Tag Archives: faculty

Radiation scientists agree TSA naked body scanners could cause breast cancer and sperm mutations

The news about the potential health dangers of the TSA's naked body scanners just keeps getting worse. An increasing number of doctors and scientists are going public with their warnings about the health implications of subjecting yourself to naked body scanners. These include Dr Russell Blaylock (see below) as well as several professors from the University of California who are experts in X-ray imaging. At the same time, some internet bloggers are insisting that the TSA's naked body scanners pose no health risks because air travelers are subjected to higher levels of radiation by simply enduring high-altitude flights where cosmic radiation isn't filtered out by the full thickness of the Earth's atmosphere. This comparison, however, is inaccurate: The TSA's body scanners focus radiation on the skin and organs near the skin whereas cosmic radiation during high-altitude flights is distributed across the entire mass of your body. Comparing the total radiation exposure across your entire body to machine-emitted radiation exposure that focuses its ionizing radiation primarily on your skin is like comparing apples and oranges. You'll see this explained further, below, in the words of these scientists. As Dr Russell Blaylock ( www.BlaylockReport.com ) recently reported: “The growing outrage over the Transportation Security Administration's new policy of backscatter scanning of airline passengers and enhanced pat-downs brings to mind these wise words from President Ronald Reagan: The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help you. So, what is all the concern really about – will these radiation scanners increase your risk of cancer or other diseases? A group of scientists and professors from the University of California at San Francisco voiced their concern to Obama's science and technology adviser John Holdren in a well-stated letter back in April.” The letter Dr Blaylock is referring to is from the Faculty of the University of California, San Francisco and is signed by Doctors John Sedat Ph.D., David Agard, Ph.D., Marc Shuman, M.D., Robert Stroud, Ph.D. You can download or view the full letter from NaturalNews here (PDF): http://www.NaturalNews.com/files/TS.. . Even though it was written in April of this year, this letter has received increased publicity lately due to the TSA's sudden expansion of naked body scanners in airports as well as the agency's arrogant insistence that such machines will soon be used at bus stations, railway stations and other entrance points for mass transportation…. …Ten big concerns voiced by the scientists Here are ten additional concerns raised by these scientists in their letter: (the bolded titles are my subheads, the subsequent explanation test is quoted straight out the scientists' letter) #1) Cancer in senior citizens – The large population of older travelers, greater than 65 years of age, is particularly at risk from the mutagenic effects of the X-rays based on the known biology of melanocyte aging. #2) Breast cancer – A fraction of the female population is especially sensitive to mutagenesis-provoking radiation leading to breast cancer. Notably, because these women, who have defects in DNA repair mechanisms, are particularly prone to cancer, X-ray mammograms are not performed on them. The dose to breast tissue beneath the skin represents a similar risk. #3) White blood cells being irradiated – Blood (white blood cells) perfusing the skin is also at risk. #4) HIV and cancer patients – The population of immunocompromised individuals — HIV and cancer patients (see above) is likely to be at risk for cancer induction by the high skin dose. #5) Radiation risk to children – The risk of radiation emission to children and adolescents does not appear to have been fully evaluated. #6) Pregnant women – The policy towards pregnant women needs to be defined once the theoretical risks to the fetus are determined. #7 Sperm mutations – Because of the proximity of the testicles to skin, this tissue is at risk for sperm mutagenesis. #8 Radiation effects on cornea and thymus – Have the effects of the radiation on the cornea and thymus been determined? #9 Problems with the machine – There are a number of 'red flags' related to the hardware itself. Because this device can scan a human in a few seconds, the X-ray beam is very intense. Any glitch in power at any point in the hardware (or more importantly in software) that stops the device could cause an intense radiation dose to a single spot on the skin. Translation: This machine does not emit a “flood light” of radiation like you might get from a dental X-ray machine. Rather, this machine emits a thin, narrow beam of radiation that is quickly “scanned” across your body, back and forth, in much the same way that an inkjet printer prints a page (but a lot faster). Because the angle of the X-ray beam is controlled by the scanner software, a glitch in the software could turn the naked body scanner into a high-energy weapon if the beam gets “stuck” in one location for more than a fraction of a second. #10 Higher radiation for the groin? – Given the recent incident (on December 25th, 2009), how do we know whether the manufacturer or TSA, seeking higher resolution, will scan the groin area more slowly leading to a much higher total dose? Continued at: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Bq5v8T4ediQ/TOyk6Kcd9tI/AAAAAAAAA04/ZCSL9_LA0ME/s400/c… http://www.naturalnews.com/030607_naked_body_scanners_radiation.html added by: Dagum

Meet the Press: Dick Armey Slams Alan Greenspan’s View of Bush Tax Cuts

David Gregory on Sunday finally got an answer to his question about extending the Bush tax cuts, but it certainly wasn’t what he was expecting. For those that have been watching “Meet the Press” this month, the host has been grilling his conservative guests about this issue ever since former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan told him on August 1 that tax cuts don’t pay for themselves. Having badgered Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) about this earlier in the program with no success, Gregory broached the subject with former House Majority Leader Dick Armey in a subsequent segment. With a hanging curveball coming into his wheelhouse, Armey whacked a long drive that still hasn’t landed (video follows with transcript and commentary): DAVID GREGORY, HOST: I want to, I want to address the tax debate . And what you hear from Republican leaders is an unwillingness to pay the bill as you move forward to extend the Bush tax cuts . FORMER REPRESENTATIVE DICK ARMEY (R): Not at all. MR. GREGORY: Is that wrong? You heard Alan Greenspan say that it’s borrowed money … REP. ARMEY: No. Right. MR. GREGORY: …and that they do not pay for themselves. REP. ARMEY: Where has Alan Greenspan been? John — I, I was a young undergraduate watching all my faculty celebrate the genius of John F. Kennedy as he taught us you cut taxes , revenues increase. Reagan cut taxes , revenue doubled. What — the first, most important, critical thing for the American economy is to cut the size of the federal government. This is a big, fat, sloppy, inefficient, obstructionist, Porky Pig that’s standing in the way of economic progress for the American people. It is counterproductive. It’s an extra weight. It is — and it needs to be cut or this economy can’t carry the weight. This is no thinking… D’oh! Now, that’s the way to hit a hanging curveball! With the crowd still on its feet, Gregory turned to his liberal guest for her view:  MR. GREGORY: This is the argument. GOV. JENNIFER GRANHOLM (D-MICHIGAN): Just quickly — this is the argument, and it’s a 20th century argument, it’s not a 21st century argument. When we’re competing in a global economy , the government has to partner with the private sector to create jobs. If you just slash spending, you slash the investments in the things that are going to move our economy forward, we miss out. Just very quickly, last year, the vice president came to Michigan , said we were going to get all these battery grants; we created — we have 16 companies now in Michigan just in the past year because we partnered with the private sector creating 62,000 jobs. Strategic investment with the private sector is what works in the 20th century. Actually, Granholm was playing rather fast and loose with the facts. As MLive.com reported on July 27 in an article titled “Experts Warn ‘Battery Bubble’ Could Burst Michigan’s Dreams”: Michigan and the federal government have placed a multibillion dollar bet that advanced batteries and electric vehicles will someday power the state and national economies. But experts at a National Academy of Sciences conference on the future of batteries, held here Monday, said the bet could go bust if consumers don’t buy those vehicles. And no one knows if they will. The Obama administration last year allocated $2.3 billion in stimulus funds to help develop the nascent advanced battery industry. More than half of that money — $1.35 billion — was awarded to Michigan companies and organizations. Much of the money is being spent on research and development, and on the manufacturing of advanced batteries. Michigan has supplemented that with lucrative tax credits for companies manufacturing cells and battery packs in the state. And those 62,000 jobs Granholm said were already created? Gov. Jennifer Granholm said the state expects to create 62,000 new battery jobs in Michigan over the next 10 years. Ah. So, with unemployment currently at 13.1 percent in her state, these are jobs Granholm hopes will be created in the next ten years. But that’s not what she told Gregory on Sunday. Sadly, he let her get away with it, although he did ask a good follow-up question:  MR. GREGORY: But should the Democrats be raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans during a recession? Understanding her previous faux pas concerning jobs “created,” listen to her answer:  GOV. GRANHOLM: It’s — the question is, should the tax cuts expire for the wealthiest 2 percent so that we can make the investments that will grow jobs? Yes. That’s the most effective way of creating job growth. The CBO has said that cutting taxes for the wealthiest 2 percent is the most ineffective way of creating job growth. Yep. The most effective way of creating jobs is to tax employers so the government can get the money rather than employees. Of course, what folks like Granholm and the current White House resident do is then claim they “saved” or “created” jobs regardless of any real impact to payrolls or unemployment. Pretty neat, huh?  Fortunately, Armey was having none of this:  REP. ARMEY: I’ll give you, I’ll give you anywhere from — a minimum of $2 trillion to a possible $8 trillion worth of real stimulus of the economy from the private sector if we can just relieve the private sector that’s sitting on its cash from the fear that this administration ‘s going to screw up the future of this economy. Let them understand this administration ‘s going to stand down from any new cockamamy ideas and not raise taxes and take away the return on an investment, and they’ll put that cash to work in America. MR. GREGORY: I’m going to make that the last word.  So am I. 

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Meet the Press: Dick Armey Slams Alan Greenspan’s View of Bush Tax Cuts

ASU denies claims made by student | The Augusta Chronicle

Augusta State University officials said it's not a graduate student's religious beliefs, but her refusal to work toward being able to counsel homosexual clients that is threatening her standing in the school's counseling program, according to court documents filed Monday. The filing states that Jennifer Keeton must demonstrate her ability to counsel all clients, including the homosexual and transgender population, in order to graduate. The response is the school's first legal answer since Keeton filed a lawsuit July 21 alleging that she was facing expulsion from the counseling program based on her religious beliefs and her refusal to complete “a thought-reform remediation plan.” In an e-mail cited in the suit, ASU assistant professor Dr. Paulette Schenck told Keeton “the faculty did not expect (her) to change (her) personal beliefs and values.” “(T)he unethical part (was) applying your own personal beliefs and values on other people and not truly accepting that others can have different beliefs and values that are equally valid as your own.” Keeton is a graduate student in ASU's K-12 school counseling program, which requires students to adhere to a neutral code of ethics. The university's response explains that ASU professors asked Keeton to complete a remediation plan after she wrote in a term paper regarding the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender, or GLBT, community that “it would be hard (for her) to work with this population.” Keeton also told fellow student Justin C. Earnest that she would tell gay clients “their behavior is morally wrong and then help the client change that behavior,” according to an affidavit by Earnest included in the school's filing. The remediation plan required Keeton to attend counseling workshops, read counseling journals regarding the GLBT community, increase her exposure to the gay population and write reflections on what she was learning. The university's legal filings did not directly address Keeton's contention that she was told to attend a gay pride parade as part of the remediation plan. Members of ASU's faculty also were concerned with Keeton's support of conversion therapy for homosexuals, which the American Counseling Association's ethics committee has concluded “may harm clients.” In her lawsuit, Keeton said the remediation plan “subjects her to aggressive ideological instruction” and asks that she “change her beliefs.” Keeton said she would like to continue her education in the counseling program without fear that the school “will punish her for her religious views” and her “unwillingness to change or abandon those views.” But university officials said if they exempted Keeton from counseling homosexual clients, they would also have to exempt those opposed to war from counseling soldiers. “The same curriculum would require an atheist student counselor to competently counsel a deeply religious client,” the filing said. “A staunch feminist student counselor is required to competently counsel clients from male dominated cultures … the common thread being that all counselors are required to keep separate their own belief system from the counseling relationship.” The suit also points to a U.S. District Court judge's recent opinion in a similar case, Ward v. Wilbanks. In the July 2010 ruling, a judge upheld Eastern Michigan University's decision to dismiss a student who refused to counsel a homosexual student or participate in a remediation plan. University officials said that if the court moves forward with Keeton's case it could affect the school's accreditation and other students' degrees. What's Next? Jennifer Keeton has asked the federal court to force the college to drop its requirement that she complete the remediation plan. The U.S. District Court in Augusta scheduled a hearing on her request for a preliminary injunction at 9 a.m. Wednesday. added by: toyotabedzrock

Scoring Sunday’s Nuptials: Super Special Awesome Crazy Vacation Vows Gallery Edition.

Gawker Weddings Expert Phyllis Nefler ‘s on vacation, and I’m forcing her to file today, because it’s late and Angela Merkel has yet to get facepunched. NYT’s Weddings & Celebrations , we’re taking you on this week together, gallery style. It Begins With a Whimper

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Scoring Sunday’s Nuptials: Super Special Awesome Crazy Vacation Vows Gallery Edition.

Glee: Walking on Pseudoephedrine

The war of the sexes got hopped up on speed last night. It was like watching the Billie Jean King/Bobby Riggs tennis match on fast forward, but with musical breaks

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Glee: Walking on Pseudoephedrine