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DeSwiss
DeSwiss's Journal
DeSwiss's Journal
July 31, 2012
Study Abstract:
[font size=3]Developmental Fluoride Neurotoxicity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis[/font]
Anna L. Choi, Guifan Sun, Ying Zhang, Philippe Grandjean
Background: Although fluoride may cause neurotoxicity in animal models and acute fluoride poisoning causes neurotoxicity in adults, very little is known of its effects on childrens neurodevelopment.
Objective: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies to investigate the effects of increased fluoride exposure and delayed neurobehavioral development.
Methods: We searched the MEDLINE, EMBASE, Water Resources Abstracts, and TOXNET databases through 2011 for eligible studies. We also searched the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database, as many studies on fluoride neurotoxicity have been published in Chinese journals only. In total, we identified 27 eligible epidemiological studies with high and reference exposures, endpoints of IQ scores or related cognitive function measures with means and variances for the two exposure groups. We estimated the standardized mean difference (SMD) between exposed and reference groups across all studies using random effects models. We conducted sensitivity analyses restricted to studies using the same outcome assessment and having drinking water fluoride as the only exposure. Cochran test for heterogeneity between studies, Beggs funnel plot and Egger test to assess publication bias were performed. Meta-regressions to explore sources of variation in mean differences among the studies were conducted.
Results: The standardized weighted mean difference in IQ score between exposed and reference populations was -0.45 (95% CI -0.56 to -0.35) using a random-effects model. Thus, children in high fluoride areas had significantly lower IQ scores than those who lived in low fluoride areas. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses also indicated inverse associations, although the substantial heterogeneity did not appear to decrease.
Conclusions: The results support the possibility of an adverse effect of high fluoride exposure on childrens neurodevelopment. Future research should include detailed individual-level information on prenatal exposure, neurobehavioral performance, and covariates for adjustment.
Citation: Choi AL, Sun G, Zhang Y, Grandjean P 2012. Developmental Fluoride Neurotoxicity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Environ Health Perspect :-. http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1104912
Received: 30 December 2011; Accepted: 20 July 2012; Online: 20 July 2012
Article link: http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/fetchArticle.action;jsessionid=5C98A897B69464FD44D98698EE9FC4A1?articleURI=info%3Adoi%2F10.1289%2Fehp.1104912
- How many scientific studies does it take to unscrew this lightbulb?!?!?!?!
It's Official: Drinking Fluoridated Water Lowers IQ
[font size=3]Harvard Study Finds Fluoride Lowers IQ - Published in Federal Gov't Journal[/font]
Tue Jul 24, 2012 8:45am EDT
PR Newswire
NEW YORK, July 24, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Harvard University researchers' review of fluoride/brain studies concludes "our results support the possibility of adverse effects of fluoride exposures on children's neurodevelopment." It was published online July 20 in Environmental Health Perspectives, a US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences' journal (1), reports the NYS Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation, Inc. (NYSCOF)
"The children in high fluoride areas had significantly lower IQ than those who lived in low fluoride areas," write Choi et al. Further, the EPA says fluoride is a chemical "with substantial evidence of developmental neurotoxicity." Fluoride (fluosilicic acid) is added to US water supplies at approximately 1 part per million attempting to reduce tooth decay.
Water was the only fluoride source in the studies reviewed and was based on high water fluoride levels. However, they point out research by Ding (2011) suggested that low water fluoride levels had significant negative associations with children's intelligence.
Choi et al. write, "Although fluoride may cause neurotoxicity in animal models and acute fluoride poisoning causes neurotoxicity in adults, very little is known of its effects on children's neurodevelopment. They recommend more brain/fluoride research on children and at individual-level doses.
"It's senseless to keep subjecting our children to this ongoing fluoridation experiment to satisfy the political agenda of special-interest groups," says attorney Paul Beeber, NYSCOF President. "Even if fluoridation reduced cavities, is tooth health more important than brain health? It's time to put politics aside and stop artificial fluoridation everywhere," says Beeber.
Article link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/24/idUS127920+24-Jul-2012+PRN20120724
Tue Jul 24, 2012 8:45am EDT
PR Newswire
NEW YORK, July 24, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Harvard University researchers' review of fluoride/brain studies concludes "our results support the possibility of adverse effects of fluoride exposures on children's neurodevelopment." It was published online July 20 in Environmental Health Perspectives, a US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences' journal (1), reports the NYS Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation, Inc. (NYSCOF)
"The children in high fluoride areas had significantly lower IQ than those who lived in low fluoride areas," write Choi et al. Further, the EPA says fluoride is a chemical "with substantial evidence of developmental neurotoxicity." Fluoride (fluosilicic acid) is added to US water supplies at approximately 1 part per million attempting to reduce tooth decay.
Water was the only fluoride source in the studies reviewed and was based on high water fluoride levels. However, they point out research by Ding (2011) suggested that low water fluoride levels had significant negative associations with children's intelligence.
Choi et al. write, "Although fluoride may cause neurotoxicity in animal models and acute fluoride poisoning causes neurotoxicity in adults, very little is known of its effects on children's neurodevelopment. They recommend more brain/fluoride research on children and at individual-level doses.
"It's senseless to keep subjecting our children to this ongoing fluoridation experiment to satisfy the political agenda of special-interest groups," says attorney Paul Beeber, NYSCOF President. "Even if fluoridation reduced cavities, is tooth health more important than brain health? It's time to put politics aside and stop artificial fluoridation everywhere," says Beeber.
Article link: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/24/idUS127920+24-Jul-2012+PRN20120724
Study Abstract:
[font size=3]Developmental Fluoride Neurotoxicity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis[/font]
Anna L. Choi, Guifan Sun, Ying Zhang, Philippe Grandjean
Background: Although fluoride may cause neurotoxicity in animal models and acute fluoride poisoning causes neurotoxicity in adults, very little is known of its effects on childrens neurodevelopment.
Objective: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies to investigate the effects of increased fluoride exposure and delayed neurobehavioral development.
Methods: We searched the MEDLINE, EMBASE, Water Resources Abstracts, and TOXNET databases through 2011 for eligible studies. We also searched the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database, as many studies on fluoride neurotoxicity have been published in Chinese journals only. In total, we identified 27 eligible epidemiological studies with high and reference exposures, endpoints of IQ scores or related cognitive function measures with means and variances for the two exposure groups. We estimated the standardized mean difference (SMD) between exposed and reference groups across all studies using random effects models. We conducted sensitivity analyses restricted to studies using the same outcome assessment and having drinking water fluoride as the only exposure. Cochran test for heterogeneity between studies, Beggs funnel plot and Egger test to assess publication bias were performed. Meta-regressions to explore sources of variation in mean differences among the studies were conducted.
Results: The standardized weighted mean difference in IQ score between exposed and reference populations was -0.45 (95% CI -0.56 to -0.35) using a random-effects model. Thus, children in high fluoride areas had significantly lower IQ scores than those who lived in low fluoride areas. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses also indicated inverse associations, although the substantial heterogeneity did not appear to decrease.
Conclusions: The results support the possibility of an adverse effect of high fluoride exposure on childrens neurodevelopment. Future research should include detailed individual-level information on prenatal exposure, neurobehavioral performance, and covariates for adjustment.
Citation: Choi AL, Sun G, Zhang Y, Grandjean P 2012. Developmental Fluoride Neurotoxicity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Environ Health Perspect :-. http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1104912
Received: 30 December 2011; Accepted: 20 July 2012; Online: 20 July 2012
Article link: http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/fetchArticle.action;jsessionid=5C98A897B69464FD44D98698EE9FC4A1?articleURI=info%3Adoi%2F10.1289%2Fehp.1104912
- See also:
Major Harvard Study Published in Federal Govt Journal Confirms Fluoride Lowers IQ
http://naturalsociety.com/harvard-study-published-federal-govt-journal-confirms-fluoride-lowers-iq/
EPA Database of Developmental Neurotoxicants
http://www.epa.gov/ncct/toxcast/files/summit/48P%20Mundy%20TDAS.pdf
- How many scientific studies does it take to unscrew this lightbulb?!?!?!?!
July 30, 2012
MORE
- I think Michelle needs a little more crazy eyes......
The Telegraph Pics 'O The Day
MORE
- I think Michelle needs a little more crazy eyes......
July 28, 2012
- Mitt's a dope. I'd rather be scissored by ----> than play footsies with ---->
Mitt Romney Lies About His BFF Bibi
[font color=darkred]SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP[/font]
[font size=3]WONKETTE[/font]
6:30 pm July 27, 2012
by Kris E. Benson
Romney rocks his mom jeans
When we were in high school we had a friend who claimed his family was really tight with Morgan Freemans, and hed tell us all kinds of hilarious stories about the good times hed had, just hanging out with Morgan Freeman and having all kinds of deep talks wherein Morgan would generously give him sage advice on how to handle the various challenges in his life. Except THEN it turned out that he had been lying the whole time and he was super embarrassed. See, this is why our friend from high school is a better person than Mitt Romney, who tells similarly ridiculous lies all the time and then doesnt even pretend to be embarrassed. Like how hes been running around saying that he was really good friends with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyatu. But then Vanity Fair ASKED Binyamin Netanyahu about his good friend Mittens, and Bibi was all like who? Oh THAT guy.
Yeah Were sure that Mitt Romney, a draft dodger whose pastimes include playing dress up, making fun of the blind, firing people who provide services to him, and firing people who provide services to you, has a lot in common with Binyamin Netanyahu, a officer in an elite unit of special forces in the IDF who fought in the October War.
MAJOR diss. Maybe Romney will get back at him by ruining our diplomatic relationship with Israel in much the same way he has managed to ruin it with the U.K.. Or by tying him to the roof of his car. Not sure which. Well keep you informed.
MORE
[font size=3]WONKETTE[/font]
6:30 pm July 27, 2012
by Kris E. Benson
Romney rocks his mom jeans
When we were in high school we had a friend who claimed his family was really tight with Morgan Freemans, and hed tell us all kinds of hilarious stories about the good times hed had, just hanging out with Morgan Freeman and having all kinds of deep talks wherein Morgan would generously give him sage advice on how to handle the various challenges in his life. Except THEN it turned out that he had been lying the whole time and he was super embarrassed. See, this is why our friend from high school is a better person than Mitt Romney, who tells similarly ridiculous lies all the time and then doesnt even pretend to be embarrassed. Like how hes been running around saying that he was really good friends with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyatu. But then Vanity Fair ASKED Binyamin Netanyahu about his good friend Mittens, and Bibi was all like who? Oh THAT guy.
- ROMNEY: We can almost speak in shorthand. We share common experiences and have a
perspective and underpinning which is similar.
~Mitt Romney, April 2012 in the New York Times.
Yeah Were sure that Mitt Romney, a draft dodger whose pastimes include playing dress up, making fun of the blind, firing people who provide services to him, and firing people who provide services to you, has a lot in common with Binyamin Netanyahu, a officer in an elite unit of special forces in the IDF who fought in the October War.
NETANYAHU: I remember him [Romney] for sure, but I dont think we had any particular connections,
I knew him and he knew me, I suppose.
~Bibi Netanyahu, July 2012 in Vanity Fair Interview, (middle of Page 4)
MAJOR diss. Maybe Romney will get back at him by ruining our diplomatic relationship with Israel in much the same way he has managed to ruin it with the U.K.. Or by tying him to the roof of his car. Not sure which. Well keep you informed.
- via (DailyKos)
MORE
- Mitt's a dope. I'd rather be scissored by ----> than play footsies with ---->
July 27, 2012
- Okay, now I KNOW that these are the end times.......
[center][/center]
Don Young Endorses Dem. What the… ?
[font size=3]Don Young Endorses Dem. What the
?[/font]
· The Mudflats · Posted by Jeanne Devon · Thursday, July 26, 2012 ·
Ever have one of those moments where you literally cant believe your eyes? Well, heres one for you. Imagine my surprise when I clicked on the Daily News headline ''Young blasted for endorsing Democrat in Senate race.'' Then my eye fell on the word Hawaii. At first, my mind went to Hawaiian Democratic Senator Daniel Inouye. He was a great friend of the late Senator Ted Stevens, who called Stevens brother and even came to Anchorage for his funeral and delivered a very moving eulogy. Why would they blast Don Young for endorsing Inouye? I thought to myself. And while the page was loading, I wondered, and why is he endorsing Inouye when hes not up for re-election until 2016?
So, imagine my surprise when his endorsement turned out to be for Democratic candidate Mazie Hirono. You cant imagine my surprise, because it is unimaginable. Id seen her speak recently at the Netroots convention in Providence, Rhode Island. I attended a luncheon panel where she appeared with Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and House candidate Darcy Burner of Washington.
[center]
Hirono, Burner, and Warren on stage at Netroots 2012 in Providence[/center]
When she was only 8 years old, she and her mother fled an abusive father, and sailed to America in steerage, from Japan. She spoke about how grateful she was for her mothers courage, and the risk she took in starting a new life. Neither knew a word of English, and when her mother got a job, she worried that if she ever got sick and couldnt work, there would be no more money, and she would be alone in a strange new land.
I know what its like for struggling families, and I know about strong women, she said. I believe the Senate could stand more diversity and I bring quadruple diversity I am a woman, I would be the first Asian woman ever, I am an immigrant, I am a Buddhist. People say, yes, but are you gay? and I say, Nobodys perfect. The audience erupted in laughter.
MORE
[center][/center]
· The Mudflats · Posted by Jeanne Devon · Thursday, July 26, 2012 ·
Ever have one of those moments where you literally cant believe your eyes? Well, heres one for you. Imagine my surprise when I clicked on the Daily News headline ''Young blasted for endorsing Democrat in Senate race.'' Then my eye fell on the word Hawaii. At first, my mind went to Hawaiian Democratic Senator Daniel Inouye. He was a great friend of the late Senator Ted Stevens, who called Stevens brother and even came to Anchorage for his funeral and delivered a very moving eulogy. Why would they blast Don Young for endorsing Inouye? I thought to myself. And while the page was loading, I wondered, and why is he endorsing Inouye when hes not up for re-election until 2016?
So, imagine my surprise when his endorsement turned out to be for Democratic candidate Mazie Hirono. You cant imagine my surprise, because it is unimaginable. Id seen her speak recently at the Netroots convention in Providence, Rhode Island. I attended a luncheon panel where she appeared with Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and House candidate Darcy Burner of Washington.
[center]
Hirono, Burner, and Warren on stage at Netroots 2012 in Providence[/center]
When she was only 8 years old, she and her mother fled an abusive father, and sailed to America in steerage, from Japan. She spoke about how grateful she was for her mothers courage, and the risk she took in starting a new life. Neither knew a word of English, and when her mother got a job, she worried that if she ever got sick and couldnt work, there would be no more money, and she would be alone in a strange new land.
I know what its like for struggling families, and I know about strong women, she said. I believe the Senate could stand more diversity and I bring quadruple diversity I am a woman, I would be the first Asian woman ever, I am an immigrant, I am a Buddhist. People say, yes, but are you gay? and I say, Nobodys perfect. The audience erupted in laughter.
MORE
[center][/center]
- Okay, now I KNOW that these are the end times.......
[center][/center]
July 21, 2012
- Forget Chris Cristie, the Repukes need to sign-up ''Dancer Go Go'' as their keynote speaker. She's got their make money off 'em message down pat......
[center][/center]
Tampa Strip Clubs Take Extra Steps To Cash In On Republican National Convention
Tampa Bay Online
Published: July 20, 2012
2001 Odyssey
Strip clubs may not be the most politically correct venue for those attending the Republican National Convention, but that doesn't mean Tampa's well-known adult hot spots won't be ready for the influx of visitors. One place is bringing in a stripper who looks like former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
There are major renovations taking place. And some nude clubs have already been giving potential customers a taste of the talent online. "Not only can you see the dancers on the stage and in the dressing room, you can also talk to them in an online chat room," said Don Kleinhans, owner of the 2001 Odyssey on North Dale Mabry Highway.
By the time the RNC begins in late August, Kleinhans hopes out-of-towners will have already formed attachments to his dancers from watching them online through the Club Cam System, which the 2001 Odyssey developed. Customers pay $4 a minute to chat on top of the monthly $19.95 membership.
"Basically, what you see in a bricks-and-mortar strip club you can now see live on the Internet," Kleinhans said. One of the dancers, known as Go Go, hopes the software will lead to a profitable August. She chats a few times a week. "Guys I meet online feel like we have a relationship," she said. "If someone came to town, you only had them the short amount of time and had to part ways. Now you can still make money off them."
MORE
Published: July 20, 2012
2001 Odyssey
Strip clubs may not be the most politically correct venue for those attending the Republican National Convention, but that doesn't mean Tampa's well-known adult hot spots won't be ready for the influx of visitors. One place is bringing in a stripper who looks like former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
There are major renovations taking place. And some nude clubs have already been giving potential customers a taste of the talent online. "Not only can you see the dancers on the stage and in the dressing room, you can also talk to them in an online chat room," said Don Kleinhans, owner of the 2001 Odyssey on North Dale Mabry Highway.
By the time the RNC begins in late August, Kleinhans hopes out-of-towners will have already formed attachments to his dancers from watching them online through the Club Cam System, which the 2001 Odyssey developed. Customers pay $4 a minute to chat on top of the monthly $19.95 membership.
"Basically, what you see in a bricks-and-mortar strip club you can now see live on the Internet," Kleinhans said. One of the dancers, known as Go Go, hopes the software will lead to a profitable August. She chats a few times a week. "Guys I meet online feel like we have a relationship," she said. "If someone came to town, you only had them the short amount of time and had to part ways. Now you can still make money off them."
MORE
- Forget Chris Cristie, the Repukes need to sign-up ''Dancer Go Go'' as their keynote speaker. She's got their make money off 'em message down pat......
[center][/center]
July 21, 2012
- If they gave medals to unions for the timing of strikes, this one would be GOLD!
UK Immigration And Visa Staff To Go On Strike One Day Before The Olympics
Business Insider | Adam Taylor | Jul. 19, 2012, 10:10 AM
Heathrow Airport (AP)
UK Border Agency Staff have voted to strike a day before the Olympic opening ceremony. ITV News' Lucy Manning tweets that border staff will be striking 26th July and will not work overtime between 27 July to 20 August.
The Border Agency provides key services visa and immigration services at airports, and their strike could cause chaos at airports during the Olympic Games. Given that state resources are already overstretched due to the disastrous G4S private security situation, this could be a big problem.
Reuters also reports that hundreds of train drivers in Central England are threatening a three-day strike during the Olympics.
MORE
Heathrow Airport (AP)
UK Border Agency Staff have voted to strike a day before the Olympic opening ceremony. ITV News' Lucy Manning tweets that border staff will be striking 26th July and will not work overtime between 27 July to 20 August.
The Border Agency provides key services visa and immigration services at airports, and their strike could cause chaos at airports during the Olympic Games. Given that state resources are already overstretched due to the disastrous G4S private security situation, this could be a big problem.
Reuters also reports that hundreds of train drivers in Central England are threatening a three-day strike during the Olympics.
MORE
- If they gave medals to unions for the timing of strikes, this one would be GOLD!
- ''When it gets down to having to use violence, then you are playing the systems game. The establishment will irritate you pull your beard, flick your face to make you fight. Because once theyve got you violent, then they know how to handle you. The only thing they dont know how to handle is non-violence and humor.'' ~John Lennon
July 20, 2012
- I'm sure that when he finally gets around to responding to her email, it'll be to demand a copy of her long-form marriage certificate. Which of course are all very, very, very long.
Did I mention that they're all very, very, very long??? Unless your name is Kardashian.......
[center][/center]
Embedded Journalist Connie Schultz Weasels Out Of Breitbart Wannabe’s Sneaky Gotcha! Question
[font size=5]Wonkette[/font]
by Doktor Zoom
5:00 pm July 19, 2012
Syndicated columnist and Elite Media Figure Connie Schultz presents us with an object lesson in how to cleverly avoid answering pointed questions from citizen-journalists who tell you that they have the goods on you. (Above. It is right there above. Did you not see it?)
But a couple of Tips to the best journalist of his (or her!) generation:
1) Make sure you spell your targets name right.
2) Do not announce to your target that you are doing an exposé on them. Instead, use more subtle terminology, such as We are investigating your corrupt practices for a hit piece that will destroy you and your ilk for all time. Thank you so much for your cooperation, and have a great day!
3) Make use of reliable inside-journalism sources like Wikipedia or an Ouija board to do basic fact checking.
{Facebook}
by Doktor Zoom
5:00 pm July 19, 2012
Syndicated columnist and Elite Media Figure Connie Schultz presents us with an object lesson in how to cleverly avoid answering pointed questions from citizen-journalists who tell you that they have the goods on you. (Above. It is right there above. Did you not see it?)
But a couple of Tips to the best journalist of his (or her!) generation:
1) Make sure you spell your targets name right.
2) Do not announce to your target that you are doing an exposé on them. Instead, use more subtle terminology, such as We are investigating your corrupt practices for a hit piece that will destroy you and your ilk for all time. Thank you so much for your cooperation, and have a great day!
3) Make use of reliable inside-journalism sources like Wikipedia or an Ouija board to do basic fact checking.
{Facebook}
- I'm sure that when he finally gets around to responding to her email, it'll be to demand a copy of her long-form marriage certificate. Which of course are all very, very, very long.
Did I mention that they're all very, very, very long??? Unless your name is Kardashian.......
[center][/center]
July 20, 2012
Reader Supported News
By Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic
19, July 2012
[font size=1 color=gray]A federal investigation alleged Enrique Prado's involvement
in seven murders, yet he was in charge when America
outsourced covert killing to a private company.[/font](photo:Reuters)
It was one of the biggest secrets of the post-9/11 era: soon after the attacks, President Bush gave the CIA permission to create a top secret assassination unit to find and kill Al Qaeda operatives. The program was kept from Congress for seven years. And when Leon Panetta told legislators about it in 2009, he revealed that the CIA had hired the private security firm Blackwater to help run it. "The move was historic," says Evan Wright, the two-time National Magazine Award-winning journalist who wrote Generation Kill. "It seems to have marked the first time the U.S. government outsourced a covert assassination service to private enterprise."
The quote is from his e-book How to Get Away With Murder in America, which goes on to note that "in the past, the CIA was subject to oversight, however tenuous, from the president and Congress," but that "President Bush's 2001 executive order severed this line by transferring to the CIA his unique authority to approve assassinations. By removing himself from the decision-making cycle, the president shielded himself -- and all elected authority -- from responsibility should a mission go wrong or be found illegal. When the CIA transferred the assassination unit to Blackwater, it continued the trend. CIA officers would no longer participate in the agency's most violent operations, or witness them. If it practiced any oversight at all, the CIA would rely on Blackwater's self-reporting about missions it conducted. Running operations through Blackwater gave the CIA the power to have people abducted, or killed, with no one in the government being exactly responsible." None of this is new information, though I imagine that many people reading this item are hearing about it for the first time.
Isn't that bizarre?
The bulk of Wright's e-book (full disclosure: I help edit the website of Byliner, publisher of the e-book) tells the story of Enrique Prado, a high-ranking CIA-officer-turned-Blackwater-employee who oversaw assassination units for both the CIA and the contractor. To whom was this awesome responsibility entrusted? According to Wright's investigation, a federal organized crime squad run out of the Miami-Dade Police Department produced an investigation allegedly tying Prado to seven murders carried out while he worked as a bodyguard for a narco crime boss. At the time, the CIA declared him unavailable for questioning; the investigation was shut down before he was arrested or tried.
MORE
The Terrifying Background Of The Man Who Ran A CIA Assassination Unit
Reader Supported News
By Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic
19, July 2012
[font size=1 color=gray]A federal investigation alleged Enrique Prado's involvement
in seven murders, yet he was in charge when America
outsourced covert killing to a private company.[/font](photo:Reuters)
It was one of the biggest secrets of the post-9/11 era: soon after the attacks, President Bush gave the CIA permission to create a top secret assassination unit to find and kill Al Qaeda operatives. The program was kept from Congress for seven years. And when Leon Panetta told legislators about it in 2009, he revealed that the CIA had hired the private security firm Blackwater to help run it. "The move was historic," says Evan Wright, the two-time National Magazine Award-winning journalist who wrote Generation Kill. "It seems to have marked the first time the U.S. government outsourced a covert assassination service to private enterprise."
The quote is from his e-book How to Get Away With Murder in America, which goes on to note that "in the past, the CIA was subject to oversight, however tenuous, from the president and Congress," but that "President Bush's 2001 executive order severed this line by transferring to the CIA his unique authority to approve assassinations. By removing himself from the decision-making cycle, the president shielded himself -- and all elected authority -- from responsibility should a mission go wrong or be found illegal. When the CIA transferred the assassination unit to Blackwater, it continued the trend. CIA officers would no longer participate in the agency's most violent operations, or witness them. If it practiced any oversight at all, the CIA would rely on Blackwater's self-reporting about missions it conducted. Running operations through Blackwater gave the CIA the power to have people abducted, or killed, with no one in the government being exactly responsible." None of this is new information, though I imagine that many people reading this item are hearing about it for the first time.
Isn't that bizarre?
The bulk of Wright's e-book (full disclosure: I help edit the website of Byliner, publisher of the e-book) tells the story of Enrique Prado, a high-ranking CIA-officer-turned-Blackwater-employee who oversaw assassination units for both the CIA and the contractor. To whom was this awesome responsibility entrusted? According to Wright's investigation, a federal organized crime squad run out of the Miami-Dade Police Department produced an investigation allegedly tying Prado to seven murders carried out while he worked as a bodyguard for a narco crime boss. At the time, the CIA declared him unavailable for questioning; the investigation was shut down before he was arrested or tried.
MORE
- ''One measure of a society is the problems it chooses to solve. Romes ruling class was unable to restrain its rapacity, even in its own ultimate interest. Adams saw what liberals are rarely willing to admitnamely, that a system based on corrupt practice cannot be saved merely by tinkering with it.''
~John Whiting, London University
July 20, 2012
- Rocket-stove technology has been around for a while, but my only question is: How many people today know how to start a stove fire?
Charge Your Cellphone Battery With Fire
http://vimeo.com/41198061#- Rocket-stove technology has been around for a while, but my only question is: How many people today know how to start a stove fire?
July 19, 2012
Published on Jun 18, 2012 by hilahcooking
Make a Chick-Fil-A Fried Chicken Sandwich at home with this copycat recipe. Less sugar, less salt, and less funding for anti-human-equality organizations.
HILAH COOKING: New Episodes Every Tuesday and Thursday!
- - - - - - - - - - -
Subscribe on YouTube (never miss a video!) http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=HilahCooking
Facebook: http://facebook.com/hilahcooking
Twitter: http://twitter.com/hilahcooking
Check out over 100 video recipes at http://hilahcooking.com
- - - - - - - - - - -
Hilah Cooking is a short-form, educational web series focused on making cooking FUN! We release two episodes every week. Our focus is on simple, low-cost recipes with a Texas flair. Everything is made from scratch, people! You will not see any packets of taco seasoning mix or gravy powder up in here. If you are going to learn how to cook, you are going to learn it for real! But I promise it will be fun and easy.
- - - - - - - - - - -
Chick-Fil-A Ingredients
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/4 cup pickle juice (sour dill is my favorite)
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
Optional: up to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper for a spicy sandwich
Oil for frying (about a cup)
- Here's to hoping that the same recipe that made Chick-Fil-A, will also be their undoing.......
Chick-Fil-Gay Sandwich (Chick-Fil-A Copycat Recipe)
Published on Jun 18, 2012 by hilahcooking
Make a Chick-Fil-A Fried Chicken Sandwich at home with this copycat recipe. Less sugar, less salt, and less funding for anti-human-equality organizations.
HILAH COOKING: New Episodes Every Tuesday and Thursday!
- - - - - - - - - - -
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Hilah Cooking is a short-form, educational web series focused on making cooking FUN! We release two episodes every week. Our focus is on simple, low-cost recipes with a Texas flair. Everything is made from scratch, people! You will not see any packets of taco seasoning mix or gravy powder up in here. If you are going to learn how to cook, you are going to learn it for real! But I promise it will be fun and easy.
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Chick-Fil-A Ingredients
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/4 cup pickle juice (sour dill is my favorite)
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
Optional: up to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper for a spicy sandwich
Oil for frying (about a cup)
- Here's to hoping that the same recipe that made Chick-Fil-A, will also be their undoing.......
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Member since: Thu Jul 6, 2006, 12:17 AMNumber of posts: 27,137