the Sugar Conspiracy 

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Friday, February 25, 2005 What independent panel? Ten of the 32 government drug advisers who last week endorsed continued marketing of the huge-selling pain pills Celebrex, Bextra and Vioxx have consulted in recent years for the drugs' makers, according to disclosures in medical journals and other public records. If the 10 advisers had not cast their votes, the committee would have voted 12 to 8 that Bextra should be withdrawn and 14 to 8 that Vioxx should not return to the market. The 10 advisers with company ties voted 9 to 1 to keep Bextra on the market and 9 to 1 for Vioxx's return. The votes of the 10 did not substantially influence the committee's decision on Celebrex because only one committee member voted that Celebrex should be withdrawn. More. posted by chris at 4:53 PM   The new world order The Pentagon is promoting a global counterterrorism plan that would allow Special Operations forces to enter a foreign country to conduct military operations without explicit concurrence from the U.S. ambassador there, administration officials familiar with the plan said. The plan would weaken the long-standing "chief of mission" authority under which the U.S. ambassador, as the president's top representative in a foreign country, decides whether to grant entry to U.S. government personnel based on political and diplomatic considerations. The Special Operations missions envisioned in the plan would largely be secret, known to only a handful of officials from the foreign country, if any. The change is included in a highly classified "execute order" -- part of a broad strategy developed since Sept. 11, 2001, to give the U.S. Special Operations Command new flexibility to track down and destroy terrorist networks worldwide, the officials said. Because the politicians in Washington are in a much better position to decide what happens in a foreign country than the people that are actually living and working in that country. posted by chris at 4:28 PM   ------------------ Thursday, February 24, 2005 Condom shortage in Africa The fight against Aids is being hampered by a massive shortage of condoms - only about one-tenth of the 10.8bn needed were available in developing countries in 2003 and there seems little chance of meeting a target of 18.6bn by 2015. The shortfall is partly due to a lack of funding for the United Nations Population Fund, which has had its income slashed by the Bush administration. The American right has lobbied strongly and successfully against giving money to agencies that support family planning clinics offering advice on abortion. This is reprehensible. The continent most damaged by the scourge of AIDS and they don't have condoms to protect them? But, then again, abstinence-only education works, doesn't it? posted by chris at 11:49 AM   A message from the Ad Council Spying hasn't worked, and neither has shooting. So America has turned to its great cultural weapon to flush out Osama bin Laden - television. After a fruitless three-year hunt, the US is funding advertisements on Pakistani television which it hopes will touch the hearts of those close to the elusive al-Qaida leader. As photos of Bin Laden and 13 other wanted men flicker across the screen a voice implores: "Who are the people who are suffering from terrorism? Our mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, sons and daughters! Who can stop these terrorists? Only you! -clip- US officials admit the campaign is a shot in the dark when it comes to finding Bin Laden. Some diplomats argue that the publicity may glorify, not weaken, his stature among extremists. And there are no guarantees the campaign will even reach its target. The border tribesmen, for example, are unlikely to see the adverts because they have no electricity. And though there is a radio version, the most respected station in tribal areas is the BBC World Service - which does not carry advertising. Everything's a commercial. posted by chris at 11:42 AM   NYC rejects Wal-Mart Facing intense opposition, a large real estate developer has dropped its plans to include a Wal-Mart store in a Queens shopping complex, thwarting Wal-Mart's plan to open its first store in New York City, city officials and real estate executives said yesterday. Story. posted by chris at 10:47 AM   ------------------ Wednesday, February 23, 2005 Spend all your money. We'll make more. Bank of America and Citizens Bank are offering a loosely regulated service called bounce protection, which automatically allows customers to overdraw their accounts by several hundred dollars at an automated teller machine or while using a debit card at a restaurant or store. Customers are charged fees ranging from $17 to $33 each time they overdraw their accounts unless they opt out of the service. That means if a customer who has $200 in his checking account and withdraws $300 from an ATM machine or spends $300 at a supermarket can be charged a $25 fee for that $100, which translates into an annual interest rate of nearly 1300 percent. Consumers are typically not alerted that they are overdrawing their accounts at the time of the transaction. And how are the banks selling this wonderful new way to get more of your money? "This makes it possible to get the necessary services you need without encountering the embarrassment of being turned down," said Alexandra Liftman, a spokeswoman for the bank. If being turned down is too embarrassing, maybe people shouldn't be spending more than they have. Such a situation is NOT an excuse for a bank to gouge you even more. "In our ongoing efforts to make banking with us easier, our goal is to authorize more transactions made using your ATM or check card even if it creates an overdraft on your account," the insert said. Translation: In our ongoing efforts to put more of your money in our pockets, our goal is to let you spend more money than you have. And then charge you for it out the wazoo. The [bank] notice did not disclose that consumers could opt out of the program if they wanted. Liftman said customers could learn about the opt-out provision if they called or visited a branch to discuss the service. Why an opt-out service? Cause if they made it an opt-in service, where the customer had to take the initiative, no one would want to participate in such a callous, greedy program that goes against their basic self-interest. Instead, make it "opt-out" so customers have to go out of their way to learn about the program and then proactively decide not to participate. Find your Bank of America branch here and Citizens Banks here to opt-out of the program. posted by chris at 10:20 AM   ------------------

    

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