A new law school in Southwest Florida

Recently I had a brief discussion with Florida Gulf Coast University's legal studies program coordinator about the feasability of a law school in southwest Florida. Fort Myers, Port Charlotte, Cape Coral, Bonita Springs, Estero, San Carlos, Sanibel, Marco Island, Lehigh Acres, and Naples would all benefit from a law school in this area. We're one of the fastest growing areas in the country! But, the response I got was rather gloomy: "A law school at FGCU at this time is just not feasible. It would take years of money, planning and building."

SWFL law students no choice but to leave area
Let's pretend that I want to study law, the closest law school for me would be located in the Tampa/Orlando region or in the Miami/Ft Lauderdale area. The best option from my own research shows that Florida International University is the best choice not only because they had one of the highest pass rates in Florida history, but also because their tuition costs are very affordable (roughly $8k/year). The next affordable law school is Florida A&M University, a historically black/minority school. They are plagued by some issues (ie: faculty retention), but they are nonetheless, an institution that needs a break: they have struggled to gain a foothold after their struggle to survive in the 1960s. You see in 1966, during the troubled times when blacks and minorities tried to achieve equality, Florida Board of Control shut the law school down.

So I have two primary choices, one is FIU and my secondary is FAMU.

New hope
But then I accidentally bumped on a press release dated February 2007. Ave Maria School of Law, a fully ABA-accredited law school is moving from Michigan to the Naples area in 2009!

This is great news especially for students that really don't want to give up on Southwest Florida. Aside from historically good weather (Hurricane Charlie/Wilma notwithstanding), this area of Florida offers a relaxed lifestyle with no metropolitan headaches.

Finally! A law school in the area.

Minister Killer Gets 60 Days, Paris Hilton Gets 45 Days

Ahh yes, the justice system we have in the United States sometimes is quirky. Mary Winkler, the wife that killed his minister husband is estimated to serve about 60 days. Paris Hilton, driving under a suspended driver's license due to a DUI, was sentenced to 45 days.

But despite its quirkiness, I still believe it is the best in the world. I mean, just look at Iran's legal system, try to share your faith and you go to jail!

FSBPT, NPTE update and rumors

JULY 2010 UPDATE: ENOUGH ALREADY FSBPT!  We're sick and tired of your abuse of power.  Visit here to fight back against FSBPT legally!

News about FSBPT and their actions to temporarily ban all Filipinos from physical therapy licensure has already hit the Philippines and other countries such as India. I just wanted to give a brief update on here.

Rumors

• On Friendster and physical therapy forums, there is a rumor of a New York physical therapist that was asked to retake the NPTE, supposedly because her name was on the SLRC list. So is this fact or fiction? And who started this rumor? It took me a while to trace this rumor (the Internet is big), but I found the following post online that seemed to have started it all:
  
  

  
  charmaj_14 wrote:
  
  Hello to everyone. I just want to share this. I receive a call from a friend in New York & she's been working there as a PT for almost two years. Last week she received an email from FSBPT requesting her to RE-TAKE the stateboards. I think she was also enrolled at slrc So, in-short even if you're already in the U.S , you are still affected by the fsbpt's investigation. This is so unfair. We passed the exam because we study hard & all of us deserves it.

  
  
• I can tell you that charmaj_14's account has not been recently created. For instance, if someone just wanted to joke around, they could create a fake account and post a rumor. The account has been active for at least 2 years, giving some credibility that this person is not a spoof or a joke.
  
• The New York state board does not publish their disciplinary actions instantly and we don't have a name on the PT, so at the moment, we have to label this rumor as speculative with some credible elements. I will attempt to contact the original poster to verify the story.
  
• bingbong from the PT forum called the NY state board and said, "i was very surprised when i heard this from a friend and when i read it here. i called nysed office of the professions and they clarified that the rumor is not true. they are not revoking any license unless a therapist commited and was proven guilty of anything that would jeopardize his/her license".
  

Double standards As you may, or may not know, FSBPT temporarily banned all Filipino PT graduates because they believe review centers encouraged students to cheat. If "cheating" is the standard for this type of policy, shouldn't it be applied to every country? Let me explain with some facts below:

• APTA's PT Bulletin, September 13, 2002, Volume 3 Issue 38 reported that FSBPT was investigating cheaters, presumably in the U.S.A.
  
• FSBPT Vol 19 No 3 reported during a meeting in Utah that cheating was prevalent in the United States (Professor Hogan was quoted).
  
• Ann Tyminski, Executive Director of the Maryland Board of Physical Therapy Advisors and a member of the FSBPT Board of Directors gave an update in 2004 that FSBPT was pursuing four candidates that had committed copyright violations of NPTE.
  
• So why didn't FSBPT withhold test scores from all U.S. students when they found U.S. cheaters?
  
• Once you have double standards, the policy, in my eyes, moves away from being fair and balanced to discrimination.
  

Other updates

• Most people recognize that FSBPT has the right to investigate cheaters. This is fair and just if they follow the evidence.
  
• But their actions against an entire country is incorrect and it is excessive. They do not have evidence that the entire country cheated, so why do they temporarily ban all Filipino-educated PTs from licensure?
  
• The only people that seem to disagree with me are people that are already in the United States or Canada and are already licensed. Or people that are in the Philippines that aren't in the situation because they don't want to come over to the U.S. to work. My only words to these critics: Don't criticize people that are suffering from this. If you have nothing constructive to say, don't say it at all.
  
• To people that do not like FSBPT's actions, you need to start writing letters. Yes, letters to newspapers, media outlets, TV, government officials, and to FSBPT. Without the public on your side, nobody will know. Click here for some additional actions you can take.
  
• Look at FSBPT's web site, they have entirely been silent on the issue. Why? Because they know what they are doing is controversial: banning an entire nation's PT graduates without due process is un-American (I'm a Filipino-American, so I can say that).
  
• In America's legal system, due process protects an individual from being punished for a crime before there is evidence against him. For instance, if a murder occurred in the state of New Jersey, should we jail the entire population of New Jersey and then figure out who the murderer is? Due process protects you from that type of unfair, knee jerk reaction.
  
• If FSBPT claims to "protect the health, safety and welfare of the [American] public", they must at least follow the principles of the country's legal establishment. If not, they are hypocrites.
  

I invite discussion and if you have any updates, please click on the comment link below.

The health care debate: an angle not mentioned

The United States, no doubt, is the most powerful country in the world. But when it comes to managing our health care costs and ensuring health care access to citizens, we are one of the worst. Did you know that our health care spending is 4.3 times the amount spent on national defense? (source: NCHC)

As I'm watching presidential hopefuls debate over health care costs on national television, I'm astounded that there is a lack of effort, a lack of recognition on why our health care costs are so high.

Let me introduce a new catch phrase on this debate: personal responsibility.

Ah, yes, that word that seems to strike at the very core of our society. This is where we take responsibility of our own actions rather than blame it on others. We are all guilty of straying away from this principle because it tends to hurt the ego. But the truth is, a lot of our health care costs are due to the lack of personal responsibility, specifically the personal lifestyles we choose that hurts the entire nation.

Here's some examples:

• In a 1998 analysis by health economists of the University of California, cigarette smoking costs about $72.7 billion a year.
  
• According to a CDC report, being overweight and being obese costs us roughly $92.6 billion in 2002 dollars.
  
• According to the Marin Institute, total cost of alcohol problems is $175.9 billion a year.
  
• According to the same site, $114.2 billion a year is spent for drug abuse problems.
  

What I just posted are just some glaring examples of how the lack of personal responsibility equates to higher health care costs. In short, one of the main reasons health insurance costs are so high is that we abuse our own bodies. We don't sleep right, we don't eat right, we drink too much alcohol and not enough water,, we don't exercise, and we abuse substances that we know are bad for our bodies. We then turn around to our politicians and say, when we get sick because of these actions, I want you to pay for it.

So now that we understand the lack of personal responsibility as a major cause of rising health care costs: how do we fix this problem?

Microsoft Surface: throw away keyboard and mice

Want to see the next wave of the future? Give it to Microsoft for bringing on a new gadget toy: http://www.microsoft.com/surface/. This new PC requires no keyboards, no mice. It can recognize bar codes, offers new types of games, etc.



Microsoft Surface is a totally new ball game. Can you find the "Apple eat this" in the video?

FSBPT puts all new Philippines physical therapists on hold

JULY 2010 UPDATE: ENOUGH ALREADY FSBPT!  We're sick and tired of your abuse of power.  Visit here to fight back against FSBPT legally!

New physical therapy (PT) candidates across the United States hoping to work as physical therapists in their jurisdictions are receiving a very sad letter. The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT), which oversees and administers physical therapy exams, is withholding the test scores of all new Filipino applicants (Philippines) due to the actions of a couple of review centers in Manila.

According to FSBPT's own web site, the drama unfolded on January 26, 2007:

On Friday, January 26, 2007, agents of the Philippines National Bureau of Investigation, Intellectual Property Rights Division (“NBI-IPRD”) raided two locations of the St. Louis Review Center (“SLRC”) in Manila. The raids were conducted following a complaint made by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (“FSBPT”) that SLRC was believed to be using copyrighted test items from the National Physical Therapy Exam (“NPTE”) in its NPTE preparation courses.

Prior to the raids, agents of the NBI-IPRD conducted a criminal surveillance operation of the test centers, which confirmed the unlawful use of the test items. Specifically, SLRC was found to be providing its students with copies of actual NPTE test items that candidates who had previously taken the exam recalled by memory..."

From what I gather, certain individuals were purposely memorizing questions on the board exam and returning/selling those questions back to the review centers in Manila.





FSBPT's president, E. Dargan Ervin, Jr., along with other officials from the organization has decided to hold and not report any test scores of any new candidates from the Philippines effective May 16th, 2007.

As a result, effective May 16th, scores of all candidates who graduated from Philippine physical therapy education programs and sat for the National Physical Therapy Examination [NPTE] will be held and not reported to candidates or jurisdictions pending a full investigation of these matters. In its investigation, FSBPT will psychometrically analyze the data, and seek input from the testing community, legal staff, jurisdictions and government authorities of the Philippines."

Thoughts
Firstly, I'm not a physical therapist, but many of my friends and family members are. I'm angry towards those that tried to cheat the system, who selfishly thought they could get away with something like this. Why not concentrate your efforts on studying and learning rather than cheating?

Secondly, I'm angry at FSBPT. The decision they have made here is a knee jerk reaction (no pun intended). This is a massive, discriminatory, countrywide action against a specific race of people. This type of discriminatory action is illegal in almost all business settings. For instance, try saying, all African-Americans (blacks) are now banned from getting the results of their scores for their driver's license test because some blacks cheated. You would have several hundreds of protestors right outside of DMV offices across the United States.

The Philippines's medical/health schools has tried to answer the medical needs of America. The schools have provided quality nurses and physical therapists, and have done so with honor. These Filipino health workers study, apply for visa screens, educate themselves in U.S. laws and practices, and fly over 10,000 miles to take this test legally only to be spit at. Many of those that fly over have spent their life's savings just to take this test, they do so wanting to make sure they come to the United States legally and to work here legally.

To punish an entire country because of a few idiots is tragic, unethical, and to me, illegal. It is my hope that the investigation is completed quickly, and I hope there is a better process in FSBPT to tackle these problems rather than punishing an entire country.

What should I do?
You could sit and wait and hope for the best. But if you do not like discrimination, if you do not like abuse of power, here are some suggestions:

1. You can fax FSBPT at (703) 299-3110, and call them at (703) 299-3100 and write to them at 509 Wythe Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314. You should also e-mail them at: Administrator@fsbpt.org. It is important that you send and communicate your dissatisfaction across all lines of communication, to make sure they receive the message.

2. Even if you are not a candidate, if you disagree with the discriminatory actions taken by the FSBPT that affects the life savings of thousands of candidates and applicants, you should communicate your dissatisfaction to FSBPT. Please be cordial as possible, along the lines of: "While I agree that an investigation needs to be conducted, I disagree with discriminating against an entire country."

3. If you are a U.S. citizen, write to your congressman and senator.

4. Write to your attorney general's office (U.S. citizen or legal resident) and ask for an investigation on the legality of such discriminatory practices.

5. Write to your physical therapy state board body.

6. Contact all Asian and Filipino associations and ask them if they should tolerate FSBPT's discriminatory actions, especially on Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month.

7. If you are a lawyer or know of a lawyer in your state, ask them if they know of any state statutes that FSBPT may have broken since their ban is across all states.

8. Contact physical therapy associations in your state and lobby for support.

Junk mail annoyance: Internet Marketing Conference

You may have received this letter a few days ago. It offers you a free dinner conference or lunch seminar for two. It has your name printed on it and it usually offers a free MP3 player (an iPod look alike worth ~$4.00).

I received various versions of it over the past couple of years. The first time I received this letter, it advertised eBay. I threw it out in the garbage, much like what I do with credit card offers. Now, I'm getting annoyed. They continue to market my area. So, time to do some digging and research about this company and what I found reinforced my suspicions: it's a company that has many of its customers claiming foul.

THE BAIT

• A guy named Clint Rex Sanderson, Clint Sanderson, or C.R. Sanderson from 16300 Christensen Rd, Suite 217, Seattle, WA 98188 of the Internet Marketing Conference (aka Galaxy Mall, storesonline.com), promises the following:
  
  
  
  • "I personally guarantee a fun, relaxed, and informative conference that could change your life forever."
    
  
  
• It is a dinner for two.
  
• It is usually located in a hotel near the city you live.
  
• The dinner is valued at $120.00 (it was $79.00 before). You get a $4 Chinese MP3 player, potato chips, a soda, a sandwich, and so forth. I estimate it cost them about $9 per person for the MP3 player and food, but the word 'value' is relative.
  
• The seminar will tell you of people's riches by the use of MSN, Google, Yahoo, and eBay.
  
• Their flyer has Michael and Diana Blair stating they've made $280,000 in sales online, or Bryan Castleman with his $50,000/year or Donald Wyatt with $50,000/month.
  
  
  
  • In fine print, "Testimonial results are not earnings claims and are not typical."
  
  

THE CATCH

• Wendy from Creative Work at Home did some digging and found that Internet Marketing Conference is known as Galaxy Mall or storesonline.com or Imergent.
  
• The company(ies) sell online stores. Frank from Florida reported he signed paperwork to take the package home from a seminar and decided it wasn't for him. They got him with a $3,229 bill. What does Frank think of this offer? "This to me is a FRAUD and a SCAM."
  
• Here's one user that spent $1500 on a store and $70/month for web hosting. Bab's thoughts on the whole ordeal? "We have tried to get our money back but they say no refunds. THIS IS A SCAM."
  
• Now, are you thinkin' this is only limited in the United States? Nope, they are going global! Wally from Australia: "storesonline.com are target mailing Australian addresses and holding their BS Seminars in Australia. A friend attended one in Brisbane and the asking price is $5,995 for what they provide, ie nothing."
  
• A law firm is actively looking to sue these guys for a class action lawsuit.
  
• Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed a lawsuit against them. See the article here: IMergent defends service after Illinois files lawsuit. It quotes, "Fifteen Illinois customers, who paid a total of more than $91,000 to StoresOnline and Galaxy Mall, were unable to set up Internet businesses and couldn't get refunds, Madigan said in a press statement announcing the suit." More info about it available here as well.
  
• Apparently, Galaxy Mall had some legal issues in the Alabama Supreme Court as well. In this case, they were known as Galaxy Mall aka MicroFinancial, Inc aka Leasecomm Corporation.
  

CONCLUSION
I think it's great that they are willing to feed people for free. I'm tempted to give my meal tickets away to some wonderful people downtown at the homeless shelter. I'll probably drive them to the seminar for free. j/k. Just a warning to everyone that gets 'free' stuff in the mail: do your research before you waste several hours of your life. Remember, you will NEVER be able to get your wasted hours back. There are no refunds for loss time.

It's best to spend your time reading some books that can teach you how to invest rather than speculate.

Indian couple keeps Indonesian slaves in New York home

"A millionaire couple accused of keeping two Indonesian women as slaves were held in jail on Thursday amid new allegations that the women's relatives were threatened and offered bribes to make the case go away."

You can review the article by USA Today here.

The case is still left open and we'll find out to see if they are truly guilty. I really hope some of the claims that I hear on the media is false or exaggerated. I can't see how people see other human beings as property or animals (I mean, do these guys believe in evolution that we are all animals?). It simply doesn't make sense. This couple made millions by utilizing the freedoms America has given them, and how do they give back? Allegedly by torturing and enslaving their maids.

Michael W. Smith's concert in Fort Myers

Michael W. Smith is an award winning Christian singer, songwriter, guitarist, and keyboardist. I saw his concert last night at McGregor Baptist Church. The church was full and vibrant, every single person there, young and old had a connection to Smith, since his career encompasses a couple of decades. Smith sang songs from his new album and also songs from the past such as Friends Are Friends Forever (his encore).

Smith is also a philanthropist and a spokesman for Compassion International, a charitable organization that he promotes during his concerts. I personally recommend this organization if you are looking to sponsor a child's education and welfare in a developing country.

Michael W. Smith also has a new album out called 'Stand'. Click on the link below to hear some of the songs.



On another note, I had a slight problem before the concert. I had eight tickets; however, my party increased to nine the last minute. Thankfully, Bill Carl from WAY-FM was able to lend a hand and get me a free ticket. Thanks Bill!

Developments for The Jesus Tomb: Is It Fact or Fiction? Scholars Chime In

Just wanted to post a quick note on a project I was working on called The Jesus Tomb: Is It Fact or Fiction? Scholars Chime In. I recently finished an interview with Astraea Magazine. The interviewer was former BBC presenter Guy Leigh.

To hear the online version of the interview, you can click on the link below:
Astrea Magazine Interview

I'm also thankful to archaeologists and scholars who have given me time to assist me in this endeavor. I'm very grateful for those that have endorsed the book.

To see what they said, you can click on the link below:
Endorsements by Scholars

Dr. Craig Evans on The Lost Tomb of Jesus

The Lost Tomb of Jesus is under review again (perhaps for the last time) by Dr. Craig Evans. You can see the article here.

Dan Barry, New York Times, consults Don Sausa on Utah land article

A week or so ago, I posted some real estate problems in Box Elder County, Utah. Little did I know part of my research would go on national news.

Dan Barry, a New York Times columnist, travels nationally to look at the sight and sounds of America. On a restaurant stop, he picked up a local newspaper and found an interesting story about illegal subdividing and land sales in Box Elder County, Utah. He finds out the person doing the original subdividing and hunts down the story. He goes on Google, looks for information regarding the land owner and finds my research on my blog.

He shoots me an email, then we chat on the phone, and I give him some info, and bwam, like a master craftsman, he's got a hot story posted here.

Well, that's one more publication for the resume I guess.

King Herod's resting place found (possibly)

After 30 years of looking for Herod's tomb, Dr. Netzer thinks he finally found it.

On March 2007, we saw one group who supposedly studied the Talpiot tomb for 2-3 years, but keeping to themselves before sharing with academia. What happened? The tunnel vision effect of the research was rejected by secular and Christian scholars. They could have saved time and a bit of their reputations by allowing others to see what they were working on. In short, The Lost Tomb of Jesus was a flap.

On May 2007, after 30 years of searching, Dr. Netzer announces he has found Herod's tomb (possibly). But no documentary or mass media book released -- it's too early for that, he wants everyone to look at what he is working on so they can help him. Dr. Netzer, a true archaeologist and academic scholar, is inviting peer review to make sure his research is sound before they move on and get anything published.

Good move Dr. Netzer.

You can see the press release here.

For more information about Jewish tombs and whether Talpiot was the final resting place of Jesus, take a look at this book:

Box Elder County Land Debacle Cont'd

It seems like people are waking up to letters or notices of noncompliance. They made the notices sound so serious, that they make, at first glance, feel the property owner feel guilty they own the land. The county has since updated their letters to be more friendly, perhaps to save them from the on slaught of phone calls and emails.

Speaking of e-mails, I'm starting to get a steady flow of questions from land owners. I want to reiterate that the county attorney's position (at least when I spoke to them), state they consider the property owners of the illegally subdivided parcels as victims, not criminals. They are reviewing actions on how to deal with the original subdividers.

Another question I'm getting is: what am I going to do with my useless land? Here's a typical email I receive below:

"Back in the day, I also bought 15 acres for around ~$320/acre in Box Elder county.

When I got the property tax statement from the county, it said the all the parcels (60 adjacent 1/4 acre plots) was assessed around ~30k.

I was really happy since I paid a fraction for it. What makes me mad though is that the county is saying that I can't do anything with the land (e.g. sell it) but they want me to continue paying the yearly taxes, which is ~$250 a year.

This brings me to a point: Why is the land worth this much if you can't do anything with it or even access it in some cases? You still think its worth holding on to despite that fact we have no choice as of now.

Best Regards,

...

This is an interesting question. What in the world should I do with it now? The fact that it was incorrectly subdivided does not excuse land owners from taxes. In these cases, your options are limited:

1. You lose your property. Don't pay the taxes and your property will be foreclosed.

2. You sell back your property to the original developer.

3. You keep paying taxes and keep the property for novelty [for the heck of it].

4. You wait for Box Elder officials to come up with a solution [court case injunction, etc.].

If you have invested a significant amount of money into this venture (thankfully, I haven't), #1 and #3 aren't good options.

Zoning Department emails me back

The zoning department has finally emailed me. You should read their response, as it may answer some of your questions. The PDF file is available here.

Have more questions?

Feel free to email me at don [at] donsausa.com.

Want to learn how to conduct due diligence for vacant land? Suggested book below.

A land debacle in Box Elder County, Utah

Back in the day, I looked at some investment properties in Box Elder County, UT. At $300/acre, why not? At the very least it was a paper asset. But according to Box Elder County officials, the people that were subdividing the property without permission was comitting a criminal offense. Youch!

They've sent out "notice of noncompliance" to thousands of people, telling them their property was illegaly subdivided. Most of the property buyers bought the land online from Yahoo Auctions, eBay, Overstock, etc.

One of the people that have allegedly subdivided parcels without permission, according to public records, the county, and my own records, was Larry Madsen of 13871 S. 1950 W, Bluffdale, Utah 84065.

I bought land there from Madsen or other developers, what should I do?
You can send an e-mail to the Box Elder officials at codeviolations@boxeldercounty.org. They are looking at options to alleviate this problem. Do not expect a response, since a few thousand people have already e-mailed them.

Is my deed valid?
If the deed was recorded correctly, your deed is valid and you own the property. It's just that the original owner, Madsen and others, didn't ask permission before they sold it.

What's going to happen now?
I spoke to the county attorney's office and they are still looking at their options. They could technically go after the developers and fine them and leave the properties as is, or they could ask developers to take back the properties (assuming you don't want it anymore).

Are there any other things to know?
Most of the folks I know that bought this property knew it was in the middle of nowhere and it had no electricity. It was flagged as recreational property (Madsen appropriately flagged it when he sold me a parcel). So no one really hid this fact. If another developer tried to tell you this was buildable and it wasn't, they could be held liable.

Why did the developers do this?
Well they sell land to make money, but to answer the question why they didn't ask permissions and fill out the proper zoning permits -- probably because they didn't know. I asked Madsen by email on how they are rectifying this and said, "We have contacted an attorney in Box Elder County to help us determine what needs to be done to rectify this problem. We will let you know what we find out and what we are able to do to resolve this issue with the County."

Stay tune, I'll update this post with more info. I'm expecting a call from the county attorney on Tuesday.

If you are interested in investing in land and how to properly conduct your own research, buy this helpful book below. A lot of it is based on my own mistakes experience in the past.

LAPD beats up innocent reporters, women, children

A peaceful rally was held at a public park. A couple blocks away, there was a group of idiots throwing rocks and bottles at the police. The police department, Los Angeles PD, world renown for its past corruption, and countless beatings against minorities such as blacks (ie: Rodney King) came in full force.

Instead of arresting the individuals that attacked them, they moved towards the public park, where thousands gathered peacefully for hours. The peaceful crowd had no clue there was an incident a few blocks away. Women, children, news anchors, and photographers were hit with rubber bullets and hit with battons/clubs. Broken bones, internal bleeding, and other injuries were reported.

This indiscriminate and shameful action of the Los Angeles PD is inexcusable, especially when LAPD officers were found guilty of breaking civil rights in the past, where they had to pay millions for attacking journalists in 2000.

Beating on innocent people, especially women and children, that are gathering peacefully and legally is not only a violation of the Constitution, but of human decency. This is not how law enforcement officers should act.

For the LAPD officers that were involved in this: you are a shame on your city, a shame on California, a shame on this nation and a shame for every person that carries a badge. On that day, you no longer were police officers but criminals.

That's my 2 cents. For a historical documentary on the LAPD, take a look at this DVD below.

Moderate drinking grows cancer, helps heart, kills liver, hurts brain

We have known in the past that grape juice (unfermented wine) and red wine (fermented wine) has certain health benefits. While I enjoy drinking grape juice (unfermented wine), I do not recommend drinking red wine. One bad thing about alcoholic red wine is that it hurts your brain cells and liver. What we know now is that it can be directly linked to cancer growth as well.

So there you have it, a new case NOT to drink red wine: help your heart but kill your liver, hurt your brain cells, and make cancer grow. No wonder the Bible says not to drink alcoholic wine at all.

Here's a snippet from the BBC:

Source: BBC
It has long-been known alcohol increases the risk of developing cancer but the effect of drinking once cancer is present is less established.

A University of Mississippi team found giving mice the equivalent of two to four drinks a day doubled the normal growth of a tumour after four weeks.

Cancer patients are often just told to moderate drinking.

In the study, researchers gave female mice the human equivalent of two drinks a day for four weeks, while a control group were given no alcohol.


The mice were then injected with breast cancer cells.

Within four weeks, the tumours in the alcohol-fed mice weighed 1.4g on average, almost twice the size of tumours in the control group.

The team, which presented the research to the American Physiology Society, said alcohol caused cancer cells' blood vessels to grow which in turn fuelled the growth of the tumour.

The mouse study builds on an earlier research with chicks that showed alcohol consumption increased the expression of a protein known as VEGF.

VEGF fuels tumour growth by spurring the development of blood vessels in cancer cells that might otherwise die.

Normally, the immune system can kill off small tumours. However, when they grow large enough the body can no longer fight off the tumour cells.

Tumours

Lead researcher Jian-Wei Gu said: "The vast majority of tumours result from over expressed VEGF.

"Every day, we produce a lot of cancer cells, but they don't become bigger.

"But if the cells establish blood vessels, the tumour grows and strengthens, a process known as angiogenesis."

And he added he would advise patients not to drink if they were undergoing cancer treatment.

"I don't think two to four drinks per day is okay.

"The public needs to know of these results."

Ed Yong, Cancer Research UK's science information officer, said: "The link between alcohol and breast cancer, and many other cancers for that matter, is well known.

"But this is the first time I have heard of the impact of alcohol once cancer is there."

He said more research was needed to see if the findings were replicated in adults and whether it also applied to other cancers.

Chicago Bulls make history...again!

I have a secret. In the 90s, I was a Bulls fan. Michael Jordan, Jackson, Pippen, etc. I bought Air Jordans, had a Bulls cap, watched all the Bulls games, followed the Bulls scores on the newspapers, got a Bulls pin, etc...then Jerry Krause, the former general manager for the Bulls decided that he was going to replace the champions with an entire new lineup. As a Bulls fan, I gave it a chance, but hopes of a newly revived Bulls franchise quickly evaporated (as did the NBA ratings) after the Bulls lost game after game. I watched basketball games here and there during playoffs (ie: Lakers), but it wasn't the same. They weren't the Bulls.

But thankfully, Jerry Krause left, everyone came back to the drawing board and now we're seeing for the first time in almost a decade, a new Bulls franchise that has a chance of winning...

Tonight, Bulls defeated the defending NBA champions, the Miami Heat, 92-79. Which means the Bulls won the best of 7 series by winning four straight games in a row against the Miami Heat. This is basketball history and a reminder of what the Bulls once were: record breaking champions.

"A champion hadn't been swept from the first round of the playoffs in 50 years."
Source: Washington Post, Michael Wilbon, April 30, 2007

My hats off to the Chicago Bulls. They still have a long road ahead of them, but this incidental step that made history is significant and if they win anymore games, perhaps I'll have an excuse to turn on the television.

Thoughts on George Tenet's I'm A Victim Claim

George Tenet has recently written a book about his tenure in the CIA. The book is entitled, At the Center of the Storm. In the book, he describes how he was blamed for the pre-war intelligence gathering of Iraq and that he ultimately became a scapegoat for the administration.

While I agree with Tenet that he doesn't deserve all of the blame for CIA's failures, he does deserve some of the blame.

Everyone Was Wrong
Everyone in the world thought Saddam had weapons of mass destruction (WMD), the United Nations, NATO -- you name it, they thought of it. Why? Because he used WMD against Iran and his own citizens, Iraqi Kurds. And because Saddam kept playing "bluff" to the world, rejecting inspectors over and over again.

Now what's the reason for the facade? He wanted to scare off his enemies, primarily Iran. He kept them in check. We know that now. But the majority of us didn't know back then (a handful of minority voices in the vast majority of the intelligence network had doubts about Saddam's WMD, but their voices weren't heard till more recently, after the fact).

Where Tenet Fits In
Tenet, in my humble opinion, succumbed to group mentality, or group think. Now what is group think? Wiki describes it as "...a type of thought exhibited by group members who try to minimize conflict and reach consensus without critically testing, analyzing, and evaluating ideas." It affects all of us in one way, shape or form. That's part of life. We aren't perfect people.

No matter how he tries to deny it, he had a choice. He rubberstamped the intelligence reports that went to the American people. If he knew factual errors or had doubts about what he was reporting to the White House, there were plenty of opportunities to voice out his opinion (or resign in protest).

Tenet's book is largely an attempt to explain his role in the war and perhaps a way to convince historians down the road that he didn't play a major role in the pre-war foul up of intelligence.

Sounds like he wants a more gracious legacy than what it looks like now.

Former CIA officers respond
Want to know what ex-CIA employees think of Mr. Tenet's tenure? Review the letter they sent to him.

See the book below if you're interested in reading Tenet's defense of himself.

Hackers enticed, Apple's Macintosh gets hacked in less than 12 hours

Time and time again we are told through TV commercials and personally I've had a discussion with Apple 'engineers' that Apple's operating system and the products that they make are invulnerable, or at the very least, it isn't very easy to hack into a Mac that's fully patched compared to Windows where you can find bugs in less than a day.

What they forget to tell you is, the majority of hackers are PC users. The majority of the world are PC users. Hence, it is logical that the majority of exploits, viruses, and spyware are geared towards PC users. BUT put up to the challenge, hackers can break into a Mac in weeks, days...less than 12 hours!

See the article below by The Register:

A New York-based security researcher spent less than 12 hours to identify and exploit a zero-day vulnerability in Apple's Safari browser that allowed him to remotely gain full user rights to the hacked machine. The feat came during the second and final day of the CanSecWest "pwn-2-own" contest in which participants are able to walk away with a fully-patched MacBook Pro if they are first able to hack it.

Picture of Shane Macaulay with back to camera sitting at MacBook in CanSecWest's pwn-2-own contestThe exploit means that Dino Dai Zovi is the rightful owner of the 2.3Ghz 15-inch MacBook Pro and a $10,000 prize offered by Tipping Point, which runs the Zero Day Initiative bug bounty program. More importantly, his work effectively throws cold water on tired claims from Apple and its many lackeys that the Mac is all but immune from the kind of security attacks more regularly perpetrated against Windows-based machines.

That's right folks, a fully patched MacBook Pro gets hacked in less than 12 hours. On a normal day, they could care less because the majority of hackers consider Apple's Macintosh operating system as a waste of time. But when you put money into the mix, sure they'll spend a few hours to break into it with ease.

Virginia Tech: Professor Sacrifices Life To Save Students

A tribute to Dr. Liviu Librescu

List of Accomplishments: VT Staff Page

In scenes you get to only see in movies and read about in the Bible, we hear a true to life hero that selflessly sacrificed his life for his students. Dr. Liviu Librescu, an immigrant that saved lives, is in sharp contrast to the stories we hear of the madman immigrant that killed.

Eye witness accounts state he held the door until his students could escape through the classroom's windows. He was shot down as the bullets pierced the door. A student named Alec Calhoun, 20, said the last thing he saw before he jumped from the window was Librescu, blocking the door against the madman in the hallway.

Let's highlight this man's bravery today by re-posting this bulletin throughout blogs and MySpace. He taught his class the greatest lesson of all: There is no greater love than to die for others.

Why Virginia Tech's gun policy failed its students

A sad day in the nation

Let me preface this post with my sincere condolences to those that have been hurt by the recent tragedy that occurred in Virginia Tech today. Over 20 students have been killed with over 20 more that have been injured. These young adults were innocent, and they were defenseless. I'm saddened to hear this tragedy, which could have been avoidable.

Understanding Virginia Tech's security weaknesses

No matter how you look at it, Virginia Tech's security was NOT enough. Criminals being able to come in and have a shooting rampage is unacceptable in any campus, much less such a prestigious university such as Virginia Tech.

One major problem with Virginia Tech is that it prohibits students from defending themselves with guns. Last year, Virginia Tech spokesman Larry Hincker was happy to hear that a gun rights bill was defeated. The bill would have allowed legal citizens with legal concealed weapons licenses to be able to defend themselves on campus if a shooter was going to go on a rampage.

"I'm sure the university community is appreciative of the General Assembly's actions because this will help parents, students, faculty and visitors feel safe on our campus."

Source: Gun bill

Notice the word "feel". Our gun policies have been based on feelings rather than facts. Fact: Criminals own guns and will use it. Fact: Less lives would be wasted if civilians were able to shoot back. We should not go with "feelings" but rather with reason.

Instead what we have here is a tragic case of good motives but bad policy. The idea that we can somehow control criminals with laws on paper is outrageous. They will get guns, tazers, knives, or other types of weapons no matter what. Our society, our world is 'naturally' imperfect and it will never be perfect until something 'unnatural' happens. We have to understand that as a reality before we can even understand the phrase: "campus security".

Let students and teachers defend themselves

As we can see from the policy of banning legal citizens from having legal guns, it is wrong. Why? Because in this scenario, criminals are the only ones that have guns! Our society cannot be perfect; hence, we have to accept realities. And that reality is to give members of society the ability to defend themselves.

The sheep must look like a threat for the wolf to back off. Otherwise, the wolf will simply attack. Preferrably we'd want law enforcement to be at every classroom, but the tragic truth about govt budgets is, they simply can't do that.

Give students and teachers proper training. Get them through background tests. But for goodness sakes, give legal citizens the right to bear arms to defend themselves against criminals!

8 bodies found in Fort Myers, FL -- possibly a serial killer?

The other day, I commented how I was surprised that a murdered body was found behind the Harley Davidson store in Fort Myers, FL, a stone throw away from one of my old offices [the Teleperformance / CallTech building] where I worked for almost 5 years.

Now, CNN and other media channels are taking a look at 8 skeletons also found just a few miles away, which may, some have speculated, is the result of a serial killer (yikes!):

"Fort Myers police have been deluged with media calls after an Associated Press report hinted police believed eight human skeletons found in a wooded area off Arcadia Street on March 23 were the work of a serial killer."

Source: NewsPress

Murdered man found behind Ft Myers Harley Davidson, near CallTech/Teleperformance

Matthew Haller, 23, of 15513 Monterosso Lane in Naples, was found dead by a city garbage collector at about 3:43 a.m. in the driver's seat of a blue 1985 Mercedes, Fort Myers police said. Authorities are investigating his death as a homicide. The Mercedes was taken from the scene, at 2160 Colonial Boulevard, to a Florida Department of Law Enforcement facility for processing, police said. Matthew apparently had a gunshot wound.

The car was located right behind the Harley Davidson store. The plaza shares its space with a Cuban bar/restaurant and CallTech / Teleperformance. Having worked in that vicinity for 5 years, I find it very surprising that crime has increased there tremendously. Before it was just people getting rowdy at the bar, or at worst, people stealing from the parking lot.

Now a murder. Yikes!

Last three NJ governors = broken legs

Governor Corzine of NJ had severe injuries the other day from a car accident. He broke his leg and suffered other injuries. Thankfully, no one died but the accident has added a strange footnote in history...

The injury to Corzine's left leg means that the last three people elected to serve as New Jersey governor have all broken a leg while in office. Fellow Democrat James E. McGreevey broke his left leg during a nighttime beach walk, while Republican Christie Whitman broke her right leg while skiing in the Swiss Alps.

Source: http://www.thnt.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070413/NEWS03/70413005

Sen. Patrick Leahy says emails cannot be erased

I read an interesting article today where Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont (Democrat) states that e-mails cannot be erased.

His statement is as follows:

"You can't erase e-mails, not today," said Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont. "They've gone through too many servers. They can't say they've been lost. That's like saying, 'The dog ate my homework.' "

His critical comments are aimed towards the White House, who said they've lost some e-mails and are doing their best to recover it. Now borrowing from the senator's own words, can electronic dogs really eat electronic homework? Can e-mails actually be deleted? The short answer? Yes.

The long answer?

• First let's correct Senator Leahy that it goes through "too many servers". The packets are transmitted through a variety of routers and switches on Internet backbones, but in the end, only two servers communicate to transmit the e-mail: the sender and receiver. [smtp]
  
• The e-mail is then processed and stored, which can then be downloaded by email software, usually via pop3 or imapd. This all happens in a few seconds (assuming the 'average size' email).
  
• The assumption made here by the senator is that the sender or receiver servers somehow contain or retain the e-mail indefinitely. The answer is no. The moment the user "purges" the email from his account, it does get deleted.
  
  
  
  • There are backup servers that may be involved in which case e-mails are not deleted and can 'easily' be recovered. This is unlikely since the White House publicly claims its been deleted. Their first attempt would to first recover it from backups versus come out embarrassingly that their emails are deleted.
    
  
  
• Usually, there's copies of e-mails on the email software (ie: Microsoft Outlook's Sent Items or Outlook's Deleted Items folder). However, these folders may be purged automatically depending on the settings.
  
• Any computer forensic experts knows that deleted data isn't actually deleted until the data 'space' is re-used again. Hence, if you delete a file you can still recover it for a certain amount of time since the space has not been taken up yet.
  
  
  
  • Imagine a bowl of cereal that you consider old and in your mind you're no longer going to eat it. You're too lazy to clean the bowl so you're just going to wait until you get new cereal before you empty that bowl. Technically, the 'old cereal' is deleted from your choice of foods but it is still there until you replace it with new cereal.
    
  • In the same way, files still exist on the computer until new files go on top of it.
    
  • If the data is too old and it's been replaced over and over again, the likelihood of recovering anything is minimal.
    
  
  
• There's also crashes and data corruption. Your hard drive crashes, the mail server mail spools are corrupted, the server fails, backup disks get 'fried', etc. There are a number of ways data gets lost. No matter how rich you are, no matter how much money you've invested in a computer, there's still a likelihood that it could crash some day. That's life!
  

In summary, yes, you can lose your e-mail. In this case, the electronic dog can eat your electronic homework.

The Jesus Tomb: Is It Fact or Fiction? Book Discredits Documentary The Lost Tomb of Jesus

Link: PRWeb

A new book says The Lost Tomb of Jesus documentary was deceptive to its viewers and illusory to the scholars that worked on the production.

Fort Myers, FL (PRWEB) April 6, 2007 - New evidence surrounding The Lost Tomb of Jesus including personal interviews by leading scholars consulted in the film, suggest the 2,000 year old Jerusalem tomb is NOT the Jesus of Nazareth’s final resting place. In the new book, The Jesus Tomb: Is It Fact or Fiction? Scholars Chime In, Don Sausa reviews all of the claims, math, and the ‘evidence’ of The Lost Tomb of Jesus, to simply answer one question: Is it fact, or fiction?

The documentary that aired on March 4th, 2007 and the companion book, The Jesus Family Tomb, come from science fiction director James Cameron, controversial journalist Simcha Jacobovici, science fiction author Dr. Charles Pellegrino, and textual scholar Dr. James Tabor.

The book’s findings suggest that some plausible explanations were conveniently ignored in the documentary, such as the different types of family relationships Jesus and Mariamne [“Mary Magdalene” could have had. For instance, they could have been father and daughter, paternal cousins, half brother and sister, or grandparent and grandchild.

“Our review of the evidence, DNA findings, statistical analysis, and personal interviews of the experts used in the film clearly show that the claims are largely based on speculation and hype,” said Don Sausa.

For additional information on the news that is the subject of this release (or for a sample review copy), contact Don Ariel at support(at)thevisionpress.com or visit www.JesusTombReview.com. Book distribution date is April 16, 2007, ISBN 0978834690. Author is available for interviews.

About author:

Author and speaker, Don Sausa, is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature, an organization that promotes biblical scholarship. He has studied biblical history for over 10 years, and is an ordained elder for the Fort Myers Ortiz Church.

April Fools Jokes Around The World

Just wanted to drop a note on some 'cool' April Fools jokes.

What got me:
- Aftercast.org said they were being added to xm satellite. Ok, Jason, that was good. You got me.

Google's Matt Cutts got hacked
Nope, the shout outs were a dead giveaway.

Google's toilet Internet service
Original, but not believable. Announcing wireless Internet would have been believable.

ThinkGeek inventions
And my favorite of all...

cyrus imapd crash

WARNING, EXTREMELY BORING TECHNICAL STUFF BELOW. READ ON YOUR OWN PERIL.

This post is mainly for system administrators out there needing information on how to fix a cyrus imapd index/header corruption. I think my MS Outlook messed up the cyrus index headers for my e-mail account when I accidentally clicked 'Undo Delete' on a message that was already deleted and purged from the INBOX.

Since then, on my Outlook, it would give me this error: "Failed to update headers." I wasn't able to delete or purge messages from my INBOX. I was able to do normal functions on my TRASH folder.

LOG ERRORS FROM /var/log/maillog

Mar 29 19:29:20 c2000 imap[21893]: open: user email@email.com opened INBOX
Mar 29 19:29:21 c2000 master[25621]: process 21893 exited, signaled to death by 11
Mar 29 19:29:21 c2000 master[25621]: service imap pid 21893 in BUSY state: terminated abnormally

Also got these...

Mar 29 19:57:54 c2000 last message repeated 2 times
Mar 29 19:57:55 c2000 imap[22490]: SQUAT failed to open index file
Mar 30 19:57:55 c000 imap[22490]: SQUAT failed

HOW I FIXED IT WITH WEBMAIL
1. I went to my webmail and I was able to access all of my messages. I use SquirrelMail. I moved all of my messages and moved it into the TRASH folder, which I knew was not corrupted.

2. I accessed it with my MS Outlook and all my INBOX messages were gone (as expected). I sent two test messages to myself and it showed up. I then deleted those two messages and purged it and the action was successful. That means I didn't get the error messages anymore.

3. I went ahead and moved back my messages from my TRASH folder into the INBOX. Mission success!

HOW I FIXED IT WITHOUT WEBMAIL
1. If you don't have webmail/SquirrelMail, you could also manually do this by going to your mail folder and manually moving messages. My mail folder was: /var/spool/imap/domain/e/email.com/d/user/don

2. I created a /backup folder.

3. I moved all of my messages to the /backup folder. The messages are usually named as 5 digit numbers. I saw most of my messages numbered as 4xxxx so I just 'mv 4* /backup'.

4. I went back to MS Outlook and accessed my INBOX and I was able to without any errors.

ADDITIONAL NOTES
This solution worked for me and I'm blogging about it just in case it happens again -- at least I know what to do. If it still gives you problem, please refer to the manual or go to online discussion boards and ask some admins.

Sugar powered cars

Over the past few days, scientists and engineers around the world have been celebrating over a potentially new energy source. What is it? Sprite.

Okay, well not only Sprite, but anything that has liquid sugar. According to news reports, within 5 years, we'll start seeing batteries and other devices using sugar as their portable power source.

This could also be applied to the lithium batteries that we use now in hybrids, we could replace the lithium batteries with sugar-powered batteries.

Here's the cool part, the waste product of sugar batteries is plain old water. Where in the world did these scientists get this idea from? Simple, from the human body. Our ability to use sugar and convert it into energy gave them an idea -- what if we can do that with electric circuits? Funded by the Department of Defense, chemists at St. Louis University pulled it off.

Why should you care?
1. Laptops that can run 12 hours.
2. iPods that can run 2 weeks.
3. Automobiles rechargable with sugar power source, more money in your pocket.
4. Keeps the environment clean, less dependency on fossil fuels.
5. Since the batteries are biodegradable, it doesn't end up in a landfill.

If I had my way...
1. Replace hybrid cars' lithium batteries and replace it with sugar-powered batteries. Put in two types of tanks, one for gas and one to recharge the battery through any type of liquid sugar. Car gets instantly recharged.

2. NASA's Mars Mission -- use sugar powered batteries to run internal power in future spacecrafts. Sugar batteries create water as a waste, water can be run through plants that produce fruits, and the cycle restarts.

Potential problems
I like sweets. I may eat or drink the fuel source (ie: Sprite) before its even used.

More reading...:
Science Daily
Live Science

Source: Technology News

Researchers at St. Louis University in Missouri on Sunday announced the development of a fuel cell battery powered by liquid sugar at the American Chemistry Society's 233rd national meeting.

Using nearly anything from natural substances such as tree sap to man-made beverages including soda, the new technology could potentially operate three to four times longer on a single charge than conventional lithium ion batteries, scientists said.

"This study shows that renewable fuels can be directly employed in batteries at room temperature to lead to more energy-efficient battery technology than metal-based approaches," Shelly Minteer, an electrochemist and the study's leader, told TechNewsWorld. "It demonstrates that by bridging biology and chemistry, we can build a better battery that's also cleaner for the environment."

The benefit for consumers could be substantially longer talk and playback time for cell phones and digital media devices such as the iPod, according to researchers.

As the technology is biodegradable, the batteries have a one-up on lithium ion in environmental impact.
Sugar High

One of the major problems with batteries is that they are not very efficient, Minteer told TechNewsWorld. The consequence for consumers is that they spend a lot of time recharging their batteries.

Using sugar to generate energy is not new. In fact, all living things convert sugar into energy in one way or another, Minteer explained. The challenge, however, was to create a way to harness the energy-dense power of sugar to produce electricity efficiently.

"What my group did was we looked at the fact that when humans, animals or any living cell consumes sugar or carbohydrates, the body is extremely efficient at converting the simple energy from that fuel into the energy to you need to go out and about and do everything we do every day - - energy to grow, to run a marathon," she said.

Similar to other fuel cells, the Saint Louis University researchers' sugar batteries contain enzymes that convert the sugar into electricity. Minteer has successfully run batteries on glucose, flat sodas, sweetened drink mixes and tree sap.

However, tests conducted using carbonated beverages failed, Minteer noted, as carbonation seems to weaken the fuel cell. In the case of sugar fuel, the simplest approach is best. Ordinary table sugar (sucrose) dissolved in water came out on top in test results.

"We took that process that happens in the body and we mimicked it on an electric circuit," Minteer said. "We just made a much more efficient battery."

After all of the energy has been discharged, the battery keeps on giving. Not only are the batteries biodegradable, but, according to Minteer, the battery's main byproduct is water. While lithium ion batteries contain no toxic metals, they do include cobalt, copper, nickel and iron. In the U.S., roughly 2 billion batteries make their way into municipal landfills and incinerators.
Convenient Recharging

If the research continues to show promise as the technology is tested and refined, Minteer said that it could be ready for commercial manufacturing within three to five years.

Funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, the batteries are of particular interest to the military to charge portable electronic equipment on the battlefield and in emergency situations when access to electricity is limited. Devices could be instantly recharged, Minteer stated, by adding any convenient sugar source. One example of possible use includes remote sensors for detecting biological and chemical weapons.

Consumers could see the battery first used as a portable recharger for cell phones akin to similar other quick recharge products already on the market that enable users to instantly recharge their mobile phones on the fly. The recharges would ideally consist of special cartridges pre-filled with a sugar solution, which could be replaced when they are used up.

Eventually, Minteer said, the sugar battery could replace traditional batteries depending on that battery's function.

"Whether it replaces every battery is probably going to be a function of what the needs of that battery are," she explained. "If you have a little disposal battery in your remote control, those batteries -- though there are some environmental implications -- are really cheap and work really good. So we're not trying to replace that type of battery.

"We are trying to replace the rechargeable batteries -- those that tend to be a little more expensive and have more environmental hazards, etc.," she continued.

Long-term goals include developing a battery for laptops and other similarly-sized devices. Other avenues of research include modifying the battery's performance for varying environmental conditions, such as high temperatures and extending the life of the battery.

E coli outbreak in Sept 06: What caused the problem?

The FDA, yesterday, released their report on possible reasons for the E coli outbreak in September 2006, killing at least two people and sickened hundreds of others. Though the report is inconclusive, they gave plausible explanations.

“One of the key findings from this investigation is that very clearly the problem is multifaceted,” said Dr. David Acheson, chief medical officer for the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the F.D.A.

The E. coli 0157:H7 bacteria found on four California ranches not long after the outbreak could have spread to leafy greens in a number of ways, officials said. Contaminated irrigation water, uncomposted manure used as fertilizer, the presence of wildlife and livestock and the hygiene of the workers handling the crops all might have served to transport the bacteria, they said.

For more information on the report, check out this New York Times article.

Thoughts
It's disturbing that in this day in age, the country's ability to check for basic contamination such as E. coli is inadequate. This particular incident was accidental, but one can only imagine what would happen if there were more sinister attempts to disrupt our food supply. Food is one of man's basic needs; hence, it should be one of our highest priorities to protect our food supplies, ranches, and farms.

This is especially important when year after year, farms are being consolidated and our foods are being distributed from centralized facilities, which increases the likelihood of other crops being contaminated.

Start asking questions:
1. What's the best, economical method of protecting against future outbreaks?
2. Is there new technology that allows us to detect contiminated foods in the supply chain?
3. What procedures can the FDA take that will protect both consumers and the bottom line of farmers that have razor-thin margins?

Francois Bovon sinks Cameron and Simcha's Lost Tomb of Jesus ship

Francois Bovon, Scholar Used To Translate Mary Magdalene Disagrees With Documentary

In a stunning public letter to the Society of Biblical Literature, Francois Bovon, the main source for Simcha Jacobovici's claim that Mariamne was Mary Magdalene, calls the documentary's conclusions as science fiction.

His letter is as follows:

"As I was interviewed for the Discovery Channel's program The Lost Tomb of Jesus, I would like to express my opinion here.

First, I have now seen the program and am not convinced of its main thesis. When I was questioned by Simcha Jacobovici and his team the questions were directed toward the Acts of Philip and the role of Mariamne in this text. I was not informed of the whole program and the orientation of the script.

Second, having watched the film, in listening to it, I hear two voices, a kind of double discours. On one hand there is the wish to open a scholarly discussion; on the other there is the wish to push a personal agenda. I must say that the reconstructions of Jesus' marriage with Mary Magdalene and the birth of a child belong for me to science fiction.

Third, to be more credible, the program should deal with the very ancient tradition of the Holy Sepulcher, since the emperor Constantine in the fourth century C.E. built this monument on the spot at which the emperor Hadrian in the second century C.E. erected the forum of Aelia Capitolina and built on it a temple to Aphrodite at the place where Jesus' tomb was venerated.

Fourth, I do not believe that Mariamne is the real name of Mary of Magdalene. Mariamne is, besides Maria or Mariam, a possible Greek equivalent, attested by Josephus, Origen, and the Acts of Philip, for the Semitic Myriam.

Fifth, the Mariamne of the Acts of Philip is part of the apostolic team with Philip and Bartholomew; she teaches and baptizes. In the beginning, her faith is stronger than Philip's faith. This portrayal of Mariamne fits very well with the portrayal of Mary of Magdala in the Manichean Psalms, the Gospel of Mary, and Pistis Sophia. My interest is not historical, but on the level of literary traditions. I have suggested this identification in 1984 already in an article of New Testament Studies."

François Bovon, Harvard Divinity School

My wife hid my soda

Today's poetic rant:

People have their vices, mine seems to be Sprite. I don't drink and I don't smoke, I don't do drugs, but yet I drink Sprite. There's nothing wrong with drinking carbonated sugar water with lemon lime taste that satisfies your thirst, no not at all, but if you drink it too much, then yes, there's a problem. I drink it while I'm on the boat fishing, I drink it if I'm going out to eat, I drink it during business meetings, and heaven forbid during prayer meetings. Yes, it's a habit that my wife recognized. "Babe you're going to get diabetes", she said. But I ignored her warnings. "Babe you're going to get fat", but I didn't care. Then she's done the unthinkable. She hid my soda. So here I am today unable to find my Sprite. And she went out, leaving her cell phone at home...forgetfulness or conspiracy?

How credible is the Lost Tomb of Jesus?

When you look at documentaries, you have to look at the source. When you ask the director's main objective, what his response to critics are, you'll quickly learn what his priorities and motivations were.

Weight loss surgery may cause memory loss

Just in! News reports state weight loss surgery may cause memory loss. I personally know three employees in the past that went through this type of operation (2 females, 1 male) and have not seen any memory problems with their job performance; however, it is still something to consider if you think you'll need to lose weight in this manner versus the traditional way of not eating too much and exercising.

Memory loss fear over obesity ops
Obese woman
Frequent vomiting after surgery can lead to the syndrome
Weight loss surgery could lead to a condition which can result in memory loss, according to US research.

The syndrome - Wernicke encephalopathy - affects the nervous system and brain, and can lead to confusion and the inability to co-ordinate movement.

The study, published in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology, says the syndrome is caused by a lack of vitamin B1, or thiamine.

Frequent vomiting after surgery can lead to the syndrome, the study found.


Clearly we need to note this report... but I don't think it should lead to a knee-jerk rejection
Dr Colin Waine, National Obesity Forum

The researchers identified 32 cases of Wernicke encephalopathy after obesity surgery, 27 involving women.

The report says it is not clear if the condition is more common in women, or if there were more cases in women because 75% of obesity surgery patients are female.

Dr Colin Waine, of the National Obesity Forum, urged against avoidance of weight loss surgery, for those most in need.

"Clearly we need to note this report and we must be aware of it but I don't think it should lead to a knee-jerk rejection," he said.

"The results of weight loss surgery can be very good.

"Some people are so at risk that they are going to die from other causes without surgery.

"The risk of encephalopathy is probably much less than the risk they are facing from obesity."

'Outlook usually good'

The syndrome was found to occur within one to three months of weight loss surgery, such as gastric bypass surgery, although one case occurred 18 months after surgery.

Study author Sonal Singh, of Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina, urged those who had undergone weight loss surgery to take their prescribed vitamin supplements and be alert for symptoms such as vomiting, confusion, visual changes and lack of co-ordination.

"When people who have had weight loss surgery start experiencing any of these symptoms, they need to see a doctor right away," he said.

"If treated promptly, the outlook is usually good."

For treatment, patients are given vitamin B1 through an IV or injection.

Of the 32 people in the study, 13 made a full recovery, though others continued to have problems such as memory loss.

Singh said more studies are needed to determine how often the syndrome occurs after weight loss surgery.

One of Lost Tomb of Jesus' holes: The Tenth Ossuary

There's been a lot of media hype regarding The Lost Tomb of Jesus. Personally, I have reserved my comments and limited it to scholars, archaeologists, and forensic experts for now until my book is published. However, after seeing the debate on the Discovery Channel, I found out something disturbing, and I feel I must share this with my readers.

You see, Dr. James Tabor and Simcha Jacobovici assume that the tenth missing bone box in the Talpiot tomb is James, the brother of Jesus. From this, they can make huge statistical assumptions.

But here's the problem...
1. On June 18, 2003, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) in a unanimous decision the 15-member committee, condemned the 'James ossuary' as a modern forgery.
2. While #1 is a problem, this is even a greater problem. There is a picture of the James ossuary dated 1976. The Talpiot tomb, where they found 10 ossuaries, was opened in 1980.
3. In fact, Amos Kloner, one of the three original archaeologists that supervised the dig site, stated the tenth ossuary found in 1980 was blank, it had no inscription on it:

"Due to a lack of storage space, only nine of the 10 ossuaries found in the tomb in 1980 were held by the Israel Antiquities Authority after they were examined and documented, said Kloner. But the tenth one that was discarded did not have any inscription, he said."

OUCH! This is significantly damaging. Yet Dr. Tabor and Simcha Jacobovici claimed in the Discovery Channel debate that one of Israel's most experienced archaeologists, Dr. Kloner, must have missed the inscriptions because there were some dirt on it! Extremely unlikely -- that's the first thing they would check. Even if a remote chance of that were true, how can you explain the James ossuary photo made in 1976 when the Talpiot tomb was uncovered in 1980?

Why Dr. Tabor and Mr. Simcha Jacobovici do you continue to support that the James ossuary is legit? Please, for the sake of your reputation, do not continue to make it part of your hypothesis. Please remove this from your blog, which the world is now mocking you on:

3. One other new bit of data related to the Talpiot tomb are the patina tests carried out by Rosenfeld and others that indicate that the James ossuary, acquired by Oded Golan, and made public in 2002, came from this particular Talpiot tomb. This data is summarized in the Discovery documentary as well as the book, The Jesus Family by Jacobovici and Pellegrino. Originally in 1980 there were ten ossuaries recovered from this tomb but one went missing early on. If the James ossuary is this missing 10th from this tomb, and I do believe there is some good evidence to support that possibility, adding an ossuary inscribed names “James son of Joseph,” or “James son of Joseph brother of Jesus,” (if the full inscription is authentic as I believe it to be) to the cluster, the statistics change dramatically toward an identification of this tomb with Jesus of Nazareth.

I have sent this letter to Dr. Tabor and Simcha Jacobovici. I hope one of you respond.

Iran's president says nuclear program is like a train without brakes...Iranians remind him trains like that crash and burn

He's at it again! On Monday, Iranian President Ahmadinejad said his country's nuclear program is like a train without brakes. He told a group of clerics that Iran's nuclear ambitions were unstoppable. "The train of the Iranian nation is without brakes and a rear gear ... We dismantled the reverse gear and brakes of the train and threw them away some time ago," he said.

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Not only is he getting criticized around the world for his comments but he is also getting some rare criticisms across the political spectrum in Iran. Here are just some Iranian thoughts on the matter:

Etemad-e-Melli, National Confidence, "Why are you speaking a language that causes a person to be ashamed? A train's brakes are needed to reach its destination safely. You represent the voters of the great Iranian nation. Speak equal to the name and dignity of this nation."

Resalat chided "neither weakness nor unnecessarily offensive language is acceptable in foreign policy. Our foreign policy must reflect the ancient Iranian civilization and rich Islamic culture of the Iranian nation. Therefore, delicacy ... rich diplomatic language and non-primitive policies must be part of a calculated combination to work"

A train without brakes...

Hopefully, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei can control his bull dog; otherwise, the Iranian people might do it for him.

CBS shows North Iraq -- the diamond in the rough

Tonight on 60 Minutes, I saw an update on North Iraq. The Kurds, ethnically different from Arabs but are still Muslims are enjoying an economic boom! Because they are not killing themselves like Southern Iraq is doing, the Kurds have commercial infrastructures, universities, and other modern day luxuries popping up throughout their side of the country.

This is the "dream" of what we want in Southern Iraq, but it maybe sometime before Southern Iraq will ever be that way. Despite we have strong U.S. presence in Southern Iraq, deep-seated hatred is still hurting the dream of a unified Iraq.

But at least we see a ray of hope with the Kurds. On evening prayers at their Muslim mosques, they don't say words of hatred towards the United States, but rather praise of the liberation that they received after years of turmoil and genocide by the Arabs.

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin broke the law, federal court finds

Mayor Ray Nagin, the supposed 'hero' of the New Orleans disaster has been found in contempt of court. Federal court records shows that he has been hiding/refusing to reveal records of who ordered the confiscation of legal firearms.

Instead of allowing citizens to defend themselves against gangsters during the Katrina disaster, Nagin sent an edict to act against civil liberties by removing legitimate guns from citizens. So the only ones armed in the city were...CRIMINALS.

No wonder New Orleans is now hailed as the Murder Capital of the country. You have armed criminals, a distraught police force, and citizens who have no weapons to defend themselves because their mayor doesn't respect the Constitution.

Resign Nagin. Your office is a shame.

Congress spends 1.4 million dollars arguing about non-binding Iraq resolution

I'm sure you've heard about it by now.

The United States House of Representatives spent over 40 hours arguing about a non-binding Iraq resolution of how they disagree with President's Bush decision to secure Baghdad and protect American troops and civilians.

Democrats, along with 17 Republicans, passed the resolution to show that they do not like securing Baghdad or protecting American troops. As you may know, after winning the Nov 2006 congressional elections, Democrats have promised to "change course" on Iraq from winning to running away. And they state this is just one of their first actions.

Democrats, along with their Iraq promise, also promised reform and changes within their first 100 hours of session. Perhaps they should start by not wasting tax payer's money on useless, non-binding resolutions! So how much did this useless, non-binding resolution cost? The labor cost was about $1.4 million USD, assuming all of the representatives that voted [428] were there for the full debate.

Great job congressmen -- good job on arguing about things that don't do anything.

A new U.S. dollar coin...again!

If you first don't succeed, try, try again...

The U.S. Mint is once again pursuing the dollar coin for mainstream uses. Their first initial attempt, Susan B. Anthony/Sacagawea coin, didn't fare well with the public because the dollar bill still existed. For this attempt, they will be using George Washington's image. They will be putting images of future presidents in future editions of the coin, similar to how they release different emblems for the quarters.

The difference between this attempt and the previous release is the media hype surrounding the new dollar coin. With the Internet, TV, and other media blitzing the news across the world, banks are already reporting consumer interest in the dollar coin.

Interested in one? In a few weeks, just go to the bank!

My baby turned 3 months old...Dohgirl is growing!

My baby is 3 months old now. Here's a quick look at what she looks like last month versus her birth pic. She's doubled her weight. Gotta love babies!

2.5 MONTHS

BIRTH

UN claims Global Warming is warming the earth, while I'm freezing in Florida

The United Nations just sent out global warming reports and warnings to its member nations, describing that the world's going to end because of man. And while I agree, we are the cause of our own disasters, they should have timed their reports better.

At the moment, southwest Florida is receiving freezing temperatures. This is an area where it is suppose to be tropical and have mild winters, yet we are freezing here. If someone was going to tell me the world is warming up year after year and it's going to be the end of the world, they should try to do so when we don't get record freezing temperatures in a semi-tropic climate.

It seems year after year we keep drumming the same tune that we are being cooked, and while there are ample evidence that glaciers are melting and weather's being affected, there is an equal amount of evidence that we are hitting record lows. Which begs the question, is global warming really something that is a true science or is it yet another guess, another theory? What if Earth was going through cycles? Why are scientists who oppose global warming get belittled in the media and scientific world? Why don't we keep an opend mind?