Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Highly Recommended Viewing!

http://gokill.com/ Gives some good info. on chemtrails, etc.

Jesse Ventura's show Conspiracy Theory is on every Wednesday night from 9:00-11:00 p.m. It is getting over a million viewers and is the most popular show on TruTV. In Santa Cruz, on Comcast cable, it is Channel 66. It is well worth watching. Tonight's episodes were about the Bilderberg Group and their plans for globalization and depopulation, and Government spying on its citizens through Echelon and other modes. Ventura does some in-depth investigation, with credible interviews, and the shows are excellent--and chilling in details.

I don't think Ventura has done a show yet on chemtrails -- but his first show was on HAARP, which you can now see in its entirety on youtube at: http://info-wars.org/2009/12/04/jesse-ventura-on-haarp-videos/
. His show on 9/11 can also be seen in its entirety on youtube at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tkio6TF0Ufg

Both are well worth watching!
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Move Your Money to Community Banks

An excellent suggestion for those who still have money. My friendly bank has been swallowed twice--once by Wachovia. which in turn has been swallowed by Wells Fargo. a behemoth that doesn't pay interest on savings (.025 or some such ridiculous amount) and doesn't give a damn about the customers.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/move-your-money-a-new-yea_b_406022.html
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Sunday, December 27, 2009

Genius Invents Mind-blowing Technology Sure to Revolutionize the Way You Live

WATCH THIS FASCINATING SHORT VIDEO! It's almost spellbinding what this young Indian man has created in order to merge the digital world with the real world! And he is wanting to make the technology available to everyone, rather than just trying to make his own millions from his genius ideas. My kids and grandkids will soon be living in an entirely different world than the one I grew up in! For instance, taking photos with your fingers--no camera needed. Just frame any scene with your fingers--and take the photo. Writing on walls, tables, etc. anywhere you go, with just your fingers. Capturing data in the daily world with your fingertips and then transferring it from your fingertips onto your computer screen at home. AMAZING stuff...while watching it, I felt like I was in a sci-fi dream world... Actually, I feel like that much of the time these days, anyway (~.~) Everything is moving so fast! Looking at this technology, I am not sure a world where this kind of thing will be possible is actually the kind of world I want to live in, especially with the overall human consciousness at the level it exists today! First of all, peace and brotherhood ...

 Subject: Genius Invents Mind-blowing Technology Sure to  Revolutionize the Way You Live  http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/12/12/Genius-Level-Innovations-in-Computing.aspx    
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Saturday, December 26, 2009

Anniversary of TVA Coal Ash Spill as Forgotten as the Disaster Itself

http://www.truthout.org/122509Wilson

OMG! WHAT A DISASTER!!! CAUSED BY GREED, SELFISHNESS, and "BECAUSE WE CAN" attitude on the part of the "ELITE," who think they are beyond regulation or punishment. In this world, they seem to be right, especially since Republicans and DINOs are in favor of lifting all regulations in order to benefit their wealthy corporations/buddies. Who's minding the store for the poor who suffer as a result? NOBODY, as far as I can see. By buying off our Congressional representatives, the corporate lobbyists own us, and the "people" (as in "government of, for, and by") will continue to be railroaded in the cause of creating more wealth for the "elite." To the neglect of the people and the environment. In the interest of corporate greed, we are destroying everything around us.

This is the world we have created. And it doesn't seem to matter which party we vote for -- the deadly beat goes on. The dastardly bastards getting rich off of the suffering of others WILL end up paying for their greed and selfishness, but, unless a REAL leader of the people rises up (don't count on it! and it sure as hell isn't Obama), their retribution will not be handed out in this world.

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Friday, December 25, 2009

You knew I was a snake when you picked me up...

Regarding Obama, I'm in the same camp with this author...

THE LADY AND THE SNAKE
by William Rogers Pitt


I've been thinking a lot lately about the old story of the Lady and the Snake. One day, so the story goes, a lady was walking down the road when she came across an injured snake. The lady picked up the snake, brought it home, and nursed it back to health. Over time, the lady and the snake became the best of friends. One day, the lady was in her garden with the snake, when the snake lunged forward suddenly and bit her in the throat. As the lady lay dying, she looked at the snake and said, "Why did you kill me? I was your friend! I took care of you!" The snake looked at her and said, "Lady, you knew I was a snake when you picked me up."

This is how I'm feeling about the President of the United States these days.

Example: in a recent Washington Post interview, Mr. Obama ran off a long list of accomplishments he had achieved during his first year in office, and cited the (maybe)-soon-to-be-passed health care "reform" legislation as the most significant. When asked about the strong negative reaction coming from the base of the Democratic party over the removal of any form of public option, Mr. Obama said, "I didn't campaign on the public option."

Rilly?

Oh, rilly?

Nah, not rilly. This was the Obama campaign's line on health care and the public option, way back in the campaign day: "My plan builds on and improves our current insurance system, which most Americans continue to rely upon, and creates a new public health plan for those currently without coverage. Under my plan, Americans will be able to choose to maintain their current coverage if they choose to. For those without health insurance I will establish a new public insurance program, and provide subsides to afford care for those who need them."

The good folks over at DailyKos took the time to further rebut the president's fairly astonishing assertion. To wit:

  • In the 2008 Obama-Biden health care plan on the campaign's website, candidate Obama promised that "any American will have the opportunity to enroll in new public plan."
  • During a speech at the American Medical Association, President Obama told thousands of doctors that one of the plans included in the new health insurance exchanges "needs to be a public option that will give people a broader range of choices and inject competition into the health care market." (6/15/09)
  • While speaking to the nation during his weekly address, the President said that "any plan" he signs "must include...a public option." (7/17/09)
  • During a conference call with progressive bloggers, the President said he continues "to believe that a robust public option would be the best way to go." (7/20/09)
  • * Obama told NBC's David Gregory that a public option "should be a part of this," while rebuking claims that the plan was "dead." (9/20/09)

Mr. President, please don't hiss in my ear and tell me you're not a snake. The base you and your chief of staff are so dismissive of could have probably tolerated an admission of failure on your part regarding the death of the public option. We tried, you could have said, but it was a bridge too far. We wanted it, but couldn't get it. You could have mitigated the insult further by saying, oh, maybe one single word about the GOP obstructionists and their Lieberman lackey who went out of their way to blow the whole process up.

But instead, you went after Dr. Howard Dean for criticizing your rank failures, a man who is above reproach on the subject of health care. You went after Dean instead of Lieberman and the GOP, and as an added twist of the knife, you sat there with a Washington Post reporter and lied with your bare face hanging all the way out about never having campaigned on the necessity of the public option.

Now, I am not a radical. Never have been, never pretended to be. Back in 2002, I got painted as a radical by elements on the Right for calling the Bush administration's WMD-in-Iraq claims into question, and for refusing to line up behind George and the Patriotism Police after 9/11. In the intervening years, I've been tagged as a socialist, a communist, and comically, a fascist by those same elements for resisting the disastrous policies of the previous administration.

But I'm no radical. I'm even willing to swallow this mess of a health care bill because it's a starting point, and in several respects, a significant improvement over the current situation. It sells out women with Nelson's abhorrent abortion amendment, and it may not even be constitutional at the end of the day, but the serious problems within the bill can and must be fixed in the future. I'm also a political pragmatist; I very much want to keep the Bushian far-right yahoos out of power next year and in 2012, not out of love for Obama and the Democrats, but out of simple fear. I know what the GOP is today, and I'll swallow any number of jagged little pills to keep all that from happening again.

But I really don't like getting lied to, especially after everything this country has been through, after everything that was done by millions of Americans to clean house and get this ship of state back to some semblance of stability. Obviously, a politician telling a lie is not big news - my personal theory, based on vast personal experience, is that if you've heard of a politician, odds are that person is a creep you wouldn't want to be in the same room with - but Obama's public option canard was exceptionally rank.

I'm no radical. I just believe with all my heart in the idea that is America, an idea that has been poorly served for the entirety of this thankfully dying decade, an idea that has once again been sold down the river by another lying politician. That idea deserves better, as do we all, and if the Obama administration keeps this despicable behavior up, they are going to find themselves squared off with a legion of newly-radicalized people who will wonder why they ever picked this snake up in the first place.
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Thursday, December 24, 2009

Cenk Uygur's advice for us progressives re. Obama

HOW PROGRESSIVES CAN MOVE OBAMA TO THE LEFT
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/25715

One reader's comment at the end contains an Edward R. Murrow quote that so aptly fits things these days: A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves.

Although he relates the truth about the Washington mindset versus that of the rest of our country, I doubt Uygur's conclusions that we can change it in the way he proposes, because he ignores the fact of who is really in control, and it isn't Obama. I'm in the midst of reading Family of Secrets: The Bush Dynasty, the Powerful Forces that Put It in the White House, and What Their Influence Means for America by Russ Baker. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning how our country (and the world) is really run...and by whom. Anyone who bucks the commands of the "elites" will probably suffer the same fate as the Kennedys and Martin Luther King. Obama has no doubt been made aware of that, as have all past presidents. The Bush presidents were chosen for us by the elites (despite the will of the people in 2000); the Bushes are part of the ruling system, which is why we had to endure Dubya, a nogoodnik idiot, and his handlers, Dr. Evil Cheney and Igor Rove. If you would like to learn some of the secrets of the ruling class, read Baker's well-researched book. No fly-by-nighter, Baker is an investigative journalist of excellent reputation who has been conducting his investigation for many years--and he has come up with gold: people who had kept quiet about things they knew are now coming out of the woodwork to tell the truth. This is a Must-Read for anyone with curiosity about why things stay the same in our government, no matter who is president. For more information on this book and the research behind it, visit www.familyofsecrets.com.


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Wednesday, December 23, 2009

A little poem

A little ditty came to me as I was drifting to sleep a couple nights ago...so I jotted it down.

The Value of Curiosity

Earth life is so very short
We should not waste a minute
To find out what it's all about,
And who and why we're in it.

Curiosity killed a cat
But lack of it is worse
Without it you will drift through life
And end up in a hearse.

As kids we looked up at the sky
In a state of awe
All those stars! All that space!
What was all this we saw?

Don't lose that wonderment you felt
In your years of youth
Ask the question: Who am I?
Until you find the Truth.

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Monday, December 21, 2009

Happy Holidays!

To all my friends,

Please watch this beautiful and touching short video from youtube about kindness. The background song by Enya is quite beautiful, too.

I pray that this message will carry throughout the world so that one day, we may live in Peace on Earth. May we be thankful for what we have and appreciate our oneness with everything and everyone.

Love to you all and may your Christmas and New Year be filled with happiness, love and kindness.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLfPtLp3u3Y

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Some interesting thoughts to contemplate in this article

Would you rather be loving or loved?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/russell-bishop/would-you-rather-be-lovin_b_398849.html

I especially liked the following insight:
To awaken, you must have been asleep. However, to have been asleep, it would seem that you must have previously been awake. Hmmm. Much of this work can be characterized as what I call the process of "becoming more of who you already are." It doesn't really make sense, though, that you can become "more" of what you already are. I would change that last sentence to: Understanding who you already are is the key.
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Sunday, December 20, 2009

Good column by Dick Cavett: the downside of fame and fortune

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/18/almost-nothing-about-tiger-woods/?em

I've been blessed in this life to have neither fame nor fortune. There are many hardships inherent with both. In order to deal intelligently with either, a person must first have acquired wisdom--and you don't see much of that in today's world.
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Saturday, December 19, 2009

Good video of Lieberman as sock puppet

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/18/sock-puppet-lieberman-dem_n_397463.html

I'd love to just plain SOCK him! What a Class-A JERK! He reminds me of Droopy Dog from the Bugs Bunny cartoon shows.
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Autism rates jump 57% in just 4 years -- WHAT is GOING ON?

This is an incredible increase! Yet investigative efforts and sufficient government funds to discover its cause are not forthcoming (though we can always find more money for war and for bailing out banks). Many suspect the multi-vaccinations babies are now subject to, often 6 or 7 at one time(!) are responsible. Numerous parents have reported that autistic behavior appeared shortly after their child received these inoculations. There may be a genetic factor involved that causes some children to be susceptible in this way. But how will we ever find out if this is true? Do you really think that Big Pharma, the A.M.A. and F.D.A. are going to admit such a thing and risk suits by parents whose children were adversely affected by the vaccinations? Information like this would be immediately swept under the rug--just like the information about the terrible, deadly effects of depleted uranium (used in our weaponry in war) on our soldiers, their families, and on the Iraqi people. Whenever anyone brings it up, the Pentagon shoves it deeper into a black hole. You can read about depleted uranium effects at: http://mssparky.com/2008/12/depleted-uranium-weapons-kill-us-soldiers-in-iraq/
http://www.google.com/search?q=Depleted++uranium+birth&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
and about the autism increase at:

http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/news/20091218/autism-jumps-57percent-in-just-4-years

EXCERPT:
"Two decades ago we were looking at a prevalence of one in 5,000 children. Now we're looking at one in 100. That really is a staggering increase," Geraldine Dawson, PhD, chief science officer of advocacy group Autism Speaks, tells WebMD.

Dawson said the new numbers justify a huge increase in federal spending on research and treatment.

"The question is what will it take for the federal government to begin to respond to this crisis," Dawson says. "President Obama during the election campaign made a promise that there would be a billion dollars spent every year on finding the causes of autism. We feel that this kind of data coming from a CDC study really requires that level of response."

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Thursday, December 17, 2009

THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS

I think Alan Grayson from Florida might be the only Congressional representative happy to introduce this legislation. I'm going to send it to him via e-mail and also to Dennis Kucinich. We need to get rid of the rest of the sleazeballs who are bought and sold by corporate lobbyists--and work only for their own interest. First one to go? I propose Joe Lieberman!
THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS  Although this sounds good, I doubt we can find anyone to introduce this to Congress and try to get it passed. It hits too close to home.  A friend sent this along to me. I can't think of a reason to disagree.  I am sending this to my e-mail list and that includes conservatives, liberals, and everybody in between.  Even though we disagree on a number of issues, I count all of you as friends.  My friend and neighbor wants to promote a "Congressional Reform Act of 2010."  It would contain eight provisions, all of which would probably be strongly endorsed by those who drafted the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.  I know many of you will say, "this is impossible."   Let me remind you, Congress has the lowest approval of any entity in Government.  Now is the time when Americans can join together to reform Congress--the entity that "represents" us.  We need to get a Senator to introduce this bill in the U.S. Senate and a Representative to introduce a similar bill in the U.S. House.  These people will become American heroes.  Thanks,  A Fellow American  **********************************   Congressional Reform Act of 2010   1. Term Limits: 12 years only, one of the possible options below. A. Two Six year Senate terms B. Six Two year House terms C. One Six year Senate term and three two year House terms  Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career.  The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.   2.  No Tenure / No Pension: A congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.  Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career.  The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.   3.  Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security: All funds in the Congressional retirement fund moves to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, Congress participates with the American people.  Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career.  The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, server your term(s), then go home and back to work.   4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan just as all Americans.  Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career.  The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.   5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise.  Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.  Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career.  The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.   6. Congress looses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.  Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career.  The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.   7. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.  Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career.  The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.   8. All contracts with past and present congressmen are void effective January 1, 2011. The American people did not make this contract with congressmen; congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.  Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career.  The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.  If you agree with the above, pass it on to all in your address list. If not, just delete.      
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Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Read This for Flu Protection!

http://www.drdavidwilliams.com/legacy/order/1009_do_not_get_shot_dtslp.aspx?panelcode=be001799&listcode=173718&utm_campaign=swine_flu_report&utm_source=buyers_non-buyers_ctrl&utm_medium=email-loy&utm_content=sf_walt_173718

In today's San Jose Mercury, there is an article: Major recall of swine flu shots for children... See: http://www.mercurynews.com/search/ci_14000749?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com 800,000 swine flus shots are being recalled, ostensibly because the doses aren't powerful enough. 900 kids in San Jose received these shots, but the CDC is assuring the public "the kids are safe...no worries."

I don't know about you, but I'd rather believe Dr. Williams than the FDA and CDC, who have been known to lie to us before. Dr. Williams has a much better track record in speaking truth and giving good information for our health.
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Droopy Dog Lieberman: Eternal Hypocrite

Joe Lieberman and the Health Care Train Wreck
By William Rivers Pitt

When last we heard from Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, he was throwing sand into the gears of the Democratic push for health care reform by declaring he would filibuster any legislation containing the so-called public option. "I feel so strongly about the creation of another government health insurance entitlement," said the senator back in November. "The government going into the health insurance business - I think it's such a mistake that I would use the power I have as a single senator to stop a final vote."

This pronouncement came at the same time as word got out that Lieberman was also planning to actively campaign for GOP candidates during the 2010 midterms, further undercutting his erstwhile party's hold on the majority in Congress."There's a hard core of partisan, passionate, hardcore Republicans," he said at the time. "There's a hard core of partisan Democrats on the other side. And in between is the larger group, which is people who really want to see the right thing done, or want something good done for this country and them - and that means, sometimes, the better choice is somebody who's not a Democrat."

For some reason, these twin insults did not motivate the Democratic Congressional leadership to expunge this hypocritical cretin from their ranks. Lieberman kept his committee chairmanship and was not even mildly censured by his colleagues. One month later, the decision to ignore his brazen disregard for his colleagues has come back to bite us all, for Mr. Lieberman has once again elbowed his way into the center of the health reform debate, and with a vengeance. "Mr. Lieberman threatened on national television to join the Republicans in blocking the health care bill, President Obama's chief domestic initiative," reported The New York Times on Tuesday. "Within hours, he was in a meeting at the Capitol with top White House officials. And on Monday night, Democratic senators emerged from a tense 90-minute closed-door session and suggested that they were on the verge of bowing to Mr. Lieberman's main demands: that they scrap a plan to let people buy into Medicare beginning at age 55, and scotch even a fallback version of a new government-run health insurance plan, or public option."

This turn of events is sickening and appalling on a couple of different levels.

First, of course, is the shameless reality that is Mr. Lieberman himself. During his 2004 presidential run, and again during his 2006 Senate campaign, Lieberman actively supported the public option's inclusion in any health care reform, and specifically supported the expansion of Medicare. As late as this past September, Lieberman continued to support such an expansion, as reported by The Connecticut Post. "As to how 47 million uninsured will afford coverage," said The Post, "Lieberman said only 12 million don't have insurance because they cannot afford it. By allowing citizens who are not eligible for Medicare or Medicaid to buy in for a rate below the private market, the government can extend coverage to more of those who are currently uninsured, he said."

That was then, and this is now. In one of the most astounding examples of political flip-floppery, Lieberman opened this week by declaring himself dead-set against the very health care reform policies he once championed, and once again announced his intention to don a Republican cloak and tear up the Democrats' legislative efforts. Again.

Why? One would have to be deep into a severe state of personal denial to believe Lieberman has legitimate concerns about the impending health care legislation, given the fact that he very recently supported the exact provisions he now wants removed or destroyed. The only sensible explanation would seem to be that Lieberman is actively needling the Democratic leadership, and has become such an obnoxious obstructionist only to keep his name in the news. Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo explains the situation, and what it means going forward:

The key issue senate Democrats now have in dealing with Joe Lieberman isn't his position on the Medicare Buy-In. They need to confront the problem that Lieberman isn't negotiating in good faith. No surprise that Republicans are giddy with what a problem he's creating for Harry Reid & Co. But in my conversations with them, it's as clear to them as it is to anyone else that he's now basically mocking his Democratic colleagues by moving the goal posts every time a new agreement is struck.

This puts the Democrats in an extremely difficult, politically untenable position. Yes, they need 60 votes. But they're not going to be able to hang on to Lieberman's vote long enough to get the bill passed. That now seems unquestionably clear. People who say that the Dems should just move to reconciliation don't necessarily realize the difficulties involved - either procedurally or politically, in terms of losing even more Democratic votes. Personally, I'd like to see them try it. But I don't know if it's possible.

Until a couple days ago I was close to certain a health care bill would pass. I still feel relatively confident one will simply because the Dems just don't have any choice but to pass one. Once it is passed, if it is, it's definitely time for the Democratic caucus to strip Lieberman of all the benefits he receives as a member of the Democratic caucus. But that doesn't accomplish anything at the moment. The only path I can see for the Dems is that they need to try to put 60 votes together with Sen. Snowe. Yes, that sounds crazy to me too. But I think she actually has a set of policy priorities that could be met. I don't think that's true with Lieberman. So further negotiating just means more game-playing.

The solution to all this, one would think, would be for the Democratic leadership in Congress to wrap Lieberman in bright red wrapping paper, slap on a bow, and ship him across the aisle to his ideological compatriots in the GOP as an early Christmas present. Strip him of his leadership position, show him the door, and publicly denounce him as nothing more than a stinking chunk of cholesterol clogging up the arteries of progress.

But no. Of course that isn't going to happen. Instead, Democrats appear poised to once again knuckle under to this fraud and further denude what has already become a half-a-loaf bill. According to several sources, Rahm Emmanuel and the White House are actively pressuring the Democratic leadership in Congress to give Lieberman whatever he wants in order to pass some form of health reform legislation, no matter how ragged, damaging and useless the final product may turn out to be.

The Senate won't vote on health care reform until next week, and the process has changed course two dozen times already, so the outcome of this latest idiot eruption is far from certain, but the writing does appear to be on the wall this time around. Joe Lieberman doesn't give a tinker's damn about the people he represents, the party that coddles him, his own positions on key issues or anything else beyond getting his mug in front of television cameras in the guise of someone who actually matters. The Obama administration is once again moonwalking away from doing the right thing on this issue, and the jellyfish pond that is Congress appears poised to do what jellyfish do: float, flop, flounder and drift with the scum in this rising tide.

In short, this whole thing is about to become a train wreck of galactic proportions. Stay tuned.
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Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Menopause, as brought to you by Big Pharma

The drug companies have made untold billions (maybe trillions!) on these drugs made from horse urine that caused cancer in women...how much do YOU trust Big Pharma and the A.M.A.? Now they're drugging millions of children with psychiatric drugs. See article at: http://www.truthout.org/1213091 This question bears repeating: How much do YOU trust Big Pharma and the A.M.A.?

Read all about it at: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/13/business/13drug.html?em
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Monday, December 14, 2009

U.S. Kids are a goldmine for Big Pharma

The drugs kids are put on these days are outrageous and criminal! All
most of them need is a good diet. Read article at:
http://www.truthout.org/1213091

EXCERPT: Prescriptions for psychiatric drugs increased 50 percent with
children in the US, and 73 percent among adults, from 1996 to 2006,
according to a study in the May/June 2009 issue of the journal Health
Affairs. Another study in the same issue of Health Affairs found
spending for mental health care grew more than 30 percent over the same
ten-year period, with almost all of the increase due to psychiatric drug
costs.

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Will We Learn from the Past? No, I didn't think so...

By Susie Madrak

Paul Krugman today gives an impassioned refresher on how deregulation of the banking industry led to the Great Depression and notes the Republicans' complete denial of the need for present-day regulation.

From Krugman's column:
Given this history, you might have expected the emergence of a national consensus in favor of restoring more-effective financial regulation, so as to avoid a repeat performance. But you would have been wrong.

Talk to conservatives about the financial crisis and you enter an alternative, bizarro universe in which government bureaucrats, not greedy bankers, caused the meltdown. It’s a universe in which government-sponsored lending agencies triggered the crisis, even though private lenders actually made the vast majority of subprime loans. It’s a universe in which regulators coerced bankers into making loans to unqualified borrowers, even though only one of the top 25 subprime lenders was subject to the regulations in question.

Oh, and conservatives simply ignore the catastrophe in commercial real estate: in their universe the only bad loans were those made to poor people and members of minority groups, because bad loans to developers of shopping malls and office towers don’t fit the narrative.

In part, the prevalence of this narrative reflects the principle enunciated by Upton Sinclair: “It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it.” As Democrats have pointed out, three days before the House vote on banking reform, Republican leaders met with more than 100 financial-industry lobbyists to coordinate strategies. But it also reflects the extent to which the modern Republican Party is committed to a bankrupt ideology, one that won’t let it face up to the reality of what happened to the U.S. economy.

So it’s up to the Democrats — and more specifically, since the House has passed its bill, it’s up to “centrist” Democrats in the Senate. Are they willing to learn something from the disaster that has overtaken the U.S. economy, and get behind financial reform?

Let’s hope so. For one thing is clear: if politicians refuse to learn from the history of the recent financial crisis, they will condemn all of us to repeat it.

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Hoping to win second Nobel Peace prize, Obama invades Iran (satire)

This is satire, but in our crazy insane upside-down backwards world, it could pass for "truthiness."

By Andy Borowitz

WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report) - President Barack Obama said today that in an effort to clinch a second Nobel Peace Prize he was ordering an invasion of Iran.

Announcing the invasion in a televised address, the president told the nation, "Now comes the hard part: writing my acceptance speech."

Mr. Obama said that if his quest for a second Nobel is successful, he would bomb North Korea.

"I have just one word for you," he said. "Three-peat."

Elsewhere, singing sensation Susan Boyle stunned the world by revealing that she had a steamy affair with Tiger Woods.

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Saturday, December 12, 2009

Youtube has complete Jesse Ventura program on 9/11

You can see Jesse Ventura's investigative program (presented on TruTV) in full at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tkio6TF0Ufg Ventura interviews witnesses, obtains new (previously hidden) information, and is determined in his pursuit of the truth about 9/11. His investigation advances evidence that the government is covering up what really happened on that day and who is really responsible for it. Whether or not you have previously questioned what was reported to us by the government, I think you will want to watch this just to give yourself more information.

The first person Ventura interviews is Donna Marsh O'Connor, a neighbor of my niece who lives in a suburb of Syracuse, NY. Donna's daughter died in the 9/11 disaster, and she has never believed the "official" story as put forth by the 9/11 "investigative" Commission--with good reason, as you'll see when Ventura presents government-withheld information to us. As Ventura shows through his own investigation, including eye witnesses, architects, and scientists who dispute the official story, the government is trying to keep hidden from the public MUCH credible information that would point to their involvement. I have been suspicious of the government's stories almost from Day 1, wondering why our military planes did not take off on that fateful day, until it was too late to stop most of the attack planes from their apparent missions. And how was Building #7 taken down in late afternoon of 9/11 -- and why? Who had wired it with explosives?, which takes days and weeks to position when buildings are going to be taken down with demolitions (which Building #7 certainly was).

When all the Ground Zero debris was taken away and sent immediately to China and used in building ships, etc. my curiosity took another leap skyward -- why wasn't the debris (or at least some of it) being preserved for later investigation? A crime scene of this magnitude certainly deserved that! But no...our government didn't seem to deem it important enough to keep the debris. And they didn't want some of the witness testimony to make its way to the public, so anyone whose eyewitness account in any way disputed the government's story was interviewed and secluded behind closed doors -- and somehow their testimony never made it into the official report by the 9/11 Commission. Sound familiar? It should. It's exactly what happened in the "official" reports on the JFK, RFK, and MLK assassinations.

It is incumbent on us, as citizens of our nation, to question things that don't ring true, no matter who in authority is telling us to "believe what we are telling you." That old Groucho Marx remark applies in every instance: "Who do you believe? Me or your lying eyes?" When credentialed scientists and architects and credible eye witnesses tell us, in emphatic terms, that what we have been told by the government is NOT true, that is our cue to open our minds and read/watch anything they present--and make up our own minds, based on how they present themselves and their testimony -- and our own intuition as to their truthfulness. It behooves us to investigate further if we have doubts in comparing their information against what we have been told by the government.

"Behind the ostensible government sits enthroned an invisible government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to the people. To destroy this invisible government, to befoul the unholy alliance between corrupt business and corrupt politics is the first task of the statesmanship of today." --Teddy Roosevelt
Keep an open mind. Anyone who has been so conditioned to believe they have all the answers, all the truth, automatically shuts out an untold number of insights, opportunities and revelations that would normally flow into their thinking. As Gandhi said, "It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom."
--Louis LaGrand, author "Love Lives On"

After having thus successively taken each member of the community in its powerful grasp and fashioned him at will, the supreme power then extends its arm over the whole community. It covers the surface of society with a network of small, complicated rules, minute and uniform, through which the most original minds and the most energetic characters cannot penetrate, to rise above the crowd. The will of man is not shattered, but softened, bent, and guided; men seldom forced by it to act, but they are constantly restrained from acting. Such a power does not destroy, but it prevents existence; it does not tyrannize, but it compresses, enervates, extinguishes, and stupefies a people, till each nation is reduced to nothing better than a flock of timid and industrious animals, of which the government is the shepherd.
~~ Alexis de Tocqueville

"The right to search for truth implies also a duty: one must not conceal any part of what one has recognized to be true."  -- Albert Einstein


 

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Huffington Post article--How Homeopathic Medicines Work

This interesting article about homeopathy appears in today's Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dana-ullman/how-homeopathic-medicines_b_389146.html Homeopathic medicines are potent and curative, but many doctors and scientists dismiss them out of hand--including the A.M.A., which is responsible for sidelining and finally dismissing entirely the homeopathic branch of medicine. Instead of relying on natural substances like homeopathic remedies or herbs, the A.M.A. decided to promote and cast their lot with the more lucrative Big Pharma chemical drugs, surgery, and radiation. We are living with the results of that decision in today's world. The Hippocratic Oath, which contains the words "First, do no harm," has been forgotten, and many beneficial (but inexpensive, non-producing of big revenues) remedies have been shoved aside. Homeopathic remedies work, as proven by results recorded for well over a hundred years. As quoted in the article, noted British physicist Brian Josephson says, "Many scientists today suffer from "pathological disbelief"; that is, they maintain an unscientific attitude that is embodied by the statement 'even if it were true I wouldn't believe it.' Sadly, such scientists are simply showing evidence of an unscientific attitude."

This reminds me of some quotes I have long admired:


The most fatal illusion is the settled point of view. Since life is growth and motion, a fixed point of view kills (figuratively speaking) anybody who has one.

-- Brooks Atkinson, 1894-1984, American theater critic.

There is a principle which is proof against all information, which is proof against all arguments, which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance; that principle is contempt, prior to investigation. --Herbert Spencer  I was raised in a tradition of inquiry. If you encounter something that doesn't fit your worldview, it's more intellectually honest to say, 'maybe there's something wrong with this worldview,' than to try to shoehorn your findings into an existing belief.  Sadly, that is quite a different belief system from most scientists these days. --Dr. John Mack, Harvard Medical School  
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Merry Christmas! Kids of all ages will like this one


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Friday, December 11, 2009

DISGUSTING Congressional tactics

When Big Pharma says "JUMP," our so-called Congressional "representatives" jump. In order to finally and absolutely kill the poor excuse for a health care bill (in its journey through Congress it's deteriorated in so many ways!), Big Pharma now has its Congressional minions (who receive huge $$$ from Big Pharma and the insurance companies) proposing importation of drugs from Canada, a move that their lobbyists opposed with all their might...up until now. They waited to see if a health care bill could actually make it through Congress, and are fearful one will pass (such as it would be, so watered down, it's practically useless). They figure it's cheaper in the long run for them to make this end run around the health care change advocates than to let ANY bill pass that might in some way cause them to lose their utter and complete control over the health care system down the line. The machinations and manipulations by those who wield the money power over us all is DISGUSTING and IMMORAL. These heartless and soulless corporate servants have sold their souls for a mess of pottage--and somewhere down the road they will have to pay for their transgressions against their fellow men and women. Empathy and compassion are missing in these greedy powermongers who now only think of enriching themselves at the cost of others. After their ne'er-do-well lives, do they think they can take their money and power with them? Life is very short for the citizens of this planet, less than 80 years for most of us. In the next dimension, those who think they are on top in our world today will pay a Big price for their cruelty and greed. Read the latest in their manipulative power control at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/11/pharma-deal-shuts-down-se_n_388895.html
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Believe it or not -- more right-wing craziness

In their paranoid minds, right-wing fundamentalist Christians have decided that the "nasty liberals" are trying to take away the traditions of their religion, which is ridiculous. Through listening to the propaganda of nut cases like Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly, the fundamentalists have convinced themselves that the liberals want "holiday" trees instead (as an aside: how many people do you know who refer to their Christmas tree as anything other than "Christmas tree"?) -- so, in order to preserve and protect their Christmas traditions, they're now going to have crosses built into artificial trees and sell them as CHRIST-mas trees....only $599.00! More proof that insanity reigns in our world. I like Bill Berkowitz's suggestion for improving the idea (see last sentence in article below).

No Pagan Trees for Christmas Warriors

by Bill Berkowitz

Even though Tiger Woods’ indiscretions, the ins and outs of health care reform, the climate change confab in Copenhagen, and Uganda’s anti-homosexual death panels are all topics for discussion these days, nothing tops the War on Christmas for some conservative Christian evangelical groups.

Here’s how Martha Boggs, the founder of Boss Creations, describes the sorry situation Christians have been facing during the first decade of the twenty-first century, and how she decided to combat it:

“We have figured a way to enhance the tradition of decorating a tree for Jesus at Christmas by adding a cross that acts as a reminder of Him. By changing our tree to include a cross, we are making a statement that we want to keep our Christmas holiday! Our new tree and decorations ideas will not only help to enhance our celebration of the Christmas holiday but will help to enlighten those who may decorate for Christmas but may not be ‘Christians.’"

And there you have it. The CHRIST-mas Tree. At the family-friendly price of $599.00.

Two longtime conservative Christian evangelical legal outfits engaged in the War on Christmas — Liberty Counsel and ACLJ (American Center for Law and Justice) — are two of the four other sites Boss Creations recommends. A portion of the proceeds of all "CHRIST-mas" Tree sales will go to support the American Center of Law & Justice, an organization recently hailed byBusinessWeek as "the leading advocacy group for religious freedom," as well as to the Liberty Counsel, a nonprofit litigation, education and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of human life and the traditional family.

Boss Creations would probably prefer you not think about how many toys you could contribute to Toys for Tots, how many meals you could provide at a church-sponsored soup kitchen, or how many bags of groceries you could donate to a Food Bank, for $599.00.

But my friends, allow me to ask this: Is a cross built into a phony tree really enough of a statement during a war? Shouldn’t there be something more? Something more authentic? Are the secularists winning when you settle for a cross in a tree?

Let me suggest something before Martha Boggs comes up with it.

How about attaching a person to the cross in the tree as a live ornament? That person need not be nailed to the cross; a little Velcro and a platform would make one’s stay not too unbearable. In fact it could become part of your holiday, er, Christmas tradition.
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Thursday, December 10, 2009

More Insanity from the Right Wing

EXCERPT: Dick Cheney belongs in a prison cell, not in a conversation about the presidency of the United States. That we actually have people floating his name in the first place reveals just how dark some of the corners of our politics really are. Worse, these are the people whose ideals and ideology were the dominant force in government for most of this decade, so dismissing them out of hand is a truly dangerous error in judgment. AMEN!

CHENEY FOR PRESIDENT?

By William Rogers Pitt

A Washington-based lawyer and former political director for the Log Cabin Republicans named Christopher Barron filed papers last week to launch a group called "Draft Cheney 2012." The group now has a web site where you can sign on to try and convince the former vice president to jump into the presidential fray next time around. "We hope," reads the banner on the site, "that you will join our effort to convince former Vice President Richard Cheney to run for president of the United States in 2012. No other Republican leader has the stature or experience of Dick Cheney. He alone can lead the Republican coalition to victory in 2012!" There's also another site, possibly a joke, touting a Palin/Cheney ticket in 2012.

Sure. Why not? After the madness and stupidity of the last ten years, having the political version of Gilligan and the Skipper share a ticket for the highest office in the land makes a demented kind of sense. After all, once you've hit the bottom of the barrel, you might as well stay and enjoy the view.

Mr. Barron appears deadly serious about drafting Cheney to run in '12, despite the fact that the former VP and his four heart attacks publicly stated he will not run. "We know that Dick Cheney doesn't want to run for president," said Barron in a recent interview. "This is about convincing the former vice president that we need him to run. And I think there is only one man who is capable of bringing the entire Republican coalition together and speaking with clarity about the values that have made our party great. And that is Vice President Cheney."

Barron is not alone in his opinion, Bill Kristol, writing some months back on his Weekly Standard blog, likewise saluted the as-yet-nonexistent Cheney 2012 banner, but with a twist. "Of course," wrote Kristol, "everyone's first choice for president in 2012 is Dick Cheney. But Liz Cheney's boffo performance yesterday in the lefties' den, MSNBC, defending sensible interrogation policies in the war on terror, surely puts her in contention for the runner-up position."

Of course.

A recent Newsweek article by author Jon Meacham further fleshed out the Cheney-should-run argument. "Why?" wrote Meacham. "Because Cheney is a man of conviction, has a record on which he can be judged, and whatever the result, there could be no ambiguity about the will of the people. The best way to settle arguments is by having what we used to call full and frank exchanges about the issues, and then voting. A contest between Dick Cheney and Barack Obama would offer us a bracing referendum on competing visions. One of the problems with governance since the election of Bill Clinton has been the resolute refusal of the opposition party (the GOP from 1993 to 2001, the Democrats from 2001 to 2009, and now the GOP again in the Obama years) to concede that the president, by virtue of his victory, has a mandate to take the country in a given direction. A Cheney victory would mean that America preferred a vigorous unilateralism to President Obama's unapologetic multilateralism, and vice versa."

This is quite a country we live in, isn't it? The Republican Party, once the dominant force on the political landscape, has caved in upon itself so completely that people in that party actually think this is a good idea. The unofficial front-runners for the GOP nomination in 2012 include former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who would seem to be a sane choice, save for the fact that his adherence to the Mormon faith puts him at odds with the all-powerful-in-the-primaries GOP base, which considers Mormonism to be a satanic cult. There is former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, whose prisoner-pardon policies have made him into a one-man crime spree that includes rape and the murder of four Seattle police officers. There is former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who is just slightly less qualified for the job than a sack of hair.

And now, thanks to a few fringe voices, there is Dick Cheney. The former VP is, of course, the most famous living Republican aside from George W. Bush. For eight years, he ran the Bush administration on the sneak, unleashing a campaign of fear, warfare and wild spending that has caused the very viability of this American experiment to teeter on the brink of collapse. This was the man who claimed the office of the vice president was not part of the Executive Branch because he did not want to obey the law and hand his official papers over to the National Archive. This was the man who tore the country and a fair portion of the planet apart with statements like these:

"Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction." - 8/26/2002

"Iraq could decide on any given day to provide biological or chemical weapons to a terrorist group or to individual terrorists ... The war on terror will not be won until Iraq is completely and verifiably deprived of weapons of mass destruction." - 12/1/2002

"Let's talk about the nuclear proposition for a minute. We know that based on intelligence, that has been very, very good at hiding these kinds of efforts. He's had years to get good at it and we know he has been absolutely devoted to trying to acquire nuclear weapons. And we believe he has, in fact, reconstituted nuclear weapons." - 3/16/2003

"There are a lot of lessons we want to learn out of this process in terms of what works. I think we are in fact on our way to getting on top of the whole Katrina exercise." - 9/10/2005

It is tempting to laugh this off along with the idea that Huckabee or Palin could actually be considered viable candidates in 2012, except it isn't funny. Dick Cheney belongs in a prison cell, not in a conversation about the presidency of the United States. That we actually have people floating his name in the first place reveals just how dark some of the corners of our politics really are. Worse, these are the people whose ideals and ideology were the dominant force in government for most of this decade, so dismissing them out of hand is a truly dangerous error in judgment.

Indeed, quite a country we live in.
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Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Does Death Exist? You might be surprised at the answer

To all my dear friends:

Here's an article re. quantum physics appearing in the Huffington Post today. You may find it interesting. Some of the Readers' Comments are good, too.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-lanza/does-death-exist-new-theo_b_384515.html

Through many years of studying, reading, and searching, I have come to the same conclusion as the author of the article. This understanding is ancient, not new. As one of the readers commented (following the article), Science is just catching up. As quoted in the article, Einstein appeared to know this at a deeper level than just the mental. If you are interested in learning more, you can hear my good friend John Wheeler speaking about this, plainly and simply, in an online audio interview at:

http://beingisknowing.blogspot.com/

This is the web site of a man, Charlie Hayes, who struggled and suffered for many years in his life -- until he heard the simple pointers from John, who in turn had had his questions answered by a man in Australia, who in turn had learned the clear teachings from a man in India. I'm grateful to John for sharing so clearly what he has learned. The truth of our being, beyond birth and death, is indisputable. Understanding these simple truths, as pointed to by John in the audio interview, brings complete freedom from suffering. Charlie in turn wants to share this understanding with others, so he conducted phone interviews with John and has posted them on his web site.

There is no better gift that could be given from one person to another than these simple truths that take away fear and doubt. It's not difficult to know your true nature, and doesn't take years of spiritual seeking and following others. That old saying, "The truth will set you free" is exactly right. In truth, there are no teachers or students--only clear understanding being passed from friend to friend. All you need is curiosity and an open, earnest heart. The pointers you will hear in the interview are ancient truths that bypass the musings of the mind and speak directly to one's real being. If you choose to listen to these audios and you feel like commenting, I'd welcome hearing from you. Please start with Link #1 and then progress through the others on
http://beingisknowing.blogspot.com/ in order, as recommended on the site. I am not trying to "convert" anyone -- just want to share some valuable information with those who may have an interest in the subject of "Who am I...really?" Since science, too, is now directly pointing us to this question, it may be time on our planet for us to learn and grow...and, based on truth, to change some of our ways. Looking at the way things are going in our world lately, you just might agree.



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Tuesday, December 08, 2009

Family Values Republicans -- hypocrisy rears its ugly head--again!

MO Republican chokes woman--tells her she should have used "safe word" to stop him
Read on to learn the "safe word"
By Logan Murphy
Crooksandliars.com


Oh those family values Republicans: (You couldn't make this up if you tried for a hundred years!)

The Scott County court clerk confirms a felony complaint has been filed against former Missouri House Speaker Rod Jetton for an incident that allegedly took place Nov. 15 in Sikeston, Mo.

The complaint alleges Jetton "recklessly caused serious physical injury to ------- by hitting her on the head, and choking her resulting in unconsciousness and the loss of the function of part of her body."

UPDATE, 3:50: The affidavit attached to the probable cause statement alleges Jetton went to the home of the victim Nov. 15, where he and the victim drank wine and watched a football game. The victim claims Jetton hit her on the face and choked her, leaving bruises that the police department photographed.

The affidavit claims the assault occurred during the night and into the morning of Nov. 16. It says Jetton and the victim agreed on a "safe word" "to use as a stop word during intercourse."

The safe word was allegedly "green balloons." The next day, Jetton allegedly told the victim: "You should have said green balloons." Read on...

Brutal. Jetton is the former Missouri House Speaker, but his biggest claim to fame was working as a political adviser to Mitt Romney during his failed presidential campaign in 2008. Known as "jedijetton" on Twitter, Rod tweets about attending CPAC -- and on www.crooksandliars.com, there is a photo of him with everybody's favorite conservative battle axe, Phyillis Schlafly.

The finishing touches to this story:

Rod Jetton is married with three children and attends Methodist church regularly. He is affiliated with the Republican Party. He is a Real American, the end.

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The Amazing Cucumber

This is great info. about cucumbers. Who Knew it is such a valuable veggie?? And I've just been putting them in salads all these years. Wow!

The Amazing Cucumber

This information was inThe New York Times several weeks ago as part of their "Spotlight on theHome" series that highlighted creative and fanciful ways to solve common problems.

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you
need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3,
Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium,
Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a
cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates
that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging
up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along
the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like
fragrance.

4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a
few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season
long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give
off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and
make them flee the area.

5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or
to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area
for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in
your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of
cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!

6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eata few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshedand headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytesto replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!

7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking
binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by
European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off
starvation.

8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't
have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over
the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks
great but also repels water.

9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber
slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

10. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients
from the cucumber will react with the boiling water and be released in the steam,
creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new
mothers and college students during final exams.

11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or
mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the
roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath,
the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad
breath
.

12. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or
stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to
clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but it
won't leave streaks and won't harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.

13. Using a pen and made a mistake?
Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase
the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have
used to decorate the walls!!

Pass this along to everybody you know who is
looking for better and safer ways to solve life's everyday problems..


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Monday, December 07, 2009

Who really runs the presidency?

The following e-mail just sent to me by a friend can explain a lot about why Obama is following the dictates of the Pentagon/CIA in regard to Afghanistan. If a president strays too far from the edicts set down by the real commanders-in-chief, bad things can happen to him--and to his family. When Kennedy was deciding to exit Vietnam, against the "counsel" (read: commands) of his Pentagon advisors, the plan to eliminate him was set in motion. To have Nixon assassinated so soon after Kennedy might have raised too much suspicion in the masses (although they have been historically deaf, dumb, and blind to what is really going on--and still are), so ruining him in another way was initiated -- and Tricky Dick didn't make that hard to do, with his arrogance, prejudice, and criminal tendencies that were recorded on tape for all to hear. Family of Secrets by Russ Baker is yet another revelatory book, trying to awaken the public to truths that the elite rulers have tried to keep hidden for decades. I have already read many other revelations of this nature regarding the Bush family and their spiderweb entanglements with the "elite" in our world. Astrologically speaking, with Pluto now in Capricorn, more and more of these revelations will be made public, for anyone who is curious enough to want to know what is really going on. The rest will choose to remain in their "dittohead" stupor, listening to the propagandists of both sides (including the major media), whose mission is to keep us hypnotized and in the dark. Curiosity is kept at a low level in the masses, buried under the "entertainment" shoved in our faces from all directions. The societies described in 1984 and Brave New World are present in today's world, but too few notice it. We have been given the "soma" to drink -- and most are happy to chug it down in huge daily doses.

From Brave New World:
"..there is always soma, delicious soma, half a gramme for a half-holiday, a gramme for a week-end, two grammes for a trip to the gorgeous East, three for a dark eternity on the moon...


"Benito was notoriously good-natured. People said of him that he could have got through life without ever touching soma. The malice and bad tempers from which other people had to take holidays never afflicted him. Reality for Benito was always sunny."


"you do look glum! What you need is a gramme of soma."


"Soma was served with the coffee. Lenina took two half-gramme tablets and Henry three."

"the warm, the richly colored, the infinitely friendly world of soma-holiday. How kind, how good-looking, how delightfully amusing every one was! "

There actually is a Big Pharma drug on today's market called Soma. See:

Soma (Carisoprodol) Drug Information: Uses, Side Effects, Drug ...

Learn about the prescription medication Soma (Carisoprodol), drug uses, dosage, side effects, ... It may also relieve pain by calming your nervous system. ...
www.rxlist.com/soma-drug.htm

I REST MY CASE.

HERE IS THE E-MAIL FROM MY FRIEND:
FYI
If you have any interest in understanding what goes on behind the news, the CIA and the presidency, Russ Baker's book sheds light on much that we never guessed about who rules our country.
Russ Baker was interviewed Sat. eve on Coast. This credible man is a very solid reporter who has uncovered a whole secret life behind the Bush family and their family's 20 years as Pres. or VP of the U.S. Especially so with the very active secret life of H W Bush and the hidden powers that control the presidency, as they have for decades. A sketchy, show recap follows and the link to a short interview with Russ Baker about his fascinating, well-researched book: "Family of Secrets".
RECAP:

Date:

12-05-09

Host:

Ian Punnett

Guests:

Russ Baker,

Ian Punnett welcomed award-winning investigative reporter Russ Baker, who discussed the connections between the Bush family and the intelligence community, as well as startling evidence that shed new light on the JFK assassination and Watergate. According to his research, George H.W. Bush's affiliation with the CIA began as far back as 1953, as opposed to Bush's "official" joining of the organization in 1976. Two elements that led him to this conclusion were that Bush was briefed on the JFK assassination by the CIA on the day after Kennedy's murder and he also appeared to be using his oil company to set up "fronts" for the intelligence agency around the world.

However, Baker said, these CIA outlets were merely part of a larger agenda driven by wealthy elites who have designs on shaping the world to their end. Stressing that the Bush family are merely players in this group of power brokers, Baker said, "they're not the guys running the thing. They are just operatives." He dismissed the notion that it is an organized group, suggesting that it is more of a collection of like-minded, powerful people working together to consolidate their power. "It's not this absolute club or anything like that," Baker explained, "you're talking about a mindset." Ultimately, he expressed concern that this coterie continues to exert its power, "I think what we're looking at is a very sensitive and fragile situation that perpetuates to this day."

He suggested that the Watergate scandal was one historic event that this faction, including George H.W. Bush (who was head of the RNC at the time), played a hand in orchestrating. Baker put forth the idea that Richard Nixon, previously put into power by these elites, had begun to move away from their influence. As such, the Watergate event was developed as a means to drive Nixon out of office in a "cleaner" fashion than they had eliminated JFK. According to Baker, this explains why the break-in seemed so poorly done, how the story ended up in the press, and why Nixon was so befuddled by what had happened. "It's almost like a rolling coup d'etat," he observed, "when you're in these permanent bureaucracies, you don't have a lot of use for these elected presidents. They're an annoyance and a problem for you."

There is a short interesting video interview with Russ Baker here:
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Saturday, December 05, 2009

Climate skeptics' underhanded tactics

What else would we expect from right wingers who can't accept change of any kind and so will try to disprove anything that threatens their clenched-fist status quo?

Repeated break-ins point to ‘orchestrated campaign’ by climate skeptics

A series of repeated break-in and computer hacking attempts at a Canadian climate research institute are a sign of a "well-orchestrated campaign of harassment" against climate researchers ahead of the Copenhagen summit, several news sources report.

Employees at the University of Victoria, in British Columbia, have revealed that the school's Centre for Climate Modelling has experienced at least two break-ins in recent months, as well as several attempts at hacking into the center's computer network.

The news comes a week after revelations that computer hackers stole thousands of emails from a climate research center at the University of East Anglia in the UK, some of which purportedly show attempts to cover up data that does not fit with claims about global warming.

Those leaked emails are at the center of a political push-back by climate skeptics, who are arguing that the "Climategate" emails show that global warming is a fraud, or at least has been exaggerated.

Canada's National Post reports:


"Andrew Weaver, a University of Victoria scientist and key contributor to the Nobel prize-winning work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, says there have been a number of attempted breaches in recent months, including two successful break-ins at his campus office in which a dead computer was stolen and papers were rummaged through.

"The key thing is to try to find anybody who's involved in any aspect of the IPCC and find something that you can ... take out of context," Mr. Weaver said, drawing a parallel to the case of British climate researcher Phil Jones, who was forced to step down this week after skeptics seized upon hacked emails they allege point to a plot to exaggerate the threat of climate change.

"People don't like it, so they try to discredit it, and the way they try to discredit it is by attacking the individual responsible for it," Mr. Weaver said.

"They went through my desk drawers," Weaver told the Victoria Times-Colonist. "It was bizarre and the only computer that wasn't secured was stolen. It wasn't secured because it was broken. There was nothing on it ... They were trying to find any dirt they could, as they have done in the UK."

The Post reports that Canada's federal government is investigating some of the hacking attempts, as the university's climate research center is run by Environment Canada, the country's environmental protection agency.

In recent days, many US politicians opposed to a climate deal in Copenhagen have used the University of East Anglia email controversy to push for a US withdrawal from the climate negotiations. US House Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) said the leaked emails showed that efforts to prevent climate change amount to "scientific fascism."

On Thursday evening, former Alaska governor Sarah Palin urged President Barack Obama to boycott the Copnehagen summit next week, because she believes the leaked emails prove that fears of climate change are based on "junk science."

The Times-Colonist reports:

Weaver worries that climate-change deniers, many funded by large oil companies, are succeeding in scaring or confusing people.

It comes down to a battle between science and ideology, he said. While science is about explaining all observations, ideology is about using only those observations that support a preconceived notion, he added.

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Friday, December 04, 2009

A GREAT IDEA! A HEALTH REFORM TRIGGER WE CAN ALL GET BEHIND!

A TRIGGER WE CAN BELIEVE IN
By Scott Galindez

Olympia Snowe wants a trigger. It sounds like the blue dogs want a trigger. Let's give them a trigger we can all believe in.

How about if the insurance companies cannot cover everyone by a date certain, we blow up the whole health care reform process and make everyone eligible for Medicare? We won't have to argue over opt-ins or opt-outs. We won't have to argue over who's eligible for a public option. Let's let everyone in.

It won't take very long, nobody will need to enroll; just take your Social Security card to the Doctor and the bill will be paid.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield can move into a new market. They can start insuring complicated bank transactions like derivatives. It might even be a good thing, A bank that has pre-existing bad investments would be denied coverage.

Seems we were willing to compromise and accept a public option; they didn't accept the compromise, so let's up the ante.

OK, it won't happen, just a thought I had. So let's get back to reality.

With "Traiter Joe" (Lieberman, I-Connecticut) and a few blue dog Democrats throwing a tantrum and refusing to vote to end a filibuster if the public option is still in the bill, Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nevada) is faced with a dilemma. He either needs to come up with a public option that is weak enough to get "Traiter Joe" and the blue dogs to agree to allow it to come to a floor vote in the Senate, or add a trigger. Both are terrible options, but they may be the only options left.

There is a misconception out there that after conference with the House, there is not a need for 60 votes in the Senate. While it is true that the conference report will not be open to amendments or debate, there will likely still be a cloture motion prior to a vote on the conference report. The need to get over that 60-vote hurdle means the final public option will likely be whatever comes out of the Senate debate that is underway.

So here is what I think could save the day. Give them the trigger or the new proposal being hashed out that Sen. Tom Carper (D-Delaware) is calling a "trigger with a hammer."

I hear you, this could be a disaster, but I wouldn't stop there. I suggest adding another trigger. The mandate that everyone buys in should also be delayed until there is either a public option or it can be shown that other parts of the bill have been successful in creating plans that everyone can afford.

While this is not ideal, it would at least provide a buffer zone to see if the reforms will succeed at bringing down costs. It would allow future legislation to correct flaws in the bill before people are forced to buy in.

The public debate so far has been over the public option, while under the surface people have been complaining about the mandate. It is time to let the president and Congress know that without a strong public option, or proof that health care costs to the consumer have gone down, there should be no mandate to buy in.

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Thursday, December 03, 2009

Elderly in the "Donut Hole" with pharmaceutical drugs

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/25298

Read the Readers' comments -- I wonder how many of the elderly people mentioned in those comments are having health problems that are brought on by the many medications they are on! One reader commented on psychotic medication that their mother is on (which costs $1600!). The thought that leaped into my mind at that point was "Maybe the other drugs she's on are causing her psychotic problems." When I listen to the "side effects" of drugs being advertised on television ("Ask your doctor if Blah-blah-blah is right for you!"), I wonder why anyone would ever WANT to ask their doctor about a drug that can cause death, heart attacks, blood clots, etc. just so they can have an easier kind of birth control or snoring preventative. Good grief. The world is truly insane. And the "health reform" bill is a disastrous joke, which will not even have a public option once the Congressional jerks have pared the hell out of it, at the dictatorship of the Big Pharma/Insurance lobbyists.
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Did you ever get the feeling you were in a Twilight Zone episode?

There actually was an episode once on Rod Serling's Twilight Zone called The Midnight Sun in which the earth suddenly slipped into a new orbit, taking it closer to the sun. A girl in a NYC apartment was experiencing the terrible heat -- it was so hot the paintings on the wall melted and the girl screamed -- which woke her up from the nightmare she was having into the real scenario.  Actually, the new orbit of the earth was taking it further from the sun -- and everyone was freezing to death.  This comes close to paralleling the roller coaster ride we are being treated to these days by scientific "experts." I have come to the conclusion that no one, including all the "authorities"(political and scientific) in our world, really knows anything for sure.   After years of global warming threats, here's a new article that is being presented to us today in our media:
EARTH COULD SUDDENLY PLUNGE INTO NEW ICE AGE
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34242705/?GT1=43001

And, speaking of roller coaster rides, we women have been given quite a spin by medical "experts" on whether or not mammograms are helpful. I have concluded they are not, especially when you subject yourself to one of these X-rays every year.  Radiation is cumulative in the body -- and we are now being warned that too much of it can actually cause cancer.  So the very thing that was touted as being a cancer preventive turns out to be a potential cause of the disease.  What a ride this has been for us women!  My conclusion: it's best to do our own research and trust our intuition (which we women know is one of our greatest tools).
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Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Obama merges with Bush -- UGH!

SEARCHING IN VAIN FOR THE OBAMA MAGIC
By Gabor Steinhardt

President Barack Obama's Tuesday speech left a bad taste in many mouths.

Never before has a speech by President Barack Obama felt as false as his Tuesday address announcing America's new strategy for Afghanistan. It seemed like a campaign speech combined with Bush rhetoric -- and left both dreamers and realists feeling distraught.

One can hardly blame the West Point leadership. The academy commanders did their best to ensure that Commander-in-Chief Barack Obama's speech would be well-received.

Just minutes before the president took the stage inside Eisenhower Hall, the gathered cadets were asked to respond "enthusiastically" to the speech. But it didn't help: The soldiers' reception was cool.

One didn't have to be a cadet on Tuesday to feel a bit of nausea upon hearing Obama's speech. It was the least truthful address that he has ever held. He spoke of responsibility, but almost every sentence smelled of party tactics. He demanded sacrifice, but he was unable to say what it was for exactly.

An additional 30,000 US soldiers are to march into Afghanistan -- and then they will march right back out again. America is going to war -- and from there it will continue ahead to peace. It was the speech of a Nobel War Prize laureate.

Just in Time for the Campaign

For each troop movement, Obama had a number to match. US strength in Afghanistan will be tripled relative to the Bush years, a fact that is sure to impress hawks in America. But just 18 months later, just in time for Obama's re-election campaign, the horror of war is to end and the draw down will begin. The doves of peace will be let free.

The speech continued in that vein. It was as though Obama had taken one of his old campaign speeches and merged it with a text from the library of ex-President George W. Bush. Extremists kill in the name of Islam, he said, before adding that it is one of the "world's great religions." He promised that responsibility for the country's security would soon be transferred to the government of President Hamid Karzai -- a government which he said was "corrupt." The Taliban is dangerous and growing stronger. But "America will have to show our strength in the way that we end wars," he added.

It was a dizzying combination of surge and withdrawal, of marching to and fro. The fast pace was reminiscent of plays about the French revolution: Troops enter from the right to loud cannon fire and then they exit to the left. And at the end, the dead are left on stage.

Obama's Magic No Longer Works

But in this case, the public was more disturbed than entertained. Indeed, one could see the phenomenon in a number of places in recent weeks: Obama's magic no longer works. The allure of his words has grown weaker.

It is not he himself who has changed, but rather the benchmark used to evaluate him. For a president, the unit of measurement is real life. A leader is seen by citizens through the prism of their lives -- their job, their household budget, where they live and suffer. And, in the case of the war on terror, where they sometimes die.

Political dreams and yearnings for the future belong elsewhere. That was where the political charmer Obama was able to successfully capture the imaginations of millions of voters. It is a place where campaigners -- particularly those with a talent for oration -- are fond of taking refuge. It is also where Obama set up his campaign headquarters, in an enormous tent called "Hope."

In his speech on America's new Afghanistan strategy, Obama tried to speak to both places. It was two speeches in one. That is why it felt so false. Both dreamers and realists were left feeling distraught.

The American president doesn't need any opponents at the moment. He's already got himself.

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