Archive for December, 2010

EXPERIMENTAL SHOCK STIMULATOR FOR SLEEP APNEA SUFFERERS

Posted on December 30, 2010 by

A pacemaker like upper airway stimulation therapy unit is entering limited patient trials in the US and Europe and is hope to be an asnwer for the 12 million Americans suffering from obstructive sleep apnea. The new system sends a small electrical stimulation to the nerve at the base of the tongue in order to […]

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HOW FACEBOOK WILL CHANGE WHEN IT GOES PUBLIC SOON

Posted on December 30, 2010 by

The pressure is now on FACEBOOK to make the move and go public, in part due to special rules of the Security Exchange Commission relating to the amount of private stock issued in a company and the securities issues that arise when private companies are so large that informal trading already occurs. The SEC is […]

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REMOVE UNDER GOD FROM PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

Posted on December 29, 2010 by

Imagine you are a child attending one of our public schools, being raised as a Humanist,within a family which does not believe in the existence of a God. Each morning, you are required to recite or remain silent while everyone recites the pledge of allegiance including the words “One nation under God…” A friend of mine, David […]

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POPE BENEDICT BLAMES “1970’s” FOR CLERGY SEX ABUSE OF KIDS

Posted on December 28, 2010 by

In his annual end of the year address to the College of Cardinals and representatives of the Roman Curia, the Pope said that the scandal of the sexual abuse of children by Catholic Clergy was the fault not just of the Church but also with the “context of our times”. He equated child pornography with […]

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BOOK REVIEW 2011: IDEAS MADE TO STICK

Posted on December 24, 2010 by

My book reviews last year were almost all fiction–my first love. This year, probably deriving from the pragmatic issues of our time, I read some non-fiction books, one of which stood out. It is WHY SOME IDEAS SURVIVE AND OTHERS DIE: MADE TO STICK by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. What the Heathi point out […]

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HOW THE CATHOLIC CHURCH CRIMINALLY AIDED AND ABETTED THE OFFENDERS

Posted on December 24, 2010 by

James Carroll, writer, former priest and outspoken commentator on the Catholic Church and its future, speaks in today’s Daily Beast. His words on the sexual abuse crisis are worth reading. As Europe is seeing fresh priest abuse scandals like here 8 years ago, Carroll points out that Bishops and other leaders within the Church, not […]

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Human Networking Theory Explains Infectious Disease Spread

Posted on December 16, 2010 by

New studies using human networking theory gives a clearer idea of how infectious diseases such as the common cold, influenza, whooping cough and SARS are spread through a closed group and also through large populations. The results are published in this week’s Journal Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences. Volunteers in a school were […]

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When will Facebook Go Public and What Will It Mean?

Posted on December 9, 2010 by

According to some reports, Facebook is now cleaning up its legal act with pending and threatened litigation, in order to set the stage for taking the company public. Presently valued in excess of 40 billion,  with infusions of funders from various quarters, the growing powerhouse could become the largest and most powerful internet phenom, exceeding […]

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Noam Chomsky on why evidence from reliable sources is important

Posted on December 9, 2010 by

Why are Evidence and Reliable Sources So Important? An opinion without evidence remains just an opinion. Without evidence to support an opinion it is not open to refutation and consequently unsubstantiated and very weak. When evidence is offered it can be checked and if it passes muster the argument is greatly strengthened. It also shows […]

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Global Action Impotent To Halt Global Warming: Economist

Posted on December 4, 2010 by

The Economist Magazine analysts report that global action is not going to stop climate change and that the world needs to figure ways to live with it. Even if carbon dioxide emissions were to stabilize where they are now, the world would still warm by half a defree as the ocean catches up. Sea levels […]

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