Monthly Archives: June 2013

Thank You, Texas Senator Wendy Davis! #SB5 is Dead

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Cecile Richards

President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund

Some Amazing News Out of Texas

Posted: 06/26/2013 10:08 am

You can practically hear the shouts this morning as folks all over the country wake up to – I can’t believe I get to write this – some amazing news out of Texas.

The final hours of the fight against one of the most extreme anti-abortion laws in the country ended the way it all began: with a citizens’ filibuster – albeit somewhat less official.

For eleven hours, State Senator Wendy Davis led a marathon filibuster while the whole nation watched. Opponents of women’s health did everything they could to push her aside, and she held her ground to block a bill that could have shut down 37 of Texas’ 42 providers of safe and legal abortion.

When some politicians finally used legislative maneuvers to stop her, the crowd took over. For more than 15 minutes, supporters who had packed into the capitol screamed, cheered, and chanted to bring the Senate to a halt. I was standing on the Senate floor, and I can tell you that the sound of democracy was nearly deafening.

Even Lt. Governor David Dewhurst was forced to admit that this “unruly mob” was “the most incredible thing” he had ever seen in his life. And as long as I live, I will never forget the moment I was lucky enough to stand in the capitol rotunda and read a text message from Senator Davis:

“I love you guys. The Lt Gov has agreed – #SB5 is dead.”

The fact of the matter is, here in Texas, we’ve started something no one can stop. They lit the fuse in Austin – but the fire is catching all over the country. People don’t want politicians making women’s private medical decisions, cutting off access to lifesaving preventive care or safe and legal abortion – and they absolutely will not stand for it.

A few nights ago, as things were heating up on the ground in Austin, Rachel Maddow asked: “Texas – who knew?”

We knew.

And we did it.

from:    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cecile-richards/some-amazing-news-out-of_b_3503092.html

Cancer Studies Funded by

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Industry-backed studies more prominent at meetings

By Genevra Pittman

NEW YORK | Tue Jun 18, 2013 3:11pm EDT

(Reuters Health) – Studies that are funded by pharmaceutical companies or involve industry-backed scientists tend to be more prominent at cancer meetings than independent studies, a new report suggests.

“Figuring out the reasons behind these findings is critical,” said Dr. Beverly Moy, who led the analysis at Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center in Boston.

She and her colleagues also found the proportion of presentations with a financial conflict of interest increased between the 2006 and 2011 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meetings.

“As long as the studies are done well, I don’t think there’s any objection to them becoming more prominent,” Moy told Reuters Health.

However, she added, past evidence suggests industry-funded research is more likely to be published if it’s positive – in favor of a product or pill – than if it’s negative, a phenomenon known as publication bias.

So it’s important to make sure relationships between scientists and companies stay “productive,” she said, rather than become untrustworthy.

The researchers analyzed conflicts of interest, ratings and conference prominence for more than 20,700 scientific abstracts, or research summaries, presented at ASCO meetings in 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Over those years, the proportion of studies reporting a financial conflict of interest rose from 33 percent to 38 percent. Their abstracts were rated as slightly better quality by peer reviewers, on average: 2.76 on a scale from 1 to 5, where lower is better, versus 3.01 for studies without a link to industry.

Abstracts tied to pharmaceutical companies were also more likely to have their own session at a conference, or to be presented during a talk or poster discussion. For example, the ratio of industry-supported to non-supported studies was twice as high among oral presentations as among general posters, which receive less attention.

The findings appear in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, which is published by ASCO.

“With the increase in these relationships, we really need to figure out how to manage them,” Moy said. It’s possible, she said, that such academic-industry teams “yield an alliance that produces better research.”

Alternatively, companies might seek out the most prominent researchers for partnerships, or vice-versa.

“I think a lot of the work that gets a high profile is, of necessity, work that has a relationship with industry. They are, after all, providers of most of the ‘breakthrough’ drugs,” said Dr. David Johnson, chair of internal medicine at the UT Southwestern School of Medicine in Dallas.

But the study does serve as a caution as well, said Johnson, who has studied conflicts of interest in medical research but wasn’t involved in this analysis.

“It again points out that there is this potential for greater and greater influence in the relationship of industry and the direction that biomedical research takes, and we have to constantly be on guard,” he told Reuters Health.

“I think there is a pretty clear influence that industry has on research that’s not always bad, but it’s not always good either … We just have to be really, really cautious.”

SOURCE: bit.ly/128Yg4U Journal of Clinical Oncology, online June 17, 2013.

from:    http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/18/us-health-industry-study-idUSBRE95H16R20130618

Your Color Vibe for June 27

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Thursday, June 27:   Red

These days people are changing so much, or perhaps it is just you yourself who is changing so much.  This can lead to a lot of questions and questioning.  It can also evoke some memories of the past.  This is a good day for going within and taking stock of just WHO you are.  Using the lens of the true eyes of the heart to observe what is going on around you, how people are acting, what themes there are that keep repeating, the bits of déjà vu, whatever strikes as meaningful.  It is also a good day to go within and truly feel your physicality.  Listen to what the body is saying to you and acknowledge that it is all part of the greater shift that is going on around you.  Today is a kind of pivotal day.  There are choices to be made, and based upon them, you will go one way or the other.  Remember, that if you work from your core and listen to your intuition, then you will truly know/feel the ways of your heart.

The Perils of Over-THinking

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Peggy Nolan

Chief Executive Stepmom

10 Ways Over-Thinking Destroys Your Happiness

Have you ever been stuck over-thinking something that happened or something you think will happen only to get your knickers in a bunch? I know I have! This over-thinking thing keeps most of us stuck. It keeps us rooted in fear, uncertainty, and doubt. It’s a major contributor to the FUD factor and a huge reason why most people can’t find their happy.

I don’t know about you, but my over-thinking habit robbed me of my own happiness and joy. If I could put my finger on it, I’d say the trigger for breaking up with this soul-sucking, life-leeching habit over 10 years ago was when I decided I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. I had headaches, IBS, and that God awful pit in my stomach that never seemed to go away.

To make matters worse, I was in a toxic relationship (even though I didn’t know it at the time) that made my over-thinking monkey mind spin out of control. I was on my own crazy-go-round 24/7. When life as I knew it ended after my first marriage imploded, I gave up soda, coffee, and over-thinking. (For a while, I gave up men, but that’s another story!)

Here are 10 ways over-thinking destroys your happiness. Leave a comment and let me know if you can think of other ways over-thinking is a buzz kill.

  1. Over-thinking a problem will keep any problem a problem, which will keep you stuck inside the same problem until you quit thinking about it.
  2. Over-thinking a situation will make the situation worse in direct proportion to the time and energy you spend over-thinking it.
  3. Over-thinking anything prevents your creative problem solving skills from bubbling up.
  4. Over-thinking makes you worry, and worry is nothing more than your imagination concocting a negative future state.
  5. Over-thinking is a time suck — you’re so busy in a negative future state or negative past situation (which you can’t change) that you completely forget about right here right now.
  6. Over-thinking robs you of energy that could be better focused on things that are worthy of your attention.
  7. Over-thinking leads you to second guessing yourself and creates self-doubt.
  8. Over-thinking is a TNT drama that occurs on a stage, inside your head, where you are the director, producer, actor, actress, supporting cast, key grip, sound manager, and executive assistant to the executive assistant of the casting director.
  9. Over-thinking fabricates problems and gory “what if” horror stories.
  10. Over-thinking creates heightened feelings of anger, resentment, jealousy, fear, doubt, indecision, confusion, etc., as if whatever you are over-thinking is happening in real life.

When you break up with over-thinking it’s like writing your own “get out of jail free” card. It doesn’t cost you anything to end your relationship with the drama inside your head. You can decide to focus on things in the present that are deserving of your time and attention whenever you choose. The here and now is calling… will you answer?

fr/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peggy-nolan/happiness-tips_b_3473923.html?utm_hp_ref=gps-for-the-soul&ir=GPS%20for%20the%20Soul

Your Color Vibe for 6/26

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Wednesday, June 26:    Pale Violet

Well, it is finally here.  The question now is what are you going to do with it.  That is a big one because you have been hiding your power and your true abilities from yourself.  Actually, you have always known they were there, you just preferred to ride the tide (different from go with the flow) and let others take the helm.  So, now that you need your power and ability, you can do it.  Once again, it is a matter of choice.  This day’s energy carries with it a number of bumps and turns.  That Trickster has dashed onto the scene with his bag of tricks full and at the ready.  There are things that he has to show you, however you need to be able to play a bit with him in order to get his information.  (The Trickster has your best interests at heart, he just likes to have some fun.  It is his nature.)  You can do it, and actually, you will enjoy it.  Do not let this opportunity pass.

Your Color for the Week

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June 23-29

Just a note:   This week is bringing massive changes on all levels.  These will be glossed over completely or mentioned briefly only to have the reference and all supporting and data removed.  It is important from this time forward to look to local sources as they interact with other local sources all over the globe.  This is the way information, true and accurate information, will be passed on as things heat up more and more.  Communities are forming through this.  Groups are solidifying,  New friendships and alliances are being made.  All based on truth and transparency.  This is the new foundation of the world of the people, the world that is now being created.  The ones who have held the ropes for so long are so blinded by their own sense of power and control as well as contempt for the masses that they cannot, will not see or acknowledge what is truly going on at the grassroots level.  Things are changing.  We are the change.  Forget the politicians.

The theme this week is lead yourself to your bliss.  This may sound strange, but it is time now to recognize that each and every one of you is amazing and has the whole world, the Universe inside of you.  It is time to tap in and stand in your power, walk in your truth, and be in your light.

 

Overall Color for the Week:     Lavender

What are you seeing?  What are you hearing?  What are you touching?  What are you tasting?  The senses are alive this week, and along with that, perhaps even because of it, you can find yourself doing things, being things, saying things that can surprise yourself.  Be alert when these happen — Freudian slips on all levels for yourself and those with whom you come into contact have messages. The worlds are bumping up together, and in that contact, you are opening to levels of yourself that are within other dimensions.  These are all parts of WHO you are, and they define your reality even as your life in this 3D world is defining it also.  You will be seeing through some issues this week also, the illusion of it all.  Some can be in relations with people, in commerce, at work, in doing things in your home alone.  These will be both surprises and gifts.  Surprises because they seem to come out of nowhere, gifts because they will give you the comfort of knowing of your own power, your rightness, and your direction.  Listen to your intuition also as you traverse the world.  There are bumps in the energy that can trip you up if you are not open to them.  Take time each morning to ground and set an intention.  Then go within to your deepest heart’s knowing, to the very core of yourself and be at peace there.  When you carry peace in your heart, then your perspective shifts, the veils are opened and you can see things for what they are.

On the larger scale more and more is coming out on all levels.  The powers that think they be will be doing quite a dance to attempt to keep a lid on all the stuff they had put together which is now beginning to swirl out of control.  They have lost their glamour, their appeal, their allure.  Their popular approval is at an all time low, and there are deserters in their ranks.  This is all part of the general chaos that is beginning to swirl throughout all levels of this Earth.  Gaia has had enough, and the grounding that she had given selflessly to all to act as they will has been largely removed.  It is as though things and people are on their own.  This is a time for action, but that action, if it is not heart-centered and grounded in respect for Gaia, will have no structure.  It will ultimately fail.  Even as these things happen on the level of societies, the Earth is awakened, stretching, and attempting to make things right again for herself.  Never doubt that Gaia is alive.  There will be places where all of the elements land with a boom in one location.  Then there will be other areas where things seem so quiet, but then, a totally unexpected natural event occurs.  There is no predictability in the weather these days.  It is largely pegged to the energetic fields of the people in the various areas on the globe.  There have been those who have been able in the past to keep the weather at bay around centers in which they held their power.  This is no longer true.  Things will starting opening up also, even into the layers beneath the surface of the Earth.  Gaia supports those who have her best interests at heart.  She comforts and protects them.  This is a time when false powers will be seen for what they are and the true power of the formerly meek, the dedicated, the enlightened ones, the heart-centered ones will be creating the new earth.

Your Color VIbe for 6/25

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Tuesday, June 25:    Frosty White

So, if you are not sure of something, say it anyhow.  If you have second thoughts about doing something, do it anyhow.  There are so many opportunities that are becoming available in today’s energy.  If you are open and aware, you will find yourself overwhelmed by everything that is coming your way.  Even if you are holding close to yourself, you cannot help but see that thins are shifting and that there are possibilities coming your way that you would not have imagined before.  Let it be.  Let the day be what it is, to unfold as it will, to show you what it has to say.  There is no need to worry on all those mundane levels for more and more they are become insignificant, unimportant, outmoded, passé.  And that is really good.  You have chosen a path to walk, and now you are being given the assistance to get moving.  There are others there for you also, and you will be recognizing them more and more as the year unfolds, but today can bring a special reunion.

Oregon Bumblebee Deaths

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AS if the bee population were not already threatened enough, this happens:

Pesticide blamed in death of 25,000 bumblebees in Oregon

Conservationists in Oregon are trying to figure out why 25,000 bees died in a parking lot.

By Devin KellyJune 21, 2013, 1:08 p.m.

A pesticide used to control aphids has been singled out as the cause in this week’s deaths of tens of thousands of bumblebees in a retail parking lot in Oregon, state officials said Friday.

At least 25,000 bees were found dead and more were dying in a Target parking lot in Wilsonville, about 18 miles southwest of Portland, in what experts have described as the largest known die-off of  bees in the United States.

Witnesses reported bees falling from trees and littering the ground.

Crews worked Friday morning to wrap protective netting, purchased by the city, around the 55 European linden trees in the area. Workers stood on cherry-pickers to place the bee-proof shade material around the large trees, which are in full bloom.

On Monday, concerned calls from shoppers prompted the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation — a Portland-area conservation group — to sound an alarm. The Oregon State Department of Agriculture responded by sending staff to collect samples of insects and foliage from the linden trees.

State officials were able to directly link the deaths to the pesticide Safari, which was sprayed on the trees Saturday to control aphids, the department said Friday in a statement. Officials have not yet identified the property management agency or the crews that applied the pesticide.

“It was a mistake to put it on linden trees in bloom,” said Dan Hilburn, director of plant programs with the Oregon State Department of Agriculture. Linden flowers contain nectar highly attractive to bees.

The pesticide, in a class called neonicotinoids, is lethal to bees and other pollinators. Honeybees, ladybird beetles (ladybugs) and syrphid flies were also found dead in the lot, said Scott Hoffman Black, executive director of the Xerces Society.

In terms of assessing penalties, investigators are focusing on whether the pesticide was applied incosistently with its labeling, and whether the activity was conducted in a faulty, careless or negligent manner, said Dale Mitchell, the pesticide compliance program manager with the Oregon Department of Agriculture.

Violations can carry fines ranging from $1,000 to $10,000, Mitchell said.

In fact, the product label reads:

“This product is highly toxic to bees exposed to direct treatment or residues on blooming crops or weeds. Do not apply this product or allow it to drift to blooming crops or weeds if bees are visiting the treatment area.”

The environmental impact of neonicotinoids has come under increasing scrutiny worldwide. In April, the European Union banned the use of three types of neonicotinoid pesticides in crops that attract bees.

In the United States, one group, the Center for Food Safety, has sued the Environmental Protection Agency, saying that neonicotinoids are not regulated properly.

In a statement, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it was aware of the Wilsonville bee deaths. “The EPA is tracking the incident closely but at this time we cannot comment on ongoing investigations,” the agency said.

The Wilsonville incident marked an ominous start to National Pollinator Week, an event designed to bring attention to the disappearance of bees. An estimated 10 billion hives have been lost since colony collapse disorder first emerged in 2006.

Bumblebee hives are much smaller than honeybee hives, and an estimated 150 colonies were destroyed in Wilsonville, Black said.

from:    http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-bumble-bees-die-in-oregon-20130621,0,1466945.story

New Impressive Solar Flare 6/24

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M-CLASS SOLAR FLARE: Sunspot AR1778 produced an impulsive M2-class solar flare on June 23rd at 20:56 UT. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the extreme ultraviolet flash:

The eruption flung material away from the blast site, but the debris does not appear to be heading toward Earth. Except for the effects of the UV flash, which created a short-lived wave of ionization in Earth’s upper atmosphere, this flare was not geo-effective.

More flares could be in the offing. In addition to AR1778, sunspots AR1775 and AR1776 have ‘beta-gamma’ magnetic fields that harbor energy for significant eruptions. NOAA forecasters estimate a 40% chance of M-flares and a 5% chance of X-flares on June 24th.

fr/spaceweather.com