Danger // Current

Protecting Obama

A security expert has warned Barack Obama may never be able to get close to his fans again - for fear of assassination. Former... more

thedismembermentplan
added this

Teen survives being dumped into recycling truck

A 14 year old survived being accidentally dumped into the back of a recycling truck and compacted. He ran away from a boot-camp... more

ClareW
added this

"Enough is Enough"-Live from Tent City in Richmond,CA-MOVIE

This needs to be on current tv because this is a real issue still relivant in the Richmond community. This contains some in depth... more

Bakari_Pilgrim
added this

FDA denies ignoring harm in bottle chemical

" U.S. regulators said on Wednesday they did not ignore evidence showing possible harm from a chemical used in many plastic products, including baby bottles and food containers.

A panel of outside experts convened by the Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday the FDA failed to consider studies calling into question the safety of bisphenol A, a chemical used for decades to harden plastic products, when it issued a draft conclusion in August that BPA is safe.

But the FDA quickly issued a statement reiterating its view that "based on all available evidence" current levels of exposure to BPA through food packaging do not pose an immediate health risk to the public, including infants and babies.

"We need to get that clear -- we did not ignore studies. We looked at all the studies," Norris Alderson, FDA associate commissioner for science, said in a telephone interview.

"The committee gave us valuable guidance on how we can improve our assessment using the current data. But they did not say in any way that I can find that there is an immediate health risk," Alderson said.

The advisory panel's report concluded "the margins of safety defined by FDA as 'adequate' are, in fact, inadequate."

Some U.S. lawmakers said the advisory panel's report is more evidence the FDA has mishandled its assessment of BPA.

BPA is used in many food and beverage containers, the coating of food cans and some medical devices. It mimics the hormone estrogen in the body. People consume it when it leaches from plastic into baby formula, water or food in a container.

The panel, which formally presents its report to an FDA science committee on Friday, urged the agency to take into account other animal studies that have found health concerns and studies published since the draft assessment was made.

U.S. government toxicologists at the National Institutes of Health this year concluded BPA presents "some concern" for harmful effects on development of the prostate and brain and for behavioral changes in fetuses, infants and children.

A study by British researchers published in September showed that people with the highest levels of BPA in their body were much more likely to have heart disease, diabetes and liver-enzyme abnormalities than those with the lowest levels.

Canada said this month it will move to limit sales of baby bottles made with BPA due to health concerns.

Environmental activists and some U.S. lawmakers have accused the FDA of relying too heavily on two industry-funded animal studies to dismiss safety concerns about BPA."" U.S. regulators said on Wednesday they did not ignore evidence showing possible harm from a chemical used in many plastic... more

DeliaTheArtist
added this

0 responses

20 days ago

Drug houses a danger to new owners

People who unknowingly purchase homes that have been used in the illegal drug trade may put their health and their lives at risk,... more

urlspotter
added this

0 responses

22 days ago

Health officials concerned over fatal 'car surfing'

Since 1990, 58 people have been killed by 'car surfing.' The participant stands atop of a moving car and mimicks surf... more

joshuaheller
added this

2 responses

1 month ago

Boar War: Wild hog kills hunter near berlin

An enraged and hungry wild boar attacked a hunter, who then bled to death. In recent months wild boars, whom zoologists... more

JanaPokana
added this

0 responses

1 month ago

John McCain's rage is a national security concern

During last night's debate, John McCain said we need "a cool hand at the tiller," but McCain has proven to be a... more

Vierotchka
added this

9 responses

1 month ago

Five children killed in Russian collapse

Three flights of stairs have collapsed in a school building int he Orenburg Region of Russia, leaving five children dead, four... more

joshuaheller
added this

0 responses

1 month ago

Getting to School in Iraq

Alive In Baghdad: Iraqi school children coping with violence daily.

Vierotchka
added this

13 responses

1 month ago

Beware of the dreaded "XP Antivirus 2008"

More and more computers are being infested by the dreaded "XP Antivirus 2008" malware/virus.

"Antivirus XP 2008 is a new rogue anti-spyware program that is advertised through Trojans and other malware. It is advertised in the form of fake security alerts and warnings on web sites that state you are infected with malware or are being attacked in some manner. When you click on these ads, it will automatically download the installer for Antivirus XP 2008 and install it on your machine. In some cases, this program is installed without any intervention at all from you.

"Once installed, Antivirus XP 2008 will scan your computer and display a variety of security risks found on your computer that can only be removed if you purchase a license of the software. These risks, though, are all fake and are only being displayed to scare you into thinking you are infected and thus purchase their software. Another tactic that Antivirus XP 2008, and the accompanied malware, uses is to change your desktop background to be a message stating you are infected, popups and fake alerts stating your computer is being attacked, and a fake Internet Explorer page that states Google has found your computer to be infected."

Some people who fell for this and decided to purchase Antivirus XP 2008 using their credit card have apparently had vast amounts of money fraudulently taken, stolen, by whoever is behind this little monster.

My husband's computer got infected a couple of days ago when he visited DivXVine where he has a few DivX videos hosted. This malware/virus is a real pain in the backside and can, according to some, destroy your hard-drive. There is a number of videos on YouTube which offer different ways of getting rid of it, none of which worked - it seems that the makers of this little monster have changed some of its properties to make it almost impossible to get rid of. It interferes with one's browser in such a way that when one wants to go to a website giving instructions on how to get rid of it, one lands on totally different and unrelated pages. It makes the downloading of .exe files that can help one get rid of it impossible, or disables some of the information which corrupts or empties these .exe files.

After over 24 hours of very frustrating struggles in trying to get rid of this little monster, I finally found a solution that did work. I downloaded the free trial version of Spyware Doctor (it will detect the little monster, but one needs to purchase it in order to clean it out) and then purchased the license online (about $34). I put the .exe file onto an external drive, then we connected the external drive to my husband's computer, and he grabbed, slid and dropped the .exe file onto his desktop and installed it. After that, he entered the name and the license number (one may install it into 3 computers), activated it, downloaded the latest definitions, did a full scan - it worked like a charm and zapped and destroyed the little monster!

I found Spyware Doctor at pctools.com after doing a lot of research on the subject. Beware - some of the sites that one finds via a google search when googling for that malware/virus by name are traps, some are attack sites. Happily, I am well protected and get warnings when going to these sites.

I am going to install it on my computer too, as it prevents such little monsters from ever entering one's computer. I can only advise others to also purchase it before getting hit by this little monster, and if you're already a victim, well, now you have the solution.More and more computers are being infested by the dreaded "XP Antivirus 2008" malware/virus. "Antivirus XP 2008... more

Vierotchka
added this

4 responses

3 months ago

Which Way to Wagah, India.

3 brothers on a wild suicidal three thousand kilometer journey from Bangladesh to Pakistan via the Grand Trunk Road of Northern... more

eagar_bros
added this

6 responses

3 months ago

Cuban punk rocker arrested on charges of "dangerousness"

Gorki Aguila has been arrested in Havana for "dangerousness." Aguila was arrested in the middle of recording a new... more

joshuaheller
added this

17 responses

3 months ago

The nose really can smell danger

A mouse’s nose has a cluster of specialized cells that respond to the chemical signals sent out by fellow mice that are in distress, researchers report, meaning that mice can literally smell fear. A lump of nerve cells in the nose tip called the Grueneberg ganglion responds to the “fear pheromones” of imperiled creatures, sending a signal straight to the brain. As Grueneberg ganglia are known to exist in rodents, cats, apes, and humans, researchers say it’s likely that the cells perform the same function in all mammals.

In a new study, researchers dosed water dishes with mouse alarm pheromones, and put the dishes in cages with both normal mice and mice whose ganglia had been removed. The contrast was very striking, [lead researcher Marie-Christine] Broillet said. “The normal mouse immediately gets scared and goes to the corner of the box and freezes,” she said. But mice without the ganglia carried on as before, seemingly unaware of the danger signals. Both groups were able to sniff out cookies hidden in their cages, however, suggesting the altered group’s sense of smell was otherwise unaffected [National Geographic News].

The findings, reported in the journal Science [subscription required], solve an old puzzle about the function of the Grueneberg ganglion; when it was discovered in 1973 scientists couldn’t determine its purpose, and it was then forgotten for over 30 years. Researchers rediscovered the structure a few years ago when mice were genetically engineered to produce a green fluorescent protein in their neurons, Broillet says. Scientists were surprised to see the clusters of green neurons sitting all alone at the tip of the mice’s noses [Science News].

Warning systems that help animals detect a threat to their own species provide a clear boost in survival odds, so researchers say it makes sense that the ganglia evolved early and are present throughout the mammalian family tree. Even certain plants release alarm pheromones to produce bitter and astringent tannins, so they can become less appetizing to hungry animals. In modern life, our own response to alarm pheromones might be hard to notice, but it is entirely possible that we still inadvertently react to their presence [Ars Technica].

A mouse’s nose has a cluster of specialized cells that respond to the chemical signals sent out by fellow mice that are in... more

CHARMOSH
added this

18 responses

3 months ago

Sebastian’s Voodoo: A Question of Protecting Friends

"Sebastian's Voodoo" is an acclaimed visually dark and beautiful four-minute animation short-film, which is set to... more

disembedded
added this

0 responses

3 months ago

The Dangerous Business Practices of Credit Card Companies

Credit card companies have been hit hard by recent trouble in the stock market and the economy. You may think that credit card companies will continue to treat you, the consumer, in the same way they always have, but you'd be forgetting that credit card companies are businesses. When the economy hits credit card companies, they pass the trouble along to their customers.

Many credit card companies promise you that your rate won't change until your card expires. However, in a 2008 survey of credit card companies conducted by Consumer Action, 77 percent of surveyed credit card companies answered, "Yes" to the question "Can you increase my APR or change my terms 'any time for any reason'?"

Another trick used by credit card companies to get money from customers is to change your credit card limit.

Most credit card users assume that their credit card limits will remain the same, or that credit card companies would warn them if those limits were going to change.

Common practices include "following a customer down" where the credit card companies will continue to reduce your credit card limit as you pay off a large balance, leaving you hovering on the edge of your credit card limit. Some credit card companies will reduce your credit card limit lower than your current balance, triggering over-limit fees. Other credit card companies simply change your credit card limit and you don't find out until your credit card is declined.

Sometimes the credit card companies will make changes that have nothing to do with the consumer. According to the Consumer Action survey, "Four of the top ten credit card issuers cited factors beyond a consumer's control that might cause interest rate increases such as: 'market conditions,' 'the economy,' and 'business strategies.'"

Remember, credit card companies aren't in business to take care of you. Credit card companies make money when you go over your limit or can't make a payment. Keep an eye on your credit card statements, and don't hesitate to call the credit card companies if you notice any changes.Credit card companies have been hit hard by recent trouble in the stock market and the economy. You may think that credit card... more