Roundup making soil unproductive

What's happening to most of the farm land in the US?  It will soon be good for nothing but shopping malls and subdivisions because you won't be able to raise any crops on it!  Hmmm - sounds like an 'abomination of desolation'.  See ROUNDUP

Reduced Salt Intake - FDA wrong again

Studies have found reduced salt intake to be marginally beneficial in hypertension.  Those on a reduced salt diet are four times more likely to die!
For more information, see SALT

Prescription Drugs and Nutrient Depletion

Many prescription and over the counter drugs have the side effects of draining your body of vitamins and minerals.  Here is a link to a table listing the drug type, vitamins & minerals they deplete, and the common symptoms:
  Thornton

Mercury Free Dentistry

I have long been a proponent of Mercury Free Dentistry.  About 20+ years ago I had all my mercury laden amalgam ("silver") fillings removed.  I then had all the mercury that had accumulated in my body removed by chelation.  The doctor that removed my amalgam fillings used rubber dams in my mouth with a special vacuum device that removed all the toxic gases through a special filter then to the outside air so I wasn't breathing in the mercury released during the removal process.  This is the only safe way to have it done.  But then the resin composites used to replace the amalgams may have their own problems - guess you can't win!

For more background and information see Mercola-Amalgam or just browse the web under mercury fillings.

As a historical note, when amalgam fillings first came out they were recognized as the danger they were and the dental association of the time spoke out against the procedure - but they were cheap and fast (follow the money $$) so a new group was formed to promote the procedure and put the old organization out of business.  Guess what the new organization was called?  The American Dental Association.  See ADA History

Epigenetics - notes

(updated) I keep running across articles relating to Epigenetics as well as studies indicating what we eat can modify epigenes which in turn change how genes 'express' themselves. Here is a not so simple treatise at Wikipedia.
At this time, this is a scratchpad relating to the subject. If anyone has some good articles, let me know...

Epigenetics and obesity
49 pages of science
Nova - Good Video
More Hype than Fact
Marisa Bartolomei (technical)
Feb 2012 Journal devoted to health and epigenetics (technical)

Aluminum House Wiring

Why is aluminum wiring of concern? Is it likely to return with increasing copper prices?
1. Problems: Aluminum expands and contracts with temperature - much more than copper. This means that wherever a wire is connected by a screw (most connections)it will eventually loosen. This leads to a bad electrical connection, overheating, arching, and a high chance of a fire.
 
This is particularly a problem with older houses wired when aluminum wiring first came out and they used new wire with old connection termination technology.  The new wire used with compatable connection technology is supposed to be as good as copper.  See Aluminum House Wiring for more info.  Here is another semitechnical read - Hansen.