Zinn Remembered

Howard Zinn died yesterday. He was an author, historian and activist, who wrote the famous 'alternative' textbooks entitled A People's History of the United States, and A People's History of American Empire.

The Intense Humming of Evil

Today is the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by soviet troops. Estimates place the number of victims at 1.1 million people of a range of nationalities. Alfred Hitchcock worked on this unfinished documentary which covers the Holocaust using real and graphic footage taken after the liberation of various camps:

6 Minutes To Midnight

For the first time since 2007, the so-called Doomsday Clock has been moved. Today, it was moved backwards from 5 minutes to 6 minutes, signifying a brighter outlook on the future of humanity.
You can read the statement from the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists here, and take a look at the new Turn Back The Clock blog here.

Junk Food?

Corn is something most people would consider to be part of a healthy diet. Most people aren't aware of Monsanto's GM varieties. Three of them were subjected to testing, and the results of the study are as follows:
"Effects were mostly concentrated in kidney and liver function, the two major diet detoxification organs, but in detail differed with each GM type. In addition, some effects on heart, adrenal, spleen and blood cells were also frequently noted. As there normally exists sex differences in liver and kidney metabolism, the highly statistically significant disturbances in the function of these organs, seen between male and female rats, cannot be dismissed as biologically insignificant as has been proposed by others. We therefore conclude that our data strongly suggests that these GM maize varieties induce a state of hepatorenal toxicity....These substances have never before been an integral part of the human or animal diet and therefore their health consequences for those who consume them, especially over long time periods are currently unknown."
You can read about the study, Monsanto's reaction, and the author's subsequent statements here

Frozen Water

The recent cold weather spell across much of the US and Europe has resulted in several deaths, largely due to the actions of people who are not used to such conditions. There have, of course, been several cases where homeless people actually froze to death. I think that speaks volumes about our society and it's priorities. Up until the 1990's, Britain's Central Office of Information produced dozens of public information films (or PIFs, like the US PSAs). Here are some which deal with winter weather:










Some might think of these relics as the product of an authoritarian govt, or the "nanny state". Unfortunately, there are people who need this advice and I think we would be better off if films of this sort were shown today, and that it is a sign of a govt which is concerned with the welfare of the public (which is, after all, it's job).

Who's Hungry?

How about a nice food safety story to start 2010?
Burgers - probably one of the most popular foods in the US, wouldn't you say? The contents of an average burger have been discussed many times over the years (from body parts you might not consider to be meat to the possibility of BSE contamination). It seems that in the quest to reduce E.Coli contamination, you can add ammonia to the list of delicious ingredients. You can read the full story here.