I recently attended a drug and alcohol awareness lab at school. My experience at the lab was a positive one, as it brought to light some of the prevalent issues that college students face regarding drug and alcohol abuse.
At the lab, I learned that many people underestimate the amount of alcohol they consume. I learned that 12 ounces of beer is equivalent to 4 ounces of wine and 1.25 ounces of hard alcohol. It is also commonly underestimated how much alcohol is in a mixed drink. The speaker mentioned that binge drinking is considered five or more standard drinks for males and four for females. Alcohol is metabolized differently by females, so it is easier for them to over-drink without realizing it. Before coming across this information, I would have imagined that binge drinking to consist of a much higher volume of alcohol. This brings to light how many college students are binge drinkers and may not realize they are in this category. In my personal experiences many of my fellow college students consume significantly more than the above stated amounts. She also stated that the legal limit (0.08 BAC) to drive is reached a lot quicker than you may notice.
An intense part of the presentation consisted of a story about a college student that fell through a dorm window and died because he was under the influence of drugs. When the autopsy was performed it showed that he had consumed the equivalent of eight ecstasy pills (MDMA). The presentation showed the dark side of drugs and alcohol rather than the social and partying aspect that we so often see and hear about.
The speaker gave tips on how to limit drinking and how to drink safely at parties. She advised against putting your drink down and to watch your drink being made. Many times Rohypnol and GHB may be slipped into a drink of an unsuspecting date in order to take advantage of the individual. It has also been shown that sexual harassment is more prevalent in situations where drugs and alcohol is involved. As alcohol lowers your inhibitions, you are more susceptible to make decisions that you would not normally make. Drinking and driving was also an important issue that was addressed, since it is the leading cause of death in the 15-24 year age bracket.
Other topics addressed were the effects of excessive partying, drinking and usage of drugs on school work. After all, sometimes it forgotten that we are at school to further our education and not to party. Excessive drugs and alcohol use can impair the brain and make it more difficult to retain information in the days and weeks after drinking. Many students assume that after the “drunken effect” has worn off, so have all other effects to the body.
The lab was very informative and highlighted the importance of protecting yourself and peers from the negative effects of drugs and alcohol. In my experiences after the lab, I have educated my friends about the concerns addressed at the lab in hopes that they will make the right decisions in the college years ahead of us.

New York City: Driving and Demising Force- a look at E.B. White's "Here is New York"

When reflecting upon New York City, what comes to mind is a thriving superpower overflowing with opportunity, and sky-high success. New York is incomparable to any city in the world, on a large scale or small. It has a radiating vitality, and boasts a confident air. Its fortitude is manifested through its inhabitants as well as its infrastructure. In every way, New York City transcends dominance. But this very dominance, this driving force and “omnipotence”, is the same quality that makes New York so vulnerable.
While meditating upon the city’s greatness, I think that our greatest strength is dually our greatest and most imminent weakness. Fifty-two years before New York’s defining tragedy, E.B. White saw New York for what is was, in both positive and negative light. His prophetic writings demonstrate his analytical ability, and his adeptness to see past the blinding glamour and straight into our biggest flaw.
“…The city, for the first time in its long history, is destructible. A single flight of planes no bigger than a wedge of geese can quickly end this island fantasy…” This excerpt from White’s essay clearly defines New York’s susceptibility. The manner in which E.B. White words this quote is the key in understanding its significance. He states that for the first time New York is destructible. If the city has become destructible, this infers that it previously was not. What has changed about New York that has made it more vulnerable? It has strengthened, and with this increased power comes a certain arrogance and feeling of invincibility. When a city as a whole reaches the point where they feel that they are unconquerable, they in turn let their guard down. White’s usage of the term “island fantasy” is used to show that as New Yorkers we were in fact living in a fantasy. Not until the horrific events of September 11th, 2001 did we realize that we are not as invincible as we thought we were. When reading White’s quote, it seems as if he were writing in retrospect, but he is in fact highlighting the inevitable. His references to “the towers” and “flight of planes” may have just been coincidence, but the nature of his writings was not. He acknowledged the significance of the target New York has become, and the lack of attention we have paid to this development.
“All dwellers in cities must live with the stubborn fact of annihilation; in New York the fact is somewhat more concentrated because of the concentration of the city itself, and because, of all targets, New York has a certain clear priority. In the mind of whatever perverted dreamer might loose the lighting, New York must hold a steady, irresistible charm.”
E.B. White’s observations are not to be viewed as pessimistic, rather as calculating and logical. As seen in the great ancient cities of Rome and Athens, whose inhabitants would have never thought they would be defeated, cities are naturally targets. White explores the various aspects of New York’s weaknesses, including its physical structure. Manhattan being a relatively small island has a huge concentration of people per square foot. As White states in his book, for lack of space New York City grew upwards physically and symbolically. This alone is grounds for increased susceptibility. This notion is seen in White’s quote that reads, “ A single flight of planes no bigger than a wedge of geese can quickly end this island fantasy, burn the towers, crumble the bridges, turn the underground passages into lethal chambers, cremate the millions.”. He is highlighting every notable physical aspect of New York City and showing how they can be used against us.
Furthermore, another factor in New York’s target potential is what the city symbolizes. Ever since its establishment, New York has been a place where immigrants come to build lives and take advantage of opportunities. The city continually sees a regular influx of all nationalities ready to take part in the American dream. It has always been a place where all citizens can actively participate in their success, and make a living for their families. New York has the greatest ports in the world, and has become an economic superpower. It is seen as the capital of the world, and the epitome of success. Our towering skyscrapers are beaming with pride and accomplishment. What New York symbolizes is grounds for envy from enemies, and wrongfully so.
E.B. White further explores the concept of the potential destructibility of New York. “The intimation of mortality is part of New York now; in the sounds of jets overhead, in the black headlines of the latest editions.” Through this quote one can imply that White sees the potential for destruction in all the places he frequents in New York City. In particular he names a setting that is familiar to him, referring to “headlines” and “late editions”. As E.B. White worked for The New Yorker, he is placing himself in the midst of the chaos. Throughout the book he seems to write from the perspective of an outsider looking in, but also shows a great connection being that he used to be a New Yorker. This makes his views all the more personal because he is not criticizing New York; he just perceives the facts of the matter in hopes bringing them to light.
E.B. White’s perceptions of the world around him were so accurate that it is in a way eerie to read back upon them. He was a true New Yorker in the sense that he appreciated and noticed every aspect of the city. New York is indeed a wonderful and incomparable city and even after attack remains a leading force as well as a unified one. Hopefully now that we have seen that our greatest force is also our greatest weakness we can work to improve this fine line.

Some More on Kevin Trudeau

As I've previously stated, I find a lot of useful information in publications by Kevin Trudeau. In particular I have found "Natural Cures they Dont Want You to Know About" and "More Natural Cures Revealed" to have alarming content that we should be aware about. One of the chapters in "More Natural Cures Revealed" describes the dangers associated with over-the-counter pain relievers, and in particular the chemical found in them called phenylpropanolamine. This chemical has been proven to cause bleeding in the brain and significantly increase strokes. If you don't have time to read his book, I'd reccomend reading Trudeau's list below to see what medications you may be currently using that contains this dangerous chemical:

 Acutrim ® Diet Gum Appetite Suppressant
 Acutrim ® Plus Dietary Supplements
 Acutrim ® Maximum Strength Appetite Control
 Alka-Seltzer ® Plus Children’s Cold Medicine Effervescent
 Alka-Seltzer ® Plus Cold Medicine (cherry or orange)
 Alka-Seltzer ®Plus Cold Medicine Original
 Alka-Seltzer ® Plus Cold & Cough Medicine Effervescent
 Alka-Seltzer ® Plus Cold & Flu Medicine
 Alka-Seltzer ® Plus Cold & Sinus Medicine
 Alka-Seltzer ® Plus Night-Time Cold Medicine
 BC ® Allergy Sinus Cold Powder
 Comtrex ® Flu Therapy & Fever Relief
 Day & Night Contact ® 12-Hour Cold Capsules
 Contact ® 12 Hour Caplets
 Coricidin D Cold, Flu & Sinus
 Dexatrim ® Caffeine Free
 Dexatrim ® Extended Duration
 Dexatrim® Gelcaps
 Dexatrim ® Vitamin C/ Caffeine Free
 Triaminic ® 3D Cough Relief Yellow 3D Expectorant
 Dimetapp ® Cold & Cough Liqui-Gels
 Dimetapp ® DM Cold & Cough Elixir
 Dimetapp ® Elixir
 Dimetapp ® 4 Hour Liquid Gels
 Dimetapp ® 4 Hour Tablets
 Dimetapp ® 12 Hour Extentab Tablets
 Naldecon ® DX Pediatric Drops
 Permathene Mega-16
 Robitussin ® CF
 Tavist-D® 12 Hour Relief of Sinus & Nasal Congestion
 Triaminic ® DM Cough Relief
 Triaminic ® Expectorant Chest & Head
 Triaminic ® Syrup Cold & Allergy
 Triaminic ® Triminicol Cold & Cough
 Triaminic ® Orange 3D Cold & Allergy Cherry (Pink)
 Triaminic ® 3D Cold & Cough Berry
 Dimetapp ® Cold and Allergy Chewable Tablets

Comparative Analysis of Empire State Building and World Trade Center

The Empire State Building and the Twin Towers were all hit by aircrafts, but only one of them remain standing today. Was the collapse of the World Trade Center preventable, due to precautionary measures that designers could have taken to make the buildings more structurally sound? Or were the demise of the buildings inevitable, not being able to withstand the impact of the airplanes no matter how they were structured? Extensive research and studies have been done on the collapse of the World Trade Center and many key failures of the structures have been found. Still the question remains to why the Empire State Building remains standing with hardly any structural damage while the Twin Towers were totally destroyed. Many factors contributed to the fate of each of the buildings including the force of impact, amount and type of jet fuel, and the support structure of each building.

The Empire State Building and the Twin Towers were built and designed very differently. While the Twin Towers facing materials consisted of aluminum and steel, that of the Empire State Building consists of limestone, granite and brick. The distinctions in facing material would later prove to have an impact on durability. Another difference between the structures is the way in which the support beams were situated within the buildings. The Twin Towers were built to be economical and modern, so the designers chose to situate most of the support beams on the outermost perimeter of the buildings as well as significant support beams in the center. In this design, the floors were critical in supporting the building. This design allowed for large open spaces, and prime real estate. The Empire State Building has a more conventional structure with its beams distributed evenly across the area of the building to support its weight.

Other distinctions between the buildings include methods of fireproofing the steel support beams. The Empire State Building’s structural steel beams are encased within eight inches of limestone and slabs of concrete. This prevents excessive heating from fires. Instead, the fireproofing method used in the World Trade Center was a lightweight spray on coating of insulation.
Other fireproofing methods that the buildings featured were fireproof staircases and walls. The Empire State Building, being very compartmental within each floor was divided by thick masonry walls. This would prevent the spread of a fire and contain it to a small section of the building. The World Trade Center, having vast open spaces within each floor opted to build walls consisting of dry wall, a lightweight and fireproof material. Since there were not many sections to each floor as compared to the Empire State Building, fires were susceptible to spread more easily.

The skyscrapers’ different features would prove to work in different ways when put to the test. However, it is important to include that the pressures that the buildings’ suffered were of different measures. The Empire State Building was hit by a B-25 Bomber weighing approximately 21,500 lbs. flying at a speed of about 200 miles per hour. The Twin Towers were hit by a Boeing 767 weighing nearly fifteen times more than the B-25, and traveling almost twice as fast. In turn, the impact to the Twin Towers was 60-100 times greater. When the B-25 hit the Empire State Building, it was nearly out of fuel. This type of aircraft burned a high-octane version of gasoline, not as combustible as the fuel used in commercial jetliners. A Boeing 767 has thirty five times more fuel capacity than that of the bomber. At the time of impact it was half filled to capacity. Boeing 767s burn a type of kerosene that tends to burn more intense fires.

When the planes hit all three buildings, each was ignited in flames around the point of impact. A key factor is that since the facing materials of the Empire State Building was of stronger material and hit by a smaller plane, the plane did not penetrate very far into the building, sparing important structural support. Much of the impact was absorbed by the exterior wall. The fire in the Empire State building was contained in a small section of the building and did not burn as intensely. Since it the interior of the building was separated by heavy masonry walls, it aided in the spread of fire. Another factor was the heavily fireproofed stairways.

On the other hand, the impact of the Twin Towers caused severing of about two thirds of support columns. The inner core was severely damaged and aviation fuel saturated it. Thousands of gallons of jet fuel ignited, spreading to other combustibles including the dry wall. At the point of impact, the spray-on fireproof insulation was simply blown off by the force. This left the building, floor trusses and support beams vulnerable to the raging fires, spreading it through the vast spaces and across different floors. The impact also cut off the water supply to sprinklers used to put fires out. The dry wall used to protect the stairways was either on fire or blown off, making evacuation for people above the impact difficult or impossible. One particular positive aspect of the weak dry wall was that a man stuck in an elevator escaped by prying himself out and breaking the wall with his cleaning tool. A difference between the impacts at the World Trade Center and the Empire State Building is the size of the holes that the aircrafts caused. Since the hole in the exterior was much smaller, less oxygen could come in the building to feed the fire. It was also a very foggy day so some speculate that the damp air could have reduced the growth of the fire.

Ultimately the support system of the World Trade Center failed due to the fire. The intense temperatures weakened the unprotected steel and caused the failure of the floor trusses, a vital part its support system. Evidence revealed that most of the interior core stayed in tact while the outer walls supporting the floor trusses were significantly damaged. The failure of one floor began a domino effect to each floor below it causing the structures to collapse. This would make the World Trade Center the first building in the world to collapse due to a fire.

Major differences between the buildings that ultimately distinguished the outcome were fireproofing the support structures and how these support structures were situated across the building. These are two factors that may have prevented the collapse of the World Trade Center, had the designers and engineers calculated this. In retrospect, it is important to realize that when many people’s lives are at stake it is essential that economical and business decisions (such as vast floors for real estate; cheaper building materials) should never supersede safety.

Re-Evaluating Christianity,-Back to the Basics

I recommend reading Joshua and the Children by Joseph F. Girzone if you are a person that ever thinks about all of the politics surrounding religion. Although the book is directed at appreciating the founding morals in Christianity, I feel that most religions are based upon the same basic ideas, therefore making the book suitable for anyone to read despite ones religious background.
Joshua and the Children is an inspirational novel that takes the reader back to the central influence and events that have made Christianity as widespread as it has become. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ moved people’s hearts so immensely that it has numerically surpassed every religion in the world. The book also shows how in recent history the church’s teachings have been influenced more around doctrine and tradition. Joseph F. Girzone feels that Christianity is supposed to take the place of Jesus in a loving and nurturing way to teach the people the way of God rather than acting as authoritarian.
The book succeeded in telling the story of Jesus’ life and works indirectly. Throughout the novel, the protagonist Joshua represents Jesus in the modern day and shared New Testament experiences and relates it to what is happening currently. Since the book’s theme was about treating all humans as fellow children of God and not focusing on denominations, race, or social status, the book did not focus on doctrine or tradition. I personally enjoyed the book, as it represented a different perspective on Christianity and it reminded me what Christianity is truly about.

Life Perspectives

As members of a bustling society we are often burdened with many pressures of day to day life. We play many roles such as the hardworking student, the reliable friend, a son or a daughter, and the eager employee. Days, weeks and months go by in a flash because we are so busy trying to keep up with life, that we walk around day to day half conscious. Can you remember what happened on your voyage to school today? Unless you almost got into car accident or tripped and embarrassed yourself, you are less than likely to remember details of occurrences that happened just a few minutes ago. We are so caught up in our routines and thoughts that half of the time we are not conscious to the world around us.
But what are we doing all of this for? Is there a point to our lives as human beings other than succeeding in order to make money? I believe there is a purpose for us, and we are not able to perceive it if we don’t take the time out to evaluate our lives, and realize what is really important. In our fast paced society we rarely take the time out to indulge in the beauty of the world around us. If you died today, what are the things you would regret not doing? Who are the people you would regret not appreciating? Would you be satisfied with the way you carried your life, or wish you would have slowed your pace to enjoy yourself? Who would you regret not helping?
We sometimes do not appreciate our relationships as much as we should. After all, when we die and many years pass, we will not be remembered by loved ones for our monetary success, rather for our relationships that we shared, and the impact we made on their lives. At the end of the day, what matters most are our happiness and the joy we bring to others.
It is not wrong to want to be successful, but we should not let the desire for success take over our lives. After all, why are we aiming to be successful? Is it in the hopes of being happy? If so, we should try to be happy on our way to success and not stress ourselves out to the point of unhappiness. Life is precious, but unfortunately does not last forever so we should make the best if it. We should embrace our loved ones, enjoy their company and cherish the little things that make life worthwhile.
So tomorrow on your way to wherever your schedule requires, take a different route and see how such an insignificant change can open your eyes to the world around you. You will no longer be unconsciously going about your day, rather opening your eyes to the beautiful world we inhabit.

Reflecting on St. John's University's Vincentian Mission on Vincentian Thursday

As I went about my day off from school I reflected the concept we are honoring, and the ways we embody the Vincentian spirit and fulfill St. John University's mission statement. A mission statement distinguishes the objectives and values of a particular institution or individual. Being that no two people or organizations are the same, a mission statement allows for their different intentions and qualities to be highlighted.

St. John’s mission statement reads, “St. John's University is Catholic, Vincentian, and Metropolitan.” This mission statement portrays a culturally rooted university founded on Catholic values that follow the life and work of St Vincent De Paul.The values stated in the mission statement of St. John's University is comparable to my own mission statement.

My mission is to learn about myself and my environment while making an impact on my community. I plan to achieve this through community service and my intended field of study, speech pathology. Through community service I can learn about the lives of people I would not interact with on a regular basis. It can also bring to light the social differences we face and help me learn about myself. I anticipate that speech pathology will be fulfilling because verbal communication is very important to me, and to be able to share this with others that are impaired would bring me great satisfaction. My mission statement compares to that of St. John’s in the Vincentian aspect because I have a great desire to aid the less fortunate. This reflects the life and work of St. Vincent de Paul, a man who dedicated his life to alleviating the hardships faced by the poor.

U.S. Aggression on Iran- Interview with Noam Chomsky

I was surfing through the web when I came upon one of my favorite authors, Noam Chomsky speaking about the issues surrounding Iran and U.S. Foreign policy.

Guns, Germs and Steel- An interesting perspective on human development

In “Guns, Germs, and Steel”, Jared Diamond attempts to provide an alternative explanation of historical milestones that would eventually shape the way the world works today. Diamond’s motive for writing the book is to answer the question, “Why did history unfold differently on different continents?” From the beginning of the book he warns that he is not trying to explain racial differences that would have affected the development of civilizations. Instead he finds and analyzes the oldest possible human milestones as a starting point to account for the development of the continents. These milestones include but are not limited to the development of writing, plant and animal domestication, the use of technology, and governmental structure. Diamond holds that environmental factors and the needs of societies are responsible for the varying developments seen across the continents.

Unlike other books that attempt for explain the progression of civilizations, “Guns, Germs, and Steel” does not pose racist causes and it is not Eurocentric in content. Instead, Diamond gives a concentrated version of every civilization for the past 13,000 years. His motive is truly to gain an understanding of the environmental factors that led to the developmental divergence of civilizations. I reccomend the book to anyone seeking to find an understanding of the way the societies of the world work and the underlying reasons for this intricate development.

The Potential in Nuclear Energy

After reading John McPhee’s “The Curve of Binding Energy” the dangers of nuclear power are evident to me. However, I feel that the positive aspects of nuclear power outweigh the negative, and that safeguarding can be improved in order to increase global safety while still benefiting. Although I do not support nuclear weaponry, I feel that nuclear energy as a power source is a better alternative to those currently in use.
Nuclear weapons have shown great destruction and another detonation on civilians would be an unthinkable tragedy. For this reason I feel the Atomic Energy Commission needs to improve safeguarding and realize the threat posed by stolen nuclear material. If this is done effectively, many global issues can be solved regarding the energy crisis.
The global energy crisis consists of different components. It includes over-consumption of oil which leads to pollution, health concerns, and global climate change. We’ve depleted our resources so much that the cost of oil is rapidly increasing, affecting the economy and leading us into wars over control of it. It is evident that we are in need of an alternative energy source, one that is easier on the environment, affordable and in vast supply.
An example of a nation that has embraced nuclear power is France, who in my opinion has shown great success. They are not reliant on foreign oil and they emit a smaller ratio of greenhouse gasses per capita than other nations. They also have among the lowest electricity costs in Europe. Public opinion on the matter shows that 70% of the citizens of France approve of nuclear power and express minimal fear of it.
So far France seems to have mastered nuclear power and utilized it in a positive way while keeping potentially lethal nuclear materials out of the wrong hands. I feel France is setting a good example for nations to follow, in successfully establishing an efficient and clean power industry.
When discussing the issues regarding the safety of nuclear power, the example of Chernobyl is a prevalent argument. However, there are common misconceptions involved with this argument. It is important to understand that nuclear power plants only need 3% enriched uranium in order to sustain power while an atomic bomb requires 98% enriched uranium. Therefore, it is virtually impossible for a nuclear power plant to explode because of nuclear material.
The tragedy at Chernobyl occurred because of a loss of coolant accident also known as LOCA, as well as human error. Since then, we have analyzed these errors so that another accident like this will not occur. I don’t think this event should keep us from forging ahead in utilizing an effective energy source, rather we should learn from past mistakes and use caution as we do with many other industrial entities.
Over all the positive aspects of nuclear energy outweigh the negative, just as long as the Atomic Energy Commission establishes effective safeguards.We should not let opportunity pass because of the possible fear of something. Instead, we should overcome obstacles in order to improve our lives.

Another Loss in the Fight for Mumia's Freedom

On March 27th, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals denied Mumia Abu Jamal's request for a new trial, meaning that he is currently facing either life in prison or execution. Though he was granted a re-sentencing, he was denied a new trial on the basis that it was unclear what ethnicities his jury consisted of. Consequently the Third Circuit Court of Appeals feels that since they can't be sure of the jury's race, they can't definitely say there was a racial bias against him. It has almost been a year since they began deliberating, and the outcome was a big disappointment to all of Mumia's supporters. Mumia's lawyers are appealing this decision, and in the meantime there are many scheduled rallies in New York, Philadelphia and in major cities around the world.

Does This Ring a Bell?

On April 25th, 2008 the three police officers that were indicted in the killing of Sean Bell were acquitted of all charges. Sean Bell was shot on his wedding day, along with two if his friends in a hail of fifty bullets. It was later discovered that they were unarmed, and there is now much speculation on the events that unfolded that night. There is the question of proper police protocol that was not followed, as well as the forcefulness of the incident. Either way, an unarmed man was killed and no one will pay for it. While reading about this trial, it reminded me of Amadou Diallo, and the similarities between the cases.

In 1999, Amadou Diallo, an immigrant from Guinea was shot and killed by four police officers. Of the forty-one shots, nineteen hit Diallo who was later found to be unarmed. The police officers claimed that he fit the description of a serial rapist in the area, and that he appeared to be armed. He in fact he was only armed with a wallet. Mass demonstrations against the acquittal of these officers were carried out. In 2000, my father and I attended one of these rallies in Union Square, and I vividly remember the crowds honoring Diallo's life and protesting the circumstances of his death.

In the case of Sean Bell, his surviving family has hired Al Sharpton as their advisor. Following the acquittal of the accused officers, the family has promised to round up the masses to perform civil disobedience, boycotting and other practices that would express their feeling towards the outcome of the trial. Hopefully this will lead to some action; preferably legal action that will prevent similar future occurrences and hold that shooting at unarmed citizens is not acceptable and will have harsher punishments. Also, these will hopefully lead to more effective police training so that officers on the job have safe protocol to follow at all times.

Running Dry

“Running Dry” is a public education project to raise awareness of the global water crisis. The other day I heard Jim Thebaut speak particularly about the pressing issue of limited water supply in the American Southwest and the effect it has on its native peoples. Thebaut states that through the combination of our predecessors’ exploitation, population surges and our continuing disregard for the environment, we’ve systematically destroyed the natural ecology of the American Southwest.
The water crisis may not be apparent to the average American, because we are so used to waking up every morning to take long showers, use unlimited tap water, wash our cars, and water our lawns among other activities. For this we must credit water utility companies that haven’t let us down by privatizing water. For this reason, it’s difficult for most Americans to wrap their head around the idea that there is a full blown water crisis in the United States. We are steadily losing water supply and quality of water due to pesticides and pollution.
Jim Thebaut, the director and producer of this documentary feels that the root of the problem goes back to many years ago when the West was taken from the natives and we built dams and infrastructure that overwhelmed the environment. Unfortunately our “manifest destined” predecessors didn’t consider living in the environment and the native people that still reside there have to live with the consequences of their irresponsible behavior. The Colorado River is depleted due to climate changes and overuse and it is not being replenished. Other factors include the lack of ground water and water pulse in the United States. This is a cold reality but with planning and cooperation it can be reversed. Thebaut is trying to spread the word to increase public interest and action.
In his documentary he highlights a decision made 100 years ago in Winter v. United States. The 1908 Supreme Court decision states that all reservations including Indian reservations are entitled to clean water provided by the government. Thus far, states have negotiated how to provide water and infrastructure but unfortunately there have only been paper decisions. Although the decision marks its centennial, there is still the issue of financing the building of infrastructure to provide reservations with clean water and it’s not a priority for local government.
The Navajo have to walk for hours in order to get decent water, since the nearby water supply has been contaminated by runoff from mines. As a people that have been self-sufficient for hundreds of years they now find themselves dependent because they are unable to harvest corn- a staple in their diet. “Running Dry” is a documentary that calls for action to stop the evolving world water crisis. Is informs the public on how they can act to press for stronger legislation regarding the American Southwest water issues. For more information visit http://www.runningdry.org/

Post 9/11 America: A Numb Truth

In Post 9-11 America, one would imagine security surrounding nuclear material to be at an all time high. One would also imagine the public’s concerns to be at the same level, but that just is not the case. Only seven years have passed since terrorism has hit American soil, and in my opinion the general public is at ease, in the sense that we are not so worried of another comparable occurrence in the future.
As destructive as the events of 9/11/01 were, they could not compare to the bombings as Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We have experienced terrorism and are not that shaken anymore, so for the public to be seriously concerned about a potential nuclear bombing is not very likely. After all it seems as if centuries have passed since World War II, and it did not even occur in America. We’ve only read about these events, and maybe imagined them as scenes from an action movie. Catastrophes always seem to have a fiction-like air to them as time passes. As concerned as we should be about the threat of nuclear bombs, it just isn’t the reality.
Why is it that as a whole we fail to truly care about the threat of nuclear bombs? It very well could be our psychological way of coping with it. We would rather not think about it and subconsciously hope it doesn’t happen. An opposing psychological view may be that we think it would never happen to us, because as American humans we sometimes like to think we are indestructible. Either way, instead of action we choose only to hope that the Atomic Energy Commission is doing its job and keeping nuclear material out of the wrong hands.
Personally I feel that if the horrible violent acts of the past have not opened our eyes to the possible threats, only a direct attack would. Societies have endured the effects of atomic bombs and have rebuilt. The destruction of an event like this would be unimaginable, and it is a shame that as a whole we neglect to act in a way so that an atomic bombing would be far less likely to happen. Whether its denial, arrogance or indifference, it is unfortunate that the threat is not as real to us as it should be.

The Dangers of Vaccines: A Brief Overview of Kevin Trudeau's Research

I highly recommend reading health books by Kevin Trudeau such as “Natural Cures They Don’t Want You to Know About” and “More Natural Cures Revealed”. There is so much useful information within the text, as well as interesting viewpoints and suppressed information regarding health issues. An aspect of his books that is particularly noteworthy is his research on the dangers of vaccines.
According to Trudeau, although vaccines are theoretically meant to prevent disease, the sad truth of the matter is that these drugs do the exact opposite. Through nature, the human body is an amazing machine built to protect and heal itself. You may be surprised to hear that many common ailments can be reversed using 100% natural remedies. You may then ask yourself, “But if there are natural cures, why don’t we hear about them?” The simple fact is that natural remedies are not profitable to drug companies. Most of these natural substances cannot be patented, and they are inexpensive to begin with. But don’t drug companies want to find cures? Well, think of this way. If you were a car mechanic, would you want someone to invent an indestructible car that never needs maintenance, and on top of that is more affordable than all other cars? Of course not, because you would be put out of business. As far as you’re concerned, you want people’s cars to need repair as often as possible. That is what is profitable to you, the mechanic.
The following are interesting quotes and statistics gathered by Kevin Trudeau in his book “Natural Cures they Don’t Want You to Know About”:
• In 1871-72, England, with 98% of the population aged between 2 and 50 vaccinated against smallpox, it experienced its worse ever smallpox outbreak with 45,000 deaths. During the same period in Germany, with a vaccination ratio of 96%, there were over 125,000 deaths for smallpox.
• (The Hawden Documents.)
• In Germany, compulsory mass vaccination against diphtheria commenced in 1940 and by 1945 diphtheria cases were up from 40,000 to 250,000
• (Don’t Get Stuck!, Hannah Allen.)
• In the USA in 1960, two virologists discovered that both polio vaccines were contaminated with the SV 40 virus which causes cancer in animals as well as changes in human cell tissue cultures. Millions of children had been injected with these vaccines.
• (Medical Journal of Australia, March 17, 1973, p.555.)
• In 1967, Ghana was declared measles-free by the World-Health Organization after 96% of its population was vaccinated. In 1972, Ghana experienced one of its worse measles outbreaks with its highest ever mortality rate.
• (Dr. H. Albonico, MMR Vaccine Campaign in Switzerland, March 1990.)
• In the UK between 1970 and 1990, over 200,000 cases of whooping cough occurred in fully vaccinated children.
• (Community Disease Surveillance Centre, UK.)
• In the 1970s a tuberculosis vaccine trial in India involving 260,000 people revealed that more cases of TB occurred in the vaccinated than the unvaccinated.
• (The Lancet, January 12, 1980, p.73)
• In 1977, Dr. Jonas Salk, who developed the first polio vaccine, testified along with other scientists that mass inoculation against polio was the cause of most polio cases through the USA since 1961.
• (Science, April 4, 1977, “Abstracts”.)
• In 1978, a survey of 30 states in the U.S. revealed that more than half of the children who contracted measles had been adequately vaccinated.
• (The People’s Doctor, Dr. R. Mendelsohn)
• In 1979, Sweden abandoned the whooping cough vaccine due to its ineffectiveness. Out of 4,140 cases in 1978, it was found that 84% had been vaccinated 3 times!
• (British Medical Journal 283: 696-97,1981)
• The February 1981 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association found that 90% of obstetricians and 66% of pediatricians refused to take the rubella vaccine.
• In the USA, the cost of a single DPT shot has risen from 11 cents in 1982 to $11.40 in 1987. The manufacturers of the vaccine were putting aside $8.00 per shot to cover legal costs and damages they were paying out to parents of brain-damaged children who died after vaccination.
• (The Vine, no.7, January 1994, Nambur, Qid)
• In Oman between 1988 and 1989, a polio outbreak occurred amongst thousands of fully vaccinated children. The region with the highest attack rate had the highest vaccine coverage. The region with the lowest attack rate had the lowest vaccine coverage.
• (The Lancet, September 21, 1991.)
• In 1990, a UK survey involving 598 doctors revealed that over 50% of them refused to have the hepatitis B vaccine despite belonging to the high risk group urged to be vaccinated.
• (British Medical Journal, January 27,1990)
• In 1990, the Journal of American Medical Association had an article on measles which stated “Although more than 95% of school-aged children in the US are vaccinated against measles, large measles outbreaks continue to occur among previously vaccinated children.”
• On November 2,2000, the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AASP) announced that its members voted at their 57th annual meeting in St. Louis to pass a resolution calling for an end to mandatory childhood vaccines. The resolution passed without a single “no” vote.
• (Report by Michael Devitt.)

Particle Beam Therapy: An Alternative Cancer Treatment

I recently heard about an alternative treatment for some types of cancer called particle beam therapy. The information that I found interested me, because until then I didn’t know there was a mainstream alternative to chemotherapy and invasive surgical removal of a tumor. Another reason it was of particular interest to me is because cancer is very prevalent in my family and I actually have a non-malignant tumor myself. The following is information I’ve gathered about particle beam therapy from various sources.
Particle beam therapy utilizes subatomic particles such as protons and heavy ions. These subatomic particles are beamed at malignant tumors to destroy them while doing relatively little damage to the surrounding tissue. A particle beam is an accelerated stream of charged subatomic particles.
Subatomic particles are accelerated using systems such as large linear accelerators, and synchrotrons. These systems increase the energy of subatomic particles in order to give them enough power to penetrate a tumor and damage its DNA. Using particle accelerators, the subatomic particles almost reach the speed of light.
Particle Beam Therapy works by aiming energetic ionizing particles onto the target tumors. These particles damage the DNA of cells and thus ultimately cause their death. Because of their high rate of division, and their reduced ability to repair damaged DNA, cancerous cells are particularly vulnerable to this attack on their DNA.
Particle beam therapy differs from conventional radiation therapy to kill tumors because it does relatively little or no damage to the surrounding healthy tissue. Radiation therapy uses x-rays and gamma rays which are harmful to humans.
Protons deposit most of their radiation energy in what is known as the Bragg peak, which occurs at the point of greatest penetration of the protons in tissue. The exact depth to which protons penetrate, and at which the Bragg peak occurs, is dependent on the energy of the proton beam. This energy can be very precisely controlled to place the Bragg peak within a tumor or other tissues that are targeted to receive the radiation dose. Because the protons are absorbed at this point, normal tissues beyond the target receive very little or no radiation.
There are many benefits associated with particle beam therapy. They include reduced exposure of radiation to vital organs, high level of accuracy when the particle beam is transmitted, and it can penetrate deep into the body to reach deep lying tumors.
It is currently being used to treat ocular cancer, prostate cancer, and cancers of the head and neck which were previously difficult to treat with radiation. An estimated 44,000 patients have been successfully treated using particle beam therapy.
Currently, heavy ion therapy is only available for clinical use in Japan and Germany. Proton Therapy is currently being performed in six different locations in the United States. Plans for the United States’ first combined particle therapy center (proton and heavy ion) are in development. The state-of-the-art treatment center will be situated on the 230 acre California campus of Touro University.

The Collision of Torture and Democracy

After reading "Torture and Democracy" by Darius Rejali I've been better informed about a history of disguised torture techniques used throughout the past 200 years. The book takes an in depth look at torture and analyzes behaviors, trends and traditions that have brought torture to where we see it today. It is in essence an encyclopedia of torture.Rejali explains that torture is an ancient craft passed down from teacher to apprentice. His book has been described as a field manual on torture, being the first of its kind. The key conclusion of this book is that when human rights abuses are internationally monitored it doesn’t stop torture, however, it forces torturers to better conceal their methods. This means that they use techniques that don't show as much evidence of physical abuse.
A key theme throughout his book is that it isn't hard for governments to stop torture, and adhering to human rights. International monitoring of torture forces governments to come up with 'cleaner' forms of torture so that they appear compliant to legal norms but they are in essence being hypocrites. Another beneficial aspect of clean techniques is that it makes victims' testimony less credible due to the lack of physical evidence.
A common misconception is that torture has not been prevalent in democratic states, but the reality is that 'clean' forms of torture have developed in democracies. Unfortunately they have become common over time. For example, electro-torture has consistently doubled every decade since 1960. Although water boarding derived from the Spanish Inquisition, it symbolizes the preference of less bloody forms of torture since the Catholic priests deviated from blood shedding methods. Another example of blood free torture, took place during the Atlantic Slave Trade when marks on slaves reduced their resale value.
Rejali expresses that torture is much like a craft in which craftsmen share their techniques. Torture techniques are mainly passed down through tradition being underground practices, not being mainstream knowledge. Two main traditions described in the book are the French and Anglo-Saxon. The French tradition mainly consists of electricity and water as commonly seen in movies. The Anglo-Saxon tradition focuses more on stress techniques including sleep deprivation, forced sitting or standing, exhaustion, and banned military-like punishments. Torture has been institutionalized and is wide scale, and seen in many countries. He stresses that ordinary people pass traditions on such as fraternity hazing, schools, and the military. Therefore, it is a fight against all dark places in society, not only the government in particular.

The Search

"She desperately flipped through the pages to try and find the meaning. It had to be in between the lines somewhere, but it was as ambiguous as ever."

Five Years Too Long

As the fifth year anniversary of the United States' occupation of Iraq passes, we reflect on a war that was supposed to be short, supposed to cost fifty million dollars, and supposed to have minimal bloodshed. Instead we reflect on a dragged out war that has cost us between 1 and 3 trillion dollars, and far too many human lives for questionable intentions. The United States' failing economy is most often associatd with subprime mortgages, but the war has contributed greatly to this failure in the same way that the Soviet War in Afghanistan led to the fall of the Soviet Union.

Today, Thursday March 20, at 2:00 pm there will be the Students for a Democratic Society anti-war rally outside Hunter college 68th & Lexington. My friends and I will attend and hear the opinions of students from all around New York City and hopefully learn more ways to stand up against the war and make a difference. Hopefully there will be a big turn-out but as I have seen in the past, this does not neccesarily guarantee media attention. Either way, we hope for at least one person to be informed about issues concerning the war, and absorb a lot of information that is not accessible through mainstream media.

Mumia Abu-Jamal: Trial and Injustice

Mumia Abu-Jamal was convicted and sentenced for the murder of police officer Daniel Faulkner. Since the 1982 sentencing, there has been much speculation of injustice surrounding his trial. Many disagree on whether he is innocent or guilty, the severity of his punishment, and he received a fair trial.

On December 9, 1981 officer Daniel Faulkner was shot and killed on a traffic stop of a vehicle registered to William Cook, Mumia Abu-Jamal's brother. Mumia Abu-Jamal was shot by Daniel Faulkner and was taken to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Later he was charged with the first-degree murder of Daniel Faulkner.

The prosecution case at trial consisted of four witnesses whose testimony put Mumia Abu-Jamal at the crime scene. It also included testimony of Abu-Jamal admitting to the murder while at the hospital for his injuries. The defense trial consisted of nine character witnesses, and others who claimed to have seen another man running from the scene.

Post-trial developments depict a very different scene than that portrayed to the jury. Many believe that racism, Jamal's involvement in the Black Panther Political party and his exposure of police brutality prevented the completion of the appeal process and re-trial. The following are post-trial developments and factors found directly from http://www.freemumia.org/.

The Evidence-The prosecution claimed that the shot which killed Faulkner came from Mumia Abu-Jamal’s legally registered .38-caliber weapon, contradicting the medical examiner’s report that the bullet removed from Faulkner’s brain was a .44-caliber. This fact was kept from the jury. Moreover, a ballistics expert found it incredible that police at the scene failed to test Mumia’s gun to see if has been recently fired, or to test his hands for powder residue. One of the most damning prosecution claims was that Mumia confessed at the hospital. However, this confession was not reported until nearly two months after December 9th, immediately after Mumia had filed a brutality suit against the police. One of the officers who claims to have heard the confession is Gary Wakshul. However, in his police report on that day he stated, “the Negro male made no comments.” Dr. Coletta, the attending physician who was with Mumia the entire time, says that he never heard Mumia speak.
The Witnesses-The star prosecution witness, a prostitute named Cynthia White, was someone no other witness reported seeing at the scene. During the trial of Billy Cook (Mumia’s brother) just weeks before Mumia’s trial, White gave testimony completely contradictory to what she stated at Mumia’s trial. Her testimony at Billy Cook’s trial placed someone at the scene who was not there when police arrived. This corroborates the other five witness accounts that someone fled the scene. In a 1997 hearing, another former prostitute, Pamela Jenkins, testified that White was acting as a police informant. Other sworn testimony revealed that witness coercion was routinely practiced by the police. In 1995, eyewitness William Singletary testified that police repeatedly tore up his initial statement--that the shooter fled the scene--until he finally signed something acceptable to them. The following year, witness Veronica Jones came forward to testify that she had been coerced into changing her initial statement that two men fled the scene. Witness Billy Cook, who was present the whole time, has stated very clearly that Mumia is absolutely innocent.
The Sentence-Due to police manipulation of witnesses, fabrication of evidence, and the rights of the defense severely denied, Mumia was found guilty. He was sentenced to death during the penalty phase based solely on his political beliefs. Mumia has been unjustly separated from his family for twenty-two years, with the threat of death looming over his head.
New WitnessesIn 2001, court stenographer Terri Maurer-Carter came forward and stated that in 1982, before Mumia’s trial began, she heard Judge Sabo say, “Yeah, and I’m going to help them fry the n****r.” He was referring to Mumia. This backs up evidence of judicial bias and racism in Mumia’s case. In the same year, esteemed Philadelphia journalist Linn Washington stated that on the morning of December 9th, 1981, he went to the scene to report on it--and no police were present. This backs up prior claims that police didn’t handle the crime scene properly.
The Confession-In 1999, Arnold Beverly confessed to killing Officer Faulkner. This confession is validated by a lie detector test administered by eminent polygraph expert Charles Honts. Despite concrete evidence supporting this confession, the Philadelphia District Attorney has refused to investigate, and the courts have not even allowed it to be heard. The injustice continues . . .
The Decisions-On December 18th, 2001, Judge Yohn issued a decision on the Habeas Corpus petition in Federal District Court. He upheld Mumia’s unjust conviction, but challenged the sentencing phase (the death sentence). This means there could be a new sentencing hearing after all appeals are resolved, but the only options are life in prison with no possibility of parole or another death sentence. This is not justice. There is massive evidence of Mumia’s innocence and he should be absolutely free. Mumia’s legal team filed an appeal of this decision in January of 2002. Mumia remains on death row until all appeals by both sides are heard.
Judge Pamela Dembe’s November 21, 2001, rejection of Mumia’s request to reopen the PCRA hearings was appealed by Mumia’s legal team. Judge Dembe based her decision almost entirely on the Peterkin case, which has just been overturned! On October 8, 2003, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court rejected the appeal, stating that the Beverly confession cannot be heard due to time limitations. The court also stated that Terri Maurer-Carter’s testimony is irrelevant. The struggle continues.

There has been a worldwide movement in support for Mumia Abu-Jamal including celebrities like Susan Sarandon and Danny Glover. If you believe in justice, Mumia's innocence and human rights you can go on http://www.freemumia.org/ to learn more about the case and print out informational flyers to spead the word.

Reflecting on the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment

Syphilis is characterized as sexually transmitted venereal disease that if left untreated can cause heart disease, blindness, insanity, tumors, paralysis and death. In an embarrassment to the United States, the U.S. Public Health Service conducted an experiment on 399 black men in Tuskegee, Alabama. This experimentation that lasted forty years from 1932 to 1972 was not authorized by its test subjects. These human guinea pigs were disadvantaged African Americans, mostly impoverished and illiterate sharecroppers that were misled in participating by offering them "free treatment" and funeral expenses.

The basis of the experimentation was to see how syphilis affected blacks as opposed to Caucasians. It was believed that syphilis affected whites neurologically while in blacks it leads to cardiovascular degeneration. The experiments consisted of leaving the subjects untreated and observing and recording symptoms and complications, and finally performing an autopsy. To assure the subjects returned they lured them by promoting "Last Chance for Special Free Treatment"- which was actually a potentially dangerous spinal tap. One doctor involved in the experiments was quoted saying “As I see it, we have no further interest in these patients until they die.”

Throughout the experiment, its conductors contended that its subjects did not receive any type of treatment. They were deliberately denied medication that would have cured them, even during WWII when some men registered for the draft and were consequently exempt from receiving the required medication. By the end of the experiment, 28 died directly from the disease, 100 0thers died of related complications, 40 of their wives had been infected and 19 of their children were born with it. The information obtained has not assisted in the clinical treatment of syphilis and their main objective for the experiments outcome is unclear. “Nothing learned will prevent, find, or cure a single case of infectious syphilis or bring us closer to our basic mission of controlling venereal disease in the United States.”

It is important to remember instances such as these in American History that are rarely spoken of. There is clearly a racial aspect of the experiments and a superior attitude expressed by the government officials that issued this unfortunate project. Not many people know about the Tuskegee Experiments; however it is an event that highlights the ongoing discrimination and disregard for disadvantaged African Americans that the United States has expressed since its foundation. The fact that this was a government issued project makes it difficult for many African Americans to trust healthcare today. If our own government is capable of deliberately not treating a degenerative disease it has to make one wonder what else they are willing to experiment.

Limitations on the First Amendment

Our First Amendment rights are those which the citizens of the United States are free to exercise and were bravely fought for. But what happens in modern day America when exercising our right of free speech is penalized by the government? One of the qualities our nation's founders prided themselves in was our right to petition the government, as long as while doing so we abide by all laws. Our First Amendment rights are what distinguished the United States from its 18th century European counterparts and is vital to our democratic system.

Walter Murphy, a Princeton professor is known to be an influential constitutional scholar of our day. Among his many accomplishments he is a retired Marine, and has written many books concerning Constitutional democracy and modern politics. On his way to a conference for his latest book, he was stopped at the airport and informed that he was placed on the government's no-fly list for speaking out against the Bush Administration. At the airport he was asked if he'd attended any anti-war protests because many people are banned from flying for that reason. When he attempted to find out more about this list he was denied access to who compiles the no-fly list and what criteria is used to make the list.
It is understandable that in post 9/11 America the government would take extra precautions to ensure the safety of its citizens, but since Walter Murphy expressed his concerns many others have come out and have spoken of their similar experiences. The fact that many of the people on this list happen to be critics of the White House and anti-war advocates has to make us wonder if our freedom of expression is being restricted. The fact that airport officials stated that many people are banned from flying for attending peace marches, arises memories of the Gestapo in Nazi Germany. If anything, "violators" should at least be informed on the basis of their presence on the no-fly list, and the fact that they are not further questions the motives behind it.

As we cannot know for sure, we may just hope that instances such as this do not increase in prevalence. As a nation we must defend our precious rights and stand against forces that limit them.