Pat Sullivan Blog

"Dramatic hearing on Capitol Hill: Members of Congress demand to know why FDA refuses to do Environmental Impact Statement"

(Posted by Patrick Sullivan Jr.)

In my inbox from Charlie Brown of Consumers for Dental Choice:

Dramatic hearing on Capitol Hill:  Members of Congress demand to know why FDA refuses to do Environmental Impact Statement

FDA was called to the carpet at a dramatic hearing on Capitol Hill on Nov. 14.  Chairman Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), Congressman Dan Burton (R-Ind.), and Congresswoman Diane Watson (D-Calif.) took turns insisting that FDA comply with the law by doing an Environmental Impact Statement on mercury amalgam.  A second panel of witnesses included mercury environmental expert Michael Bender, who quantified the colossal damage wrought by dental mercury on the environment, and National Environmental Policy Act expert Ray Clark, who explained why, without a doubt, FDA must do an environmental assessment of dental mercury.

Mike Huckabee & Chuck Norris

(Posted by Patrick Sullivan Jr.)

It was over a year ago that I nearly had a convulsion while reading Chuck Norris-isms...it's great to see a few of those turned into a political ad. 

How to Raise Venture Capital

I was invited to speak at the Second Annual Entrepreneurship Conference last week.  I chose to speak about the process of raising Venture or Angel Capital.  It is entitled, "Pat's Top 10 Tips on Raising Money, Really."  I try to give information that you won't typically find in a book.  You can watch my speech here.

Do as I do, not as I say.

In my experience doctors or nurses rarely talk to their patients about the importance of taking nutritional supplements.  But the majority of them take supplements themselves.  Here is a study that reports as many as 79% of doctors and 82% of nurses take supplements.

Why do I take them?  I believe that our fruits and vege's simply don't have in them what they used to have in terms of minerals and vitamins.  I also admit I don't eat as many fruits and vege's as I should.  Most people don't.  So I think it is good insurance to add supplements when I eat.

Where are all the Bees?

(Posted by Patrick Sullivan Jr.)

Good question.  But at least someone with a cool beard is trying to figure it out.  (Watch the video.)

Burt's Beeswax is doing a good thing by funding research into Bee Colony Collapse Disorder, and allowing people to sign up for free packet of seeds to plant which attracts bees.

FreeRice.com Might Save The World's Hunger Problem...But Only If You Can Tell Them the Meaning of The Word "Farrier"

(Posted by Patrick Sullivan Jr.)

Have you heard of FreeRice.com?  You should have since it's been around over a month.  (Heavy sarcasm.) 

FreeRice has now donated 1.5 billion grains of rice to the UN World Food Programe...in just 37 days of operations, all thanks to web surfers testing their vocabulary.  Talk about a viral marketing program!  (And yeah, it's pretty addicting.)

According to my (clumsy?) predictions, they'll have donated 1000 tons of rice (or 4 billion grains, 4 million cups) by Christmas. 

My assumptions and calculations:

1. There are about 1000 grains of rice in 1 cup.  (I asked my wife who works from home to count this out.  About 150 grains in, she googled it instead.  She's smarter than me, obviously. ;-)
2. There are 2 cups in 16 ounces, so 2000 grains = 1 pound.
3. So there are 4 million grains in one ton.  (2000 grains x 2000 pounds)
4. The thick green line is what they've done so far.
5. The thin blue line is the trend, brought to you in part by Excel's Chart Trend function, Polynomial type, order 2, for 47 days.  (No, I don't know what that means either.)

If you'd like to take this any further (or fix it), download the spreadsheet.

Other interesting rice stuff:

• 11,340,000 tons of rice is grown in the USA. (Source: USA Rice Federation Fact Sheet)
• My favorite rice as of late is Uncle Ben's Original Ready Rice.  Plain and simple.  Add a little butter when you're eating a piece of steak or fish and it's a great carbohydrate.  (This is some of the only MSG-free ready-to-eat rice products as most contain yeast extract, which is MSG.)
• Looking to do some math problems?

(H/T: PCspy)

HOUSE OVERSIGHT PANEL PLANS NOV. 14 HEARING ON MERCURY DENTAL FILLINGS

(Posted by Patrick Sullivan Jr.)

In my inbox from Charlie Brown of Consumers for Dental Choice:

Congress To Demand Account from FDA on Nov. 14 Re: Refusing To Classify Mercury Fillings & Refusing To Do Environmental Impact Statement

Members of Congress increasingly disgusted with FDA’s refusal to classify mercury fillings and refusing to do an Environmental Impact Statement about this issue are calling the agency to task.  At the request of Congresswoman Diane Watson and Congressman Dan Burton, the Subcommittee on Domestic Policy of the House Committee on Government Reform will have a hearing in the Rayburn Bldg. on Wed., Nov. 14, 2007, at 2:00 pm.  The Chairman of the Subcommittee is Congressman Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, a friend of alternative medicine.  We express our deep appreciation to Congressman Kucinich for calling FDA to account.

Heavy Metal Mercury...Literally

(Posted by Patrick Sullivan Jr.)

In my inbox from Scott Shoemaker comes hardcore band bloodsimple's SUPER SICKO video:

That just gave me chills. 

I've never been a true metalhead, but I have enjoyed my fair share of it.  (In fact, 12 years ago I was at a metal show in Ft. Worth, TX where a piece of actual metal flew off the stage and bounced off my head.  It was awesomely ironic.)

UPDATE: I've never been a huge fan of "screamo" -- which is what this is called, for the older generation (ie. Dad) -- because you can't understand ANYTHING.  However, I do think I picked up a "1 IN 5 HAUNTED!!!!!!!!!!!!" in there.

"Plastics may not be so safe for kids"

(Posted by Patrick Sullivan Jr.)

Are plastics safe for kids?

"Unfortunately," said Dr. Philip Landrigan, a pediatrician and chairman of the department of community and preventive medicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, "we're in the terrible position of having to say that we mostly don't know."

At least he's honest. 

It's a good article.