Category: Aggregated

Obesogens is an umbrella term given to the dozens of endocrine disruptors that play a role in obesity. Chemicals from plastics, like BPA, are known obesogens, and these chemicals pollute our waterways and pervade our homes. The effects of obesogens have been studied intensely over the past few years and the research shows that they have a hand in uncontrolled weight gain. Obesogens: A Worldwide Issue A closer look at amphibians and the endocrine disrupting chemicals in their environment is showing how obesogens translate to human health, particularly when it relates to metabolic disorder. [1] Since many chemicals from pollution … Continue reading →

There is a lot of controversy in society today surrounding vaccines. As with the larger society, there is significant disagreement among libertarians on the topic. In this article, I lay out the many solid reasons why libertarians should oppose the government vaccine program. Just to be clear upfront, this is a different issue from whether or not one ought to vaccinate. The latter issue is a decision that should be made based on the risks and benefits involved, as well as the available alternatives, just as with any other medical procedure. This article focuses on the nature of the vaccine … Continue reading →

A federal lawsuit could reveal details implicating the Saudi government in 9/11. A congressional intelligence report contains 28 censored pages reportedly linking Saudi officials to two of the Saudi hijackers. The Obama administration refuses to publish the pages, despite requests from Democrats and Republicans in Congress. Now, the two investigators who authored the section are expected to be called to testify in a federal lawsuit against the kingdom of Saudi Arabia brought by families and insurers of the victims of the atrocity. Michael Jacobson was an FBI investigator and Dana Lesemann a Justice Department attorney when they authored the explosive … Continue reading →

There is an interesting article in the NYT on the emergence of alternative paper currencies. “Artisanal” or “low-batch” currencies have been popping up all over in the past decade.  They have been issued by municipal governments in Great Britain, a private nonprofit entity in Amsterdam, and a regional network of businesses, nonprofits, and consumers in Bavaria.  One of the most successful low-volume currencies is the BerkShare,  issued and accepted by a consortium of 400 participating businesses and banks in Berkshire area of western Massachusetts.  There is $138,000 worth of BerkShares currently in circulation and $1 million worth has been printed since 2006. Now, it is true that … Continue reading →

Another American election cycle is upon us, and large numbers of people are lining up to pour their time and money into the sewer of politics, to be lost forever. This system will not be fixed. Period. This is Rome in 460 AD. The rulers, as in Rome, are liars, mad, or drunk (these days, drugged)… or all three. The “fall of Rome,” of course, was far more complex than we learned in school, but through all the many years of its decline, Rome was full of well-meaning people trying to reform and save it. And by the way, among … Continue reading →

Almost 100 years since its discovery, the tomb of Tutankhamun, the boy-king of ancient Egypt, continues to reveal its secrets. A researcher claims to have found a ‘ghost’ doorway hiding beneath the plaster on the wall of the burial chamber, which he believes leads to the tomb of the ruler’s supposed mother, Queen Nefertiti. Famed for her exquisite beauty, the grave of Nefertiti or the ‘Lady of the Two Lands’ has been lost for centuries since her sudden death in 1340 BC. Previous DNA analysis has suggested King Tutankhamun’s mother may have been a mummy known as the Younger Lady, … Continue reading →

Fear is a basic human emotion we all experience, and the great leaders of the past were no exception. These historical figures had strange and specific fears in their lifetimes that often conflict with the air of fearlessness with which they’re portrayed in history books. 10 Franklin D. Roosevelt – Fire Though he said that “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” Franklin D. Roosevelt had an intense personal fear of fire. His fear was likely to stem from his childhood, when he had several frightening experiences. As a young child, he witnessed his young, screaming aunt … Continue reading →

Nestled under the Acropolis, snug and safe among the ancient ruins of a long-ago grandeur, Plaka remains the only protected area of Athens, with greedy developers as welcome as a certain Minnesota dentist at an Aspinall animal sanctuary. Not that many don’t try. I see signs on old and battered but beautifully classical houses asking for bids “to develop.” No harm in trying, I guess. With the economy in the toilet—horrid word, but necessary—anything can happen, and Greek law has never been sacrosanct when the loot’s right. Never mind. It’s 40 degrees Celsius, probably 50 under the sun on the … Continue reading →

With the nuclear deal with Iran a subject of intense debate and lobbying, and Ukraine an ongoing possible flash point between nuclear powers, the topic of “the bomb” has never been more timely. This week marks the 70th anniversary of the United States’ devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The following article, originally published in March 2014, speaks with undiminished power to today’s concerns. You might wonder why most Americans, after Hiroshima, accepted the new nuclear dangers so readily, even as atomic bombs led to hydrogen bombs and the world’s stockpile of warheads mounted on intercontinental ballistic missiles expanded from mere … Continue reading →

Dan Price, the CEO of Gravity Payments, took a $930,000 pay cut to raise the minimum salary of his employees to $70,000. The plan was announced in April 2015, and set to be completed over the course of three years. Both his employees (especially the ones with a larger pay increase) and proponents of income equality celebrated the move. It garnered considerable publicity and rippled through social media, with mostly positive but some negative reactions. In the New York Times piece that reported on people’s initial reactions in April, they quoted Rush Limbaugh calling it “pure, unadulterated socialism,” and an … Continue reading →