Change the World

 

Debbie Shank, a 52-year old former Wal-Mart employee and mother of a soldier killed in Iraq, suffered serious brain damage after getting hit by a truck and was subsequently sued by Wal-Mart to recover $470,000 in medical expenses it paid out in benefits through its self insured employee benefits program. (Shank had won a settlement from the trucking company and, after legal fees, took home only $417,000).  (Wal-Mart has since bowed to public pressure and has agreed not to collect on the judgment) But, this tragic accident has left DEBBIE SHANK with brain damage and bound her to a wheel chair for the rest of her life.  Her husband JIM SHANK is also battling prostate cancer and now all the stress and disbelief over the Wal-Mart issue. 

 To add insult to injury, their 18 yr old son JEREMY SHANK died fighting for his country in Iraq just 8 days after this judgment was ordered. He died so I and all Americans can enjoy the freedoms this great country has to offer. JEREMY SHANK is a TRUE AMERICAN HERO.

 

This family has endured, sacrificed, and given so much, more than any family should have to.  This family has made the ultimate sacrifice in losing a son. 

 

http://hope4shank.com/

Thanks to extensive media coverage ranging from CNN and MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann to wire services to local media across the nation, along with the grassroots efforts of Wal-Martwatch.com, WakeupWalmart.com and people everywhere who put intense public pressure on CEO Lee Scott and Wal-Mart to do the right thing for Debbie Shank, the company announced on April 1, 2008 that it will not pursue collection of the previously paid out medical expenses, but there are still hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid hospital and doctors bills that need to be paid.  So the campaign still goes on to help this family in need!

 

Pondering on the state of the economy and the cost of the war in Iraq, I ask who holds President Bush accountable? For 5 years now, since the end of the war in Iraq we have been pumping 296 million dollars a day into this military effort. Why have we as the American people not demanded answers? Is the White House Press Corps that scared to ask the hard hitting questions?

If this war is over and we recognize the mission as truely accomplished, what does that say on the loss of life?

We as Americans should be considering Impeachment.

Do you still have faith in Washington? Who really benefits from the proposed “gas holiday”? Why does Obama oppose it? Because it does not benefit the American people. It lines the pockets of petroleum companies and reduces the money that provides for jobs and roadways. It would not lower the cost of oil.

Do you think the Oil lobbists and Oil companies are scared? I don’t. Why would they be, they just reported record profits when gas is nearing 4.00 a gallon.

Clinton has no idea what it means to be middleclass. She is chomping at the bit to get in the White House and set up shop. I don’t want her there, do you?

 

 

Are you registered to vote? Can you make a differnce in November? Yes, you can. Register early. Brcome involved. Spread the word. Explore your politics.

What matters to you? Has your job been outsourced? Has your home been foreclosed on? Can you afford gas? Are you able to see a doctor when you are sick? Are you employed? How is this recession affected you.

The time is now. This is the generation for and of change.  What are you willing to do to make this country a better place to live in? Would you mentor? Would you volunteer? Would you give of yourself?

Take the first step, register to vote. Make your voice heard in November. Don’t allow goverment to move forward without you.

 

http://www.rockthevote.org/

This was on babycenter.com. 

Mercury pollution linked to autism risk

Thu, Apr 24, 2008 (HealthDay) — The first study to show a statistical relationship between autism and proximity to industrial sites that release mercury has been published by researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

Their analysis of data from 1,040 Texas school districts and data from 39 coal-fired power plants and 56 industrial facilities in the state showed that autism rates decreased by one percent to two percent for each 10 miles of distance from a mercury pollution source.

Among the other findings:

• For every 1,000 pounds of mercury released by all industrial sources in Texas in 1998, there was a corresponding 2.6 percent increase in autism rates in Texas school districts in 2002.

• For every 1,000 pounds of mercury released by Texas power plants in 1998, there was a corresponding 3.7 percent increase in autism rates in Texas school districts in 2002.

The research appears in the journal Health & Place.

“This study was not designed to understand which individuals in the population are at risk due to mercury exposure. However, it does suggest generally that there is greater autism risk closer to the polluting source,” lead author Raymond Palmer, associate professor of family and community medicine, said in a prepared statement.

RotaTeq vaccine adds “death” to side effect list

This vaccine has a much higher rate of seizures than other vaccines.  1 in every 1300 children has a seizure who gets this vaccine. Seizures occured almost twice as often in the vaccine group than in the placebo group in clinical trials. Intussusception. This is an intestinal complication in which part of the intestine “telescopes” into inself, creating a very serious and life threatening blockage. An older version of the Rotavirus vaccine was taken off the market in 1999 due to this side effect. In the safety trial for the new vaccine, RotaTeq, out of 36,000 infants, 13 had intussesception within one year. In 2006 28 cases of intussesception were reported after the vaccine. Since this is a new vaccine we don’t know what all the risks are, that is something she might want to consider too. The ingredients for the vaccine are: Live and whole viruses Sucrose Sodium citratem, phosphate, and hydroxide (electroylyte chemicals) Polysorbate 80 Cell culture media Traces of Fetal cow blood dextran sorbital amino acids xanthum gum sterile water monkey kidney cells ~The Vaccine Book..   The FDA has issued a public health notice to health professionals and consumers about the rotavirus vaccine RotaTeq. It has received 28 reports on infants getting intussusception after being vaccinated with RotaTeq (Live, Oral, Pentavalent vaccine against Rotavirus) since the vaccine was licensed in February last year. The vaccine prevents rotavirus gastroenteritis, the major cause of diarrhea and vomiting in young children worldwide. The infection is highly contagious and can cause severe dehydration (loss of body fluids) and even death. So far, 3.5 million doses of RotaTeq, which is manufactured by Merck, have been distributed in the United States, not all of which have been administered. Intussusception is a serious life threatening condition where part of the bowel collapses into a neighbouring part, rather like when a section of a collapsible telescope pushes into another. This results in the bowel becoming blocked or twisted.It usually happens where the small intestine joins the large intestine. The FDA says it is issuing the notice to remind people that intussusception is a potential complication of the RotaTeq vaccine, and to encourage them to report cases of intussusception so that the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) can assess the risks associated with the vaccine. They would like US healthcare professionals and others to report any cases of this or other adverse events associated with RotaTeq to the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS). If your child has stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea, there is blood in the child’s stool or changes in bowel movements, these could be signs of intussusception and you should tell the doctor straight away. The FDA says that intussusception can occur spontaneously in the absence of vaccination and they do not know whether any of the 28 reported cases were caused by RotaTeq or just coincidence. Of the 28 cases reported so far, about half of them occurred within 21 days of vaccination and 16 of the infants had to have surgery. The other children were treated without surgery, using enemas. No deaths were reported. Before it was licensed, RotaTeq was tested in a clinical trial involving 70,000 children, where half received the vaccine and half received a placebo. No significant increase of intussusception risk was found. For instance 6 cases occurred in the RotaTeq patients and 5 in the placebo group. However, the FDA says that another rotavirus vaccine which is no longer available may have been the cause of the increase in cases of intussusception, which is why it is important to gather the post-marketing data from patients. Two post-marketing studies are also being conducted, one by the manufacturer of RotaTeq, Merck with 44,000 infants, and the other by the CDC Vaccine Safety Data Link, with 90,000 infants. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/63074.php THIS VACCINE IS NOT NEEDED!!!!

 

When a baby boy’s natural and intact penis is “circumcised,” this is what is lost forever:

*1. The frenar band of soft ridges–the single most pleasure producing zone on the male body. Loss of this densely innervated and reactive belt of tissue reduces the sensitivity of the remaining penis to about that of ordinary skin.

2. Approximately half of the temperature reactive smooth muscle sheath called the dartos fascia.

3. Specialized epithelial Langerhans cells, a component of the immune system.

*4. An estimated 240 feet of microscopic nerves, including branches of the dorsal nerve.

*5. Between 10,000 to 20,000 specialized erotogenic nerve endings of several types, which can discern slight motion, subtle changes in temperature, and fine gradations in texture. This loss includes thousands of coiled fine-touch receptors called the Meissner’s corpuscles - the most important sensory component in the foreskin.

6. Estrogen receptors the purpose and value of which are not yet fully understood.

*7. More than 50% of the mobile penile skin, the multi-purpose covering of the glans, that shields all of the specialized penile skin from abrasion, drying, and callusing (by keratin cell layering), and protects it from dirt and other contaminants. The debilitating sexual consequences of keratinizing the glans have never been studied.

8. The immunological defense system of the soft mucosa, which may produce antibacterial and antiviral proteins such as lysozyme, also found in mothers milk, and plasma cells, which secrete immunoglobulin antibodies.

9. Lymphatic vessels, the loss of which interrupts the lymph flow within a part of the bodys immune system.

*10. The frenulum, the very sensitive “V” shaped web-like tethering structure on the underside of the glans; usually amputated along with the foreskin, or severed, which destroys its functionality.

*11. The apocrine glands of the inner foreskin, which produce pheromones—nature’s powerful, silent, invisible behavioral signals to potential sexual partners. They contribute significantly to sexuality. Their loss is unstudied.

12. Ectopic sebaceous glands, which lubricate and moisturize.

*13. The essential “gliding” mechanism. If unfolded and spread out flat, the average adult foreskin measures about 15 square inches, the size of a postcard. This abundance of specialized, self-lubricating mobile skin gives the natural penis its unique hallmark ability to smoothly “glide” in and out within itself—permitting natural non-abrasive masturbation and intercourse, without drying out the vagina or requiring artificial lubricants.

14. The pink to red to dark purple natural coloration of the glans, normally an internal organ, like the tongue.

*15. A significant amount of the penis circumference because its double layered wrapping of loose foreskin is now missing making the circumcised penis defectively thinner than a full-sized intact penis.

*16. As much as one inch of the erect penis length due to amputation when the connective tissue is torn apart during “circumcision.” This shared membrane tightly fuses the foreskin and the glans together while the penis develops. Ripping it apart wounds the glans, leaving it raw and subject to infection, scarring, and shrinkage.

*17. Several feet of blood vessels, including the frenular artery and branches of the dorsal artery. The loss of this dense vascularity interrupts normal blood flow to the shaft and glans of the penis, obviously damaging its natural function and possibly stunting its complete and healthy development.

18. Every year boys lose their penises altogether from botched “circumcisions” and infections accidents happen. They are then “sexually reassigned” by transgender surgery and must live their lives as females.

19. Every year many boys lose their lives from the complications of medically unnecessary circumcisions. The cause of these deaths are a fact the billion dollar per year circumcision industry willfully obscures and conceals.

*20. Although not yet proved scientifically, there is considerable new evidence that an incomplete penis loses its capacity for the subtle electromagnetic “cross-communication” that occurs only during contact between two mucous membranes, and which contributes to the perception of sexual ecstasy. In other words, medically unjustified foreskin amputation of boys ultimately diminishes the intensity of orgasms for both men and women!

Gary L. Harryman,
14 February 1999
glharryman@aol.com

On March 11 a new documentary was aired on French television. It is a documentary most Americans will never see, explaining how the gigantic biotech corporation Monsanto is threatening to destroy the agricultural biodiversity which has served mankind for thousands of years.

For millennia, farmers have saved seeds from season to season. But when Monsanto developed GM seeds that would resist its own herbicide, Roundup, Monsanto patented the seeds. For nearly all of its history the United States Patent and Trademark Office refused to grant patents on seeds, viewing them as life-forms with too many variables to be patented. But in 1980 the U.S. Supreme Court allowed for seed patents in a five-to-four decision, laying the groundwork for a handful of corporations to begin taking control of the world’s food supply.

Since the 1980s, Monsanto has become the world leader in genetic modification of seeds and has won 674 biotechnology patents, more than any other company. Farmers who buy Monsanto’s Roundup Ready seeds are required to sign an agreement promising not to save the seed produced after each harvest for re-planting, or to sell the seed to other farmers. This means that farmers must buy new seed every year.

Monsanto puts pressure on farmers, farmers’ co-ops, seed dealers, and anyone else it suspects may have infringed its patents of genetically modified seeds. To do this, Monsanto relies on a shadowy army of private investigators and agents. They secretly videotape and photograph farmers, store owners, and co-ops. They infiltrate community meetings. They gather information from informants about farming activities.

Some Monsanto agents pretend to be surveyors. Others confront farmers on their land and try to pressure them to sign papers giving Monsanto access to their private records. Farmers call them the “seed police” and use words such as “Gestapo” and “Mafia” to describe their tactics.

Sources:

• Vanity Fair May 2008

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiPW7EKn8nY

---

Newborns:
Care of the
Uncircumcised Penis

Guidelines for Parents

American Academy
of Pediatrics

---

Summary: Care of the uncircumcised boy is quite easy. “Leave it alone” is good advice. External washing and rinsing on a daily basis is all that is required. Do not retract the foreskin in an infant, as it is almost always attached to the glans. Forcing the foreskin back may harm the penis, causing pain, bleeding, and possibly adhesions. The natural separation of the foreskin from the glans may take many years. After puberty, the adult male learns to retract the foreskin and cleanse under it on a daily basis.

At birth, the penis consists of a cylindrical shaft with a rounded end called the glans. The shaft and glans are separated by a groove called the sulcus. The entire penis - shaft and glans - is covered by a continuous layer of skin. The section of the penile skin that covers the glans is called the foreskin or prepuce. The foreskin consists of two layers, the outer foreskin and an inner lining similar to a mucous membrane.

Before birth, the foreskin and glans develop as one tissue. The foreskin is firmly attached - really fused - to the glans. Over time, this fusion of the inner surface of the prepuce with the glans skin begins to separate by shedding the cells from the surface of each layer. Epithelial layers of the glans and the inner foreskin lining are regularly replaced, not only in infancy but throughout life. The discarded cells accumulate as whitish, cheesy “pearls” which gradually work their way out via the tip of the foreskin.

Eventually, sometimes as long as 5, 10, or more years after birth, full separation occurs and the foreskin may then be pushed back away from the glans toward the abdomen. This is called foreskin retraction. The foreskin may retract spontaneously with erections which occur normally from birth on and even occur in fetal life. Also, all children “discover” their genitals as they become more aware of their bodies and may retract the foreskin themselves. If the foreskin does not seem to retract easily early in life, it is important to realize that this is not abnormal and that it should eventually do so.

 The Function of the Foreskin: The glans at birth is delicate and easily irritated by urine and feces. The foreskin shields the glans; with circumcision this protection is lost. In such cases, the glans and especially the urinary opening (meatus) may become irritated or infected, causing ulcers, meatitis (inflammation of the meatus), and meatal stenosis (a narrowing of the urinary opening). Such problems virtually never occur in uncircumcised penises. The foreskin protects the glans throughout life.]Infant Smegma: Skin cells from the glans of the penis and the inner foreskin are shed throughout life. This is especially true in childhood; natural skin shedding serves to separate the foreskin from the glans. Since this shedding takes place in a relatively closed space - with the foreskin covering the glans - the shed skin cells cannot escape in the usual manner. They escape by working their way to the tip of the foreskin. These escaping discarded skin cells constitute infant smegma, which may appear as white “pearls” under the skin.Adult Smegma: Specialized sebaceous glands - Tyson’s Glands - which are located on the glans under the foreskin, are largely inactive in childhood. At puberty, Tyson’s Glands produce an oily substance, which, when mixed with shed skin cells, constitute adult smegma. Adult smegma serves a protective, lubricating function for the glans.

Foreskin Hygiene: The foreskin is easy to care for. The infant should be bathed or sponged frequently, and all parts should be washed including the genitals. The uncircumcised penis is easy to keep clean. No special care is required! No attempt should be made to forcibly retract the foreskin. No manipulation is necessary. There is no need for special cleansing with Q-tips, irrigation, or antiseptics; soap and water externally will suffice.

Foreskin Retraction: As noted, the foreskin and glans develop as one tissue. Separation will evolve over time. It should not be forced. When will separation occur? Each child is different. Separation may occur before birth; this is rare. It may take a few days, weeks, months, or even years. This is normal. Although many foreskins will retract by age 5, there is no need for concern even after a longer period. [1984 version only: No harm will come in leaving the foreskin alone.] Some boys do not attain full retractability of the foreskin until adolescence.

Hygiene of the Fully Retracted Foreskin: For the first few years, an occasional retraction with cleansing beneath is sufficient.

Penile hygiene will later become a part of a child’s total body hygiene, including hair shampooing, cleansing the folds of the ear, and brushing teeth. At puberty, the male should be taught the importance of retracting the foreskin and cleaning beneath during his daily bath.

Copyright © 1984, 1990. American Academy of Pediatrics