Hong Kong to Implement Web Accessibility Standards by 2013

In what is great news for people with disabilities or other accessibility needs, Hong Kong will require all government bodies to implement increased web standards by the end of next year.

Link:  http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=20&art_id=118281&sid=34876899&con_type=1

Vets to Receive Free Intensive Outpatient Treatment for Addictions

An innovative treatment program based in California is offering free intensive outpatient treatment for addictions to U.S. veterans anywhere in the world through a web-based videoconferencing system.  The Lionrock center is offering up to nine hours of treatment per week for up to three months.  This looks like a great program for anyone who lives far away from a treatment center.

Read More:  http://www.thefix.com/content/recovery-center-free-treatment-addicted-veterans7091

Cannabis and Hard Cider Profiled in PBS' Botany of Desire

Two leading intoxicants are explained in depth in the PBS documentary based on Michael Pollan's book, The Botany of Desire.  The program suggests that instead of plants working for us, it's actually the other way around.  In addition to the story of apples and hard cider, which had a lot to do with alcohol prohibition, marijuana's history is also featured - particularly in the United States.

Link:  http://www.pbs.org/thebotanyofdesire/

New Mexico's Heffter Institute and DMT Research

I have just become aware of a clinical research center in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which has been involved in psychedelic studies since the early 1990's - the Heffter Institute.  They apparently conducted a large study showing positive results with DMT (demethyltryptamine).  The institute continues to work with research centers at Johns Hopkins, UCLA, and NYU.

Links:  http://www.kasa.com/dpps/news/news_other_4/psychedelic-research-rooted-in-nm_4020400 and http://www.heffter.org/about.htm

Yet Another Accidental Gun Death

A fifteen-year-old Amish girl was killed in Ohio today by a gunshot wound.  The bullet was discharged over a mile and a half away, when a gun owner fired his rifle accidentally while cleaning it.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/12/20/us/AP-US-Buggy-Shooting-Death-.html?ref=us

Wisconsin Governor's Attack on Women's Health

Wisconsin's ultra-right-wing Governor, Scott Walker, has decided to mount a frontal attack on a popular health screening program for uninsured women between the ages of 45 and 64.  The Well Woman Program, as it is known, is being cut throughout the state in counties where Planned Parenthood (a nonpartisan and nonprofit health care group).  Claiming that the group is 'too controversial,' Walker is seeking to veil his contempt for a woman's right to choose to have an abortion.  While Planned Parenthood does provide abortion services, it is only about 3% of their clinic expenditures.  Most of their budget goes towards cancer screenings, sexually transmitted disease prevention and treatment, and contraception.  It is not clear where the uninsured women will turn when the Well Woman Program ends services in the selected counties.

The Hidden Overdose Story

The Hidden Overdose Story: "Despite all the headlines about heroin overdoses, the misuse of prescription painkillers is an even bigger problem. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in 20 people in the United States, ages 12 and older, have used prescription painkillers for non-medical reasons, with nearly 15,000 people dying each year from overdosing on these drugs. This outweighs the combined number of deaths from heroin and cocaine overdoses."

NPR Story on Temper Tantrums

I don't remember my daughter (now 8) having them too often, but my son (age 4) is right in the midst of some terrible tantrums.  I know it's normal, but I still want to make sure that he's not going to hurt himself or have any long term problems.  This story on National Public Radio really helps me understand what's going on with the tantrums and help them get past them.  Best advice from the story?  Do nothing!  :)

Link:  http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/12/05/143062378/whats-behind-a-temper-tantrum-scientists-deconstruct-the-screams

How to Stay Safe Exercising in Cold Weather

It's the time of year to put away your summer and fall gear if you live in Wisconsin, and getting ready for sleet, snow, and ice on the pathways and roadways.  It's far easier to get injured or get exposed to dangerous weather conditions as well.  However, that doesn't mean you need to stop exercising!  I personally like to take things indoors - hitting the treadmill as opposed to keep running when it's so dreary (and dark!) out.  Treadmills are nice because you can pace yourself a little better from day to day, or even minute to minute, unless you have a training watch or other device.  The problem with treadmills, in my opinion, is that I need a changing room and locker (at a minimum) - and a place to shower doesn't hurt either.  Being an all-weather cyclist I'm accustomed to taking a spill or two on my bike every winter.  I have never been hurt that bad - the impact is usually on my shoulder or butt.  Falling on ice when you're on your feet puts you at a greater risk of a sprain or twist of some kind.  That's my experience, anyhow.  I've been thinking about getting a pair of Yaktrax (see photo below) to put on the outside of my cross-trainers.  We'll see.  I am really afraid of an injury - especially to a knee or ankle.  It would sink my exercise goals and set me back quite a ways if I even miss a couple weeks of running.  I know that swimming is a good option to recover from an injury (and works well in the winter, too), but that will definitely require more time (the closest one is at a local community college, about a half hour bike ride away).  We'll see about that too!  Meanwhile, here's a good article on exercising safely in the winter from Lifehacker.  Peace!

Link:  http://lifehacker.com/5864465/how-to-stay-safe-when-exercising-outdoors-in-cold-weather

What Can You Do to Observe World AIDS Day?

December 1st is World AIDS Day.  AIDS is the 6th leading cause of death worldwide - about 2 million people die from the pandemic every year - almost half of whom live in poor or low-income countries.  As a comparison, there are 7.6 million people who die every year from cancer worldwide.

To find out what you can do to address AIDS, click on the image below, or visit http://aids.gov/world-aids-day/:

Former Drug Policy Adviser to President Obama Explains Why Medical Marijuana is Currently a Bad Idea

I definitely want to give all points of view on medical marijuana and drug policy reform a fair hearing on this blog, and this post by Kevin Sabet is a great followup to the news stories I posted yesterday about the issue.  Mr. Sabet was a drug policy expert who worked for President Obama from 2009-2011.  His main argument is that more research is needed before marijuana is considered a legitimate medicine, and that based on current evidence we know that marijuana that is smoked is indeed quite dangerous. Check out his article and visit his website at http://kevinsabet.com to learn more about his point of view.

Governors of Washington and Rhode Island Ask for Marijuana Reclassification

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) received a request from Gov. Christine Gregoire (D-Washington) and Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee (Ind.-Rhode Island) asking that marijuana be reclassified from a Schedule I drug  to a Schedule II drug, which would essentially allow it to be used for medical and research purposes like Cocaine but keeping it illegal in terms of illicit use.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/01/us/federal-marijuana-classification-should-change-gregoire-and-chafee-say.html?hp

Medical Marijuana Proposal in Wisconsin's Legislature

A bill legalizing medical marijuana in Wisconsin has been proposed.

Source:  http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/legalizing-medical-marijuana-in-wisconsin-proposed/article_2eb3d8de-1b8b-11e1-920f-001cc4c03286.html

Madison, WI, Schools to Pilot More Choice in Lunch Program

Six elementary schools in the Madison Metropolitan School District will begin receiving a choice of entrees for lunch in a new pilot program designed to look at how to better meet student nutritional needs.  As a parent of a vegetarian, I think this is a fantastic idea since the great majority of lunches are meat-based and there currently is no other option besides sending a lunch from home.  It is also commendable that more sugary foods (chocolate milk, etc.) are being taken of the school district's menu.

Source:  http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/education/local_schools/madison-school-lunch-program-expands-to-serve-up-more-options/article_cf33d00a-1afc-11e1-97ad-001cc4c03286.html

New Study Suggests States with Medical Marijuana Had Fewer Traffic Fatalities and Decreased Alcohol Consumption

A new study published by the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in Bonn, Germany, by two American economists shows some surprising findings among U.S. states that legalized medical marijuana between 1990 and 2009.

According to a news source, one of the researchers stated, "Although we make no policy recommendations, it certainly appears as though medical marijuana laws are making our highways safer."

Link: http://ftp.iza.org/dp6112.pdf

T.I. Praises Fellow Rapper Eminem For Help with Recovery From Addiction

I think it's a great sign of the times that rappers as famous as T.I. and Eminem are talking openly about overcoming additions to painkillers and other substances, as well as being open about giving and receiving help from others.

Link: http://www.billboard.com/column/the-juice/t-i-salutes-eminem-for-helping-him-overcome-1005570822.story#/column/the-juice/t-i-salutes-eminem-for-helping-him-overcome-1005570822.story

Wisconsin To Allow Concealed Carry of Handguns

On November 1st, Wisconsin will become one of the last states to lift its ban on the ability of citizens to carry certain types of lethal weapons, primarily handguns.   The belief that handguns save lives or prevent crime is very prevalent.  However, many who support handgun or firearm ownership are not taking into account other harms to society (accidental shootings, violence against women and children, suicide rates, and handgun related crime).

The U.S. Constitution is actually very clear about the ownership of firearms - it says in the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution that, "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."  To me, it seems like firearms should only be carried by members of a 'well-regulated militia.'  But that's just me, I guess.  If you want to know what is being allowed in Wisconsin, and what isn't, check out this link. I think that this is a big setback for Wisconsin, as well as for the U.S..  In my view, it's only a matter of time before we start seeing increased handgun violence in our neck of the woods.

To read more about what a scientific review of literature shows about the pros and cons of gun ownership, please see below, as well as the excellent resources at the Harvard Injury Control Research Center: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/research/hicrc/firearms-research/guns-and-death/index.html

From 1990 to 1997, there were 293,781 firearm deaths homicides, suicides, and unintentional shootings.

(Hoyert, DL, Kochanek, KD, et al. Deaths: Final Data for 1997. National Vital Statistics Report, 1999.)

For every time a gun in the home is used in a self-defense homicide, a gun will be used in:

1.3 unintentional deaths
4.6 criminal homicides
37 suicides

(Kellermann, AL and Reay, DT. "Protection or Peril? An Analysis of Firearm-Related Deaths in the Home." NEJM 314:24 (1986):1557-1560)

In 1997 there were 15,690 homicides.

Of these, 8,503 were committed with handguns.

Among handgun homicides, only 193 (2.3 percent) were classified as justifiable homicides by civilians.

For every time in 1997 that a civilian used a handgun to kill in self-defense, 43 people lost their lives in handgun homicides alone.

(FBI Supplementary Homicide Report data, 1997.)

The largest category of firearms fatality is suicide, not homicide. In 1997, 54 percent of all gun deaths were suicides, and 42 percent were homicides.

(Hoyert, DL, Kochanek, KD, et al. Deaths: Final Data for 1997. National Vital Statistics Report, 1999.)

About six out of 10 suicides are committed with firearms.

(CDC National Center for Injury Prevention and Control Fact Sheet. Suicide in the United States, www.cdc.gov/ncipc/dvp/suifacts.htm.)

Source:  http://www.vpc.org/fact_sht/hgbanfs.htm

16 Years as a Vegan...

After getting turned on to vegetarianism in my early teens, I spent my high school and college years waking up to becoming vegan at age 21. Since then, I have never looked back for a second. And that was 16 years ago this fall. I did not really put a whole lot of thought into it at the time, really. Some people decide to join the military. Other people might find a religion. For me, I became vegan. Back in those days, in the mid-1990's, there wasn't a lot of information about veganism, let alone other people who understood or things you could buy that were vegan. What's happened is nothing less than a radical change in our society. I don't have to explain what it means to be vegan anymore - Oprah and Ellen DeGeneres have already done that for me. Even Bill Clinton is vegan. Is veganism winning? Hardly. Among my friends and relatives I find that there are very few who share my views about animals or food. I'm sure that many people I connect with regularly about a variety of other things would prefer to ignore my posts about animals online, let alone understand why I am the way I am. As an activist, I do want to encourage others to become vegan. I don't think I've ever succeeded in doing so - it has occurred to me that perhaps I would be more effective if I posted less about the pain and suffering incurred by animals and more about the positive health and environmental effects that come about through people choosing plant-based diets. I will probably keep posting about both. People change all the time, and you never know what will eventually convince someone to make such an enormous personal sacrifice. For me, it was just seeing a lot of animal carcasses when I lived in China. For you, it might be this blog post.

More info: http://www.veganoutreach.org/whyvegan/ and http://www.worldgoveganweek.org/

Happy World Go Vegan Week Oct. 24-31!!!

There are lots of good reasons to go vegan (health, environmental, ethical, economic, financial, religious).  Integrating a plant-based diet into your life will bring you immediate positive results - whether you eat vegan one-meal-a-week or all-week-long.  Give it a try!  You have nothing to lose! Here's Hannah West with Madison's Alliance for Animals talking about some of the ways to go vegan in Madison this week!


http://www.wkow.com/story/15709590/world-go-vegan-week
http://www.worldgoveganweek.org/

Wisconsin's Medicaid Programs: Urgent Action Needed

You may already know that Dennis Smith is a former Senior Fellow of the right-wing Heritage Foundation who led the Medicare and Medicaid programs under George W. Bush.  Smith has written extensively on his desire to destroy Medicaid and oppose Obama's Health Care bill which was passed in 2010.  A list of his writings at the Heritage Foundation can be found here.

Now, Smith (current Secretary of Wisconsin Department of Health Services) and his deputy, Kitty Rhoades (a former Republican Assembly member), have announced two town hall meetings to take place Wednesday, October 19th, at the Goodman Community Center on Madison's East Side and on October 21st at the Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis, to take feedback to proposals they made public only three weeks ago, on September 26th.  Even more outrageous, the town halls were made public with only a few days notice (on Friday, October 14th), leaving community health advocates little time to prepare, let alone even know that the town halls were taking place.

Smith's plan to cut $500 million by tightening eligibility requirements and thus dropping tens of thousands of people from Medicaid coverage is in addition to proposals to increase co-payments of low-income people and to put a cap on Family Care enrollment.  

Needless to say health, disability, and family advocates are outraged at many of the proposed changes.  Please see the Wisconsin Council on Children and Family's website here, the Save BadgerCare Coalition's website here and here, and the Survival Coalition of Wisconsin Disability Organizations' statement on Medicaid policy changes.

Please consider coming to one of the town halls to protest the attempt of conservatives to continue their attacks on Wisconsin's most vulnerable citizens.  More information on the Milwaukee town hall can be found here, as well as about the one in Madison, here.  If you cannot attend, please contact your state legislators right away and let them know how you feel about Smith and his proposed changes (legislator lookup).

A complete list of reforms is provided at the DHS website.

I've created a Facebook event page for the Madison town hall tomorrow.  Please check it out and share with others!  https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=305599539455156

'National Food Day' Coming up On October 24

Check it out: http://foodday.org/

March to End the Wars in Madison Wisconsin Sat Oct 15 11:30 a.m. at Library Mall

The following event is being put on by the Madison Area Peace Coalition in observance of 10 years since the Afghan war began.  More info, visit:  http://madpeace.org/

Number of Seniors Struggling with Addictions to Triple by 2020

According to a recent report, the increasing number of baby boomers will contribute to a pretty significant increase in the number of seniors who are engaged in problematic addictive behaviors - from 3 million currently to 9 million by 2020.  With increasing treatment opportunities available, as well as new knowledge about the cause, prevention, and potential cure for various addictions, I am hopeful that everyone who needs help will be able to find it.

Link:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/05/drug-addiction-seniors-_n_996390.html

Mike Nichols' Hack Job About Anti-Cheese Billboard Misses the Point

In a wildly accusatory and jumbled column in today's Wisconsin State Journal, Mike Nichols attacks people from the East Coast and Indiana, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, and anyone else who might think that there might be something about cheese that is bad for your health.  He just skips over the link between fat, cholesterol, and sodium and poor health effects - even though this is the point of a billboard that is the focus of his article.  Did he ask a coroner or a physician how many people have died from heart disease, diabetes, or similar obesity-related health problems?  No, his 'experts' were the Executive Director of the National Historic Cheesemaking Center and the Green County Register of Deeds.  I think that Mr. Nichols was actually phoning it in with this week's column.  It's just a nonsensical rant which is a weak attempt at humor.  I don't think people are buying what he's selling - at least not this tripe.

Note:  When Mike Nichols is not writing his weekly op-ed piece at the Wisconsin State Journal, he is a Senior Fellow at the Wisconsin Public Research Institute - a conservative think tank based in Hartland, Wisconsin.  The pro-business WPRI has a record of siding with commerce and industry against the environment and public health interests.

Dane County Heroin Issue

You may know someone who uses heroin or have read about it in the newspaper or online.  In Dane County, Wisconsin, it is the most dangerous illicit drug.  As of June of this year, there were 15 deaths due to heroin overdoses in Dane County, and there is concern that it will exceed last year's death toll of 27.  There are also more traffic accidents involving heroin, such as this one where someone drove head-on into a Madison Metro bu (link: http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/crime_and_courts/article_5fad673e-ee81-11e0-b4ea-001cc4c03286.html).  Police and county officials are finding that Madison is a regional hub for heroin and people are driving here from up to 50 miles away to purchase the drug (link: http://www.channel3000.com/news/29031530/detail.html).  For anyone in Dane County who is struggling with any type of substance abuse issue, please consider getting help.  Here is the county's list of available resources - many of which are national programs, so even if you aren't in Dane county you should be able to find someone to call in your area.  http://www.danecountyhumanservices.org/AODA/additional_resources.aspx

NYT Article on Substance Abuse Vaccine Under Development

Today's New York Times has an article about Dr. Kim D. Janda at the Scripps Research Institute, who has been working on developing vaccines for substance abuse and obesity.

Link:  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/04/health/04vaccine.html

October is a Good Month to Recharge Your Dietary Goals

People who know me know that I would not be a vegetarian if it is was not for my belief that nearly all animals deserve to live and that they need at least a modicum of autonomy.  But it just so happens that vegetarianism is useful to us as well, primarily in terms of health.  And today people are lucky because it is now possible to go vegetarian for just a few meals and they don't need to give up that much in order to fit it in.  There are 'Meatless Monday's' and things like that. Well, October 1st was World Vegetarian Day, and I totally missed it.  Good thing that World Go Vegan Week is coming up from October 24-31, so my slip up is not a total loss.  You really have nothing to lose, so why not give it a try and see if you can live off only fruits, veggies, nuts, and grains for a whole week!   There are some great recipes at my friend Tess Challis' website:  Radiant Health, Inner Wealth.   Oh, and just to lighten the mood, since many people incorrectly believe vegans lack a sense of humor, here's a clip from Scott Pilgrim vs. The World for you to enjoy.

New Mushroom Study Points to Improvements in Personality

Research at Johns Hopkins University has found some hopeful results from a
(small) study on psilocybin. Potential future treatments may be used for
PTSD and depression.
Source:
www.independent.co.uk/news/science/single-magic-mushroom-can-change-personal
ity-2363324.html

You Know Those Cheesehead Hats That People Like? They're 'Intellectual Property'

Go figure...  Someone comes up with a funny idea for a hat, and figures out how to make them out of cheap foam and starts a business.  Fast forward about 25 years and someone else decides to make a funny poster intended to link cheese to poor health by putting a 'cheesehead' hat on top of the Grim Reaper on a single billboard.  As you can imagine, the company that owns the patent for this cheese hat as well as the registered trademark for the word, Cheesehead, sees this as a threat to their intellectual property.  Do they care about peoples' health?  That isn't the issue.  The issue is their product, and since they have threatened to sue the pro-health activists for their billboard.  The activists have backed down, apparently not wanted to get sued.  This is what is wrong with America - corporations can sue people and nonprofits for disparaging their brand.  Thus, we have 'free speech' but really it is not free speech at all.  We have the freedom to say what we like, but we do not have the freedom to disparage what we don't (or if you do, make sure you don't offend anyone).

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/chris_rickert/article_8e0ba0dc-ea1c-11e0-a10f-001cc4c03286.html

RIP Wangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Prize Winner

Kenyan environmental activist and politician Wangari Maathai has died at the age of 71.  In receiving her Nobel Peace Prize in 2004, the award committe praised her for her, “holistic approach to sustainable development that embraces democracy, human rights and women’s rights in particular” and serving “as inspiration for many in the fight for democratic rights.”

Link:  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/27/world/africa/wangari-maathai-nobel-peace-prize-laureate-dies-at-71.html?_r=1&hp

Link Found Between ADHD and Pesticides in Children

Researchers have found a strong correlation between pesticides and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), according to a study published in the journal Pediatrics.  Children with substantially higher levels of pesticides found in their urine were at least twice as likely as developing ADHD. Recommendations include switching to organic food for children as well as pregnant mothers.

Link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44260583/ns/health-childrens_health/

September 21 is the International Day of Peace

I think the best way to observe this day is to share it with as many people
as possible, and to acknowledge that it is through the tireless work of
peacemakers the world over and the collective dream of peace and
nonviolence that I am here today.
Link: www.internationaldayofpeace.org

Happy 1st Day of "It's O.K. to be Gay in the Military Now, Finally"

I am delighted to read that it's now o.k. to be gay in the military, just as it is in the rest of the federal government.  Not that you will find your life free from discrimination or that your long term partner will be able to be treated like they should be, but at least you will not lose your job.  Let's see if we can get some more gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals into elected government now too!

Georgia to Put Troy Davis to Death

I'm willing to go on the record and say that I am absolutely against the death penality in all cases.  It doesn't do what it is intended to do - punish someone, bring justice, or deter future offenders.  There may be some who will disagree with me for emotional or religious reasons, but I think that facts tell a much different story. 

Most countries have abolished the death penalty, including all of our closest allies.  The death penalty has been overturned recently in Illinois by order of the Governor after it was found that many people on death row have been wrongfully convicted.

This week, at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Georgia will execute Troy Anthony Davis, a 42-year-old African American man who was given the death penalty for killing an off-duty police officer in Savannah in 1989.  The case has been marred by numerous questions, including Davis' own plea of innocence.

The renowned Innocence Project, which has helped many people find justice and escape the death penalty has drafted the following letter which I invite you to sign on to and send to the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles by visiting http://www.innocenceproject.org/troydavis and using their web form.

New Book by Dr. James Fadiman on Psychedelics

A recently published book, The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide, by Dr. James Fadiman of the Institute for Transpersonal Psychology in Menlo Park, CA, provides an overview of the spiritual, problem-solving, and therapeutic uses of psychedelics like LSD.

Here's a couple reviews: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/9/prweb8790246.htm and http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/141664/new-book-on-psychedelics-outlines-their-problem-solving-spiritual-and-therepeutic-effects/

New Documentary, "Curing Addiction," to be Released

A documentary citing several new or controversial approaches to addiction and recovery are being covered in a new documentary to be released this month.  The film, by Lucas Catton, includes interviews from Stanton Peele, and Tom Horvath (of SMART Recovery).  Here's the trailer:



Here is a link to a review:  http://www.wiredprnews.com/2011/09/12/documentary-film-curing-addiction-ready-for-recovery-month_2011091222191.html

Walker Aide Cindy Archer has House Raided by FBI

This lady cannot catch a break.  It has been only a couple days since news broke that she took a $99,000 state job after suddenly leaving her other $124,000 job in Governor Walker's Department of Administration, and today her house (502 Dunning St. on Madison's east side/Atwood neighborhood/right near the Jenifer St. Market) was raided by the FBI and local law enforcement.  The raid apparently took place starting in the early morning and lasted for several hours - investigators left the house with unknown items.

She is a top aide of Scott Walkers, who served under him when he was the Milwaukee County Executive as well.  The raid may have something to do with a John Doe investigation of Scott Walker's campaign - it has been alleged that some of his aides might have used public time or money on Walker's gubernatorial campaign last year.

Link:  http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/129801878.html

UW-Madison Students Stand Up for their Right to Equal Opportunities in Education

Over one-hundred UW-Madison students shut down a press conference by the conservative, anti-affirmative action group 'Center for Equal Opportunity' today.  The center was releasing a report alleging that Blacks and Latinos are entering the UW with significantly lower test scores than Whites and Asians.  The UW states that their admissions process prefers all sorts of diversity - including income - and not just race.  It is unbelievable that anyone would argue against any kind of diversity initiative in today's society.

Link:  http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/education/university/article_1c3387b2-de33-11e0-80b0-001cc4c002e0.html

Solidarity Forever!

The Solidarity Sing-Along (www.wnpj.org) is going strong - 6 months of
singing every day Mon-Fri from 12-1. A few counter protestors with their
'Don't Tread on Me' flags, but not many. Today is the only day the
legislature is in session this September. I'm here with my mom Judy and
friend Kyle.

Walker Aide Cindy Archer takes new $99,449/Year Job - supposedly not for the money

Something really fishy is going on with the Governor of Wisconsin and his inner circle.  A number of aides who have come to Madison from Milwaukee, where Gov. Walker previously was the county Executive, have abruptly left one high-paying job for another.  This time, it is aide Cindy Archer.  She suddenly left her job at the Department of Administration, citing 'family reasons,' only to have it turn out she had taken a different state job on pretty much the same day.  Why we're finding about it now I have no idea.  So as Walker and his conservative tribe dismantle medicaid, collective bargaining, and even democracy itself in Wisconsin, they reward themselves with plum jobs and 100% job security.

Link:  http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/129700133.html

Harsh Treatment Offered in Russia's "City Without Drugs"

A treatment program in Russia has found many critics, as well as supporters.  It involves kidnapping, imprisonment, and forcing participants to undergo withdrawal from narcotics without medication and while handcuffed to their beds.  

“Is it wrong to rescue a drowning person by pulling their hair?” asked Yevgeny Malenkin, a founder of City Without Drugs, summing up the public view. “If people say it is cruel and inhumane, let them teach us how to do it otherwise.”

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/03/world/europe/03russia.html?_r=1

September is National Recovery Month

From the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSA):

National Recovery Month (Recovery Month) is a national observance that educates Americans on the fact that addiction treatment and mental health services can enable those with a substance use or mental disorder to live a healthy and rewarding life. The observance’s main focus is to laud the gains made by those in recovery from these conditions, just as we would those who are managing other health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, asthma and heart disease.  Recovery Month spreads the positive message that behavioral health is essential to overall health, that prevention works, treatment is effective and people can and do recover.

Link:  http://www.recoverymonth.gov/About-Recovery-Month.aspx

Please Sign the Petition Against the Keystone XL Pipeline Today

The size and potential harm from this oil pipeline that is being proposed to cut across North America has caused enormous opposition and fear among the environmental community.  Please watch this short video and  then sign on to the petition to say "No!" to the pipeline.


Tar Sands Action/ Josh Fox from JFOX on Vimeo.

Here's a map of the proposal from the NRDC.

Google Wishes Freddie Mercury a Happy 65th Birthday!

Really awesome animation celebrating Freddie Mercury of Queen via Google Doodles.

Official Google Blog post on Freddie's birthday: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/happy-birthday-freddie-mercury.html

Madison Labor Fest

Happy Labor Day everyone! We're celebrating with our union brothers and
sisters down at the Labor Temple (1602 S. Park St.). The party goes on all
day long - lots of fun stuff to do for all ages. Link: www.scfl.org

UMass Biologist Loses 10-Year Legal Battle to Study Marijuana

A Professor of Biology at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst has lost a ten-year legal fight where he sought approval to grow marijuana and study its possible medical uses (source).  Professor Lyle Kraker has had his appeals denied by the Drug Enforcement Agency, even after an Administrative Law Judge recommended that he receive a license by the FDA to study the plant.  Currently, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), is the only entity that has the ability to legally grow and study marijuana with help from the University of Mississippi.  Some of the marijuana grown by NIDA is provided to four people under the Compassionate Investigational New Drug program.  But Kraker and others, like the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic studies, argued that the NIDA research constituted an illegal monopoly on marijuana research.

Wisconsin's Department of Health Services Declines $9 million in Federal Grants

This is now becoming par for the course - Wisconsin is turning down Federal aid left and right.  There was the high speed rail from Milwaukee to Madison of course, which Scott Walker thought was a waste of money and tried to get it spent on highways instead.  Now his Secretary of the Department of Health Services, Dennis Smith, is bringing his Heritage Foundation-based, right-wing ideology to the cities and counties of Wisconsin.  He's not even from here - Walker hired him simply because of his on-the-record statements against public assistance programs, particularly Medicaid.  Smith has even declined $9 million in WIC (a nutritional program for Women, Infants, and Children) funding, citing his desire to save taxpayer dollars.  Please contact Governor Walker and Secretary Smith and tell them that this is the wrong course for Wisconsin.

Happy Birthday Ukraine - You're turning 20!

Although I was familiar with the Soviet Union growing up and had friends from their when I lived in China in the late 80's and early 90's, most of my knowledge was focused on certain issues like nuclear disarmament and nuclear power.  I was not well versed in Russian history, literature, or culture.  It's no wonder - there was a cold war going on.  In the early nineties, I was more concerned about the environment and the wars in Iraq and Yugoslavia than the war in Afghanistan.  But in 2001, I got my first glimpse behind the old Iron Curtain and found a beautiful and exciting place in Ukraine.  Now, on the 20th anniversary of that country's independence (an amazing story of its own!) on August 24th, 1991, I am reprinting an article I wrote for the now-defunct Ukrainian Observer magazine way back in 2003 after having lived their for a couple years.  Congratulations, Ukraine!

Ukraine in 2003: Attitudes about Health, Happiness, and Hierarchy

In a previous article in another publication I praised Ukraine for its public transportation, close families, and libertarian sensibilities. Now I feel compelled to attack some of the greatest commonly held beliefs in this vast land – as observed through the eyes of a foreigner: the Ukrainian ideals of good health, material success, and organizational sense (or perhaps the lack of it).
Upon arriving in Ukraine by train from Budapest, I knew things were going to be different. My border crossing at Chop was a dismal exercise in customs-bribery and registration-formality. I don’t know what else to call it: The border police were so surprised to see an American at their station that they bungled an attempt to receive a bribe by not knowing how to ask for it correctly, and it seemed like I had my own chaperone as I was shuttled from baggage inspection to customs office (ahead of all the other passengers in front of me, of course). Outside, shoddily dressed kids competed for handouts with a scraggily dog.
Kiev offered itself as a monument of a city: big train station, impressive subway terminals, huge statues everywhere. To me, it was the home of Chicken Kiev, and the USSR’s third largest city after Leningrad and Moscow. My knowledge of these eastern lands, and the people who inhabit them, was pitifully limited by my American education. Sure, I could name the ABC’s of dead Russian leaders: Andropov, Breshnev, Checkov. Wait, Checkov was a writer. Chernenko was the president. However, I knew little else about Ukrainian and Soviet history.
Now that I have lived here for almost two years, I feel I’ve learned something about the local history and indeed, culture. It’s no wonder that a newly independent country that has been under the control of different empires for many of the past thousand years has a blend of cultures and attitudes much different from the United States, which was dominated by an entirely different set of empires.
In would be an injustice to try to contain Ukraine’s impressive cultural history in just a few lines, and I am by no means an expert anyway. Most Americans are only familiar with Ukrainian-born artists like Mira Sorvino, Isaac Stern, and Isaac Asimov, but more likely consider them to be a part of the cultural panoply of the United States. However, I have observed three distinct customs outside the sphere of popular entertainment that are significantly different in American and Ukrainian culture that I think are worth bringing to light.
The first is the way in which Ukrainians often look at good health. Counter to the American practice of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” Ukrainians seem to be pretty adept at using preventative medicine. Combining folk remedies, urban myths, and old wives’ tales, Ukrainian customs regarding health are sometimes pragmatic and sometimes ridiculous – at least to the uninformed observer. Americans on the other hand, tend to spend millions of dollars on miracle pills and other cures in hopes of extending life and improving its quality.
Ukrainian beliefs about health include the cardinal adages that one not sit on cold things, that one not drink ice cold beverages, that one not be exposed to drafts, that one keep babies completely sealed in layers and layers of swaddling cloths to protect them from the elements and disease. The list goes on and on.
While it’s true that Ukraine suffers from nasty endemic diseases such as tuberculosis, diphtheria, hepatitis, and influenza, none of the above practices are certifiably preventative when it comes to warding off disease – at least not in the opinion of this writer.
When considering much more significant, and preventable, deaths from cancer, heart disease, and injuries related to alcoholism and automobiles, it strikes me as strange that Ukrainians don’t wear seatbelts, or impose limits on alcohol and tobacco use. The national rate of AIDS infection also warrants concern: as does the apparent lack of government involvement in introducing safe sex awareness and addressing intravenous drug use.
Materialism, the bane of communism, has caught on strong here. But there is another side to the equation of wealth. The main quality of life indicators – according to the United Nations – are not expensive cars, entertainment centers, and luxury shopping malls, but are access to clean drinking water, education, and healthcare. The importing and marketing of expensive luxury goods is bad for Ukraine since it deprives the national economy of money it could use to improve the lives of its citizens. When you hear about the cabinet of ministers buying expensive German automobiles instead of Ukrainian-made ones, it is a clear example that somebody’s priorities are out of order.
Ukraine needs more people to buy Ukrainian products, and to build something of a middle class. Then, when there is a normal quality of life for all, people can afford to buy some nice things for themselves. But to cover up Ukraine’s inadequacies with the veneer of luxury goods is to ignore the plight of millions of incredibly poor people. It’s like having a very expensive new car with a rusted out chassis, and a big hole in the gas tank.
That brings me to my final critique: Ukrainian bureaucracy. It can be maddeningly nonsensical and opaque. Let me tell you a short story from my own experience about this cheery subject.
When I came to Ukraine, just after the end of mandatory registrations for foreigners, I was in the situation of needing to extend my private visa for a mere 3 months. For this I, and all foreigners, had to visit that hell of hells, the ‘OVIR’ building on Shevchenko Boulevard. You would think they’ve never had a foreign person walk in their doors before – as there are no signs, no public information in English or even in Ukrainian – just a security guard at a desk.
Even though I did manage to find the bleak desk that handles visa extensions, I was pained to find that the attendants were uncooperative and surly. They insisted that I buy health insurance (a fraudulent scheme, I came to find out), and that after paying over two hundred Hryvvna, I could come back and wait with dozens of other poor souls for hours. Later, they handed out our passports in a random, meaningless fashion. All the while, young ladies seemed to enter and exit a back room, smiling and carrying completed documents – for those lucky enough to have paid a commission for quicker service. ‘If only I had done that,’ I remember thinking.
Well, I’m a little more seasoned expatriate now, and I understand that this is an everyday thing for most Ukrainians. Is it the lack of technology, and all those papers that need filling out by hand? Or is it an internal glitch in an overly hierarchical system, burdened by the lack of resources and insurmountable demands?
Ukraine is far from the only place burdened by red tape, decreasing public health services, and a rise in the disparity between rich and poor. These are elements of injustice that accompany most societies. A question that I often ask myself these days is this, “Am I part of the problem, or part of the solution?”

Senator Johnson (R-WI) Blames 'Culture of Entitlement' for Problems in U.S.

What do you call a millionaire U.S. Senator who would deign to blame families with 'children born out-of-wedlock' and a 'culture of entitlement' for our current economic problems?  I can think of a lot of words to describe him, but let's just say he's 'out-of-touch' and is benefiting from a 'culture of privilege.'  But Sen. Ron Johnson recently has gone on record actually attacking the poor and neediest in our society - and claiming things like food stamps are literally the cause, and not a symptom, our our economic ills.  He also made the additional step of 'reaching out' to the African American community by suggesting that their hardships are caused by their lack of ability to get married before and while they have children.  Let me state this very clearly for anyone who in this day and age still thinks that you have to have a married mommy and daddy to raise a child:  There is no, I mean no evidence supporting this idea.  You can infer it from high crime rates, low graduation rates, low employment rates, etc., but you would be wrong to think that there is a cause and effect relationship.  In fact, research shows that the cause of these problems is due to poverty itself, and have nothing to do with the age, disability status, race, marital status, or sexual orientation of the parent (in fact, many times the caretaker is not a parent at all, but a family member or other caretaker).  Single parents, minorities, and the poor deserve more than lip service from someone like Ron Johnson.  He needs to carefully look at his own sense of entitlement and privilege before judging others for being poor.

Link to source: http://uppitywis.org/blogarticle/ron-johnson-poor-black-people-kids-and-seniors-are-ruining-our-c

10,000 Marijuana Plants Confiscated Near Ashland

One of the largest marijuana busts in Wisconsin state has just taken place.
It occured near Glidden and Clam Lake in the Chequamegon National Forest
in the far northern part of the state. Over 200 law enforcement agents
were involved. There was one arrest, but 4-5 other suspects escaped.

Political Geekery

Shirley Abrahamson, the Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice, just stopped
by the Dan Walkner show at the Come Back In.

Short Documentary Chronicles Changes to Beijing from 1990 to 2006

This is a neat video I found posted by a German man named Enno Ladwig who moved to Beijing the year after I left in 1990, when he was twelve.  He lived there through 1993 - which was also around the time I studied at Beijing Language Institute during a High School semester abroad.  Very cool stuff!

Cycle of Change - Beijing, my old home from Enno Ladwig on Vimeo.

Study: People who Self-medicate for Anxiety 2X as likely to Develop Substance Abuse Problems

A large study in Canada has found that people who self-medicate to treat
anxiety disorders are over twice as likely to develop problems with
substance abuse.

Source: reuters.com/article/2011/08/05/us-anxiety-idUSTRE7740CS20110805

Democracy Looks Like This!

Check out this great new video highlighting Wisconsin's democracy and labor solidarity movement.

Scott Walker Blues from Bonobo Secret Handshake on Vimeo.
Share widely!!!

36 Million Pounds of Turkey Recalled by Cargill

How does one company get a hold of so much meat in the first place?  Oh, it's because Cargill (the company in question) is the largest company in the world, grossing over $107 billion dollars in 2010.  It is sad that yet another person has died due to problems with food safety in America.  Over 5,000 people die per year, mostly due to eating meat products.  But the other problem is the scale of production.  I don't think that bigger is better in agriculture.  All that it has done has created poorer worker standards, hurt the environment, decreased food quality and safety, and centralized large sectors of the economy into the hands of a very small number of people - while also displacing small time farmers.  

See my older post on food safety: http://itsalongwayhome.blogspot.com/2011/04/top-five-food-borne-illnesses-caused-by.html

Article about the recall:  http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iqNCM7LX70K2caNUiLxP3MiECH9Q?docId=aab8da3fe1cf4e9abc6efdfe1b005512

Good Weather for Bad News

This week I found out that the Midwest Alliance, a grant project funded by
the National Science Foundation that I am the Project Manager for, has been
turned down for a second round of support and will end next month.

Nice Sign - No Guns Allowed

"Posted in accordance with Wi. Stat. 943.13(2)(bm)"

At Daisy Cafe & Cupcakery on Atwood Ave. In Madison

Dane County Near Top of Racial Disparity in U.S. Incarceration, Supervision Rates

A three-part series appearing in the Wisconsin State Journal highlights what many know all too well - racial disparities exist at an alarming rate, even in Dane County.  In fact, Dane County is near the top of the list of counties nationwide in terms of incarceration rates for black vs. white men for drug offenses:  an incredible ratio of 97:1, according to data from a 2005 SAMSA report.  Furthermore, up to 47% of Dane County men ages 25-29 who are black are either incarcerated or are under some form of supervision, vs. 3.2% for white residents of the same age range.  Dane County men who are black have a 50% chance of being incarcerated in their lifetime.  The causes for these high rates of incarceration are complex.  While sentencing rates appear to be similar for blacks and whites, it is more likely that black men will face conviction - while whites are more likely to enter diversion programs than face jail time.  The articles are really worth reading - rather than just me summarizing them here.  The solution to the problem is at least as complicated as the causes - I hope that more can be done to provide some positive change in our communities.  With disparities and incarceration rates like what we are seeing I would like to think things can get better, not worse.

Source: Part 1 - http://host.madison.com/news/local/crime_and_courts/article_c574b808-b5f9-11e0-baad-001cc4c002e0.html Part 2 - http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/crime_and_courts/article_fea23fac-b625-11e0-b588-001cc4c002e0.html  Part 3 - to be published tomorrow

Massive Changes Coming to Human Subjects Research

The news that major changes are coming to Institutional Review Boards and other rule-making bodies regarding human subjects research will come as great news to many, although it is likely that it will raise some concerns about human safety and privacy.  Simply the fact that the rules regarding what and how research can be done with regard to humans has not been changed in several decades should demonstrate that new rules are needed.  Not only are there new technologies available, we have a better understanding of research as well as ethics.  Stakeholders will have a lot of opportunity to weigh in on the changes, but at the end of the day the entire process is going to be more streamlined, less burdensome, and hopefully, better off for scientific and educational research of all kinds.

Source:  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/25/health/research/25research.htm

Marijuana-PTSD Study Receives Approval from FDA

The University of Arizona College of Medicine and the Mulidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) has received tentative approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to study the use of marijuana in the possible treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder among veterans.  There are additional hurdles that must be overcome before research may commence.  MAPS is the only U.S. organization pursuing research involving botanical marijuana that has received this type of support so far from the FDA.

Source: http://www.stripes.com/news/marijuana-treatment-sought-for-chronic-ptsd-sufferers-1.149688

Additional Information:  Mulidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)

Condolences to the People of Norway

I just wanted to wish my friends in Norway my condolences after today's attack in Oslo.  It is this type of atrocity that can test the moral fiber of anyone, and cause peace-loving people everywhere to lose a bit of hope with the world.  I hope and wish that the perpetrator or perpetrators come to justice soon and that the friends, family, colleagues, and fellow countrymen of those who were killed are able to find solace and peace again, and that the wounds of the injured are soon healed.

Defend Wisconsin - Vote Dave Hansen

Needless to say, but Dave Hansen - the Wisconsin Senator from District 30 up in Green Bay - should be easily reelected in today's 1st of 9 recalls.  But if you live in or know someone who might live in that area - Marinette, Peshtigo, Green Bay, Suamico, etc. - please tell them to get to the polls today and support Democratic Senator Hansen.  Republicans are highly mobilized and are attacking the 'Wisconsin 14' - Democrats who left the State earlier this year to block the passage of legislation designed to kill unions, destroy middle class and working class families, and punish districts that did not support Governor Walker in the 2010 election.  Time after time, Democrats are able to show that they are the only party willing to defend all of Wisconsin, and not just businesses and the wealthy.

New Evidence Suggests 'Bi-Directional Relationships between Alcohol and Stress'

There has long been anecdotal evidence showing a relationship between stress and alcohol use, but University of Chicago researchers have conducted a study demonstrating that not only does alcohol use affect an individual's emotional and physiological experience of stress, but that stress also affects the use of alchohol - such as by reducing the benefits of use and by increasing cravings.  According to Emma Childs, a research associate and co-author of an article to be published in the October 2011 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research:

"...using alcohol to cope with stress may actually make a person's response to stress worse, and prolong recovery from a stressor. "Stress may also alter the way that alcohol makes us feel in a way that increases the likelihood of drinking more alcohol," she said. "Stress responses are beneficial in that they help us to react to adverse events. By altering the way that our bodies deal with stress, we may be increasing the risks of developing stress-related diseases, not the least of which is alcohol addiction."

Source:  http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-07/ace-saa070711.php

Fatty Foods Linked to Natural Marijuana-like Chemicals Already in the Body

Researchers led by a team at the University of California-Irvine have found evidence of a set of chemical mechanisms that result from the release of endocannabinoids - a naturally occurring marijuana-like chemical - due to the ingestion of fatty foods.  The result of the discovery may be the development of drugs that obstruct the brain receptors related to this chemical - and thus help prevent diseases like diabetes and cancer by helping people limit their fat intake.

More information can be found here:  http://today.uci.edu/news/2011/07/nr_fat_110704.php

Psychology Today Article on Lapsed Vegetarians

A recent study cited in Psychology Today suggests that there are more lapsed vegetarians than actual vegetarians and that most get that way because of health reasons, with the 'hassle factor' coming in as the second largest reason.  I think that the sample size of the study is too small actually to make the study conclusive, but it does bring up some good questions.  As a 15-year-long vegan and an additional 10 years' experience as a lacto-ovo vegetarian (I made the switch in 1986 when I was about 12 or 13 years old), I have struggled with finding a good balance of nutrition - at times I have been low in iron from not getting enough B12, and have also been overweight due to eating too many carbs and not enough veggies.  But being anemic or overweight can simply happen due to any diet that isn't carefully balanced, and it has taken me a long time to develop good eating habits and a lifestyle where I both know I'm healthy and feel great too.  For anyone contemplating giving up veganism or vegetarianism for health or hassle reasons, I urge you to visit the website of the American Dietetic Association here: http://www.eatright.org/About/Content.aspx?id=8357  Note that their position is,

"that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes."

I don't know what else I can say about the 'hassle factor' except that it seems like a much bigger hassle to eat food in a way that's inconsistent with your ethical or environmental beliefs.  Society is not going to make it easy, ever, to do something that is new and different.  But that's not a good enough reason in my view not to do it.  Anyone needing help with motivation to return to vegetarianism or to start up, just visit http://www.veganoutreach.org/ and you'll find lots of good resources to get going.

Psychology Today Link: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/animals-and-us/201106/why-do-most-vegetarians-go-back-eating-meat

Parade of the Species

A great event with Yahara-Starkweather-Atwood neighbors and friends!

E-Cycling at the Alliant Center

Drop off your old electonics at the back lot of the Alliant Center today
8a-2p. No lines right now (biking is super fast and they love it).

NSF Under the Microscope

The grant that I work on is still being held up by the congressional budget process.  It's not just the debt cap and taxes that are at issue.  It's also waste and mismanagement at the National Science Foundation that are being held under scrutiny by some on Capitol Hill.  U.S. Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) has recently published a report called NSF: Under the Microscope calling the agency out on some of the issues that he sees are bogging it down and hurting its credibility.  I definitely don't have the time or ability to provide an analysis of this report, but I just want to share it in case anyone wants to read it for themselves.  It has some good points, but the main thing that I think needs to be understood in research, human resources, and education in science and technology fields as well as any other is that as educators and student support and development professionals is that we are not creating widgets or machine parts.  We're in the process of helping individuals find their way into a very complex economy and of course the job market.  Everyone can agree that the United States needs to increase graduation rates of scientists, engineers, etc.  But we are trying to do that in a way that is based on sound research, best practices, and distinctly American attitudes about fairness and equal opportunity.  I would love it if politics would keep its distance from education, although I know it can't.  I hope that as discussions and negotiations go forward we remember that the NSF is an important tool in not only supporting scientific research, but it is also helping individuals - particularly women, minorities, and persons with disabilities - have the same opportunities to pursue careers in fields where they are so underrepresented.  Diversity, in the end, has always been a great asset to countries as well as the world itself.  I hope that the NSF can continue to do good work in this area.

U.S. to Issue New Tobacco Warnings

The Food and Drug Administration has selected 9 new graphics which will be appearing on tobacco products beginning in September, 2012, to replace the previous text-only warnings.  Here is one:


More than 1,200 people a day are killed by cigarettes in the United States alone, and 50 percent of all long-term smokers are killed by smoking-related diseases. Tobacco use is the cause of death for nearly one out of every five people in the United States, which adds up to about 443,000 deaths annually. (Source: FDA)

Smoking remains the top cause of preventable death in the U.S., followed closely by high blood pressure, according to a new study that shows each accounted for about one in five adult deaths in 2005. (Source: WebMD)

If you or someone you know smokes and is interested in learning about how to quit, please call 1-800-Quit-Now or visit http://www.smokefree.gov/.

New Research Shows Psilocybin Can Have Same Benefit at Small Doses

Psilocybin, the psychoactive part of magic mushrooms, is being studied at Johns Hopkins University as well as other places for its potential uses in the treatment of depression, PTSD, and addictions.  I've written about some of those studies here on my blog.  The most recent information to come out in a very small clinical experiment at Johns Hopkins shows that the benefits that participants experienced in previous studies can still be gained with smaller doses, and that there is less anxiety experienced at the new doses.  Also, experiment participants show gains to their physical and mental well-being long after the experiment concludes.  The drug is still under investigation and it is not recommended to take it for recreational purposes.  In fact, researchers note that it can be dangerous to use the drug in uncontrolled environments or by individuals who have a psychotic disorder.

Source:  http://www.webmd.com/balance/news/20110616/magic-mushrooms-drug-shows-promise-therapeutic-tool

Article: Is there a place for Atheists in Alcoholics Anonymous?

My opinion is:  it depends.  Many atheists and agnostics, as well as people from all faiths benefit from taking part in Alcoholics Anonymous.  For people who live in rural areas or in small towns there may be no other alternative in terms of finding a peer support group.  AA is open to all and groups may be more or less dogmatic about spirituality depending on the members of the particular group.  That being said, AA is certainly committed (organizationally and programatically) to empowering individuals to overcome addictions through a spiritual journey.  Atheists may find that this presents them with a challenge.  Spirituality, as practiced by most people, involving the concepts of an omnipresent, omnibenevolent, omnipotent, or omniscient 'presence,' runs pretty much counter the foundation of atheism.  Lots of alternatives to AA have sprouted up, such as SMART Recovery, where I am a volunteer facilitator.  Some SMART participants also attend AA meetings, and the programs are definitely not mutually exclusive.  But many folks who come to SMART say that AA just didn't fit well with their secular or atheist views.  Here's a much longer article about AA and atheism.  Check it out and see what you think!

http://www.alternet.org/story/151294/is_there_a_place_for_atheists_in_alcoholics_anonymous?akid=7112.278496.v__9IZ&rd=1&t=5

New Study on Rewards and Attention

A study at Johns Hopkins University points to a correlation between items (I assume this would apply to events and activities as well as objects) that are unimportant are still able to capture our attention if they were associated with some kind of reward in the past.

Link: http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-06-attention-rewarding.html

Report: The War on Drugs Has Failed

An international body which includes well-respected policy makers including former chair of the Federal Reserve Paul Volker, former Secretary of State George Schultz, and former Secretary General of the U.N. Kofi Annan  has issued a strong condemnation of the so-called 'War on Drugs' that started in 1970 in a recently released report.

Because the findings and call to action are so important, I have copied the entire exectutive summary below.  To read the entire report, or learn more about the Global Commision on Drug Policy, visit www.globalcommissionondrugs.org.

The global war on drugs has failed, with devastating consequences for individuals and societies around the world. Fifty years after the initiation of the UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, and 40 years after President Nixon launched the US government’s war on drugs, fundamental reforms in national and global drug control policies are urgently needed.

Vast expenditures on criminalization and repressive measures directed at producers, traffickers and consumers of illegal drugs have clearly failed to effectively curtail supply or consumption. Apparent victories in eliminating one source or trafficking organization are negated almost instantly by the emergence of other sources and traffickers. Repressive efforts directed at consumers impede public health measures to reduce HIV/AIDS, overdose fatalities and other harmful consequences of drug use. Government expenditures on futile supply reduction strategies and incarceration displace more cost-effective and evidence-based investments in demand and harm reduction.

Our principles and recommendations can be summarized as follows:

End the criminalization, marginalization and stigmatization of people who use drugs but who do no harm to others. Challenge rather than reinforce common misconceptions about drug markets, drug use and drug dependence. 

Encourage experimentation by governments with models of legal regulation of drugs to undermine the power of organized crime and safeguard the health and security of their citizens. This recommendation applies especially to cannabis, but we also encourage other experiments in decriminalization and legal regulation that can accomplish these objectives and provide models for others. 

Offer health and treatment services to those in need. Ensure that a variety of treatment modalities are available, including not just methadone and buprenorphine treatment but also the heroin-assisted treatment programs that have proven successful in many European countries and Canada. Implement syringe access and other harm reduction measures that have proven effective in reducing transmission of HIV and other blood-borne infections as well as fatal overdoses. Respect the human rights of people who use drugs. Abolish abusive practices carried out in the name of treatment – such as forced detention, forced labor, and physical or psychological abuse – that contravene human rights standards and norms or that remove the right to self-determination. 

Apply much the same principles and policies stated above to people involved in the lower ends of illegal drug markets, such as farmers, couriers and petty sellers. Many are themselves victims of violence and intimidation or are drug dependent. Arresting and incarcerating tens of millions of these people in recent decades has filled prisons and destroyed lives and families without reducing the availability of illicit drugs or the power of criminal organizations. There appears to be almost no limit to the number of people willing to engage in such activities to better their lives, provide for their families, or otherwise escape poverty. Drug control resources are better directed elsewhere. 

Invest in activities that can both prevent young people from taking drugs in the first place and also prevent those who do use drugs from developing more serious problems. Eschew simplistic ‘just say no’ messages and ‘zero tolerance’ policies in favor of educational efforts grounded in credible information and prevention programs that focus on social skills and peer influences. The most successful prevention efforts may be those targeted at specificat-risk groups. 

Focus repressive actions on violent criminal organizations, but do so in ways that undermine their power and reach while prioritizing the reduction of violence and intimidation. Law enforcement efforts should focus not on reducing drug markets per se but rather on reducing their harms to individuals, communities and national security. 

Begin the transformation of the global drug prohibition regime. Replace drug policies and strategies driven by ideology and political convenience with fiscally responsible policies and strategies grounded in science, health, security and human rights – and adopt appropriate criteria for their evaluation. Review the scheduling of drugs that has resulted in obvious anomalies like the flawed categorization of cannabis, coca leaf and MDMA. Ensure that the international conventions are interpreted and/or revised to accommodate robust experimentation with harm reduction, decriminalization and legal regulatory policies. 

Break the taboo on debate and reform. The time for action is now.

Is Your Food Fit to Eat? [Op-Ed]

In several U.S. states you may be held criminally or civilly liable for anything you say or write that disparages food products.  These laws interfere with your ability to sufficiently hear from health, safety, and ethical advocates about whether or not certain foods are suitable for consumption regardless of where you actually live.

These laws have had a chilling effect on the ability of individuals and groups to speak out on the quality of manufacturers and providers of food products and in my opinion, ought to be repealed.

If you do eat food of a dubious quality or source, I encourage you to stop eating that food until you are able to gather a satisfactory amount of information about it.  If you are not able to find out how it was created, produced, or prepared for eating, you might want to think twice about why you think it's o.k. to ingest it.

States with Food Libel laws on the books:  http://www.cspinet.org/foodspeak/laws/existlaw.htm
More info on Food Libel laws:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_libel_laws

Review of "Honor thy Daughter" - Book About Psychedelic Therapy for People with Cancer

I haven't read this book myself, but the review sounds really good:  http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/05/19/prweb8456488.DTL

The author is Marilyn Howell, EdD. She was trained as a biologist and earned a doctorate in education from Harvard University. She taught at Brookline High School for three decades, during which time she created and developed the first Mind/Body course in public education.

Her book, Honor Thy Daughter, can be found here: www.honorthydaughter.com

Why and How to Include People with Developmental Disabilities in your Volunteer Program

From the Family Support Center on Disabilities: Knowledge & Involvement Network (http://familysupportclearinghouse.org/)

Volunteering is a great way to become part of a community. This article has lots of information about including individuals with disabilities in volunteer opportunities. It includes arguments for why it is important to do this and how to do it, as well as information on disabling conditions and accommodations.

For more information go to ttp://www.serviceleader.org/instructors/studentpaper9

Alternative Views on Addiction and Recovery

I thought that this article about Dr. Stanton Peele might be worth posting to show that now everyone agrees on what addiction is and how to address it.  http://www.thefix.com/content/heretic

Designer Mescaline Linked to Hospitalizations and Deaths in Minneapolis and Oklahoma

The Mescaline-like designer drug 2C-E, which was originally synthesized by the founder of Ecstasy (MDMA), has been linked to serious illnesses and two deaths.

Source:  http://www.thefix.com/content/tainted-batch-designer-mescaline-linked-deaths

The Trouble with Anecdotal Evidence...

This may seem obvious, and I'm certainly getting to the point in my life where a lot of things generally bother me, but I do need to say for the record...

The trouble with anecdotal evidence is that we are mired in it as a society and as individuals and most of us don't care.

Anecdotal evidence includes any personal story or evidence which cannot be independently verified or tested.  It is an example of bad or psuedo-science, but that's another matter entirely.

My goal in this post is not to contest belief systems such as religion or mythology.  These are important social institutions that have their own merits.  Rather, my goal is to challenge the notion (yours, mine, everyone's) that a single success story or milestone reflects anything beyond the simple fact that one thing might have happened and that it might happen again to one degree or another.  Nothing more.

Please, let's get away from placing our beliefs about the world based upon simple anecdotes.  If you want to believe something, believe in science or magic or religion or aliens.  The lowest threshold for believing something about anything should be an anecdote.

Related story:  Man eats 25,000 Big Macs and has good health/low cholesterol   - Also, here's an analysis that provides more information about this story: http://180degreehealth.blogspot.com/2010/03/don-gorske-big-mac-prediction.html (I won't argue or agree with either article as there's not enough to go on)

More about anecdotal evidence: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anecdotal_evidence

Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients

Due to the fact that welfare and other public benefits recipients are no more likely to be drug users than the population at large, why are a number of states considering imposing drug tests to those beneficiaries?

Some other questions come to mind:

What are the unintended consequences of such a law? What happens to people when they lose the safety net when they already are struggling with substance abuse issues. 

What is the evidence of welfare benefits being squandered on drug use? How serious of a problem is it? 

Why is drug use the target and not other social harms such as gambling, distracted driving, alcohol use, or smoking?

Isn't drug use already proscribed for welfare recipients? For example, if you are convicted of a drug related crime you may lose your benefits. 

What is the actual projected cost-benefit-analysis of the implementation of these laws?

If anyone out there really thinks that cutting benefits for low-income people is a good policy idea, and not just a way to make political points with voters, I would like to hear why.

More reading: http://www.thefix.com/content/gop-goes-crazy-drug-testing

Possible Reasons Why Big Pharma Does Not Want to Research Psychedelics

"Psychedelics cannot be patented and are meant only to be taken in small doses."

Article: http://www.miller-mccune.com/science/researchers-re-open-their-minds-to-psychedelic-drugs-30921/

New Study Suggests that Alcohol and Drug Use can Reinforce Certain Types of Memory

The Waggoner Center for the Study of Alcohol and Addiction Research has found evidence suggesting that alcohol use can actually improve our subconscious memory to the point that we really do want to recreate the situations and feelings we experienced at the time of use.

When we drink alcohol (or shoot up heroin, or snort cocaine, or take methamphetamines), our subconscious is learning to consume more. But it doesn't stop there. We become more receptive to forming subsconscious memories and habits with respect to food, music, even people and social situations.

Source:  Science Daily http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110412101627.htm

Top Five Food Borne Illnesses Caused by Meat, Poultry and Dairy Products

Food borne diseases take a massive toll on the U.S. public, including 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and 5,000 deaths every year. (Source)  The financial burden of the 10 most expensive pathogens cost the U.S. economy an estimated $8.1 billion.  (Source)  The University of Florida Emerging Pathogens Institute, which came up with this dollar amount, has also found that the top five most expensive and most detrimental in terms of quality of life come from the meat, poultry, and dairy industries. (Source) The findings at the Emerging Pathogens Institute do not recommend abstaining from or limiting eating these foods, nor does the government food safety site, foodsafety.gov.  However, if you consider the fact that most meat, poultry, dairy, and egg production comes from factories that engage in cruel, polluting, energy intensive, wasteful, unsafe, and unsanitary practices, and take into account that eating these foods cause obesity and a host of other diseases - many of which cause death, and realize that eating these foods are in fact *totally* unnecessary, and that a plant-only based diet can be both delicious, nutritious, and ethical.  But no matter what you consider good to eat, you can stay on the safe side of food borne illnesses by following the recommendations for consumers at the U.S. government website mentioned above.  Happy eating!

Cool Google Earth App - Nuclear Plants and Population Centers

I posted this link earlier today but in case you might not have seen it, here it is again:  http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110421/full/472400a/box/2.html

Google Maplet - How Much Damage Can Nuclear Weapons Cause

This is really cool if you are interested in knowing how much damage nuclear weapons can cause.  http://www.carloslabs.com/projects/200712B/GroundZero.html

Sitting is Unhealthy

I don't have any immediate answers about how not to sit in front of a computer screen if that's a part of your job (like it is mine), except to say that research is showing that we need to move and stand, not sit without moving for long periods of time.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17sitting-t.html

Job Prospects for Social Workers are High

A bit of good news for anyone interested in pursuing social or human services and specializing in social work from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  Social work jobs will be created at 20% faster than average over the next 10 years in the U.S., particularly in the areas of working with the country's aging population, and working with people in need of help related to mental health and substance abuse.  As the BLS website also indicates, the increases in opportunities also reflect the fact that more people are being diverted away from prisons or are being required to seek treatment in addition to incarceration.  Becoming a social worker depends on the state, but a degree in social work is not necessarily required if you have other experience or educational background.  You can get a bachelor's or master's degree in social work at several good schools throughout the state.

Source:  http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos060.htm

Madison's Sober High School Receives Funding

Madison's Horizon High School, a small non-profit school that currently has about 12 students, is starting to receive assistance from the Madison Metropolitan School District.  I'm glad that there is such an option for high school students who are in recovery.  Apparently there are only three of these types of schools in Wisconsin.

Source:  http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/education/blog/article_fc9612c6-622c-11e0-b73b-001cc4c002e0.html

New Developments in Psilocybin Research

Scientists at the Imperial College London have made some new discoveries using fMRI to look at brain activity and blood flow among subjects who have been injected with psilocybin, a psychedelic compound. The results may have implications for the use of psilocybin in treatment for depression.  Visit this link to learn more about this study:  http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20358-psychedelic-drug-cuts-brain-blood-flow-and-connections.html  For a full list of psilocybin and other psychedelic research that is going on worldwide, visit the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) website, here:  http://www.maps.org/research/

Debunking Dumb Addiction Myths [The Fix]

The Fix, and online addiction and recovery magazine, has lots of refreshing and positive information.  Like this one on dumb addiction myths: http://www.thefix.com/content/waging-war-myths-about-addiction

A.A.'s Most Annoying Cliches [Article]

A new, interesting, and witty website, the Fix, has been launched for people in recovery.  Here's an article by Justin Knox, where he discusses several of what he sees as, "A.A.'s Most Annoying Cliches:"

http://www.thefix.com/content/aas-biggest-cliches