Monday, March 31, 2014
Quote De jour
"The individual is handicapped by coming face to face
with a conspiracy so monstrous he cannot believe it exists. - J. Edgar
Hoover
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Police State In High Gear as Woman Arrested For Late Payment of $5 Dog License—and That's Business as Usual
 |
| Drop That Dog Lady - Your Under Arrest! |
Well, actually, as Holyoke City Clerk Brenna McGee assured me, Musser was actually arrested on an outstanding warrant for failure to appear in court—over the tardy $5 dog license fee. Musser is a little preoccupied these days with ovarian cancer, which may explain why she put an administrative fee on the back burner. But then, it's common practice in Massachusetts to refer people to court after they've ignored or simply missed notices of tickets for even the pettiest of offenses. And since petty offenses have proliferated, including the non-payment of fees for the most mundane activities, court referrals and encounters with the police over...well...bullshit are not uncommon.
Musser "and her husband are also repeated offenders" McGee told me, referring to the dog license issue. Licenses for Fido and Spot are required by the state of Massachusetts and Holyoke, both. McGee assures me that "this is not about the collection of administrative fees. This is a violation of city ordinance." But the two are not mutually exclusive. The city application asks for little more than "$5.00 for spayed female or neutered male (please include proof of altering), or $15.00 for unspayed or unneutered" and identifying information.
The state asks for proof of vaccination for rabies, but the Holyoke application includes no such provision, and nobody alleges that the Musser's 14-year-old family dog, Pumpkin, was rabid or even unvaccinated.
But Brenna McGee reports that there are lots of ways to get referred to the court system.
It has been the practice of this office (M.G.L Chapter 40 section 21d) and other cities to report unpaid tickets to the court system. The process begins in February. Up to three notices are sent to remind dog owners to license their dogs by the deadline. If by June 1st the dog is not licensed a ticket is issued by the City Dog Officer. Tickets are marked very clearly that if no payment is received within 21 days the ticket is then sent to the court.Musser told the Republican that she paid the $5 license fee and $25 late fee, but only after court proceedings had begun. She claims she attempted to appear in court and cooled her heels in a crowded courtroom for three hours, but left after her complaints that seating a woman with a faltering immune system in a crowd might be less than brilliant fell on deaf ears.
Not that it matters. Let's not forget that she was supposed to kill a day in an institutional room because she failed to pay for a permission slip to own a dog. The court then sent armed men to nab her because she chafed at remaining in after-school detention court. The situation would have been ludicrous even if she were perfectly healthy.
"Please also note," McGee told me, "that ALL tickets are sent to the court after 21 days of no payment, not just dog tickets. To name a few: possession of marijuana, loud music, emptying of bulk waste containers before 7am, motorized scooters, animal waste, shopping carts, tag sale permit."
Yes, you can really end up summoned to court, and perhaps arrested for failure to appear, for not paying for a permission slip to have a tag sale.
"I do know that people have been arrested in Holyoke for dog tickets and most recently a few weeks ago in Belchertown," McGee said. "And yes, there have been arrests for unpaid other tickets as well. One just a few weeks ago in Holyoke." She didn't remember what the last arrest was for, other than that it was an ordinance violation.
Speaking of revenue, state laws specify that, once court proceedings have begun over dog licenses, tag sales, and the like, "any fines imposed under the provisions of this section shall enure to the city or town for such use as said city or town may direct." So there just may be a bit of incentive to proliferate those petty, annoying ordinances and send defaulters courtward-bound.
To be clear, Brenna McGee isn't the villain here—just a city clerk kind enough to answer questions. Similar answers would have been forthcoming from most officials in her position in Massachusetts and elsewhere. In a hyper-regulated world, everything becomes a subject for administrative procedures, the begging of permission, and the payment of fees. And hyper-regulated as we are, disorganization or defiance of even the stupidest rules become grounds for encounters with armed men.
I asked McGee whether she and her colleagues ever discussed the appropriateness of the system that ensnared Musser. She declined to respond, though assured me that medical conditions are taken into account when they're known—a bit of mercy from the bureaucratic class, should they choose to grant it.
Ann Musser shouldn't have been exempted from arrest for being sick. She should have been free of fear of arrest for violating intrusive rules that have no business on the books and should certainly never be enforced by armed agents of the state.
The people who put those rules in place, and let the armed agents run loose, are the real villains!
The Economic Crash has Started-Over 5000 Stores Set To Close and Here's The List
Here are 16 companies that have closed stores or will close stores soon:
- Office supply company Staples has announced plans to close 225 stores by 2015, which is about 15 percent of its chain. Staples already closed 40 stores last year. Industry analysts expect Staples’ main competitor, Office Depot, which bought OfficeMax last year, to announce its own round of store closings soon.
- Radio Shack has announced plans to close 20 percent of its stores this year, which is as many as 1,100 stores. The company, which operates around 4,000 stores, reported that its sales fell by 19 percent last year.
- Albertsons closed 26 stores in January and February according to Supermarket News. Analysts expect many more Albertsons could soon be shuttered because Albertsons owner hedge fund Cerberus Capital Management just bought Safeway Inc. Some Safeway stores could soon shut down as well.
- Clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch is planning to close 220 stores by the end of 2015. The company is also planning to shut down an entire chain it owns, Gilly Hicks, which has 20 stores, 24/7 Wall Street reported.
- Barnes & Nobles is planning to shut down one third of its stores in the next year: about 218 stores. The chain has already closed its iconic flagship store in New York City.
- J.C. Penney is closing about 33 stores and laying off about 2,000 employees.
- The Record newspaper in New Jersey reported that Toys R Us has plans to close 100 stores.
- The Sweetbay Supermarket chain will close all 17 of the stores it operates in the Tampa Bay area, The Herald Tribune newspaper reported. Many of the stores might open as Winn-Dixie Stores. Sweetbay closed 33 stores in Florida last year.
- The entire Loehmann’s chain of discount clothing stores in the New York City area shut down. Loehmann’s once operated 39 stores, The New York Times reported, and was considered an institution by generations of New Yorkers.
- Industry analyst John Kernan told CNN that he expects Sears Holdings, which owns both Sears and Kmart, to close another 500 stores this year. Sears has already shut down its flagship store in Chicago.
- Quiznos has filed for bankruptcy, USA Today reported, and could close many of its 2,100 stores.
- Sbarro which operates pizza and Italian restaurants in malls, is planning to close 155 locations in the United States and Canada. That means nearly 20 percent of Sbarro’s will close. The chain operates around 800 outlets.
- Ruby Tuesday announced plans to close 30 restaurants in January after its sales fell by 7.8 percent. The chain currently operates around 775 steakhouses across the US.
- An unknown number of Red Lobster stores will be sold. The chain is in such bad shape that the parent company, Darden Restaurants Inc., had to issue a press release stating that the chain would not close. Instead Darden is planning to spin Red Lobster off into another company and sell some of its stores.
- Ralph’s, a subsidiary of Kroger, has announced plans to close 15 supermarkets in Southern California within 60 days.
- Safeway closed 72 Dominick’s grocery stores in the Chicago area last year.
Thursday, March 27, 2014
What Happens when President Obama Stops Speaking, And Nobody Claps?
Does this mean that everyone saw right through the endless bluster, hollow rhetoric and empty promises of the man tasked with reading from a teleprompter, and currently in charge of one of the world's most totalitarian states? Because either someone is getting fired for forgetting to turn on the "applause" sign, or Europeans no longer care for the lies uttered by Obama on all topics NSA-related (and all other topics too). One wonders: how long until the US president finally gets the same treatment in his own country?
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Please read this excerpt from the CDC before you make any health decisions
Source: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/additives.htm
Common substances found in vaccines include:
If someone told you they were going to be be injecting heavy metals, emulsifiers, preservatives and synthetic additives (like peanut oil and chicken embryo) into your muscle tissue? Would you let them? What about MSG and formaldehyde? What about aluminum and mercury?
Common substances found in vaccines include:
- Aluminum gels or salts
of aluminum which are added as adjuvants to help the vaccine stimulate a
better response. Adjuvants help promote an earlier, more potent
response, and more persistent immune response to the vaccine.
See also: "Aluminum in Vaccines: What you should know [2 pages]" Also available in Spanish [2 pages] - Antibiotics which are added to some vaccines to prevent the growth of germs (bacteria) during production and storage of the vaccine. No vaccine produced in the United States contains penicillin.
- Egg protein is found in influenza and yellow fever vaccines, which are prepared using chicken eggs. Ordinarily, persons who are able to eat eggs or egg products safely can receive these vaccines.
- Formaldehyde is used to inactivate bacterial products for toxoid vaccines, (these are vaccines that use an inactive bacterial toxin to produce immunity.) It is also used to kill unwanted viruses and bacteria that might contaminate the vaccine during production. Most formaldehyde is removed from the vaccine before it is packaged.
- Monosodium glutamate (MSG) and 2-phenoxy-ethanol which are used as stabilizers in a few vaccines to help the vaccine remain unchanged when the vaccine is exposed to heat, light, acidity, or humidity.
- Thimerosal is a mercury-containing preservative that is added to vials of vaccine that contain more than one dose to prevent contamination and growth of potentially harmful bacteria.
What You Can Do
- To find out what chemical additives are in specific vaccines, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for a copy of the vaccine package insert, which lists all ingredients in the vaccine and discusses any known adverse reactions.
- To ensure the safety of vaccines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other Federal agencies routinely monitor and conduct research to examine any new evidence that would suggest possible problems with the safety of vaccines. To keep abreast of the latest information, continue to reference these materials.
- To report a health problem that followed vaccination you or your provider should call the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) at 1-800-822-7967.
For More Information
- CDC-INFO Contact Center:
English and Spanish
800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) - Journal article:
PEDIATRICS December 2003
Addressing Parents' Concerns: Do Vaccines Contain Harmful Preservatives, Adjuvants, Additives, or Residuals?
Source: Pediatrics Vol. 112 No. 6 December 2003, pp. 1394-1397
...quantities of mercury, aluminum, formaldehyde, human serum albumin, antibiotics, and yeast proteins in vaccines have not been found to be harmful in humans or experimental animals...
If someone told you they were going to be be injecting heavy metals, emulsifiers, preservatives and synthetic additives (like peanut oil and chicken embryo) into your muscle tissue? Would you let them? What about MSG and formaldehyde? What about aluminum and mercury?
Monday, March 24, 2014
80-year-old Cures Cancer With Cannabis while In Hospice Waiting To Die!
(NaturalNews) On November 18, 2013, an article reporting an amazing
cannabis cure on a Californian approaching 80 years of age was
published. The older gentleman's name is Stan Rutner. It was an amazing
story because of Stan's condition.The chemo and radiation were killing him and not doing much for his lung and brain cancers. He was wasting away, near death, and had to use bottled oxygen 24/7. Then, his son-in-law and daughter got Stan to try cannabis. The results were amazing.
Stan's daughter, Corrine, was assigned as Stan's hospice caretaker. She had not looked into cannabis until her husband John brought it up as a last effort possibility. They discussed using cannabis oil with Stan's oncologist after she had announced that Stan could be gone in as little as two weeks.
After all, this was California, and mainstream medicine couldn't keep killing him for profit. So the oncologist then told them that it would be okay to try anything. Stan agreed to go along with what would be easy for him to use, cannabis oil in a coconut-oil-based capsule in the morning and high-THC cannabis oil before going to sleep. The results were amazing.
In days, he was able to sleep better, eat more, go without using oxygen and walk without a walker. Within nine months, he was completely cancer free. Here's that story (http://www.naturalnews.com).
But have those results held? How's Stan doing now, three-and-a-half years after his original diagnosis at age 77 now that he's 80?
Update on Stan's health and what the 'kids'are up to
Corrine and John posted an update on their site, which they had started based on their cannabis discoveries made during Stan's intervention and update. It's a site full of factual information and resources for using cannabis. They respond to people who comment with requests for information on getting a medical marijuana card in California and how to get cannabis oil.They intend to become the WebMD of cannabis with their site. Also, their site has information on naturopathic medicine, diet and juicing, all of which are known to help recover from cancer and keep it away (http://www.unitedpatientsgroup.com).
Corrine posted that, as of March 20, 2014, Stan was very active again despite his age, as he was before his cancer. Horseback riding, long walks and traveling are once again part of Stan's active life. He made it to Montana to walk Corrine down the aisle at her wedding. He's even been spreading the word on cannabis with interviews and talks.
Stan continues ingesting cannabis at a lower maintenance level. And he's doing fine. Remember, his was not an early-stage cancer. They stopped giving him orthodox oncology's standard of care, chemo and radiation, because the chemo had wrecked his immune system and radiation caused severe double pneumonia.
They stopped killing him and assumed the lung and brain cancers would within a few short weeks.
Corrine didn't even realize that her youthful older dad was having serious health problems until after he had started undergoing orthodox oncology treatments. Then, his condition worsened to having very obvious outward symptoms. Even Stan had mentioned that he thought he had the flu when he went in for a checkup, but he was diagnosed with cancer instead.
Here's a perspective on our upside-down world. FDA-approved medical interventions don't cure cancer, but often kill patients. While cannabis, which the DEA stubbornly ranks as an illegal Schedule I drug (dangerous without medical benefits), heals often without side effects.
Sources for this article include:
Stan's update with pictures:
http://www.unitedpatientsgroup.com
http://www.unitedpatientsgroup.com
http://www.unitedpatientsgroup.com
http://www.unitedpatientsgroup.com
http://science.naturalnews.com
About the author:
Paul Fassa is dedicated to warning others about the current corruption of food and medicine and guiding others toward a direction for better health with no restrictions on health freedom. You can visit his blog at http://healthmaven.blogspot.com
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Friday, March 21, 2014
LA Police: ALL Cars Under Criminal Investigation As Part Of License Plate Reader Surveillance
Steve Watson
Infowars.com
March 19, 2014
Police in LA have attempted to justify an Automatic License Plate Reader surveillance program by claiming that every single car in the city is part of a criminal investigation.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) recently acquired documents under the Freedom Of Information Act that show the Police Department and the Sheriff’s Department in LA argued that “All [license plate] data is investigatory.” The law enforcement departments also stated that the fact that the data will likely never be connected to any specific crime is insignificant.
The claims were made by police in briefs filed in response to a
lawsuit brought by EFF and the ACLU seeking a week’s worth of the
License Plate Reader data. The rights groups have taken issue with the
surveillance program because the cameras used automatically and
indiscriminately photograph all license plates, without any reasonable
suspicion of wrongdoing.
EFF states that the response from law enforcement is “completely counter to our criminal justice system.”
“We assume law enforcement will not conduct an investigation unless there are some indicia of criminal activity.” the group states. “In fact, the Fourth Amendment was added to the U.S. Constitution exactly to prevent law enforcement from conducting mass, suspicionless investigations under “general warrants” that targeted no specific person or place and never expired.”
“Taken to an extreme, the agencies’ arguments would allow law enforcement to conduct around-the-clock surveillance on every aspect of our lives and store those records indefinitely on the off-chance they may aid in solving a crime at some previously undetermined date in the future.” EFF also warns.
While both law enforcement agencies do admit that there are substantial privacy concerns with the surveillance program, they have done so only as a way of justifying keeping secret all the data garnered from it, EFF argues.
A hearing on the case has been scheduled for next month.
Last month, The Washington Post reported that the Department of Homeland Security revealed via a Federal Business Opportunities solicitation that it was set to activate a national license plate tracking system that will be shared with law enforcement. When privacy advocates balked at the plan, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson immediately ordered its cancellation, according to The Post.
However, as noted this week by Dan Froomkin of The Intercept, it was not the overall program that was “cancelled”, it was only the solicitation for services, pertaining to data retention by a private vendor, that was scrapped.
“…the Post had gotten it all wrong.” Froomkin writes. “DHS wasn’t planning to create a national license-plate tracking database — because several already exist, owned by different private companies, and extensively used by law enforcement agencies including DHS for years.”
“And far from going away, the databases are growing at a furious pace due to rapidly improving technology and ample federal grant money for more cameras and more computers.” Froomkin adds.
“So rather than being the tale of an averted threat, the bulk license-plate tracking saga is actually a story about yet another previously unimaginable loss of privacy in the modern information age.” the writer concludes.
The following video from 8 years ago in 2006 shows that police have been using license plate surveillance for close to a decade.
Infowars.com
March 19, 2014
Police in LA have attempted to justify an Automatic License Plate Reader surveillance program by claiming that every single car in the city is part of a criminal investigation.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) recently acquired documents under the Freedom Of Information Act that show the Police Department and the Sheriff’s Department in LA argued that “All [license plate] data is investigatory.” The law enforcement departments also stated that the fact that the data will likely never be connected to any specific crime is insignificant.
EFF states that the response from law enforcement is “completely counter to our criminal justice system.”
“We assume law enforcement will not conduct an investigation unless there are some indicia of criminal activity.” the group states. “In fact, the Fourth Amendment was added to the U.S. Constitution exactly to prevent law enforcement from conducting mass, suspicionless investigations under “general warrants” that targeted no specific person or place and never expired.”
This video from Vigilant Solutions, a private license plate tracking specialist company, shows how its system builds a comprehensive dossier on a person simply by capturing or inputting a license plate. Police have access to the databases, as do government agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security.
The License reader program, which records the time, date and location of registered vehicles (and therefore their drivers) operates “without an officer targeting a specific vehicle and without any level of criminal suspicion.” the group urges.“Taken to an extreme, the agencies’ arguments would allow law enforcement to conduct around-the-clock surveillance on every aspect of our lives and store those records indefinitely on the off-chance they may aid in solving a crime at some previously undetermined date in the future.” EFF also warns.
While both law enforcement agencies do admit that there are substantial privacy concerns with the surveillance program, they have done so only as a way of justifying keeping secret all the data garnered from it, EFF argues.
A hearing on the case has been scheduled for next month.
Last month, The Washington Post reported that the Department of Homeland Security revealed via a Federal Business Opportunities solicitation that it was set to activate a national license plate tracking system that will be shared with law enforcement. When privacy advocates balked at the plan, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson immediately ordered its cancellation, according to The Post.
However, as noted this week by Dan Froomkin of The Intercept, it was not the overall program that was “cancelled”, it was only the solicitation for services, pertaining to data retention by a private vendor, that was scrapped.
“…the Post had gotten it all wrong.” Froomkin writes. “DHS wasn’t planning to create a national license-plate tracking database — because several already exist, owned by different private companies, and extensively used by law enforcement agencies including DHS for years.”
“And far from going away, the databases are growing at a furious pace due to rapidly improving technology and ample federal grant money for more cameras and more computers.” Froomkin adds.
“So rather than being the tale of an averted threat, the bulk license-plate tracking saga is actually a story about yet another previously unimaginable loss of privacy in the modern information age.” the writer concludes.
The following video from 8 years ago in 2006 shows that police have been using license plate surveillance for close to a decade.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Top ten REAL medical conspiracies that actually happened
That's the nonsense we're all supposed to believe, according to the mainstream media.
By invoking the phrase "conspiracy theories," junk science authors and corporate-sellout journalists try to marginalize the true history of Big Pharma felony crimes, medical experiments on children, factual government collusion with industry and the incredible harm which has been perpetrated on the American people by the medical industrial complex.
In fact, the mainstream media's coverage of all this is truly Orwellian, as if the Ministry of Truth is trying to rewrite U.S. history to eliminate all the parts where drug companies, the NIH and the U.S. government quite literally murdered prisoners, blacks, babies and soldiers in the name of "scientific medicine.
I refuse to gloss over the history of TRUE medical conspiracies and all the lives lost to the destructive pursuit of medical profits at the expense of human dignity. So to answer the mainstream media's delusional attempt to gloss over the real history of true medical conspiracies, we've put together the top ten TRUE medical conspiracies along with links to sources.
Read and learn the true history the mainstream media is trying to erase!
Top ten TRUE medical conspiracies
#1) Pfizer conducts medical experiments on Nigerian children - In 2009 (and in subsequent years, as follow-up), we reported on how giant drug maker Pfizer was ordered to compensate Nigerian families after conducting illegal medical experimentation that left scores of Nigerian children either deaddamaged:The case began in 1996, when Pfizer needed a human trial to gain approval for its new antibiotic Trovan. When an epidemic of meningitis, cholera and measles broke out in Kano, Nigeria, the company quickly put together a research team and flew them to that country. Pfizer set up a tent right near the medical station where Doctors Without Borders were giving free treatments and recruited 200 children to participate in an unlicensed drug trial.
Parents say they were not told that proven medications were being distributed only yards away, that their children were being enrolled in a drug trial, or that animal studies had suggested that Trovan could cause liver and joint damage.
Eleven of the 200 children in the study died, and parents claim that others suffered from brain damage, organ failure and other severe side effects.
#2) Illegal price fixing to cheat the American people and state governments out of billions - Apparently, the Big Government / Big Pharma cabal in Washington would have you believe that drug makers only have your best interests in mind, not their profits or power.
In fact, for years drug makers have regularly conspired to engage in illegal price fixing, as evidenced by numerous lawsuits and court. As I previously reported:
In what is now the largest criminal fraud settlement ever to come out of the pharmaceutical industry, GlaxoSmithKline has pleaded guilty and agreed to pay $1 billion in criminal fines and $2 billion in civil fines following a nine-year federal investigation into its activities.
According to U.S. federal investigators, GlaxoSmithKline:
• Routinely bribed doctors with luxury vacations and paid speaking gigs
• Fabricated drug safety data and lied to the FDA
• Defrauded Medicare and Medicaid out of billions
• Deceived regulators about the effectiveness of its drugs
• Relied on its deceptive practices to earn billions of dollars selling potentially dangerous drugs to unsuspecting consumers and medical patients
And this is just the part they got caught doing. GSK doesn't even deny any of this. The company simply paid the $3 billion fine, apologized to its customers, and continued conducting business as usual.
#3) Vaccine manufacturers knew their vaccines were killing people - One of Merck's top developers knew that the company's polio vaccines were heavily contaminated with carcinogenic viruses. The scientist, Dr. Maurice Hilleman, can be heard discussing it in this shocking video.
He and other "scientist" colleagues are actually heard on the recording laughing about the fact that the stealth viruses would kill people. The mainstream media has never reported on this important piece of medical history because it would expose the truth about vaccines.
#4) Merck falsified vaccine evidence - A pair of former virologists publicly claimed that the company conspired to commit vaccine research fraud through the spiking of human blood samples with animal antibodies. As we reported in 2012:
The former Merck virologists contend that the multivalent mumps component has a vastly reduced efficacy which is directly responsible for mumps outbreaks during the last decade which prompted international calls for MMR booster shots every 4 - 8 years...
By combining the very low levels of human antibodies with animal antibodies, a much higher total level of virus neutralization was obtained than could occur from human antibodies alone. The human antibody levels alone would never protect in the real world against wild mumps. But after adding animal antibodies, the human blood samples which had previously failed under the old "gold standard" testing were retested using the "enhanced" protocols and passed with flying colors. New 'enhanced' tests showed 100% efficacy, not against wild mumps virus, but against the mumps vaccine virus.
#5) U.S. government collusion to commit medical murder - In what should shock all Americans to learn, the government-funded National Institutes of Health and a number of drug companies conspired to conduct illegal medical experiments on prisoners held in Guatemalan jails. President Obama was actually forced to issue a public apology for this atrocity more than sixty years after it took place. As Natural News previously reported:
The U.S. government knowingly funded and deliberately engaged in criminal medical experiments against Guatemalan prisoners from 1946 - 1948, and that the people engaged in these crimes were then promoted to high levels of influence in the medical community.
At least 5,500 people were drafted into the experiments, including children, women and the mentally ill. The number deliberately infected with sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs) exceeded 1,300 (that we know of).
Victims were not even informed they were being infected with STDs. The entire experiment was a clandestine operation involving an admitted conspiracy between Big Pharma and the U.S. government. Undeniable evidence has now emerged that the doctors and medical researchers involved in the experiment actively took steps to hide what they were doing.
#6) Conspiracy to label toxic chemicals "fluoride" and get the public to drink them - It is an historical fact that the fluoride and dental industries have conspired to mislead people into believe "fluoride" is a naturally occurring substance. The fact is, the fluorine compounds used in the public water supply are really byproducts of fertilizer processing or phosphate mining operations, and they often contain heavy metals.
Even many mainstream scientists now conclude that fluoride lowers IQs and damages the brain function of children. So why are we still being told that fluoride is a "public health measure" that helps everyone?
Attend any city council or other government agency deciding on whether or not to fluoridate your local water supply, and you'll get health officials asserting that fluoride is natural, and thus safe. They don't bother to mention that naturally occurring fluoride is calcium fluoride, while the stuff purchased by communities to fluoridate their water is sodium fluoride, an extremely toxic mix of hexafluorosilicic acid and sodium silicofluoride.
#7) GMO deceptions, lies and poisons - Without question, one of the true "conspiracy theories" is that GMO foods are responsible for a wide range of health problems. We have published numerous articles and studies claiming as much, but the government-industry cabal, led by bio-agriculture giant Monsanto, still somehow insists that these Frankenfoods are 100 percent safe even though they are repeatedly linked to organ damage, stomach inflammation, infertility problems and more.
The mainstream media wants you to believe that you are a "conspiracy theorist" if you believe in biochemical cause and effect. Don't worry, Monsanto loves you! And so do pesticide companies, whose chemicals are so safe that you should be eating them for breakfast!
#8) Academic suppression of important medical research - When good science gets published that questions the safety of GMOs, vaccines or fluoride, it gets routinely suppressed. That's exactly what happened to University of Caen molecular biology researcher Professor Gilles-Eric Seralini, whose two-year study into the effects of GMO corn on rats was (and continues to be) vilified by the establishment scientific community, which is entirely beholden to corporate financial influence. As Natural News reported:
Before many could recover from the shock of seeing rats fed GMO corn with huge tumors, the mainstream press was already reporting scientists who claimed the French study was flawed.
Ironically, a similar study of much shorter duration, 90 days, is what got Monsanto's NK 603 Roundup tolerant GMO maize (corn) and Roundup herbicide approved by the EFSA in the first place.
Seralini merely extended the study using the same type of rats to determine the toxic effects of feeding them GMO corn for two years. He also added a glyphosate herbicide solution into their drinking water at a level approved as safe for Roundup's water contamination.
Meanwhile, Dr. Arpad Pusztai was a highly regarded UK biology researcher at the prestigious Rowett Institute, a Scottish nutritional laboratory. He was awarded a grant to establish a safety protocol for GMO foods with his 20-member research team.
He never expected to find anything wrong with the GMO potatoes studied, but he did. Within days of publishing the team's findings, he was dismissed from the position he had held for decades.
#9) The massive academic fraud and conspiracy to discredit Dr. Andrew Wakefield by spreading provably false lies about his research - There has been a massive, organized "scientific" conspiracy to discredit Dr. Andrew Wakefield, the researcher who examined the effects of measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccines in children. Though his research never claimed that vaccines cause autism, he is routinely defamed and disparaged by an endless list of intellectually dishonest scientists and journalists who falsely claim Dr. Wakefield linked vaccines to autism. In fact, his research was actually focused on gastrointestinal effects of the vaccines in children, but he was attacked nonetheless:
Contrary to what the UK's General Medical Council (GMC), BMJ, Brian Deer, and the host of whoring media outlets continue to claim, Dr. Wakefield's original study was a case series that made no actual claims about a definitive link between MMR and autism. And the observations, which do happen to suggest a link between MMR and autism regression, are not just unique to Dr. Wakefield's research. Professor Walker-Smith and Dr. Amar Dhillon together documented their own independent research that also points to a link between MMR vaccine and autism.
Watch the powerful interview with Dr. Wakefield here: http://tv.naturalnews.com/v.asp?v=608256A446...
#10) Local governments routinely conspire to with medical institutions to threaten parents and children - Local government "authorities" routinely conspire with the medical industry to force parents to vaccinate their children or subject them to harsh medical treatment against their will. This is all done essentially at gunpoint (or by threat of arrest and imprisonment, which is enforced at gunpoint).
- In Ohio, a court forced the parents of an Amish girl to undergo poisonous chemotherapy: http://www.naturalnews.com/042393_akron_chil.... As Natural News published:
This is, essentially, chemotherapy at gunpoint or what I call "predatory medicine." If the parents refuse the court order, they will be arrested at gunpoint and charged with various crimes. The Akron Children's Hospital, which stands to profit from this decision, is the new medical mafia, poisoning children with mandatory "life sentences" handed down by a corrupt, medically ignorant justice system.
- Katie Wernecke, a teenage cancer patient who was kidnapped by Texas authorities and forced to submit to chemotherapy, is another victim of the system. Her parents were arrested and subjected to actions by Child Protective Services, who took Katie away. This all happened because Katie's parents refused to subject their daughter to chemotherapy and wanted to pursue safer, more natural holistic medical therapies.
- Abraham Cherrix is a 16-year old cancer patient who also refused a second round of chemotherapy after the first round nearly killed him. His doctor was outraged that Abraham would refuse chemotherapy and called Child Protective Services who had Abraham's parents arrested at gunpoint. CPS then took over joint custody of the child and attempted to force the teen to submit to barbaric cancer treatments like radiation and chemotherapy.
See the TRUE history of medical experiments conducted on blacks, babies, prisoners and soldiers
Want to learn even more true medical conspiracies? Nearly every entry in the following two stories is a conspiracy committed against living people, many of whom died as victims of these government-pharma conspiracies:Human medical experimentation in the United States: The shocking true history of modern medicine and psychiatry (1833-1965)
http://www.naturalnews.com/019189_human_medi...
Human medical experimentation in the United States: The shocking true history of modern medicine and psychiatry (1965-2005)
http://www.naturalnews.com/019187_human_medi...
Yet more TRUE medical conspiracies and government collusion
If you still doubt there is collusion between the government and the corporate medical establishment, I leave you with these alarming statistics, courtesy of The Economic Collapse Blog:- U.S. healthcare expenditures in 2009 ($4.5 trillion) were higher than the entire gross domestic product of Great Britain (http://swampland.time.com/2010/02/04/the-uns...). This is by design to extract as much money from the U.S. economy as possible while keeping the population diseased and impoverished.
- In 1980, total health care costs accounted for 9.5 percent of all personal consumption; by 2011, that amount rose to 16.3 percent (http://www.businessinsider.com/america-middl...)
- Medical bills factor in more than 60 percent of U.S. bankruptcies (http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/06/05/bankrup...)
- In the last 10 years, health insurance premiums have risen three times faster than wages (http://www.businessinsider.com/depressing-fa...)
- Top executives at the five biggest for-profit insurance companies in the U.S. combined to earn north of $200 million in 2009 (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/11/hea...)
-- Even as Americans were mired in the Great Recession, health insurance companies bolstered profits by 56 percent (in 2009, the same year more than 2 million lost private coverage) (http://abcnews.go.com/Health/HealthCare/heal...)
- Each year nearly a million people are rushed to emergency rooms following adverse reactions to pharmaceutical drugs (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leo-galland-md...).
- In 2009, there were an astonishing 1,742 prescription drug recalls (http://money.cnn.com/2010/08/16/news/compani...)
- The legal system is also bumping up costs; one recent study found that lawsuits and other legal actions added more than $55 billion to national healthcare costs in 2008 (http://www.cnbc.com/id/39037984).
- Big Pharma spends tens of billions each year in marketing and advertising; who wants to lose out on that gravy train? The industry, in fact, spends more money on advertising than on R&D.
Sources for this article include:
http://www.naturalnews.com/026685_Pfizer_chi...
http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/...
Man arrested for drinking iced tea could get probation, community service
FAYETTEVILLE, NC — A man drinking canned iced tea in a parking lot
was accosted by a plainclothes beverage cop who demanded to inspect his
drink. He was placed in handcuffs and arrested. Even though the man
was innocent and was only drinking tea, prosecutors are still trying to
set him up with probation and community service.
The incident took place on the evening of April 27th, 2013. Two men were standing by their vehicle waiting for friends to arrive in the parking lot of a state-owned ABC Liquor Store.
One man, Christopher Lamont Beatty, was holding a canned beverage, while his friend, Tino Brown, was recording video using his cell phone. That’s when the two were interrupted by a man who was interested in the man’s choice of refreshments.
A beverage cop’s rage begins to surface. (Source: YouTube)
Beatty, who also goes by the name “Xstravagant” or “Xstrav” as his
rapping persona, began receiving harassment about the can he was
holding. A man in plainclothes, claiming to be “the police”, insisted
that he turn over his beverage for an inspection. Beatty refused the
stranger’s requests, but pointed out that it was only an AriZona-brand
drink, “Half-and-Half” iced tea and pink lemonade — not alcohol.
Brown and Beatty pointed out that they didn’t know the identity of the nosy man and that Beatty had committed no crime. Still, the man demanded to examine his beverage and would not take no for an answer.
The stranger then claimed that Mr. Beatty was under arrest. He began became grabby and ended up putting Beatty in a choke-hold as he took him down to the ground.
The stranger places a choke-hold on Mr. Beatty. (Source: YouTube)
(Source: YouTube)
The bully, who turned out to be Alcohol & Beverage Control Law
Enforcer Rick Libero, forced Mr. Beatty face-down onto the concrete and
placed him in handcuffs.
Tino Brown had been recording the whole incident and documented the labeling on the can, showing that it was a non-alcoholic drink.
Beatty was arrested and taken to jail. He was charged with two crimes; second degree trespass and resisting a public officer. Months have gone by and the prosecution has offered a deal.
(Source: YouTube)
The assailant starts sizing up his next potential victim. (Source: YouTube)
The government requests that Beatty “submit to a year of probation,
do 24hours of community service, have a mental health assessment, and
submit to drug testing and warrantless searches,” reported the Fayetteville Observer.
The incident took place on the evening of April 27th, 2013. Two men were standing by their vehicle waiting for friends to arrive in the parking lot of a state-owned ABC Liquor Store.
One man, Christopher Lamont Beatty, was holding a canned beverage, while his friend, Tino Brown, was recording video using his cell phone. That’s when the two were interrupted by a man who was interested in the man’s choice of refreshments.
A beverage cop’s rage begins to surface. (Source: YouTube)Brown and Beatty pointed out that they didn’t know the identity of the nosy man and that Beatty had committed no crime. Still, the man demanded to examine his beverage and would not take no for an answer.
The stranger then claimed that Mr. Beatty was under arrest. He began became grabby and ended up putting Beatty in a choke-hold as he took him down to the ground.
The stranger places a choke-hold on Mr. Beatty. (Source: YouTube)
(Source: YouTube)Tino Brown had been recording the whole incident and documented the labeling on the can, showing that it was a non-alcoholic drink.
Beatty was arrested and taken to jail. He was charged with two crimes; second degree trespass and resisting a public officer. Months have gone by and the prosecution has offered a deal.
(Source: YouTube)
The assailant starts sizing up his next potential victim. (Source: YouTube)
“It would get it dismissed at the end, but I would still have to take
responsibility for my actions, and I felt like I did nothing wrong,”
Beatty said.
Beatty could also potentially take this to trial, in which a jury of his peers would have the opportunity to vindicate him of an unjust charge.
Beatty could also potentially take this to trial, in which a jury of his peers would have the opportunity to vindicate him of an unjust charge.
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Sunday, March 16, 2014
High Court sez: You must choose between your constitutional rights
NOW HOLD ON ONE SECOND HERE! There are no conditions on the Fourth Amendment in the
Bill of Rights, so the courts are simply justifying the unconstitutional
behavior of the government, and by so doing, delegitimize themselves.
The U.S. Supreme Court apparently has decided to let Americans choose between their Second and Fourth Amendment rights, leaving untouched a lower court decision that supported the use of a violent SWAT attack on a man’s home because authorities were concerned about the mere presence of a weapon.
The Rutherford Institute represented John Quinn, who was shot in the no-knock raid by officers because he thought his home was being invaded by criminals and reached for his weapon.
Attorneys with William Olson P.C. and the the United States Justice Foundation also submitted the friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of Quinn.
They were appalled that the reason the officers chose to conduct a violent no-knock raid was based on the presence of a firearm, as if the weapon “could somehow load itself, disengage its own safety, open the door, and begin to fire at the police.”
Quinn was targeted by police because his son – who was suspected of
possessing drugs – lived in the same home. His son was absent, and
police records reveal officers knew that fact when they broke into
Quinn’s home in a no-knock, SWAT-team style forced entry.
Rutherford said the decision lets stand a lower court ruling that “essentially makes lawful gun ownership and possession grounds for police to evade the protections afforded by the Fourth Amendment and improperly penalizes and limits the Second Amendment right to bear arms.”
“Whatever the issue might be, whether it’s mass surveillance, no-knock raids, or the right to freely express one’s views about the government, we’ve moved into a new age in which the rights of the citizenry are being treated as a secondary concern by the White House, Congress, the courts, and their vast holding of employees, including law enforcement officials,’ said John W. Whitehead, president of the Rutherford Institute and author of “A Government of Wolves: The Emerging American Police State.”
“The disconnect, of course, is that the Constitution establishes a far different scenario in which government officials, including the police, are accountable to ‘we the people.’ For it to be otherwise, for government concerns to trump individual freedoms, with government officials routinely sidestepping the Constitution and reinterpreting the law to their own purposes, makes a mockery of everything this nation is supposed to stand for – self-government, justice, and the rule of law.”
The case began in August 2006 when police in Collin County, Texas, obtained a warrant for Quinn’s home. Lower courts rejected Quinn’s objection to the no-knock entry on the grounds that because police had information that guns were present at the residence, they were justified in making a forced and unannounced invasion.
Quinn’s advocates argued that the tradeoff – of Fourth Amendment rights for Second Amendment rights, was improper.
“Although police had obtained a search warrant for John Quinn’s home based on information that Quinn’s son might possess drugs, the warrant did not authorize police to enter the residence without knocking and announcing their entry. During the raid, Quinn was shot by police because he had reached for his lawfully owned firearm, thinking that his home was being invaded by criminals,” Rutherford explained.
The friend-of-the-court brief agreed.
“John Quinn lawfully kept firearms in his home for self-defense, exercising a freedom which this court has recognized to be a ‘core’ and ‘fundamental’ right protected by the 2nd Amendment. Yet based on the presence of firearms alone, the police conducted a no-knock raid, smashing down Quinn’s front door in the middle of the night, leading to his being shot,” the brief explained.
“The police knew that Quinn’s son, Brian, the target of the raid, was not at home, and they knew that Quinn was a law abiding man. Indeed, the state of Texas had certified him as such by licensing him to carry a concealed weapon. Yet the Texas court embraced the prosecution’s theory that the police were in such grave danger from a sleeping man and an inanimate object that they were permitted to dispense with 4th Amendment requirement to knock on the door and announce themselves.”
The attorneys argued: “At common law, a person was presumed a trespasser if he was present on the property of another without permission, as the police were in this case. Thus, the police needed to justify their presence in Quinn’s home. Although they had a warrant to search the home, they did not have any valid legal justification for using a battering ram to get through the door, making them nothing more than trespassers.”
The brief warned that if “police are now permitted to justify no-knock raids any time there is a firearm in a residence, no American home is safe from a terrifying, middle of the night, home invasion.”
The U.S. Supreme Court apparently has decided to let Americans choose between their Second and Fourth Amendment rights, leaving untouched a lower court decision that supported the use of a violent SWAT attack on a man’s home because authorities were concerned about the mere presence of a weapon.
The Rutherford Institute represented John Quinn, who was shot in the no-knock raid by officers because he thought his home was being invaded by criminals and reached for his weapon.
Attorneys with William Olson P.C. and the the United States Justice Foundation also submitted the friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of Quinn.
They were appalled that the reason the officers chose to conduct a violent no-knock raid was based on the presence of a firearm, as if the weapon “could somehow load itself, disengage its own safety, open the door, and begin to fire at the police.”
Rutherford said the decision lets stand a lower court ruling that “essentially makes lawful gun ownership and possession grounds for police to evade the protections afforded by the Fourth Amendment and improperly penalizes and limits the Second Amendment right to bear arms.”
“Whatever the issue might be, whether it’s mass surveillance, no-knock raids, or the right to freely express one’s views about the government, we’ve moved into a new age in which the rights of the citizenry are being treated as a secondary concern by the White House, Congress, the courts, and their vast holding of employees, including law enforcement officials,’ said John W. Whitehead, president of the Rutherford Institute and author of “A Government of Wolves: The Emerging American Police State.”
“The disconnect, of course, is that the Constitution establishes a far different scenario in which government officials, including the police, are accountable to ‘we the people.’ For it to be otherwise, for government concerns to trump individual freedoms, with government officials routinely sidestepping the Constitution and reinterpreting the law to their own purposes, makes a mockery of everything this nation is supposed to stand for – self-government, justice, and the rule of law.”
The case began in August 2006 when police in Collin County, Texas, obtained a warrant for Quinn’s home. Lower courts rejected Quinn’s objection to the no-knock entry on the grounds that because police had information that guns were present at the residence, they were justified in making a forced and unannounced invasion.
Quinn’s advocates argued that the tradeoff – of Fourth Amendment rights for Second Amendment rights, was improper.
“Although police had obtained a search warrant for John Quinn’s home based on information that Quinn’s son might possess drugs, the warrant did not authorize police to enter the residence without knocking and announcing their entry. During the raid, Quinn was shot by police because he had reached for his lawfully owned firearm, thinking that his home was being invaded by criminals,” Rutherford explained.
The friend-of-the-court brief agreed.
“John Quinn lawfully kept firearms in his home for self-defense, exercising a freedom which this court has recognized to be a ‘core’ and ‘fundamental’ right protected by the 2nd Amendment. Yet based on the presence of firearms alone, the police conducted a no-knock raid, smashing down Quinn’s front door in the middle of the night, leading to his being shot,” the brief explained.
“The police knew that Quinn’s son, Brian, the target of the raid, was not at home, and they knew that Quinn was a law abiding man. Indeed, the state of Texas had certified him as such by licensing him to carry a concealed weapon. Yet the Texas court embraced the prosecution’s theory that the police were in such grave danger from a sleeping man and an inanimate object that they were permitted to dispense with 4th Amendment requirement to knock on the door and announce themselves.”
The attorneys argued: “At common law, a person was presumed a trespasser if he was present on the property of another without permission, as the police were in this case. Thus, the police needed to justify their presence in Quinn’s home. Although they had a warrant to search the home, they did not have any valid legal justification for using a battering ram to get through the door, making them nothing more than trespassers.”
The brief warned that if “police are now permitted to justify no-knock raids any time there is a firearm in a residence, no American home is safe from a terrifying, middle of the night, home invasion.”
10 Healing Herbs To Grow in Your Survival Garden
Basil: People don’t usually think of basil as a healing herb
and yet traditionally, it is called the “king of herbs”. It is used
medicinally as a natural anti-inflammatory and is thought to have mild
antiseptic functions. Some healing uses are for flatulence, lack off
appetite, nausea and cuts and scrapes.
It is also superb on spaghetti and in pesto but then you already knew that. Basil is an annual plant so you will have to start anew each year.
German Chamomile: Chamomile is one of the most popular herbs in the Western world. Its flower heads are commonly used for infusions, teas and slaves. These in turn can be used to treat indigestion, anxiety and skin inflammations. As a tea, it serves as a mild sedative to help with sleep.
Feverfew:
This perennial is a member of the sunflower family and has been used
for centuries in European folk medicine as a remedy for headaches,
arthritis, and fevers. The name feverfew comes from a Latin word
meaning “fever reducer.”
Its many uses include easing headache pains – especially migraines. This is done by chewing on the leaves. A tea made from the leaves and flowers is said to relieve the symptoms of arthritis.
Lemon Balm: Lemon balm is a member of the mint family. Considered a calming herb, it has been used as far back as the Middle Ages to reduce stress and anxiety, promote sleep, improve appetite, and ease pain and discomfort from indigestion. Even before the Middle Ages, lemon balm was steeped in wine to lift the spirits, help heal wounds, and treat venomous insect bites and stings.
As with many other herbs in your healing garden, lemon balm promotes relaxation and a sense of calm.
Parsley: While not one of my favorites, there is nothing like a sprig of parsley to take away bad breath. It is no wonder that this biennial (meaning it lives for two years) is used to decorate and garnish plates in the fanciest of restaurants.
When brewed as a tea, parsley can help supplement iron in a person’s diet, particularly for those who are anemic. Drinking parsley tea also boosts energy and overall circulation of the body, and helps battle fatigue from lack of iron. Other uses? Parsley tea fights gas and flatulence in the belly, kidney infections, and bladder infections. It can also be an effective diuretic.
Sage: Did you know that the genus name for sage is “salvia” which means “to heal”? In the first century C.E. Greek physician Dioscorides reported that sage stopped bleeding of wounds and cleaned ulcers and sores. He also recommended sage juice in warm water for hoarseness and cough. In modern times, a sage tea is used to sooth mouth, throat and gum inflammations. This is because sage has excellent antibacterial and astringent properties.
Thyme: Back during medieval times, thyme was given to knights before going in to battle. The purpose was to infuse this manly man with vigor and courage.
These days, thyme used to relieve coughs, congestion, indigestion and gas. This perennial is rich in thymol, a strong antiseptic, making thyme highly desirable in the treatment of wounds and even fungus infections. Thyme is a perennial that does well, even in cooler, Pacific Northwest climates.
Rosemary: Long ago, rosemary was known as ‘the herb of remembrance.’ Even today, in places like Australia and New Zealand, it is used as a symbol of remembrance since it is known to help sharpen mental clarity and stimulate brain function. You might recall that many statues of the ancient Greeks and Romans show men wearing sprigs of rosemary on their heads – signifying mental acuity.
The needles of the delightfully fragrant rosemary plant can be used in a tea to treat digestive problems. The same tea can also be used as an expectorant and as a relaxing beverage that is helpful for headaches. Other healing uses include improving memory, relieving muscle pain and spasms, stimulating hair growth, and supporting the circulatory and nervous systems.
Peppermint: Peppermint has a long tradition of medicinal use. Archaeological evidence places its use far back as ten thousand years ago. It is commonly used to soothe or treat symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, indigestion, irritable bowel, and bloating and more.
The leaves and stems contain menthol which in addition to use medicinally, is used as a flavoring in food, and a fragrance in cosmetics. The plant is prolific, growing well in moist, shaded areas as well as in sunnier locations. The roots emit runners that can quickly overtake the garden so most gardeners prefer to plant peppermint in pots.
The easiest way to acquire a peppermint plant? Find a friend or neighbor that is growing peppermint to break off a stem. Place it is a glass of water and in a very short period of times, roots will form an you will have your own peppermint start.
Lavender: I saved my personal favorite for last. Of course it helps that I have an abundant amount of fragrant lavender in my yard.
A tea made from lavender has many uses with one of the foremost being it’s ability to have a calming effect on a person’s mind and body. To that end, lavender can promote a sense of well-being and alleviate stress. It is also useful for dealing with various gastrointestinal issues such as upset stomachs and flatulence.
Because it is a strong antiseptic, lavender tea, when applied topically, can help heal cuts, wounds and sores. It can also be used to mitigate bad breath.
How Do I Get Started?
With so many to herbs to choose from, where do you start? A lot will depend on the amount of space you have, the climate, and the availability of seeds, starts, or cuttings. My recommendation is that you start with three or four herbs that appeal to you from a healing perspective. Many can be grown in pots on a porch or deck so if space is a problem, you can start modestly.
How to Make an Herbal Tea
The process of making a pot of herbal tea is in itself healing. Perhaps that has something to do with the proactive effort involved in doing something positive for one’s own self and well-being. And luckily, brewing an herbal tea is easy.
To make an herbal tea, first bring some cool water to a boil. While waiting for the water to boil, fetch a non-mental container that will be used to brew the tea. A quart mason jar works nicely for this purpose. You do not want to use a metal container since the metal may interfere with the purity and taste of the tea.
Add 2 tablespoons of fresh (or 1 tablespoon of dried herb or crushed seed) to the empty pot or jar for each cup of water. Then, and this is the important part, add an extra 2 tablespoons of fresh (or 1 tablespoon of dried) herbs “for the pot.” So, for example, if you are making 2 cups of hot tea, you would use 6 tablespoons of fresh herbs or 3 tablespoons of dried herbs.
Pour the boiling water over the herbs and let them steep, covered, for about 5 minutes give or take. There is no exact time since everyone’s strength preference is difference. When ready, strain the herbs and pour the tea into a cup. At this point you may want to garnish your heavenly – and healing – cup of tea with honey, citrus fruits or addition herb sprigs.
For iced tea, increase the quantity of herbs in the basic recipe by 1 1/2 to allow for dilution from the melting ice.
The Final Word
In reading about these herbs, you may have noticed that many are reputed to have the same or similar healing qualities. Do they work? I can personally vouch for Rosemary and Lavender which I have used as both a tea and as an essential oil.
One thing that is true is that with a little time and for a nominal cost, you can grow the makings for healing teas, infusions and balms in your own garden. Add a dose of sun and some rich potting soil and you will be set to go. Just keep in mind that while perennial plants will flourish over the winter and will be there for you the following spring, annual plants must be reseeded or restarted every year.
If you would like to learn more about the healing properties of various herbs, the University of Maryland Medical Center has an excellent web site with a lot of useful information about herbs and other alternative medicine topics. Click on “herbs” then scroll down to the particular herb you would like to learn about.
Also note this disclaimer: I am not a health care practitioner and anything I write should not be construed as medical advice. If you have a serious condition, consult a physician or nurse practitioner if one is available. And if not, consult a reliable reference such as my favorite, The Survival Medicine Handbook: A Guide for When Help is Not on the Way.
It is also superb on spaghetti and in pesto but then you already knew that. Basil is an annual plant so you will have to start anew each year.
German Chamomile: Chamomile is one of the most popular herbs in the Western world. Its flower heads are commonly used for infusions, teas and slaves. These in turn can be used to treat indigestion, anxiety and skin inflammations. As a tea, it serves as a mild sedative to help with sleep.
Feverfew:
This perennial is a member of the sunflower family and has been used
for centuries in European folk medicine as a remedy for headaches,
arthritis, and fevers. The name feverfew comes from a Latin word
meaning “fever reducer.”Its many uses include easing headache pains – especially migraines. This is done by chewing on the leaves. A tea made from the leaves and flowers is said to relieve the symptoms of arthritis.
Lemon Balm: Lemon balm is a member of the mint family. Considered a calming herb, it has been used as far back as the Middle Ages to reduce stress and anxiety, promote sleep, improve appetite, and ease pain and discomfort from indigestion. Even before the Middle Ages, lemon balm was steeped in wine to lift the spirits, help heal wounds, and treat venomous insect bites and stings.
As with many other herbs in your healing garden, lemon balm promotes relaxation and a sense of calm.
Parsley: While not one of my favorites, there is nothing like a sprig of parsley to take away bad breath. It is no wonder that this biennial (meaning it lives for two years) is used to decorate and garnish plates in the fanciest of restaurants.
When brewed as a tea, parsley can help supplement iron in a person’s diet, particularly for those who are anemic. Drinking parsley tea also boosts energy and overall circulation of the body, and helps battle fatigue from lack of iron. Other uses? Parsley tea fights gas and flatulence in the belly, kidney infections, and bladder infections. It can also be an effective diuretic.
Sage: Did you know that the genus name for sage is “salvia” which means “to heal”? In the first century C.E. Greek physician Dioscorides reported that sage stopped bleeding of wounds and cleaned ulcers and sores. He also recommended sage juice in warm water for hoarseness and cough. In modern times, a sage tea is used to sooth mouth, throat and gum inflammations. This is because sage has excellent antibacterial and astringent properties.
Thyme: Back during medieval times, thyme was given to knights before going in to battle. The purpose was to infuse this manly man with vigor and courage.
These days, thyme used to relieve coughs, congestion, indigestion and gas. This perennial is rich in thymol, a strong antiseptic, making thyme highly desirable in the treatment of wounds and even fungus infections. Thyme is a perennial that does well, even in cooler, Pacific Northwest climates.
Rosemary: Long ago, rosemary was known as ‘the herb of remembrance.’ Even today, in places like Australia and New Zealand, it is used as a symbol of remembrance since it is known to help sharpen mental clarity and stimulate brain function. You might recall that many statues of the ancient Greeks and Romans show men wearing sprigs of rosemary on their heads – signifying mental acuity.
The needles of the delightfully fragrant rosemary plant can be used in a tea to treat digestive problems. The same tea can also be used as an expectorant and as a relaxing beverage that is helpful for headaches. Other healing uses include improving memory, relieving muscle pain and spasms, stimulating hair growth, and supporting the circulatory and nervous systems.
Peppermint: Peppermint has a long tradition of medicinal use. Archaeological evidence places its use far back as ten thousand years ago. It is commonly used to soothe or treat symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, indigestion, irritable bowel, and bloating and more.
The leaves and stems contain menthol which in addition to use medicinally, is used as a flavoring in food, and a fragrance in cosmetics. The plant is prolific, growing well in moist, shaded areas as well as in sunnier locations. The roots emit runners that can quickly overtake the garden so most gardeners prefer to plant peppermint in pots.
The easiest way to acquire a peppermint plant? Find a friend or neighbor that is growing peppermint to break off a stem. Place it is a glass of water and in a very short period of times, roots will form an you will have your own peppermint start.
Lavender: I saved my personal favorite for last. Of course it helps that I have an abundant amount of fragrant lavender in my yard.
A tea made from lavender has many uses with one of the foremost being it’s ability to have a calming effect on a person’s mind and body. To that end, lavender can promote a sense of well-being and alleviate stress. It is also useful for dealing with various gastrointestinal issues such as upset stomachs and flatulence.
Because it is a strong antiseptic, lavender tea, when applied topically, can help heal cuts, wounds and sores. It can also be used to mitigate bad breath.
How Do I Get Started?
With so many to herbs to choose from, where do you start? A lot will depend on the amount of space you have, the climate, and the availability of seeds, starts, or cuttings. My recommendation is that you start with three or four herbs that appeal to you from a healing perspective. Many can be grown in pots on a porch or deck so if space is a problem, you can start modestly.
How to Make an Herbal Tea
The process of making a pot of herbal tea is in itself healing. Perhaps that has something to do with the proactive effort involved in doing something positive for one’s own self and well-being. And luckily, brewing an herbal tea is easy.
To make an herbal tea, first bring some cool water to a boil. While waiting for the water to boil, fetch a non-mental container that will be used to brew the tea. A quart mason jar works nicely for this purpose. You do not want to use a metal container since the metal may interfere with the purity and taste of the tea.
Add 2 tablespoons of fresh (or 1 tablespoon of dried herb or crushed seed) to the empty pot or jar for each cup of water. Then, and this is the important part, add an extra 2 tablespoons of fresh (or 1 tablespoon of dried) herbs “for the pot.” So, for example, if you are making 2 cups of hot tea, you would use 6 tablespoons of fresh herbs or 3 tablespoons of dried herbs.
Pour the boiling water over the herbs and let them steep, covered, for about 5 minutes give or take. There is no exact time since everyone’s strength preference is difference. When ready, strain the herbs and pour the tea into a cup. At this point you may want to garnish your heavenly – and healing – cup of tea with honey, citrus fruits or addition herb sprigs.
For iced tea, increase the quantity of herbs in the basic recipe by 1 1/2 to allow for dilution from the melting ice.
The Final Word
In reading about these herbs, you may have noticed that many are reputed to have the same or similar healing qualities. Do they work? I can personally vouch for Rosemary and Lavender which I have used as both a tea and as an essential oil.
One thing that is true is that with a little time and for a nominal cost, you can grow the makings for healing teas, infusions and balms in your own garden. Add a dose of sun and some rich potting soil and you will be set to go. Just keep in mind that while perennial plants will flourish over the winter and will be there for you the following spring, annual plants must be reseeded or restarted every year.
If you would like to learn more about the healing properties of various herbs, the University of Maryland Medical Center has an excellent web site with a lot of useful information about herbs and other alternative medicine topics. Click on “herbs” then scroll down to the particular herb you would like to learn about.
Also note this disclaimer: I am not a health care practitioner and anything I write should not be construed as medical advice. If you have a serious condition, consult a physician or nurse practitioner if one is available. And if not, consult a reliable reference such as my favorite, The Survival Medicine Handbook: A Guide for When Help is Not on the Way.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Court rules our dependency on corporations isn’t choice - Its law
It’s no secret that an opposition to
sustainable living exists. Earlier this year, Texas state brought
several SWAT teams to a sustainable community and threatened to shut it
down. Each one of the community members were initially handcuffed at
gunpoint. It was called “The Garden of Eden Community,” and was totally
self sustainable. You can read more about that here.
This time, it’s Robin Speronis that’s
come under fire. She lives off the grid in Florida, completely
independent of the city’s water and electric system. A few weeks ago,
officials ruled her off-grid home illegal. Officials cited the International Property Maintenance Code,
which mandates that homes be connected to an electricity grid and a
running water source. That’s just like saying our dependency on
corporations isn’t even a choice. The battle to live without most
utilities has been ongoing for Robin, the self-sufficient woman has
lived for more than a year and a half using solar energy, a propane
camping stove and rain water.
In the end, she was found not guilty of
not having a proper sewer or electrical system; but was guilty of not
being hooked up to an approved water supply.
So what exactly is off grid living?
“It means living independently,
mainly living independently of the utility companies. Providing your own
power. It does not mean living in the stone age, it’s not about bush
craft. It’s about generating your own power, your own water, dealing
with your own waste. Probably as part of a community, not living on your
own like a hermit. It’s also about being more self-reliant and being
less dependent on the system. Perhaps realizing that the system isn’t really protecting us anymore and we have to look after ourselves.” - George Noory
Our potential as a human race is quite
extraordinary, we just don’t realize it. Sustainable living is not about
giving up a certain lifestyle, can still have all the modern amenities,
design and beyond. Living off the grid wouldn’t be a problem, we have
technologies that can generate over-unity power, we have technologies
that can provide unlimited amounts of clean energy. I’m talking about free energy,
which goes far beyond solar energy. We can have neighborhoods exactly
like we do today, even better. They would be totally green, off the grid
and self-sufficient.
The only problem with off the grid
living is that corporations lose their ability to control others. With a
completely self-sustaining life style, no body would ever have to work.
What would happen then? Think about that for a moment. We would be free
to expand and create, to discover our full potential as a race and move
forward into the world of exploration and discovery, all the while
living in harmony with nature, not against it.
We’ve accepted the monetary system, and
deem it necessary for the proper function of society. Money doesn’t ever
have to come in the way of necessity, we’ve just been made to believe
that it does. It’s time for the human race to move past the concepts of
competition and greed into one that benefits the whole.
“One of the saddest lessons of
history is this: If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject
any evidence of the bamboozle. We’re no longer interested in finding
out the truth. The bamboozled has captured us. It’s simply too painful
to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we’ve been taken. Once you give a
charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.” - Carl Sagan
The human race does not need to be
dependent on these corporations. While we continue to feed this
dependency, the planet continues to suffer. In order to move forward, we
must start cooperating with each other, and realize just how much
potential we have to create something magical and amazing. Bottom line,
anybody who has the desire to live off-grid should not be hassled for
it, it should be a free choice.
Sources:
Monday, March 10, 2014
Game Changer: It Will Be Shocking for the Average American: “Your Cost of Living Will Quadruple”
By Mac Slavo
SHTF plan.com
It’s no secret that the U.S. government is in serious fiscal trouble. So much so that our Treasury Secretary recently noted that should the debt ceiling fail to be increased, the fall-out would be “catastrophic” and last for generations.
Given that sobering report, consider that everything in America, from food to fuel, is subsidized in one way or another. Those subsidies are being paid with ever-increasing debt. It is inevitable that at some point the world’s reserve currency, the US dollar, will be wiped out. The trigger for such an event is irrelevant. What is relevant, is how average Americans will be affected when that day comes.
In recent months working Americans have seen their health care costs
triple. But this is just the beginning. When America’s debt problems
come to a head the subsidies will be removed, and that will lead to cost
of living increases that will leave those who never saw it coming in a
state of confusion and bewilderment with no way out.
Marin Katusa of Casey Research, who has met with business and political leaders in over one hundred countries and is one of the most successful contrarian investment analysts out there, has some thoughts on the matter.
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For those with retirement investments like 401k’s, IRA’s or cash, Marin suggests you look to healthy gold companies as insurance. Back in the Great Depression of the 1930′s, as stocks crashed and then stagnated, those with investments in gold mining companies were able to not only preserve wealth, but grow it.
Those who prefer to keep their assets in physical holdings should look to gold and silver bullion, as well as those items that will become difficult to obtain when prices sky rocket. These core physical assets might mean long-term food stores, land with productive capacity, and personal energy production facilities that may include wind, solar or hydro.
If there is one trend that has taken hold over the last decade it’s continued price rises for the basic necessities of modern life. Given that we are now in more debt as a nation and individuals than ever before, it’s not hard to see where this is headed.
If you need a mainstream forecast to confirm what’s going to happen, then we point you to the words of President Barack Obama, who several years ago stated unequivocally that, “electricity rates will necessarily skyrocket.” He should know, because his policies are a significant contribution to what’s going to happen in the very near future.
Look out below.
SHTF plan.com
It’s no secret that the U.S. government is in serious fiscal trouble. So much so that our Treasury Secretary recently noted that should the debt ceiling fail to be increased, the fall-out would be “catastrophic” and last for generations.
Given that sobering report, consider that everything in America, from food to fuel, is subsidized in one way or another. Those subsidies are being paid with ever-increasing debt. It is inevitable that at some point the world’s reserve currency, the US dollar, will be wiped out. The trigger for such an event is irrelevant. What is relevant, is how average Americans will be affected when that day comes.
Marin Katusa of Casey Research, who has met with business and political leaders in over one hundred countries and is one of the most successful contrarian investment analysts out there, has some thoughts on the matter.
It will be shocking for the average American… if the petro dollar dies and the U.S. loses its reserve currency status in the world there will be no middle class.In the following must-watch interview with the Sound Money Campaign, Marin outlines the reasons for why our cost of living is going through the roof, the effects of geo-politics on our future, and ways to insulate yourself from what’s coming.
The middle class and the low class… wow… what a game changer. Your cost of living will quadruple.
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Imagine this… take a country like Croatia… the average worker with a university degree makes about 1200 Euros a month. He spends a third of that, after tax, on keeping his house warm and filling up his gas tank to get to work and get back from work.As Marin notes, the assets you hold should be such that they maintain or increase their value as the Petrol dollar crashes and America’s debt bubble bursts.
In North America, we don’t make $1200 a month, and we don’t spend a third of our paycheck on keeping our house warm and driving to work… so, the cost of living… food will triple… heat, electricity, everything subsidized by the government will triple overnight… and it will only get worse even if you can get the services.
For the average citizen, they should be thinking, ‘I should store some gold here and there as insurance for all of this.’
Now, I don’t know when it will happen. But it will happen, because it’s happened to all currencies.
I don’t think the people of Rome thought that Rome would ever fall as an empire… but it did.
So, you have to be prepared and protect your family. That’s why you want leverage to things that have major upside when the dollar does collapse. And the best insurance for that is gold.
For those with retirement investments like 401k’s, IRA’s or cash, Marin suggests you look to healthy gold companies as insurance. Back in the Great Depression of the 1930′s, as stocks crashed and then stagnated, those with investments in gold mining companies were able to not only preserve wealth, but grow it.
Those who prefer to keep their assets in physical holdings should look to gold and silver bullion, as well as those items that will become difficult to obtain when prices sky rocket. These core physical assets might mean long-term food stores, land with productive capacity, and personal energy production facilities that may include wind, solar or hydro.
If there is one trend that has taken hold over the last decade it’s continued price rises for the basic necessities of modern life. Given that we are now in more debt as a nation and individuals than ever before, it’s not hard to see where this is headed.
If you need a mainstream forecast to confirm what’s going to happen, then we point you to the words of President Barack Obama, who several years ago stated unequivocally that, “electricity rates will necessarily skyrocket.” He should know, because his policies are a significant contribution to what’s going to happen in the very near future.
Look out below.
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20 facts about the great U.S. retail apocalypse that will blow your mind
If the U.S. economy is getting better, then why are major retail chains closing thousands of stores?
By Michael Snyder | The Economic Collapse Blog
If we truly are in an “economic recovery”, then why do sales figures continue to go down for large retailers all over the country? Without a doubt, the rise of Internet retailing giants such as Amazon.com have had a huge impact. Today, there are millions of Americans that actually prefer to shop online. Personally, when I published my novel I made it solely available on Amazon. But Internet shopping alone does not account for the great retail apocalypse that we are witnessing. In fact, some retail experts estimate that the Internet has accounted for only about 20 percent of the decline that we are seeing. Most of the rest of it can be accounted for by the slow, steady death of the middle class U.S. consumer. Median household income has declined for five years in a row, but all of our bills just keep going up. That means that the amount of disposable income that average Americans have continues to shrink, and that is really bad news for retailers.And sadly, this is just the beginning. Retail experts are projecting that the pace of store closings will actually accelerate over the course of the next decade.
So as you read this list below, please take note that things will soon get even worse.
The following are 20 facts about the great U.S. retail apocalypse that will blow your mind…
#1 As you read this article, approximately a billion square feet of retail space is sitting vacant in the United States.
#2 Last week, Radio Shack announced that it was going to close more than a thousand stores.
#3 Last week, Staples announced that it was going to close 225 stores.
#4 Same-store sales at Office Depot have declined for 13 quarters in a row.
#5 J.C. Penney has been dying for years, and it recently announced plans to close 33 more stores.
#6 J.C. Penney lost 586 million dollars during the second quarter of 2013 alone.
#7 Sears has closed about 300 stores since 2010, and CNN is reporting that Sears is “expected to shutter another 500 Sears and Kmart locations soon”.
#8 Overall, sales numbers have declined at Sears for 27 quarters in a row.
#9 Target has announced that it is going to eliminate 475 jobs and not fill 700 positions that are currently empty.
#10 It is being projected that Aéropostale will close about 175 stores over the next couple of years.
#11 Macy’s has announced that it is going to be closing five stores and eliminating 2,500 jobs.
#12 The Children’s Place has announced that it will be closing down125 of its “weakest” stores by 2016.
#13 Best Buy recently shut down about 50 stores up in Canada.
#14 Video rental giant Blockbuster has completely shut down all of their stores.
#15 It is being projected that sales at U.S. supermarkets will declineby 1.7 percent this year even as the overall population continues to grow.
#16 McDonald’s has reported that sales at established U.S. locationswere down 3.3 percent in January.
#17 A home appliance chain known as “American TV” in the Midwest is going to be shutting down all 11 stores.
#18 Even Wal-Mart is struggling right now. Just check out what one very prominent Wal-Mart executive recently admitted…
David Cheesewright, CEO of Walmart International was speaking at the same presentation, and he pointed out that Walmart would try to protect its market share in the US – where the company had just issued an earnings warning. But most of the growth would have to come from its units outside the US. I mean, via these share buybacks?#19 In a recent CNBC article entitled “Time to close Wal-Mart stores? Analysts think so“, it was recommended that Wal-Mart should close approximately 100 “underperforming” supercenters in rural locations across America.
Alas, outside the US too, economies were limping along at best, and consumers were struggling and the operating environment was tough. “We’re seeing economies under stress pretty much everywhere we operate,” Cheesewright admitted.
#20 Retail consultant Howard Davidowitz is projecting that up to halfof all shopping malls in America may shut down within the next 15 to 20 years…
Within 15 to 20 years, retail consultant Howard Davidowitz expects as many as half of America’s shopping malls to fail. He predicts that only upscale shopping centers with anchors like Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus will survive.So is there any hope that things will turn around?
Well, if the U.S. economy started producing large numbers of good paying middle class jobs there would definitely be cause for optimism.
Unfortunately, that is just not happening.
On Friday, we were told that the U.S. economy added 175,000 jobs during the month of February.
That sounds pretty good until you realize that it takes almost that many jobs each month just to keep up with population growth.
And according to CNS News, the number of unemployed Americans actually grew faster than the number of employed Americans in February…
The number of unemployed individuals 16 years and over increased by 223,000 in February, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).Meanwhile, the labor force participation rate continues to sit at a 35 year low, and a staggering 70 percent of all Americans not in the labor force are below the age of 55.
In February, there were 10,459,000 unemployed individuals age 16 and over, which was up 223,000 from January, when there were 10,236,000 unemployed individuals.
That is outrageous.
And things look particularly depressing when you look at the labor force participation rate for men by themselves.
In 1950, the labor force participation rate for men was sitting at about 87 percent. Today, it has dropped beneath 70 percent to a brand new all-time record low.
The truth is that there simply are not enough jobs for everyone anymore.
The chart posted below shows how the percentage of working age Americans that actually have a job has changed since the turn of the millennium. As you can see, the employment-population ratio declined precipitously during the last recession, and it has stayed below 59 percent since late 2009…
Since there are not enough jobs, what is happening is that more highly educated workers are taking the jobs that were once occupied by less educated workers and bumping them out of the labor force entirely. The following is an excerpt from a recent Bloomberg article…
Due to the fact that there are not enough middle class jobs to go around, the middle class has been steadily shrinking.Recent college graduates are ending up in more low-wage and part-time positions as it’s become harder to find education-level appropriate jobs, according to a January study by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.The share of Americans ages 22 to 27 with at least a bachelor’s degree in jobs that don’t require that level of education was 44 percent in 2012, up from 34 percent in 2001, the study found.
In 2008, 53 percent of all Americans considered themselves to be “middle class”. Today, only 44 percent of all Americans consider themselves to be “middle class”.
That is a pretty significant shift in just six years, don’t you think?
For much more on this, please see my previous article entitled “28 Signs That The Middle Class Is Heading Toward Extinction“.
Despite what the politicians and the mainstream media are telling you, the truth is that something is fundamentally wrong with our economy.
On a gut level, most people realize this.
According to one recent survey, only 35 percent of all Americans say that they are better off financially than they were a year ago. And according to a recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, only 28 percent of all Americans believe that this country is moving in the right direction.
The frightening thing is that this is about as good as things are going to get. The next great wave of the economic collapse is approaching, and when it strikes the plight of the middle class is going to get a whole lot worse.
(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
This article originally appeared on The Economic Collapse Blog
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