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| Thursday, December 17th, 2009 |
alobar
|
11:08p |
Mucking with FB Necessitated Mucking with Flash
 I just figured out a kludge fix for posting to FaceBook. The past few days I have been unable to see the attach: links button below the box I type into.
Content suggested I re-boot. I did that, even though I hate to re-boot. Win7 is abysmally slow to re-boot. Each new version of Windows takes longer to re-boot than the previous version. It now takes close to 5 minutes to re-boot.
I did the re-boot. No luck. So now, I opened up FB in IE instead of Firefox. I can now see the attach button. Nuisance having to have IE open, but it works.
Comment by Keter Magick
Click "delete all sites." Current Music: Ishq - Bhakti (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambient and mid-tempo electronica. [ |
alobar
|
11:02p |
Natural Protection Against Estrogen Overload
I think I got this from Alternative Medicine Forum, but I am not sure. I am now eating an ounce or two of cruciferous veggies in my liquid salad daily. Not nearly enough if I were fighting cancer, but probably OK as a preventative measure.
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Natural Protection Against Estrogen Overload
Written by John Foster, MD
2000-Dec-30
We are living in the age of estrogen. The food supply is laden with traces of herbicides, pesticides and petrochemical residues from plastics, all of which have estrogen-like, endocrine disrupting effects in animals and humans. These xenobiotics, or foreign biological substances, have been linked to abnormalities and cancers of human tissues that are hormone sensitive, including fibrocystic breast disease, breast cancer, cervical cancer and dysplasia, endometrial cancer, endometriosis and ovarian disease as well as prostatic hypertrophy and cancer.
How can we protect ourselves from these influences? Eating a whole food diet of organic or biodynamic foods, free of pesticides, is an important first step. Healthy water is the next. Municipal water supplies may be sources of many chemicals and water in plastic bottles can contain residues of polycarbonate plastics called phthalates, which are endocrine disrupters. It is important to drink only pure mineral water or water that has been treated by a reverse osmosis (RO) system.
Our bodies regulate and eliminate estrogens by the action of detoxifying enzymes in the liver. There are two pathways of estrogen oxidation and conversion, one of which converts it to a beneficial and non-toxic form 2-OH estrogen and another which converts it to the 16-OH estrogen form. The 16-OH form is carcinogenic and causes diseases of tissues that are responsive to hormones, including disorders and cancers of breast, uterus, cervix and prostate, and probably lung and colon. Xenoestrogens push the system toward the 16-OH pathway both directly and indirectly.
Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, bok choy, Brussels sprouts and cabbage contain a substance called indole-3-carbinol (I3C) which is activated and liberated when the vegetables are crushed in a wet environment, that is, when they are chewed, chopped or pounded. In the presence of stomach acid, I3C combines with itself to form DIM (di-indollyl methane). DIM induces certain P-450 enzymes in the liver to block the production of the toxic 16-OH estrogens and enhance the production of the beneficial 2-OH forms.
Studies have demonstrated that DIM reduces the incidence of fibrocystic breast disease, cervical dysplasia, endometriosis and prostate enlargement. In fact, the 2-OH form is not only benign but also enhances the process of apoptosis, the spontaneous death of damaged and cancerous cells. DIM also acts as an active surveillance for cancer cells. This is very exciting and while there is much to learn and more to say, I can state with assurance that this phyto-nutrient may be one of the most important protective substances of this new century.
It is very important to eat cruciferous vegetables every day for protection against diseases that may be induced by exposure to environmental estrogens. As raw cruciferous vegetables contain goitrogens, it is best to eat them fermented, because fermentation neutralizes these thyroid-depressing substances. (Cooking also neutralizes the goitrogens, but also deactivates I3C.) In fact, low rates of breast cancer in Polish women have been attributed to their daily consumption of sauerkraut. (Science News 9/23/00)
The amount of vegetables needed to supply adequate DIM for full protection or as part of a program of cancer treatment is at least two pounds daily. Of course, it is not always practical or possible to eat such large amounts of pickled vegetables. Fortunately, DIM is available as a supplement. I recommend it to almost any patient over 40 and anyone with a family history of breast or uterine problems as well as cancer of the lung, colon or prostate. I also add DIM to any hormone replacement therapy program for an added safety factor to prevent the above diseases. I have also used DIM successfully to treat PMS.
DIM is available from Tyler and Bio Response and directly from Healthyhumans.net or call 1-800-473-2810.
Estrogen Dangers
It is generally accepted that high levels of estrogen are associated with cancer of the breast, uterus and cervix; with cystic breast disease, uterine fibroids and endometriosis; with heavy bleeding and premenstrual syndrome; with depressed thyroid function; and with fluid retention and weight gain. Some lesser known associations are the following, ( Read more... ) Current Music: Ishq - Bhakti (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambient and mid-tempo electronica. [ |
alobar
|
5:57p |
Depressing Health News for Today
Medical news just keeps getting worse and worse. The FDA is, of course, to blame. I suspect that Harvey Wiley, founder of the FDA, has been spinning in his grave for many decades.
Long story. In 1910 Harvey Wiley, MD was the first head of the original FDA. Dr. Wiley was a big critic of food adulteration. He was against bleached flour, refined sugar, and the sale of adulterated, devitalized foods. He once tried to prevent the Coca Cola company from shipping Coke across interstate lines because it had white sugar in it, which Dr. Wiley correctly described as an adulterated food. Then Wiley actually began seizing shipments of bleached flour. A legal battle ensued and went all the way to the Supreme Court in 1913. Wiley won. Bleach was proven to be an empty filler whose main purpose was to kill bugs and bulk up the flour. This law has never been enforced, or reversed either. Soon thereafter the huge financial interests controlling food processing banded together and got Wiley thrown out of office. Ever since we have had white flour, which has no food value whatsoever - no vitamins, no minerals, no enzymes, and which often contains large amounts of bleach - (Bealle, Royal Lee) That's what bread labels even today are talking about when they state "unbleached flour." Like it's some hot selling point that the bread doesn't have bug-killer in it.
Food processing has only been around for about the last 90 years or so. Food processing came about mainly during wartime when we had to figure out how to transport large quantities of food to the WWI soldiers without spoiling on the way. Scientists found out that the more efficient were the methods of removing enzymes from foods, the better it transported and the longer it lasted. After the war, the techniques that had been learned were applied to the grocery business. The supermarket industry soon found out that profits could be greatly increased if foods can be made to last longer without spoiling. If that meant that they were also removing most or all of the nutrition from the food along with the enzymes, hey, too bad. The manufacturers weren't in the health business; this was the Shelf-Life business.
Scientific methods of enzyme removal and food preservation then became more and more sophisticated continuing to the present day. In addition, chemical additives came in, which do nothing to nourish the body ? it's just about the money. And now the two new buzzwords are irradiation and genetic engineering. Do you think any of these methods has anything to do with increasing the nutritive value of foods? Dream on. This is big business, driven by one motive only.
http://alobar.livejournal.com/1735449.html
Below from Natural News.
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Today's feature story will blow your mind: It turns out that the Tamiflu drug's approval has been based on scientific fraud. Researchers were told by the drug maker exactly what to write in their "clinical trial" conclusions before submitting them to the medical journals. Read full details here:
http://www.naturalnews.com/027734_Tamiflu_Roche.html
Did you know that antipsychotic drugs can cause heart disease?
http://www.naturalnews.com/027733_antipsychotics_heart_disease.html
... or that pistachios can protect you from cancer? ( Read more... ) Current Music: Higher Intelligence Agency & Biosphere - Midpoint (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. |
alobar
|
5:08p |
Contract Advice Needed
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) michamarie mentioned in a letter today that she wishes she could afford to pay for some legal advice. She does medical transcription work. She is freelance. But the hospital is forcing a contract on her.
I suggested that there might be someone on my friends list who might have the skills to offer some free advice.
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You think someone might be willing to take a look? I don't need anyone to do the contract, just modifying the soon-to-expire one, just really want to not screw myself again. Long story short, 2 years ago, they forced a contract by withholding payment on invoices until the contract was signed . . . classic big-boy tactics, and in the 6-page contract, there's no protection at all for anyone but them. Logical, I assume. Plus, haven't had a raise in 2 years, though the cost of producing (ink, electricity, paper, gas back and forth for pickups/deliveries, etc.) has gone up and will continue to do so and want to work in a penny per line raise (currently at 15-1/2 cents per line). Any good advice would help -- though I can't write my own ticket, I can certainly lay the groundwork for the best contract for me.
Current Music: Mermaids - Innervisions (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambient and mid-tempo elec |
alobar
|
5:00p |
Recovery? That's Bullshit!
When I was a young man, I joined the IWW. Their contention is that the 40 hour work week should have been reduced to 35 hours a week in the 1940s, but with all men drafted into the military that was not possible. In the 1960s, the IWW was attempting to spread the meme of a 30 hour work week, with a single 30 hour job paying enough to live a comfortable middle class life. That obviously did not happen.
Today, I know many people who work 60+ hours a week just to keep a roof over their heads. So I agree with the text below. We have been in a recession for so long that most people just accept it as the way things are. I have no idea what it will take to get the working class WAKE THE FUCK UP!
Below from underlankers on ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) the_recession.
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http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aj0La0i2g5_s&pos=3 Evidently the Fed says that the economy is continuing to grow. But I noted this bit: “The nastiness of the storm has dissipated,” said Paul Ballew, a former Fed economist who’s now a senior vice president at Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. in Columbus, Ohio. “Concern about the financial market has passed, but they’re looking at weak labor markets and sluggishness in the real economy. And then I wondered "Growing for who?". If the labor market remains weak, then for the vast majority things remain shitty and we're still in double-digit unemployment and rewarding capitalists for their own incompetence. And in that case, it's arguably not a recovery unless for the average person there is improvement as much as for the coffers of the fat cats. And, too, another question that occurs to me is that since real wages have been stagnant for 30 years is it possible that we've had a bad economy for a lot longer than we accepted and it's just finally all ground to a screeching halt after being in trouble for a good long time?
Current Music: Kaya Project - Always Waiting (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambient and mid-temp |
alobar
|
4:29p |
Some Thoughts on Those who Wield Umbrellas
While not all those who wield umbrellas are idiots, many sure seem strange. Some of the strange ones are utterly clueless &/or are regularly guilty of reckless endangerment.
Today I ran errands. I was out walking around for about an hour. The fur on my mad bomber hat got  slightly damp. The rest of me stayed dry. Streets were shiny from moisture, but no actual rain. I kept passing people who were huddled under their umbrellas as they walked. Are they paranoid of impending rainy doom? Do they think they will melt if a sprinkle hits them? [I just took the pic here on the right using the Muriel spy cam on Jackson Square.]
Then we have the ones who seem not to understand the engineering limitations of umbrellas. Rain coming down in buckets. 20+ mph wind with strong gusts. In this type of weather, an umbrella will turn inside out, bend and twist all up, and not do much good. If fact, someone attempting to use an umbrella in this kind of heavy rain often takes longer to get from here to there (thus getting far wetter) because of needing to fight to maintain the integrity of the umbrella. I much prefer to just run like fuck with no umbrella, or just allow myself to get soaked. After all, who are we that a little rain should not fall on our heads?
Then there are the fucking dangerous umbrella wielders.
( Read more... )
Current Music: Quad - Tapestry (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambient and mid-tempo electronica. |
alobar
|
1:44p |
Does This Video Disturb You?
Below is a video which seems to be a nightmare projected by those who fear to "go inside" and contact all the different aspects of themselves because they fear becoming like the person in the video.
Video from chaoticerotic on FaceBook.
http://www.insideshort.com/
Current Music: Solar Fields - Planet Zoo (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambient and mid-tempo el |
alobar
|
1:40p |
Why is the USDA paying Big Meat to feed our schoolchildren chicken that KFC won't buy?
As a child, I never ate school lunches. Mainly because I was a picky eater and wanted a lunch my Mom made for me. But, these days, school lunches are downright dangerous!
Below from Credo newsletter.
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Why is the USDA paying Big Meat to feed our schoolchildren chicken that KFC won't buy?
It's hard to believe, but the USDA uses school lunch funds to help Big Meat offload thousands of tons of meat from old chickens that Kentucky Fried Chicken won't buy and usually goes to compost or pet food.
What's more, hamburgers from McDonald's and Jack in the Box are safer than the meat that America's 31 million children are offered at our nation's schools.
Each year the USDA buys some 100 million pounds of beef for America's school lunch program — but the USDA refuses to adopt common-sense practices to ensure that meat served to our children is safe. This is a big giveaway to major meat processors who then can unload products that even fast food chains won't buy.
A recent investigation by USA Today1 found that the meat sold to U.S. school cafeterias faces less testing and lower safety standards than the meat that's served in most fast-food restaurants — outlets that aren't otherwise known for their health consciousness and are as cost-conscious as the most passionate deficit hawk.
That's right: McDonalds, KFC, and Jack in the Box test the ground beef they buy five to 10 times more frequently than the USDA tests beef for U.S. school lunches! And these restaurants have for years refused to buy certain kinds of lower-quality meat and chicken which the USDA continues to accept.
The USDA needs to stop subsidizing Big Meat and act immediately to protect our children's health. Click here to automatically sign the petition today.
Despite assurances of safety from Rayne Pegg, head of the Agricultural Marketing Services, the USDA agency responsible for school lunch meat purchases, scientists and experts agree that there is no excuse for the USDA's lax standards. Even the USDA used to agree! As far back as 2000, the USDA Secretary under Bill Clinton vowed to rectify this unacceptable policy. Then the Bush administration took office and Big Meat (AKA the meat industry) used its influence to kill any hope of reform. Until now.
Admirably, current Secretary Tom Vilsack has agreed to "an independent review" of USDA safety standards for school lunch meat. But that is not nearly enough. With tens of millions of pounds of contaminated meat recalled over the past two years, it's only a matter of time before these low standards lead to a school cafeteria outbreak and sickened children. The possibility is unacceptable. Tell Secretary Tom Vilsack that our children matter more than Big Meat! He should take need immediate, emergency action to make sure that the food they eat each day is the safest possible!Thank you for working to build a better world. Adam Klaus, Campaign Manager
CREDO Action from Working Assets 1 www.usatoday.com/news/education/2009-12-08-school-lunch-standards_N.htm </font> |
alobar
|
11:48a |
Quote of the Day
Below nipped from Shade on the HML list.
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"It is ironic that women are now welcomed into all major professions and other positions of authority, but are branded as inferior and deprived of the equal right to serve God in positions of religious leadership. The plight of abused women is made more acceptable by the mandated subservience of women by religious leaders.
"The truth is that male religious leaders have had – and still have – an option to interpret holy teachings either to exalt or subjugate women. They have, for their own selfish ends, overwhelmingly chosen the latter. Their continuing choice provides the foundation or justification for much of the pervasive persecution and abuse of women throughout the world. This is in clear violation not just of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights but also the teachings of Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul, Moses and the prophets, Muhammad, and founders of other great religions - all of whom have called for proper and equitable treatment of all the children of God. It is time we had the courage to challenge these views and set a new course that demands equal rights for women and men, girls and boys.
"At their most repugnant, the belief that women are inferior human beings in the eyes of God gives excuses to the brutal husband who beats his wife, the soldier who rapes a woman, the employer who has a lower pay scale for women employees, or parents who decide to abort a female embryo. It also costs many millions of girls and women control over their own bodies and lives, and continues to deny them fair and equal access to education, health care, employment, and influence within their own communities."
— President Jimmy Carter Current Music: Legion Of Green Men - The Borderless Beyond (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambien |
alobar
|
5:45a |
Quote of the Day!
Below from Loki on FaceBook.
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"Meek young men grow up in libraries, believing it their duty to accept the views which Cicero, which Locke, which Bacon, have given, forgetful that Cicero, Locke, and Bacon were only young men in libraries, when they wrote these books."
– Ralph Waldo Emerson Current Music: Green Light - L7 (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambient and mid-tempo electronica |
alobar
|
5:21a |
Vitamin D
Good video on Vitamin D on link. Long list of conditions caused or exacerbated by vitamin D deficiency.
Below from FaceBook.
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 </li> Current Music: Orb - Occidental (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambient and mid-tempo electronica |
alobar
|
4:21a |
I Get Very Strange Mail Sometimes
I have a very big ego, but I would never call myself a "colleague" of these folks.
======================================== ( Read more... ) Current Music: Starseeds - Experimental Reclining Chair (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambient a |
alobar
|
3:59a |
Denial Is Not Only Not a River in Egypt these Days
The so-called scientists have not yet begun any significant explorations of the newly discovered underwater ancient city. But yet they claim the city is NOT Atlantis. Sheesh! How the fuck to they know until they fully explore and catalog all the archaeological artifacts? Idiot dipshits! Since when is PREJUDICE an integral part of the Scientific method?
Below story from aethyrflux.
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By Jes Alexander on December 9, 2009 
WASHINGTON, DC (Herald de Paris) - EXCLUSIVE - Researchers have revealed the first images from the Caribbean sea floor of what they believe are the archaeological remains of an ancient civilization. Guarding the location’s coordinates carefully, the project’s leader, who wishes to remain anonymous at this time, says the city could be thousands of years old; possibly even pre-dating the ancient Egyptian pyramids, at Giza. The site was found using advanced satellite imagery, and is not in any way associated with the alleged site found by Russian explorers near Cuba in 2001, at a depth of 2300 feet. “To be seen on satellite, our site is much shallower.” The team is currently seeking funding to mount an expedition to confirm and explore what appears to be a vast underwater city. “You have to be careful working with satellite images in such a location,” the project’s principle researcher said, “The digital matrix sometimes misinterprets its data, and shows ruins as solid masses. The thing is, we’ve found structure - what appears to be a tall, narrow pyramid; large platform structures with small buildings on them; we’ve even found standing parallel post and beam construction in the rubble of what appears to be a fallen building. You can’t have post and beam without human involvement.” Asked if this city is the legendary city of Atlantis, the researchers immediately said no. “The romanticized ideal of Atlantis probably never existed, nor will anyone ever strap on a SCUBA tank, jump in the water, and find a city gateway that says, ‘Welcome to Atlantis.’ ( Read more... ) Current Music: Chilled C'Quence - Circular Structure (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambient and |
alobar
|
3:35a |
Eight Hundred Thousand Misdiagnosed in Swine Flu Farce
Below from Natural News.
It seems to me that each and every person who quarantined him/her-self over a mis-diagnosis of swine flue is OWED money for lost earnings, for inconvenience, and for any side effects of tamiflu. Money to come directly from the drug company who got rich pushing tamiflu.
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Eight Hundred Thousand Misdiagnosed in Swine Flu FarceThursday, December 17, 2009 by: Marek Doyle, citizen journalist
See all articles by this author
Email this author
 (NaturalNews) This week, Britain's Health Protection Agency (HPA) revealed that only one in five people who were diagnosed with swine flu actually had the disease and that four fifths were instructed to take Tamiflu unnecessarily.
The Government agency reported that around one million packets of Tamiflu have been prescribed so far, but more than 800,000 of these were not necessary. In one seven-day period, the rate of correct diagnosis dropped to an astonishing 1 out of 20, with 38,000 citizens taking the controversial antiviral. These alarming figures only came to light after the HPA took swabs from random samples of people who had used the NHS helpline.
This means close to a million people needlessly stayed at home in isolation over the summer, in the false belief that they had swine flu. "These figures are a damning indictment of the government's approach to tackling swine flu," said Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb. "Ministers had years to prepare for such an outbreak but completely failed to put in place an effective flu-line service. It's seriously concerning that large numbers of patients may have been put at risk through high rates of misdiagnosis.While protecting people during an outbreak has to be the priority we cannot escape the fact that an enormous amount of money has been wasted by giving people drugs they simply didn't need."
On top of an estimated 500 million pound cost to the UK economy, the misdiagnosis may have caused new health problems for the members of the public who took the antiviral. The Medicines and Health Regulatory Authority has been swamped with complaints of side-effects from members of the public who had taken Tamiflu, ( Read more... ) Current Music: Pleasant Chemistry - Pleasant Chemistry - Violins - Sleepy Mix (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on |
alobar
|
3:21a |
Exercise, Telomeres, and Longevity
Below from Natural News. Below that is a pic on telomere function. Click pic for website on Nobel Prize winning telomere info.
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New research: long-term physical activity slows aging on the cellular levelThursday, December 17, 2009 by: S. L. Baker, features writer
(NaturalNews) Telomeres, regions of DNA which protect the ends of chromosomes from destruction, have made big news in 2009. In fact, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded this year to researchers who investigated the nature of telomeres. Why all the interest? It appears telomeres hold the key to why we age because when a cell becomes old and dies, it's due to the shortening of chromosomal telomeres. So, if you could keep the length of telomeres from changing, that might literally halt aging. And now comes research showing there is a natural way to impact telomeres and produce an anti-aging effect -- long-term physical activity.
According to research just reported in the journal Circulation, intensive exercise can prevent a shortening of telomeres. ( Read more... ) Current Music: Chilled C'Quence - Circular Structure (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambient and |
alobar
|
3:06a |
Topical THC Hemp Oil Cures Some Cancers
Below from Natural News.
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Small Community Cancer Cure Crushed by Big Pharma, Part IThursday, December 17, 2009 by: Paul Fassa, citizen journalist
See all articles by this author
Email this author
(NaturalNews) A small Canadian community's success with curing cancer naturally was recently crushed, forcing its provider into exile in Europe. Rick Thompson had discovered a cure for himself and then had shared it at no cost with others in the small rural town of Maccan, Nova Scotia.
Rick offered results without side effects, and the Maccan residents took advantage. The results were amazing with even cancer patients. There are always problems promoting alternative cures. But here was an additional obstacle. The cure was hemp oil with the illegal substance THC.
Rick`s Reasons
Rick Thompson experienced a head injury at work in 1997. Afterward he was afflicted with post concussion syndrome. He was put on pharmaceuticals, which created dysfunctional side effects. He heard about the medical benefits of marijuana. So Rick purchased a bag and began smoking daily.
Eventually, both the post concussion syndrome and the pharmaceutical drug fog vanished completely. Rick's doctor discouraged him from smoking. So Rick decided on growing his own hemp and extracting the oil with THC. He reduced a pound of plants by slow boiling in a solution to get a small tube of thick THC concentrated oil.
Soon after he began, Rick was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma. After one of the three cancers was removed surgically, it came back. So he decided to try the THC laden hemp oil topically. Within days, all three skin cancers were completely healed. Rick deduced that THC hemp oil cured cancer, but smoking marijuana would not.
Helping Others
So Rick began sharing the hemp oil within his community for free. Everyone experienced remarkable improvement by taking a drop orally twice daily or applying it topically. Rick Dwyer, the manager of the local Royal American Legion branch was very impressed. His father's terminal lung cancer was cured in weeks after the medicos had sent him home to die.
( Read more... ) Current Music: Alien Mutation Vs. Indigo Egg - Neuroscopic Bubbling Pond Life (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on |
alobar
|
2:56a |
Aspartame alert: Diet soda destroys kidney function
Below from Natural News.
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Aspartame alert: Diet soda destroys kidney function
Thursday, December 17, 2009 by: E. Huff, staff writer
(NaturalNews) Scientists from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston have revealed results from a study outlining some of the effects of artificial sweeteners on the body. Conducted on a group of 3,000 women, the results indicated that those who drank two or more artificially-sweetened beverages a day doubled their risk of more-rapid-than-normal kidney function decline.
The study accounted for various other risk factors including the woman's age, her blood pressure, if she smoked, and if she had any other pre-existing conditions such as heart disease or diabetes. The 11-year study evaluated the effects of all sweetened drinks on progressive kidney decline and discovered that two or more diet drinks leads to a two-fold increase in rapid kidney decline incidences.
Though study results did not show any correlation between sugar- or corn syrup-sweetened drinks and the onset of rapid kidney decline, these ingredients are implicated in causing diabetes and obesity and should not be perceived as safe merely because they did not have a direct correlation in this particular study topic.
High sodium intake was also implicated in the study as promoting progressive kidney decline. Since diet soda contains excessive amounts of sodium, higher than sugar soda, it is no surprise that diet sodas were the primary offenders in the study. However it is unclear from this particular study which ingredient plays the larger role in progressive kidney decline, the artificial sweeteners or the sodium content.
When aspartame was first approved in the 1970s under the name "NutraSweet", studies were submitted as supposed proof that the artificial chemical was safe. The FDA initially approved the chemical in 1974 for use in a limited number of foods based upon the studies submitted by G.D. Searle Co., the company that invented aspartame.
Following a discovery made shortly thereafter by a research psychiatrist who found that aspartic acid, a primary ingredient in aspartame, caused holes to form in the brains of mice, the FDA decided to form its own internal task force to investigate the initial claims made by the Searle Co.
What the agency discovered was a series of falsified claims, compromised study results, and missing information. The claims made in favor of aspartame were so dubious and the evidence so faulty that the FDA decreed that a grand jury should investigate Searle Co.'s claims. Unfortunately, the case failed to move forward when U.S. Attorney Thomas Sullivan and Assistant U.S. Attorney William Conlon failed to initiate any legal action. Conlon was later hired by the law firm that represented Searle Co.
Investigation revealed that aspartame had caused tumors, seizures, brain holes, and death in many of the studies. All negative findings had been altered or scrubbed from the final reports delivered to the FDA when aspartame was first reviewed.
Time and time again the question over whether aspartame is safe has led to investigations that never go anywhere. Studies are continually released in support of the chemical's safety even though they fail to address the results of other studies that show it to be harmful.
A study published in the January, 2008 issue of the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health revealed that the newer artificial sweetener, sucralose, alters gut microflora and inhibits the assimilation of dietary nutrients.
Commonly marketed as being "made from sugar", sucralose had undergone no long-term human studies to verify its safety in humans.( Read more... ) Current Music: Johannes Schmoelling - Icewalk (Ulrich Schnauss Remix (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space o |
alobar
|
2:44a |
Forced Vaccinations, Government, and the Public Interest
Below by way of the Alternative Medicine Forum. The concept of "herd immunity" is so fucking bogus. I's be willing to bet that the only medical professionals who prewach it are those who make big $$ from vaccinations or stock in vaccine companies.
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Forced Vaccinations, Government, and the Public Interest
By Dr. Russell Blaylock, M.D.
December 2009
Those who are observant have noticed a dangerous trend in the United States, as well as worldwide, and that is the resorting of various governments at different levels to mandating forced vaccination upon the public at large. My State of Mississippi has one of the most-restrictive vaccine-exemption laws in the United States, where exemptions are allowed only upon medical recommendation. Ironically, this is only on paper, as many have had as many as three physicians, some experts in neurological damage caused by vaccines, provide written calls for exemption, only to be turned down by the State’s public-health officer. Worse are the States, such as Massachusetts, New Jersey and Maryland, where forced vaccinations have either been mandated by the courts, the state legislature, or have such legislation pending. All of such policies strongly resemble those policies found in National Socialist empires, Stalinist countries, or Communist China. When public-health officers are asked for the legal justification for such draconian measures as forcing people to accept vaccines that they deem either a clear and present danger to themselves and their loved ones or have had personal experience with serious adverse reactions to such vaccines, they usually resort to the need to protect the public. One quickly concludes that if the vaccines are as effective as being touted by the public-health officials, then why should one fear the unvaccinated? Obviously the vaccinated would have at least 95% protection. This question puts them in a very difficult position. Their usual response is that a “small” percentage of the vaccinated will not have sufficient protection and would still be at risk. Now, if they admit what the literature shows, that vaccine failure rates are much higher than the 5% they claim, they must face the next obvious question – then why should anyone take the vaccine if there is a significant chance it will not protect? When pressed further, they then resort to their favorite justification, the Holy Grail of the vaccine proponents – herd immunity. This concept is based upon the idea that 95% (and some now say 100%) of the population must be vaccinated to prevent an epidemic. The percentages needing vaccination grows progressively. I pondered this question for some time before the answer hit me. Herd immunity is mostly a myth and applies only to natural immunity – that is, contracting the infection itself. Is Herd Immunity Real? In the original description of herd immunity, the protection to the population at large occurred only if people contracted the infections naturally. The reason for this is that naturally-acquired immunity lasts for a lifetime. The vaccine proponents quickly latched onto this concept and applied it to vaccine-induced immunity. But, there was one major problem – vaccine-induced immunity lasted for only a relatively short period, from 2 to 10 years at most, and then this applies only to humoral immunity. This is why they began, silently, to suggest boosters for most vaccines, even the common childhood infections such as chickenpox, measles, mumps, and rubella. Then they discovered an even greater problem, the boosters were lasting for only 2 years or less. This is why we are now seeing mandates that youth entering colleges have multiple vaccines, even those which they insisted gave lifelong immunity, such as the MMR. The same is being suggested for full-grown adults. Ironically, no one in the media or medical field is asking what is going on. They just accept that it must be done. That vaccine-induced herd immunity is mostly myth can be proven quite simply. When I was in medical school, we were taught that all of the childhood vaccines lasted a lifetime. This thinking existed for over 70 years. It was not until relatively recently that it was discovered that most of these vaccines lost their effectiveness 2 to 10 years after being given. What this means is that at least half the population, that is the baby boomers, have had no vaccine-induced immunity against any of these diseases for which they had been vaccinated very early in life. In essence, at least 50% or more of the population was unprotected for decades. If we listen to present-day wisdom, we are all at risk of resurgent massive epidemics should the vaccination rate fall below 95%. Yet, we have all lived for at least 30 to 40 years with 50% or less of the population having vaccine protection. That is, herd immunity has not existed in this country for many decades and no resurgent epidemics have occurred. Vaccine-induced herd immunity is a lie used to frighten doctors, public-health officials, other medical personnel, and the public into accepting vaccinations. When we examine the scientific literature, we find that for many of the vaccines protective immunity was 30 to 40%, meaning that 70% to 60% of the public has been without vaccine protection. Again, this would mean that with a 30% to 40% vaccine-effectiveness rate combined with the fact that most people lost their immune protection within 2 to 10 year of being vaccinated, most of us were without the magical 95% number needed for herd immunity. This is why vaccine defenders insist the vaccines have 95% effectiveness rates. Without the mantra of herd immunity, these public-health officials would not be able to justify forced mass vaccinations. I usually give the physicians who question my statement that herd immunity is a myth a simple example. When I was a medical student almost 40 years ago, it was taught that the tetanus vaccine would last a lifetime. Then 30 years after it had been mandated, we discovered that its protection lasted no more than 10 years. Then, I ask my doubting physician if he or she has ever seen a case of tetanus? Most have not. I then tell them to look at the yearly data on tetanus infections – one sees no rise in tetanus cases. The same can be said for measles, mumps, and other childhood infections. It was, and still is, all a myth. The entire case for forced mass vaccination rest upon this myth and it is important that we demonstrate the falsity of this idea. Neil Z. Miller, in his latest book The Vaccine Information Manual, provides compelling evidence that herd immunity is a myth. ( Read more... )Of special concern is the finding that many of the contaminant organisms can pass from generation to generation. For example, new studies have found that SV-40, a major contaminant of the polio vaccine until 1963, not only existed as a latent virus for the lifetime of those exposed to the vaccine but was being passed on to the next generation, primarily by way of sperm, something called vertical transmission. This means that every generation from now on will be infected with this known carcinogenic virus. There is also compelling evidence that some polio vaccines manufactured after 1963 may contain SV-40 virus. What makes the SV-40 contamination disaster of such concern is its association with so many cancers – including mesothelioma, medulloblastoma, ependymoma, meningioma, astrocytoma, oligodendroglioma, pituitary adenoma, glioblastoma, osteosarcomas, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, papillary thyroid carcinomas, and anaplastic thyroid carcinomas. The Federal government has gone to enormous links to cover up this association, despite the powerful scientific evidence that this vaccine infected at least a hundred million people worldwide with this carcinogenic virus. And, it took over 40 years just to get this far. Linking vaccine contaminations and immunoexcitotoxicity to the drastic rise in neurodegenerative diseases will probably take even longer because of the widespread growth of entrenched powers high in government and their control of the media, which is equally extensive. The fact that powerful, enormously wealthy foundations, such as the Ford Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Rockefeller series of foundations, are supporting forced vaccination greatly enhances the power of governments all over the World. These foundations operate in the shadows, influencing legislation and government actions through the World Health Organization and individual governmental bodies. ( Read more... )Dr. Blaylock is a board-certified neurosurgeon, author and lecturer. He attended the LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans, Louisiana and completed his internship and neurosurgical residency at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina. For the past 24 years he has practiced neurosurgery in addition to having a nutritional practice for 2 years. Retiring from his neurosurgical practice to devote full time to nutritional studies and research, Dr. Blaylock has written and illustrated three books (Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills, Health and Nutrition Secrets That Can Save Your Life, and Natural Strategies for The Cancer Patient). In addition, he has written and illustrated three chapters in medical textbooks, written a booklet on nutritional protection against biological terrorism, has an e-booklet on radioprotection (Nuclear Sunrise), written and illustrated a booklet on multiple sclerosis, and written over 30 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals.
Other credits include Dr. Blaylock's DVD Nutrition & Behavior, a CD-ROM on the Truth About Aspartame, and, for the past five years, a health newsletter The Blaylock Wellness Report, published by NewsMax. Since the publication of his first book, he has been a guest on over 100 syndicated radio and television programs and appeared on the 700 Club seven times. He lectures widely to both lay and professional medical audiences on a variety of nutritional subjects.
Dr. Blaylock is a visiting professor of biology at Belhaven College and serves on the editorial staff of the Journal of the American Nutraceutical Association, the editorial staff of the Fluoride Journal and is on the editorial staff of the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, official journal of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons. He is also a regular lecturer for the Fellowship for Anti-aging and Regenerative Medicine. </span> http://www.thenhf.com/vaccinations/vac_299.htm</font> Current Music: Pitch Black - Unadunna (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambient and mid-tempo elect |
| Wednesday, December 16th, 2009 |
alobar
|
5:02p |
Yet More Record Breaking Rain!
OK, this is the FOURTH day of record breaking rain this month. Sheesh! Enough already!
I can work tonight, but Thursday is predicted to be more rain. Xmas eve is also predicted to be heavy rain. I would very much appreciate it if the 10 days following were ALL DRY!
===========================================
Record Report Statement as of 01:01 am CST on December 16, 2009
... Record daily maximum rainfall set at New Orleans International Airport...
A record rainfall of 5.71 inches was set at New Orleans International Airport yesterday. This breaks the old record of 2.87 set in 1970.
This brings the monthly rainfall total for December 2009 at New Orleans International Airport to 22.48 inches. This exceeds the previous wettest December... which was 10.77 inches in 1977. This also is the wettest month ever recorded at New Orleans International Airport... where records date back to 1947. The previous wettest
month was 21.18 inches set in may 1995.
For the entire New Orleans metropolitan area... dating back to 1871... the all time wettest month still stands at 25.11 inches in October 1937... due largely to a slow moving tropical storm in early October of that year.
Current Music: Aphex Twin - Hedphelym (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambient and mid-tempo elect |
lailea
|
4:24p |
Dolphin
You're like a ray of sun, breaking through the clouds and balancing on the cusp of a wave--brilliant flickering diadems shine momentarily along its prehistoric back--before you vanish again into the cool steel-grays of forever. I wait, watching those mammoth waves roll over each other like the lumbering backs of old whales, watching each until your warmth should break through again to cast your glistening charms over the Atlantic. |
alobar
|
6:53a |
Gross Projectile Adventure
I was going to put this post as a comment to me earlier post, but there is no way to lj-cut a comment. So I put it here so those with delicate stomachs can NOT click on the cut below.
It seems that adding heavy cream to my liquid salad was definitely NOT a good idea.
( Read more... ) Current Music: Eleven Bars - Eleven Bars (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambient and mid-tempo el |
alobar
|
5:03a |
FDA dupes Interpol to Kidnap an Herbalist!
Below from Natural News.
===================================
FDA dupes Interpol to achieve illegal kidnapping and deportation
of herbal formulator Greg Caton
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
Editor of NaturalNews.com
(NaturalNews) The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today stands accused of taking part in the kidnapping and illegal extradition of a permanent resident of Ecuador, in violation of both international law and Ecuadorian law.
Greg Caton, owner and operator of Alpha Omega Labs (www.AltCancer.com), an herbal products company that sells anti-cancer herbal remedies made with Ecuadorian medicinal herbs, was arrested at gunpoint at a road checkpoint in Ecuador, then transported to an Ecuadorian holding facility to await a hearing on December 14, 2009. Caton was expected to be set free by the Ecuadorian judge at that hearing based on the facts of the case which indicated Caton's permanent residency in Ecuador is legal and valid.
Three days before the hearing could take place, Caton was taken from his holding facility and, with the help of U.S. State Department employees, involuntarily placed on an American Airlines plane headed for Miami. An Ecuadorian judge rushed to the airport in Guayaquil and demanded that Caton be released from the plane, stating that the attempted deportation was illegal, but American Airlines employees reportedly refused to allow Caton to leave the plane, stating that the plane was "U.S. territory" and that Ecuadorian law did not apply there (even though the plane was still on the tarmac in Guayaquil and under the direction of the air traffic control tower there).
The plane then departed Guayaquil and continued its flight to Miami where Greg Caton was held in a federal detention facility to await trial in the U.S.
His crimes? Selling herbal medicine and daring to tell the truth about those medicines on his website.
By the way, you can listen to my exclusive interview with Cathryn Caton, who details these events in a downloadable MP3 audio file. Find the file here: http://www.naturalnews.com/Index-Po...
FDA vs. Greg CatonThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration has, for many years, pursued Caton, accusing him of selling "unapproved drugs" -- herbal medicines that have never been, and will never be, approved by the FDA to treat anything. He was convicted of these crimes in 2003 and served 33 months in federal prison.
After serving his term, Caton was on probation for another three years. As Greg Caton's wife explained to me in an exclusive interview, eighteen months into that probation, Caton received word that a "rogue FDA agent" named John Armand was intimidating his ex-employees in an attempt to convince them to testify against Caton in order to have him convicted of further charges that would lead to more prison time.
After submitting a request to his presiding judge to ask that the remainder of his probation be excused, Caton moved to Ecuador and acquired permanent residency there, in part to escape persecution by what he saw as a rogue FDA agent violating the law in an effort to see Caton prosecuted yet again.
As you'll see below, this fear was not unfounded.
In Ecuador, by the way, selling herbs and accurately describing their medicinal properties is not a crime. It's common sense.
Every pharmacy, health food store, shaman and medicine man openly talks about the anti-cancer properties of various herbs. No one goes to prison for selling medicinal herbs in Ecuador -- the very idea seems silly. Why would any nation want to lock up its healers?
So the "crimes" for which Caton was convicted in the USA aren't even considered crimes in more medicinally enlightened countries such as Ecuador. There, people like Caton are considered valuable members of society.
Back in the U.S., the only real crime Caton was now guilty of was failing to serve his last 18 months of probation. But even that probation sentence was based on the false crime of Caton selling medicinal herbs while accurately describing their health-related properties. In other words, if not for the FDA's persecution of all herbalists who sell anti-cancer herbs, Caton would never have had jail time nor probation to begin with.
The FDA invokes InterpolWhen the FDA realized Caton had moved to Ecuador, they went to work to try to have Caton arrested internationally. In order to accomplish this, they needed to have Caton listed as a wanted fugitive with Interpol, the international police database headquartered in Lyon, France.
Interpol is normally reserved for listing serious criminals: Murderers, rapists, terrorists, international money launderers, war criminals and the like. NaturalNews contacted Interpol to inquire as to how Gregory Caton, an herbal formulator violating nothing more than probation, could have been listed with Interpol as a wanted international fugitive with a so-called "Red Notice" -- Interpol's highest alert level. This is the kind of alert level someone like Osama Bin Laden might normally merit with Interpol.
We were told by the U.S. Interpol office (under the DOJ), "those individuals placed on a Most Wanted List are the ones who have allegedly committed the most heinous of crimes for a very long period of time."
In other words, the Interpol "Red Notice" designation -- which was applied to Greg Caton's listing -- is never applied to people who merely skip probation. The Greg Caton listing with Interpol, NaturalNews learned, was off protocol. Someone, it seemed, had managed to exploit the DOJ / Interpol system to get Caton listed as an international fugitive when he was merely guilty of skipping out on the last 18 months of his probation.
Exaggerating the information with InterpolTo make the Interpol listing sound more serious, paperwork was submitted to Interpol decision makers that listed Caton's offenses as "drugs related crimes, fraud."
This implies that Caton was engaged in some sort of serious drug operation: Drug smuggling, perhaps, or drug dealing. In reality, his only crime was selling medicinal herbs that the FDA mislabels "drugs" in its own bizarre regulatory language -- the same language that calls cherries "drugs" if they are sold alongside any words describing their benefits for relieving arthritis pain and inflammation.
To the FDA, even a bottle of water can be considered a "drug" if it's sold with the claim that it prevents dehydration, a medical condition.
The obvious question in all this, then, is: Who could have managed to exploit the Interpol system and get Greg Caton listed as an international fugitive?
Clues lead back to the FDA's Office of Criminal InvestigationThe clue comes right from the Interpol listing itself, where it describes the origin of the "arrest warrant" as Lafayette, Louisiana. You can see the Interpol listing here: http://www.interpol.int/public/data...
Lafayette, Louisiana is the former operating base of FDA criminal investigations officer John Armand, the agent who went after Caton in 1999 and who managed to get him convicted of a felony crime (selling medicinal herbs) in 2003.
NaturalNews attempted to contact John Armand to get his comments for this story. I called the FDA office in Lafayette, Louisiana, identified myself as a reporter for NaturalNews, and asked to speak with agent John Armand. I was told he had been relocated to Florida and could now be reached out of the Jacksonville office.
I called the FDA's Jacksonville office, identified myself and asked to speak with agent John Armand for his comments on this story. I was told that I must first speak to a "press officer" of the FDA, as only a press officer could offer public comment. The next day, I was able to reach FDA press officer Mike Kelly whose reply mirrors FDA official policy: "No comment."
( Read more... ) Current Music: Akhentek - Piksee (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambient and mid-tempo electronic |
alobar
|
3:35a |
Fat Gang Is Bad Cover Story for Cop Executions
Below is an update on the story I linked to about a month ago. So it is nothing exciting as a fat stealing ring, but just a police hit squad. What an utterly ridiculous cover story!
======================================
Peru's Fat-Stealing Gang: Crime or Cover-Up?
By Lucien Chauvin / Lima Tuesday, Dec. 01, 2009
 A police officer displays two bottles containing human fat while another arranges seized sticks of dynamite at a press conference in Lima, Nov. 19 Karel Navarro / APUpdated: Dec. 1, 2009</span> Much of the world was shocked and titillated by news of alleged fat-stealing murderers in the Peruvian jungle. But the story may have a much more sinister underbelly. Could the allegation of homicidal liposuction possibly be a smokescreen to distract attention from other crimes, including, some local journalists say, the existence of a death squad that may be operating within the country's national police? The existence of marauding fat stealers was made public mid-November by General Felix Murga, head of the national police's criminal-investigation division, and Colonel Jorge Mejia, who leads the antikidnapping unit. The Murga-Mejia team said the gang may have killed dozens of people over the past three decades and showed off two dirty bottles containing a yellowish goop they said was human fat that had been harvested for sale to European buyers in the cosmetics business. Three people have been arrested and the search continues for at least six other fat removers. (See the top 10 unsolved crimes.) The police dubbed the gang the pishtacos, based on colonial folklore of a tall, white male who wears a broad-rimmed hat and roams the highlands, stealing the fat — and sometimes the eyes — of unsuspecting travelers. The pishtaco is equivalent to Bigfoot in the U.S. northwest or the chupacabra in the southwest. Everyone has a tale, but the creature remains elusive. (See the 25 crimes of the century.) In this case, also elusive are the Italian nationals whom the police claim were paying $60,000 a gallon for unprocessed human fat; nowhere to be found, too, were the dozens of headless, fatless bodies supposedly dangling in a clandestine fat-rendering laboratory. While the story made for spectacular news reports, the account was quickly questioned by doctors, security experts and even others in the national police. By the end of November, police authorities and not the fat thieves were the ones under the microscope. First, the basic facts about human fat are at odds with the story. Fat does not last very long outside the body and would be of little use once stored in dirty, returnable bottles of Inca Kola, Peru's electric yellow, bubble gum–flavored soda. Says Dr. Roni Luna, a plastic surgeon in Lima: "Human fat has no value. It can be removed from one part of a person's body and injected into another part of the same person, but that's it. Anyone who has taken a rudimentary class in human biology can tell you that decomposition would happen within 30 minutes or less." Luna scoffed at the police's description of the gang beheading its victims, hanging the corpses upside down and coaxing out the fat with votive candles similar to those lit in Catholic churches to ask saints for favors. The police investigation included an artist's depiction of this fat-harvesting process — a scientific impossibility. Dr. William Mitchell, an anthropology professor at New Jersey's Monmouth University who has studied the pishtaco myth in Peru's central highlands, says the current story is so ludicrous that he nearly dropped the phone when his son called to tell him the news. "My first reaction was, 'What?' This story is so crazy that the only thing I could imagine was that the police officers either believed the tale of someone trying to cover up a crime or they were trying to cover up something themselves," says Mitchell. ( Read more... ) |
alobar
|
3:18a |
How Americans are as blind to US fascism as Nazi-era Germans
I forget who I nipped this from.
=====================================
Change blindness: research and history how Americans are as blind to US fascism as Nazi-era Germans
December 12, 4:25
PMLA County Nonpartisan Examiner
Carl Herman
 We hold these Truths to be self-evident... Psychological research demonstrates that large-scale dramatic change can escape attention when the change is unsuspected, unannounced, and agents causing the change act as if nothing is different. Two areas of this cognitive study are “change blindness” and “inattentional blindness.” When we include consideration of “cognitive dissonance,” the rejection of facts when they conflict with important beliefs, we can approach an explanation of how educated citizens could accept fascism when it was unsuspected, unannounced, and the responsible agents fraudulently represented the new government as no different from the old. Cognitive dissonance would deter many people to accept the new reality, even when the facts were clear. The definition of “fascism” has some academic variance, but is essentially collusion among corporatocracy, authoritarian government, and controlled media and education. This “leadership” is only possible with a nationalistic public accepting policies of war, empire, and limited civil and political rights. Yes, I am making the argument that the US is no longer a constitutinal republic, but a fascist regime that Americans are struggling with cognitive dissonance, change blindness, and inattentional blindness to recognize. Let’s look to history before we consider the US of the present and if we are afflicted with a kind of cognitive blindness to American fascism. Fascism in Germany Current Music: Insanity Sect - Subliminal Air (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambient and mid-tem |
alobar
|
1:29a |
Cops Shield Other Cops' Families from Justice
Below from Thomas Edmonds,jr. on FaceBook. Same shit happens here in New Orleans. Back when Dirty White Boy threatened to kill me, it seemed to me like an open and shut case. But Dirty White Boy never went to trial. I know this sounds simplistic, but cops whose loyalty to other cops' families is greater than their loyalty to enforcing the law need to be rounded up and executed.
=======================================
Posted on Tue, Dec. 15, 2009 Preferential treatment for cops' kin? By BARBARA LAKER & WENDY RUDERMAN
Philadelphia Daily News lakerb@phillynews.com 215-854-5933 IT WAS just after midnight. Brian Westberry and a woman friend sat frozen in his bedroom, hoping the persistent pounding on the front door of his Northeast Philly home would stop. It didn't.
Westberry, 24, slipped his licensed .38-caliber revolver into his pants pocket and crept downstairs to open the door.
There stood Gregory Cujdik, 32, who demanded to see "Jen," his girlfriend. Westberry told him "Jen" didn't want to see him, and repeatedly ordered Cujdik to leave. When Cujdik refused, Westberry threatened to call police. " 'Do it. My family are cops,' " Cujdik said, according to Westberry.
What Westberry didn't know at that early-morning hour of Palm Sunday, April 5, was that Cujdik's father, Louis, is a retired police veteran and that his two brothers, Jeffrey and Richard, are narcotics officers.
Before Westberry could finish dialing 9-1-1 on his cell phone, Cujdik stepped through the doorway and punched him in the throat, Westberry said.
That's when Westberry pulled out his gun and Cujdik fled, Westberry told the Daily News.
Westberry never fired the gun. In fact, Westberry suffered the only injury when Cujdik staggered him with a punch. But rather than arrest Cujdik, a convicted drug dealer, authorities slapped Westberry with a slew of criminal charges, including felony aggravated assault, possession of an instrument of crime, terroristic threats, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.
From there, Westberry's life got worse. Westberry believes Cudjik is behind a Nov. 14 arson of his house. Detectives didn't question Cujdik until after a Daily News reporter asked a police captain about the case earlier this month.
Cujdik did not return messages from the Daily News left on his cell phone.
Westberry and his family allege that police considered Cujdik untouchable and gave him preferential treatment because of his family ties to law enforcement.
Current Music: Andy Hughes - Antillia (Space Station Soma: Tune in, turn on, space out. Ambient and mid-tempo elect |
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