Health and Wellness
Opinion: Neil deGrasse Tyson Responds To Uproar About His GMO Comments
August 6, 2014
Well, well. Looks like a lot more folks than me took issue with astrophysicist, Cosmos host and science celeb Neil deGrasse Tyson the other day (see my post here). Given such, Tyson responds to the controversy. Ha! Doesn’t he do that every other day? This time, he responds to the masses of people (pointing to myself) who took issue with some or all of what he said in his widely publicized and criticized “chill out” commentary on blanket opposition to GMO.
His response, in sum… was, ‘Yeah, what I said was right.’ BUT… the way he rebutted the rebuttals is why Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson continues to be one of my ‘you should really LISTEN to this’ guys. And while I must give a shout out to Raw Story (on whose posts I have based my posts here on; because they showed in my stream, even though I follow Dr. Tyson directly on Facebook)
… I am going for the raw feed from the Facebook post of the man himself. Your response to the world’s responses to your response, Dr. Tyson?
In life, be cautious of how broad is the brush with which you paint the views of those you don’t agree with.
Respectfully Submitted
Boom! Dr. Tyson has spoken. Now, let me speak.
You know, reflecting on my last post, it was the “chill out” part that prompted me to do the writeup. So, no issue remains there. And, though its content-lifting was done responsibly for the most part, I got my information second-hand when first-hand content was available. Other bloggers’ Facebook posts have so drowned out Tyson’s that I had to Google his direct response from his Facebook wall (which I should have done before anyway). This is part my striving to be a responsible blogger. Why does that matter? Maybe it doesn’t so much. But how does reading “Neil deGrasse Tyson: GMO producers ‘ought to be able to make as much money as they can’” make YOU want to respond? Yeah, me, too; and Tyson’s response wasn’t really all about that. So I smack my own forehead and admonish myself and all: Get your story from the teller’s mouth, people. That’s another lesson I re-learned.
That said. I’m STILL chill, and there are parts of the GMO push with which I do not agree. But I will keep in mind that my brush and strokes against the GMO work on display should be small and specific. In that, my response is, in sum… ‘Yeah, what I said was right’ (too).
Kudos, NDTyson. Respect due and given.
(Heh, heh… Just realized that Dr. Tyson considers a two-minute response brief. Imagine a casual convo with the brother. Gotta love intellectuals…)
– @ojones1
Posted in Food, Health and Wellness, Opinion, Science | 
Tags: artificial, GMO, Monsanto, natural, Neil deGrasse Tyson, organic, produce, rebuttal, Response, unnatural | 
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Opinion: Neil deGrasse Tyson Says GMOs Are A-OK, Okay? (Video)
August 1, 2014
Cosmos host and all-around smart brother Neil deGrasse Tyson recently put the shut down commentary on all the fear-mongering around GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) in our food.
“There are no wild, seedless watermelons. There’s no wild cows. There’s no long-stemmed roses growing in the wild (although we don’t eat roses)…We are creating and modifying the biology of the world to serve our needs. I don’t have a problem with that, because we’ve been doing that for tens of thousands of years. So chill out.â€
– Neil deGrasse Tyson
I’m chill. I just don’t totally agree. I’ve posted on this here. I know Monsanto is so big that we are probably consuming something GMO more often than we know and/or want. But does that mean I give in and give it the it’s-probably-okay thumbs up? Even if Dr. Tyson says so. No! Still American. Still got my sense and sensibility about things. When you go to the fruit and veggie stand on the side of the road, you see hand-picked food – blemishes, bugs and all. Not looking too tasty always; but hey, at least you know what’s up. Monsanto GMOs look real nice in the produce aisle mixed in with the natural/organic fruit and vegetables. Cool. But why is it so hard to get info that tells shoppers what is made from GMOs (esp. when other food producers have been stamping no-GMO on their products). Hmm? Now, if we just agree that it’s so pervasive that we cannot do anything large-scale about all this GMO/altered food now? I can go there. I’m shopping for my food, not growing it year-round. And I’m not rich. So, I have to purchase what is available.
I’m chill.
I respect and will read/listen to Dr. Tyson’s opinion; but remain skeptical. Skepticism does not engender hate. It is characteristic of critical thinkers and free-willed people who are okay with making up their own minds and letting others do the same. They also are able to reevaluate their positions as new information becomes available, if they choose to do so.
(Oh, about that rose thing. Ever smelled a rose from the flower shop? Not really a smell at all, right? Smell one off a homegrown bush. It’s not as pretty, and it will wilt quickly after plucking; but it will smell so sweet!)
– @ojones1
MORE:
NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON SLAMS FEAR-FACTOR OVER GMO (RAW STORY)
MONSANTO & GMO – WILL WE TRUST THEM WITH OUR FOOD? (JAYFORCE.COM)
Posted in Food, Health and Wellness, Opinion, Science, Videos | Tags: artificial, GMO, Monsanto, natural, Neil deGrasse Tyson, organic, produce, unnatural | 1 Comment »
VICE: The Rise of Penal Implants (Video)
June 2, 2014
Hey…stop groaning at the title, and watch the video. Hahaha (by the way, you should see what VICE came up with for a title)! Good insights as usual.
Penile implants have become a popular treatment option for erectile dysfunction—a health complication that more than 30 million men suffer from in the United States alone. The surgery consists of placing an inflatable prosthesis within a man’s member that is attached to a soft ball that sits in the scrotum. When the ball is pumped, the penis remains hard for as long as the man wants. Most individuals that undergo the operation are satisfied with their implant, but the unlucky two to three percent experience infections that can lead to death, mangled parts, and more.
VICE spoke with a leading doctor in the field. Find out what it’s worth [and whether it’s worth it] to get your penis operated on in the episode above.
So, there are legit reasons for the risk; but could it be that some dudes are trying to keep up with the honeyz “enhancing” their derrieres (see earlier post here)??
Posted in Health and Wellness, Human Interest, Lifestyle, Science, Series, Videos | Tags: erectile dysfunction, PENIS IMPLANT, RES-ERECTION, ResERECTION, VICE | No Comments »
Texans Will Soon Be Drinking Treated Waste Water. Who’s Thirsty? (Video)
May 2, 2014
How thirsty have you EVER been? Would you ever consider toilet water? What if it was guaranteed purified at a higher quality than the tap water you drink now? What if local authorities made it so that, very soon, treated waste water (including that reclaimed from sewer reservoirs) was pumped directly into your home’s water pipes? Businessweek reports that that is the deal in Wichita Falls (Texas, USA) now. The nightly news telecast clip above, from a while back, talks about another Texas town about to do the same thing. Okay, get all your ew’s out now… Done yet? Good. Drink up! It’ll be alright.
“You can take any water and turn it into drinking water. There is the technology out there to take out everything.â€
– Joseph Cotruvo, Washington water consultant
Now, I grew up drinking well water (still do, when I get home to Tuskegee) with a basic filter on the capture tank and another on the faucet… no treatment, chemicals or nothing… I have also had the “cleaner” bottled water. I suppose I could get used to something in between. I know I could if I lived in constant drought conditions and there was no other choice (especially once demand for bottled water drove its price higher than gas at the pump).
How about you?
READ: COOLING OFF WITH A GLASS OF TOILET WATER (BUSINESSWEEK)
– @ojones1
Muscle & Fitness: The Compton Superman Vs. Da Hulk of Texas (Video)
March 10, 2014
Professional Cali bodybuilder CT Fletcher is known on the web for his profanity laced, yet humorous & deeply inspiring workout videos. In this new video our hero CT Fletcher a.k.a. the ‘Compton Superman’ is joined by Keven Washington a.k.a. ‘Da Hulk’ straight out of Texas for a powerful workout of epic proportions. Videos like these keep me inspired! Check out additional bonus footage after the jump below! COTDAYAAAAM!!!!
Posted in Health and Wellness, Human Interest, Sports, Videos | Tags: Compton Superman, CT Fletcher, Da Hulk, Fitness, Keven Washington, Muscle, Muscle & Fitness, Superman | No Comments »
Black & Latino Students In The U.S. Can Attend Medical School In Cuba For Free (Video)
December 20, 2013
Doctors come out of med school with huge debt to repay. Probably why we “understand” why a trip to the doctor can cost so much in the United States. But wouldn’t it be a boon to making healthcare affordable if doctors could graduate debt-free? Well… somebody’s already doing that… Cuba!
All too often though, we want to vilify those (like Cuba) we are told to treat as the enemy. Remember the uproar over Bey and Jigga’s trip to Cuba (y’all gone learn today…wrote a song ’bout it)? You’dve thought it was the missile crisis all over again. But fortunately, to balance bad-mouthing of some, we have folks who declare that there are at least some things we can appreciate about the neighbor 90 miles south of South Florida (USA). For instance, check out what the Black Left Unity blog hipped us to about another bright spot of Cuba’s medical outreach.
Currently there are two Detroit (Michigan, USA) students attending LASM on a full scholarship. Contact us at IFCO
418 W 145 Street
Harlem, NY 10031
www.ifconews.org
ifco@igc.org
(212) 926-5757
And if you don’t know, now you know. So, next time somebody spouts that ‘Communist Cuba the bad guys’ stuff … You hit ’em with the link to this story. Oh, and tell them the US is actually doing some ‘bad medicine’ down that way. Remember the Gitmo force-feeding? But we’ll keep this peace positive. Thanks for the good medicine, Cuba.
Check out more video after the jump, including a great piece from PBS Newshour.
Posted in Cover Story, Health and Wellness, Human Interest, Opinion, Politics, Television, Videos | Tags: Affordable Care, Affordable Care Act, black, Cuba, Debt-free doctors, Fidel Castro, Latin America, Latino, Medical School | No Comments »
Dee Dee Cocheta Wants To Live! Help Save Her Life (Video)
November 28, 2013
Dee Dee Cocheta is a great person & a music industry veteran & friend who I’ve known for a number of years. It’s time for many people to support her & help save her life.
Please support @deedeecocheta. Great person with a great heart who took care of people. It's our turn to help her http://t.co/436c2acwh2
— Jay Force (@jayforce) November 27, 2013
#QueensNeverQuit http://t.co/436c2acwh2
— Jay Force (@jayforce) November 27, 2013
Posted in Health and Wellness, Hip-Hop, Human Interest, Videos | Tags: Dee Dee Cocheta, lymph nodes, lymphodema, neuropathy | No Comments »
Technology: Do You Want To Know When You’re Going To Die? Check Your Tikker (Video)
October 8, 2013
“Dubbed the ‘death watch,’ Tikker has been created by Swedish inventor Fredrik Colting but far from being morbid, Colting calls it ‘The Happiness Watch’ and claims it has been designed to help people make the most of their life and cherish the time they have left.”
– DailyMail UK
The way it works: Users fill out a questionnaire about their medical history before subtracting their age from the results to get their death score. This score is entered into the watch and the countdown begins.
Posted in Health and Wellness, Human Interest, Lifestyle, Product, Technology | Tags: Death Watch, Fredrik Colting, Tikker | No Comments »
DJ Mister Cee Opens Up About His Sexuality In New Public Service Announcement (Video)
September 17, 2013
The controversy surrounding famed NY radio host DJ Mister Cee had less to do with his sexuality than it did with him lying to himself, his family, & his fans. I believe most people will accept you for who you are if you are just honest about it, but you can’t expect the media & fans to leave you alone when you’re a very public figure who has been arrested repeatedly for soliciting male prostitutes in the news. The most powerful thing DJ Mister Cee has done up to this point is this new public service announcement encouraging people to get tested. There are many women who become at risk because guys like DJ Mister Cee choose not to be honest with their significant others in their lives. Many of us understand his reasons for not being forthcoming, but there are literally thousands of people contracting STD’s simply because their partners weren’t honest about their behavior.  At least now we can applaud DJ Mister Cee for being honest with his friends, fans, & supporters & for making the right moves to help save lives & bring about more awareness. FREESTDCHECK.ORG
Young, married women are the fastest-growing group of #HIV positive people http://t.co/vrfgjHbBF4 via @USAIDGH @CherrellRene
— Jay Force (@jayforce) September 16, 2013
Wesley Warren, Jr. – The Man With The 132-Pound Scrotum (Video)
September 2, 2013
Think you got the biggest balls? Not really, unless you are one of a relative few affected with Wesley Warren, Jr.’s affliction. Watch the above video in which Warren talks about how it was living with the affliction and how he ended up with a mega-swollen, mega-uncomfortable 132-pound scrotum in the first place. After the jump: at least one thing you want to know… How’s Warren’s sex life?
This is a strange story to be certain; but it is also a sad commentary on the lack of access to healthcare in the U.S., according to Warren.
– @ojones1
Posted in Health and Wellness, Human Interest, Politics, Videos | Tags: 132-Lb, 132-Pound, edema, Healthcare, lymph edema, lymphedema, Scrotum, Wesley Warren, Wesley Warren Jr. | No Comments »
Health: Western Style Toilets Are The Cause Of A Variety Of Ailments (Video)
August 23, 2013
It’s amazing to me how much I’ve discovered & continue to uncover over the years that what we’ve been taught in modern western culture was wrong. Everything from our diets, our economic systems, politics, & the way we treat each other. I’ve been fortunate to have been all over the world & learned many of the reasons we have so many problems in the U.S. on a variety of levels have been what we were taught & what’s pushed to us. I can recall my first time traveling to Japan & tripping at how most Japanese toilets were very simple employing a squatter’s method. On my second trip to Japan is when I found out that squatting is healthier for you. There’s also a new movement to get more Americans to understand this as well.
