1. VACCINATION: THERE IS NO INOCULATION AGAINST INCOMPETENCE.Bob should have mentioned the damage done by bogus vaccination programs, such as the US used to get intel on Bin-Ladin in his hideout. Like planting CIA agents among journalists and Peace Corps volunteers, getting intel from agents disguised as vaccination program staff does serious long-term damage to the program being used as cover. Every journalist, medical aid worker, and vaccination program is endangered by such efforts.
Vaccination programs prevent more human suffering than any other branch of medicine. Their success depends on public confidence in their safety. But according to a report released last Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Health, spot checks by the Office of the Inspector General finds that free vaccines, provided under the nationwide Vaccines for Children program, are often stored at the wrong temperature, which can render them ineffective.
The first generation to receive MMR vaccinations are now parents. They have been spared not only the direct misery of the illness, but also serious side effects that can show up many years later. They should be the first to demand strict standards of safety and effectiveness in administering vaccines. Someday perhaps, eradication of pathogenic diseases will be routine, but were not there yet. What prevents it?
2. ERADICATION: FIRST WE MUST CURE THE WORLD OF ITS SUPERSTITIONS.
In 1977, smallpox, the most deadly and persistent human pathogenic disease, was eradicated from Earth by the World Health Organization following an unprecedented agreement allowing quick-response teams to freely cross every a border to administer vaccine in case of an outbreak. It was a moving demonstration of what can be achieved by world cooperation, and was quickly followed by calls to eradicate poliomyelitis. Polio eradication was undertaken by WHO in 1988 with help from private organizations, but although the number of polio cases diagnosed each year has plummeted, final eradication remains elusive. Opposition by Muslim fundamentalists is said to be the major factor in the failure of polio immunization programs. In Pakistan and Afghanistan the Taliban issued fatwa opposing vaccination as an attempt to avert Allah's will, while others saw it as an American plot to sterilize Muslims. Some conservative Christian groups oppose vaccination for diseases that are transmitted spread by sexual contact, arguing that the possibility of disease deters risky sexual contact. It doesn’t.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
More on the Disaster in the Making (vaccination refusals)
From Bob Park:
Sunday, June 10, 2012
On reducing the shortage of donated organs available for transplant
I attended a talk today where representatives of various religions discussed the funeral rituals in their traditions and how important the rituals were to them. I asked about their views on organ donations, and two said that their traditions either outright forbade it (Muslim) or in effect did so as a cultural practice (Native American). The liberal rabbi said that while liberal jews had pretty much decided that organ donation was acceptable, most conservative jews staunchly oppose it.
I've been thinking about the terrible shortages of organs for some time, and I keep coming back to the question of whether we shouldn't do several things:
More importantly, this avoids the whole "Why shouldn't we let the rich arrange with the poor to sell their organs?" problem that crops up now and again. The proposal above is even-handed and avoids any hint of privilege based on anything but your own willingness to contribute into the system that might benefit you in the same way that you might benefit.
Thoughts?
I've been thinking about the terrible shortages of organs for some time, and I keep coming back to the question of whether we shouldn't do several things:
1) Pass laws making organ donation the default position for everyone in society -- that is, it is assumed that your organs are available for donation to whomever will benefit unless you take specific, positive action to refuse donating your organs when they are no longer doing you any good; AND
2) Revise the rules on who gets the donated organs to put adults who refuse the default position and their children at the bottom of recipient lists.
That is, if you are unwilling to donate your organs, you will only be given donated organs when there is no more suitable candidate for a transplant available who is also willing to be a donor for others. And if you have opted out your children, same rule applies -- children of those who exempt themselves from donating will only be given organs from a child donor if there is no more suitable child available who can benefit from those organs.It sounds terribly brutal or even bigoted to see it stated that way, though my intent is neither to be brutal nor to harm people of any religious group. But in a pluralistic society where there are far more people who need organ transplants than there are donors, something has to be done to increase the odds of people donating. It seems just (as in justice) to have organs preferentially given to those who have indicated a willingness, were the roles reversed, to be the donor as well as the donee. It doesn't matter whether your organs are medically fit such that they would be accepted, it's whether or not you positively opted out when you didn't know whether you would need them that matters.
More importantly, this avoids the whole "Why shouldn't we let the rich arrange with the poor to sell their organs?" problem that crops up now and again. The proposal above is even-handed and avoids any hint of privilege based on anything but your own willingness to contribute into the system that might benefit you in the same way that you might benefit.
Thoughts?
Coal is the enemy of the human race, the slow "screw the future" suicide system
This is an excellent post by Cliff Mass, UW meteorologist on his weather blog, on why coal trains are a REALLY BAD IDEA for the environment & human health.
Also, Professor Dan Jaffe, of UW Bothell, has documented the substantial contribution of Asian pollution to our background pollution levels (see here for one story on this). This is really scary stuff!
Here are some highlights. Want to see the coal dust blowing off a coal train? Click on this image to see a video of a coal train in British Columbia...you will see HUGE amounts of dust blowing off into a scenic river basin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jixOquzgNqk
Even worse...once the coal gets to China they burn it, producing all sorts of particulates and gases that then moves across the Pacific to worsen regional air quality problems here in the Northwest. In fact, Professor Dan Jaffe, of UW Bothell, has documented the substantial contribution of Asian pollution to our background pollution levels (see here for one story on this).
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Disaster in the Making: More Oregon parents not having kids vaccinated
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20120508/UPDATE/120508012/1001
The move among parents to resist vaccination for children is depressing on many levels. The worst part is realizing how, given that all too soon we're going to have plenty of problems getting the tax revenue necessary for maintaining first-world levels of public health in the first place, some parents are voluntarily creating non-vaccination issues to boot.
There's no easy answer. Our legal systems treat children as little more than pets, items of property. Thus, the property owners (aka parents) can refuse vaccinations of their "property" without consequence to themselves, but with plenty of consequence to others, and sometimes to the non-vaccinated children.
For good reasons, we've got seatbelt laws, and laws that forbid letting kids ride in the back of open pickup trucks. But the law makes it easy for parents to claim a religious scruple against vaccination of their children. What's the difference? There used to be lots of arguments about how seatbelts made certain crashes more dangerous. Of course, those arguments are mostly bunk, like the arguments about vaccinations. But if we let parents expose their kids to serious and occasionally fatal diseases through failure to vaccinate, why can't parents decide whether their kids should wear a seatbelt?
The move among parents to resist vaccination for children is depressing on many levels. The worst part is realizing how, given that all too soon we're going to have plenty of problems getting the tax revenue necessary for maintaining first-world levels of public health in the first place, some parents are voluntarily creating non-vaccination issues to boot.
There's no easy answer. Our legal systems treat children as little more than pets, items of property. Thus, the property owners (aka parents) can refuse vaccinations of their "property" without consequence to themselves, but with plenty of consequence to others, and sometimes to the non-vaccinated children.
For good reasons, we've got seatbelt laws, and laws that forbid letting kids ride in the back of open pickup trucks. But the law makes it easy for parents to claim a religious scruple against vaccination of their children. What's the difference? There used to be lots of arguments about how seatbelts made certain crashes more dangerous. Of course, those arguments are mostly bunk, like the arguments about vaccinations. But if we let parents expose their kids to serious and occasionally fatal diseases through failure to vaccinate, why can't parents decide whether their kids should wear a seatbelt?
Friday, June 8, 2012
Two and three weeks out -- a great great ride and a great party benefiting a great place
Third Annual Hoedown & Silent AuctionSaturday: June 30, 2012
Join The Pagan Jug Band and Special Guests for the third Annual Farm Benefit with Silent Auction & Hoedown! Come out to the farm and camp for the weekend, bring your family, Bring An Instrument For Jams, definitely bring your dancin' feet ... biggest bonfire in town, camping under the stars, and of course music, music, music!!!
Local food and beverages will be available for purchase.
In the historic and (incredibly) scenic Waldo Hills!
- $5 -$20 donation per person, kids 12 and under free, camping available - (see below)
- Optional Sunday Brunch - (see below)
- Sorry, No Dogs Allowed
- 2:00 pm Gates open to campers - (see below)
- 3:00 pm Gates open to public, games and activities begin
- 4:00 pm Live music begins with WhistlePig, Route 41, and The Pagan Jug Band
- 5:00 pm Silent Auction begins
- 9:00 pm Silent Auction ends
- Bonfire begins at dusk.
$20.00 - Camping (tent)Please register your camping space in advance. Space is limited, and we cannot guarantee room will be available on the day of the event. To reserve a camping spot, please email us or call us at: 503-873-3406.
Note: We reserve the right to refuse campers that do not accommodate our family atmosphere.
- $20 camping fee (tent)
- $30 camping fee (trailer)
Brunch will be available between 9:00am - noon, and is a full menu, buffet-style brunch including beverages. Tickets for brunch must be purchased by Saturday before 9pm.
- $10 adults (13 and up)
- $6 kids aged 4-12
- FREE ages 3 and under
Petal Pedal
Saturday June 23, 2012
Cycle the Summer Solstice!
- A gourmet distance ride in the Willamette Valley.
- Blooming fields of flowers along serene, low traffic routes.
- Free Hopworks beer & gourmet dinner at the finish line.
- World class support from start to finish.
- On site boutique hotel amidst 80 acres of gardens.
- Campout under the stars at Historic GeerCrest farm!
Petal Pedal is a gourmet distance "Century" bike ride like no other. You'll journey along scenic, quiet roads along mostly flat routes (with a hilly option to visit Silver Falls) as you drift away to another world.
Description: The ride starts and ends at The Oregon Garden, Oregon's premier botanical garden with over 80 acres of specialty areas. Your ride pass includes
- breakfast
- lunch
- gourmet dinner
- free beer
- full support
- access to the garden.
Petal Pedal is a fully supported ride with three distances to choose from 100, 60 or 30 miles. You will enjoy riding on quiet rural roads, passing waterfalls and wineries, with friendly rest stops every 15 miles.
Plan to stay all weekend and explore Silverton, the friendliest town in Oregon, and the surrounding area.
Just $10 a night for camping or only $15 for both Friday & Saturday nights. Add $10 for Sunday Brunch ($5 for kids up through 12). Register via PayPal here.
Oil addiction generates denial | Energy Bulletin
http://www.energybulletin.net/stories/2012-05-25/oil-addiction-generates-denial
A choice bit:
A choice bit:
Little time left to deal with our addiction
Rising gasoline prices should ideally be welcomed as a warning of what is soon to come. One of the keenest observers of the geopolitics of oil and the precarious nature of our U.S. oil dependence is Michael Klare.
Because the American economy is so closely tied to oil, it is especially vulnerable to oil’s growing scarcity, price volatility, and the relative paucity of its suppliers. Consider this: at present, the United States obtains about 40% of its total energy supply from oil, far more than any other major economic power.We will now have to prepare for major economic changes and high gas prices. Oil and politically sensitive gasoline prices have receded in price the last month, but this is in no way a sign that our lives can return to the cheap oil era of the past. We are busily preparing to fight Iran. The energy wars are heating up globally . The hour is getting late.
Klare now calls on Obama to be honest about the true gravity of our current situation.
President Obama has to be honest with the public. There is no solution to high prices, other than a change in the behavior of our energy use, because there is no cheap oil left on the planet. We have to begin a process of converting to alternative forms of energy or alternative forms of transportation. And he has to be honest.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Maybe your last chance for community garden plots for Summer
community gardens boston, mass. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Still time for plenty of good growing if you hurry!
There are two new gardens open for your use!
St. Francis Community Garden 1820 Berry St. SE, Salem, OR
8’x4’ plots, $10 for the season, or $15 for two.
Contact Claudia Howells: 503-363-6587
Salem SDA Community Garden 4625 Cordon Rd., Salem, OR
10’ x 10’ plots, $10 for the season.
Contact Berta Mirandez: (503) 409-2014
Other gardens with availability:
Fuente de Vida 3295 Ladd Ave. NE
Coordinator: Pamela Lyons-Nelson
Hammond Community Garden 4900 Bayne St. NE
Coordinator: Michelle Bertholf 503-463-5975
Julie's Garden 590 Elma St. SE
Coordinator: Cindy Kimball 503-385-1876
Southeast Salem Neighborhood Garden 410 19th St. SE
Coordinators: Marcia Hoak & Nicole McDavid 971-208-5402
West Salem Boys & Girls Club Community Garden 925 Gerth St. NW
Coordinator: Erin Boers 503-779-5912
Goodbye to Bad Knowledge (Post-Peak-Oil Health Care)
http://www.energybulletin.net/stories/2012-05-31/goodbye-bad-knowledge
The other major system crash that's coming, besides education, is in our sickness care "system," which is shot through and through with total dependency on economic growth fueled by the now-gone cheap energy.
In one sense, the end of cheap energy will mean better overall health. America's obesity epidemic is really just a marker of how many energy slaves we all command. Now that the once-per-planetary-lifetime cheap energy extravaganza is drawing to a close, so too will we see the end of the bad habits it produced, which all boil down to having machines do everything for us.
BUT, there's a very rough transition ahead between now, when we have a huge overhang of people with bodies made sick by decades of dietary mistreatment and avoidance of exercise, and our future, when we won't be able to afford a sickness care system that continually spends a huge fraction of its total budget on people in their waning days, which ignoring the basic health needs of a giant and growing underclass of people.
Ultimately we are going to have to recognize that organizing access to health care through employment is a gigantic blunder, and that allowing the entire sickness care system to be structured around the profit motive is a recipe not just for lots more sickness and lots more profits, but essentially for making America a third-world country. Given that Salem Hospital is laying off skilled workers even as people in Salem are increasingly shut out of affordable health care, the contradictions built into the system are soon going to be too great to ignore.
The other major system crash that's coming, besides education, is in our sickness care "system," which is shot through and through with total dependency on economic growth fueled by the now-gone cheap energy.
In one sense, the end of cheap energy will mean better overall health. America's obesity epidemic is really just a marker of how many energy slaves we all command. Now that the once-per-planetary-lifetime cheap energy extravaganza is drawing to a close, so too will we see the end of the bad habits it produced, which all boil down to having machines do everything for us.
BUT, there's a very rough transition ahead between now, when we have a huge overhang of people with bodies made sick by decades of dietary mistreatment and avoidance of exercise, and our future, when we won't be able to afford a sickness care system that continually spends a huge fraction of its total budget on people in their waning days, which ignoring the basic health needs of a giant and growing underclass of people.
Ultimately we are going to have to recognize that organizing access to health care through employment is a gigantic blunder, and that allowing the entire sickness care system to be structured around the profit motive is a recipe not just for lots more sickness and lots more profits, but essentially for making America a third-world country. Given that Salem Hospital is laying off skilled workers even as people in Salem are increasingly shut out of affordable health care, the contradictions built into the system are soon going to be too great to ignore.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Get Ready for Another "Capital City Chicken Coop Tour" -- July 31
One of the most unappreciated things in Salem recently was the way a very small handful of folks worked very hard and for an absurdly long time to make a tiny step towards making Salem more resilient and better prepared for the hard times to come. Sure, a small flock of laying hens in a few yards doesn't seem like much, but what CITY is really accomplishing is building connections, community, and (most important) capacity. When the criminals on Wall St. finish their looting, a lot of people are going to be very, very insecure in their food; that's when having people around who know something about small-scale, urban poultry keeping is going to be a Godsend.
To receive email from Barbara Palermo, add salemchickens@yahoo.com to your safe sender list View as Web Page Subscribe Unsubscribe Send to a Friend 
Blue Copper Marans
Black Copper MaranDark brown Maran eggs
Chickens In The Yard • 851 Whitetail Deer St NW • Salem, OR 97304 http://salemchickens.com
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
A must-read warning
As Salem ponders pouring hundreds of million$ down the drain on a pointless third auto bridge, here's a bracing reminder of what a foolish blunder this is from Dmitry Orlov, who observed the collapse of the USSR in frequent visits to his native land.
What does tend to change rather suddenly is commerce. If you have enough financial and political shenanigans, high-level corruption and rule of law going by the wayside, daily life goes on just like before, for a while—until suddenly it doesn’t. In St. Petersburg, Russia, the difference between the summers of 1989 and 1990 was quite striking, because by the summer of 1990 commerce ground to a halt. There were empty shelves in shops, many of which were closed. People were refusing to accept money as payment. Imports dried up, and the only way to procure sought-after items like shampoo was from somebody who had traveled abroad, in exchange for jewelry or other items of value. And that occurred in spite of the fact that the USSR had a better overall business plan: theirs was: “Sell oil and gas, buy everything.” Whereas the business plan of the US has come down to: “Print money, use it to buy everything” (most consumer products, plus ¾ of the oil used for moving them and everything else around). The imported oil is, of course, the Achilles’ heel of US commerce. The US economy was built around the principle that transportation costs don’t matter. Everything travels large distances all the time, mostly on rubber wheels, fueled by gasoline or diesel: people commute to work, drive to go shopping, taxi their children to and from various activities; goods move to stores in trucks; and the end product of all this activity—trash—gets trucked long distances as well. All of these transportation costs are no longer negligible; rather, they are fast becoming a major constraint on economic activity. The recurring pattern of the recent years is an oil price spike, followed by another round of recession. You might think that this pattern could continue ad infinitum, but then you’d just be extrapolating. More importantly, there is a reason to think that this pattern comes to a rather sudden end.
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