News Stories

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Decagon

The TCM (and a lot of traditional medicine, really) is essentially a few thousand years of clinical testing, observation, and experimentation. Lot of modern people tend to forget traditional cures especially ones you might find in small countryside villages in Europe or the backwoods of N. America. They tend to throw it out as if it were tainted by the image of the Dark Ages when Europe lost much of the knowledge the Romans and Greeks had accumulated.

Though I am more inclined to think that researches against such traditional medicine are often funded by Big Pharma so they could sell more of their synthetic pills.

Originally Posted by DonQuigleone

Remember how we used to think Leeches were a good idea? That's only the tip of the iceberg...

Leeches are cheaper to use than EDTA.

Originally Posted by MeoTwister5

Anyway the reason humans cannot breakdown cellulose is because we lack the genes that encode the enzyme Cellulase. Cellulose is a very long chain polysaccharide and the enzymes we possess such as amylase can only break down long chain sugars up to a point. Sugars going into the cullolse length require a different enzyme mostly in bacteria. Likewise humans can't produce our own Vitamin C because of a defect in the genes for L-gulunolactone enzyme required to transform glucose to VitC.

If we could, it would have increased the acidity of our body fluids, which could probably mean that we need superfast regeneration to cope with the molecular breakdown.

[killer3000ad]

South Korean employees leave resort after North Korean threat

The last South Korean employees have left Mount Kumgang resort in North Korea resort Tuesday morning, as the struggle over the scenic mountain resort continues.

Fourteen South Koreans and two Chinese workers left after 11 a.m.. Tuesday, the South Korea's Unification Ministry said. The ministry said it had no idea when the workers will return.

The move comes a day after North Korea announced it would seize all assets in the area.

The joint project at Mount Kumgang was started in 1998 to boost reconciliation and to give North Korea a chance to earn money.

Operations were suspended by Seoul after the 2008 shooting of a South Korean tourist by a North Korean soldier after the shooting victim walked into an off-limits area.

North Korea says it will seize the South Korean properties under North Korean law after Seoul unilaterally suspended the tours and gave South Korean employees 72 hours to leave Monday.

South Korea has rejected the North's threats.

[SeijiSensei]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

Japan Held Nuclear Data, Leaving Evacuees in Peril
[W]hat are the prospects for the Kan government falling and a new election needing to be called?

Answer: the first doesn't imply the second. Reshuffle!

Japan's Prime Minister Likely to Resign

Neither of the two likely contenders for prime minister have much appeal.

Among those who will seek to replace Mr. Kan as leader of the ruling Democratic Party, and hence prime minister, are former Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara, Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda and Trade Minister Banri Kaieda.

Mr. Maehara, 49, an outspoken foreign policy hawk who announced his candidacy on Monday, is seen as a front-runner in the race to succeed Mr. Kan, though he is still mired in a political donation scandal that forced him to resign in March.

Mr. Noda, 54, is a fiscal conservative who supports raising taxes to reduce Japan’s public debt.

The candidates are expected to follow, for now, the gradual phase out of nuclear power, given strong public support of the policy. However, Mr. Noda and Mr. Kaieda, 62, have shown more support for the nuclear industry than the outgoing prime minister, suggesting, for example, that Japan should still push to export nuclear technology overseas.

Well, sure, if other people want to use products and technologies we don't trust, why shouldn't we be the ones to sell them? Sounds a lot like the tobacco trade.

[TinyRedLeaf]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

Well, sure, if other people want to use products and technologies we don't trust, why shouldn't we be the ones to sell them? Sounds a lot like the tobacco trade.

I believe the world, and Japan especially, could use a lot more mahjong...

[DonQuigleone]

I think they should just stick with a single government long enough for the ministers to actually learn how to do anything.

[TinyRedLeaf]

Originally Posted by DonQuigleone

I think they should just stick with a single government long enough for the ministers to actually learn how to do anything.

That's where you got it wrong. In Japan, the ministers don't really need to know anything, as they are nothing more than glorified rubber stamps. It's the civil service that actually runs the country. Any other advanced country would have probably fallen apart in confusion by now, after five or so Cabinets in as many years.

[DonQuigleone]

Originally Posted by TinyRedLeaf

That's where you got it wrong. In Japan, the ministers don't really need to know anything, as they are nothing more than glorified rubber stamps. It's the civil service that actually runs the country. Any other advanced country would have probably fallen apart in confusion by now, after five or so Cabinets in as many years.

That's what I'm talking about. Because the ministers never last any decent length of time by the time they've learned how to get over the civil service they're already out.

If you ever watched the UK Sitcom "Yes Minister" you'd see how it works.

That's why they need ministers to be around a little longer.

[killer3000ad]

Sexual assault charges against former IMF director dismissed

A New York judge has dismissed the sexual assault case against former IMF director Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

The move came as prosecutors cited doubts over the credibility of his accuser, 32-year-old hotel maid Nafissatou Diallo.

Mr Strauss-Kahn, 62, was accused in May of attacking the African immigrant as she entered his hotel room to clean it.

The ruling means he is a free man, though he still faces a civil suit Ms Diallo filed this month.

"Our inability to believe the complainant beyond a reasonable doubt means, in good faith, that we could not ask a jury to do that," Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzzi-Orbon told Judge Michael Obus.

[Sugetsu]

Interesting news, for the first time in my life I have experienced a tremor in Washington D.C. It just happened, it lasted for about 5 seconds.

It was a 5.8 earthquake. This is very extraordinary.

[Knight Hawk]

5.8 earthquake hits Virginia, felt in NYC

NEW YORK (WABC) -- A 5.8 earthquake struck in Virginia Tuesday afternoon and was felt up and down the east coast.

There are no preliminary reports of any damage, but the Pentagon was evacuated as a precaution.

That was interesting. If it shook anymore i would have left, don't trust this old a$$ building to take much.

[hinakatbklyn]

Earthquakes have occured here in NY but I rarely noticed before. This time I noticed my office shake alittle and the epicenter was further south.

[Sugetsu]

The first thought that hit me was: "Uh, what are the odds of that happening?"

[TinyRedLeaf]

Originally Posted by DonQuigleone

That's what I'm talking about. Because the ministers never last any decent length of time by the time they've learned how to get over the civil service they're already out.

If you ever watched the UK Sitcom "Yes Minister" you'd see how it works.

That's why they need ministers to be around a little longer.

I enjoyed Yes, Minister, but I like the Black Adder series much more.

You miss my point. The civil service has always been the one in true control of Japan. That has been the case during much of Tokugawa rule, and after the Meiji Restoration, the bureaucracy simply took new form as the modern civil service.

In the West, you talk of various checks and balances to ensure balanced distribution of power, all for the sake of building a political system that would survive even if you put monkeys in power. Well, in Japan, the civil service is the institution that ensures that, even if complete fools are in power, government will continue unhindered. It's a different ball game altogether.

[solomon]

I'm here in Northern Virginia.

My town house shook. People in the neighboorhood came running outside.

Government buildings were evacuated and power outages have been reported in DC, Arlington and other places.

Center was inbetween Richmond the capital and Charlottesville where the University of Virginia is. It's way out in the country but the worst damage is feared to be in the West End of Richmond.

[DonQuigleone]

Originally Posted by TinyRedLeaf

I enjoyed Yes, Minister, but I like the Black Adder series much more.

You miss my point. The civil service has always been the one in true control of Japan. That has been the case during much of Tokugawa rule, and after the Meiji Restoration, the bureaucracy simply took new form as the modern civil service.

In the West, you talk of various checks and balances to ensure balanced distribution of power, all for the sake of building a political system that would survive even if you put monkeys in power. Well, in Japan, the civil service is the institution that ensures that, even if complete fools are in power, government will continue unhindered. It's a different ball game altogether.

I imagine that the civil service in Japan works similiarly to that in Britain. Namely, the minister has the legal authority over his department and civil service, and the civil service is very good at sidelining the minister in question. The minister needs to be around for a while before he knows how to use the civil service apparatus. If he's removed prematurely he never gets a chance to push through any of the governments policies, and things just continue...

Also, Black Adder is good too but wasn't topical. Father Ted is also good

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by solomon

I'm here in Northern Virginia.

My town house shook. People in the neighboorhood came running outside.

Government buildings were evacuated and power outages have been reported in DC, Arlington and other places.

Center was inbetween Richmond the capital and Charlottesville where the University of Virginia is. It's way out in the country but the worst damage is feared to be in the West End of Richmond.

it is a 5.8,

you can't even get Californians to leave their chair on a 5.8

[solomon]

Well, yea but you know DIS AINT CALI!

My mom lived in San Diego so she knows the score.

Local news from DC to Boston is going nutz.

[Ithekro]

I'd call you Easterners lightweights, but then your building aren't built to take earthquakes.

Out here we probably wouldn't notice an earthquake like that other than to say, "oh a quake" and then get back to whatever we were doing. Or is some cases, ask if a car had hit the building (some feel like a sharp jolt and that's all).

[solomon]

Dude, I'd LOVE to see good old fashioned Nor'Easter type snow come hit you people in LaLa Land and the Bay City.......lightweights.....

[Ithekro]

That would be interesting. It has snowed at total of three times in this city since I was born...and only stuck to the ground once.

We go to the mountains for our snow and can experiance heavy snow some winters in the Sierra Nevada.