MetterMartialArts.com hopes to swap links with as many martial arts related organizations as possible. If you want your site to appear on this list simply e-mail your URL to MartialArtsAcademy@excite.com. All we ask is that you extend the same courtesy to us by including our URL on your links page.

Martial Arts Links

Table of Contents

Home Cures and Other Interesting Information

Note: We have not necessarily tried nor confirmed (nor denied) these remedies, nor do we vouch for their efficacy or safety. Please report any results you may obtain (positive or negative) to us, so we may update this information that is presented for educational purposes only.

Massage and Healing Arts Links

Martial Arts Links



    mahunter.com

    Interesting Information



    Home Cures and Other Interesting Information Note: We have not necessarily tried nor confirmed (nor denied) these remedies, nor do we vouch for their efficacy or safety. Please report any results you may obtain (positive or negative) to us, so we may update this information which is presented for educational purposes only.
  • Making and Throwing Knives Information about making and throwing knives
  • Karen's Diabetic Diet Tips
  • Price of Drugs Cost of medication at costco.
  • Bananas, the miracle fruit? Some health benefits of eating bananas.
  • John Hopkins News Alert Danger of using plastics.
  • Eating for Excercise, Eating for Life What you eat is far more influential on your body -- and your body shape -- than exercise can ever be.
  • Did Cavemen Have Lower Back Pain? As hunter-gatherers, humans maintained their strength, endurance, flexibility and vitality through various physical and mental stimuli, as provided by our environmen
  • How to do Boat Pose - Navasana Builds abdominal and core strength
  • Excercise Good for Early Knee Osteoarthritis A new study may help dispel the notion that exercise might do more harm than good for people with early symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee.
  • http://www.abroadlanguages.com/al/italian/ Italian language schools in Florence
  • http://altmedicine.about.com/ An interesting info site.
  • France
  • How to Exhale
    Breathing exercises are a wonderfully effective way to reduce stress, regulate heartbe at, and feel energized. One way to promote deeper breathing and better health is by exhaling completely. Try it: take a deep breath, let it out effortlessly, an d then squeeze out a little more. Doing this regularly will help build up the muscles between your ribs, and your exhalations will soon become deeper and longer. Start by practicing this exhalation exercise consciously, and before long it will become a healthy, unconscious habit.
  • Nighttime Coughing
    To stop nighttime coughing in a child (or adult as we found out personally), put Vicks Vaporub generously on the bottom of the feet at bedtime then cover with socks. Even persistent, heavy, deep coughing will stop in about 5 minutes and stay stopped for many, many hours of relief. Works 100% of the time and is more effective in children than even very strong prescription cough medicines. In addition it is extremely soothing and comforting and they will sleep soundly. I heard the head of the Canada Research Council describe these findings on the part of their scientists when they were investigating the effectiveness and usage of prescription cough medicines in children as compared to alternative therapies like acupressure. Just happened to tune in A.M. Radio and picked up this guy talking about why cough medicines in kids often do more harm than good due to the chemical makeup of these strong drugs so, I listened. It was a surprising finding and found to be more effective than prescribed medicines for children at bedtime, and in addition, to have a soothing and calming effect on sick children who then went on to sleep soundly. Some say this works 100% of the time although the scientists at the Canada Research council (who discovered it) aren't sure why.
  • Good Tips / Facts on Honey and Cinnamon:
    It is found that a mixture of Honey and Cinnamon cures many diseases. Honey is produced in most of the countries of the world. Ayurvedic as well as Yunani medicine have been using honey as a vital medicine for centuries. Scientists of today also accept honey as a "Ram Ban" (very effective) medicine for all kinds of diseases. Honey can be used without any side effects for any kind of diseases. Today's science says that even though honey is sweet, if taken in the right dosage as a medicine, it does not harm diabetic patients. Weekly World News, a magazine in Canada, on its issue dated 17 January, 1995 has given the following list of diseases that can be cured by Honey and Cinnamon as researched by western scientists.
    HEART DISEASES:     Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, apply on bread, chappati, or other bread, instead of jelly and jam and eat it regularly for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol in the arteries and saves the patient from heart attack. Also those who already had an attack, if they do this process daily, they are kept miles away from the next attack. Regular use of the above process relieves loss of breath and strengthens the heartbeat. In America and Canada, various nursing homes have treated patients successfully and have found that as age the arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged; honey and cinnamon revitalizes the arteries and veins.
    INSECT BITES:     Take one part honey to two parts of lukewarm water and add a small teaspoon of cinnamon powder, make a paste and massage it on the itching part of the body slowly. It is noticed that the pain recedes within a minute or two.
    ARTHRITIS:     Arthritis patients may take daily, morning and night, one cup of hot water with two spoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder. If taken regularly even chronic arthritis can be cured. In a recent research conducted at the Copenhagen University, it was found that when the doctors treated their patients with a mixture of one tablespoon Honey and half teaspoon Cinnamon powder before breakfast, they found that within a week out of the 200 people so treated practically 73 patients were totally relieved of pain and within a month, mostly all the patients who could not walk or move around because of arthritis started walking without pain.
    HAIR LOSS:     Those suffering from hair loss or baldness, may apply a paste of hot olive oil, one tablespoon of honey, one teaspoon of cinnamon powder before bath and keep it for approx. 15 min. and then wash the hair. It was found to be effective even if kept on for 5 minutes.
    BLADDER INFECTIONS:     Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm water and drink it. It destroys the germs in the bladder.
    TOOTHACHE:     Make a paste of one teaspoon of cinnamon powder and five teaspoons of honey and apply on the aching tooth. This may be applied 3 times a day till the tooth stops aching.
    CHOLESTEROL:     Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of Cinnamon Powder mixed in 16 ounces of tea water, given to a cholesterol patient, was found to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10% within 2 hours. As mentioned for arthritic patients, if taken 3 times a day, any Chronic cholesterol is cured. As per information received in the said journal, pure honey taken with food daily relieves complaints of cholesterol. COLDS: Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon lukewarm honey with 1/4 spoon cinnamon powder daily for 3 days. This process will cure most chronic cough, cold and clear the sinuses.
    INFERTILITY:     Yunani and Ayurvedic Medicine have been using honey for thousands of years to strengthen the semen of men. If impotent men regularly take two tablespoon of honey before going to sleep, their problem will be solved. In China, Japan and Far-East countries, women, who do not conceive and need to strengthen the uterus, have been taking cinnamon powder for centuries. Women who cannot conceive may take a pinch of cinnamon powder in half teaspoon of honey and apply it on the gums frequently throughout the day, so that it slowly mixes with the saliva and enters the body. A couple in Maryland, USA, had no children for 14 years and had lost hope of having a child of their own. When told about this process, husband and wife started taking honey and cinnamon as stated above; the wife conceived after a few months and had twins at full term.
    UPSET STOMACH:     Honey taken with cinnamon powder cures stomachache and also clears stomach ulcers from the root.
    GAS:     According to the studies done in India & Japan, it is revealed that if honey is taken with cinnamon powder the stomach is relieved of gas.
    IMMUNE SYSTEM:     Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacteria and viral attacks. Scientists have found that honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts. Constant use of honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles to fight bacteria and viral diseases.
    INDIGESTION:     Cinnamon powder sprinkled on two tablespoons of honey taken before food, relieves acidity and digests the heaviest of meals..
    INFLUENZA:     A scientist in Spain has proved that honey contains a natural ingredient, which kills the influenza germs and saves the patient from flu.
    LONGEVITY:     Tea made with honey and cinnamon powder, when taken regularly arrests the ravages of old age. Take 4 spoons of honey, 1 spoon of cinnamon powder and 3 cups of water and boil to make like tea. Drink 1/4 cup, 3 to 4 times a day. It keeps the skin fresh and soft and arrests old age. Life spans also increases and even a 100 year old, starts performing the chores of a 20-year-old.
    PIMPLES:     Three tablespoons of Honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon powder paste. Apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash it next morning with warm water. If done daily for two weeks, it removes pimples from the root.
    SKIN INFECTIONS:     Applying honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts on the affected parts cures eczema, ringworm and all types of skin infections.
    WEIGHT LOSS:     Daily in the morning 1/2 hour before breakfast on an empty stomach and at night before sleeping, drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one-cup water. If taken regularly it reduces the weight of even the most obese person. Also, drinking of this mixture regularly does not allow the fat to accumulate in the body even though the person may eat a high calorie diet.
    CANCER:     Recent research in Japan and Australia has revealed that advanced cancer of the stomach and bones have been cured successfully. Patients suffering from these kinds of cancer should daily take one tablespoon of honey with one teaspoon of cinnamon powder for one month 3 times a day.
    FATIGUE:     Recent studies have shown that the sugar content of honey is more helpful rather than being detrimental to the strength of the body. Senior citizens, who take honey and cinnamon power in equal parts, are more alert and flexible. Dr. Milton who has done research says that a half tablespoon honey taken in a glass of water and sprinkled with cinnamon powder, taken daily after brushing and in the afternoon at about 3.00 p.m. when the vitality of the body starts to decrease, increases the vitality of the body within a week.
    BAD BREATH:     People of South America, first thing in the morning gargle with one teaspoon of honey and cinnamon powder mixed in hot water. So their breath stays fresh throughout the day.
    HEARING LOSS:     Daily morning and night honey and cinnamon powder taken in equal parts restore hearing.
  • Do You Want to Eat Animal Clones? If you answered no, you're not alone - most Americans would rather not eat milk and meat from cloned animals. Yet the FDA is considering allowing milk and meat from cloned animals and their offspring to be sold as food, without any requirement to label this food as derived from clones - meaning cloned meat and milk could soon be coming to a market near you. Take action: tell the FDA to keep the moratorium on meat and milk from cloned animals and their offspring! So what's the problem with clones? Cloning produces unhealthy animals who suffer needlessly. Clones die at a young age and suffer high rates of birth defects. Large doses of drugs, including antibiotics, are used on these clones to help them survive to adulthood. And all of those drugs pose an indirect threat to human health. This increased use of antibiotics will exacerbate the problem of antibiotic resistance, which is already a serious problem for humans. We as consumers have the right to know what is in our food. By allowing meat and milk from cloned animals and their offspring to be sold without labels, the FDA is denying us this right, and ignoring the fact that most Americans are uncomfortable with animal cloning. Sign our petition today: urge the FDA to keep the moratorium on meat and milk from cloned animals and their offspring and to require food from clones to be labeled if it is ever allowed on the market. Thank you for taking action today, Rebecca Young, Care2 and The Petition Site team
  • THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW YOUR CELL PHONE COULD DO
    There are a few thing’s that can be done in times of grave emergencies. Your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool for survival. Check out the things that you can do with it:
    FIRST
    Subject: Emergency The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile; network and there is an emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly this number 112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked. Try it out.
    SECOND
    Subject: Have you locked your keys in the car? Does your car have remote keyless entry? This may come in handy someday. Good reason to own a cell phone: If you lock your keys in the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their cell phone from your cell phone. Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end. Your car will unlock. Saves someone from having to drive your keys to you. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can reach someone who has the other "remote" for your car, you can unlock the doors (or the trunk). Editor's Note: It works fine! We tried it out and it unlocked our car over a cell phone!"
    THIRD
    Subject: Hidden Battery Power Imagine your cell battery is very low. To activate, press the keys *3370# Your cell will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you charge your cell next time.
    FOURTH
    How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone? To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the following digits on your phone: * # 0 6 # A 15 digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. When your phone get stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless. You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones. And Finally....
    FIFTH
    Cell phone companies are charging us $1.00 to $1.75 or more for 411 information calls when they don't have to. Most of us do not carry a tel ephone directory in our vehicle, which makes this situation even more of a problem. When you need to use the 411 information option, I know this is true cause I've used it..Jenny simply dial: (800) FREE 411, or (800) 373-3411 without incurring any charge at all. Program this into your cell phone now.
  • Uses for Peroxide
    Safer and Healthier than Bleach?

    A friend was over recently and smelled the bleach I was using to clean my toilet and countertops. This is what she told me... I would like to tell you of the benefits of that plain little ole bottle of 3% peroxide you can get for under $1.00 at any drug store. What does bleach cost? My husband has been in the medical field for over 36 years, and most doctors don't tell you about peroxide. Have you ever smelled bleach in a doctor's office? NO!!! Why? Because it smells, and it is not healthy! Ask the nurses who work in the doctor's offices, and ask them if they use bleach at home. They are wiser and know better! Did you also know bleach was invented in the late 40's? It's chlorine, Folks! And it was used to kill our troops. Peroxide was invented during WWI in the 20's. It was used to save and help cleanse the needs of our troops and hospitals. Please think about this.
    1. Take one capful (the little white cap that comes with the bottle) and hold in your mouth for 10 minutes daily, then spit it out. (I do it when I bathe.) No more canker sores, and your teeth will be whiter without expensive pastes. Use it instead of mouthwash.
    2. Let your toothbrushes soak in a cup of peroxide to keep them free of germs.
    3. Clean your counters and table tops with peroxide to kill germs and leave a fresh smell. Simply put a little on your dishrag when you wipe, or spray it on the counters.
    4. After rinsing off your wooden cutting board, pour peroxide on it to kill salmonella and other bacteria.
    5. I had fungus on my feet for years until I sprayed a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water on them (especially the toes) every night and let dry.
    6. Soak any infections or cuts in 3% peroxide for five to ten minutes several times a day. My husband has seen gangrene that would not heal with any medicine but was healed by soaking in peroxide.
    7. Fill a spray bottle with a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water and keep it in every bathroom to disinfect without harming your septic system like bleach or most other disinfectants will.
    8. Tilt your head back and spray into nostrils with your 50/50 mixture whenever you have a cold, plugged sinus. It will bubble and help to kill the bacteria. Hold for a few minutes, and then blow your nose into a tissue.
    9. If you have a terrible toothache and cannot get to a dentist right away, put a capful of 3% peroxide into your mouth and hold it for ten minutes several times a day. The pain will lessen greatly.
    10. And of course, if you like a natural look to your hair, spray the 50/50 solution on your wet hair after a shower and comb it through. You will not have the peroxide-burnt blonde hair like the hair dye packages but more natural highlights if your hair is a light brown, faddish, or dirty blonde. It also lightens gradually, so it's not a drastic change.
    11. Put half a bottle of peroxide in your bath to help rid boils, fungus, or other skin infections.
    12. You can also add a cup of peroxide instead of bleach to a load of whites in your laundry to whiten them. If there is blood on clothing, pour it directly on the soiled spot. Let it sit for a minute, then rub it and rinse with cold water. Repeat if necessary.
    13. I use peroxide to clean my mirrors. There is no smearing, which is why I love it so much for this.
    I could go on and on. It is a little brown bottle no home should be without! With prices of most necessities rising, I'm glad there's a way to save tons of money in such a simple, healthy manner!
  • MSG - The Slow Poisoning Of America

    MSG Hides Behind 25+ Names, Such As 'Natural Flavouring'
    MSG Is Also In Your Favorite Coffee Shops And Drive-Ups
    I wondered if there could be an actual chemical causing the massive obesity epidemic, so did a friend of mine, John Erb. He was a research assistant at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, and spent years working for the government. He made an amazing discovery while going through scientific journals for a book he was writing called "The Slow Poisoning of America". In hundreds of studies around the world, scientists were creating obese mice and rats to use in diet or diabetes test studies. No strain of rat or mice is naturally obese, so the scientists have to create them. They make these morbidly obese creatures by injecting them with MSG when they are first born. The MSG triples the amount of insulin the pancreas creates; causing rats (and humans?) to become obese. They even have a title for the fat rodents they create: "MSG-Treated Rats". I was shocked too. I went to my kitchen, checking the cupboards and the fridge. MSG was in everything: The Campbell's soups, the Hostess Doritos, the Lays flavored potato chips, Top Ramen, Betty Crocker Hamburger Helper, Heinz canned gravy, Swanson frozen prepared meals, Kraft salad dressings, especially the 'healthy low fat' ones. The items that didn't have MSG marked on the product label had something called ''Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein'', which is just another name for Monosodium Glutamate. It was shocking to see just how many of the foods we feed our children everyday are filled with this stuff. They hide MSG under many different names in order to fool those who carefully read the ingredient list, so they don't catch on. (Other names for MSG: 'Accent' - 'Aginomoto' - 'Natural Meet Tenderizer', etc) But it didn't stop there. When our family went out to eat, we started asking at the restaurants what menu items had MSG. Many employees, even the managers, swore they didn't use MSG. But when we ask for the ingredient list, which they grudgingly provided, sure enough MSG and Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein were everywhere:
    Burger King
    McDonalds
    Wendy's
    Taco Bell

    And every restaurant like: TGIF, Chilis', Applebees and Denny's use MSG in abundance. Kentucky Fried Chicken seemed to be the WORST offender: MSG was in EVERY chicken dish, salad dressing and gravy. No wonder I loved to eat that coating on the skin, their secret spice was MSG. So, why is MSG in so may of the foods we eat? Is it a preservative or a vitamin?? Not according to my friend John. In the book he wrote, an expose of the food additive industry called "The Slow Poisoning of America" he said that MSG is added to food for the addictive effect it has on the human body. http://www.spofamerica.com Even the propaganda website sponsored by the food manufacturers lobby group supporting MSG at: http://www.msgfactscom/facts/msgfact12.html explains that the reason they add it to food is to make people EAT MORE OF THEIR PRODUCTS. A study of the elderly showed that people eat more of the foods it is added to. The Glutamate Association lobby group says eating more benefits the elderly, but what does it do to the rest of us? 'Betcha can't eat just one', takes on a whole new meaning where MSG is concerned! And we wonder why the nation is overweight? The MSG manufacturers themselves admit that it addicts people to their products. It makes people choose their product over others, and makes people eat more of it than they would if MSG wasn't added. Not only is MSG scientifically proven to cause obesity, it is an addictive substance! Since its introduction into the American food supply fifty years ago, MSG has been added in larger and larger doses to the pre-packaged meals, soups, snacks and fast foods we are tempted to eat everyday. The FDA has set no limits on how much of it can be added to food. They claim it's safe to eat in any amount. How can they claim it safe when there are hundreds of scientific studies with titles like these? 'The monosodium glutamate (MSG) obese rat as a model for the study of exercise in obesity'. GobattoCA, Mello MA, Souza CT, Ribeiro IA.Res Commun Mol Pathol Pharmacol. 2002. 'Adrenalectomy abolishes the food-induced hypothalamic serotonin release in both normal and monosodium glutamate-obese rats'. Guimaraes RB, Telles MM, Coelho VB, Mori C, Nascimento CM, Ribeiro Brain Res Bull. 2002 Aug. 'Obesity induced by neonatal monosodium glutamate treatment in spontaneously hypertensive rats: an animal model of multiple risk factors'. Iwase M, Yamamoto M, Iino K, IchikawaK, Shinohara N, Yoshinari Fujishima Hypertens Res. 1998 Mar. 'Hypothalamic lesion induced by injection of monosodium glutamate in suckling period and subsequent development of obesity'. Tanaka K, Shimada M, Nakao K, Kusunoki Exp Neurol. 1978 Oct. Yes, that last study was not a typo, it WAS written in 1978. Both the "medical research community" and "food manufacturers" have known about MSG's side effects for decades! Many more studies mentioned in John Erb's book link MSG to Diabetes, Migraines and headaches, Autism, ADHD and even Alzheimer's. But what can we do to stop the food manufactures from dumping fattening and addictive MSG into our food supply and causing the obesity epidemic we now see? Even as you read this, G. W. Bush and his corporate supporters are pushing a Bill through Congress called the "Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act" also known as the "Cheeseburger Bill", this sweeping law bans anyone from suing food manufacturers, sellers and distributors. Even if it comes out that they purposely added an addictive chemical to their foods. Read about it for yourself at: http://www.yahoo.com. The Bill has already been rushed through the House of Representatives, and is due for the same rubber stamp at Senate level. It is important that Bush and his corporate supporters get it through before the media lets everyone know about 'MSG, the intentional Nicotine for food'. Several months ago, John Erb took his book and his concerns to one of the highest government health officials in Canada. While sitting in the Government office, the official told him "Sure, I know how bad MSG is, I wouldn't touch the stuff." But this top level government official refused to tell the public what he knew. The big media doesn't want to tell the public either, fearing legal issues with their advertisers. It seems that the fallout on fast food industry may hurt their profit margin. The food producers and restaurants have been addicting us to their products for years, and now we are paying the price for it. Our children should not be cursed with obesity caused by an addictive food additive. But what can I do about it?... I'm just one voice. What can I do to stop the poisoning of our children, while our governments are insuring financial protection for the industry that is poisoning us. This e-mail is going out to everyone I know in an attempt to tell you the truth that the corporate owned politicians and media won't tell you. The best way you can help to save yourself and your children from this drug-induced epidemic, is to forward this email to everyone. With any luck, it will circle the globe before politicians can pass the legislation protecting those who are poisoning us. The food industry learned a lot from the tobacco industry. Imagine if big tobacco had a bill like this in place before someone blew the whistle on Nicotine? If you are one of the few who can still believe that MSG is good for us, and you don't believe what John Erb has to say, see for yourself. Go to the National Library of Medicine, at http://www.pubmed.com. Type in the words "MSG Obese" and read a few of the 115 medical studies that appear. We the public, do not want to be rats in one giant experiment and we do not approve of food that makes us into a nation of obese, lethargic, addicted sheep, feeding the food industry's bottom line, while waiting for the heart transplant, diabetic induced amputation, blindness or other obesity induced, life threatening disorders. With your help we can put an end to this poison. Do your part in sending this message out by word of mouth, e-mail or by distribution of this print-out to all your friends all over the world and stop this 'Slow Poisoning of Mankind' by the packaged food industry. Blowing the whistle on MSG is our responsibility, get the word out.
  • Lock Bumping

    Thieves can easily bump a key into your lock and gain access to your house !!!!
    Watch this clip from a locksmith !!!
    Look also on you tube for unlocking autos.
    New house break in technique
    You won't believe this......please watch this.....
    Important thing to know to protect your home.
    You Tube - Lock Bumping and Bump Keys
    Lock Bumping
  • STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

    During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) and that she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00 pm, Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today Some don't die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead. It only takes a minute to read this... A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.
    RECOGNIZING A STROKE
    Thank God for the sense to remember the "3" steps, STR. Read and Learn! Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke. Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:
    S * Ask the individual to SMILE .
    T * Ask the person to TALK to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (i.e. . . It is sunny out today)
    R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS .
    *NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out their tongue. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke. If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher. A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this e-mail sends it to 10 people; you can bet that at least one life will be saved.
  • Miscellaneous Home Cures

    Eliminate ear mites. All it takes is a few drops of Wesson corn oil in your cat's ear...Massage it in, then clean with a cotton ball. Repeat daily for 3 days. The oil soothes the cat's skin, smothers the mites, and accelerates healing.

    Kills fleas instantly...Dawn dishwashing liquid does the trick. Add a few drops to your dog's bath and shampoo the animal thoroughly. Rinse well to avoid skin irritations. Good-bye fleas.

    Rainy day cure for dog odor... Next time your dog comes in from the rain, simply wipe down the animal with Bounce or any dryer sheet, instantly making your dog smell springtime fresh.

    Did You Know that drinking two glasses of Gatorade can relieve headache pain almost immediately-- without the unpleasant side effects caused by traditional "pain relievers."

    Did you know that Colgate toothpaste makes an excellent salve for burns.

    Before you head to the drugstore for a high-priced inhaler filled with mysterious chemicals, try chewing on a couple of curiously strong Altoids peppermints. They'll clear up your stuffed nose.

    Achy muscles from a bout of the flu? Mix 1 Tablespoon of horseradish in 1 cup of olive oil. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, then apply it as a massage oil, for instant relief for aching muscles.

    Sore throat? Just mix 1/4 cup of vinegar with 1/4 cup of honey and take 1 tablespoon six times a day. The vinegar kills the bacteria.

    Cure urinary tract infections with Alka-Seltzer. Just dissolve two tablets in a glass of water and drink it at the onset of the symptoms. Alka-Seltzer begins eliminating urinary tract infections almost instantly-- even though the product was never been advertised for this use.

    Honey remedy for skin blemishes ... Cover the blemish with a dab of honey and place a Band-Aid over it. Honey kills the bacteria, keeps the skin sterile, and speeds healing. Works overnight.

    Listerine therapy for toenail fungus. Get rid of unsightly toenail fungus by soaking your toes in Listerine mouthwash. The powerful antiseptic leaves your toenails looking healthy again.

    Easy eyeglass protection... To prevent the screws in eyeglasses from loosening, apply a small drop of Maybelline Crystal Clear nail polish to the threads of the screws before tightening them.

    Cleaning liquid that doubles as bug killer ... If menacing bees, wasps, hornets, or yellow jackets get in your home and you can't find the insecticide, try a spray of Formula 409. Insects drop to the ground instantly.

    Smart splinter remover. Just pour a drop of Elmer's Glue-All over the splinter, let dry, and peel the dried glue off the skin. The splinter sticks to the dried glue.

    Hunt's tomato paste boil cure ...cover the boil with Hunt's tomato paste as a compress. The acids from the tomatoes soothe the pain and bring the boil to a head.

    Balm for broken blisters... To disinfect a broken blister, dab on a few drops of Listerine. a powerful antiseptic.

    Vinegar to heal bruises ... Soak a cotton ball in white vinegar and apply it to the bruise for 1 hour. The vinegar reduces the blueness and speeds up the healing process.

    Quaker Oats for fast pain relief... It's not for breakfast any more! Mix 2 cups of Quaker Oats and 1 cup of water in a bowl and warm in the microwave for 1 minute, cool slightly, and apply the mixture to your hands for soothing relief from arthritis pain.
  • LIPSTICKS

    Important info regarding LIPSTICKS
    Ladies - This is good information to know and share with others. Something to consider next time you go shopping for lipstick......
    This comes from someone who works in the breast cancer unit at Mt. Sinai Hospital, in Toronto. From: Dr. Nahid Neman If there is a female you care anything about, share this with her. I did!!!!! I am also sharing this with the males on my email list, because they need to tell the females THEY care about as well! Recently a lipstick brand called "Red Earth" decreased their prices from $67 to $9.90. It contained lead. Lead is a chemical which causes cancer. The lipstick Brands that contain lead are:
    1. CHRISTIAN DIOR
    2. LANCOME
    3. CLINIQUE
    4. Y.S.L
    5. ESTE E LAUDER
    6 SHISEIDO
    7. RED EARTH (Lip Gloss)
    8. CHANEL (Lip Conditioner)
    9. MARKET AMERICA-MOTNES LIPSTICK.
    The higher the lead content, the greater the chance of causing cancer. After doing a test on lipsticks, it was found that the Y.S.L. lipstick contained the most amount of lead. Watch out for those lipsticks which are supposed to stay longer. If your lipstick stays longer, it is because of the higher content of lead. Here is the test you can do yourself:
    1. Put some lipstick on your hand.
    2. Use a Gold ring to scratch on the lipstick.
    3. If the lipstick color changes to black, then you know the lipstick contains lead.
    Please send this information to all your girlfriends, wives and female family members. This in formation is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center Dioxin Carcinogens cause cancer, especially breast cancer
  • Heads Up on Car Jacking

    I am passing this on to people I care about, and churches that can inform the elderly. John L. Bailey Web Page: www.LashandSteel.com , This alert is from: Lieutenant Tony Bartolome Bureau of Investigations Florida Highway Patrol P.O. Box 593527 Orlando, FL 32859
    NEW WAY TO DO CAR JACKINGS (NOT A JOKE)
    Heads up everyone ! Please keep this circulating... You walk across the parking lot, unlock your car and get inside. You start the engine and shift into Reverse. When you look into the rearview mirror to back out of your parking space, you notice a piece of paper stuck to the middle of the rear window. So, you shift into Park, unlock your doors and jump out of your car to remove that paper (or whatever it is) that is obstructing your view. When you reach the back of your car, that is when the car jackers appear out of nowhere, jump into your car and take off. They practically mow you down as they speed off in your car. And guess what, ladies ? I bet your purse is still in the car. So now the carjacker has your car, your home address, your money, and your keys. Your home and your whole identity are now compromised ! BEWARE OF THIS NEW SCHEME THAT IS NOW BEING USED. If you see a piece of paper stuck to your back window, just drive away, remove the paper later and be thankful that you read this e-mail. I hope you will forward this to friends and family, especially to women. A purse contains all kinds of personal information and identification documents, and you certainly do NOT want this to fall into the wrong hands. Please keep this going. Thank you.
    Lieutenant Tony Bartolome
    Bureau of Investigations
    Florida Highway Patrol
    P.O. Box 593527
    Orlando, FL 32859
  • Child Molesters

    BY NOW, THIS IS HAPPENING ACROSS THE ENTIRE U.S.A. SO, WHAT EVER STATE YOU RESIDE, THIS IS WORTH READING AND HAVING UP TO DATE INFO ABOUT THIS KIND OF ACTIVITY THIS IS NO JOKE... THE SITE DOES WORK And it can be very enlightening. Family WatchDog When you visit this site you can enter your address and a map will pop up with your house as the small icon of a house and red, blue, green dots surrounding your entire neighborhood. When you click on these dots a picture of a person will appear with an address and the description of the crime he or she had committed. I was really shocked at how many of these people were in my neighborhood. The best thing is that you can show your children pictures and see how close these people live to your home or school. This site was developed by John Walsh from Americas Most Wanted; another tool to help us keep our kids safe. Please pass on to anyone who has families.

    Crucial Safety Tips

    Because of Recent Abductions in daylight hours, refresh yourself on these things to do in an emergency situation... This is for you, and for you to share with your wife, your children, everyone you know. After reading these 9 crucial tips, forward them to someone you care about. It never hurts to be careful in this crazy world we live in.
    1. Tip from martial arts:
    The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do! 2. Learned this from a tourist guide in New Orleans. If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM
    Toss it away from you.... chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you, and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!
    3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won't see you, but everybody else will. This has saved lives. 4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. (DON'T DO THIS!) The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR, LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE. If someone is in the car with a gun to your head DO NOT DRIVE OFF, repeat: DO NOT DRIVE OFF! Instead gun the engine and speed into anything, wrecking the car. Your Air Bag will save you. If the person is in the back seat they will get the worst of it. As soon as the car crashes bail out and run. It is better than having them find your body in a remote location.
    5 A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:
    A.) Be aware: look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor, and in the back seat
    B.) If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.
    C.) Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out.
    IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)
    6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot. This is especially true at NIGHT!)
    7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! Preferably in a zig-zag pattern!
    The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; and even then, it most likely WILL NOT RUN,
    8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well-educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked "for help" into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.
    9. Another Safety Point: Someone just told me that her friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last, and she called the police because it was late and she thought it was weird.The police told her "Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door." The lady then said that it sounded like the baby had crawled near a window, and she was worried that it would crawl to the street and get run over. The policeman said, "We already have a unit on the way, whatever you do, DO NOT open the door." He told her that they think a serial killer has a baby's cry recorded and uses it to coax women out of their homes thinking that someone dropped off a baby He said they have not verified it, but have had several calls by women saying that they hear baby's cries outside their doors when they're home alone at night. Please pass this on and DO NOT open the door for a crying baby ---- This e-mail should probably be taken seriously because the Crying Baby theory was mentioned on America 's Most Wanted this past Saturday when they profiled the serial killer in Louisiana. I'd like you to forward this to all the women you know. It may save a life. A candle is not dimmed by lighting another candle. I was going to send this to the ladies only, but guys, if you love your mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, etc., you may want to pass it onto them, as well. Send this to any woman you know that may need to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it and it's better to be safe than sorry.
  • THE FDA & ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE UPDATE

    Dear Reader,
    With the promising progress of SB5509, it's much easier to be optimistic about the future of natural medicine. But while the future looks bright, it's important to remember the past and the obstacles we've overcome to get to this point. And natural medicine has encountered LOTS of obstacles over the years -- particularly ones thrown at us by the FDA. First there's the double standard this organization operates under on a daily basis: approving chemical concoctions created by Big Pharma after as little as a few months of testing (hardly enough time to thoroughly evaluate the potential consequences of taking something long-term) while simultaneously scrutinizing -- even banning -- natural supplements with literally hundreds, sometimes thousands, of years of safe and effective use behind them. But as bad as the unjustified scrutiny has been, it's not the most frightening thing the FDA has done to natural medicine. If you're a long-time Nutrition & Healing reader, you've probably heard about the raid Dr. Wright and his Tahoma Clinic colleagues and patients endured at the hands of FDA officials supposedly out to "protect" the public. The Tahoma Clinic raid occurred 15 years ago, on May 6, 1992. Armed FDA agents burst into the clinic, forced staff and patients to put their arms in the air, and spent the next 14 hours seizing patient records, vitamin supplies, computers, and other equipment. And the so-called "dangerous substance" that sparked this outrageous behavior? The intravenous B-vitamins administered by Dr. Wright and his colleagues. If it sounds ridiculous, that's because it is. And so were the numerous other raids just like it that were described in a recent NewsTarget article I read. They started over 20 years ago when another group of armed officials burst into the Life Extension Foundation (LEF). But the LEF fought back, and nearly 11 years after the initial raid, they managed to have every charge the FDA had trumped up against them dropped. By that time, though, dozens of other raids had taken place, including the one on the Tahoma Clinic. But after the LEF won its final victory against the FDA, that sort of behavior died down. Now, though, the FDA has switched tactics. One of them being to enlist the help of organizations like the Washington state Medical Quality Assurance Commission. But it goes even further than that. Now the FDA is on a mission to obtain the power to regulate natural supplements. And if they do, the results could be disastrous. Next time, I'll tell you about how this latest power-grab could affect your medicine cabinet. Click here: www.healthiertalk.com :: Index Click here: Democracy In Action PLEASE GO TO THIS WEBSITE AND FILL OUT THE FORM. THE FDA IS TRYING TO PUT THE SCREWS TO ALTERNATIVE HEALING. If this goes through what will be next? I think this is a push from the drug companies to increase their profits by pushing drugs that CAN cause side effect problems. Thanks.
  • Terrorist Incidents

    http://www.globalincidentmap.com/home.php If you'd like to see terrorists incidents around the world, where they're happening, go to this link. It updates every 300 seconds very interesting!
  • PIN NUMBER REVERSAL

    GOOD TO KNOW
    If you should ever be forced by a robber to withdraw money from an ATM machine, you can notify the police by entering your Pin # in reverse. For example if your pin number is 1234 then you would put in 4321. The ATM recognizes that your pin number is backwards from the ATM card you placed in the machine. The machine will still give you the money you requested, but unknown to the robber, the police will be immediately dispatched to help you. This information was recently broadcasted on TV and it states that it is seldom used because people don't know it exists.
  • http://www.snopes.com Find out the truth behind many claims and urban legends
  • JURY DUTY SCAM:

    This has been verified by the FBI (their link is also included below). Please pass this on to everyone in your email address book. It is spreading fast so be prepared should you get this call. Most of us take those summons for jury duty seriously, but enough people skip out on their civic duty, that a new and ominous kind of scam has surfaced. The caller claims to be a jury coordinator. If you protest that you never received a summons for jury duty, the scammer asks you for your Social Security number and date of birth so he or she can verify the information and cancel the arrest warrant. Give out any of this information and bingo, your identity just got stolen. The scam has been reported so far in 11 states, including Oklahoma, Illinois, and Colorado. This (scam) is particularly insidious because they use intimidation over the phone to try to bully people into giving information by pretending they're with the court system. The FBI and the federal court system have issued nationwide alerts on their web sites, warning consumers about the fraud. Check it out here: http://www.fbi.gov/page2/june06/jury_scams060206.htm
  • RED MARBLES

    A touching story I had to pass along

    I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily apprising a basket of freshly picked green peas. I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes. Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next to me.
    Hello Barry, how are you today?"
    H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus' admirin them peas. They sure look good."
    They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?"
    Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time."
    Good. Anything I can help you with?"
    No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas." Would you like to take some home?" asked Mr. Miller.
    No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with."
    Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?"
    All I got's my prize marble here."
    Is that right? Let me see it" said Miller.
    Here'tis.. She's a dandy." "I can see that. Hmmmmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?"the store owner asked.
    Not zackley but almost."
    Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble". Mr. Miller told the boy.
    Sure will.. Thanks Mr. Miller." Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me. With a smile she said, "There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever. When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, when they come on their next trip to the store." I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man. A short time later I moved to Colorado, but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering for marbles. Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died. They were having his visitation that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them. Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts....all very professional looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband's casket. Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved onto the casket. Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one, each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes. Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and reminded her of the story from those many years ago and what she had told me about her husband's bartering for marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket. "Those three young men that just left were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim"traded" them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size....they came to pay their debt." "We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world," she confided, "but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho ." With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles. The Moral : We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds. Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath. Today I wish you a day of ordinary miracles ~ A fresh pot of coffee you didn't make yourself. An unexpected phone call from an old friend. Green stoplights on your way to work. The fastest line at the grocery store. A good sing-along song on the radio. Your keys found right where you left them. Send this to the people you'll never forget. I just Did... If you don't send it to anyone, it means you are in way too much of a hurry to even notice the ordinary miracles when they occur.
  • Gun Control

    GUN HISTORY: Whether you agree or not, it's an interesting lesson in history. Something to think about... In 1929, the Soviet Union established gun control. From 1929 to 1953, about 20 million dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, a total of 13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated. China established gun control in 1935. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. Guatemala established gun control in 1964. From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. Uganda established gun control in 1970. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. Cambodia established gun control in 1956. From 1975 to 1977, one million 'educated' people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated. Defenseless people rounded up and exterminated in the 20th Century because of gun control: 56 million. It has now been 12 months since gun owners in Australia were forced by new law to surrender 640,381 personal firearms to be destroyed by their own government, a program costing Australia taxpayers more than $500 million dollars. The first year results are now in: Australia-wide, homicides are up 3.2 percent Australia-wide, assaults are up 8.6 percent. Australia-wide, armed robberies are up 44 percent (yes, 44 percent)! In the state of Victoria alone, homicides with firearms are now up 300 percent. Note, that while the law-abiding citizens turned them in, the criminals did not, and criminals still possess their guns!) While figures over the previous 25 years showed a steady decrease in armed robbery with firearms, this has changed drastically upward in the past 12 months, since criminals now are guaranteed that their prey is unarmed. There has also been a dramatic increase in break-ins and assaults of the ELDERLY. Australian politicians are at a loss to explain how public safety has decreased, after such monumental effort, and expense was expended in successfully ridding Australian society of guns. The Australian experience and the other historical facts above prove it. You won't see this data on the American evening news or hear our president, governors or other politicians disseminating this information. Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-control laws affect only the law-abiding citizens. Take note my fellow Americans.....before it's too late! The next time someone talks in favor of gun control, please remind them of this history lesson. With guns, we are 'citizens'. Without them, we are 'subjects'. If you value your freedom, Please spread this anti-gun control message to all of your friends.
  • BUTTER vs MARGARINE

    The following was taken from "Focus on Player's Health" Pass the butter ... Please Margarine was originally manufactured to fatten turkeys. When it killed the turkeys, the people who had put all the money into the research wanted a payback so they put their heads together to figure out what to do with this product to get their money back. It was a white substance with no food appeal so they added the yellow coloring and sold it to people to use in place of butter. How do you like it? They have come out with some clever new flavorings DO YOU KNOW... The difference between margarine and butter? Read on to the end...gets very interesting! Both have the same amount of calories. Butter is slightly higher in saturated fats at 8 grams compared to 5 grams. Eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by 53% over eating the same amount of Butter, according to a recent Harvard Medical Study. Eating butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods. Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarine has a few only because they are added! Butter tastes much better than margarine and it can enhance the flavors of other foods. Butter has been around for centuries where margarine has been around for less than 100 years. And now, for Margarine.. Very high in Trans fatty acids. Triple risk of coronary heart disease. Increases total cholesterol and LDL (this is the bad cholesterol) and lowers HDL cholesterol, (the good cholesterol) Increases the risk of cancers up to five fold. Lowers quality of breast milk. Decreases immune response. Decreases insulin response. And here's the most disturbing fact.... HERE IS THE PART THAT IS VERY INTERESTING! Margarine is but ONE MOLECULE away from being PLASTIC.. This fact alone was enough to have me avoiding margarine for life and anything else that is hydrogenated (this means hydrogen is added, changing the molecular structure of the substance). You can try this yourself: Purchase a tub of margarine and leave it in your garage or shaded area. Within a couple of days you will note a couple of things: * no flies, not even those pesky Fruit flies will go near it (that should tell you something) * it does not rot or smell differently because it has no nutritional value; nothing will grow on it Even those teeny weeny microorganisms will not a find a home to grow. Why? Because it is nearly plastic. Would you melt your Tupperware and spread that on your toast? Share This With Your Friends..... (If you want to "butter them up")!
    David E. Garnett
    President
    iAM Solutions, LLC
  • Quotes About Democratic Governments

    Enjoy. I read these two quotes recently:
    Even blind people can see money.
    Man is the missing link between the ape and the human being.
    age-old & new Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress.... But then I repeat myself. Mark Twain
    I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle. Winston Churchill
    A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul. George Bernard Shaw
    Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner. James Bovard, Civil Libertarian (1994)
    Foreign aid might be defined as a transfer of money from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries. Douglas Casey, Classmate of Bill Clinton at Georgetown University
    Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys. P.J. O'Rourke, Civil Libertarian
    Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else. Frederic Bastiat, French Economist (1801-1850)
    I don't make the jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts. Will Rogers
    In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other. Voltaire (1764)
    Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you! Pericles (430 B.C.)
    No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session. Mark Twain (1866)
    Talk is cheap...except when Congress does it. Unknown
    The government is like a baby's alimentary canal, with a happy appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other. Ronald Reagan
    The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery. Winston Churchill
    The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin. Mark Twain
    What this country needs are more unemployed politicians. Edward Langley, Artist (1928 - 1995)
    A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have. Thomas Jefferson
  • Warning About Hand Sanitizer...

    Seems like there is a new warning everyday about something, .....BUT .............I wouldn't want to hear about someone’s kid being hurt if I could have done something to prevent it. Friends, I am sending this to all of you because this is a true danger! If you want more information check out the link below. PLEASE READ ! Send it to anyone you know who has small children - their own, their nieces, nephews, grandchildren. http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/sanitizer.asp PLEASE READ! - ALCOHOL POISONING - HAND SANITIZER AND SMALL CHILDREN OK. I don't know where to begin because the last 2 days of my life have been such a blur. Yesterday, my youngest daughter Halle who is 4, was rushed to the emergency room by her father for being severely lethargic and incoherent. He was called to her school by the school secretary for being "very VERY sick." He told me that when he arrived that Halle was barely sitting in the chair. She couldn't hold her own head up and when he looked into her eyes, she couldn't focus them. He immediately called me after he scooped her up and rushed her to the ER. When we got there, they ran blood test after blood test and did x-rays, every test imaginable. Her white blood cell count was normal, nothing was out of the ordinary. The ER doctor told us that he had done everything that he could do so he was sending her to Saint Francis for further tests. Right when we were leaving in the ambulance, her teacher had come to the ER and after questioning Halle's classmates, we found out that she had licked hand sanitizer off her hand. Hand sanitizer, of all things. But it makes sense. These days they have all kinds of different scents and when you have a curious child, they are going to put all kinds of things in their mouths. When we arrived at Saint Francis, we told the ER doctor there to check her blood alcohol level, which, yes we did get weird looks from it but they did it. The results were her blood alcohol level was 85% and this was 6 hours after we first took her. There's no telling what it would have been if we had tested it at the first ER. Since then, her school and a few surrounding schools have taken this out of the classrooms of all the lower grade classes but what's to stop middle and high schoolers too? After doing research off the Internet, we have found out that it only takes 3 squirts of the stuff to be fatal in a toddler. For her blood alcohol level to be so high was to compare someone her size to drinking something 120 proof. So PLEASE don't disregard this because I don't ever want anyone to go thru what my family and I have gone thru. Today was a little better but not much. Please send this to everyone you know that has children or are having children. It doesn't matter what age. I just want people to know the dangers of this.
  • NCCAM = National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine: Health Information, Research, Clinical Trials, Training, News and Events… Click here: Tai Chi Boosts Immunity to Shingles Virus in Older Adults
  • VODKA, THE PERFECT CURE ALL

    I don't know if these work but it sounds great...
    1. To remove a bandage painlessly, saturate the bandage with vodka. The solvent dissolves adhesive.
    2. To clean the caulking around bathtubs and showers, fill a trigger-spray bottle with vodka, spray the caulking, let set five minutes and wash clean. The alcohol in the vodka kills mold and mildew.
    3. To clean your eyeglasses, simply wipe the lenses with a soft, clean cloth dampened with vodka. The alcohol in the vodka cleans the glass and kills germs.
    4. Prolong the life of razors by filling a cup with vodka and letting your safety razor blade soak in the alcohol after shaving. The vodka disinfects the blade and prevents rusting.
    5. Spray vodka on vomit stains, scrub with a brush, and then blot dry.
    6. Using a cotton ball, apply vodka to your face as an astringent to cleanse the skin and tighten pores.
    7. Add a jigger of vodka to a 12-ounce bottle of shampoo. The alcohol cleanses the scalp, removes toxins from hair, and stimulates the growth of healthy hair.
    8. Fill a sixteen-ounce trigger-spray bottle and spray bees or wasps to kill them.
    9. Pour one-half cup vodka and one-half cup water in a Ziplo freezer bag and freeze for a slushy, refreshable ice pack for aches, pain or black eyes.
    10. Fill a clean, used mayonnaise jar with freshly packed lavender flowers, fill the jar with vodka, seal the lid tightly and set in the sun for three days. Strain liquid through a coffee filter, then apply the tincture to aches and pains.
    11. To relieve a fever, use a washcloth to rub vodka on your chest and back as a liniment.
    12. To cure foot odor, wash your feet with vodka.
    13. Vodka will disinfect and alleviate a jellyfish sting.
    14. Pour vodka over an area affected with poison ivy to remove the urushiol oil from your skin.
    15. Swish a shot of vodka over an aching tooth. Allow your gums to absorb some of the alcohol to numb the pain.
    And silly me. I've only been drinking the stuff!!!
  • When Insults Had Class


    "He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." --Winston Churchill
    "I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure." -- Clarence Darrow
    "He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary." --William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway)
    "Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it." -- Moses Hadas
    "He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I know." --Abraham Lincoln
    "I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it." --Groucho Marx
    "I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it." --Mark Twain
    "He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends." -- Oscar Wilde
    "I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play; bring a friend...if you have one." --George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill
    "Cannot possibly attend first night, will attend second...if there is one." --Winston Churchill, in response.
    "I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you here." --Stephen Bishop
    "He is a self-made man and worships his creator." --John Bright
    "I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's nothing trivial." --Irvin S. Cobb
    "He has the attention span of a lightning bolt." --Robert Redford
    "He loves nature in spite of what it did to him." --Forrest Tucker
    "His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork." --Mae West
    "Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go." --Oscar Wilde
  • WARNING: AREA CODE SCAM

    We actually received a call last week from the 809 area code. The woman said "Hey, this is Karen. Sorry I missed you--get back to us quickly. I Have something important to tell you." Then she repeated a phone number beginning with 809 . "We didn't respond". Then this week, we received the following e-mail: Subject: DON'T EVER DIAL AREA CODE 809 , 284 AND 876 THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION PROVIDED TO US BY AT&T. DON'T EVER DIAL AREA CODE 809 This one is being distributed all over the US This is pretty scary, especially given the way they try to get you to call. Be sure you read this and pass it on. They get you to call by telling you that it is information about a family member who has been ill or to tell you someone has-been arrested, died, or to let you know you have won a wonderful prize, etc. In each case, you are told to call the 809 number right away. Since there are so many new area codes these days, people unknowingly return these calls. If you call from the US , you will apparently be charged $2425 per-minute. Or, you'll get a long recorded message. The point is, they will try to keep you on the phone as long as possible to increase the charges. Unfortunately, when you get your phone bill, you'll often be charged more than $24,100.00. WHY IT WORKS: The 809 area code is located in the British Virgin Islands (The Bahamas). The charges afterwards can become a real nightmare. That's because you did actually make the call. If you complain, both your local phone company and your long distance carrier will not want to get involved and will most likely tell you that they are simply providing the billing for the foreign company. You'll end up dealing with a foreign company that argues they have done nothing wrong. Please forward this entire message to your friends, family and colleagues to help them become aware of this scam. Sandi Van Handel AT&T Field Service Manager (920)687-904 Additional information on these area codes can be found from ATT at: http://www.consumer.att.com/consumertips/areacode.html
  • Ted Turner and ex-wife Jane Fonda in Montana

    Pass on and enjoy the read from a retired soldier. Dinner in Montana Restaurant: This is a great story! The radio station America FM was doing one of its "Is Anyone Listening?" bits this morning. The first question was, "Ever have a celebrity pull up with the 'Do you know who I am?' routine?" A woman called in and said that a few years ago, while visiting her cattle rancher uncle in Billings, MT, she had occasion to go to dinner at a restaurant that does not take reservations. The wait was about 45 minutes; many ranchers and their wives were waiting. Ted Turner and his ex-wife Jane Fonda came in the restaurant and wanted a table. The hostess informed them that they'd have to wait 45 minutes. Jane Fonda asked the hostess, "Do you know who I am?" The hostess answered, Yes, but you'll have to wait 45 minutes." Then Jane asked if the manager was in. When the manager came out, he asked, "May I help you?" "Do you know who we are?" both Ted and Jane asked. "Yes, but these folks have been waiting, and I can't put you ahead of them." Then Ted asked to speak to the owner. The owner came out, and Jane again asked, "Do you know who I am?" The owner answered, "Yes, I do. Do you know who I am? I am the owner of this restaurant and I am a Vietnam Veteran. Not only will you not get a table ahead of my friends and neighbors who have been waiting here, but you also will not be eating in my restaurant tonight or any night. Good bye." Only in America - what a great country. To all who received this e-mail, this is a true story and the name of the steak house is: Sir Scott's Oasis Steakhouse, 204 W. Main, Manhattan, MT 59741 (406) 284-6929 If you ever get there, give this fellow a sharp salute, buy a steak, and tip the waitress. Keep passing this on. We should never forget our national traitor! And let's not forget what "our gal" Hillary said to the troops in Iraq, "This war has no support from the American public.
  • Bill Clinton's military career - yes he has one!

    I do not know what your political association is, and I do not what to insult anyone or step on their beliefs; however I found this email to be very interesting. Please keep an open mind when you read it and then do with it what ever you think is appropriate. I have always disliked WAR, but love the warriors who have provided me my freedom. Interesting military career (lack of)? Bill Clinton registers for the draft on September 08, 1964, accepting all contractual conditions of registering for the draft. Selective Service Number is 3 26 46 228. Bill Clinton classified 2-S on November 17, 1964. Bill Clinton reclassified 1-A on March 20, 1968. Bill Clinton ordered to report for induction on July 28, 1969. Bill Clinton refuses to report and is not inducted into the military. Bill Clinton reclassified 1-D after enlisting in the United States Army Reserves on August 07, 1969, under authority of Col. E. Holmes. Clinton signs enlistment papers and takes oath of enlistment. Bill Clinton fails to report to his duty station at the University of Arkansas ROTC, September 1969. Bill Clinton reclassified 1-A on October 30, 1969, as enlistment with Army Reserves is revoked by Colonel E. Holmes and Clinton now AWOL and subject to arrest under Public Law 90-40 (2)(a) registrant who has failed to report...remain liable for induction. Bill Clinton's birth date lottery number is 311, drawn December 1, 1969, but anyone who has already been ordered to report for induction is INELIGIBLE! Bill Clinton runs for Congress (1974), while a fugitive from justice under Public Law 90-40. Bill Clinton runs for Arkansas Attorney General (1976), while a fugitive from justice. Bill Clinton receives pardon on January 21, 1977, from Carter. Bill Clinton FIRST PARDONED FEDERAL FELON ever to serve as President of the United States. All these facts come from Freedom of Information requests, public laws, and various books that have been published, and have not been refuted by Clinton. After the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, President Clinton promised that those responsible would be hunted down and punished. After the 1995 bombing in Saudi Arabia, which killed five U.S. Military personnel, Clinton promised that those responsible would be hunted down and punished. After the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia, which killed 19 and injured 200 U.S. military personnel, Clinton promised that those responsible would be hunted down and punished. After the 1998 bombing of U.S. embassies in Africa, which killed 224 and injured 5,000, Clinton promised that those responsible would be hunted down and punished. After the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, which killed 17 and injured 39 U.S. sailors, Clinton promised that those responsible would be hunted down and punished. Maybe if Clinton had kept those promises, an estimated 3,000 people in New York and Washington, DC who are now dead would be alive today.
  • INTERESTING QUESTION:

    This question was raised on a Philly radio call-in show. Without casting stones, it is a legitimate question: There are two men, both extremely wealthy. One develops relatively cheap software and gives billions of dollars to charity. The other sponsors terrorism. That being the case, why was it that the Clinton Administration spent more money chasing down Bill Gates over the eight years in office, than Osama bin Laden? THINK ABOUT IT! It is a strange turn of events. Hillary gets $8 Million for her forthcoming memoir. Bill gets about $12 Million for his memoir yet to be written. This from two people who spent 8 years being unable to recall anything about past events while under oath. Sincerely, Cdr. Hamilton McWhorter USN (ret) P.S. Please forward this to as many people as you can! We don't want this woman to even THINK of running for President!
  • AN ATTORNEY'S ADVICE -- AT NO CHARGE!!!

    Read this and make a copy for your files in case you need to refer to it someday. A corporate attorney sent the following out to the employees in his company.
    1. The next time you order checks have only your initials (instead of first name) and last name put on them. If someone takes your checkbook, they will not know if you sign your checks with just your initials or your first name, but your bank will know how you sign your checks.
    2. Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put "PHOTO ID REQUIRED".
    3. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the "For" line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the numbers, and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check processing channels won't have access to it.
    4. Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your home phone. If you have a P.O Box, use that instead of your home address. If you do not have a P.O. Box, use your work address. Never have your SS# printed on your checks. (DUH!) You can add it if it is necessary. But if you have it printed, anyone can get it.
    5. Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine. Do both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel. Keep the photocopy in a safe place. I also carry a photocopy of my passport when travel either here or abroad. We've all heard horror stories about fraud that's committed on us in stealing a name, address, Social Security number, credit cards.
    Unfortunately, I as an attorney, have firsthand knowledge because my wallet was stolen last month. Within a week, the thieve(s) ordered an expensive monthly cell phone package, applied for a VISA credit card, had a credit line approved to buy a Gateway computer, received a PIN number from DMV to change my driving record information online, and more. But here's some critical information to limit the damage in case this happens to you or someone you know:
    1. We have been told we should cancel our credit cards immediately. But the key is having the toll free numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom to call. Keep those where you can find them.
    2. File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your credit cards, etc., were stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and this is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one).
    But here's what is perhaps most important of all: (I never even thought to do this.)
    3. Call the 3 national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and Social Security number. I had never heard of doing that until advised by a bank that called to tell me an application for credit was made over the Internet in my name. The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen, and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit.
    By the time I was advised to do this, almost two weeks after the theft, all the damage had been done. There are records of all the credit checks initiated by the thieves' purchases, none of which I knew about before placing the alert. Since then, no additional damage has been done, and the thieves threw my wallet away. This weekend (someone turned it in). It seems to have stopped them dead in their tracks.
    Now, here are the numbers you always need to contact about your wallet, etc., has been stolen:
    1.) Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
    2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742
    3.) Trans Union: 1-800-680-7289
    4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271

    This information could really help someone that you care about!!!
  • TARGET

    As for me and my family we're shopping Sears…
    Wasn't it last Christmas that Target refused to let the Salvation Army ring their bells in front of their stores?
    Dick Forrey of the Vietnam Veterans Association wrote. "Recently we asked the local TARGET store to be a proud sponsor of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall during our spring recognition event. We received the following reply from the local TARGET management: " Veterans do not meet our area of giving. We only donate to the arts, social action groups, gay & lesbian causes, and education." So I'm thinking, if the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall and veterans in general, do not meet their donation criteria, then something is really wrong at this TARGET store. We were not asking for thousands of dollars, not even hundreds, just a small sponsorship for a memorial remembrance. As a follow-up, I E-mailed the TARGET U.S. Corporate Headquarters and their response was the same. That's their national policy. Then I looked into the company further. They will not allow the Marines to collect for 'Toys for Tots' at any of their stores. And during the recent Iraq deployment, they would not allow families of employees who were called up for active duty to continue their insurance coverage while they were on military service. Then as I dig further, TARGET is a French-owned corporation. Now, I'm thinking again. If TARGET cannot support American Veterans, then why should my family and I support their stores by spending our hard earned America! n dollars! And, have their profits sent to France. Without the American Vets, where would France be today? "They, most likely would be speaking German and trading in Deutsch Marks" Sincerely, Dick Forrey Veterans Helping Veterans Please send this on to everyone you know to let Target know we don't need them either
    • The French

    Back when Colin Powell was Sec. of State he was being interviewed in England by a group of international reporters when a French reporter asked him: "Does America expect to retain control of any of the territory you have conquered recently?" Powell slowly responded with: "Yes. We will surely retain control of some territory. It will be like the territory we retained in France after World War II. If you will check you will see that we retained an area of about six feet by three ft for each American lost in France who is buried there." _______________ Then there was a conference in France where a number of international engineers were taking part, including French and American. During a break one of the French engineers came back into the room saying "Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intend to do, bomb them?" A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly: "Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck.. We have eleven such ships; how many does France have?" Once again, dead silence. ________________ A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference that included Admirals from the U.S., English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies. At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a large group of Officers that included personnel from most of those countries. Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a French admiral suddenly complained that, 'whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English.' He then asked, 'Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?' Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied 'Maybe it's because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak German.' France has neither winter nor summer nor morals. Apart from these drawbacks it is a fine country. France has usually been governed by prostitutes. -Mark Twain I would rather have a German division in front of me than a French one behind me. -General George S. Patton Going to war without France is like going deer hunting without your accordion. -Norman Schwartzkopf We can stand here like the French, or we can do something about it. -Marge Simpson As far as I'm concerned, war always means failure. Jacques Chirac, President of France As far as France is concerned, you're right. -Rush Limbaugh The only time France wants us to go to war is when the German Army is sitting in Paris sipping coffee. -Regis Philbin The French are a smallish, monkey-looking bunch and not dressed any better, on average, than the citizens of Baltimore. True, you can sit outside in Paris and drink little cups of coffee, but why this is more stylish than sitting inside and drinking large glasses of whisky, I don't know. -P.J. O'Rourke (1989) You know, the French remind me a little bit of an aging actress of the 1940s who was still trying to dine out on her looks, but doesn't have the face for it. - John McCain , U.S. Senator (AZ) You know why the French don't want to bomb Saddam Hussein? Because he hates America, he loves mistresses and wears a beret. He is French, people." -Conan O'Brien I don't know why people are surprised that France won't help us get Saddam out of Iraq . After all, France wouldn't help us get Hitler out of France either. -Jay Leno The last time the French asked for "more proof, " it came marching into Paris under a German flag. -David Letterman Only thing worse than a Frenchman is a Frenchman who lives in Canada . -Ted Nugent War without France would be like... uh... World War II. The favorite bumper sticker in Washington D.C. right now is one that says "First Iraq , then France." -Tom Brokaw What do you expect from a culture and a nation that exerted more of its national will fighting against DisneyWorld and Big Macs than the Nazis? -Dennis Miller It is important to remember that the French have always been there when they needed us. -Alan Kent They've taken their own precautions against al-Qaida. To prepare for an attack, each Frenchman is urged to keep duct tape, a white flag, and a three-day supply of mistresses in the house. -Argus Hamilton Somebody was telling me about the French Army rifle that was being advertised on eBay the other day -- the description "Never shot. Dropped once." -Rep. Roy Blunt (MO) The French will only agree to go to war when we've proven we've found truffles in Iraq . -Dennis Miller Raise your right hand if you like the French. Raise both hands if you are French. Q. What did the mayor of Paris say to the Germans as they entered the city in WWII? A. Table for 100,000, M'sieur? Q. Do you know how many Frenchmen it takes to defend Paris? A. It's not known, it's never been tried. -Rep. R. Blount (MO) Do you know it only took Germany three days to conquer France in WWII? And that's because it was raining. - John Xereas, Manager, DC Improv. The AP and UPI reported that the French Government announced after the London bombings that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide." The only two higher levels in France are "Surrender" and "Collaborate." The rise in the alert level was precipitated by a recent fire which destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively disabling their military. French Ban Fireworks at Euro Disney....... (AP) Paris The French government announced today that it is imposing a ban on the use of fireworks at Euro Disney. The decision comes the day after a nightly fireworks display at the park, located just 30 miles outside of Paris, caused the soldiers at a nearby French Army garrison to surrender to a group of Czech tourists
  • Talk to a human!!!

    AND NOW FOR TODAY'S SITE... Tired of voice jail? We've all been there before. You know, when you call a company and get menu after menu of options. And all you want is to speak with a human being. Well, now you can find the voice mail codes to reach an operator. This database lists major companies and the codes they use. The database is still growing, users are urged to make updates. You can also download the database as a spreadsheet or e-mail it. It is sure to save you time! Note: Registration is required for some of the site's features. TO VISIT THIS SITE, GO HERE: https://www.quickbase.com/db/85vqhz4a?a=q&qid=5
  • Developmentally Disabled Burger King Employee

    From THE ONION: MANCHESTER, NH—Despite his third-grade reading level and IQ of 71, developmentally disabled Burger King employee Andy Ehrman is the only competent member of the 22-person Frontage Road staff. "I will help you with that!" the 28-year-old Ehrman told a drive-thru customer Monday, hustling to put the customer's order in a bag after cashier Daniel Genz dropped it on a tray and walked away. "There you go! Thank you! Have a nice day!" As Ehrman waved goodbye to the customer, Genz leaned against the shake machine, making a cell-phone call to his girlfriend. "Don't forget to shut the drawer, Daniel, or someone can take all the money," said Ehrman, pushing the register closed and straightening the stack of trays under the counter. "Then we'd all get in trouble!" In addition to his usual lunch-rush duties making sure the dining area, condiment island, and restrooms are clean and stocked—Ehrman spent 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday voluntarily sweeping and mopping the floor in the prep area, helping an elderly customer find her purse, and throwing salt on the icy walk outside the restaurant. During the same two-hour stretch, 20-year-old Jenna Sanders, Ehrman's direct supervisor, incorrectly prepared three orders, spilled a jug of oil in the kitchen, and had a 25-minute conversation about the band Slipknot with coworker Debi Price. "[Sanders] double-charged me for a BK Big Fish Value Meal," customer Terry Unger said. "Then she got my order completely wrong. I was about to storm out of there and never come back again when this retarded kid, all smiles, comes up and asks if I need help. Sixty seconds later, he hands me the correct order and change, and apologizes for the trouble. Finally, someone who understands how to treat a customer." Unger added that in addition to having the only clean uniform in the store, Ehrman seemed to be the sole employee with basic interpersonal skills. "Maybe they teach it in the special-ed classes or something, but he's the only one who actually speaks in sentences as opposed to grunts," Unger said. "And when I asked for extra ketchup packets, he handed them to me and said, 'Here you go,' instead of rolling his eyes." Ehrman is also willing to perform tasks beyond those in his job description, offering to help coworkers stock shelves or run the dishwasher when they fall behind. Most nights, Ehrman even volunteers to clean the grease traps. "I don't mind," Ehrman said. "I'm helping!" Willis Barnett, a delivery driver who makes twice-weekly dropoffs at the Frontage Road store, is among the many people impressed with Ehrman. Above: Employee Randy Leyner (left) sits while Ehrman clears a table. "I love it when I make a delivery and they've got that tard working in the back," Barnett said. "He always knows exactly where everything goes. Everyone else just says, 'Uh, I don't know toss it on the floor or something.'" Among his many other qualities, Ehrman boasts a near-encyclopedic knowledge of Burger King protocol and safety regulations. "[Assistant manager] Kerri [Sheckley] said the dishwasher uses the green stuff, and [manager] Bob [Hundhausen] said it uses the purple stuff," Ehrman said. "But then I saw on the TV show [training video Cleaning The Burger King Way] that you use both, 'cause one is the stuff that kills germs and one is soap. So I use both." Ehrman also makes an effort to bring potential safety hazards to coworkers' attention. "Hey, Randy, we can't put cardboard boxes or anything paper under there," Ehrman told Randy Leyner, 26, upon seeing him put a stack of french-fry cartons under the fryer. "It could start a fire!" After being ignored by Leyner, Ehrman dragged the cartons to the rear storage closet himself. Unlike other members of the Frontage Road team, Ehrman never shows up late or asks to leave early. In fact, when Ehrman works the morning shift, he can usually be seen waiting in the front lobby by 5:30 a.m., 45 minutes before the morning manager arrives to unlock the door. But despite working substantially harder than any of his coworkers, Ehrman bears no resentment toward them. "I used to work at the hospital in the mailroom, but it was boring and people were mean to me," said Ehrman, plugging his nose and shaking his head to signify that the job "stank." "I like to work at Burger King better. There's always lots and lots to do. And I get a free Whopper to take home!" Miriam Donnelly, the social worker who placed Ehrman at Burger King, is extremely pleased with his success. "Andy has trouble with basic addition and spelling his name, but he fits right in at Burger King," Donnelly said. "The work seems almost tailor-made for someone with special needs." Donnelly added that everything at Burger King, from the touch-pad registers to the step-by-step diagrams for folding the apple-pie sleeves, is designed to help low-functioning individuals succeed. "Andy may go a little slower than some of the other workers, but he does one thing at a time, focuses on it, and, in the end, gets it right," Donnelly said. "Actually, now that I think about it, he's not really any slower."
  • CANCER UPDATE FROM JOHN HOPKINS HOSPITAL

    Useful Information on one of the deadliest diseases of our time: CANCER 1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.. 2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime. 3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors. 4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors. 5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system. 6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc. 7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs. 8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction. 9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications. 10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites. 11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply. CANCER CELLS FEED ON: a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal,Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in color. Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt. b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soya milk cancer cells are being starved. c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer. d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C). e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties. Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it. 12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines become putrefied and leads to more toxic buildup. 13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells. 14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body's own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells. 15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, unforgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life. 16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.
  • CANCER UPDATE FROM JOHN HOPKINS HOSPITAL


    1. No plastic containers in micro.
    2. No water bottles in freezer.
  • Can you be located by your cell? Good information.

    You may remember that a young woman was recently abducted from a Target parking lot in Overland Park, a suburb of Kansas City. Her body was discovered many miles away in Missouri. They were able to locate her by the sequence of cell phone towers that picked up her cell phone location. She had not attempted to dial out, but when her family was trying to call her the towers could sense her phone. Sadly, the authorities were not able to reach her in time. However, they were able to locate her body which was in an area where they never would have searched without the cell phone tower information. Below is information from my daughter-in-law who lives in Kansas City. The cell phone "locator" can be either set on "E911" in which case you must dial out to be located, or it can be set to be on all the time. I called my cell phone company and was assured there is no negative consequence (like higher battery use) from having it on all the time. With it on all the time you can be located by emergency services through the police if you fail to respond(sick, injured, or worse). I think this is worth passing it on. I found that on my phone "location" was not on. I turned it on so my phone can be traced. See below for more info that was sent to me by someone here at work: On the radio today, they talked about a feature that ALL cell phones have. It's called Location. It's under the Settings tool. Once you turn this on, THEN your phone is traceable. To stay safe, everyone needs to check their phone and turn this on!!! Please pass the word to everyone you know.
  • Thank you letter - to restore faith

    This will warm your heart, especially if you have lost faith in human kindness. This letter was sent to the principals' office after an elementary school had sponsored a luncheon for the elderly. An old lady had received a new radio at the lunch as a door prize, and was writing to say thank you. This story is a credit to all human kind. !
  • Dear Faculty and Students,

    God bless you for the beautiful radio I won at your recent senior citizens' luncheon. I am 84 years old and live at an Assisted Home for the Aged. All of my family has passed away. I am all alone now and it's nice to know someone is thinking of me. God bless you for your kindness to an old forgotten lady. My roommate is 95 and always had her own radio. Before I received this one, she would never let me listen to hers, even when she was napping. The other day, her radio fell off the night stand and broke into a lot of little pieces. It was awful and she was in tears. She asked if she could listen to mine, and I said f**k you. Thank you for that opportunity. Sincerely, Agnes
  • Mosquito Treatment: West Nile Virus

    Pass this on to anyone who likes sitting out in the evening or when they're having a cook out. So you don't like those pesky mosquitoes, especially now that they have the potential to carry the West Nile Virus? Here's a tip that was given at a recent gardening forum. Put some water in a white dinner plate and add a couple drops of Lemon Fresh Joy dish detergent. Set the dish on your porch, patio, or other outdoor area. Not sure what attracts them, the lemon smell, the white plate color, or what, but mosquitoes flock to it, and drop dead shortly after drinking the Lemon Fresh Joy/water mixture, and usually within about 10 feet of the plate. Check this out---it works just super! May seem trivial, but it may help control mosquitoes around your home, especially in the South and elsewhere where the West Nile virus is reaching epidemic proportions in mosquitoes, birds, and humans.
  • Chinese woman

    An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do. After 2 years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house." The old woman smiled, "Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?" "That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them." "For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house." Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You've just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them. So, to all of my crack pot friends, have a great day and remember to smell the flowers!
  • Aspartame - The World's Best Ant Poison?

    We live in the woods and carpenter ants are a huge problem. We have spent thousands of dollars with Orkin and on ant poisons trying to keep them under control but nothing has helped. So when I read somewhere that aspartame (Nutrasweet) was actually developed as an ant poison and only changed to being considered non-poisonous after it was realized that a lot more money could be made on it as a sweetener than as an ant poison, I decided to give it a try. I opened two packets of aspartame sweetener, and dumped one in a corner of each of our bathrooms. That was about 2 years ago and I have not seen any carpenter ants for about 9 to 12 months. It works better than the most deadly poisons I have tried. Any time they show up again, I simply dump another package of Nutrasweet in a corner, and they will be gone for a year or so again. Since posting this information I have had many people tell me of their success solving ant problems with this substance, when nothing else worked. We found later that small black ants would not eat the aspartame. It was determined that if you mixed it with apple juice, they would quickly take it back to the nest, and all would be dead within 24 hours, usually. I have found that sometimes it will kill them, and sometimes it does not. Not sure why, may be slightly different species of ants or something. Fire Ants: We got our first fire ant hill about 2 weeks ago. Poison did not work. We tried aspartame and the ants ignored it until we got a light rain. It was just a sprinkle, enough to moisten the Nutrasweet and ground, but not enough to wash it away. They went crazy, hundreds of them grabbing it and taking it back into the mound. When I checked the mound 2 days later, there was no sign of the fire ants. I even dug the mound up some, and still saw none of them. How does it Work: Aspartame is a neuropoison. It most likely kills the ants by interfering with their nervous system. It could be direct, like stopping their heart, or something more subtle like killing their sense of taste so they can’t figure out what is eatable, or smell, so they can’t follow their trails, or misidentify their colonies members, so they start fighting each other. Not sure what causes them to end up dying, just know that for many species of ants it will kill them quickly and effectively. As with any poison I recommend wearing gloves and washing any skin areas that come in contact with this poison, and avoid getting it in your mouth, despite anything the labeling may indicate. I suspect it will work for other insects such as yellow jackets as well, but have not tested that yet. More information on this fantastic poison can be found at: www.dorway.com
  • Welcome at my water bowl

    A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead. He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them. After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight. When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side. When he was close enough, he called out, "Excuse me, where are we?" "This is Heaven, sir," the man answered "Wow! Would you happen to have some water?" the man asked. "Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up." The man gestured, and the gate began to open. "Can my friend," gesturing toward his dog, "come in, too?" the traveler asked. "I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets." The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog. After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence. As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book. "Excuse me!" he called to the man. "Do you have any water?" "Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in." "How about my friend here?" the traveler gestured to the dog. "There should be a bowl by the pump." They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it. The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog. When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree. "What do you call this place?" the traveler asked. "This is Heaven," he answered. "Well, that's confusing," the traveler said. "The man down the road said that was Heaven, too." "Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's hell." "Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?" "No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind."
  • DO NOT CALL LIST

    JUST A REMINDER.... all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sale calls. YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS.... To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone: 888-382-1222. It is the National DO NOT CALL list. It will only take a minute of your time. It blocks your number for five (5) years. HELP OTHERS BY PASSING THIS ON TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS OR GO TO: www.donotcall.gov/
  • National Health & Wellness Club

    Acupuncture: Sticking It To Pain by John Rosengren
    This ancient Chinese practice is fast gaining acceptance among aging patients and the mainstream western medical community. Understand about Tim Clark: He's not a New Ager. You won't find crystals dangling from his rearview mirror nor Enya in his CD deck. The 49-year-old Minneapolis salesman is a traditional, show-me sort of guy. So when Clark's wife suggested he see an acupuncturist to treat his tennis elbow, he considered the idea hokey. Even though acupuncture treatment had relieved his wife's diarrhea and abdominal pain caused by Crohn's disease, Clark wasn't about to pay somebody to poke him up like a voodoo doll. But the anti-inflammatory drugs and muscle relaxants his doctor had prescribed weren't working either. Wary of prescription medication's side effects, Clark decided to give acupuncture a try when his doctor suggested a different medication or surgery to relieve the persistent pain in his elbow. After three sessions with a licensed acupuncturist, Clark could pick up a coffee cup and calculator without dropping them, and his skepticism started to wear thin. After five sessions, the pain in his elbow was gone, and he was sold. He asked the acupuncturist to treat the arthritis in his neck as well. The skeptic turned believer. "When I first went in, I said ‘ah, hooey,' thinking I was sure to keep peeling money off to give to her," Clark says. "After it worked, I said, ‘Give me 15 of your business cards because I'm going to hand them out to the baby boomers I know who sit around complain about where it hurts and what doesn't work.'" Gaining Acceptance Clark is one of a rapidly growing number of patients extolling the benefits of acupuncture. Once seen as a fringe therapy, the ancient Chinese practice is fast gaining acceptance among the mainstream western medical community and third-party payers as legitimate treatment for a variety of ailments. Acupuncture's appeal is due to its success in treating difficult conditions such as pain, headaches, nausea and addiction that conventional methods have failed to relieve. Although skepticism lingers and how acupuncture works remains a mystery, those who've found relief care only that acupuncture works. Patient demographics have also played a significant role in acupuncture's increasing popularity. Aging baby boomers like Clark, whose bodies are no longer booming but starting to creak and ache, are seeking alternative therapies to prescription medications. Since acupuncture has proven an effective treatment for their primary symptom (i.e., pain), without harmful side effects, it has become the treatment of choice for many. Acupuncture Philosophy In a typical acupuncture treatment, several hair-thin needles are inserted at specific body points and twisted or otherwise manipulated to restore the balance of energy flowing through the body. Chinese theory holds that Qi (pronounced "chee"), the essential life force, flows through special pathways, or "meridians." When the pathways become obstructed, deficient or excessive, the universal forces of yin and yang are thrown out of balance, causing illness or pain. Stimulating various points along the meridians clears the blockage and returns the body to its natural state of health. "The Chinese idea of medicine is different from ours," explains Beverly Shapiro, M.D., a trained acupuncturist who practices in her Philadelphia office. "Think of a tree. In western medicine, if we see problems with a branch, we cut it off or wrap it up. The Chinese see a problem with the branch and treat the root so that the tree will be healthy." Acupressure works upon the same principles of treating specific points along the meridians, but it is a non-invasive treatment, using pressure with fingers or an instrument with a ball-shaped head, rather than needles, to stimulate the points. Moxibustion, another complementary form of acupuncture, applies heat to the points, often in conjunction with needles. It's commonly used to treat bronchial asthma, bronchitis and arthritic disorders. Treatment Procedure Acupuncture, which penetrates the points, is able to have a deeper impact than superficial treatments. The needles are inserted anywhere from 1/8 inch to 3 inches, depending on the practitioner's philosophy and the muscularity of the point - the more muscular, the deeper the insertion. Yet, needlephobics needn't worry about the pain. They might feel a sudden, sharp zing, but the sensation lasts less than a second, more like a quick prick to draw blood than the insertion of an IV needle. Generally, acupuncture has no adverse side effects. The practitioner manipulates the needles manually or attaches them to an electrostimulator that sends low frequencies. Treatments usually involve several visits spread out over weeks or months, the number varying with the symptoms being treated. Clark had four or five needles each inserted near his elbow, his gall bladder and his liver at depths ranging from 1/8 to 1/4 inch. His bursitis disappeared after five 90-minute visits and hasn't returned. When the chronic arthritis in his neck recurs, he returns for an electro-acupuncture treatment to ease the pain. Acupuncture treatments aren't standardized but vary from patient to patient because some respond more quickly than others, while others might not respond at all. The farther along an ailment has progressed, the slower the patient will respond, yet experienced acupuncturists and physicians are at a loss to explain why identical treatments produce different results in different patients, other than to offer that the stronger a person's Qi, the more responsive they seem to be. NIH Approval Even so, a consensus panel convened by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) gave acupuncture a solid stamp of western approval in 1997 when it concluded that clear evidence demonstrates acupuncture is effective treatment for postoperative and chemotherapy nausea and vomiting, pregnancy nausea (morning sickness) and postoperative dental pain. The NIH panel recommended additional research to prove what appeared to be effective treatment for addiction, stroke rehabilitation, headaches, menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia (general muscle pain), low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and asthma. But acupuncture is not a panacea for every pain. Shapiro steers patients toward conventional modern diagnosis and treatment for chest pain, persistent cough, blood in the stool or severe abdominal pain. "I think everybody should have a regular medical doctor," Shapiro says. "For anything acute and serious, people should seek both traditional and alternative medicine. For something not getting better in one system, try the other. There should be a merging of the two." Practitioner Training More and more medical doctors are arriving at a similar perspective. According to the World Health Organization, more than 3,000 physicians practice acupuncture. While only nine states actually require medical doctors to have specific training to practice acupuncture, Shapiro, like many of her colleagues, received special training at UCLA, one of the nation's best known centers for training physicians in acupuncture. In such a program, physicians receive between 200 and 300 hours of training, while a licensed acupuncturist undergoes approximately 2,500 hours of study. The additional hours encompass a broader view of Oriental medicine as well as specific anatomical study for those with at least a two-year undergraduate degree. Whether one is better off in the hands of a medical doctor with acupuncture training or a licensed acupuncturist is a question answered differently from either side of the fence. "Doctors need less training because they've gone through six years of medical school," says C. James Dowden, executive administrator of the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture, which sets standards for its 2,000-plus practicing members. "Their ability to assess and respond to patients is born out of their medical training." "There are some people who will always prefer a medical doctor as their healthcare provider," acknowledges Barbara Mitchell, J.D., L.Ac., executive director of the Acupunc-ture and Oriental Medicine Alliance, a professional membership organization for licensed acupuncturists. "Others want to go to individuals whose area of specialization is in acupuncture and Oriental medicine. We (licensed acupuncturists) are the ones who have years of training and expertise." Regulation Most states have established standards regulating the practice of acupuncture - be it by physicians or licensed acupuncturists - based on education and competency criteria set forth by the World Federation of Acupuncture Societies. In nine states (Alabama, Delaware, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma and Wyoming), acupuncture remains unregulated. While acupuncture is tolerated in those nine states, its practice is technically illegal. Acupuncture's sometime outlaw status notwithstanding, it continues to gain significant national acceptance as a legitimate medical practice. In addition to the NIH panel endorsement, acupuncture's acceptance made a great stride forward when the Food and Drug Administration reclassified the status of needles in the mid-90s, no longer deeming them surgical instruments. Several recent articles published in respected medical journals have reported the results of studies confirming the efficacy of acupuncture treatments, such as one published last December in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that showed measurable benefits in women nauseated from chemotherapy. Mysterious but Effective Despite its growing acceptance, acupuncture remains a mystery. No one, not even the Chinese who have been practicing it for nearly 5,000 years, knows how acupuncture works. Various theories abound, the most commonly held being the gate control theory, which postulates that acupuncture overwhelms and shuts down gateways that send pain impulses to the brain. The theory fails to explain, however, why the effects of acupuncture can last months after a treatment. The uncertainty troubles the scientifically determined, those who want definitive evidence and are uncomfortable in the company of Qi. Most skeptics write off acupuncture as a placebo, saying its success is psychosomatic. Yet the study reported in the December JAMA article used a control group that received phony acupuncture treatments that reduced vomiting less than legitimate treatments, concluding that acupuncture produced physiological results. Still, you can't convince all of the people all of the time. "There's a clash of cultures," Dowden says. "The difference between a system of medicine that prides itself based on scientific evidence that can be duplicated time after time and a system that comes out of folklore where the science that backs it up doesn't meet the standards we would impose on Pfizer when it introduces a new drug." Ultimately, the patient has to decide. For Clark, who's sliding into the ailments of middle age, discovering acupuncture's benefits may ease the pain of aging. "It has opened up my head to other forms of nontraditional medicine," he says. John Rosengren is a Minneapolis-based freelance writer who's no longer afraid of needles. He frequently writes about health and fitness for a variety of publications, including Minnesota Sports, Sports Illustrated for Women, and Twin Cities Sports.
    What Does Acupuncture Treat?
    A growing body of evidence suggests that acupuncture works to alleviate:
    * nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite brought on by common cancer treatments of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and immunotherapy
    * postoperative dental pain
    * morning sickness of pregnancy
    * cravings of drug addiction
    * headaches
    * menstrual cramps
    * tennis elbow
    * fibromyalgia
    * low back pain
    * general muscle pain
    * carpal tunnel syndrome
    * asthma
    What's it Cost and Who's Going to Pay? A single acupuncture treatment costs anywhere from $40 to $100, depending upon the practitioner and your place of residence. According to the NIH, about 70 to 80 percent of insurers cover at least part of that cost. Four states (Montana, Nevada, Washington and West Virginia) mandate that insurance companies reimburse treatment by licensed acupuncturists. Another four (California, Florida, Maine and Oregon) stipulate that if companies reimburse for acupuncture treatments provided by a medical doctor, they must also do so for treatments by licensed acupuncturists. You'll need to check your own policy to learn whether your insurer covers acupuncture treatment. Clark's didn't. He had to pay out of pocket, but figured the relief he gained was worth each $50 session. Finding an Acupuncturist You wouldn't pick a psychotherapist from the yellow pages; similar care should be taken in choosing an acupuncturist. Perhaps you have a friend, family member or colleague who has had a positive experience with acupuncture and can recommend a practitioner. You can also consult your physical therapist, chiropractor or medical doctor for a referral. Or you can contact the Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Alliance referral service: (253) 851-6896 or www.acupuncturealliance.org. Whether you decide to see a licensed acupuncturist or a physician with acupuncture training, be sure that the practitioner meets your state's training and certification requirements. If he or she is a medical doctor, check that he or she has had specific training in acupuncture. You can glean this information from the practitioner's staff if not from the practitioner directly. You can also ask how long the person has been practicing acupuncture, for what sort of ailments and the level of success patients have reported. Most acupuncturists these days use only disposable needles. But to avoid the spread of infectious diseases, check to be sure. Finally, as with any healthcare provider, look for someone who will listen to what you want treated. The better they listen, the better they will be able to treat you.

    Did you know that hospital infections cause 90,000 deaths each year? I just signed a quick petition to our local hospital asking them to release their infection track record to the public. I hope you will take a minute to sign it too! Consumers Union, the non-profit publisher of Consumer Reports, is sponsoring the petition on its "Stop Hospital Infections.org" website. Once they reach their goal of 100,000 signatures, they will send the petition and signatures to our local hospitals and publish the petition in a newspaper ad in communities with a large number of petitioners. Did you know that hospital infections cause 90,000 deaths each year? Several states have started to pass legislation requiring the public reporting of local hospital infection rates. But our local hospitals can tell us what they know now! Many hospital infections can be prevented, and families in our community should be able to find out which hospitals have the best infection control track record. Please take a moment to sign the petition at www.stophospitalinfections.org and help shed some light on hospital safety in our area. Thanks so much for taking a moment to make our community better. Sincerely, Lisa McGiffert StopHospitalInfections.org a project of Consumers Union 1300 Guadalupe, Suite 100 Austin, Texas 78701
  • A word of caution

    A lady stopped at a pay-at-the-pump gas station to get gas. Once she filled her gas tank and after paying at the pump and starting to leave, the voice of the attendant inside came over the speaker. He told her that something happened with her card and that she needed to come inside to pay. The lady was confused because the transaction showed complete and approved. She relayed that to him and was getting ready to leave but the attendant, once again, urged her to come in to pay or there'd be trouble. She proceeded to go inside and started arguing with the attendant about his threat. He told her to calm down and listen carefully: He said that while she was pumping gas, a guy slipped into the back seat of her car on the other side and the attendant had already called the police. She became frightened and looked out in time to see her car door open and the guy slip out. The report is that the new gang initiation thing is to bring back a woman and/or her car. One way they are doing this is crawling under women's cars while they're pumping gas or at grocery stores in the nighttime. The other way is slipping into unattended cars and kidnapping the women. Please pass this on to other women, young and old alike. Be extra careful going to and from your car at night. If at all possible, don't go alone! This is real!! The message:
    1. ALWAYS lock your car doors, even if you're gone for just a second!
    2. Check underneath your car when approaching it for reentry, and check in the back before getting in.
    3. Always be aware of your surroundings and of other individuals in your general vicinity, particularly at night!
  • Driver's License Safety

    New outrage!!!!!! Check your driver's license... OK, this is just too much! Can you say "privacy?" As in, "where is our right to it??? I definitely removed mine, I suggest you all do the same ..... Now you can see anyone's Driver's License on the Internet, including your own! I just searched for mine and there it was...picture and all! Thanks, Homeland Security! Maybe we should start up a petition or something protesting this. What do you think? Go to the website and check it out. It's unbelievable!!! Just enter your name, City and state to see if yours is on file. After your license comes on the screen, click the box marked "Please Remove". This will remove it from public viewing, but not from law enforcement. http://www.license.shorturl.com/
  • Fresh Start FIREARMS REFRESHER COURSE

    "Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not." ~ Thomas Jefferson (This is why Ted Kennedy, Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton wants gun control so badly! )

    FIREARMS REFRESHER COURSE
    1. An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a subject.
    2. A gun in the hand is better than a cop on the phone.
    3. Colt: The original point and click interface.
    4. Gun control is not about guns; it's about control.
    5. If guns are outlawed, can we use swords?
    6. If guns cause crime, then pencils cause misspelled words.
    7. Free men do not ask permission to bear arms.
    8. If you don't know your rights, you don't have any.
    9. Those who trade liberty for security have neither.
    10. The United States Constitution (c)1791. All Rights Reserved.
    11. What part of "shall not be infringed" do you not understand?
    12. The Second Amendment is in place in case the politicians ignore the others.
    13. 64,999,987 firearms owners killed no one yesterday.
    14. Guns only have two enemies; rust and politicians.
    15. Know guns, know peace, know safety. No guns, no peace, no safety.
    16. You don't shoot to kill; you shoot to stay alive.
    17. 911: Government sponsored Dial-a-Prayer.
    18. Assault is a behavior, not a device.
    19. Criminals love gun control; it makes their jobs safer.
    20. If guns cause crime, then matches cause arson.
    21. Only a government that is afraid of its citizens tries to control them.
    22. You have only the rights you are willing to fight for.
    23. Enforce the gun control laws we ALREADY have; don't make more.
    24. When you remove the people's right to bear arms, you create slaves.
    25. The American Revolution would never have happened with gun control.
  • Calling an illegal alien an "undocumented immigrant" is like calling a drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist
  • How our government acquires control over us

    Whose Bread I Eat His Song I Sing by J.G. McDaniel, M.D., July 1996 I remember, as a small boy in knee britches, going with my father to hear an address given by the Honorable Stephen Pace, then congressman from the old Georgia 12th District. It was on the banks of the Ocmulgee River. There was a barbecue, and citizens, especially farmers, from all the counties gathered. This was before the first World War. It seemed that someone in the Congress had introduced a bill that would give the farmers some money provided they did something. The congressman vigorously opposed it. I have no idea what it was, because I was watching a "dirt dobber" making a ball of mud. The congressman snapped me back to attention, however, when he said, "I'm going to tell you a true story about the wild hogs that once lived about forty miles down the river." "Years ago," the congressman said, "in a great horseshoe bend down the river, there lived a drove of wild hogs. Where they came from no one knew, but they survived floods, fires, freezes, droughts, and hunters. The greatest compliment a man could pay to a dog was to say that he had fought the hogs in Horseshoe Bend and returned alive. Occasionally a pig was killed wither by dogs or a gun a conversation piece for years to come. "Finally a one-gallused man came by the country store on the river road and asked the whereabouts of these wild hogs. He drove a one-horse wagon, had an ax, some quilts, a lantern, some corn, and a single barrel shotgun. He was a slender, slow-moving, patient man he chewed his tobacco deliberately and spat very seldom. "Several months later he came back to the same store and asked for help to bring out the wild hogs. He stated that he had them all in a pen over in the swamp. "Bewildered farmers, dubious hunters, and storekeepers all gathered in the heart of Horseshoe Bend to view the captive hogs. "'It was all very simple,' said the one-gallused man. 'First I put out some corn. For three weeks they would not eat it. Then some of the young ones grabbed an ear and ran off into the thicket. Soon they were all eating it; then I commenced building a pen around the corn, a little higher each day. When I noticed that they were all waiting for me to bring the corn and had stopped grubbing for acorns and roots, I built the trap door. Naturally,' said the patient man, 'they raised quite a ruckus when they seen they was trapped, but I can pen any animal on the face of the earth if I can jist get him to depend on me for a free handout.'" We have had patient men in our central government in Washington for years. They are using our own dollars instead of corn. I still think about the trap door and the slender, stooped man who chewed his tobacco deliberately, when he spat and turned to the gathered citizens many years ago and said, "I can pen any animal on the face of the earth if I can jist get him to depend on me for a free handout." Dr. McDaniel was president of the Fulton County (Georgia) Medical Society when this essay originally appeared in the society's November 1961 bulletin. Reprinted by permission from the March 1962 issue of The Freeman , published by The Foundation for Economic Education, Irvington-on-Hudson, New York 10533. CAR KEYS Put your car keys beside your bed at night. If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies. This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain. It works if you park in your driveway or garage. If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break in your house, odds are the burglar or rapist won't stick around...after a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that. And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there.....This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime. Would also be useful for any emergency, such as a heart attack, where you can't reach a phone. My Mom has suggested to my Dad that he carry his car keys with him in case he falls outside and she doesn't hear him. He can activate the car alarm and then she'll know there's a problem.
  • Speed Trap Exchange interesting

    http://www.speedtrap.org/speedtraps/stetlist.asp Thoughts "If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed, if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed." Mark Twain Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress.... But then I repeat myself. -Mark Twain I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle. Winston Churchill A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul. -George Bernard Shaw A liberal is someone who feels a great debt to his fellow man, which he proposes to pay off with your money. -G Gordon Liddy Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner. -James Bovard, Civil Libertarian (1994) Foreign aid might be defined as a transfer of money from poor people in >rich countries to rich people in poor countries. -Douglas Casey Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys. -P.J. O'Rourke, Civil Libertarian Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavours to live at the expense of everybody else. -Frederic Bastiat, French Economist (1801-1850) Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it. -Ronald Reagan (1986) I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts. -Will Rogers If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it's free! -P.J. O'Rourke In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other. -Voltaire (1764) Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you! -Pericles (430 B.C.) No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session. -Mark Twain (1866) Talk is cheap...except when Congress does it. -Unknown The government is like a baby's alimentary canal, with a happy appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other. -Ronald Reagan The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery. -Winston Churchill The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin. -Mark Twain The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools. -Herbert Spencer, English Philosopher (1820-1903) There is no distinctly Native American criminal class...save Congress. -Mark Twain What this country needs are more unemployed politicians. -Edward Langley, Artist (1928 - 1995) A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have. -Thomas Jefferson
  • DRINK WATER ON EMPTY STOMACH

    It is popular in Japan today to drink water immediately after waking up every morning. Furthermore, scientific tests have proven its value. For old and serious diseases as well as modern illnesses the water treatment had been found successful by a Japanese medical society as a 100% cure for the following diseases: Headache, body ache, heart system, arthritis, fast heart beat, epilepsy, excess fatness, bronchitis asthma, TB, meningitis, kidney and urine diseases, vomiting, gastritis, diarrhea, piles, diabetes, constipation, all eye diseases, womb, cancer and menstrual disorders, ear nose and throat diseases. METHOD OF TREATMENT 1. As you wake up in the morning before brushing teeth, drink 4 x 160ml (640ml) glasses of water 2. Brush and clean the mouth but do not eat or drink anything for 45 minute 3. After 45 minutes you may eat and drink as normal. 4. After 15 minutes of breakfast, lunch and dinner do not eat or drink anything for 2 hours 5. Those who are old or sick and are unable to drink 4 glasses of water at the beginning may commence by taking little water and gradually increase it to 4 glasses per day. 6. The above method of treatment will cure diseases of the sick and others can enjoy a healthy life. The following list gives the number of days of treatment required to cure/control/reduce main diseases: 1. High Blood Pressure - 30 days 2. Gastric - 10 days 3. Diabetes - 30 days 4. Constipation - 10 days 5. Cancer - 180 days 6. TB - 90 days 7. Arthritis patients should follow the above treatment only for 3 days in the 1st week, and from 2nd week onwards - daily. * This treatment method has no side effects, however at the commencement of treatment you may have to urinate a few times. * It is better if we continue this and make this procedure as a routine work in our life. * Drink Water and Stay healthy and Active. * This makes sense .. The Chinese and Japanese drink hot tea with their meals ...not cold water. Maybe it is time we adopt their drinking habit while eating!!! Nothing to lose, everything to gain... * For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you. * It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion. * Once this "sludge" reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal. Heart Attacks * A serious note about heart attacks: Women should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting. * * Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line. * * You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack. * * Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms. * * 60% of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up. * * Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know, the better chance we could survive... * * A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this mail sends it to everyone they know, you can be sure that we'll save at least one life.
  • Drug Overdose Dangers from Pain-Relief Creams

    http://www.nsopr.gov/ It's easy not to realize that applying medicines to your skin is not all that different from drinking them in liquid form or swallowing tablets -- but it's true. The skin is a permeable membrane and what goes "on" it goes "in" it (this is known as "transdermal" application). And this is why topically applied medications such as pain relief creams or lotions -- whether prescription or over-the-counter -- can make people very, very sick when used in excess... and in a few recent instances have even proved lethal. RECENT DEATHS FROM SKIN CREAMS Recently a teenager in New York City, a star on her high-school track team, died after using large quantities of anti-inflammatory products containing methyl salicylate (BENGAY is one of several over-the-counter sports creams for muscle aches that contain methyl salicylate). She purportedly used pain-relieving patches and rubbed a large quantity of a sports cream into her sore muscles. Two deaths were linked to other topical painkillers, leading the FDA to issue a warning in 2006 concerning pharmacy-compounded anesthetic creams, which are used before cosmetic procedures such as laser hair removal and skin treatments. The deaths of the two women -- in completely separate incidents -- occurred after each applied excessive amounts of the creams at home in preparation for laser hair removal. I asked dermatologist Ellen Marmur, MD, chief of the division of dermatologic and cosmetic surgery at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, to explain how this can happen. She told me that the active ingredients in the various kinds of numbing creams, ointments and gels (OTC and prescription, depending on the strength) are lidocaine, tetracaine, benzocaine or prilocaine. These are supposed to be applied by trained health-care professionals in doctors' offices, but patients sometimes apply them at home (if directed to do so by their doctor) to save prep time in the office. She says this appears to be what happened in the deaths of both young women. They applied the creams liberally to their entire legs and, to further absorption, both wrapped their legs in plastic wrap. Since so much cream was applied to large areas of skin, its toxicity was magnified with the result being that the women suffered seizures, went into comas and subsequently died. Note: If your doctor directs you to do this at home, have him/her write clear instructions down... and plan to have someone at home with you in case of emergency. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TO STAY SAFE Dr. Marmur says these creams are easily obtained, but should be considered serious drugs to be used with the same caution as any other medication. Most importantly, don't use them at home without first reading the dosing instructions carefully and discussing potential dangers with your doctor. Among the early signs of toxicity are feeling fuzzy-headed, blurred vision, dizziness, breathing difficulty and irregular heartbeat, says Dr. Marmur, who stresses that these symptoms should be considered a medical emergency. Go to an ER (don't drive yourself) if you feel this way. Dr. Marmur urges conservative use and medical supervision for any kind of medical cream, including even low-dose prescription and OTC creams. We all metabolize differently, she points out, so slow and safe is the way to go. Source(s): Ellen Marmur, MD, chief of the division of dermatologic and cosmetic surgery, the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. http://link.dhn.bottomlinesecrets.com/h/17T3/7KOR/E4/WLTJI6?a1=43157
  • Microwave Popcorn Alert - Important Medical & Lawsuit Information

    MEDICAL ALERT ============= September 19th, Washington - Major popcorn producers have known for more than a year the secret results of an Environmental Protection Agency study of potential health risks of a chemical in microwave popcorn. The results of the EPA study still have not been made public. A chemical identified by scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the cause of a debilitating and sometimes fatal lung disease. CDC's National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health has called the condition bronchiolitis obliterans, or "popcorn lung." The EPA has refused to make the report available to the general public. Last week, a health advocacy organization at George Washington University revealed that a Colorado physician had notified the Food and Drug Administration in July that she had a patient who had developed "significant lung disease". If you or anyone you know eats Microwave Popcorn please have them visit this site. LAWSUIT ALERT ============= JOPLIN, Mo. - A factory worker who claimed his lungs were ruined as a result of mixing flavoring oils used in microwave popcorn was awarded $20 million by a jury. Eric Peoples was the first person to have his suit heard against the two makers of the butter flavoring. The jury deliberated for a little more than three hours before returning the verdict. The jury ruled against International Flavors and Fragrances Inc. and its subsidiary Bush Boake Allen Inc. They were ordered to pay $18 million to Eric Peoples and $2 million to his wife for compensatory personal injury damages. If you or anyone you know eats Microwave Popcorn please have them visit this site. Cancer Alert News Cancer News from Johns Hopkins No plastics in microwave No water bottles in freezer No plastic wrap in microwave Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in their newsletters. This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Dioxin Carcinogens cause cancer, especially breast cancer. Don't freeze your plastic water bottles with water as this also releases dioxin in the plastic. Dr. Edward Fujimoto from Castle hospital was on a TV program explaining this health hazard. (He is the manager of the Wellness Program at the hospital.) He was talking about dioxin and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers. This applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of fat, high heat and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body. Dioxin are carcinogens and highly toxic to the cells of our bodies. Instead, he recommends using glass, Corning Ware, or ceramic containers for heating food. You get the same results, without the dioxin. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else. Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper. It's just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc. He said we might remember when some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons. To add to this, Saran wrap placed over foods as they are nuked with the high heat, actually drips poisonous toxins into the food, use paper towels.
  • WATER OR COKE?

    This is really an eye opener! We all know that water is important but I've never seen it written down like this before. WATER 1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. (Likely applies to half world population.)
    2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.
    3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.
    4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study. 6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
    7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
    8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer. Are you drinking the amount of water you should every day?

    COKE

    1. In many states (in the USA) the highway patrol carries two gallons of Coke in the trunk to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.
    2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of coke and it will be gone in two days.
    3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china.
    4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminium foil dipped in Coca-Cola.
    5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.
    6. To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.
    7. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminium foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for sumptuous brown gravy.
    8. To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains. It will also clean road haze from your windshield.
    FOR YOUR INFORMATION:
    1. The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. Its pH is 2.8. It will dissolve a nail in about four days. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase in osteoporosis.
    2. To carry Coca-Cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must use the Hazardous Material place cards reserved for highly corrosive materials.
    3. The distributors of coke have been using it to clean the engines of their trucks for about 20 years!
    Now the question is, would YOU like a glass of water or coke?
  • Toxins in shampoos, conditioners

    Overview: * Popular shampoos contain toxic chemicals linked to nerve damage Source: http://www.newstarget.com/003210.html All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. Newstarget.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. It is not intended as a substitute for the diagnosis, treatment or advice of a qualified professional. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material NewsTarget.com printable article Thursday, March 10, 2005 Popular shampoos contain toxic chemicals linked to nerve damage Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have found a correlation between an ingredient found in shampoos and nervous system damage. The experiments were conducted with the brain cells of rats and they show that contact with this ingredient called methylisothiazoline, or MIT, causes neurological damage. Which products contain this chemical compound MIT? Head and Shoulders, Suave, Clairol and Pantene Hair Conditioner all contain this ingredient. Researchers are concerned that exposure to this chemical by pregnant women could put their fetus at risk for abnormal brain development. In other people, exposure could also be a factor in the development of Alzheimer's disease and other nervous system disorders. The chemical causes these effects by preventing communication between neurons. Essentially, it slows the networking of neurons, and since the nervous system and brain function on a system of neural networks, the slowing of this network will suppress and impair the normal function of the brain and nervous system. These finding were presented December 5th at the American Society for Cell Biology annual meeting. I have frequently warned readers about the dangers of using brand-name personal care products. The vast majority of these products contain toxic chemical compounds like MIT that contribute to cancer, liver disorders and neurological diseases. In fact, this chemical, MIT, is just one of dozens of such chemicals that are found in personal care products. Why are these dangerous personal care products allowed to remain on the market? Because the FDA, which is responsible for regulating these products, spends almost no time, money or effort actually investigating the safety of such products. Instead, the FDA spends the vast majority of its time approving new prescription drugs rather than protecting the public against the dangers from such drugs or personal care products like shampoos, soaps, deodorants and fragrance products. In fact, it may surprise you to learn that manufacturers can put practically any chemical they want into shampoos, even if it is a hazardous chemical listed in the RTECS database of toxicity and even if it is considered a toxic waste chemical by the EPA. The FDA allows all sorts of chemicals to be used in these products, including chemicals that are known carcinogens and that contribute to liver failure and nervous system disorders. How's that for protecting public health? If you thought prescription drugs were dangerous, just take a look at the toxic chemicals found in personal care products used by virtually all Americans every single day. Americans bathe themselves in toxic chemicals and they do it by buying and using products made by brand name companies that have premier shelf positioning at convenience stores, grocery stores and discount clubs. One of the more curious personal care products on the market is Herbal Essences Shampoo by Clairol. Personally, I think this product is a joke because it's trying to exploit the word "herbal" to imply that the shampoo is healthy, even though it is primarily made with the same ingredients as other popular shampoos. The first three ingredients, for example, are: water, sodium laureth, and sodium lauryl sulfate. Big deal, huh? You can find the same three ingredients in 99-cent shampoo at Wal-Mart. Plus, the product contains all sorts of other ingredients that I personally would never allow to touch my skin (like methylchloroisothiazolinone, if you can believe there's actually a chemical with a name that long). Think the color of the shampoo is from the herbs? Think again. Three other ingredients in the shampoo are Yellow #5, Orange #4 and Violet #2. In other words, this is a shampoo product purchased by naive consumers, in my opinion. People who really know herbs and natural products can only laugh at a product like this. Want a real shampoo? Buy Olive Oil Shampoo from Heritage Products, available at most natural health stores. The bottom line to all of this, though, is that every week, it seems like we see a new announcement about some toxic chemical found in personal care products that is related to either cancer or neurological disorders. And yet week after week these products are being sold by retailers and consumed in large quantities by the American people who remain oblivious to the real damage these products are causing to their health. Once again, the solution here is to protect yourself by learning the truth about these products and switching to products made with safe ingredients. There are safe shampoos, safe soaps, safe laundry detergents, dishwashing liquids and even deodorant products. You don't have to expose yourself to toxic chemicals to take care of personal hygiene, because whether you agree with it or not, these disease-causing chemicals are going to remain quite legal in the use of personal care products for many years to come. Why? You can bet that the manufacturers of these products will fight against any attempt to regulate or outlaw these toxic chemicals. That's because the chemicals are convenient for such manufacturers. It's much the same way in which food manufacturers use sodium nitrate in bacon and other packaged meats. It's all about their convenience rather than protecting your health. So, here's the idiot test for today: if I was standing on a street corner with a bottle of colored liquid, and I told you that liquid contained a toxic chemical that caused neurological disorders, Alzheimer's disease and birth defects, would you buy that product from me and scrub it into your scalp under warm water? Of course not. But if you're buying these popular shampoo products, that's exactly what you're doing right now. Such is the power of brand marketing in America.
  • RATS

    A stock clerk was sent to clean up a storeroom in Maui, Hawaii. When he got back, he was complaining that the storeroom was really filthy and that he had noticed dried mouse or rat droppings in some areas. A couple of days later, he started to feel like he was coming down with a stomach flu, complained of sore joints and headaches, and began to vomit. He went to bed and never really got up again. Within two days he was severely ill and weak. His blood sugar count was down to 66, and his face and eyeballs were yellow. He was rushed to the emergency at Pali-Momi, where he was diagnosed to be suffering from massive organ failure. He died shortly before midnight. No one would have made the connection between his job and his death, had it not been for a doctor who specifically asked if he had been in a warehouse or exposed to dried rat or mouse droppings at any time. They said there was a virus (much like the Hanta virus) that lives in dried rat and mouse droppings. Once dried, these droppings are like dust and can easily be breathed in or ingested if a person does not wear protective gear or fails to wash face and hands thoroughly. An autopsy was performed on the clerk to verify the doctor’s suspicions.... That is why it is extremely important to ALWAYS carefully rinse off the tops of canned sodas or foods, and to wipe off pasta packaging, cereal boxes, and soon. Almost everything you buy in a supermarket was stored in a warehouse at onetime or another, and stores themselves have rodents. Most of us remember to wash vegetables and fruits, but never think of boxes and cans. The ugly truth is, even the most modern, upper class, super stores have rats and mice. And their warehouse most assuredly does! Whenever you buy any canned soft drink, please make sure that you wash the top with running water and soap, of if that is not available, drink with a straw. The investigation of soda cans by the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta discovered that the tops of soda cans can be encrusted with dried rat’s urine, which is so toxic it can be lethal. Canned drinks and other foodstuffs are stored in warehouses and containers that are usually infested with rodents, and then they get transported to retail outlets without being properly cleaned.


Back To Main Page