major publishing event, Hawking returns with a lavishly illustrated sequel that unravels the mysteries of the major breakthroughs that have occurred in the years since the release of his acclaimed first book.
One of the most influential thinkers of our time, Stephen Hawking is an intellectual icon, known not only for the adventurousness of his ideas but for the clarity and wit with which he expresses them. In this new book Hawking takes us to the cutting edge of theoretical physics, where truth is often stranger than fiction, to explain in laymen's terms the principles that control our universe.
Like many in the community of theoretical physicists, Professor Hawking is seeking to uncover the grail of science -- the elusive Theory of Everything that lies at the heart of the cosmos. In his accessible and often playful style, he guides us on his search to uncover the secrets of the universe -- from supergravity to supersymmetry, from quantum theory to M-theory, from holography to duality.
He takes us to the wild frontiers of science, where superstring theory and p-branes may hold the final clue to the puzzle. And he lets us behind the scenes of one of his most exciting intellectual adventures as he seeks "to combine Einstein's General Theory of Relativity and Richard Feynman's idea of multiple histories into one complete unified theory that will describe everything that happens in the universe."
With characteristic exuberance, Professor Hawking invites us to be fellow travelers on this extraordinary voyage through space-time. Copious four-color illustrations help clarify this journey into a surreal wonderland where particles, sheets, and strings move in eleven dimensions; where black holes evaporate and disappear, taking their secret with them; and where the original cosmic seed from which our own universe sprang was a tiny nut.
The Universe in a Nutshell is essential reading for all of us who want to understand the universe in which we live. Like its companion volume, A Brief History of Time, it conveys the excitement felt within the scientific community as the secrets of the cosmos reveal themselves.
Eager to bring to his original text the new knowledge revealed by these many observations, as well as his most recent research, for this revised and expanded edition Hawking has prepared a new introduction to the book, revised and updated the original chapters throughout, and written an entirely new chapter on the fascinating subject of wormholes and time travel.
In addition, to heighten understanding of complex concepts that readers may have found difficult to grasp despite the clarity and wit of Hawking's writing, this edition is magnificently enhanced throughout with more than 240 full-color illustrations, including satellite images, photographs made possible by spectacular new technological advances such as the Hubble telescope, and computer- generated images of three- and four-dimensional realities. Detailed captions clarify these illustrations, enabling readers to experience the vastness of intergalactic space, the nature of black holes, and the microcosmic world of particle physics in which matter and antimatter collide.
A classic work that now brings to the reader the latest understanding of cosmology, The Illustrated A Brief History of Time is the story of the ongoing search for the tantalizing secrets at the heart of time and space.
20. Friday -Robert A. Heinlein
21. Atheist Universe (David Mills)
* I have to say, this was one of the most clear and helpful books to make the case for atheism. David is a master at explaining it. I am proud to have him as one of my friends on Facebook.
With impeccable logic, intellectual bravery, and professional clarity Mills points the way past religion. -- Dorion Sagan, science writer, son of Carl Sagan
Atheist Universe avoids the esoteric language used by philosophers and presents its scientific evidence in simple lay terms, making it a richly entertaining and easy-to-read introduction to atheism. A comprehensive primer, it addresses all the historical and scientific questions, including: Is there proof that God does not exist? What evidence is there of Jesus' resurrection? Can creation science reconcile scripture with the latest scientific discoveries?
Atheist Universe also answers ethical issues such as: What is the meaning of life without God? It's a spellbinding inquiry that ultimately arrives at a controversial and well-documented conclusion.Monday, March 2, 2009
Dane Cook: Comedy God?
But I'm not going to talk about her.
It's been done.
And overdone.
I just want to know one thing.
Why does everyone treat Dane Cook like he's a comedy god?
I can name a whole list of other comics who are ten times funnier.
To Wit:
Paula Poundstone
Robin Williams
Ellen Degeneres
Eddie Izzard
Kathleen Madigan
George Carlin
Stephen Wright
Kathy Griffin
David Cross
Maria Bamford
Ron White
Bill Maher
Those are just off the top of my head.
It's so obvious, too, that Dane Cook buys into this comedy-god thing. He prances about the stage, ultra aware of himself, too confident, too cocky, while delivering banter that is no funnier than slipping on a banana peel. I get it that he's cute and all, but cute isn't synonymous with funny. So how did he reach the status he enjoys?
I have no idea.
But I'd like to see those honors given to comics who are actually funny.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Movie Review: Already Dead
As a writer, I am familiar with the machinations of story-creation, and I understand what human nature responds to, even if sometimes it reveals an underdeveloped or afflicted psyche. I am not interested in feeding that group of readers. So when I do watch a movie with graphic scenes, I at least want it to be integral to the plot, and of course, that suggests that there IS a plot. My leanings in this direction are more in the genre of thriller and suspense, then...
Recommendation without giving it away: it's worth seeing. Tense, well-done, with an intriguing human element that gives it real bite.
Review-- SPOILER Alert.
Having said that, I was pleasantly surprised by Already Dead, starring Ron Eldard. He's one of those actors you recognize but can't place and know little about. He is perhaps best known for his roles in Black Hawk Down and ER. In this film, he plays a father and husband, Thomas Archer; a successful architect with an idyllic life filled by a loving wife and an adored son. Archer has suffered through a vicious home invasion, and the story begins by integrating present-time with flashbacks to build the story. At the beginning, we see him traveling via subway with a bag full of money, and periodically taking instructions from a cell phone about where to go to drop the cash. The clever part of this script, here, is that we assume he is paying off kidnappers. What we discover, however, is that he is paying for the ability to exact revenge on the man who killed his son in that home invasion. I was even more interested at this point, because it was setting up to be a movie about vengeance, in the vigilante category. I've always been fascinated by this area of the human psyche. I even wrote a screenplay about it years ago, and have recently been finishing up the novella version of it, both entitled Another Justice. In Already Dead, then, the reference is at first to Archer's son.
Through more flashbacks, we learn that the detective on the case notified Archer that he was being reassigned and the case was going to be dropped, but suggested he see a therapist the department used frequently for officers who had been through traumatic events. Since Archer can find no peace on his own, he goes to see the counselor. After several months of treatment, Archer feels no better and finally, the psychologist, played by Christopher Plummer, informs him of a secret group of men in various positions of law enforcement, who take matters into their own hands, rather than let criminals skirt the system. In this scenario, they offer up his son's murderer for the hefty fee of $500k, so that this grieving father can exact revenge. I would immediately be suspicious of an organization that claimed to be about seeking justice and then charged the cost of a home in an upperclass neighborhood to offer this option to someone who is devastated by grief. But maybe that's a clue to the nature of these men.
After we are made aware that his son was not kidnapped, but killed, and that Archer has accepted the option to exact revenge, we know that the money is to pay for the privilege of doing that. Archer winds up in a room located in an abandoned warehouse-type building. The killer is strapped to a chair with a hood over his head. On a long table in the room is every manner of torture device, to include many power tools. Through the cell phone, he is reassured that the best technology was used, including DNA evidence, to conclude that this is indeed the man who killed his son. There are cameras throughout the building and in that room, where the organization can watch him and monitor the situation. Archer pulls the killer's hood off and confronts him, eye-to-eye showing him a photo of his son, and asking him if he recognizes the boy. The guy in the chair denies any recognition. Eventually, Archer's grief and anger erupts, and he begins to inflict pain, first with a bat, and then eventually by nailing one of the killer's hands to the chair arm. This is where things get interesting. When he is about to crucify the other hand, he turns it palm up to drive the nail, and sees the guy's arm. He flashes back on the home-invasion, and recalls a tattoo on the invader's left forearm. Archer sees now that this guy he has just abused and nailed to a chair, does not have that tattoo.
Let the hand-wringing begin.
He points to the cell phone so that the guys behind the camera can see him, and they call. He tells them they have the wrong man, that he doesn't have a tattoo. They try to reassure him there is no mistake and that his mind is playing tricks, but he is certain he saw the tattoo that night. Frantic, he asks to speak to the psychologist who hooked him up with this organization, and so the therapist is on the phone, trying to talk him out of changing his mind. He warns that the agreement was made, and the organization cannot allow it to stop, it's gone too far. The job has to be finished. Archer says they can keep the money, but the man must be allowed to leave with him, safely. The doctor intimates that if he doesn't go through with it, his life is in danger. Ultimately, ethics win out over his need for revenge, and Archer refuses to continue. He destroys the camera.
The man in the chair asks for the nail to be removed, and Archer complies, and the removal is every bit as painful to watch as the insertion was. He answers the ringing cell phone and insists the doctor come to the room immediately. The doctor arrives, still trying to convince him to finish the job, and says that even if this is not the man who did it, this man is a criminal and deserves to be punished just as much as the man who killed his son. The man in the chair says he never killed children or beat women. Archer, of course, only signed on because he wanted to punish the man who took his son from him. He's not okay with being executioner for anyone else. He releases the man, who then hobbles over to a section of wall, knocking on it, suggesting there is a way to escape if they break through the wall. Archer gets the sledge hammer and starts whacking the wall. The doctor says that the men from the clandestine vigilante organization will arrive shortly, and they will not allow Archer or the man to get out alive.
So, Archer and the chair-man start their escape, hearing shots on the room behind them which they are sure is the organization killing the doctor. The next big chunk of the movie, is the two men trying to escape from the pursuing organization of masked men who needs them dead. Although Archer knows this man didn't kill his son, he also knows he's a criminal who probably killed SOMEbody...maybe lots of somebodys. Yet, they are forced to be allies to save their own lives. They do finally make it out, discovering one of the masked men to be the doctor himself. Archer cannot kill him, though he tries to pull the trigger. He says, "I can't kill you. You're already dead." The Chairman (hehe) does the honors, since it's obvious that the only way they will both continue to survive is if all the members of that small organization are dead.
The fait accompli comes in a tag scene where the Chairman opens the trunk of a car, and we see a bound man there, and the tattoo on his arm. This is the man who killed Archer's son. We watch as the Chairman fills him with a few bullets, and closes the trunk.
Overall, quite an engaging movie, and a peek into still another dark corner of the human psyche as well as the often nebulous region of right and wrong.
Who are you, WHO WHO
[new comments in red]
Submitted to World Health Organization
I must protest about the comments made by Douglas Bettcher in an article here:
In it, Bettcher is attributed to the statement that, "The World Health Organization says there is absolutely no scientific evidence that the electronic cigarette is a legitimate nicotine replacement therapy that can help people quit smoking real cigarettes." I know of at least ONE study.
My response would be STUDY ME. This is what I KNOW: I was a tobacco cigarette smoker for 25 years and I tried every other way available to quit, and was unsuccessful. I started using an eCig, and immediately stopped smoking, with NO DISCOMFORT, no JITTERS, no need or desire to buy another cigarette. IT WAS THE EASIEST HEALTH TRANSITION I'VE EVER MADE, AND MOST ASSUREDLY A RESOUNDING SUCCESS. The same is true for my best friend, and many others I know of through eCig forums online (to include a new one, I started myself to help spread the word).
According to this, your statements as an organization, and Bettcher's statements as your representative are erroneous.
The article also states that "also in certain jurisdictions where it is being used as well, it seems to be used to evade the smoking bans in public places and work places." Where are you getting this stance? Is it from WHO??? What's wrong with evading smoking bans by doing something that IS NOT HARMFUL TO ANYONE? isn't that the point?
Also in the article: "The electronic cigarette is not cheap. Bettcher says the whole apparatus in Bulgaria1 costs $100 and the rechargeable nicotine pack costs about $14. He says the product is sold around the world mainly through the Internet. This way he says, manufacturers can evade country regulations and taxes." Bettcher and WHO need to get with the program. Cheap is relative and subjective in this case. I spent $125 per month on cigarettes. I bought my first starter kit for around $107, and after that, it costs me around $40 a month to maintain.2 You can buy pre-prepared juice for around $8, which will last about a month; or you can buy 5 cartridges for around $5, or you can buy blank cartridges and fill them with smoke juice. That's CHEAPER than cigarettes, and it eliminated the 300-500 toxins found in tar....3
Also, Americans get eCigs from other countries because America has not yet realized the overwhelming potential electronic cigarettes not only as an economic boon, but as a way to eliminate one of our most pervasive and damaging health issues. I would think that WHO would be more excited about that, than degrading the technology of electronic cigarettes. Do you have some sort of investment in tobacco companies or stock in cessation-products? I can think of no other reason why you would be spreading such misinformation.
I implore you to please get the facts before you start discouraging new technologies that might help save the lives of millions.
Kelli Jae Baeli
Author, Webmaster, eCig Enthusiast
[ADDENDUM:
1. Bulgaria? Most I know, including me get them from manufacturers in CHINA--the patent is held by a Chinese citizen.
2. now, i mostly use a mini-ecig, which you can buy a kit for at around $40 to $80, and I use ejuice for refills, so now, my costs are even less than when i first wrote this.
3....and furthermore, it's not so much that they are evading paying any taxes or adhering to regulations, it's that the US is LATENT in the embracing this technology, and the socio-political machine, to include the FDA and the FTC, is once again standing in the way of things that would help Americans be healthier. So if these companies have to skirt things in some way, I say LET THEM SKIRT. The result is in saving lives and lowering the cost of health care]
Also note, that the WHO has stated in their report,
Quote: |
"Cigarettes kill half of all lifetime users. Half die in middle age – between 35 and 69 years old. No other consumer product is as dangerous, or kills as many people. Tobacco kills more than AIDS, legal drugs, illegal drugs, road accidents, murder, and suicide combined. Tobacco already kills more men in developing countries than in industrialised countries, and it is likely that deaths among women will soon be the same. While 0.1 billion people died from tobacco use in the 20th century, ten times as many will die in the 21st century. Maternal smoking during pregnancy is responsible for many foetal deaths and is also a major cause of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Passive smoking in the home, workplace, or in public places also kills, although in lower numbers. However, those killed do not die from their own habit, but from someone else’s. Children are at particular risk from adults smoking, and even smoking by other adults around a pregnant woman has a harmful effect on a foetus." |
And so I wonder why they seem to be so against electronic cigarettes, which eliminate all these issues? Does this make sense to anyone besides the World Health Organization?
Here we go again. Another site quotes comments by the World Health Organizations, and I, once again, posted a comment about it. Here's my comment:
Jae Baeli
posted 2/25/09 @ 3:52 AM EST*
It comes as no surprise to me that there are naysayers out there--what is surprising is that an organization like WHO, with the term "HEALTH" in their name, would seem so determined to spread misinformation about a product that could save the lives of thousands, maybe millions of smokers in this country. I tried to quit for 25 years, and was never successful until I began to use the electronic cigarette. The same is true for my best friend and every other eCig user I have talked to, seen posts on forums from, or heard about elsewhere. It's time the Powers That Be got with the program and started moving us into the modern era--an era free of tobacco products that kill millions. To be anything less than supportive of this new technology is to be an accessory to murder.
Jae Baeli
Former tobacco smoker and now eCig Enthusiast.
http://vaporist.forumotion.net/
ADDENDUM: I am trying to find a source/manufacturer that I can afford to buy from, so that I can sell eCig kits locally. As soon as I do, I'm all over it. I could have already sold about 40 of them here.