[garlic] efficacious or not

Monsters and Critics has reported that Stanford University researchers in California have determined eating garlic has little or no effect on lowering LDL, or 'bad' cholesterol, in humans.

One commenter then said:

Funny, I must be one of the exceptions to the proverbial rule ... or we need to investigate who funded the Stanford study. I read about natural cures for common diseases, but was skeptical. A friend told me that she was taking garlic pills for her high cholesterol, and she gave me a bottle. I began to take them, and my blood work showed normal readings. A month or two later, a client told me about Omega-3 fish oils. Today, my cholesterol is fine.

A decent diet, moderate exercise and a garlic and fish oil supplement works just fine. When was the last time a patented drug cured a disease? Answer? Never! Vaccines are typically a weakened form of the virus or bacteria. Penicillin is a naturally occurring mold. They cannot be patented. Garlic is a naturally occurring plant; therefore, it cannot be patented.

See a pattern here? There's no profit in a cure. There's no profit in something that you cannot put a patent on. Drug companies exist to make a profit for their stockholders. Period.

[investigation] conspiracy theory or research

There is a tendency to immediately label anyone who doesn't accept the consensus or the 'given out' view as a conspiracy theorist, aka kook or nutter. It trips so glibly off the tongue of those who have either not looked into a matter or else have an agenda.

Jan. 2, 1979: The U.S. House Select Committee on Assassinations supported the Warren panel’s conclusion that Oswald fired the shots that killed Kennedy. However, the committee stated that a second gunman had fired at the motorcade from the grassy knoll — a key factor in its final conclusion that the president “was probably assassinated as a result of a conspiracy.”

Jean Hill, Charles Brehm, William Newman, Mary Woodward, Maggie Brown, Jean Newman, Aurelia Lorenzo and John Chism all said they'd heard shots from the grassy knoll. Then there was James Tague who was hit by fragments when a bullet, which had logically come from the Dal-Tex building behind Kennedy, hit the path near Tague.

Now anyone who takes this admissable evidence and follows it to its logical conclusion - is that person a kook? To conclude that there were any number of people who wanted Kennedy out of the way is not even far-fetched in this instance.

But what about a far-fetched explanation? Such as the existence of Manchurian Candidates and Oswald as one of them, as well as Officer Tippett? They certainly existed at the time. Yes, that's a theory but based on three things - the likely scenario on the ground at the time of the assassination plus the established connections between the military and the psychological community. Plus the host of anomalies.

If you're willing to shelve your prejudices for the nonce and travel unfettered wherever the evidence leads you, if you're willing to consider all the evidence, no matter how inconvenient or unpalatable, unlike Sergeant Holcombe, that's hardly conspiracy theory. It's standard investigative technique.

[blogfocus tuesday] something old, something new

Some new blogs and some old this evening. And no, Guido is not in this one:

1 First off, Guano Forks explains why it's not always the better team which wins:

I remember watching Chelsea defeat Liverpool last year. On the day, Liverpool deserved to win. Yet Chelsea won through a sublime goal and Liverpool failed because they lacked even a competent striker. The parallel between politics and football is so evident. The best players, the better play, and the better tactics do not always bring success. The better campaign does not always lead to a win. I’m reminded of the last election when the Tories would have had the beating of the Labour Party if only they’d had a striker who could get the ball into an open goal.

2 Martine Martin writes of that ASBO in the picture with David Cameron:

Jobless, hooked on soft drugs, electronically tagged for burglary, no interest in the workings of the country... Sad. But he's just one of an army of kids failed at every level by the government, by the education system, by his community, and consequently by himself. I do wonder what David Cameron's family must think of this picture. If it was someone related to me, or a friend, I'd be very disturbed by it. How easily it could have been for real considering how many kids are getting shot in London, Nottingham and other cities in this country. Yet I doubt this boy would care even if he knew just how sick the timing of his little prank was. That's the worst part.

3 L'Ombre explains why biometrics are so illogical:

If a biometric is required to verify ones identity then the likelihood is that people and systems responsible for verifying ID will only check the biometric and not look closely at anything else. In other words if you can fake the biometric you are golden. This means that criminals have a large incentive to figure out ways to crack the biometric and since biometrics have so far proven relatively easy to crack, chances are that the crooks will find ways of doing this. So the biometric will merely be the excuse used by the government (or bank or ...) for why they let some fraudster walk off with your savings.

Nine more bloggers here.

[chippie for pm] join us on the bandwagon

Photo courtesy of Iain Dale

Magnificent launch by Iain of the Chippie campaign and I'm right behind it:

Click HERE for Ann Treneman's hilarious sketch of my little chipmunk's campaign launch. Sadly I had to send my apologies... And there's further analysis HERE from Tim Worstall. here are some highlights ... I come to you straight from Hazel Blears’s launch for Labour’s deputy leadership and my ears are ringing. I don’t think it’s tinnitus. Indeed, I know it’s not. Instead it is a new condition called Hazelitis or, as it is destined to be known, Bleary Ear.

As I stated in Iain's comments section:

Go Chippie! Let's get her in there quick. We need someone of her high moral fibre and intellectual calibre. Not to mention her steadfast loyalty.

Now let's all get on board and get her elected! The very best bloggers are right behind her.

[gordon brown] bilderberger at n11 or not

So, Irwin Stelzer, in today's Guardian allegedly wants Ed Balls [apparently a 4 time Bilderberger himself] as Chancellor, saying:

When Brown moves to No 10, he will need his closest ally next door.

Why would Mr Stelzer come out with something like that? Could he possibly have any connection with Rupert Murdoch and is he perhaps a fellow of the Hudson Institute, on whose board sits Maree-Josee Kravis [alleged Bilderberger and suggested CFR illuminary] and did he have any connection with Rothschild as managing director?

Does Number 10 need an alleged CFR, Bilderberger and possible global illuminist pushing the suggested EU agenda at Number 11? And anyway, whatever's wrong with being one? Why would Tony Blair have so quickly denied any connection with what is, ostensibly, an above board organization, involved in no more than post neoclassical, endogenous growth theory?

Just asking, that's all. H/T: Martin Kelly.

[jesus] why the fixation, the negation and the vandalism

Just been over at Jon Swift's and noticed a comment on the Conservapedia post by Notsaussure:

In Christian discourse, the name Jesus almost always refers specifically to Jesus of Nazareth, believed by Christian followers to be God's dad, who came to earth as a human c 2 AD. However, God has recently revealed on His blog that Jesus is actually His nephew, not His son.

Why would a supposed non-Christian be concerned with expending energy on this matter? In a slightly different way, the Dome of the Rock, a shrine rather than a mosque, was built to proclaim the central tenets of Islam but around the walls is written, in large letters, amongst other things:

The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a Messenger of G-d, and His Word which He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him. So believe in G-d and His messengers, and say not 'Three' - Cease! (it is) better for you! - G-d is only One G-d. Far be it removed from His transcendent majesty that He should have a son. His is all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And G-d is sufficient as Defender. The Messiah will never scorn to be a servant unto G-d, nor will the favoured angels.

Interesting that the Messiah will not own himself the servant of G-d as I thought the idea was that we were all servants of the One G-d. Similar situation to this exhortation, it seems to me, is Oh Flower of Scotland and its fixation with Edward and the English. Seems to me that if you have an anthem, it needs to be something like:

Scotland, Scotland, über alles, über alles in der Welt, wenn es stets zu Schutz und Trutze brüderlich zusammenhält.

Not a trace of the "we hate England" fixation there. Just good old gung-ho lyrics for football matches and stuff the Bruderheist can chant at their abominations. Finally, Notsaussure again:

I'm delighted to note, though, that the page is protected - including this information - to protect it against repeated vandalism (or it was last night, anyway).

Would that it were so here, as well. Oh well, if this site goes down again, at least you'll know why.