Month: March 2008 Page 2 of 3

In Health

From: Natural News

If you are among those calorie-conscious consumers who opt for diet sodas or other diet products, you may actually ruin your health and become fat, according to several new studies.

A Purdue University study published 10 February 2008 in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience reported that rats on diets containing the artificial sweetener saccharin gained more weight than rats given sugary food, casting doubt on the benefits of low-calorie sweeteners.

During an interview, ABC News’ medical contributor Dr. Marie Savard stated that “there is something about diet foods that changes your metabolic limit, your brain chemistry.” Savard said another recent study, which included more than 18,000 people, found healthy adults who consumed one diet drink a day could increase their risk of health problems and metabolic disorders by a whooping 30 to 40 percent.

Ron Paul: Sting Operations Should Be Illegal [engaging in activities that a private citizen is prohibited by law from doing]

In Freedom, Ron Paul

From: WWW.House.Gov/Paul | Speeches And Statements

Living by the Sword

Ron Paul, M.D.

13 March 2008

It has been said that “he who lives by the sword shall die by the sword.” And in the case of Eliot Spitzer this couldn’t be more true. In his case it’s the political sword, as his enemies rejoice in his downfall. Most people, it seems, believe he got exactly what he deserved.

The illegal tools of the state brought Spitzer down, but think of all the harm done by Spitzer in using the same tools against so many other innocent people. He practiced what could be termed “economic McCarthyism,” using illegitimate government power to build his political career on the ruined lives of others.

No matter how morally justified his comeuppance may be, his downfall demonstrates the worst of our society. The possibility of uncovering personal moral wrongdoing is never a justification for the government to spy on our every move and to participate in sting operations.

For government to entice a citizen to break a law with a sting operation – that is, engaging in activities that a private citizen is prohibited by law from doing — is unconscionable and should clearly be illegal.

Though Spitzer used the same tools to destroy individuals charged with economic crimes that ended up being used against him, gloating over his downfall should not divert our attention from the fact that the government spying on American citizens is unworthy of a country claiming respect for liberty and the fourth amendment.

Two wrongs do not make a right. Two wrongs make it doubly wrong.

Sacrifice of our personal privacy has been ongoing for decades, but has rapidly accelerated since 9/11. Before 9/11 the unstated goal of collecting revenue was the real reason for the erosion of our financial privacy. When nineteen suicidal maniacs attacked us on 9/11, our country became convinced that further sacrifice of personal and financial privacy was required for our security.

The driving force behind this ongoing sacrifice of our privacy has been fear and the emotional effect of war rhetoric – war on drugs, war against terrorism, and the war against third world nations in the Middle East who are claimed to be the equivalent to Hitler and Nazi Germany.

But the real reason for all this surveillance is to build the power of the state. It arises from a virulent dislike of free people running their own lives and spending their own money. Statists always demand control of the people and their money.

Recently we’ve been told that this increase in the already intolerable invasion of our privacy was justified because the purpose was to apprehend terrorists. We were told that the massive amounts of information being collected on Americans would only be used to root out terrorists. But as we can see today, this monitoring of private activities can also be used for political reasons. We should always be concerned when the government accumulates information on innocent citizens.

Spitzer was brought down because he legally withdrew cash from a bank – not because he committed a crime. This should prompt us to reassess and hopefully reverse this trend of pervasive government intrusion in our private lives.

We need no more Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act!

No more Violent Radicalization & Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Acts!

No more torture!

No more Military Commissions Act!

No more secret prisons and extraordinary rendition!

No more abuse of habeas corpus!

No more PATRIOT Acts!

What we need is more government transparency and more privacy for the individual!

Source

Paul Craig Roberts: Watching the Dollar Die

In $Money$ ToBeFree

From: vdare.com

I’ve been watching the dollar die all my life. I sometimes think I will outlast it.

When I was a young man, gold was $35 an ounce. Today one ounce gold bullion coins, such as the Canadian Maple Leaf, cost more than $1,000.

Our coinage was silver. Our dimes, quarters, and half dollars had purchasing power. Even the nickel could purchase a candy bar, ice cream cone or soft drink, and a penny could purchase bubble gum or hard candy. If a kid could collect 5 discarded soft drink bottles from a construction site, the 2 cents deposit on the returnable bottles was enough for the Saturday afternoon movie. Gasoline was 32 cents a gallon. A dollar’s worth was enough for a Saturday night date. …

The US inflation rate is about twice as high as the government’s inflation measures report. In order to hold down Social Security payments, the government changed the way it measures inflation. In the old measure, inflation measured the nominal cost of a defined standard of living. If the price of steak rose, up went the inflation rate. Today if the price of steak rises, the government assumes that people switch to hamburger. Inflation doesn’t go up. Instead, the standard of living it measures goes down.

Skousen: Sacrificing the Dollar to Save the Banks

In $Money$ ToBeFree, Joel Skousen

World Affairs Brief, March 14, 2008. Commentary and Insights on a Troubled World.

Copyright Joel Skousen. Partial quotations with attribution permitted. Cite source as Joel Skousen’s World Affairs Brief.

SACRIFICING THE DOLLAR TO SAVE THE BANKS

We hear a phrase all too often nowadays: “The dollar sank to a new record low this week.” Get used to it. It’s going to continue its steady decline as the Fed continues to bailout the major banks and financial institutions whose solvency depends on a package of paper assets that no longer has a verifiable value. As currency traders react to each new injection of liquidity and the lowering of US interest rates, the dollar keeps losing value. It lost 1% this past week compared to the Euro. It has gone down 6% in the past month, 17% in the last year, and a whopping 31% since late 2005. The debasement of our currency is even worse than that, however. The markets are comparing the dollar to the Euro, or the Yen, or the British Pound. Each of those currencies is also being debased, but not quite as much as the dollar. Real inflation of the money supply is higher than the percentage fall of the dollar since all comparative currencies are moving downward as well. This week we’ll talk about who are the winners and who will be the losers in this frantic game of maintaining US buying power.

Even the markets are having trouble figuring out what are the effects of this bailout fever. As the Baltimore Sun noted, “Wall Street’s euphoria over a $200 billion plan from the Federal Reserve [resulting in an unwise gain of 416 points] turned to caution yesterday, leading stocks to retreat a day after their biggest rally in more than five years. Volatile energy prices added to the market’s anxiety. Oil prices initially fell after the Energy Department said crude and gasoline supplies rose by unexpectedly large amounts last week, but then they returned on their record-setting streak to briefly surpass $110 a barrel.”

The primary reason why oil is rising despite increasing supply is that it has become a store of value for currency traders trying to hedge against a falling dollar–following the pattern of gold and silver. In other words, speculators are joining in with oil traders to find a place to park their excess dollars, causing the price to rise unrelated to actual supply and demand of the raw product.

Major financial institutions are collapsing even though only a few, like Countrywide, have reached the state of publicly admitting default. This week another huge insider-connected fund is going under. Carlyle Capital Corp. has not been able to reach an agreement with Deutsche Bank and J.P. Morgan Chase to refinance Carlyle’s highly leveraged debt of some $21B. Carlyle’s creditors have made margin calls against Carlyle’s highly leveraged positions and are now seizing Carlyle’s collateralized assets (subprime debt) for auction. The Carlyle Fund is owned by the powerful insider-connected Carlyle Group (that owns or controls many dark side mercenary operations on behalf of the US government). If even the insiders can’t save their own, you know it’s really bad. The Carlyle Group itself is somewhat immune from financial liability since it, like other major insiders, switched corporate registry offshore (Guernsey Islands, U.K.) And their stock trades in Amsterdam.

Dees: $Crash$

On March 14, 2008

In $Money$ ToBeFree, Illustrations

Ron Paul: Tough Medicine the Only Treatment—That Won’t Happen

On March 14, 2008

In $Money$ ToBeFree, Ron Paul

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoNMG5-a15k]

“Every time there is an attempt by the market to correct these problems, we bail them out by more inflation…. All it’s going to do is weaken the Dollar.”

“I think we’re facing something we’ve never faced in the history of the world before.”

“The medicine is tough…. You have to allow liquidation of the bad debt. So you want prices to go down so poor people can buy houses again.”

“Because I know it’s tough medicine, I don’t predict it’s going to happen. I don’t think the Fed will do it; I don’t think the Congress will do it. But it means a guarantee that you’re going to have more inflation and more depreciation of the Dollar. We had a similar circumstance, but not nearly this bad in 1979 and 1980. When they tried to turn it off, Volcker had to come in and take interest rates up to 21% to save the Dollar. I don’t think it’ll be that easy this time.”

“I’ve been trying to get this message out for 30 years.”

Transcribed by Jeff Fenske

Iditarod: Lance Mackey kisses his lead dog, Hansom

On March 14, 2008

In Alaska, Animals

Click for Photo

While it lasts:
Anchorage Daily News Front Page pdf
(with better photo)

Coach Daubenmire: And the Pulpits are Silent

In Revival

From News with Views

Despite what the political parties would like you to believe, the problem in America is not the politicians, it is the pulpits. I hate to break the news to you, but most of America’s pulpits are filled with cowardly men. They are a shame to the Christ they claim to serve.

North American Military Agreement Signed by US & Canada

In Freedom, War

From: News with Views

While Americans are being bombarded with large doses of presidential primary news coverage, the US entered into an agreement with its northern neighbor that may have an impact on future internal military action.

In a political move that received little if any attention by the American news media, the United States and Canada entered into a military agreement on February 14, 2008, allowing the armed forces from one nation to support the armed forces of the other nation during a domestic civil emergency, even one that does not involve a cross-border crisis, according to a police commander involved in homeland security planning and implementation.

It is an initiative of the Bi-National Planning Group whose final report, issued in June 2006, called for the creation of a “Comprehensive Defense and Security Agreement,” or a “continental approach” to Canada-US defense and security.

The law enforcement executive told Newswithviews.com that the agreement — defined as a Civil Assistance Plan — was not submitted to Congress for debate and approval, nor did Congress pass any law or treaty specifically authorizing this military agreement to combine the operations of the armed forces of the United States and Canada in the event of domestic civil disturbances ranging from violent storms, to health epidemics, to civil riots or terrorist attacks.

“This is a military plan that’s designed to bypass the Posse Comitatus Act that traditionally prohibited the US military from operating within the borders of the United States. Not only will American soldiers be deployed at the discretion of whomever is sitting in the Oval Office, but foreign soldiers will also be deployed in American cities,” warns Lt. Steven Rodgers, commander of the Nutley, NJ Police Department’s detective bureau.

Pastor Baldwin: Conservatives Offer No Hope

In Chuck Baldwin, John McCain, Ron Paul

From: News With Views

… The beginning of the end came when Christian conservatives began idolizing President George W. Bush. They have done this to the point that they have come to accept just about any and all abuses against the Constitution, Bill of Rights, Declaration principles, and even our very way of life. Furthermore, they have become robotic foot soldiers for universal and everlasting war. At the same time, however, they see no harm in the decimation of individual liberties, as long as it is a Republican who is stealing them. But these same Christians will cry and wail–to the point of almost cutting themselves–against the thought of a Democrat doing the same thing. But, pray tell me, since when does it matter what the brand name is on the tyrant’s sword? Are not our liberties just as dead? …

National Right to Life even had the gall to say that it is “grateful” for John McCain’s “strong pro-life” record. What balderdash! McCain has repeatedly voted to spend Title X tax dollars to underwrite the nation’s largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood. He publicly supports killing unborn babies conceived via rape or incest. And he continues to lie to the American people about killing babies “to save the life of the mother,” which almost any OB/GYN doctor will tell you almost NEVER occurs. According to the OB/GYN physicians that I have spoken to, the only pregnancies that pose a legitimate health risk to the mother are those where the unborn baby has already perished. …

The closest movement to reclaiming America’s freedom and independence was the recent Presidential campaign of Congressman Ron Paul. With Congressman Paul effectively neutered and neutralized (by a hostile media and mercenary Republican hierarchy), the only hope is in America’s churches and a burgeoning independent movement.

I only wish I could expect today’s pastors and churches to stand in the gap for our nation. They have the power to thwart the forces of globalism, corporatism, elitism, and liberalism that are destroying America. So far, however, this has been nothing but wishful fantasy. Most of our beloved Christian leaders are as beholden to the same Republican donors as are the previously mentioned conservative organizations. And just as impotent.

Large Portions of Boeing Aircraft Made Overseas

In Uncategorized

From: Business Week

Boeing’s Audacious Allies

Supporters of the planemaker cry foul when it loses a U.S. military contract to a foreign rival, but 70% of its commercial Dreamliner is made overseas

When is globalization a bad word? To Boeing (BA) backers, it’s when the competition—a consortium led by European Aeronautic Defence & Space (EADS) and Northrop Grumman (NOC)—wins the battle for a lucrative U.S. Air Force contract for airborne-refueling planes. Ever since the Air Force announced its decision on Feb. 29, Americans from Seattle to Capitol Hill have railed about lost jobs and the risks of foreign-made military assets.

But what about when Boeing wins a big contract? You don’t hear many complaints then, despite the fact that large portions of the parts and labor in its commercial planes come from overseas—70% of Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliner and 60% of other models are made outside the U.S. Even many of Boeing’s military planes have many foreign parts in them.

One in 4 Teen Girls Has a Sexually Transmitted Disease—Ages 14-19

In Uncategorized

From: U.S. News & World Report

TUESDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) — More than 3 million teenaged girls have at least one sexually transmitted disease (STD), a new government study suggests.

The most severely affected are African-American teens. In fact, 48 percent of African-American teenaged girls have an STD, compared with 20 percent of white teenaged girls.

“What we found is alarming,” Dr. Sara Forhan, from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a teleconference Tuesday. “One in four female adolescents in the U.S. has at least one of the four most common STDs that affects women.”

Quote: Our Noblest Dreams are Born in the Quiet Crucible of Our Personal Suffering

In Freedom

“It is in the quiet crucible of our personal private sufferings
that our noblest dreams are born and Gods greatest gifts are given,
and often given in compensation for what we’ve been through.”

– Wintley Phipps

Transcribed by Jeff Fenske from
The 700 Club, 2/28/08

Ron Paul: Obama’s Anti-war ‘Rhetoric’ is ‘a Fraud’

Click for Transcript & Full Video

On March 10, 2008

In Barack Obama, Ron Paul, War

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYi1458u5iU]

CNN’s John Roberts: “…you are the only Republican calling for a withdraw from Iraq. Would your supporters—if you’re not going to become President and be in a position to affect that—would they be better off voting for the Democratic candidate?”

Ron Paul: “I don’t think so, because I don’t think they’re very sincere. If you look at Obama’s voting record, he’s voted not to end the war. He’s voted to finance the war. So his rhetoric is playing to the people that come my way, but he is every bit as much of an interventionist. He wants to send more troops into Afghanistan. He wants to broaden the military. So I think it’s a fraud what he’s talking about, when he wants to really get out of Iraq. I think that’s politics.”

Transcript by Jeff Fenske

Probe Finds Pharmceutical Drugs in Drinking Water

On March 10, 2008

In Health

From: AOL News

(March 9) – A vast array of pharmaceuticals — including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones — have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans, an Associated Press investigation shows.

“The Prayer”: Josh Groban & Charlotte Church (with God-beams)

In Music Videos

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJhxmdyGC5c]

Popcorn Popper as Coffee Roaster

Click for Presentation

In Fun–or–AMAZING Stuff!

From: Kevin Kelly Cool Tools

I wanted to try roasting my own coffee but was reluctant to plunk down $100 just to try it. The solution: a hot-air popcorn popper. Sweet Maria’s web site has detailed instructions on how to use a popcorn popper to dry roast coffee beans. I already had a popper (a $3 “Presto” I got at a thrift store), so I ordered a pound of green beans. Turns out it’s very easy. No tinkering, hacking or rewiring necessary.

Funny: How to clean your PC Screen

In Fun–or–AMAZING Stuff!

Click Here

Moderate Alcohol Consumption In Middle Age Can Lower Cardiac Risk, Study Shows

In Health

From: Science Daily

Previous studies have pointed out the benefits of moderate alcohol consumption as a factor in lowering cardiovascular risk. In a study conducted by the Department of Family Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina, researchers found that middle-aged non-drinkers who began consuming moderate amounts of alcohol saw an immediate benefit of lower cardiac disease morbidity with no change in mortality after four years.

Click for Story, which also has these links:

Moderate Alcohol Consumption Decreases Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease Death In Men (Mar. 25, 2004) — Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) have found that light to moderate alcohol consumption – categorized as up to one to two drinks a day – among men with hypertension, … > read more

Alcohol Linked To Decreased Hypertension Risk In Young Women (Mar. 11, 2002) — Moderate alcohol consumption can lead to a reduced risk of developing hypertension in young women, according to researchers from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Brigham and Women’s … > read more

Light To Moderate Drinking Reduces Risk Of Cardiac Events, Death (Jul. 25, 2006) — Older adults who consume one to seven alcoholic beverages a week may live longer and have a reduced risk for cardiac events than those who do not drink — an association that appears independent of … > read more

Study Finds That Moderate Drinkers May Have Lower Risk Of Mortality After A Heart Attack (Apr. 18, 2001) — People with heart disease who consume moderate levels of alcohol may have a lower risk of mortality after suffering a heart attack than those who abstained from alcohol, according to study led by … > read more

Skousen: The Political Art of Lying

In Barack Obama, Joel Skousen, Lying

World Affairs Brief, March 7, 2008. Commentary and Insights on a Troubled World.

Copyright Joel Skousen. Partial quotations with attribution permitted. Cite source as Joel Skousen’s World Affairs Brief (http://www.worldaffairsbrief.com)

A GLIMPSE INTO DARK SIDE IMMUNITY

Only a small minority of Americans see that only liars are allowed to win the nomination for high political office–in this or any other country. In the end, it really doesn’t matter who is elected president–all the major candidates have been co-opted by the control system and its globalist agenda. Honest statesmen like Ron Paul are shunned by the media and the powerful elite. Sadly, even most people would rather be lied to about what they want to hear rather than believe the truth about our declining situation.

Bush to veto CIA waterboarding ban bill

In George Bush Family

From: Reuters

WASHINGTON, March 7 (Reuters) – President George W. Bush will veto legislation on Saturday banning U.S. intelligence agents from using waterboarding and other controversial interrogation methods, White House spokesman Tony Fratto said on Friday. …

“President Bush’s veto will be one of the most shameful acts of his presidency,” charged Sen. Edward Kennedy….

Rand Paul – Campaign Continues But Is ‘Different’

In Rand Paul, Ron Paul

From: Lew Rockwell

Writes Ron’s son:

“Is the Revolution Over or Just Beginning?

“Reports that Ron Paul has quit the Presidential Race remind me of Mark Twain’s famous quote, ‘Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.’ The Ron Paul Presidential campaign continues albeit at a different pace.

“What does that mean?

Alex Jones: Question Your Reality

In Freedom, Health

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpFu_bYkomc]

Ron Paul’s Message to Supporters—March 6, 2008

In Ron Paul

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rk_vVaZxTno]

IRS Keeps Secret Files on Pastors

In Revival

From: Freedom’s Phoenix

Several pastors and church related ministries have publicly declared that they are taking on the IRS in this election year in a no-holds-barred fight. If the IRS doesn’t like it, they can basically go take a hike because it’s going to be business as usual with them, even if their tax-exempt status is put in jeopardy.

[…]

Instead of lawsuits and imprecatory prayers, it might be time for pastors and churches to repent for the sins of our preacher fathers who got us into this tax-exempt scheme three generations ago, and to repent ourselves for remaining in a system that muzzles us from being the prophetic voice for God that we are supposed to be in this day and hour.

Dees: Genetically Modified (GM) Corn

In Health, Illustrations

A320 Nearly Crashes in Extreme Crosswinds – Hamburg

In Fun–or–AMAZING Stuff!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqd0V4CgdSM]

This Lufthansa Airbus A320 suffered a wing-tip strike before executing a go-around during an attempt to land at Hamburg International Airport during high winds on 1 March. The A320, identified as D-AIQP, was apparently arriving on runway 23 after a domestic service from Munich. Its left wing-tip contacted the runway and the aircraft drifted far to the left of the centreline before the crew aborted the landing. Local reports, citing maintenance sources, indicate that the jet escaped with only superficial damage.

Source of Text

Kucinich & Ron Paul Easily Defeat Congressional Opponents!

On March 5, 2008

In Dennis Kucinich, Ron Paul

From: Los Angeles Times

Rep. Ron Paul, the 72-year-old libertarian-like, 10-term Texas congressman who’s also running for the Republican presidential nomination, easily won his 14th District primary Tuesday and is set for easy re-election in November.

With about half the precincts counted (what’s the rush — it’s Texas) Paul was thumping Friendswood City Councilman Chris Peden by two-to-one.

American Troops Going Insane [VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED]