Monday, August 30, 2010

Some Xanthone notes: polyphenols and solar power? - #mangosteen #solar


1,3,5,6-Tetrahydroxyxanthen-9-one AIDS-011165 AIDS011165 Xanthone der.

Just some initial notes here.  More to come I would imagine.

Xanthone, ... can be used for the production of third generation printed solar cells. #wikipedia http://ping.fm/c8cy5
via Ping.fm

  • Bioavailability and Antioxidant Effects of a Xanthone-Rich Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) Product in Humans - Journal of Agricultural and
  • xanthone Molecules@GNU-Darwin.org Structural Archive and Gallery http://ping.fm/UWSBO
  • I was surprised to learn tetrahydroxyxanthone from mangosteen can be used in solar cells. It appears to be a resveratrol-like polyphenol.

  • Regards,
    proclus
    http://www.gnu-darwin.org/

    Posted via email from #p

    Help Protect #Alaska's Wild #Salmon Populations - #fish #mining

    I thought you might be interested in this opportunity to protect America's wild salmon from short-sighted mining operations.

    To take action on this issue, click on the link below:
    http://online.nwf.org/site/Advocacy?s_oo=FDp5jZ3twHsxT_H_tWJEvA..&id=915 If the text above does not appear as a link or it wraps across multiple lines, then copy and paste it into the address area of your browser. 

    Posted via email from #p

    Sunday, August 29, 2010

    Help Maintain Healthy Populations of Sandhill Cranes

    Dear Friend,

    USDA Conservation Programs have had great success in improving habitat in places like the Platte River in Nebraska, which is renowned for being the largest staging area for Sandhill Cranes during their Spring migration. But now, the programs that are critical to maintaining healthy populations of Sandhill Cranes and other wildlife, are at risk of being cut. Please join me in urging our federal officials to avoid cutting critical conservation funding. Take action: http://bit.ly/cNaXpi

    Regards,
    proclus
    http://www.gnu-darwin.org/

    Posted via email from #p

    Thursday, August 26, 2010

    Face the facts - #global #warming #climate #change

    Hi,

    You've probably heard about the flooding in Pakistan that's left millions of people homeless.  But did you know that similar weather disasters are expected to become more frequent and more damaging because of global climate change?

    Get the facts about the link between global warming and extreme weather.

    http://acp.repoweramerica.org/extremeweather-taf

    It's up to people like you and me to get educated and get involved -- so let's start today.

    Thanks!

    Posted via email from #p

    Defeating the GOP - #greens #progressives

    How can we assure that third parties are heard and the Republicans
    are defeated in upcoming elections? Here is an outline of a
    strategy. Congratulations to those who are already doing these
    things!

    1. It is imporant to keep the GOP marginalized.


    a. hammer on teaparty and other wackos
    b. never forget Bush
    c. support popular initiatives that the GOP opposes
    d. be honest and explain positions clearly and succinctly
    e. build broad-based coalitions, cooperate, emphasize
    commonalities

    2. Keep the based engaged.


    a. follow through on promises
    b. doing 1. helps keep the base engaged

     

    3. Use the courts.


    Most of the courts are GOP friendly at this time.
    Legal battles should be fought vigorously and
    protracted to illustrate the fact that a change
    is needed in the courts. Don't give up. Make
    the arguments a matter of public debate, so that
    the courts will perceive that the mood of the
    country has changed. This could affect many
    rulings.


    4. Undermine their sources of economic strength.


    This is the most important one, but it requires
    individual imagination. Use your creativity
    to blockade, boycott, and strike at the GOP
    centers of economic power.


    The metaphor for our time is the FDR years, and the left is in a
    position of great strength. Act with strength, and the people
    will be supportive. If the GOP is stonewalling, don't try to
    negotiate with them, and let them talk their talk. It will be
    self-defeating for them. Let's not forget that the aim is to
    defeat the GOP. Let's make sure that they never give us the
    problems that they have given us ever again. End the GOP in this
    generation. We can do it, if we do it now, while they are weak.

    Regards,
    proclus
    http://www.gnu-darwin.org/

    Posted via email from #p

    Tell the Senate: Say No to

    Walter Pincus reported recently in the Washington Post that the Pentagon is planning to build long-term U.S. military bases in Afghanistan.

    Join me in urging your Senators to reject or restrict the Pentagon's funding request, as it rejected a long term military construction request for Iraq in 2008:

    http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/afghanistanbases

    Regards,
    proclus
    http://www.gnu-darwin.org/

    Posted via email from #p

    <em>NYT</em> Exploits Own Iraq Death Toll Denial to Trash Venezuela

    What I want to know is why do people read the Times at all? There are far better and far more accurate sources of news (hint!). I do not read it, and I do not link to it, which is the advisable course of action.



    Regards,

    proclus

    http://www.gnu-darwin.org/
    Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

    Public Citizen Is Doing Good Work on Our Behalf

    Public Citizen is keeping an eye on Washington -- and beyond -- for us.
    Sign up to receive their activist newsletter, Citizen Direct, and their regular action updates:
    http://action.citizen.org/signUp.jsp. You'll find out how we can take back our democracy.

    Posted via email from #p

    Oil Threatens #Endangered #Whales! - #greenpeace #BP Oil Spill #boycottbp #oilspill #whale

    Hey there,

    I just sent a message through Greenpeace to Dr. Jane Lubchenco, the head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, asking her to protect the sperm whale and the entire Gulf ecosystem by establishing marine reserves in ecologically critical areas. We can't afford another disaster like the one in the Gulf. Join me and take action here:

    http://us.greenpeace.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=705&s_src=taf&sub_src=ty

    Greenpeace has sent a ship to the Gulf to do an independent assessment of the possible damage done to the sperm whale population. Hopefully, people like Dr. Lubchenco make sure the next disaster never happens.

    http://us.greenpeace.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=705&s_src=taf&sub_src=ty

    Sincerely,

    Posted via email from #p

    Wednesday, August 25, 2010

    Tell NBC: Sunday Morning Needs a Real War Debate

    The war in Afghanistan has re-emerged as a major news story, thanks to the controversies surrounding the removal of Gen. Stanley McChrystal and the WikiLeaks release of classified documents. But on NBC's Meet the Press, the opportunity to engage in a robust debate about the war has taken a back seat to promoting the views of the military and supporters of Obama's Afghanistan policies. Please join me in calling on Meet the Press to put more war critics on the public airwaves. Sign FAIR's petition today:

    http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/592/action/nbc-war

    ACTION ALERT:
    Tell NBC: Sunday Morning Needs a Real War Debate
    Meet the Press features a parade of Afghanistan hawks

    The war in Afghanistan has re-emerged as a major news story, thanks to the controversies surrounding the removal of Gen. Stanley McChrystal and the WikiLeaks release of classified documents. But on NBC's Meet the Press, the opportunity to engage in a robust debate about the war has taken a back seat to promoting the views of the military and supporters of Obama's Afghanistan policies.

    The most recent example came on August 15, when Meet the Press devoted the entire episode to a profile of Gen. David Petraeus. Host David Gregory's opening indicated it wasn't going to be a feet-to-the-fire interview: "At 57, General David Petraeus is easily America’s most famous warrior. On this morning we find him in the middle of physical training as this fiercely competitive four-star general works over soldiers half his age with the same intensity as he works the war plan."

    Gregory questioned Petraeus about the timeline for withdrawal of U.S. troops as if it were an irritant: "How stifling is the concept of this deadline and this Washington debate to what you're trying to do here?" At the close of the broadcast, Gregory echoed that sentiment and worried about the public's lack of support:
    General Petraeus is a military leader with great commitment and great intellectual rigor, but you have to wonder whether he has enough time politically to achieve what he thinks is possible here.... The question now for the American public is whether it has the stomach and the will to do what it takes to succeed here, and whether it has the stomach for what could happen here if the U.S. and its allies fail.

    The hour with Petraeus was in keeping with recent patterns on the show. Right after the WikiLeaks disclosure, the show's August 1 broadcast led with Gregory announcing, "The leaking of secret Afghanistan war documents has enraged U.S. military officials who warn of serious consequences for the leaker and the man behind the Web site WikiLeaks." The featured one-on-one interview was with Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. There were no guests on hand to comment from an antiwar perspective.

    On July 11, the program featured a one-on-one interview with White House press secretary Robert Gibbs that touched briefly on the war. The show's panel discussion featured MSNBC host Rachel Maddow, who offered a somewhat mild critique of the war, mostly stressing that a withdrawal timeline improves the performance of the Afghan government. Her co-panelists were conservative pundit David Brooks and Ed Gillespie of the Republican State Leadership Committee, both of whom support the war effort to varying degrees (Brooks called himself a "strong supporter," while Gillespie opposes any talk of a withdrawal timeline).

    On June 27, Meet the Press devoted significant time to Afghanistan, thanks to the McChrystal controversy. The one-on-one interview was with Republican Sen. John McCain, a die-hard supporter of the war who opposes a withdrawal timetable.

    The panel discussion that followed was notable in that it featured a rarity: a bona fide anti-war voice in Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.). But Lee was surrounded by pro-war guests: writer Sebastian Junger, retired U.S. Army captain Wes Moore, retired general Barry McCaffrey and Tom Ricks of the Center for a New American Security. Any talk of leaving Afghanistan was outnumbered by the pro-war majority. Junger stated that if U.S troops leave, the Taliban are "going to be right back in Afghanistan." Ricks added, "I think if you want an endless war, Congresswoman, leave Afghanistan right now, and you'll find us having to go after Al-Qaeda again and again there for decades." At one point Junger even objected to Lee's terminology, arguing that "the word occupation really is not accurate."
    So in weeks when public support for the war has continued to drop (CNN's most recent poll shows 62 percent oppose the war--8/6-10/10), why has NBC been so intent on promoting the war? It is hard to overlook the fact that NBC's parent company General Electric is heavily involved in weapons-related contracts with the U.S. military, and has also benefited from reconstruction contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan (Center for Public Integrity, 10/31/03).

    On one recent show (7/11/10), Gregory mused that "finding the ideological fault lines here are difficult between left and right, frankly." But the host of Meet the Press can't "find" a debate only because he refuses to have one on his show.

    Add your voice here: https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/592/action/nbc-war

    ***
    FAIR, the national media watch group, has been offering well-documented criticism of media bias and censorship since 1986.

    www.fair.org

    Posted via email from #p

    Tuesday, August 24, 2010

    A very interesting social bookmarking site!

    Interesting bookmarking site

    Propeller
    http://www.netscape.com/submit/

    Keep Oil Drilling Out of Florida Panther Habitat

    Big Cypress National Preserve was created in 1974 to stave off a proposed airport in the heart of the western Everglades. Now Miami-Dade County, whose land surrounds the preserve, finds itself with a cash shortfall and a proposal has been made to squeeze the money it lacks for airport expansion out of the very nature preserve that was set aside to prevent new airport construction - Big Cypress.

    Under the proposal, Miami-Dade County would lease out the land for oil drilling — a cynical, grasping move that would undermine decades of preservation and be certain to hurt Florida panthers. Already one of the most endangered species on the planet, panthers depend on Big Cypress for living space.

    For now, the proposal has been shelved at the last minute by Miami Mayor Carlos Alvarez due to public outcry. But though it won’t be discussed at the very next county commission meeting, this destructive plan could still be brought to life again. And we need to make sure that doesn’t happen.

    So please, send a letter asking Miami's mayor to make sure this absurd and destructive idea to allow new oil operations in the Big Cypress National Preserve remains completely off the table.

    Visit http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2167/t/5243/p/dia/action/public/?action_... to take action now.

    Posted via email from #p

    Monday, August 23, 2010

    Stem cell research - #embryo #embryos #stemcell

    If I had to destroy a small glob of cells (#embryo) to get my stems cells, I would obviously do it. An embryo is not a human being, and far from it. A potential human being is not a human being, just a grain of pollen or a seed is not a tree.  Meanwhile there are actual crimes against real human beings happening. Where is the sense of scale? There is real illness and actual human suffering, beside which that glob of cells is comparitively nothing. Outside the womb, the embryonic stem cells are a possible relief to some of this illness and suffering, and we have so much to learn about it. I gravely doubt the moral sensibilities of anyone who would block our access to stem cells and stem cell research.  Many of them are all too happy to see the bombs raining on other countries, deprive others of basic human rights, and some of them are blind to the suffering they are causing. They have no credibility whatsoever to judge the ethics of stem cell research.  It is a crime to deprive people of the option of embryonic stem cell therapy, which could possibly relieve their suffering.  Come into the new millenium folks! If it is not done in this jursidiction, it will be done elsewhere. In fact, it already is. Stem cells are a wave of the future. If the US does not get on board, they will lose the game.

    Regards,
    proclus
    http://www.gnu-darwin.org/

    Posted via email from #p

    Stem cell research - #embryo #embryos #stemcell

    If I had to destroy a small glob of cells (#embryo) to get my stems cells, I would obviously do it. An embryo is not a human being, and far from it. A potential human being is not a human being, just a grain of pollen or a seed is not a tree.  Meanwhile there are actual crimes against real human beings happening. Where is the sense of scale? There is real illness and actual human suffering, beside which that glob of cells is comparitively nothing. Outside the womb, the embryonic stem cells are a possible relief to some of this illness and suffering, and we have so much to learn about it. I gravely doubt the moral sensibilities of anyone who would block our access to stem cells and stem cell research.  Many of them are all too happy to see the bombs raining on other countries, deprive others of basic human rights, and some of them are blind to the suffering they are causing. They have no credibility whatsoever to judge the ethics of stem cell research.  It is a crime to deprive people of the option of embryonic stem cell therapy, which could possibly relieve their suffering.  Come into the new millenium folks! If it is not done in this jursidiction, it will be done elsewhere. In fact, it already is. Stem cells are a wave of the future. If the US does not get on board, they will lose the game.

    Regards,
    proclus
    http://www.gnu-darwin.org/

    Posted via email from #p

    Wednesday, August 18, 2010

    Support the Global Food Security Act - #food #gmo #africa #foods #poverty

    Hi-

    I just asked my senator to support the Global Food Security Act, and I hope you'll do the same.

    One billion people -one in every six - are suffering from hunger, a problem that will only get worse as climate change makes weather less predictable and farming more difficult.

    Women and children are often the hardest hit by hunger. In 2009, hunger and malnutrition contributed to the death of more than 3 million children.

    I understand that there is some controversy about language in the bill regarding GMO food research. It is clear that more GMO food research is needed, but perhaps the language can be modified in response to the critics, and natural allies will join in supporting the bill that they now oppose.

    No one should have to go hungry, and we have the tools to address global food security head on. Can you help me by taking action?

    Regards,
    proclus
    http://www.gnu-darwin.org/


    To take action on this issue, click on the link below:
    http://act.oxfamamerica.org/site/Advocacy?s_oo=Y-wLrZZRAJ2RnX_vEW-_mg..&id=1151 If the text above does not appear as a link or it wraps across multiple lines, then copy and paste it into the address area of your browser.

    Posted via email from #p