World Health Organization: Processed meat causes cancer

http://money.cnn.com/2015/10/26/news/red-meat-processed-cancer-world-health-organization/index.html
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-34615621
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/26/us-health-meat-idUSKCN0SK16P20151026

The World Health Organization said Monday that eating processed meat such as sausages and ham causes cancer, while unprocessed red meat may also be carcinogenic.

The WHO's cancer research unit now classifies processed meat as "carcinogenic to humans" based on evidence from hundreds of studies, and linked it specifically to colon, or colorectal, cancer.

The report outlined that simply eating 50 grams of processed meat each day -- the equivalent of two slices of ham -- can increase the risk of such cancer by 18%. However, the authors say the risks are relatively small to begin with.The organization defines processed meat as any type of meat that is salted, cured or smoked to enhance its flavor or preserve it. Processed meat generally contains pork or beef, but may also contain poultry.

The WHO now classifies processed meat in the same category as smoking and asbestos, based on its certainty of a link with cancer, but stressed that did not mean they were equally dangerous.

Unprocessed red meat such as steak and lamb shanks is classified as "probably carcinogenic."

The WHO said the finding was important for public health since processed meat is so widely consumed. However, it said red meat still has "nutritional value."

"These results are important in enabling governments and international regulatory agencies to conduct risk assessments, in order to balance the risks and benefits of eating red meat and processed meat and to provide the best possible dietary recommendations," said Christopher Wild, head of the WHO's cancer agency, in a statement.

According to estimates cited by the WHO, about 34,000 cancer deaths per year worldwide can be attributed to diets that are high in processed meat. That's a small fraction of the 8.2 million deaths caused by cancer in 2012, according to the latest WHO data.

Meat industry groups slammed the WHO report as biased and misleading.

"They tortured the data to ensure a specific outcome," said Betsy Booren, vice president of scientific affairs at the North American Meat Institute.

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association said the scientists who issued the report were split on their decision to make an explicit link between red meat with cancer.

"As a registered dietitian and mother, my advice hasn't changed," said Shalene McNeill, an executive director at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. "To improve all aspects of your health, eat a balanced diet, which includes lean meats like beef, maintain a healthy weight, be physically active and, please don't smoke."

How Nukes Were Almost Launched From Okinawa During Cuban Missile Crisis

Aaron Tovish is calling on the U.S. government to release documents pertaining to one of the scarier incidents of the Cuban Missile Crisis. According to an Air Force airman, the system designed to prevent an accidental launch of nuclear weapons failed as the codes ordering a launch were given in each of the three transmissions required for a launch: "By Bordne's account, at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Air Force crews on Okinawa were ordered to launch 32 missiles, each carrying a large nuclear warhead. Only caution and the common sense and decisive action of the line personnel receiving those orders prevented the launches -- and averted the nuclear war that most likely would have ensued."
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Limitation of scientism

Suppose someone uses a map to travel to a friend’s house. At each step during the journey, suppose the map guides them well, and their faith in it increases more and more. Finally when they reach their friend’s house and see him, they check their map, don’t find him there and declare, “You don’t exist.” Their friend would be right to retort, “Your intelligence doesn’t exist – the map is not meant to show people. It doesn’t show all of reality.”

Science acts like a map for navigating material reality. The scientific picture of nature enables us to reliably do things such as getting where we want to go. Being enamored by these navigational abilities, some people deem science the only reliable source of knowledge about everything. Thus, they become believers of scientism.

What’s wrong with scientism? It misrepresents science. Mainstream science doesn’t show all of reality. Operating on the premise of methodological naturalism, it looks for material explanations for material phenomena while saying nothing about any nonmaterial factors. In principle, the map of naturalist science isn’t meant to depict nonmaterial realities such as consciousness.

When believers of scientism encounter consciousness, especially its irreducible subjective dimension, they deny its existence by deeming its locus – our sense of self – a neurochemical illusion. But it is only because they have consciousness that they can say anything about it, either its existence or non-existence. Put another way, only because consciousness is real can they make the absurd claim that it is not real.

The Bhagavad-gita (16.09) indicates that people destroy their soul because of buying into a fanatically materialistic worldview (16.08). If instead we study the Gita’s wisdom, we can intellectually grasp the reality of the soul and gradually by the practice of yoga realize it to be our essence.

Compassion, goal of life, liberation, prayers, karma

I write below in honor of Prahlad, a king in the yester years who ruled Indian subcontinent  and Vasudeva Datta who lived in Bengal in 1500s. These individuals are an epitome of compassion.  Somehow my heart skips a beat when I run into these two. I feel they touch me very deep. On a plane of consciousness, they are the same incarnation.

The goal of life is to develop compassion to all living beings: human, animals and plants. Compassion, not computer chips or not oil or not software engineers is the most precious commodity in the world.

It is said in India that the purpose of life is dharma, artha, kama and moksha. This translates to justice, economic gains, sense gratification and liberation.

Christians believe that Lord Jesus Christ, their spiritual master, appeared in order to eradicate all the sins of his disciples.

Jesus Christ relieved only his followers from all sinful reactions, but Vasudeva Datta is here prepared to accept the sins of everyone in the universe.

Vasudeva Datta is so liberal that he is prepared to risk everything to rescue the conditioned souls from material existence. Srila Vasudeva Datta Thakura is universal love itself, for he was willing to sacrifice everything and fully engage in the service of others.

Lord Jesus Christ certainly finished the sinful reactions of his followers by his mercy, but that does not mean he completely delivered them from the pangs of material existence. A person may be relieved from sins once, but it is a practice to confess sins and yet commit them again. By getting freed from sins and again engaging in them, one cannot attain freedom from the pangs of material existence. A diseased person may go to a physician for relief, but after he leaves the hospital he may again be infected due to his unclean habits. Thus material existence continues. Srila Vasudeva Datta wanted to completely relieve the conditioned souls from
material existence so that they would no longer have an opportunity to commit sinful acts.  It is a great offense to receive pardon for sins and then commit the same sins again. Such an offense is more dangerous than the sinful activity itself. Vasudeva Datta was so liberal that he requested to transfer all offensive activity upon him so the conditioned souls would be purified. This prayer was certainly without duplicity.

Vasudeva Datta was para-duhkha-duhkhi, very much aggrieved to see others suffer. The entire world is purified simply by the appearance of such a great humanist. By and large there innumerable humanists in India  who have prayed for good for whole world, irrespective of self situation. That is the fundamental strength of India. The summary of Indian philosophy is energy of all living beings (plants, animals, humans) is same. Let us all be at peace with each other.

I request all Indians to work towards this ideal. Let India become the Guru of the world.

Om shanti om shanti om shanti is the prayer that expresses this.

Om shanti om shanti om shanti
Om tat sat