LIVING WITH MCL

If you're as devout a [green] tea drinker as myself, you're no doubt concerned and somewhat conflicted about the news coming out of Japan. Specifically that up to 679 becquerels per kilogram of Cesium have been discovered in Shizuoka Prefecture, the largest green tea growing region (42%) in Japan. 500 becquerels per kilogram is the permitted max in Japan [and Europe] . [note]I should note, the maximum allowable amount of Cesium is 1200 becquerels per kilogram in the United States. In this case, I'm going to stick with the Japanese and European limits. First off, they have a lot more experience dealing with nuclear power, plus with the influence big business holds over our elected representatives, there's no doubt in my mind where their loyalties lie.[/note] There is, however, more to consider before jumping to conclusions or panicking should you have or accidentally purchase some of this tea. The processing of green tea starts with picking, steaming, drying and rolling...

Well, I won't actually burn it, but I'm definitely not going to renew my membership again after hearing this latest news. It appears the AARP no longer considers Social Security sacrosanct, and is dropping its longstanding opposition to cutting Social Security benefits . (And it wouldn't surprise me a bit to see their support for Medicare soon following a similar path.) The shift, which has been vetted by AARP’s board and is now the group’s stance, could have a dramatic effect on the debate surrounding the future of the federal safety net, from pensions to health care, given the group’s immense clout. “If they come around and say they’re ready to do something, it will be like the Arctic icecap cracking,” said former Sen. Alan Simpson, co-chairman of a White House commission on the deficit So instead I'm throwing my support to the Alliance for Retired Americans , and the National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare , two organizations that don'...

Researchers from the University of Sheffield have discovered new insight into how and why people may develop B-cell lymphoma. ....researchers demonstrated that B-cells are deficient in one of the main DNA repair pathways, known as Nucleotide Excision Repair. This pathway repairs a lot of different DNA lesions, including UV-induced damage and chemical adducts (e.g. from air pollution and cigarette smoke). Read the full article I wonder how [if] I might be able to use this information to my advantage.