Week 12: Which Way Forward?

I chose "Alien Evolutionary Biology" because I've always had the distinct feeling that my soul is star seeded, not from Earth. However- when I read Sitchin's "Ancient Astronaut Theory" which proposed that all humans are indeed an alien genetic experiment- I felt the truth of this deep in my soul. Through my meditations and mystical visions- I was able to determine that I am a Hathor starseed- the cat-like aliens who helped influence and shape the beginning of Tibetan Buddhism and Egypt. The Hathors taught the Egyptians about tantra and immortality consciousness- not surprisingly- two of my passions. It is probably not surprising then- that when I have been able to astrally project- I have projected my spirit 'accidentally' to a Hathor chamber in one of the pyramids, and on another occasion, found myself on a water planet with a creature that looked like half goat, half mermaid. When I saw a video about the Nommo- the 'water deities' of Planet Oceana 3 planets out from Sirius B- I had deja vu of a lifetime that I had as an aquatic creature in the Sirius B star system. My curiosity comes from my own experience of feeling like an extraterrestrial- and then wanting to apply scientific data and reason to confirm this intuitive feeling. Here is a great website with descriptions of the more advanced E.T.s: siriusascension.com

Week 11: Vaccination and Public Health

Should parents take a more active role in designing their children's immunization schedule?

Most parents are around average intelligence and far from being medically savvy. I think it should be the role of the Primary Care Physician to remind parents of what and when vital immunizations should occur.

Would you support making vaccination programs compulsory?

In the case of potentially fatal diseases like measles, I do think vaccination should be compulsory. However- for illnesses such as HPV, I think that vaccines should be voluntary. I also think that all government created strands of flu to induce mass fear need to be eradicated once and for all- not that I have any Pollyanna rose-colored glasses optimism that that's going to happen any time soon. There is strong evidence to support that the Swine Flu and Bird Flu were lab created flus produced by the government (who does NOT have our best interests at heart)- and in the case of the Swine Flu- that the vaccine was actually causing sterility and miscarriages in pregnant women. And yet- nurses faced getting fired if they did not get compulsory Swine Flu vaccines despite the isolated cases of the flu (which mass media scare tactics would have us think otherwise).

Week 10: American Bison

How would you prioritize the reintroduction of American bison?

Certainly more than ethically driven- everything in America is profit driven. If there was financial incentive to raising bison free range and the market started demanding bison by buying bison- then there would be a good reason in the eyes of corporate America to raise bison. Marketing campaigns could be driven at the health benefits of bison both for regular people, Native Americans, and the health of the land. However- in order for it to really positively effect the Native American communities into becoming self-sufficient like they once were- enough of the bison would have to be free range and not solely at the use of the meat market. While I do not see any market incentive in free range bison, I'm sure that Native American lobbyists or other special interest groups could push their agendas with local governments and pertinent groups who control the land where they'd like to see bison roaming freely.

How would you assess "New pill promises to reduce breast cancer risk?"

With almost all (perhaps all- though that is a risky statement) Western medication- that there are positive effects and negative side effects. Bearing this in mind about all Western meds- the wise idea when introducing any Western medication would be for the patient to address the overall function of their body/organs through added healthcare with Chinese medicine and diet if there is a higher risk of developing something serious like cancer. Why take just a pill without introducing a high anti-oxidant fruits and vegetables diet to further ward off this risk of cancer? The nice thing about a dietary/herbal approach to preventing cancer- is that there ARE no harmful side effects.

Week 9: Ecosystems and Deep Ecology

What do you think about the "eight-point" Deep Ecology Platform?

It's refreshing to read a platform that recognizes the inherit value and biodiversity of non-human life (aka the rest of nature) outside of the narrow confines of humanity's use of nature. It is a realistic platform that looks honestly at how the excessive human population is incompatible with the flourishing both of humans and non-human lifeforms. China has addressed the excessive population problem by implementing a national 'one child only' law which requires that couples breed no more than one child. Any second and further pregnancies require abortion. While it seems like a drastic interference in freewill- I think that national measures like this- ESPECIALLY in densely populated countries like China, India, certain Latin American countries, etc.- that it is not a bad idea. When I visited Colombia last winter- I was shocked and disappointed by how difficult it was just to take a bus or drive through traffic because of the dense population of Bogotá. Anyone that knows Latin America knows the high value Latinos ascribe to big families- and this was obvious by the sheer amount of babies and children I saw. However- it made the quality of just getting around the city a nightmare. Quality of life is affected by dense population- and in the long-run- if humanity is allowed to reproduce unchecked- there will likely not be enough resources, food, or jobs to sustain such a huge population, especially as economies around the world start to plummet- which they already are.

Can you explain why "Ecosystems are both strong and fragile?" 

Mother Earth is a force with which to be reckoned. Her strength has already endured the sheer destruction we have waged upon her in the form of pollution, agriculture, farming out certain kinds of fish to the point of extinction or endangerment, etc. While we continue to populate and live off of her bounty- this comes at a cost. There are more animal and plant species that are becoming extinct or endangered every year. The reason ecosystems are fragile is that if one crucial component of the ecosystem collapses or is farmed out- there is a whole chain of life that is dependent on that part of the chain that is also effected. However- Mother Earth may very well (and already has) fight back with a number of natural disasters as a result of climate change from human/industrial pollution- that may affect the human population in the long run as well. The coming Ice Age may also have a huge detrimental effect on humanity while creating a freeze over that may actually help the Earth recover in the long-term.

How would you assess the "end goals" of Social Ecology?

I feel that Social Ecology is a necessary reclamation of human responsibility for the damage we have caused the planet. There is no other species on the planet who have the capacity to help repair the situation we have created on the planet. It is our planetary duty and responsibility to try and amend the damage we have caused by whatever technological, ethical, ecological, geological ways we can. If we don't- the situation will only continue to worsen and cause yet more harm to humans, animals, plant species, the atmosphere, the oceans. Recognition of these problems is the only ethical and practical way to try and improve life for everyone on the planet. 

Week 8: Cell Biology: HIV and AIDS

How do you feel about Western approaches to HIV/AIDS?

Honestly- I have a family member with AIDS who has been on Western meds that have successfully kept his viral load down and his t-cell count up. I say 'the proof is always in the pudding' so to speak. The one negative drawback that this person feels from the meds is the necessity of a strict adherence to a daily schedule that he cannot skip, and he must set his alarm to wake up and take a lot of pills to stay on schedule. But this person is not concerned with diet, holistic healthcare, and his HIV medication has enabled him to live well into his 70s seemingly without any harm. The WHO's (World Health Organization) approach of recommending earlier treatment for patients detected with HIV is certainly not a bad idea- though my family member had had the virus for a couple years before he starting taking meds- which drastically decreased his viral load to being almost undetectable. With a disease as serious as AIDS- it's better to exercise caution and start treatment as soon as one knows one is affected- especially to avoid getting any communicable and secondary infections due to a weakened immune system- which is what ultimately kills most people infected with AIDS. I support the line of research that is trying to find a way to strengthen the immune system so that AIDS can exit peacefully within the body without having to take meds for the rest of a person's life.

Can TCM strengthen our immune systems?

Of course it can! Let's just look at one obvious example from TCM: when a person is Lung Qi deficient, they are more susceptible to catching colds. With acupuncture and herbalism aimed at boosting Lung Qi, this person will notice that they develop more of a resistance to colds- meaning increased immunity. TCM helps improve immunity by increasing the deficient Zang organs while dispelling any underlying pathologenic factors such as Toxic Heat, Phlegm, and Blood Stasis.

Week 7: Cell Biology and Cancer

Week 7: Cancer

How sophisticated is our understanding of cancer?

Cancer cells are abnormal cells whose regulating normal cell division is disrupted. Cancer develops when normal cells acquire abnormal functions through mutations that can occur through environmental factors such as cigarette smoking, UV lights, X-Rays, chemicals, and viruses. Usually- it takes around four to seven of these cancer-causing influences for a normal cell to go through a few premalignant stages before becoming a malignant, invasive, cancer. In cancer cells, the normal control systems that usually prevent cells from over-proliferating and invading tissues are disabled, causing abnormal reproduction, changes to cell structure, decreased cell adhesion, and production of new enzymes. The abnormalities in cancer cells usually result from mutations in protein-encoding genes that regulate cell division.

How does a TCM approach to cancer differ?

The TCM approach to cancer differs from the allopathic approach to cancer in that it includes a more holistic look at the break-down of organs, meridians, etc., as opposed to just trying to eradicate the cancerous cells by direct attack. TCM believes that cancerous cells are produced because of a weakened body and organs- and that unless you address the organ/meridian dysfunction and lifestyle choices that contributed to the cancer, that traditional forms of cancer therapy- such as radiation and chemotherapy- will not address the diseased body that gave rise to the cancerous cells. In fact- chemotherapy- while klling the cancer cells directly- also kills other cells in the body and makes one even weaker- so that the body is still a walking host of dysfunction easily habitable by other diseases including the cancer- in the future.

Are our genes still being shaped by natural selection?

'Natural' is a term that uneasily sits side by side with the amount of unnatural environmental pollutants and food toxins/pesticides that we are exposed to daily and with which our bodies must deal- creating a toxic soup of both natural and unnatural elements within usl. The idea of 'Natural Selection' is tantamount with the Darwinian idea of 'Survival of the Fittest.' In the case of cancer- it is not the cells that are fittest that survive- it is the cancerous cells whose normal functions have been so disrupted that in worst case scenario- they become malignant and actually start to invade other cells. They are not being 'naturally selected' due to their ability to optimize survival of the host or themselves- as when they die- their host also dies. Their is nothing naturally selective about death and death. It's a lose-lose situation for the cancer and the host.