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  • 2010-04-09 Spike activity

    Quick links from the past week in mind and brain news:

    New Scientist has an excellent piece on theories of how deep brain stimulation treats mental illness. Ignore the stupid title.

    A study found by Barking Up the Wrong Tree finds higher intelligence is a “protective factor” against teenage sexual activity. Geek you say?

    Slate has a fascinating article on cognitive distortions in how we think about geography and how they affect our judgements.

    Noam Chomsky answers questions on cognitive science and anarchism on, er, reddit. Next week, Britney interviewed on PubMed.

    NPR Morning Edition has a section on how ageing brains are slower but more shrewd.

    There’s some excellent straight thinking coverage of the recent discovery of bones of an apparently new species of hominid over at Laelaps with Carl Zimmer using the opportunity to straighten out the ‘missing link’ fallacy.

    The New York Times reports on how Google now return a crisis hotline when you do searches on how to commit suicide but only in English it seems. Half a billion Spanish speakers – una versión castellana por favor.

    Spank me nanny, spank me! Not Exactly Rocket Science covers a study that explains how pain can be experienced as pleasurable. It’s all. about the. timing apparently.

    The Guardian has a piece on an ‘anatomy of a media drug scare’ about the misreporting of UK drug deaths linked to currently legal drug mephedrone.

    The New York Times visits a sanctuary for the exotic animals of dead drug lords in Colombia.

    ‘Supertaskers‘ or people who can multi-task without performance drop off are discussed in Time magazine.

    Living the Scientific Life on What do Great Tits Reveal about the Genetics of Personality. Gutted.

    There’s an excellent discussion of Allan Hobson’s neuroscientific theory of why we dream over at The Neuroskeptic.

    Contemporary Psychotherapy magazine has just released it’s latest edition online.

    There are some wonderful embroidered cellular scale neurobiology creations over at Bioemphemera.

    The Neurocritic covers the American Academy of Neurology’s Neuro Film Festival which has some fantastic entries.

    Is art the highest form of sanity? The Times has an intelligent discussion of the old ‘art and madness’ trope looking the misuse of the cliché in recent writing.

    The Guardian has a video interview with David Eagleman, neuroscientist and author of short stories about fantastic after-life possibilities. “We won’t die – our consciousness will live forever on the internet”.

    A new study on impulsivity, dopamine and addiction is covered by the splendid Addiction Inbox.

    BBC News has an excellent piece by consistently excellent Mark Easton on the UK government’s failure to assess how effective their billions on drugs treatment services work.

    Synthetic Neurobiology: Optically Engineering the Brain to Augment Its Function. A talk by MIT neural engineer Ed Boyden from The Singularity Summit 2009.

    The Splintered Mind muses on people who come across as smart and how this relates to genuinely being smart. By the way, if you don’t read the blog, it is a public fountain of emerging philosophical thinking.

    The New York Times discusses the ‘The Myth of Mean Girls‘ contrasting public concerns about the behaviour of girls and the fact that every major index of crime shows that violence by girls has been plummeting for years.

    The mighty Language Log has an evolutionary psychology bingo card. Eyes down for a full house.

    The Onion has a brilliant video report: DEA Official Announces Successful Drug Bust on Son.

    The ever-awesome BPS Research Digest discusses a still not completely convincing study that reports to have found the direct evidence for mirror neurons in the human brain using depth electrodes, including in the, er, hippocampus.

    The Frontal Cortex has been excellent lately.

    Following up on our discussion of the ‘psychological typhoon eye’ phenomenon, the Extreme Fear blog discusses how a similar effect was found during the World War Two London Blitz.

  • If Ron Paul Wins Another Straw Poll Republicans May Stop Using Them!

    Ron Paul won the earlier this year. If he also wins the straw poll at this weekend’s Southern Republican Leadership Conference, “look for a big movement among the other Republicans to try to discourage other Republican organizations from even holding straw polls, because they don’t want to see Ron Paul continuing to be able to win these things.”

    Show: The Daily Rundown
    Channel: MSNBC
    Date: 4/8/2010

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  • New, Early Hominid Species Discovered with the Aid of Google Earth

    People use Google Earth to visit interesting locations or even explore their cities from above and in 3D. Very few individuals would believe that the same tool could be employed for scientific discoveries, but this is exactly what happened with the recently documented discovery of a new, early hominid species in South Africa, tou… (read more)

  • Microsoft Might Still Make The Halo Movie [Movies]

    Rumors persist that Microsoft hasn’t given up on making a film based on its multi-million-selling Halo franchise, with Spielberg tipped as being down for producing it. I’d like to see one made; but then we’ve always got District 9. [Kotaku] More »







  • Why Does The Sky Go Red At Sunset?

    When the sun is about to set, very low down the sky, the light that is coming from the sky must travel a further distance throughout the whole atmosphere before it gets to you and  reach your eyes. Along the way, more of the light is scattered and dispersed in all directions than ever before. Thus, when less of the light reaches you, the sun shines less brightly compared to other time in the day. That’s why you can see the sky changing from bright blue to dark red, as more of the blue and green wavelengths (colors) are scattered everywhere, so only red wavelengths, the longer one are able to reach in a straight line towards you in a direct beam, passing through the air molecules in the atmosphere without getting reflected in any way.

  • Is Bioinformatics in San Diego’s Future? A Chat with UC San Diego Expert Lucila Ohno-Machado

    Lucila Ohno-Machado
    Denise Gellene wrote:

    One notion that emerged at Xconomy’s event in San Diego last week was that biomedical informatics might have a promising role to play in the region’s economic future. There is no consensus on this as yet, as Luke discovered when he talked with Illumina CEO Jay Flatley.

    Among the true believers is UC San Diego’s Lucila Ohno-Machado. No surprises there—since last year, she has been director of biomedical informatics at the medical school. Before arriving in San Diego, she was director of the Harvard-MIT-Tufts-Boston University biomedical informatics training program.

    We caught up with her this week via e-mail to find out more about the technology, what it means for the U.S. health care system, and the role she sees for San Diego’s innovation community.

    Xconomy: What is biomedical informatics?

    Lucila Ohno-Machado: Biomedical informatics is a scientific discipline focused on the development of new algorithms and/or new approaches to organize, visualize, and interpret health-related data in order to promote health and alleviate the burden of disease. The discipline is placed at the intersection of health sciences, biology, computer science, and statistics.

    San Diego is in a unique position due to the accumulation of human talent, high-tech companies, and a collective interest in improving healthcare for all. It has all the ingredients to become the number one biomedical informatics center in the country.

    X: How is it different from computational biology, which we’ve also been hearing a lot about?

    LOM: Computational biology usually relates to the development and application of algorithms and computational strategies to analyze biological data at the molecular level. In biomedical informatics, we develop new algorithms and systems that relate to the full spectrum of data: from molecular to individual to population levels. We often refer to bio-, clinical- or public health-informatics for algorithmic developments and strategies targeting …Next Page »

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  • Tried Something New: Putting Takeout Food On A Plate

    To some of you this is going to sound ridiculous, and to some others of you, you will be like, “OMG! I do that too.” I don’t mind admitting some of my oddities because 5 years of blogging has taught me that many of us are more alike than we think.

    So okay, whenever I get takeout meals besides pizza and Chinese because that food usually comes in individual dish containers, I eat right out of the to-go container like this. I don’t bother with plates mainly because I’m lazy and hate washing dishes.

     Takeout_portionsize2

    I know many people find it surprising that I have lazy tendencies because in many areas I am somewhat disciplined. When it comes to food though, I got all kinds of lazy going on which is why I’m all about finding shortcuts, doing semi-homemade, and using as little dishes and silverware as possible because I hate washing dishes.

    In fact, another dirty little secret of mine is that at home I eat mainly with disposable forks and spoons so I can just throw them away instead of wash them. I’m either saving water or creating more landfill, two ways to look at it.

    #triedsomethingnew_orange2 In an effort for, “I tried something new” for the #foodrevolution, I decided this time to put my Vietnamese Bun #3 dinner out of it’s to-go container, and put it on a plate. Now, why this seemingly small action actually is a big deal is that it made me realize that when I eat straight out of the to-go container, I will be inclined to eat the whole thing because some of my, “Clean the plate” mentality will eek in. Eating a whole to-go container of anything is just way too much food as some of those containers can fit 3-4 servings.

    A simple way to cut down calories

    A very significant yet easy way to cut down our calorie consumption is simply cutting down portion sizes. I no longer deprive myself of any foods any more. If I want something, especially if it’s a sweet or a fat like pizza or cake, I’ll just eat a small portion of it. My Inner Resistance Monster is satisfied because to him even two bites of something is better then telling him, “No way Jose.” Whenever, I do that, oh boy, the cravings intensify until I break down and then end up eating way more had I just taken the couple bites in the beginning.

     Takeout_portionsize1

    I have these plate/bowl dishes I got at World Market, and I like them because they are flat yet have edges and can hold in food like a bowl. So, I put my takeout food in one of these dishes, and as you see here, I have only one egg roll instead of two, only 1/3 of the noodles, and about 75% of the meat. I don’t mind eating more meat because it’s mostly protein, and the dish didn’t come with that much meat in the first place, so we’re good.

    I actually didn’t eat everything on the plate because I got full, so I stopped and put the rest back in the to-go container for lunch the next day. I think we can often underestimate the power of visual queues when we eat. When you take take-out food out of its to-go container and put it on a plate, you can have better control over the portion size you eat, and help keep on track for your health goals.

    Eating at the table

    Along with putting the food on the plate, I also ate at my dining table. Normally, I’d eat my take-out in its to-go container on the couch and watch TV. Besides the food looking nicer in a plate, eating at the table made me feel like I was having more of a food experience like what you have at a restaurant versus feeling like a couch potato.

    I did have to wash the plate, but I figured washing one plate in an effort to help me cut down on my food portions was well worth it. Glad I tried something new!

    So what new thing did you try this week?


  • Photos of Wadi Hammamat

    Flickr (Su Bayfield)

    Thanks very much to Vincent Brown for pointing out a set of photos on Flickr of the Wadi Hammamat engravings, taken by Su Bayfield. The Wadi Hammamat is one of the most undersung pieces of archaeology in Upper Egypt, and is a relatively short drive from Luxor (when the Egyptian government have the route open for tourists). Su has captured both rock engravings and the abandoned sarcophagus. Note the difference between the golden Western Desert and the dark Eastern Desert – they couldn’t be more contrasting!

    Egyptology News Blog, Andie Byrnes

  • Closing Time: C.J. Wilson would like your attention

    So far, so good with the C.J. Wilson(notes) reinvention tour. When you can pile up strikeouts and keep the ball on the ground, good things tend to happen.

    Wilson’s tidy training camp (3.24 ERA over 25 IP, 8 BB, 22 K) made him a spring sleeper and he furthered that case Thursday, dazzling the Blue Jays over seven shutout innings (5 H, 2 BB, 9 K, impressive video here). He worked both sides of the plate, changed speeds effectively, and had excellent command of his three pitches. Wilson also pounded the strike zone from the opening toss, throwing 62 of 98 pitches for strikes. It’s hard to say how much he’ll have left in the tank when the second half comes around and his arm is asked to weather a workload it hasn’t dealt with, but we’ll worry about that later. He’s worth a spot in medium and deeper groups, and I’d certainly use him at Cleveland next week.

    Neftali Feliz(notes) was utterly electric working the eighth inning (three strikeouts on 13 pitches) but it all fell apart in the ninth as the Blue Jays went to town on Frank Francisco’s(notes) fastball. Francisco certainly belongs on any closer watch list; he’s struggled with physical problems his entire career and he’s never spent a full season in the ninth inning chair.

    • Most of the industry wants to mock Ryan Franklin(notes) until he loses his closing gig in St. Louis, but answer me this – who’s the main threat here? Set-up man Kyle McClellan(notes) is a ham-and-egger all the way (he’s also been scored on in both of his appearances this year) and Jason Motte(notes) doesn’t look ready for a step up in class, either. Motte was all over the place in his Monday appearance and Thursday it was a high fastball that got him in trouble – it turned into a walkoff homer for Cincinnati’s Jonny Gomes, breaking a 1-1 tie.

    It’s not that I don’t see the flaws with Franklin – his 2009 ERA wasn’t supported by the peripherals and he was considered a journeyman before last year’s 30-something breakthrough – but just keep one thing in mind: the Cardinals trust him more than the general public does, and they’ve already made an investment here.

    • So another home run for Vernon Wells(notes), make it four in three games. Having a pair of healthy wrists – something Wells didn’t have in 2009 – goes a long way in the power department. You get the idea that Wells was a modest discount at the table last month because of his gigantic real-life contract, not that that line of reasoning makes any sense. The Jays are stuck paying the freight, you just have to worry about dispensing a mid-round draft choice. This looks like a happy ending.

    • If you want to ride on the Dontrelle Willis(notes) train after his snappy turn in Kansas City (6 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 4 K), be my guest. I’m not giving him a pass for all those spring-training walks (12 in 22.1 IP), and let’s not forget that he completely fell apart after a brief revival early in 2009. Successful pitching is directly tied to consistent mechanics, repeating the same physical motion on every pitch – and that’s where Willis can’t be trusted.

    • The Indians got a tidy night from their bullpen en route to an extra-inning victory at Chicago. Rafael Perez(notes) got two of four outs via the strikeout, Jensen Lewis(notes) retired five of the six men he faced, and Chris Perez(notes) brought easy gas en route to a smooth 1-2-3 inning. If Perez can continue to throw the ball this well, the Indians will have an interesting decision to make when Kerry Wood(notes) returns at some point in May or June.

    • The Dodgers finally got a win, sending their JV lineup out for the finale in Pittsburgh. Manny Ramirez(notes) got a routine day off (Joe Torre wants to rest Manny for these getaway types of games), Andre Ethier(notes) is resting a sore ankle, and Casey Blake(notes) and Russell Martin(notes) also got the day off. Chad Billingsley(notes) ran up the pitches quickly, but you’ll take his finishing line (5.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 7 K).

    • The Cubs finally got into the win column with a working-man’s shutout at Atlanta, working around 12 baserunners. Randy Wells(notes) kept the ball on the ground and it bailed him out with three double plays in six innings. Carlos Marmol(notes) steered the last four outs and was the usual carnival ride; at times his slider was nowhere near the strike zone, but when he put it where he wanted it, he was nasty (ask Jason Heyward(notes), who struck out on three ridiculous pitches).

    The two Chicago runs came on solo homers off Tommy Hanson(notes). Marlon Byrd(notes) connected in the fourth and then circled the bases like he was being chased. Two innings earlier it was Tyler Colvin(notes) doing the honors; he picked up the start in left field while Alfonso Soriano(notes) stewed on the bench.

    • Brett Anderson(notes) was who we thought he was (6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K), not that anyone should throw a parade when a pitcher shuts down the Seattle offense. Oakland knows it doesn’t have much power on offense so it’s going to run liberally; Eric Patterson(notes) and Cliff Pennington(notes) picked up bases here. Daric Barton(notes) might have some worth as a post-hype sleeper on the corner; he’s off to a .333 start with five RBIs and four walks through four games.

    • Brian Matusz(notes) showed some nasty stuff in Tampa, not that he always knew where the ball was going (5 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 5 BB, 7 K). His victory held up as Mike Gonzalez(notes) skated by in the ninth (one bloop hit, two walks, two whiffs, no runs). Jeff Niemann(notes) had an abbreviated start on the other side, forced out of the game after a line drive hit his shoulder in the second inning. The Rays called the move preliminary and Niemann is listed as day-to-day.

    • So much for Ian Desmond’s(notes) momentum – after a big game Wednesday night, he was forced to watch Thursday as Cristian Guzman(notes) (2-for-4) picked up a start. The Nats picked up their first win of the year, sparked by Willie Harris’s(notes) homer and steal. Matt Capps(notes) allowed a leadoff double to Chase Utley(notes) in the ninth but was able to slam the door (well, close it gently) after that.

    Speed Round: So much for the Jason Frasor(notes) concerns. He grabbed two saves over the last two games, striking out four of eight batters. … The Mets are eager to get Jose Reyes back Saturday and Andy Behrens is here to tell you all about it. … Chipper Jones(notes) left Thursday’s game with a sore oblique and will probably miss a couple of games. Omar Infante(notes) probably will start in the meantime. … Let’s not overreact to Leo Nunez’s(notes) blown save in New York Wednesday; he was asked to clean up someone else’s mess in the bottom of the eighth, and the tying run came in courtesy of a phantom balk call (even the out-of-town announcers concur). Nunez had a much smoother time of it Thursday, putting the Mets down in order on just 10 pitches. … The Rays are running a "Caught Looking" eyeglasses promotion, which may or may not have been inspired by Pat Burrell(notes). … Jarrod Saltalamacchia(notes), hurt again. Kudos if you had April 8 in the pool. Ron Washington isn’t happy about it, either. … Magglio Ordonez(notes) swung a live bat in the Kansas City series (7-for-14, homer, double), and you know all about Miguel Cabrera(notes) (eight hits, two homers). … Chris Getz(notes) picked up his second steal Thursday (both off throwing ace Gerald Laird(notes)) and is a nice sleeper if you need some cheap speed. … Delmon Young(notes) didn’t start Thursday but hit a stat-padding homer in the ninth off Rappin’ Fernando Rodney(notes). … Ted Lilly’s(notes) rehab start is getting delayed two days because of a sore lower back but the Cubs say it’s not a setback. … A sore hamstring kept Aaron Hill(notes) out on Thursday, he’s day-to-day. … Thursday was a tough day for home cooking, as the visiting clubs too 8-of-11 games. … If anyone’s taking a poll, I can’t stand the new camera angle for home games in Arlington. … Brad Penny(notes) and Bronson Arroyo(notes) had a nifty pitcher’s duel in Cincinnati but neither factored in the decision. Check Arroyo before next week’s play; he took a line drive off the right calf and had soreness after the game.

  • Up To 30 Million Mexicans Could Have Their Cellphones Cut Off This Weekend [Crime]

    If you live in Mexico, you may just be shit out of luck this weekend if you want to actually get any use out of your cellphone. Unless you’ve registered your number due to the new law, that is. More »







  • Gizmag reviews the iPad

    Apple's iPad is a joy to behold - and a joy to use

    I’ve reviewed a few pieces of hardware in my time, but never before have I held something in my hands that was so thought provoking as the iPad. It’s without doubt the closest we’ve come to a device like Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide or Neal Stephenson’s Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer…

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  • The Shape of Taliban Defeat


    The stunning reality of this post is the news that we are now winning the unwinnable. Yesterday I accepted that this war would continue as a protracted grinding insurgency in which the enemy main defense was control over the time of actual engagement, always resting on a reserve of manpower to keep up the pressure.
    Suddenly we learn here that predator deployment is now persuasive wherever the enemy operates and that it is killing the enemy at a level that is completely unsustainable to any force in fact.  Worse it is rich in premium targets. 
    The losses are heaviest in what we call cadre who know how to recruit and deploy forces.  They are at a level that must be extremely demoralizing.
    I thought that the sudden willingness of the Taliban to talk at all was an indication of setbacks on the ground itself.  That an important leader who was engaged in the discussion process was wasted also shows me that the US force leadership knows they are winning and can be completely ruthless.
    The Taliban are unable to sustain the losses already incurred and all their local enemies now have the wind up and smell real victory and actual extermination of the Taliban.
    They are reeling and as this writer has pointed out are trying desperate things to get the pressure of.  Pakistani forces are now fully committed and can simply apply pressure and use their manpower to step by step occupy geography.  The Taliban must now fall back.
    Afghan tactics are also obvious.  Announce as they have done that you are arriving in force and let the Taliban fall back to another haven while you reoccupy.  Their geography shrinks into an increasingly Predator rich zone and their losses continue to climb.
    This can only culminate in a short battle of extinction for the Taliban  I do not know what the pace of operations will be, but it could be largely over by the end of this summer and winter operations would consist of some reoccupation work  and cleaning last remote holdouts.
    The Predator has actually turned out to be, after along technological evolution, the game changer in counter insurgency warfare.
    The Power of “The Predator”
    Posted by Stephen Brown on Apr 8th, 2010 and filed under FrontPage
    http://frontpagemag.com/2010/04/08/the-power-of-“the-predator”/
    If a counter-terrorism strategy can be measured by the enemy’s reaction, then the American military’s predator drone campaign can be judged an overwhelming success.
    This was proven this week when the Taliban staged a desperate and unsuccessful suicide attack against the American consulate in Peshawar in Pakistan’s North-West Frontier Province. Seeking to retaliate for losses from Hellfire missile strikes, the Taliban sent a half dozen heavily-armed fighters, disguised as paramilitary soldiers, on a one-way mission to attack the consulate, using two explosives-packed vehicles in a well-planned assault.
    “Our security forces and rapid reaction force sealed the area within five minutes and the attackers were forced to off load and blow up their explosives 25-30 meters from their target,” said Pakistani police chief Malim Naveed.
    The terrorists failed however to breach the perimeter and succeed in their goal of killing Americans. Pakistani security personnel prevented the attackers from entering the building, killing all six while losing three of their own number. Two civilians also died.
    “We did not let them enter the consulate building and that was the biggest achievement of the security forces,” said Naveed.
    Later, the Pakistani Taliban officially claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was to avenge the losses they have suffered in the US drone campaign. In another drone-provoked revenge attack last December, a Taliban suicide bomber murdered six CIA agents and injured another six inside a CIA post near Khost, Afghanistan. After this week’s assault, Taliban spokesman Azam Tariq promised more are to come.
    “We will carry out more such attacks. We will target any place there are Americans,” said Azam.
    Life under the Hellfire missile has not been a pleasant one for the Taliban and al Qaeda. A New York Times journalist, held prisoner for several months by the Taliban, reported that even in the remotest areas of Pakistan’s wild tribal regions, the terrorists constantly scan the sky where drones can often be heard flying overhead, searching out their targets.
    The substantial losses they have suffered at the hands of the Hellfire missile have angered the Taliban, provoking desperate attacks like the one this week. Starting in 2008 with the accession of Asif Zardari to the Pakistani presidency, about 700 al Qaeda and Taliban terrorists have been killed in drone attacks. A New York Times report states that Hellfire missiles have accounted for 90 Islamists in Pakistan’s tribal areas in the first six weeks of this year alone.
    Particularly painful for the two terrorist organizations, according to military analysts, is the fact that among the dead are about two dozen top-level leaders and 100 mid-level ones. This quantity and quality of expertise and experience are not easily replaceable, especially the mid-level battlefield commanders. According to one estimate, half of the senior al Qaeda leadership has been killed or seriously wounded in the past two years.
    This highly successful “decapitation” campaign, as it has been called, even came close to killing Ilyas Kashmiri, the dangerous and elusive commander of al Qaeda’s foreign terrorist operations. Kashmiri, who told a Pakistani reporter he barely escaped a Hellfire strike, was behind the Mumbai atrocity and is currently wanted in the United States for helping to plan a terrorist attack on a Danish newspaper, in which two Chicago men were also implicated.
    While angry about their losses, what infuriates al Qaeda and the Pakistani Taliban the most is the informants who are selling the terrorists’ whereabouts to their American enemy. Over the years, American intelligence has succeeded in setting up an informant network in the tribal territories. Al Qaeda and the Taliban know that without these informers a lot of their people would still be alive and hence have taken bloody reprisals against those they believe have sold them out.
    But the terrorists’ efforts to stop the drone operations with suicide attacks against American installations and executions in the tribal areas have been in vain. To his credit, President Obama has increased the number of Predator strikes, realizing their effectiveness, while the Taliban suicide attacks against Americans only seem to strengthen his resolve.
    In Pakistan’s tribal areas, there are tribes and individuals hostile to al Qaeda and the Taliban. The terrorists’ brutal treatment and killing of tribal elders and others who opposed them doubtlessly has also created a pool of willing informers. But even minus a grudge, al Qaeda and the Taliban would still be faced with informers, since most everything in the murky world of terrorism is for sale.
    The only drawback to the drone campaign’s success is the number of civilian casualties incurred. They are often people who were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. But, as one observer stated, the consolation is that the drones are eliminating terrorists who are responsible for a far greater number of civilian deaths.
    Two residents of North Waziristan, a tribal area, also hold the opinion that the drones’ elimination of the Taliban and al Qaeda, “in particular the Arabs”, compensate for the accidental civilian deaths. They told The New York Times: “If you look at the other guys, the Arabs and the kidnappings and the targeted killings, I would go for the drones.”
    The suicide attack on the American consulate is not an indication of Taliban resiliency, as some claim, but rather a sign of the terrorist organization’s weakness and desperation to stop the drone attacks. This small assault by six men should be viewed as a pathetic response to a military campaign that has killed nearly half their leadership.
    By selecting a high profile target like the consulate, the Taliban strategy was to grab world headlines, if only temporarily, hoping to demonstrate it is still a powerful force. In reality, there has been a “significant decline” in terrorist bombings in Pakistan this year, which a Pakistani newspaper attributes to “the US drone war and Pakistani military operations.” This, in turn, is the best proof of the drone campaign’s worth and success.

  • B Bliss Gripe Water ( 4 Oz )

    B Bliss Gripe Water ( 4 Oz ) Baby’s Bliss Gripe Water is America’s first all natural herbal supplement used to ease occasional gas and stomach pain often associated with colic, hiccups, and teething.

    Our Gripe Water is made with Organic fennel and ginger and is recommended by pediatricians nationwide as an effective herbal alternative to traditional medications.

    Pediatrician recommended.
    Organic ingredients.
    Effective in 5 to 20 minutes.
    No refrigeration needed.
    Now with twice the amount of the effective Organic ingredients than other Gripe Waters.

  • Lotion Lavender ( 8 OZ )

    Lotion Lavender ( 8 OZ ) In the modern day revival of the healing arts, Lavender is the most versatile aromatic plant, especially as an essential oil. Lavender has traditionally been used to treat all types of skin due to its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, rejuvenating, soothing and deodorizing effects. Nubian Heritagea s Lavender and Wildflowers infusion calms or stimulates the body and mind according to individual needs. The line is formulated with Shea Butter and Vitamin E to balance and condition skin, refresh tired muscles, prevent body cell deterioration and appeal to the senses.

  • Lotion Body Butter ( 8 OZ )

    Lotion Body Butter ( 8 OZ ) Nubian Heritage complements the moisturizing, soothing and restorative benefits of Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Mango Butter and Avocado Butter with the anti-aging and regenerative properties of Jojoba Oil, Aloe Vera and Vitamin E in our Body Butter line. These vitamin rich treatments contain powerful skin hydrators to maximize moisture retention and skin suppleness. This line is highly recommended for all skin types.

  • Body Wash African Black ( 13 OZ )

    Body Wash African Black ( 13 OZ ) The Nubian Heritage African Black Soap line combines the ancient medicinal properties of black soap with the hydrating properties of Shea Butter to balance problem skin. Our traditional African Black Soap recipe Contains palm ash, plantain peel extract, tamarind extract and papaya enzymes. This powerful combination has traditionally been used to treat eczema, acne, oily skin, psoriasis, and other skin ailments. In the apothecary tradition, Nubian Heritage updates African Black Soap with active botanical extracts and salicylic acid to more effectively treat acne, balance skin tone and improve skin texture. Daily use of the line will result in cleaner, clearer, healthier skin.

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    Body Butter Raw Shea ( 4 OZ ) The Nubian Heritage Raw Shea Butter Collection are recipes of essential vitamins, skin and hair-nourishing ingredients, including Vitamins E and B-5, Soy Milk, Jojoba Oil, Cocoa Butter, and Macadamia Seed Oil. The unique formulas are infused with a special essential oil blend of Frankincense, Myrrh, Cardamom, Ginger and Black Pepper that adds an aromatic experience and skin-healing properties. Frankincense is known for its toning and anti-aging properties and adds aroma therapeutic benefits promoting mental strength, clarity and balance while Myrrh is known as a superior cosmetic in early remedies and helps to heal chapped skin.

  • Tung Hai Chlorella ( 200 mg, 1000 Tabs )

    Tung Hai Chlorella ( 200 mg, 1000 Tabs ) Tung Hai Chlorella is a single-celled fresh water algae, rich in a variety of nutrients and extremely high in protein. It contains 19 amino acids, is one of the richest sources of RNA and DNA, and has over 10 times as much chlorophyll as alfalfa. Because it is a whole food, Tung Hai Chlorella contributes to the health and growth of our cells like no single vitamin or mineral possibly can. It works at the cellular level to nourish, rejuvenate and revitalize the body’s systems.In order for us to be healthy, we must be healthy at the most basic level: the cell. Our cells are being replaced constantly. The primary agents which accomplish this are called nucleic acids, most notably RNA and DNA. A diet rich in RNA/DNA is essential for the body to efficiently repair itself, and is therefore considered a key to long life and the Beneficial Effectsion of problem. Tung Hai Chlorella is one of the richest known sources of dietary nucleic acids.

  • Bitter Melon (Glycemic Control) ( 60 Caps )

    Bitter Melon (Glycemic Control) ( 60 Caps ) Bitter Melon is natural fruit that has favorable effects on glucose metabolism.

  • Tanolin CLA ( 1000 mg, 90 SoftGels )

    Tanolin CLA ( 1000 mg, 90 SoftGels ) Bluebonnet’s Tonalin CLA 1000 mg Softgels provide pure safflower oil, which contains 78-84% conjugated linoleic acid and other monounsaturated fatty acids, which aid in weight management with proper diet and exercise by reducing the amount of fat that is broken down, deposited and stored in the body. Available in easy-to-swallow softgels for maximum assimilation and absorption.