Mother Jones: Civil rights credentials of NOM's antigay African-American hood ornament, Rev. William Owens, may be largely bogus

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Antigay African-American political opportunist Rev. Bill Owens is on the take of the National Organization for Marriage, which was embarrassed recently (if that's possible) over disclosure of secret memos detailing its plan to pit black and gay Democrats against each other. USA Today documents Owens' longstanding ties to conservative Republican groups. Michael Cottman says Owens is slandering Obama. And Adam Serwer of Mother Jones says Owens may have little if any credibility as a "fighter" for civil rights in the 50s and 60s:

With his backstory as an activist at the center of the fight for civil rights, Owens would seem to be the perfect messenger. "I was a leader in the civil rights movement in Nashville from 1958 to '59 and 1960," Owens told Mother Jones. "We organized from dorm to dorm, from school to school, and went around training students how to sit in, and how to be an activist, what to do." Nashville's sit-ins played a particularly important role in the civil rights struggle, pioneering non-violent tactics that were adopted by the broader movement.
     But surviving leaders of the Nashville civil rights movement, who spoke with Mother Jones, have no recollection of Owens.Rev. C.T. Vivian, an ally of Martin Luther King Jr. who helped organize the Nashville sit-ins and who is now president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, said he did not recall crossing paths with Owens. Rev. James Lawson, the famed practitioner of non-violence who trained the sit-in activists, did not remember Owens either. The same goes for Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), one of the major student leaders in the Nashville sit-in movement who went on to lead the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. 

Below: Owens can get quite arrogant and combative when his assertions are questioned in the slightest. (Via Good As You.)

American Chemical Society: Artificial butter flavoring ingredient linked to key Alzheimer’s disease process

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Air-pop your corn. (Photo: Flickr/The Rocketeer)

The press release:

The Butter Flavorant, Diacetyl, Exacerbates ß-Amyloid Cytotoxicity
Chemical Research in ToxicologyA new study raises concern about chronic exposure of workers in industry to a food flavoring ingredient used to produce the distinctive buttery flavor and aroma of microwave popcorn, margarines, snack foods, candy, baked goods, pet foods and other products. It found evidence that the ingredient, diacetyl (DA), intensifies the damaging effects of an abnormal brain protein linked to Alzheimer’s disease. The study appears in ACS’ journal Chemical Research in Toxicology.     Robert Vince and colleagues Swati More and Ashish Vartak explain that DA has been the focus of much research recently because it is linked to respiratory and other problems in workers at microwave popcorn and food-flavoring factories. DA gives microwave popcorn its distinctive buttery taste and aroma. DA also forms naturally in fermented beverages such as beer, and gives some chardonnay wines a buttery taste. Vince’s team realized that DA has an architecture similar to a substance that makes beta-amyloid proteins clump together in the brain — clumping being a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. So they tested whether DA also could clump those proteins.     DA did increase the level of beta-amyloid clumping. At real-world occupational exposure levels, DA also enhanced beta-amyloid’s toxic effects on nerve cells growing in the laboratory. Other lab experiments showed that DA easily penetrated the so-called “blood-brain barrier,” which keeps many harmful substances from entering the brain. DA also stopped a protective protein called glyoxalase I from safeguarding nerve cells. “In light of the chronic exposure of industry workers to DA, this study raises the troubling possibility of long-term neurological toxicity mediated by DA,” say the researchers.     The authors acknowledge funding from the Center for Drug Design (CDD) research endowment funds at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

Obama campaigns in Council Bluffs, Iowa; a shout­out to neighboring 'Blue Dot City' — Omaha

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President Obama, in Iowa to campaign against Romney/Ryan, gave a shout-out from Baylis Park in Council Bluffs to 800-lb.-gorilla neighbor, Omaha, Nebraska, which gave him one of Nebraska's five electoral votes in 2008, subsequently earning the nickname, "Blue Dot City."
    Despite the Cornhusker state's well-deserved reputation as one of the country's most reliably Republican states, President Obama's was able to peel off one of its five electoral votes in 2008 because Nebraska and Maine are the only two NON-winner-takes-all states. (In each, the two electoral votes corresponding to senators are tied to the statewide vote, but other electoral votes correspond to whatever candidate carries a particular congressional district.) From Real Clear Politics:

Repeating that achievement this year could be difficult, however. The Legislature reduced the number of Democrats in the 2nd District as part of the redrawing of district boundaries following each census. And some Nebraska Democrats said the Obama campaign hasn't worked as hard to mobilize voters this year.     "They're not doing anything in the second congressional district," U.S. Senate candidate Bob Kerrey said at a news conference last week. "It's a very secretive operation if they have one. I haven't seen it."

Abby's Wish

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When times are great, friends are there to rejoice with you. When times are tough, friends are there to help you get through it. When you have great friends in your life, it makes hours, days, weeks, months and years become fulfilled with great memories.

I remember when Kayleigh came in to this world and all of you, friends, would rejoice in the miracle that Kayleigh survived what the doctors felt was impossible. I remember when Kayleigh was sick, friends put their hands together and prayed for another miracle. I remember when Kayleigh went to Heaven, friends reached their arms out for comfort. I also remember when friends helped lift a financial burden when this crazy world came crashing down on us.

One friend in particular who put his words on the line to help start a chain reaction to bring friends and family to send donations, is now in need of a financial assistance. However, Brent Riggs may have been the one to lend a helping hand to me as a friend, but it is Abby who is requesting this financial wish.

I have come to know the Riggs family very well and they are the most amazing family I have ever met. It is a blessing what Brent does everyday to witness to the world and what he has done to be such a strong leader for his family of 7 while caring for his little girl who was stricken with cancer. It is Abby who wishes to gain this financial blessing as they are all raising money for another adopted brother or sister. After seeing how amazing this family has been to me, to others and to their children, they are so deserving of this blessing.

So, I am going to give what little I have in order to start the same chain reaction blessing that the Riggs Family has done for others.

Brent...here is a $100! May you be blessed with what you need to bring home another beautiful child who will be even more blessed to be called a "Riggs"

Everyone who wants to help donate, please click here: Abby's Wish

God Bless My Friend!!!

Adam

Kayleigh's Birthday

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I am so excited because next weekend, my Mom and Dad will be venturing out to Wilmington to spend the weekend with me and all my great friends. It will be their first time coming out here and we have some exciting events planned.
A good handful of us are all gonna go out to eat at a beautiful restaurant downtown on the waterway to enjoy the beautiful sunset and then dive in to a delicous "Healthy" home made cake made with love by my mom to celebrate Kayleigh's birthday. It is going to be wonderful and I am so looking forward to having my friends and family there with me.
Other events for the weekend are not yet set in stone, but here are some of the options we may be doing: Airlie Gardens, Battleship North Carolina, Fort Fisher Aquarium, Exercising at O2 Fitness, Walking the Loop and the beach in Wrightsville Beach, and other exciting times. We only have the weekend, so we will have to pick the best of the best this time around.
It will be a great weekend to celebrate Kayleigh's birthday with those who are close to my heart. I couldn't ask for better friends who have supported me through everything and are there on a daily basis to put a smile on my face and remind me how truly blessed I am. Kayleigh has touched so many hearts and is the reason for so many blessings in my life. If it weren't for Kayleigh and the awesome people she brought in to my life, I wouldn't be as incredibly happy where I am in my life. She is such an amazing girl who continues to do wonderful things for so many on a daily basis.
Thanks to all and God Bless!
Adam