SCRAPE TV’s blog

CANCER RATES DECREASE, RESEARCHERS CONCERNED

Lauren Hebert, Health Correspondent

April 27 2008

Philadelphia, PA – The last twenty years has seen a dramatic decline in deaths from many types of cancer throughout the United States. While that decline has been a huge benefit to some, a growing sector of the population is seeing the dark side of this development.

..The precipitous decline has resulted in an equally significant slide in the funding dedicated to fighting the disease, pushing many researchers and health care professionals into unemployment.

"The reality is competition for those funds is the core reason for the situation we are in now," said Dr. Michael Wilson of the private research firm IAACCPI. "Our government funds, as well as our private donations, have significantly dried up over the past few years. Everyone and their mother started up a research firm when the money was flowing, cures and treatments started to come about, and now we're all losing business. If we had been able to limit to research to small groups we would have been able to go on a lot longer."

Researchers aren't the only ones feeling the economic pinch of this development, support industries are seeing declines too. Hospitals across the country have had to pare down their cancer wards, putting doctors and nurses out of work. Companies that shared in the boom, namely drug manufacturers, have also seen and dip in profits.

"We still garner a great deal of profitability from drugs used to treat cancers, but the cure rate is very damaging to our bottom line," said a spokesperson for Pfizer, the second largest drug company in the world. "Our ideal situation is for people to not go into remission, but we are limited in the amount of control we have over that. We do our best in limiting research and dealing with insurance companies, but the reality is the remission rates continue to climb steadily, which is hurting our profitability. We have begun looking into other diseases to meet our projections."

Support organizations have also begun feeling the pinch. Support groups across the country are seeing fewer and fewer attendees. Magazines such as Cancer and Women & Cancer have seen a sharp decline in their readership.

"It's getting more and more difficult to keep things going for sure," said Shirley Hanson of Breast Awareness, one the largest breast cancer groups in the country. "We are slugging through it but it is getting more difficult. We are looking at ways of diversifying our user ship in the future; opening our group up to more types of cancers."

"Don't get me wrong," continued Wilson. "It's great that people are living longer. But people are losing their jobs here. Not much point in being alive if you lose your job. All I can say is thank God for colon cancer; people are still dying like crazy from that one."

References; National Cancer Institute; AACR; Cancer; Women & Cancer; Pfizer

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AMAZON SET TO RELEASE “BABELER”

William Ashford, Business Correspondent

April 29 2008

Seattle, WA – In the wake of the success of the Kindle, Amazon announced today that it will be releasing the "Amazon Babeler" in the United States by the end of the year. The news was well received by Wall Street with Amazon.com (AMZN) closing up 5%.

..The Kindle, released in November 2007, has been a runaway success for the online retailer. The e-book reader was sold out within hours of launch and has remained so until just recently. That success has spawned a new rush on portable readers, which is where the Babeler starts.

Similar in shape and size to the Kindle, the new device will allow users to automatically download text from any website in the world, alter it so as to be completely incomprehensible, and then upload back onto the site, over riding the original code.

"It essentially is like the biblical story," said Amazon president Jeff Bezos. "There is great deal of concern about the globalization of the internet, how it is bringing people from all different cultures together. With The Babeler our goal is to separate people as much as possible and create confusion, much like God did. In our increasingly connected world we run into the danger of the common man becoming wealthy and successful, and we as the wealthy and successful cannot allow that to happen."

Critics have already come out hard against the E-tailer, concerned not only with the association with a higher being, but also the potential hacking and privacy issues with the new device.

"They are encouraging hacking of websites. I don't even see how that can be legal," said Arthur Holdenstock, a web industry analyst. "The whole idea of a major corporation encouraging illegal activity to no real end seems ludicrous. They are going to have a fight on their hands I think."

A spokesman for the Christian.com, while critical of the association with God, spoke out positively for the device. "It is essential for Christian ideals that people be separated as much as possible. It is much more difficult to indoctrinate people when they have broad access to information. We fully support the Babeler and can't wait to get our hands on it."

Bezos was sympathetic to the criticism, but undaunted. "Sure there will be issues. Let's make it clear here, the Babeler will not be able to access our website or any of our partners. Only the little guys. Those are the ones we are trying to weed out. As far as our public persona goes, we are not concerned. God invented Babel and look how it turned out for him."

The Babeler will be released in time for Christmas at a MSRP of $399.99 USD.

References: Amazon; Nasdaq; Christian.com; God

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GROUP SAYS INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION SHOULD FOCUS ON EARTHBOUND, DOMESTIC ISSUES

Anna Phillips, Science Correspondent

May 12 2008

Washington, D.C. – These days NASA seems to spend more time defending itself than it does exploring space. With the aging shuttle program limping along, wearisome probe launches, and the seemingly impossible task of regaining any level of public interest, the criticism seems warranted. No project of late though has received as much flack as the International Space Station.

..The now ten years in development project (due to be completed in 2010( has received much criticism. Generally that talk has circled around the notion that the money being spent could be better used in other projects, or even repurposed away from the space agency entirely and directed into other government programs.

Now, a new group has levelled a different type of objection against NASA, the ISS partners, and the station itself.

"The Peoples for Domestication Front" is a Jacksonville Florida based advocacy group. They have taken a slightly different tact from the normal protestations against the station.

"We believe the station should be constructed," said Dwight Hershen, spokesperson for the group. "But we believe it should be produced here on Earth."

The issue at stake is the highly specialized nature of the construction taking away jobs from Earth bound labourers and support workers. They also believe that the involvement of other countries is unneeded being that the bulk of the work and cost is being taken on by US interests as it is.

"With the growing economic crisis here in the United States it is totally unreasonable to be outsourcing jobs to space. We lose jobs to Mexico, to China, and now to outer space. How is a worker making fifteen bucks an hour going to afford to be able to commute to space? He can't. This outsourcing and 'specializing' is ruining the US economy and everything it is based on. The station should be built here, in the good old USA."

The problems with such a prospect are numerous though. "Our partners are very important to the completion of the project. There is a great deal of specialty work that goes into a project of this nature and we in the America don't necessarily have a monopoly on it," said David Humphries the media relations officer for the ISS. "It would also be impossible to build the station terrestrially because of gravity. The parts are produced on Earth and then assembled in space, but it would kind of defeat the purpose of building a space station if we were building it on Earth."
The PDF though is undeterred. "We are going to take this to the Supreme Court if we need to. America must remain the number one priority of the world, no matter the cost." 

References: Nasa ; ISS

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PEACE TALKS BREAK DOWN IN FACE OF NAME CALLING

Emil Uliya, International Correspondent

May 12 2008

Jerusalem, Israel – Dozens of attempts have been over the years to broker a long standing truce between Israel and her neighbours. With the exception of Egypt, all those attempts have been thwarted by one side or the other in what has always seemed to be a pattern of self destruction bent on a permanent state of conflict. The most recent talks, conducted in secret and revealed by a government source, between the Palestinian authority and the Israeli Government seems to have broken down over a totally new issue.

.."It appeared as though things were moving forward. Not a breakthrough mind you, but healthy conversation," said the source. "Apparently one of the Palestinian negotiators called Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert an ass. When our side heard that, we ended of the talks. We've gotten past the point where that kind of behaviour should be tolerated. We are not going to negotiate with name callers, especially not terrorist name callers."

The Palestinian side has a different view of the negotiations though, saying that the talks broke down over the typical issues; borders and right of return, and that no member of their negotiating team cast any remarks one way or the other on the Prime Minister.

"It is typical Israeli tactics, spread lies and hate to gain favour with the world," said an insider. "They cast us as the villains and themselves as hapless victims. They're a bunch of jerks."

A senior US negotiator who has spent a lot of time dealing with the Middle East situation over the years chimed on the condition of anonymity. "It's always a he said she said type of thing between them. That's the real secret of the conflict between them. There is a lot of pettiness and immaturity. You wouldn't think so but it happens to the best of us. There won't ever be peace in the Middle East unless they stop being such idiots."

As of yet there is no word as to when the negotiations might resume.
Continued the negotiator; "They need to get past these petty little issues if they want to make real progress. It's like the kids in high school, they fight and fight but they really want to hook up. But these are grown ups, it's time for them to stop being such babies.

References: Israel; Palestinian Authority; Middle East; Egypt; name calling

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GLOW IN THE DARK TECHNOLOGY FALLS ON DARK TIMES

William Ashford, Business Correspondent

May 12 2008

Pasadena, CA – There was a period, however brief, in the 1980's when it appeared as though the world was going to be alight all the time. Neon and glow in the dark everything had seemingly taken over the public consciousness plastered on everything from T shirts to hats to collectible stickers. Those hey days of glow in the dark pioneers though, have fallen away, leaving our world that much darker.

.."There's no doubt that the demand has not been what it once was," said Joseph Enwright, owner of Light up the World. "When I started there was nothing, and then everything exploded and we were all living high off the hog. Now, not so much anymore. It's a shame, there was real potential there."

Enwright, one of the earliest manufacturers and retailers of glow in the dark products, is being forced to shutter the doors of the family business he began almost thirty years ago due to that decline.
"I suppose we in California had it a little bit easier than the rest of the country. We are all about sun and surf out here. It's a little bit different in the East where it's dark and rainy and snowy all the time. People are a little more cheery out here so we were able to hang on but it's time now."

Some manufacturers of the technology have adapted their business to the new market; airports commonly use phosphorescent paints to mark runways, and glow sticks have remained a mainstay. The days of T-shirts and hats being decorated though are long gone.

"It's really a shame," said Enwright. "There was a feeling for a long time that we were going to change to world. Like Bob Marley said, light up the darkness. It's really a shame that didn't happen, and now we have a much darker world.

With those glory days behind him, Enwright is moving on, hoping that someday perhaps his life's work will come back into the world.
"I'm too old to go on now, but it's like everything in life. You hope you make an impact, hope that you have an effect on people and maybe someday, somewhere down the road, people will see the light again. We can only hope."

References Glow in the dark; phosphorescence

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ANTI-TIBET ACTIVISTS PROTEST LACK OF ATTENTION

Emil Uliya, International Correspondent

May 5 2008

Beijing, China – With the Olympics only months away, the world's attention is focused on China like never before. Focus on the superpower-to-be has never been this intense, not only for the Olympic effort itself, but also of course for its human rights policies.

..Pro-Tibet protests have plagued the path of the Olympic torch as it makes its way around the world. Prominent supporters such as Steven Spielberg have either withdrawn or severely restricted their involvement with the games; even world leaders such as German chancellor Angela Merkel will not be attending the opening ceremonies. Some athletes have even proclaimed possibly pulling out of the games in protest of China's human rights policies, the focal point of which is the plight of Tibet.

Some in China have fought back with the threat of cyber attacks and other forms of protest, but little ground seems have been made up in the Pro-China movement. One such organization, the roughly translated Tibet is full of goats and China rules (TGCR) has become very vocal about their lack of attention.

"It is very obvious that the Western media has a bias in favour of Tibet and against China," said the group's leader Lee Yuan Jia. "From protests about Chinese made goods, to the critical view of our policies, especially in respect to Tibet, it is clear that the West does not like China. It is also clear that dissenting opinions have no place in the West."

"The reality is we can't give a voice to everyone. We have to give a voice to the most popular opinions in order to stay relevant," said David Jacobs, an editor for the Washington Post. "Go to China and you won't see any pro Tibet stories there, just like you won't see any pro China stories here. The cold reality is, Tibet sells papers and advertising space, so that's what we go with."

Scrape News did an investigation of Chinese based news agencies and found no pro Tibet stories, equally there appears to be no pro China articles amongst major Western publications.

"This is not a racial issue," said US policy advisor Drake Martin. "It's a separation of philosophies. It's us versus them. We all turn our head to the opposition because we have a side. When pro China stories start selling newspapers, they'll start showing up, equally if pro Tibet stories benefit the Chinese government, they'll start showing up. It's all about ebbs and flows."       

References: China; Tibet; Olympics

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William Ashford, Business Correspondent

April 5 2008

Los Angeles, CA – A former employee has filed a lawsuit against McDonald’s, claiming that years of working for the fast food giant has made her overweight. Filed Friday in the Superior Court of California, the lawsuit states "...that fat content in the air has significantly contributed to weight gain." in the claimant, 43 year Maria Ortiz.

Ortiz, the suit states, gained nearly 200 pounds over the course of the seven years she worked at a Hollywood based McDonald’s location. Most of that weight gain was due to "fat particulates in the air". Going further, Ortiz claims to have actually eaten at the restaurant "only 3-4 times a week" and that her weight gain could not have come from diet, but rather "from the toxic fat particulates that dominate the McDonald’s kitchen and restaurant environment."

"It is our position that the environment in McDonald’s restaurants is treacherous for the weight sensitive," said Ortiz’s lawyer, Bart Grimsmeyer. "Between frying and preparing food, there are literally millions upon millions of fat particles floating around the restaurant. Those particles are then inhaled and absorbed by the skin and lead to weight gain. For the average consumer, there is very little risk as they spend only brief periods of time in the restaurant. But for employees, who spend hours and hours working in that environment, they are forcibly exposed to fat particulates and as a result become overweight. The company has known about this problem for years but has declined to do anything about it thus far, which is why we are bringing this lawsuit."
Ortiz and her lawyer are claiming damages of $500,000 and for McDonald’s to pay for medical expenses related to her obesity.

"I’m not looking to get rich out of this. My weight is causing me significant health problems and I am not able to work because of my size," said Ortiz. "I want to make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else. McDonald’s has a responsibility to their workers and I want to make sure they own up to it."

Mark White is the head of the RCAM, Responsible Citizens Against McDonald’s, organization. "They’ve known about this problem for years. Their own scientists have gone in and tested the environment and told them about the fat particulates floating around and the risk that poses for the workers, but the corporate powers that be have decided that profits are more important than people. It’s about time someone has stepped up and done something about this corporate bullying."

Others are less enthusiastic about the scientific claims behind the action. Dr. Mary Henton is a former director for the USDA. "I’ve never even heard of something like this happening. Material such as Asbestos, which has light and small particulates, can be inhaled and cause damage. Fat particles are heavy and dense and even if they were to shed into the environment they would most likely sink and land on surfaces such as the floor and countertops, not kick up into the air, and certainly not be absorbed through the skin. Even if that were possible, it is unlikely it would lead to weight gain."

McDonald’s officials had no comment about the lawsuit which is expected to go before the court in early.

references: McDonald’s, USDA

With special reporting by Nigel Williams of PDN.

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William Ashford, Business Correspondent

April 5 2008

San Antonio, TX – The penny has never had it harder. That little coin that burdens the pockets of every working person on the planet is enduring attacks from all sides with the ever increasing chorus of calls not only advocating its demise, but claiming that it is already long dead.

For most it’s a curiosity, the briefest of brief and silly conversations. There are few that would invest any passion in the penny one way or the other. One company though, doesn’t see the potential demise of the little bronze coin as a curiosity, but as its lifeblood.

The Pennysaver has been the first job of probably half the population of North America. That thin little newspaper with all those big savings that has been a staple on the doorsteps of a continent for decades now, but is now in peril of vanishing completely. Harte-Hanks, the marketing company behind the paper is launching a full scale attack on the anti penny advocates.

"Simply put, we will not allow The Pennysaver, a stalwart in almost every home for decades, will not go quietly into the night," said Mark Kenton, a spokesperson for Harte-Hanks. "The anti penny establishment is anti Pennysaver, and we cannot allow a treasured American icon to disappear because a handful of people don’t want heavy pockets."

Kenton went further, claiming that the company had weighed various options in respect to the continued life of the coupon paper, such as changing the name to nickel and dime saver, but decided to fight to retain the long standing branding the paper already has.

"Honestly, the idea of losing the Pennysaver has never entered my head. I didn’t realize it was still around to be honest. I delivered for about two weeks when I was a kid but that was the end of it for me," said Doug Hope, head of one of the largest anti penny advocacy groups in the United States. "It’s completely silly to think that our desire to eliminate the penny had anything to do with a silly little discount newspaper. This is a issue that affects the entire economy, I think we can live without the Pennysaver and not have it make a serious dent on the global economy."

Harte-Hanks had no comment on Hope’s comments, referring us instead to their lawyer. They are instead focussing on advocacy efforts, trying to gain support from their readers and making sure that everyone on Capitol Hill gets their copy of the paper every week.

references: Pennysaver, Harte-Hanks 

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William Ashford, Business Correspondent

April 5 2008

Louisville, KY – In reaction to the ongoing controversy over KFC’s call to ban chicken fried steak (read original article here, and follow up here) the company, a wholly owned subsidiary of YUM! Brands, has filed for copyright protection and patent and trademark application with the United States Patent and Trademark office.

"There is no other company in the world as firmly associated with a single product," said a statement released on their website. "KFC and chicken are nearly one in the same as it is, it is only correct that we firmly establish our claim over a product that we are so identified with. It is our corporate responsibility to protect our brand, both for our customers and for our shareholders."

The application is being met with mixed reactions. Wall Street has reacted positively to the news, while consumers and competitors have had a far less enthusiastic reaction.
"YUM is now in a more solid "buy" position now. By staking the claim to this property they are cementing themselves as the premier distributer and brander of chicken in the world. They will have little competition once this goes through," said analyst David Kindrey.

"It’s just not fair," said Daryl Hamble, owner of Hamble’s diner in Louisville. "It’s the little guy being run over by the corporate giant. I don’t understand why they can’t just leave us alone. They have all the money already and we’re just trying to feed our families. We can’t let this happen."
Whether it’s going happen is really the issue at stake. Very rarely have patents or trademarks been issued on items or ideas commonly in the public domain.

"It’s going to be a difficult argument to make to be sure," said patent expert Maria Henderson. "My guess is their argument is going to be that "chicken" isn’t the scientific name and presumably their application would be limited to foodstuff and the food industry, not to the animal itself. It will be interesting to see the application when it becomes public."

The company is wasting no time in pushing the application forward, already using contacts and lobby groups in Washington, the patent office will hear the company’s argument in early May, months faster than most applicants are heard.

"For the same reason that YUM! Applying for this, the government recognizes the need to pursue this quickly," continued analyst Kindrey. "It will be controversial and they will want to head off criticism. But also with the current instability in the economy, infighting amongst major companies will do no one any good. It is the best thing for everyone that we see a quick resolution to this, hopefully a positive one."

References: KFC, YUM! Brands, US Patent office, NYSE 

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Mike Michaels, American Correspondent 

April 5 2008

New Haven, CT – Yale’s super secret Skull and Bones organization may be undergoing a name change according to leaked secret documents. Amongst other rationale stated in the twelve page dossier, was a desire to alter the name so as build a new level of secrecy, and also to come up with something that "sounds scarier."

Since 1832 the elitist secret organization has held sway over actions at the Ivy League school, and according to rumour, the US government. This claim is further bolstered by the outing of certain of its former members including former Presidents William Howard Taft , George H.W. Bush, current president Bush, and such political and business luminaries such as McGeorge Bundy, Dean Witter Jr., John Kerry, and former Secretary of War Henry Stimson.  

It’s exactly that outing that seems to be of major concern to the organization. After all, it’s difficult to be a secret organization when everyone knows where you are and who your members are.

"It may be a desire to bring new secrecy to the organization, but it is more likely a desire to protect its formidable assets, perhaps to diversify the business," said an insider who preferred to remain anonymous and who may or may not be a member of the organization. "There’s also a good chance that the members themselves don’t even know the reason for the change."

There are some though that speculate the reason might be simply cosmetic, an attempt to draw a younger crowd.
"I mean yeah, it’s sought after an all, but skull and bones seems kind of old. Like Pirates or something," said another insider who also preferred to remain anonymous. "Zombies are what the kids like. The new name sounds more zombie-like which would appeal to a younger audience I would think anyway."

No former (though members never really leave) member would speak to us on record regarding the document or about the organization at all. The only thing we have been able to confirm is that when and if a name change occurs, there will be no announcement, so it may have already happened.

references: Wikipedia; Yale University

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