Host a Hookworm in my body for Allergy/Sinus Relief? Yes I would!

Say your allergies and asthma are a constant struggle. Standard Western medicine doesn't seem to help or you're tired of taking inhaled steroids, tired of using your inhaler three or four times a week, tired of not being able to catch a decent breath: tired of having your life restricted in too many ways to count.

How radical a treatment would you consider?

Would you consider ingesting hookworms on purpose? For the possibility of reducing or eliminating your allergy and asthma symptoms?

Think about it. You'd let hookworms, a commonly known parasite, live in your gut so your allergies and asthma would go away?

Does that sound like a great deal? Or like a horror movie with you in the leading role of host body?

One English doctor is looking into the matter in a very personal fashion. He has used himself as a guinea pig, infecting himself with hooks worms (up to 50 at one time!). And in 2006, the National Health Service of England started human trials with surprisingly positive results.

The New York Times reported on this story recently:

"While carrying out field work in Papua New Guinea in the late 1980s, [Dr. Pritchard] noticed that Papuans infected with the Necator americanus hookworm, a parasite that lives in the human gut, did not suffer much from an assortment of autoimmune-related illnesses, including hay fever and asthma... ‘The allergic response evolved to help expel parasites, and we think the worms have found a way of switching off the immune system in order to survive...That's why infected people have fewer allergic symptoms.'
His long-term goal, he added, is to figure out exactly how the worms turn down the immune-system radar, so he can borrow the tactics to develop alternatives to immune-suppressant and allergy-fighting drugs."

It's important to keep in mind that hookworms can cause significant health problems; this is not like swallowing your garden-variety earthworm. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Hookworm is an intestinal parasite of humans that usually causes mild diarrhea or cramps. Heavy infection with hookworm can create serious health problems for newborns, children, pregnant women, and persons who are malnourished. Hookworm infections occur mostly in tropical and subtropical climates and are estimated to infect about 1 billion people -- about one-fifth of the world's population."

Yeah, THAT hookworm.

My first reaction to reading this story was an internal: "OMG! Never in a million years would I do this; I don't care how bad my symptoms are!" However, it was brought to my attention that my First World attitude might be showing. A dear friend, who has mild allergies and asthma, and is from a Third World country felt completely opposite to me. Her feeling was that if these worms eradicated her symptoms she'd totally try it without issue. She went on to remind me that we have millions of parasites, microbes, viruses and bacteria living in us at all time.

Ugh. Yeah, I forgot.

We Americas are highly bacteria-phobic: everything is anti-bacterial from cleaning products for our bodies, our cars, and our kitchen counters. Part of the so-called hygiene theory asserts that the rise in allergies may be due to our overly antiseptic society: a we're-way-too-clean backlash. My friend's point was that in her country, a traditional society where there's more focus on natural, less antibacterial, remedies, there are fewer allergies. Because of this focus, she has had less of a mental jump in believing that worms would be beneficial to her health and thus would be more willing to try them. But still, I in my firmly First World mentality can only think: "Ick, icky ick. Never."

What do you think?

For more information, see Allergy Treatment: A Healthy Dose of Hookworms? by Dr. James Thompson

Stacy Burke: My Day so Far this Monday Morning

4th Month & My Sinuses are still worse as ever. Another Night without Sleep due to clogged Sinuses not being able to Breath at all. No Relief even though I take all the Meds the doctor gave me, I take all the over the counter Meds that they make, I even get up in the middle of the night to Neti Pot my nose, I use the Breath Right Strips..... you name it, I have done it with no relief in sight. It is time for me to go find ANOTHER Nose Doctor, this doctor I have now is a Quack....I know I have a bad Sinus infection, I need Antibotics. Maybe tomorrow I will call around to find new Doctor.....however I doubt I can get an appointment before Thanksgiving......until then, I just gotta deal with it.
It is Nov. 22nd 9:30 Monday Morning and I already have the Turkey in the Oven, Mash Potatoes already Done, Green Bean Casserole almost time to come out of Oven......Just now sat down starting to quicky check a few emails before I go for Jog, Die my Hair, Shower, Finish Cooking and Hopefully have time to go through ALL my Emails & update a few things on my websites before my friend Slamm comes over to help me transfer Files to my External Hard Drive, shoot a few Photos & Video for my sites. Hopefully we will be done filming before 5pm -because l gotta get stuff ready for the LBC Wack Pack get here at 6pm for our Weekly Monday Night Dinners I host. They usually come, bring beer & watch Football while I serve them and Tinker on my Computer.
Ah yes.....and this is how I spend a Day Off.....Haha!!
oxox, Stacy

Thom Hartmann: The Real War on Christmas...

You need to know this about the Bush tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires - the American people don't want them. A new CNN poll shows that 64% of the population does not want to see tax cuts extended for millionaires and billionaires. Now - it looks like Democrats in Congress are starting to listen. After a meeting with President Obama - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid said they are both planning to hold votes that would extend tax cuts only to the middle class - leaving taxes to on the rich to return to Clinton-era levels, when the Rich were doing just fine. While the bill could potentially pass the House - it will still have an uphill battle in the Senate where a unified Republicans opposition will most likely filibuster it. Still - this is the right move. Let the Republicans explain to the American people why they are blocking a bill that will lower taxes for 98% of the population. To put it in perspective - Congressman Alan Grayson - who lost his re-election bid 2 weeks ago - took to the House floor yesterday to illustrate what millionaires can do with their new $86,000 annual tax cut courtesy of the Republican Party. Every year for the next ten years - they could buy a new Mercedes Benz E-class - or they could buy 20,000 jars of Grey Poupon mustard - or they can just buy 800 luxury cigars and light each one with a hundred dollar bill. Actually - all those purchases would stimulate the economy more than what millionaires will actually do with another $86,000 - invest it with their buddies on Wall Street - providing no stimulus to the economy whatsoever. Instead of the give-a-away to the rich - It's time we as a country think of a far better way to spend $70 billion a year. How about using it to extend unemployment benefits so those out of work can celebrate the holidays?
-Thom
(Who should get what for Christmas? Tell us here.)

Randi Rhodes: Cable News Smacked Down Again

At a committee meeting yesterday, Senator Jay Rockefeller went off on the news media (video below). The irony is that Senator Rockefeller’s remarks made perfect fodder for the news media. Rockefeller said “There’s a little bug inside of me which wants to get the FCC to say to Fox and to MSNBC, ‘Out. Off. End. Goodbye.’” And look—he knew enough to put his comments in nice short, sound bytes for the cable news shows! Rockefeller said getting rid of Fox and MSNBC would “be a big favor to political discourse.” Actually, endless discussion of the facts wouldn’t be so much of a problem, if anybody were presenting the facts first. At this point, cable news viewers are exposed to more opinion than reality. But then, a lot of the opinions being expressed couldn’t survive exposure to reality.

Rockefeller also criticized the blurring of news and entertainment. So, Jay Rockefeller says that news has become entertainment. Big deal. Now, if Lady Gaga or Justin Beiber had said the same thing, we’d be talking. He said “our news media has all but surrendered to the forces of entertainment.” Gee, maybe somebody will edit his comments to a drumbeat and make a rap song out of it. Or perhaps those people in Taiwan who animate news stories will do one of their cartoons of Rockefeller saying that.

One of Rockefeller’s points was that the media is “in a race to the bottom.” If there is a race to the bottom, the smart betting money has got to be on Fox News to win. Fox News President Roger Ailes says that President Barack Obama has a “different belief system than most Americans.” If he’s referring to the belief system pushed by Fox, I have news for Roger Ailes—most Americans don’t believe your belief system. (Did I just say “I have news for Roger Ailes”? That’s obviously pointless. The last thing Roger Ailes has any use for is news.)

Finally, Senator Rockefeller said “As citizens, we are paying one heck of a price in the dumbing down of America.” I don’t think he was referring to our cable bill, but that’s a good point. We’re paying for the dumbing down of America twice. We’re losing our democracy, and it’s costing us something like $100 a month! And that’s only with one premium channel! The good news is that if you have a decent cable provider, you can experience the dumbing down of America on-demand for free as part of your cable service!

Today’s Homework Discuss

Thom Hartmann: If you're hungry, are you free?

If you're hungry, are you free? According to Republicans, over 17 million more Americans are free because of 30 years of Reaganomics. You need to know this: The US Department of Agriculture is reporting that 17.4 million households in the country had trouble finding enough food to eat last year. In fact - in one out of every eight homes - someone went hungry at some point throughout the year. Children in single parent households were most affected by a food shortage - along with African Americans and Hispanics. All in all - 14% of the households in our country - the richest nation in the world - suffered from what economists call food insecurity and the rest of us call hunger. And these numbers could have been much higher. The Department of Agriculture reports that though the number of hungry families spiked much higher in 2007 when the recession began - it has held steady since - thanks in large part to federal assistance like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and free and reduced school lunches. On top of that - economists have proven that federal food assistance programs actually have a stimulative effect on the economy - with every dollar given out in food stamps producing $1.73 in economic activity as it circulates from the hungry person to the retail store to the wholesaler to the farmer. Unfortunately Republicans - didn't get that memo. They still insist a 3% tax cut for millionaires and billionaires so they can put more money in Swiss banks is a better stimulus for America, and they're willing to cut federal food assistance programs to pay for it. There you have it - the Republican Party is literally taking food off the table of hungry Americans - so fat cat banksters can get a million dollar tax-giveaway bonus, borrowed from China and handed to billionaires courtesy of Uncle Sam.
-Thom
Are you free? Tell us here.)

Randi Rhodes: Terminal Hypocrisy

Travel alert: There’s a revolt brewing against the new airport security measures. People object to the full-body scanners because of possible radiation, as well as the intrusive nature of the scans. Essentially, they don’t want to be exposed to radiation OR to TSA employees. I guess of the two, the radiation isn’t quite as bad. At least radiation won’t snicker at you.
Newly elected Republican Congressman Andy Harris, who ran against ObamaCare, threw a fit when he found out his own government-subsidized healthcare takes a month to kick in. Andy, just why did you want the job as a Congressman? Was it to get health insurance for yourself, or to deny it to others? Get your priorities straight, buddy. On top of everything else, Andy Harris is a doctor! Physician heal thyself! Oh, I forgot, there is no cure for terminal hypocrisy. I don’t know what conditions Andy Harris may need his health insurance coverage for, but the good news for his is that I’m pretty certain that he’s immune to irony.
It seems that Lisa Murkowski now has an insurmountable lead in the counting in Alaska. But Joe Miller isn’t giving up. The Miller campaign says that Alaska’s entire computerized voting system is “suspect.” Uh oh. We know what Joe Miller’s campaign does with suspects—it handcuffs them. The Miller campaign is also suggesting possible voter fraud. If there’s any fraud in this election, I’m pretty sure his name is Joe Miller. Joe isn’t going to be happy until they allow him to count votes they way they do for Bristol Palin on Dancing With The Stars. If you haven’t been watching DWTS, organized and rabid Tea Party voters have gone in under the radar and foisted a completely unqualified Bristol Palin on an unsuspecting public… which is pretty much the plan they have for getting her mother elected in 2012.
Finally, it’s very doubtful if Congress will get around to extending unemployment benefits before they expire at the end of this month. My advice to the unemployed this Thanksgiving is—save those leftovers extra carefully this year.

Today’s Homework Discuss


Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger speaks out against the use of full body scanners for pilots and junk-touching pat downs for others…

Thom Hartmann: Stripping Oil of its Strategic Value

Two hundred years ago - and for a thousand years before that - one of the most strategic substances on Earth was salt. It was "strategic" because no army could travel without it - salt was necessary to preserve food in a pre-refrigeration era. Wars were fought over it, and countries that had lots of salt made out well, while landlocked countries with no salt reserves were forced to sell their natural resources in exchange for it.
Oil is the new salt. It is now the planet's number one strategic resource. And, as has been noted by numerous commentators since the first Gulf War in 1990-91, if the primary export of Iraq was broccoli, we wouldn't have given a damn that Saddam Hussein was a tin-pot tyrant.
We use a far greater proportion of the world's oil than we produce, so we have to buy the balance. This dependence represents a massive transfer of wealth from us to oil producing countries. It's a strategic blunder that would have horrified Julius Caesar, who expanded the Roman Empire all the way to central Europe when he ran out of fuel - wood - by deforesting virtually all of Italy , and then paid the price as his empire began to collapse from overexpansion. We transfer billions of our dollars to countries like Saudi Arabia. Oil revenues fund much of the fundamentalist Wahhabi movement within Saudi Arabia, and it's out of this movement that come the most virulent anti-American and anti-Semitic rhetoric, textbooks, and television and radio programming.
The OPEC nations don't adjust production to meet demand; they maintain it to control prices so they have relatively stable income. Thus, the only way we can change this situation is to reduce the amount of oil we use. Oil is a strategic commodity, and we need to strip it of its strategic value.
Learn more in chapter seven, "Cool Our Fever", of "Rebooting the American Dream".
-Thom

Randi Rhodes: TSA Junk Patrol & Bush 41’s Junk

In Alaska, the number of write-in ballots counted for Lisa Murkowski is now some 1,700 ahead of Joe Miller’s vote totals. Joe, the handwriting is on the wall… unless you plan to challenge that handwriting too. Show a little dignity, Joe. Don’t bring this thing to the courts. Or as we say, “don’t go all Florida on our ass.”

In a recent interview, Lisa Murkowski said that Sarah Palin lacks the “leadership qualities” and “intellectual curiosity” to be president of the United States. Hello? Have you seen Sarah Palin’s TV show? She lacks the intellectual curiosity to be a reality show host. And why is it always news when somebody says that Sarah Palin doesn’t have what it takes to become president? It’s like pointing out that Angela Lansbury doesn’t have what it takes to become the heavyweight boxing champion.

On Fox & Friends George Bush told a story about his father that had him repeating the question “Are my testicles black?” several times. At first you’re a little taken aback. Then you realize it makes as much sense as anything they repeat on Fox News. To flesh out the story, evidently one time in the hospital, as a joke, the elder George Bush asked a nurse “are my testicles black?” several times until she started to check, and he changed it to “are my test results back?” Well, as jokes go, I guess it’s funnier than the old “fetus in a jar” gag that Momma Bush used to pull all the time.

If you’re travelling next week, be aware of the new airport security full-body scanners. If you refuse the scan, a pat-down search is mandatory. They’ve got you by the… well, let’s just say they’ve got you. The people you really have to feel sorry for are the TSA employees who have to do the pat-downs. There’s nothing worse than rubbing someone’s genitalia, and then getting negative feedback. I wouldn’t even want to be the TSA employee who has to look at the full-body scans all day. Though I imagine that looking at full body scans of average Americans would be a pretty good incentive to stay in shape. “Look at this guy. Note to self—go to the gym tomorrow!” I certainly wouldn’t want to be the person looking at the full-body scans when George Bush Senior goes through the scanner. “Hey TSA guy, are my testicles black? Well, are they?” “Heard it already, sir. Please move along…”

Today’s Homework Discuss

PBS edited out some of Tina Fey’s best lines on Sunday when they aired the Mark Twain Awards. See her full acceptance speech here.

Thom Hartmann: Lessons from Abroad; Germany's renewable energy program.

Given that Germany is one of the cloudiest countries in Europe, right up there with England - the sun only shines for about a third of the year - it seems crazy that it would have more solar panels per capita than any other country in the world, and that it employs over 40,000 people in the solar power industry. But the Germans made it happen. They figured out a way to use their existing banking and power systems to begin to shift from dependence on coal and nuclear power to solar. And all it took were pretty small tweaks, in the grand scheme of things.
We can and should do the same - begin to invest in solar and other renewable forms of energy in America. For far too long, we have been hooked on oil and we continue to pay a terrible price for it, economically, politically, militarily. We need to wean ourselves from it both for our own future survival and prosperity, and because so often other countries of the world look to us as an example of what they can or should do.
Learn more in chapter seven, "Cool Our Fever", of "Rebooting the American Dream".
-Thom

Randi Rhodes: Sooo Lame!

Today the lame duck session of Congress convenes. No matter how much of a lame duck it is, this session of Congress can’t possibly be as lame as the one that’s coming. Democrats have a lot to get done… because when Republicans take over, they have a long list of things to get undone. A top Democratic Senate aide told CNN that Democrats want “to assess where we are and where we’re going.” Uh, that’s easy enough. We’re in trouble, and we’re going to hell in a hand basket. So get busy.
Admittedly, it’s going to be hard for lame duck Democrats to get much done while their offices are full of newly elected Republicans measuring for drapes and carpets. While the lame duck Congress meets, newly elected lawmakers are having a weeklong orientation. At least an orientation is a good idea, seeing as how so many of them are so disoriented. During the orientation, new lawmakers learn the basics of setting up offices and hiring staff. First lesson—avoid hiring a chief of staff who threatens people with bullets instead of ballots. That lesson can be phrased a different way—no matter how crazy you are, never hire somebody crazier to run things.
Not that the new Congress will have any monopoly on questionable behavior. Today Democratic Congressman Charley Rangel walked out of a Congressional hearing on ethics charges against him. Is he buying time? Maybe Charley is hoping that the incoming Republican Congress will be too busy investigating President Obama to deal with anyone else.
Finally, Michele Bachmann is hosting a class on the Constitution for members of Congress. Yeesh. If there are two things that don’t belong in the same sentence, it’s “Michele Bachmann” and “class.” Classes on the Constitution with Michele Bachmann? You’d get more out of anger management classes taught by Carl Paladino. “Instructors” include Sean Hannity, Fox legal analyst Andrew Napolitano, and David Barton, an evangelist who has said church-state separation is “a myth.” Great class, Michele—you’ve assembled a faculty with limited faculties. Today’s Homework Discuss
Cindy McCain pulled a flip-flop on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell just days after this NOH8 ad was released

Thom Hartmann: Fix Our Monetary System

One of the biggest private sectors fueling money into politics these last few years - and causing the revolving door to swing ever faster - is the financial services industry. It is no surprise that financial services corporations are extremely interested in influencing government these days. The financial systems of the United States have been as badly corrupted by corporate influence as have most of our politicians.
Perhaps the most important player in our national economy is the Federal Reserve. In reality, the "Fed" is not federal and has no reserves. The Constitution specifies that only the Treasury Department - part of the federal government - has the power to "Coin money, [and] regulate the value thereof" and lays out no provision for a separate corporation such as the Fed to produce our money supply.
If you have paper money which says "Federal Reserve Note" at its top, it is not produced by the US government, but instead by the corporate-bank-owned Federal Reserve. The distinction is at once significant and irrelevant in this age of electronic money flying across the internet. It's significant because in all the years since it was created, the Fed has never been audited. It's arguably irrelevant because dollars - even those "created" by the Fed - are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. We're stuck with them.
There are two "solutions" that people knowledgeable about these issues suggest and that seem to make a lot of sense. The first is that the Federal Reserve be nationalized and brought under the purview of the Treasury Department, so the United States goes back to producing and controlling its own money and money supply. The second solution is for each of the 50 states to do what North Dakota did about 90 years ago - create their own state-chartered and state-run banks.
We should also bring back the STET Tax, to put a very small amount of sand into the stock market's gears, to borrow a phrase from economist Dean Baker who has written on this topic, and thus stabilize both the markets and the economy.
Banks should be thought of as public utilities, even if they're privately run. They exist to take deposits, facilitate commerce, and lend money to businesses and individuals. As such, they shouldn't be in the business of gambling or speculating with other people's money, but thanks to recent changes in regulation, all the big banks do. Until that day when our big banks are brought back under control, there are two alternatives. The first is to move your money into local, community-oriented banks, or switch to community credit unions.
Learn more in chapter six, "Make Congressmen Wear Nascar Patches" of "Rebooting the American Dream".
-Thom

a Message from Tom Leykis Himself!!

Tom Leykis here.
Thanks so much for the email and other support I’ve been getting lately from people like you. As you may have read, we have announced a return date for The Tom Leykis Show of April 2, 2012. Where, when, and how you will be able to hear us will be announced in time. You can keep up with any details at http://www.newnormalnetwork.com.
Our newest project is taking of as you read this. Through The New Normal, I have created a new music format for the office called Your Office Companion. It is in no way like my radio show. This one you can turn on in the office and your boss will love it. If you are looking for music you can listen to in the office, we are kicking off with 10,000 songs in a row. Who needs a radio station? Click here and it will start to play immediately: http://www.yourofficecompanion.com. Please give it a try and, at the very least, the women in your office will thank you. It may even be good for your business.
Drop me a line and let me know what you think.
I try to drop you a line only when something new is happening. Thanks again for all the support.

Thom's blog: Crazy Alert! Stone a liberal journalist to death?

Crazy Alert! A British Politician was arrested yesterday after taking to twitter and asking someone to stone a liberal journalist to death. Gareth Compton - a member of the Conservative Party - tweeted that he, "shan't tell Amnesty if you don't, it would be a blessing really," if Yasmin Alibhai-Brown was stoned to death. It seems Mr. Compton does not know how to use twitter as effectively as certain American politicians. The key is not to outright call for someone's death that you disagree with - but instead hint that your political enemy may be planning to kill - say...the elderly all over the country with something like...death panels. Way more effective - and also not a crime.
-Thom Hartmann
(What do you think the reaction would have been if a Republican or Democrat had tweeted like that? Tell us here.)