High Fructose Corn Syrup Linked to Liver Damage, Cancer

Research by the Duke University Medical Center has connected High Fructose Corn Syrup to liver scarring, damage, and cancer.

“We found that increased consumption of high fructose corn syrup was associated with scarring in the liver, or fibrosis, among patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD),” said Manal Abdelmalek, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology/Hepatology at Duke University Medical Center.

High Fructose Corn Syrup is the main sweetener in thousands of food and beverages in the United States, including most non-diet versions of soda (Coke, Pepsi, etc.). It is also in ice cream, ice cream toppings, frozen foods, processed foods, and much more. Unlike sugar, HFCS is metabolized by the liver, not by insulin released by the pancreas.

“Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is present in 30 percent of adults in the United States,” Abdelmalek said. “Although only a minority of patients progress to cirrhosis, such patients are at increased risk for liver failure, liver cancer, and the need for liver transplant,” she explained.

“Our findings suggest that we may need to go back to healthier diets that are more holistic,” Abdelmalek said. “High fructose corn syrup, which is predominately in soft-drinks and processed foods, may not be as benign as we previously thought.”

The consumption of fructose has increased exponentially since the early 1970s, and with this rise, an increase in obesity and complications of obesity have been observed, Abdelmalek said.

“There is an increasing amount of data that suggests high fructose corn syrup is fueling the fire of the obesity epidemic, but until now no one has ever suggested that it contributes to liver disease and/or liver injury.” Abdelmalek said the next step is more studies looking at the mechanisms of liver injury.

“We need to do formal studies that evaluate the influence of limiting or completely discontinuing high fructose corn syrup from one’s diet and see if there are health benefits from doing so,” she said.

For the full findings, go to Phys.org

Chicago Cubs Owner To Smear Obama With Dirty Ads

Joe Ricketts (in probably the only time he's been far left), with his children and wife.

Joe Ricketts, the billionaire owner of the Chicago Cubs, is planning on spending millions of dollars to run dirty ads against President Obama this fall.

The ads, which according to a SuperPAC playbook acquired by the New York Times, will include TV Commercials, full page newspaper ads, billboards, and aerial banners.

The ads will try to paint Obama as being influenced by Anti-Americans and having a secret agenda. They will try to paint Obama's pastor as being pro-911.

The playbook also includes a suggestion to hire an “extremely literate conservative African-American” who can argue that Mr. Obama misled the nation by presenting himself as what the proposal calls a “metrosexual, black Abe Lincoln.”

So a bunch of rich white guys will slander our black President, then try to hide behind a black guy they hired to defend themselves.

I suggest the Cubs change the marquee outside Wrigley Field to read, "This just in...Obama is black??!!"

Read the article for yourself at the New York Times.

What is most amazing is that the Cubs are in a predominantly Democrat supporting city, Chicago. That's a very smart move to alienate the majority of their paying customers.

I'm done as a Cubs fan. They'll never get another penny from me. Any business that lies and outright slanders the President of The United States can be crossed off my list of companies to patronize. I don't care what party the President is, you don't call him un-American and lie about him and think that's good business.

UPDATE: The NY Times has posted the storyboard for the 5 minute anti-Obama film Ricketts wants to produce. The best part is that after calling Obama every horrible thing one could imagine, Ricketts ends the 5 minute GOP propaganda-fest by saying it is brought to you by Character Matters PAC. Character Matters!

That's like saying "Obama eats white babies every day for dinner." Brought to you by We Don't Lie OR Eat White Babies PAC.

UPDATE II: The reaction has been extremely strong about this, from the Chicago Cubs being pounded with thousands of emails and phone calls from irate fans, to Democrats and Republicans both denouncing it, to Mitt Romney publicly denouncing it, the White House spokesman criticizing the plan's racist attacks, Chicago Mayor Emmanuel refusing to talk to the Ricketts and telling insiders that any plans to renovate Wrigley Field using taxpayer money is now finished, and Joe Ricketts claiming he never approved the SuperPAC, despite founding and funding it, and funding the creation of the plan's playbook. Amazing what a little push-back can accomplish.

Video: Cat Plays Shell Game

Graphic Video: Cops Beat, Shoot, and Kill an Unarmed Protester

South African police disrupt a peaceful protest march over the supply of drinking water, sewers, and garbage collection, then gang up on an unarmed man, beat him and shoot him twice (with a shotgun) right in front of the camera, killing him.

Jump to 47 seconds for the police to attack the man.

WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEO.



The victim's name was Andries Tatane. The murder happened in April, 2011. Almost one year later, no police investigation was launched. No police officers were charged, neither were any officers fired, and not a single officer, including the one with the shotgun, was even reprimanded.

Mail & Guardian Online has this shocking statistic:

"Media coverage following the killing of Tatane has been quick to highlight the sharp rise in deaths in police custody in the past three years in South Africa. Gareth Newham of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) reported that the number of people shot dead by police has doubled since 2006. Overall deaths in police custody or resulting from police action, at 860 in the 2009-2010 year, are markedly higher than they were in the five-year period from 2003 to 2008, when they averaged 695 a year.

Not only has the number of people shot dead by police jumped from 281 in 2005-2006 to 521 in 2010, South Africa also has one of the highest recorded rates of homicides by police officers in the world. The United States (overall population of 311-million) had 439 arrest-related homicides by law enforcement personnel in 2006."

Let's repeat that: 860 people died in police custody in South Africa in 2009-10.

South African police shot and killed 521 people in 2010 in a nation of 50 million citizens. The United States, a nation of 311 million citizens (more 6 times the population of South Africa), had 439 homicides by police in 2006 (the last year full stats are available).

Amazing Video of a Snowboarding Crow

Apple Siri Vs. Furby

Talk To A Live Hologram - Star Wars Is Now Real

Cisco has unveiled an amazing new technology that is light years beyond Princess Leia talking to Obi Won Kenobi. TelePresence was shown off in public for the first time recently:



Imagine how cool, yet creepy, this will be once we can make phone calls and the other party appears in front of you.