Good Nite Ponders!

Good Nite, Phoo SMOOCH!

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

Good Morning, Pond friends!

See you tomorrow, Pond People!

You want HER for your president??? Just remember.

In Discussing Hillary...

 

By Bill Miller Sr.

 

There really isn’t much being said or written at this point about Hillary Clinton replacing President Barack Obama on the Democratic ticket in 2012 as the candidate for the White House. We don’t think it will happen, but this idea is gaining some strength among some Democrats. The reason is because they don’t think Obama can be re-elected and that Clinton would be a stronger candidate.

 

This brought to mind an item about Hillary that was in “The Secrets of the FBI” book authored by Ronald Kessler, who also wrote “In the President’s Secret Service.” Because of his research, he qualifies as an expert on the two agencies. “The Secrets of the FBI” was published this year and is one of many books he has written. We would agree with what the publisher had to say about Kessler: “When it comes to developing access to top players, uncovering secrets, and writing a vivid tale, Ronald Kessler is without peer.”

 

We all remember Vince Foster, a member of President Bill Clinton’s inner circle who committed suicide in July 1993. The deputy White House counsel was found dead from a gunshot wound to his head. There was wide speculation that he may have been shot elsewhere and his body placed in a wooded area in a park along the Potomac River in northern Virginia. He was Hillary’s mentor at a law firm in Arkansas.

 

There is no question the man was depressed and was on the verge of resigning, which he had advised some of his close associates. There was a special independent counsel who looked into Foster’s death. He was Kenneth W. Starr who also was involved in the investigation of the Clintons’ investment in the much-publicized Whitewater real estate development. Starr found that Foster was a perfectionist who was very troubled about critical Wall Street Journal editorials, and the upcoming congressional hearings on the firing of White House travel office personnel. Starr’s investigation found that Foster committed suicide.

 

But what was revealed by Kessler was that Hillary and Foster held a meeting with aides to go over her health care legislation not long before his death.

 

“Those who were present told FBI agents working for Starr that Hillary violently disagreed with a legal objection Foster raised at the meeting and humiliated Foster in front of aides,” former FBI agent Coy Copeland says. “Hillary put him down really, really bad in a pretty good-sized meeting,” Copeland says. “She told him he didn’t get the picture, and he would always be a little-hick-town lawyer who was obviously not ready for the big time,” Kessler wrote.

 

Others close to the scene said Hillary “pushed him over the edge.” Kessler wrote that after that meeting Foster’s behavior changed dramatically.” He broke down and cried on occasions. “He talked of being trapped.” Because the White House objected on the grounds of executive privilege, Starr’s investigators never interviewed Hillary.

 

Another item in his book was that Hillary instructed that no one was to speak to her as she went from one location to another. An FBI agent who was not informed of the rule, said good morning to her and Hillary jumped all over him. She even said: “Where do you buy your suits? Penney’s?”

 

More books undoubtedly will be coming about Hillary’s days as secretary of state.

Although experienced and hardened in government, and in the White House as first lady, Hillary’s persona is hard to digest. Since we don’t believe she will be the Democratic candidate, why speculate on what kind of a president she would be.

If she did return to the White House, the best advice to aides is to get out of her way, wear armor, never question her actions, be a yes person, see her big picture, and, above all, don’t be hick-townish.

http://www.emissourian.com/opinion/columns/article_cc34bb36-9d1f-5489-93b7-5672bf557b64.html

Another lie for personal/political gain; does any Dem tell the truth?

Stop Peddling the Lie that Palin Led to Giffords’ Shooting

By Don Sturber

I have great respect for retired Navy Captain Mark Kelly’s service to this nation. I also admire the courage of Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. See Thursday’s post, “God bless you, Gabrielle Giffords.” But I find Captain Kelly’s tactics for selling his new book to be insulting , misleading and plain out wrong. More than that it is disturbingly dishonorable.

From the London Daily Mail:

But it was the lack of any contact from former Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin that was ‘surprising’ said Mr Kelly.

Citing the book, Mr Morgan said that it revealed some ‘interesting insights’ into ‘political colleagues and people that [Gabby Giffords] had worked for and against.’

Speaking about a map for which Palin was responsible, with crosshairs over certain states including Arizona, Mr Morgan said that the Alaskan ‘doesn’t come out of this very well, I don’t think, because there was a woman who at the time had been putting these crosshair things on her website and stuff, including Gabby,’ he said.

Sarah Palin’s map had nothing to do with the attempted assassination of Congresswoman Giffords. The man who shot her knew nothing of the map and had stalked the captain’s wife for 3 years prior to the shooting that left 6 people dead.

What a disgusting thing to do — and Piers Morgan’s failure to challenge Captain Kelly on this misinformation is appalling but not surprising.

One more day. One more lie. Captain Kelly should apologize privately and publicly to Missus Palin for perpetuating this fallacy.

http://blogs.dailymail.com/donsurber/archives/46876

(Ribbet!)

This man mentioned HE might, one day run for office... gad, they'll say anything!

Here's your Daily Catz!

Um... they don't call it a 'whirlybird'...

The "dibs' theory; 'I got here fiiiirst!' as a personal philosophy:

Upon What Basis Can an Occupy Protest Ask Someone to Leave?

By Natalie Solent

... because "This is private property" or any other version of "You have no right to be here" are open to some fairly obvious ripostes.

"We were here first" - "Er, not quite first. The actual owners of the space were there before you."
"We are the 99%" - "We're poorer than you, you middle class ****-ers"
"We represent the 99%" - "Who voted for you, then?"
"We are the official accredited Occupiers" - "We refuse to be defined by your oppressive structures, and hereby declare ourselves to be Occupying this Occupation!"

I have been reading the minutes of the General Assembly of the Occupy protesters who have taken over the empty UBS bank building in Sun Street, Hackney. One area of concern does seem to be people "abusing the space".

If people want to stay over night (sleep-overs) they need (1) to be part of a working group (2) They need to have an on-going task that warrants their stay. There will be ‘monitors’ to make sure sleep-overs are not abusing the space. Individuals that stay over and are found to not be working will be given one warning before being asked to leave.

And if they say no, what then? When a warning is given, it must be a warning of something. Presumably it is a warning that the bigger group of Occupiers will eject the smaller group of Occupiers - because they can.

Unless, of course, they can't. If a fight develops, what then? Call the cops? Problem with that.

http://www.samizdata.net/blog/archives/2011/11/upon_what_basis_1.html

Ponder this!

Now, I feel better...

Good Nite, Pond Frogs!

What a wonderful day--'Wog's home!

Good Morning, Pond People!

(I don't know how he's gonna eat any turkey if his mouf is sealed shut with superglue--he 'bited it' again--HAHAHAHAHA!)

Tell us your holiday plans--and God bless you!

See you tomorrow...

Good Nite, Pond People!

It's really all leftists vs. the rest of us...

Who's behind '99 percenters'?

By Aaron Klein and Brenda Elliott

A company hired to lead marketing campaigns for such corporate giants as Pepsi, Starbucks, IBM and Toyota now is promoting Occupy Wall Street while complaining about the top "1 percent" ultra-wealthy allegedly hoarding the country's wealth.

GOOD Worldwide LLC describes itself as a media platform that promotes, connects, and reports on the individuals, businesses, and non-profits "moving the world forward." It maintains a central website, quarterly magazine, and online video content all dedicated to promoting so-called progressive values.

A division of the company, GOOD/Corps., seeks a "shared value revolution" by working with some of the world's biggest companies to "helps brands and organizations align business strategy with social impact, and win through highly participatory and profitable relationships with their audiences."

GOOD recently led rebranding campaigns for a litany of corporate giants. It developed Pepsi's "Refresh" campaign, a "Harmony" project for Toyota, IBM's "smarter cities" drive and Starbucks' "community" project. Other major companies listed as having "partnered" with GOOD include Apple, Aveda, BP, Ford, Gap , GE , IBM, Jet Blue Airways, Levi's, Lexus, Kashi, Microsoft, MINI, NBC Universal, Ralph Lauren , Skyy Vodka, Virgin Mobile and Whole Foods.

While GOOD/Corps clearly aims to infuse specific values to corporate marketing campaigns, the companies themselves have praised those very campaigns for increasing revenues. Robert MacDonald, CEO of P&G, reportedly changed the strategy of the company to "Touching and improving more lives, in more parts of the world, more completely." "It's more than a noble idea, it's a game-changing growth strategy and a powerful source of competitive advantage," MacDonald said of the rebranded strategy.

Michael E. Porter of the Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness, commenting on the progressive marketing campaigns, said, "Shared value is not social responsibility, philanthropy, or even sustainability, but a new way to achieve economic success." While GOOD/Corps is partnered with some of the biggest names on Wall Street, it has been supporting the Occupy movement in recent weeks, even complaining about the "top 1 percent" allegedly hoarding the country's wealth.

A visit to GOOD's websites on any given day finds an abundance of pro-Occupy content, including articles supporting the movement. Just yesterday, the main site's rotator featured an article by GOOD's managing editor, Megan Greenwald, complaining, "No plan that included raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans had a chance of earning Republican support."

The article contained a photo of protesters demanding, "Tax the rich." Another article yesterday publicized, "Rooftops: Occupied! Communities Turn Out for Solar Power." GOOD featured a series of "anti-1-percenter" articles. On October 24, it was "The 1 Percent Are Not All Wall Streeters – But Lots of Them Are Bosses," followed on October 26 by "The 1 Percent Has Nearly Tripled Its Share of America's Income." On October 12, deemed by Occupy Wall Street as Bank Transfer Day, GOOD posted "A Step-by-Step Guide to Leaving Your Big Predatory Bank."

GOOD writer Curtis Walker's web page instructed readers to "Protest Big Banks with Their Own Junk Mail. "Not everyone who supports Occupy Wall Street movement can camp out in solidarity. So there's a simple and cheap way to get back at big banks and make your voice heard. All you need to get started is your daily pile of junk mail," he wrote.

GOOD's writers are concerned about OWS's political future. One recent post stated "Occupy Wall Street Needs Democratic Friends in Congress." A few weeks after came the claim "Occupy Wall Streeters Aren't Republicans – Or Democrats." Concern later shifted to "How Will the Occupy Wall Street Protesters Vote?"

Soros Connections:

GOOD, meanwhile, was founded as a magazine by Benjamin Goldhirsh, who "decided to create a magazine dedicated to social causes." Goldhirsh co-founded GOOD with Max Schorr and Casey Caplowe, reportedly using $2.5 million from his own trust fund after becoming wealthy from an inheritance left by his father.

Goldhirsh serves on the board of directors of  The Goldhirsh Foundation, which supports "social programs, environmental initiatives, innovative medical research and leading cultural institutions." He also serves on the boards of "Be the Change," which launched the United Nations Millenium Promise, an organization founded in 2005 by Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University. Millenium has worked with GOOD in multiple initiatives.

Other Millenium Promise board members include Sachs and Stewart Paperin, executive vice president of the Open Society Institute and president of the Soros Economic Development Fund. Partners in the Millenium Promise — an organization "guided by the UN's Millenium Development goals to end global poverty by 2025" — include Soros' Open Society Foundations, the Soros Economic Development Fund, Soros Foundations Network, and The Goldhirsh Foundation.

Sachs has been in the news recently after he penned a New York Times oped deeming the Occupy movement a "new era in America" that will realize the dawn of corporate and government cooperation. He further called for "a third-party movement to break the hammerlock of the financial elites." Sachs is a key member of Soros' Institute for New Economic Thinking, or INET.

The group holds an annual gathering of economic giants in the mountains of Bretton Woods, N.H., at the Mount Washington Hotel, famous for hosting the original Bretton Woods economic agreements drafted in 1944. That conference's goal was to rebuild a post-World War II international monetary system. Soros' gathering openly has a similar goal – a global economic restructuring.

With additional research by Chris Elliott .

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=370261

Good Morning, Pond People!

See you tomorrow...

Iz going bek to bed!

This is how the left uses it's freedom...

Free Speech Outrage

By "Senator Bob" Smith

The right to free speech is protected in the First Amendment to our Constitution, but there are times when what is said taxes the limits of one’s patience. Such is the case with Suffolk University Law Professor Michael Avery, who recently sent an email to his colleagues saying, “It is shameful to send care packages to U.S. troops who have gone overseas to kill other human beings.”

According to FOX affiliate WFXT-TV in Massachusetts, the comments were made after Suffolk University issued a school wide appeal for care packages to be sent to U.S. military deployed overseas. Clearly, Professor Avery had a constitutional right to say it, but the real question is, was it right to say it?

I found out about these remarks in an email sent to me by a disabled Vietnam combat veteran who was shocked and dismayed like most of us. To protect his privacy I will not name the veteran, but he sums it up with three words, “reprehensible, irresponsible and unacceptable.” Paul Spera, a past Commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars called the remarks “despicable” adding for emphasis, “that the shameful thing is that Avery is teaching our young people.” He took the words right out of my mouth!

As if those words were not hurtful enough, Avery had to make sure he made his point by adding, “Sympathy for American troops in harm’s way is not particularly rational in today’s world.” Suffolk to its credit does not have a history of being anti-military like many other universities.  They sanctioned the effort to collect and send the packages and they even have a large American flag displayed in the school’s atrium. Professor Avery objected to that too, saying that displaying the flag is “not a politically neutral act” and represents “excessive patriotic zeal.”

Read more...

http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/42599

(Ribbet!)

This guy made me so damned mad! He takes our beautiful right to free speech and uses it like this? What a disgrace to all our brave men who have served. I know, for a dead certainty--and so do you--that this idiot never served a day, himself!

Happy Tuesday, Pond People!

Good Nite, friends!

Good Morning, Beloved Pond People! LOL!

 "Ah... here's breakfast, lunch,

 and dinner!"...

Dopus Maximoose Rex

Have a great Thanksgiving Week!

Thrill Is Gone? Matthews Turns On Obama; 'I Hear Stories That You Would Not Believe'

Hello, Ponders!

God answers prayers!

Good Night!

Why, Eva--what did you do?!!?

LOL!

To Phooey and Paget (and all my friends here):

(Ribbet!)

Good morning, Ponders! I love you guys so much--especially my Phooey and Paget; I read the Klatch early this morning and saw the comments and ensuing rock-throw... (Oooooh! TweetyBirdscowl--"Sissy up now and she mad!" HAHAHAHAHA! )

Here is her post to Gerty, in case it gets removed:

"Not willing to take any more abuse and subjugation to exploitation"--HUH? Gerts, my sister Donal did not comment about YOU. As usual, YOU introduced the first nasty comment about HER. You've brought more negativity to the Klatch with your petty infighting than anyone else here--you think she didn't read your verbal snipes to me all the time? You think we don't all see them for ourselves? Just stop. My dear, as you profess to be nominally Christian, you need to step up your game!

Hi, Phooey--and yes I am still eating my peanutbutter and pickle sandwich!--Gerty's words do not hurt my sister. Gerty is not kind enough to hurt her; they are not on the same level. She sees an obvious impairment there and has much sympathy for it (she's sorry she did not recognize it sooner). She prays for Gerty everyday. Thank you and our dear Paget for your wonderful, brave support. We both loves ya! 

P.S. Mrs. Cow, you needn't have to 'play the game' at all. You, too, could talk to the both of us on the phone; my sister would love to hear from you ;-)

I am so glad Kaniah is home and Magdalene is doing well; the news made Froggy smile. Have a great Thanksgiving all!

Yowza, she is wonderful, LOL! You know, I am so sorry I got involved in that whole mess--but it sure is nice for someone to have my back (and 'Woggy always has).  I don't go over there and read too much; it just makes me want to join in, and I guess I did enough of that, all the way 'round ;-) But I can't believe some of those gals just want to keep it up!

Sissy's right; I DO recognize some... um... difficulties going on with a couple of them--so I am sympathetic. There's a little too much feeling like a victim, feeling put upon--and there's some of that paranoid vibe going on... sigh. Such, I guess, is what we fall prey to as we get older. I hope despite the varying degrees of my health and medications that I can accurately, and more kindly, figure it out. My religion helps a lot!

I'm not immune from making too big a deal out of something, myself--because, in our house, everything was a big deal--but someone who is ill is ill  and someone whose capacities are diminishing is impaired. I don't know if Gerty always had an unkind heart, but for her and Straitpath, myMag and EC (an anyone else who may have enmity towards me) I always wanted to be friends, and I want them to know that, even if I lacked the ability to make it so. It does take two people with some minimum self-awareness. I hope I have that back; my illness has taken a lot away... and God only knows what's going to go next!

Thank you to all the understanding, great people that I know--I love you dearly, friends! I'm still capable of getting a mad-on and calling Gerty a Snipe--which she is--but I hope I can shrug a bit more of that off now that I'm not so involved. In the meantime, I'm not the only one Mama taught how to write, ha! 'Woggy can hold a stylish pen when she scrapes up the effort and I love her for it--now, I have to go and make her French toast!

Have a nice evening, Ponders!

Good Morning, Pond People!

Good Nite, friends...

"He doesn't like us. He really doesn't like us."

Image by Dale of Out of Order, the Blog

Partz Iz Partz!

I love my Ponders!

You have to share!!!

Joe "Pa", indeed...

Joe Paterno and the Act that Dare Not Speak Its Name

By Bernie Reeves

The Penn State scandal has several dimensions beyond the disgusting alleged outrages by former defensive coach Jerry Sandusky.  The most newsworthy item to the average person so far has been the termination of football coach Joe Paterno at age 85, who broke the NCAA Division 1 record for most wins in his last game for the Nittany Lions the Saturday before the story broke.

Paterno is accused of not following up on a report he received in 2002 that Sandusky was observed having sex with a male adolescent in the football team's locker room.  Paterno did pass on the information to members of the athletic department but, according to investigators, did not act more aggressively to pursue the matter.  Paterno is not listed as a criminal suspect in the case, but his fabled career received the death sentence.  Now the outrage over Sandusky's crimes has created additional fallout, contaminating all who were involved.  But what was going on in Paterno's mind that caused him not to track down and expose Sandusky?

Back when my boys were young, a single, mid-20s, hale fellow, well-met, dedicated himself to youth sports.  He coached city-league and YMCA sports teams and displayed a great interest in kids a father could not replicate while maintaining a career and a family.  The young "coach," and the others like him, set an example of involvement perceived as a paragon of parenting.

One Friday afternoon, my son said he had been invited with four or five other kids his age to spend the night with their coach and mentor.  The plan was to go bowling and return to the coach's home to watch movies.  I said no.  My son exploded with anger and hurt feelings.  He reeled off four close friends who were going, sputtering with outrage that if his pals could go, why couldn't he?  He would be stuck at home while his compatriots were having a great time -- and making friends with an older person who treated them as equals.  I stood my ground, but I could not find the words to explain exactly why to my son.

Thinking back, there were reasons beyond my reluctance to label the youth coach a potential pedophile, an opinion I held but could not prove.  I was fearful to explain just what sexual predators actually did.  My son and I hadn't even discussed the birds and the bees, much less homoerotic acts that were beyond my ability to dwell on even briefly.  I did not want to imply that all youth sports coaches preyed on children.  And I feared the uncomfortable process involved that would require that I prove my suspicions.  I knew the coach's behavior was suspect, and I wanted to protect my son.  But that's as far I could go.

But even if I had attempted to explain my fear and stain the reputation of the young coach, my son would not be able to restrain himself from telling everyone the explosive news.  I would then be in the position of defending my comments, which in turn would unleash a firestorm drawing in hundreds of people.  The coach would sue, demanding proof.  The media would naturally become interested, and the accusation would go viral.  I would be mobbed by media wanting to know how I knew this about the coach.  And if I were wrong, the potential for defamation damages against me would be ruinous.  The drama would never die.

Joe Paterno dealt with the same issues, even though graduate assistant Mike McQueary (who since moved up to assistant coach until he was suspended last week) offered an eyewitness report back in 2002.  To his credit, Joepa reported the incident to officials in PSU's athletic department.  But his termination is reportedly based on his inaction from that point forward.  What should he have done to save him from ignominy at the end of one of the greatest careers in American sports?  Should he have confronted Sandusky and accused him of serial pederasty?  Contacted the athletic director and demanded action?  That's easy to say in retrospect but, based on the unmentionable nature of the crimes, a very difficult thing to say out loud. Read more at...

http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/11/joe_paterno_and_the_act_that_dare_not_speak_its_name.html

(Ribbet!)

You protected your son twice, in some sense--one, by not allowing him into a possible occassion of victimization and, two, by not intoducing him to the hard realities of the world too soon when their mere description would've likely broken his illusions about life and traumatised him. That is your main duty, as a father.

Joe Patero, however, was in a much larger position. His silence about, and possible 'unwillingness to name', ghastly predatory acts may have protected the school, Coach Sandusky, the money, and sports etc., but it allowed multiple--unending--victimization of others not in a position to protect themselves, to go on--and that is not acceptable.

Any adult involved in schools, programs, and with such influence--for which he certainly gets paid the big bucks, too--and children, HAS to be able to speak about such things. They HAVE to be able to sacrifice their own comfort and position in order to protect those whom they serve who are in a subordinate, vulnerable position, or they DO NOT deserve their jobs.

Stop making excuses for the man! Quit mewing about how 'maybe Joe was uncertain' or that such things were 'unmentionable', 'hard'--or that Joe didn't know for 100% sure. Of course Joe knew! Why else would he have quietly ushered Sandusky out of his job? Why did he refuse to have him as his next-in-line? Who do you think put the word out to other colleges so that he wasn't hired by any other school once he left Penn State? Do you think we're stupid?

I don't give a damn if Joe'd be in a 'difficult' position; somebody has to take a stand against something! Somebody has to hold their moral responsibility as more dear than any job, perq, or influence they may have. People in authority have to do the right thing, for there to be right things, come what may.

Did Joe Paterno even try to handle this thing adequately? Did he go to the kids and young adults to ask them about it himself? Did he gather evidence from them? Did he contact their parents? Did he suggest they take their raped kids to a hospital in which to gather definitive proof (and get some treatment for the victim)? Did he file any charges with the police himself? Did he go to the NCAA? Did he discuss this with the college president and board? Did he speak to the board members of the Second Mile foundation? Absent his ability to do any of these things, did he, at minimum, ask anyone else for help in dealing with this matter? Did he develop a protocol for handling sexual abuse accusations against his staff?

Did he call in Sandusky, read him the riot act, and tell him if ONE more child is EVER hurt, that he'd go to every official and media outlet in the land--and then prepare to do so? Did he tell him he'd mail the evidence to every single family who had a child in the athletic programs at Penn State and tell them what was going on and to protect their kids? Did he fire him to his face and tell him he better give up the 'Second Mile' club and work in a car factory or something, or all of this would break bad, real bad?

Did he provide even minimal supervision of the man, once he knew what he was doing? Did he curtail the recruiting trips, high school 'scouting', and his 'fundraising-for-favors? Did he take away Sandusky's hall passes, building access, and the damned keys to the shower room? Did he ever even take him behind the gym and beat the shit out of him?

If I was a man, I might have... As a woman, I would have brought him into my office and said 'it stops now, it stops today, or I will ruin every single aspect of your life to get this halted' (and I would have). I wouldn't have cared what happened to my job. Who in the hell is thinking about those boys?

Have a lovely day, Ponders!

Good Night! All the birdies have gone to bed!

Pond Picnic cat!

Reality show cat!

Here's your Daily Cat!

Good Morning, Pond People!

Tufties For Tuesday!

Have a lovely evening, friends!

I was reading over at Lucianne's Faith Wall tonight... Straitpath and Gerty, bless your hearts--I'm gonna pray for you both. 

I know others will join me... ;-)

It's like having a radar dish on your head...!

(Isn't he cute?! ;-)

Sfc Billy Honey's message for Occupiers ;-)

("I have a steady job with a regular paycheck, great benefits, and lots of room for promotion. Next year, I will be paid to go to college and graduate with a guaranteed position making a decent salary. I am the 1% of the 99% that decided hard work and sacrifice were more prudent than complaining about how life is too hard and I'm not getting any free handouts.")

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2011/11/sfc_billy_honeys_message_for_occupiers.html

MORNING! I feel like a floor knot--HALP!

Ow-rowr!

Good Night from...

...Frogs and 'Wogs!

Tikkun Olam From Israel and the Jews! (Google it!)

Breakthrough: Israel Develops Cancer Vaccine

By Rivka Borochov

Vaxil’s groundbreaking therapeutic vaccine, developed in Israel, could keep about 90 percent of cancers from coming back.

As the world’s population lives longer than ever, if we don’t succumb to heart disease, strokes or accidents, it is more likely that cancer will get us one way or another. Cancer is tough to fight, as the body learns how to outsmart medical approaches that often kill normal cells while targeting the malignant ones.

In a breakthrough development, the Israeli company Vaxil BioTherapeutics has formulated a therapeutic cancer vaccine, now in clinical trials at Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem. If all goes well, the vaccine could be available about six years down the road, to administer on a regular basis not only to help treat cancer but in order to keep the disease from recurring.

The vaccine is being tested against a type of blood cancer called multiple myeloma. If the substance works as hoped — and it looks like all arrows are pointing that way — its platform technology VaxHit could be applied to 90 percent of all known cancers, including prostate and breast cancer, solid and non-solid tumors.

“In cancer, the body knows something is not quite right but the immune system doesn’t know how to protect itself against the tumor like it does against an infection or virus. This is because cancer cells are the body’s own cells gone wrong,” says Julian Levy, the company’s CFO. “Coupled with that, a cancer patient has a depressed immune system, caused both by the illness and by the treatment.”

The trick is to activate a compromised immune system to mobilize against the threat.

A Vaccine that Works Like a Drug

A traditional vaccine helps the body’s immune system fend off foreign invaders such as bacteria or viruses, and is administered to people who have not yet had the ailment. Therapeutic vaccines, like the one Vaxil has developed, are given to sick people, and work more like a drug.

Vaxil’s lead product, ImMucin, activates the immune system by “training” T-cells –– the immune cells that protect the body by searching out and destroying cells that display a specific molecule (or marker) called MUC1. MUC1 is typically found only on cancer cells and not on healthy cells. The T-cells don’t attack any cells without MUC1, meaning there are no side effects unlike traditional cancer treatments. More than 90% of different cancers have MUC1 on their cells, which indicates the potential for this vaccine.

“It’s a really big thing,” says Levy, a biotechnology entrepreneur who was formerly CEO for Biokine Therapeutics. “If you give chemo, apart from the really nasty side effects, what often happens is that cancer becomes immune [to it]. The tumor likes to mutate and develops an ability to hide from the treatment. Our vaccines are also designed to overcome that problem.”

For cancers in an advanced stage, treatments like chemo or surgery to remove a large tumor will still be needed, but if the cancer can be brought down to scale, the body is then able to deal with it, Levy explains. ImMucin is foreseen as a long-term strategy — a shot every few months, with no side effects — to stop the cancer from reoccurring after initial treatments, by ensuring that the patient’s own immune system keeps it under control.

In parallel, the company is also working on a vaccine that treats tuberculosis, a disease that’s increasing worldwide, including in the developed world, and for which the current vaccine is often ineffective and treatment is problematic.

Based in Ness Ziona, Vaxil was founded in 2006 by Dr. Lior Carmon, a biotechnology entrepreneur with a doctorate in immunology from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot. In June, Vaxil signed a memorandum of understanding to merge its activities into Sheldonco, a company traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.

http://unitedwithisrael.org/israel-develops-cancer-vaccine/