Yeah, Let's Hand Health Care Over To These Guys!

As the great health care debate rages, and Dems continue to demand that we entrust our nation's health care system to some sort of national iteration of the Department of Motor Vehicles, consider this very brief clip:



Yes indeed! The government bureaucrats did in fact fire the seasoned supervisors who couldn't speak Spanish instead of the untrained recruits who couldn't speak English.

Will this bizarre turn of events make Oregonians feel safer when the fires start burning?

Extrapolating, will you feel safer going into surgery, knowing the best surgeons were fired because they didn't speak the Spanish, Romanian, Urdu or Tagalog spoken by the scrub nurse?

hat-tip: Jim

Let's Bring Extinct Lethal Viruses Back To Life!

It's a story Michael Creighton would love:

Scientists, ostensibly driven by pure motives to cure disease but darkened by ambition and the dream of making it rich, identify parcels of ancient viruses within the human genome -- viruses that once plagued humanity before they died out or we became immune -- and decide to bring them back to life.

Such paleoviruses could hold the key to curing virus-caused diseases like H.I.V., but at what risk? Creighton, who's thrilled us with remanufactured dinosaurs and nano-particles, could certainly think up some fine mayhem for these long-dead killers.

Frighteningly, it is happening:

Thanks to steady advances in computing power and DNA technology, a talented undergraduate with a decent laptop and access to any university biology lab can assemble a virus with ease. Five years ago, as if to prove that point, researchers from the State University of New York at Stony Brook “built” a polio virus, using widely available information and DNA they bought through the mail. To test their “polio recipe,” they injected the virus into mice. The animals first became paralyzed and then died. (“The reason we did it was to prove that it can be done,’’ Eckard Wimmer, who led the team, said at the time. “Progress in biomedical research has its benefits and it has its downside.’’)

Do we really want to trust paleo-plagues to undergrads?

I learned of this from a fascinating New Yorker article by Michael Specter, Darwin's Surprise.

It is a fascinating read, touching on the irrepressible curiosity of Man, the scariness of the blinding drive for knowledge, the potential for cures to dangerous diseases, and evolution. The article makes the case that without viruses, humans would still be laying eggs, all because of the presence of particles of retroviruses found in mammalian placenta.

Of course the complexity of all that happening requires a leap of faith an didn't stop my faith in a Creator one bit, but it was another thought-provoking section of an article that makes a good read.

I suggest you read it now, before the paleo-virus death strikes us all.

"We're From The Government. We're Here To Poison Your Children."

Speaking of lead from China (see below), how about this little story of our trusted governmental protectors hard at work?

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -About 56,000 lunch boxes distributed by California in an effort to promote healthful eating may contain lead, and state officials Thursday urged consumers not to use them.

Tests found elevated levels of lead in three of the boxes, which were made in China [China?! Whodda thunkit?!] and given out at health fairs and other events, said officials of the state Department of Public Health. They carried a logo saying, "Eat fruits and vegetables and be active."

"Certainly it's unfortunate that an item we're using to hopefully promote healthy behavior is then discovered to be a potential health hazard," the department's director, Mark Horton, told reporters in a conference call.

A test by the Sacramento County Health Department in July indicated the boxes contained lead, he said. Several weeks of more sophisticated testing confirmed the presence of lead "in multiple parts of the box," including the logo, he said.

Asked why it took so long to issue a warning to the public, Horton said: "I think we took the appropriate steps based on the information available to us at the time." (AP via Forbes)

Democrats, please note: The dirty, greedy capitalists you hate so withdrew the products immediately, while the Governmental Guardians you love so hemmed and hawed and developed strategies to cover their asses while your children were exposed to the lead-laced lunch boxes.

Chinese Bird Flu: Lotsa Dead Ducks

Add vaccines to the list of goods you don't want to buy from China:

More than 9,000 ducks that died in a suspected outbreak of bird flu in southern China had been vaccinated against the disease, a report said Monday.

China's agriculture ministry said on Saturday that 9,830 ducks had died in a village outside the southern city of Guangzhou between September 5 and 13.

Samples were being tested for the H5N1 bird flu virus and a further 30,000 ducks had been culled by officials since the outbreak.

Yu Yedong, director of the Guangdong Animal Epidemic Prevention Centre, told the Standard, a Hong Kong newspaper, that the ducks had been vaccinated against the virus. (AFP)

A second round of vaccines had been planned to create a higher degree of effectiveness, but the ducks started croaking before they had a chance to feel a little prick.

Any way you cut this story, it's more bad news for China and more bad news on the bird flu front.

Dangerous Red Line Energy Drink Should Be Pulled Before Someone Dies

A week ago last night, a friend drank an energy drink -- Red Line, manufactured by VPX Sports -- and spent the next 24 hours so sick that we were monitoring her carefully in anticipation of having to take her to the emergency room.

Her symptoms, which came on about two and a half hours after she drank a can of the brew, included chills, sweating, diarrhea and vomiting, vomiting, vomiting with deep, racking convulsions that were quite frightening to watch. Fortunately, they died down and she eventually returned to her normal, healthy self.

She is hardly alone in her reaction to this foul concoction. Here's Lynn commenting on HealthBoard message boards:

I dont recommend it to anyone. Seriously, I am not a light weight when it comes to things that amp you. But this one, no, no, no! It made me immediately ill, shaky, chest pain beyond belief, I thought I was going to die. (sweating and chills, through [sic] up 3 times). Outrageous, I wonder how they were able to actually sell it to anybody.

And, 10.5 hrs later???? Still sick and heart pounding out of control.

And here's the quick-typing Sleepy commenting on Tell Him Fred:

I have a porblem with redlineenergy drink. i drank the whole can yesterday, after i drank the can about 4 hours later i started getting shakey, then i started to throw up, i couldnt keep food down, rapid heart rate followed, extreme sweating from my body getting overheated, then my left side muscles started to go cold and hurt, I was awake a good part of the night and it was worse than any illegal drug i have ever tried and I’ve been around. Do NOT drink this drink it is bad news and shouldn’t be legal

And, if you want some "expert" opinion, here's a review from Energy Drink Reviews:

Wow, this drink is some serious stuff. I mean about half the bottle is the warning label, and it is serious, this drink is INSANE. It says that you should not drink it unless you are over 18, which I would say is a good warning. This is the first drink that was to much for me. The bottle says warning potent, but I have had every energy drink I could find without a problem. This Redline, made me feel like I was tweaking out hard core, I felt like I was going to have a heart attack. I seriously mean I wasn't enjoying the quick happy buzz that you get from most energy drinks. This was a scary my body is going out of control hot and cold sweats, tweaked out. I had the drink at two in the afternoon and I couldn't sleep until 4 am in the morning.

That's from someone who obviously has a lot of experience with these drinks, and considerable resistance to them.

My friend did not follow directions, drinking an entire can -- but what's with putting two "doses" in one can? Every other energy drink comes in a one-serving can.

And what's in the can? Caffeine, Green Tea, Yerba Mate, 5-HTP (5 hydroxy-1-tryptophan), cAMP, Yohimbe, Evodiamine, and Vinpocetine. And a few other things.

I've thought for some time that it's ironic that people like my friend, who are concerned about their health, eating organic foods and shunning tap water, would ever get close to this stuff.

5-HTP? That's an amino acid that's a precursor to the neurotransmitter seratonin. It's in Red Line because of its alleged appetite suppressant characteristics but it also seems to definitely affect the brain chemistry involving mood and depression -- perhaps enhancing feelings -- but what is a compound that messes with brain chemistry doing in an over-the-counter drink?

Plus, it and Vinpocetine can both cause intestinal upset and rapid heartbeat.

Here's some of what Wikipedia has to say about cAMP:

Role of cAMP in human carcinoma

Some research has suggested that a deregulation of cAMP pathways and an aberrant activation of cAMP-controlled genes is linked to the growth of some cancers.^[1][2][3]

[edit] Role of cAMP in Prefrontal Cortex Disorders

Recent research may indicate that cAMP affects the function of higher order thinking in the prefrontal cortex through its regulation of ion channels called hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channels (HCN). When cAMP stimulates the HCN, these gates open, rendering the brain cell closed to communication, thus interfering with prefrontal cortex function. This research is of interest to scientists studying the brain, especially the degradation of higher cognitive function in ADHD and aging.^[4]

Again, what's a chemical that messes with brain chemistry doing in an over-the-counter energy drink?

Red Line's attorneys appear to be well aware of the risks of this product. After their intervention, here's the warning label:

WARNING: NOT FOR USE BY INDIVIDUALS UNDER THE AGE OF 18 YEARS. DO NOT USE IF PREGNANT OR NURSING. Consult a physician or licensed qualified health care professional before using this product if you have, or have a family history of, heart disease, thyroid disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, depression or other psychiatric condition, glaucoma, difficulty in urinating, prostate enlargement, or seizure disorder, or if you are using a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) or any other dietary supplement, prescription drug, or over-the-counter drug containing ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine (ingredients found in certain allergy, asthma, cough or cold, and weight control products). Do not exceed recommended serving. Exceeding recommended serving may cause adverse health effects. Discontinue use and call a physician or licensed qualified health care professional immediately if you experience rapid heartbeat, dizziness, severe headache, shortness of breath, or other similar symptoms. The consumer assumes total liability if this product is used in a manner inconsistent with label guidelines. Do not use for weight reduction. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN.

I wrote VPX sports early in the week asking them to explain why they make this product, and why they pack two doses in a can. They have not responded.

I wrote Seven-11 Stores, which is one of the few retail chains that stocks it, and which sold it to my friend, asking them not to stock the drink any more. They have not responded.

Update: VPX called me on 9/18, following up on my email to Seven-11, not my email to them. The man on the phone, while very friendly, defended the drink as appealing to a small market that wanted a substitute for ephedrine, which has been pulled from the market. His reason for calling was because he was required to under FDA regulations, and spend nearly the entire time asking me questions so he could fill out his questionnaire. He did tell me that to his knowledge, no one has died from the drink.

In all the research I've done on this product, including a Nexis media search, I've found no MSM stories on the threat Red Line presents, although I found one story about a similar drink named Spike sent several Denver and Boulder sent several kids to the hospital.

There's something definitely wrong here. VPX is not taking responsibility for its product and is getting away with it. Seven-11 is not taking responsibility for the products it sells and is also getting away with it.

Please pass this along with a warning. Energy drink drinkers, think about going back to good old coffee or black tea and stay away from this junk.