April 29, 2007


OH, NO!
Eli Lilly's latest scam.



Posted at:




tas: , , , , ,

This is posted on a GREAT BLOG.


Did you hear that Eli Lilly, the company that was caught in a big
kerfuffle (read: had at least one 690 million dollar "settlement" and is being sued by various US States - cases against them in other countries) over Zyprexa (Olanzapine), recently released


an antidepressant for dogs? (Lady B says: emphasis mine).


The product, called Reconcile (fluoxetine hydrochloride), is a
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) that is prescribed for
dogs that suffer separation anxiety. It is prescribed on a
dose-to-weight basis for use in conjunction with behavior modification
training to help ease anxiety in dogs that become stressed-out when
their owners leave them behind to go to work or for other reasons. (Okay, boyz and grrls, we are dealing with Eli Lilly. I believe that they have Reason Makers - experience with Zyprexa seems to indicate this ... and sometimes the "reasons" are really DANGEROUS, like giving them to children ... sure build$ up them profit$, though)


Lilly research shows that 10.7 million, or up to 17 percent of U.S. dogs(1)
suffer from separation anxiety," said Steve Connell, D.V.M., manager of
technical, academic and consumer services for companion animal health
at Lilly. "We're thrilled that our first product for dogs can help
restore the human-pet bond, which can be compromised when dogs suffer
from separation anxiety." (Just wait. All sorts of dawgz are going to turn up NEEDING this drug.)



Reconcile is a chewable flavored tablet that is proven safe for dogs and puppies 6 months or older. (and aint that sweet? We used to wrap our dog's meds in some ground beef .. she would 'wolf" it right down! But it just might make it a reason to charge lots more ca$h per pill to have them in dog-friendly flavors.)


In field studies of approximately 600 dogs, 73 percent of dogs that
were receiving Reconcile showed improvement in separation
anxiety-related behavior within eight weeks when compared with dogs
receiving behavior modification training alone. Within one week of
starting Reconcile(TM) treatment and behavior modification training, 42
percent of dogs showed improvement. During trials, the most common
adverse reactions to Reconcile were calm or lethargy, reduced appetite,
vomiting, shaking, diarrhea, restlessness, excessive vocalization,
aggression and -- in infrequent cases -- seizures. [story]

Considering that the Chinese tainted pet food intended for American and
Canadian pets, I wonder what they think of Americans and their pets
now?


* * *

V's RANT


Oh, my DOG! I mean God!!



Eli Lilly has NO shame, no ethics, no credibility whatsoever.



I find it signficant that I am reading this the week after all the stories about the VTech murderer and his profound usage of SSRI's.



Zyprexa IS a killer drug. It is an atypical antipsychotic THAT has been shown to be peddled by liars. They said it worked BETTER than the others. Guess what!?? It simply wasn't true.

Now, since the flashlight of truth has been shone upon the zyprexa shadows, we know that Mssrs. Eli Lilly & Co. are not always beacons of medical truth.


I knew that it was prescribed to my son who had drug psychosis. (DO NOT get me started on the dangers of MDMA and pushing one's consciousness where it should not be going.)


He was "labelled" paranoid schizophrenic.


I tried valiantly to keep him off it.
I tried valiantly to GET HIM OFF IT.


He is 22 and last July he had a STROKE.


I was prepared for the diabetes and pancreatitis (one develops the latter as the body fights to NOT get the diabetes. This phenomena makes it EXTREMELY difficult for a health practioner to detect the dangers to come, as the danger signals for diabetes do not show up in time to prevent it) .. but a STROKE?


At 22.


The fight against Eli Lilly has not come to the courts here in Canada YET, but the of counsel lawyer is the man who beat the Red Cross during the tainted blood scandal and the court battle should be a jolting media "ride". With this new dawg "medicine" Rover will be looking out the back window for the "dog catcher".



Back to DAWGS .. I have seen separation anxiety in dogs.

I HAD a Rhodesian Ridgeback. This is a breed that is not only INTENSE to the 10th power, BUT has separation anxiety so badly that there are rescue organizations dedicated to rescuing them. Yup.


The SPCA (where I got her) told me she was a Golden Retriever mix. Yeah, right. They said she was at the facility as the owners had a baby and they couldn't keep her any more. The dog had never had clicker training (btw, folks, this is what they mean by "behavior modification") which is essential for a dog that was BREED to be that agressive. Ridgeback is a mix of nine breeds to produce a lion hunting dog, who will not KILL the lion, simply corner it so that The Great White Hunter can go in for the KILL.)



I could not understand her ways. Love didn't seem to be an essential part of her personality; but being territorial certainly wuz. Being aggressive with other dogs certainly wuz. Being absolutely demanding certainly wuz.


So her seperation "anxiety" got really bad without the folks she had previously "bonded" with in her previous home. She was in FULL SCALE GRIEF, and I surely do not blame her.


These are some of the world's strongest dogs and she needed TONS Of exercise and freedom to roam; things I could not give her. Probably out in the suburbs she could fit her traits to that environment.



She began to nip at me as the days passed AND she took over all the furniture. You cannot fight a Ridgeback. I am disabled and couldn't sleep in my bed, sit in one of OWN chairs, or have even a 6" space on my sofa. Eventually I took the dog back to the animal shelter after I got SCARS from her biting me when I sat down on my own sofa.



She was put in quarantine and behavior modified for several months before they tried to let her be adopted again. (Poor ole Daisy! I am SO sorry .. but I did have to bring you back. How do I know what happened to you ...? I kept track of you on the shelter's website.)



Now, the POINT is - what would happen -- SHOULD Daisy be put on SSRI's? I'll bet she was damned mad being kept in cage except for a brief walk daily.



Note the side effect you have just sort of SKIPPED over - AGGRESSION. This is far likely to cause more problems than seizures, actually. Really really damaging for the dawg to be punished for what is a natural reaction to an ABNORMAL situation. What we are looking at here is post traumatic stress disorder (the dog lost its best friends and protectors) ... it is NOT depression.



But what do you think Daisy's chances of being put on Reconcile, had the drug been available back then ..?



I would say 100%. Why?



Because Eli Lily is totally unethical about selling drugs to organizations and to public care facilities. Several states have sued over this (Mississippi is a case in point) connection between diabetes and zyprexa. THEY have been picking up the tab for treatment of those who developed diabates on zyprexa and WANT THE MONEY TO PAY FOR THE TREATMENTS coming from the corporation that did the damage. But these States paid for all the zyprexa!! @ about $6 per pill X the no. of people taking them X the number of months they were on them ...



Who makes the pills for diabetes treatment .. why Eli Lily OF COURSE.



I refer any one reading this to Newstarget, an excellent anti Big Pharma blog by Mike Adams. It's an eye opener. My blog has several articles (in the main not written by me but just reposts) about BIG PHARMA.



I am angry enuf about pharmocorporate acculturation in our society, without now having to worry about the canine population being drug to death and seizure land.



If you go to www.ladybroadoak.blogspot.com -- just run a blog search on Big Pharma or zyprexa (teen screen articles are interesting, too) and although I wasn't using links back then, you will surely see a picture emerge of a corporation that is truly not helpful to living things. You will see how VIVA ZYPREXA was a way to reward pill pushers from Lilly who came up with new and unique ways to prescribe the drug (bipolar, dementia, depression, you name it) as well as to provide "incentives" for medical professionals to prescribe it. This tidbit of terror-ifying pill pushing took MONTHS to uncover.



And, btw, it is interesting to note who is on and/or has been on the Board of Directors of Eli Lilly. Why isn't that George H. Bush ... at one point? And there a few others who are still making a financial killing with their stock ..? (It is at least rumored that Bill Gates and Warren Buffet have huge stakes in the pharma shares.)

This corporations profits remain startling stable despite the rapid decline of zyprexa prescriptions .. why? They are just higher/double dosing those who are still unfortunately on it ...



NOTE: The real public awareness about Zyprexa only surfaced when NYT ran a series on diabetes. Everyone they interviewed was on some form of SSRI or atypical antipsychotic. A few of us pointed it out when we read about it. We KNEW the reason they were overweight, bloated, lethargic, etc and talked about in the comments LONG AND LOUD. We bloggers, we made the mainstream media STAND UP AND BE NOTICING REAL "NEWS". Be sure to go to OpEd news and check out the many fine and truth telling articles by Evelyln Pringle. (And also, remember Daniel Hazard who went to the web with his own story ... I wonder if either of them has a dawg ....)





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Friendship



community



connectedness



visionary



planetary healer





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April 28, 2007

Compact Florsecent Light Bulb and MERCURY!!

It is (extremely) important to know that Compact Florescent Light bulbs contain mercury and should be disposed of properly.

Here is a link to more information:

This links is to energy star's info.

Here is a link to more information:

This links is to energy star's info.


Now let's look at this new CASH COW!!


Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) - newer, highly
efficient lamps that screw into existing light bulb sockets
(in most cases) and resemble traditional bulbs in
appearance rather than the tubular style of regular
fluorescent lamps.


Fluorescent lamp - a tubular electric lamp having a
coating of fluorescent material on its inner surface
and containing vapor whose bombardment by electrons
from the cathode provides ultraviolet light that
causes the material to emit visible light.

High Intensity Discharge lighting (HID) - formerly
outdoor or special use lights that now are being produced
for indoor use; HID greatly increases the
amount of light produced.

Incandescent lamp - an electric lamp in which a filament
gives off light when heated to incandescence
by an electric current (incandescence means white,
glowing, or luminous with intense heat).

Lamp - "light bulb"

Lumen - a unit of luminous flux equal to the light
emitted in a unit solid angle by a uniform point source
of one candle intensity.

Restrike Time - the time it takes for a lamp to reach
full brightness when the lamp is first turned on; or if
the lamp is burning, the time it takes for the lamp to
restrike when power is switched off and then back on.

Source:
MSU is an Affirmative-Action Equal-Opportunity Institution. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, or family status. Issued in furtherance of Extension work in agriculture and home economics, acts of May 8 and June 20, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Margaret A. Bethel, Acting Extension Director, Michigan State University, E. Lansing, MI 48824. This information is for educational purposes only.

tyler.blogware.com

The article above discusses the Australian phenomenae and Ontario's TIME LINE!!

Wednesday, April 18
View Article Ontario to ban old Edison bulbs
by Tyler on Wed 18 Apr 2007 02:28 PM EDT
Well, California made noise about it, Australia got the ball rolling, now Ontario is jumping in with its own ban on inefficient incandescent bulbs. This makes Ontario the first jurisdiction in North America to commit to a ban, though unlike the Australian target of 2010, Ontario's regulation won't kick in until 2012. The province has also been careful with its wording. It's not banning incandescent bulbs. Rather, it plans to ban inefficient lighting technology that would include current incandescent bulbs. It left the door open to innovation with regards to incandescent technology. No doubt, the government wanted to be sensitive to General Electric, which claims it is working on an incandescent bulb that will be just as efficient as compact fluorscent lights and which contain zero mercury. One could argue the Ontario ban should match Australia's timeline, but I think the fact that the province has drawn a line in the sand will have an enormous impact. It will be interesting to see how many other provinces and states follow
.

* * *


Some (excellent) posts I read on a yahoo!group!!

Martin says,

Consumers in dark over risks of new light bulbs

The problem is that they are trying to "guilt" us into believing the hype
about "good for the environment". It is B.S! Why is it that the citizen has
to always pay in the end for industries mistakes? They stand to make
billions but it is us, the consumer, that will pay the extra cost of the
cleanup. I won't use the new bulbs in the house but do have some outside. I
am trying them out. But as far as I can tell, they still burn out maybe last
a little longer but are the health risks worth it? Do we always accept the
government's assumptions that they are "safe"? There is a new cow hormone on
the horizon that is not safe for people but the cattle feed lots are going
to start using it. We are the guinea pigs alright! We had better wake up
quick around here before corporate amerika owns us!!
Martin

S. wrote:


Your reasoning rings true, often the legislature doesn't fully think about
how things will work or turn out before they pass laws. Although the bulbs
have worked well for me, you have me thinking about what to do with them
when they do burn out. And regardless of how well they work or don't work,
the government has no business telling people what bulbs to use in their
homes. What's next? we can only use Dial soap or Tide detergent?
Shawn

Virginia Comments: I just bought 2 of these "wonder" bulbs for the first time. I felt pious and virtuous. But the thing is - everything I own is secondhand!! So an occupational therapist goes to visit and sees the first bulb. I have no shade on the lamp so she can see the bulb. What does she say ...?

WATCH OUT!! These bulbs can blow up if the energy standard of the lamp is not correct.

I began to have visualizations of me turning on my lamp, my bulb blowing up, the glass shattering into pieces tearing holes in my lovely face, and deadening my body by the ingestion of MERCURY.

Forget so-called efficiency ...

See also:
and this
adn even this FOX NEWS story shows some of the baloney being spread about by so-called environmentalists.

Run yerself a google search called "Light bulb and mercury" and you can find plenty more.

And meanwhile, Reduce, reuse, recycle and RETHINK!!

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Light bulb jokes .. and more!!


The web is abuzz with the news (bad) about the new light bulbs and with jabs at Al Gore becuz he is still drawing the concept of a fresh idea with a graphic of the OLD light bulb, so in the spirit of FUN I give you ...

LOTS of light bulb jokes. You are gonna need them as the debate over the new light bulbs gets "heated".

And a hats off to the surrealists of note who read on this list. They seem to take the prize for the best "jokes" -- but then were just fishing on bicycles for the the best joke on purple monkeys. That is how they wash dishes ...


light bulb changer GIF image courtesy totally absurd.com


energy saver light bulb Stress reliever "ball"
from www.logoproducts.com


Light bulb jokes have been around probably since Thomas Edison. We hope we've listed some of your favorites.

Enjoy!

Question graphic How many mothers-in-law does it take to change a light bulb?

Answer graphic None - "It's fine, I'll sit here in the dark, I'll be ok, don't worry abo
ut me...."

Thanks for the above to:
Yvonne Gilmore
Energy Analyst
Christchurch (New Zealand) City Council

Question graphic How many consultants does it take to change a light bulb?

Answer graphic I'll have an estimate for you a week from Monday.



Question graphic Mr. Spock. How many Vulcans does it take to change a light bulb?

Answer graphic Exactly 1.00000
00000.



Question graphic How many economists does it take to change a light bulb?

Answer graphic Two. One to assume the ladder and one to change the bulb.



Question graphic How many folk singers does it take to change a light bulb?

Answer graphic Two. One to change the bulb, and one to write a song about how good the old light bulb was.




Question graphic How many gorillas does it take to change a light bulb?

Answer graphic Just one, but it takes a lot of light bulbs.



Question graphic How many students does it tak
e to change a light bulb?

Answer graphic None. They are smart enough to use compact fluorescent bulbs that almost never need changing.





Here are some additional light bulb jokes from www.funny2.com

How many administrative assistants does it take to change a light bulb? None. It won't be changed until you fill out form #3422V - the light bulb change request form.

How many advertising executives does it take to change a light bulb? Interesting question, what do YOU think?

How many antelopes does it take to change a light bulb? None, they are hardy animals that migrate between tundra and wide open plains and therefore have no need for an artificial light source.

How many Apple Computer employees does it take to screw in a light bulb? Seven, one to screw it in and six to design the T-shirts.

How many art students does it take to change a light bulb? One, but he gets two credits.

How many babysitters does it take to change a light bulb? None, Pampers don't come in a size that sm
all.

How many beer makers does it take to change a light bulb? About one third less than for a regular bulb.

How many beta testers does it take to change a light bulb? None. They just find the problems, they don't fix them.

How many bluegrass musicians does it take to screw in a light bulb? Four. One to change it, and three to complain that it's electric.

Xray photo of light bulb

How many board meetings does it take to get a light bulb changed? This topic was resumed from last week's discussion, but is incomplete, pending resolution of some action items. It will be continued next week.

How many chiropractors does it take to change a light bulb? One, but it takes them three visits.

How many Communists does it take to screw in a light bulb? The light bulb contains the seeds of its own revolution.


How many conservative economists does it take to change a light bulb? None, the darkness will cause the light bulb to change by itself.

How many dull people does it take to change a light bulb? One.

How many dyslexics does it change to take a light bulb? Eno.

How many evolutionists does it take to change a light bulb? Only one, but it takes eight million years.


How many Federal employees does it take to screw in a light bulb? Sorry, that item has been cut from the budget.

How many feminists does it take to change a light bulb? Sixteen. One to change it, and fifteen to form a support group.

How many firemen does it take to change a light bulb? Four, one to change the bulb and three to cut a hole in the roof.

How many Florida residents does it take to change a light bulb? Nobody knows, they're still counting.

How many frat guys does it take to screw in a light bulb? Three, one to screw it in, and two to help him down off the keg.

How many goths does it take to change a light bulb? None. They prefer everything dark.

How many grad students does it take to change a light bulb? One, but it takes ten years.

How many ice skaters does it take to screw in a light bulb? Two, one to screw in the bulb, one to hire a hit man to club the other skater on the knee.

How many IRS agents does it take to screw in a light bulb? Only one, but it really gets screwed.

How many jugglers does it take to change a light bulb? One, but it takes three bulbs.

How many Microsoft engineers does it take to change a light bulb? It burned out? You must be using a non-standard socket.

How many Microsoft engineers does it take to change a light bulb? None, they merely change the standard to darkness and then they upgrade the customers.

How many mutants does it take to screw in a light bulb? Two-thirds.

How many mystery writers does it take to change a light bulb? Two. One to screw the bulb almost all the way in, and one to give a surprising twist at the end.

How many narcissists does it take to change a l
ight bulb? One. He holds the bulb while the world revolves around him.

How many optimists does it take to screw in a light bulb? None, they're convinced that the power will come back on soon.

How many paranoids does it take to change a light bulb? WHO WANTS TO KNOW?

How many Pentium owners does it take to change a light bulb? 0.99987, but that's close enough for most applications.

How many politicians does it take to change a light bulb? 1,000,001. One to change the bulb, and 1,000,000 to rebuild civilization to the point where they need light bulbs again.

How many procrastinators does it take to screw in a light bulb? One, but he has to wait until the light is better.

How many programmers does it take to change a light bulb? None, that's a hardware problem.

How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bul
b? One, but only if the light bulb really wants to change.

How many 'real' programmers does it take to change a light bulb? None. 'Real' programmers prefer LEDs.

How many reference librarians does it take to change a light bulb? I don't know, I'll have to check on that and get back to you.

How many safety inspectors does it take to change a light bulb? Four. One to change it, and three to hold th
e ladder.

How many science fiction writers does it take to change a light bulb? Two, but it's actually the same person doing it. He went back in time and met himself in the doorway and then the first one sat on the other one's shoulder so that they were able to reach it. Then a major time paradox occurred and the entire room, light bulb, changer and all was blown out of existence.

How many social scientists does it take to screw in a light bulb? None, they do not change light bulbs; they search for the root cause as to why the last one went out.

How many software engineers does it take to change a light bulb? Two. One always leaves in the middle of
the project.

How many stockbrokers does it take to change a light bulb? Oh, no! The bulb's out! Sell my GE stock NOW!!

How many surrealists does it take to change a light bulb? The bicycle's broken.

How many surrealists does it take to change a light bulb? To get to the other side.

How many surrealists does it take to change a light bulb? Two. One to hold the giraffe, and one to put the clocks
in the bathtub.

How many Taoists does it take to change a light bulb? You cannot change a light bulb. By nature, it will go out again.

How many telemarketers does it take to change a light bulb? Only one, but they have to do it while you're e
ating dinner.

How many Valley Girls does it take to change a light bulb? Oh my GOD! Like, manual labor? Gag me with a spoon! For sure.

How many Valley Girls does it take to change a light bulb? Two. One to get an Evian, and one to call Daddy.

How many visitors to an art gallery does it take to screw in a light bulb? Two, one to do it and one to say "Huh! My four-year
old could've done that!"

How many Zen masters does it take to change a light bulb? Two. One to change it, and one not to change it.



See also:

www.bulbs.com
www.ideafinder.com/hisstry/inventions/lightbulb.htm

www.centennialbulb.org
www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=cfls.pr_



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On Russian economics

very interesting stuff ..


If you dont' go to the link, let me at least mention that this ran in the Globe & Mail's Report on Business; There is NO anti-Soviet nor anti-Russian "tone" to it.

I highly recommend it. The book in bold below, sounds like a GREAT read.

V

Tax reform, not oil, fuelled Russia's revival

Richard H.K. Vietor teaches business and political economy at Harvard Business School. In his new book, How Countries Compete: Strategy, Structure and Government in the Global Economy,

Professor Vietor says Boris Yeltsin, first president of post-Marxist
Russia and tragicomic free-market reformer, got double-crossed by
Viktor Gerashchenko, the chairman of Russia's central bank.

When Mr. Yeltsin abruptly lifted price controls on 90 per cent of

all consumer goods in 1992, he says, the central bank needed to limit
the growth in money supply immediately - or risk runaway inflation. It
cranked up the printing presses instead.

*snip*

Russia's murder rate tripled in five years, making the country the

second most homicidal in the world (after South Africa). Amid this
anarchy, alcoholism rates soared - as did HIV/AIDS rates. The Russian
mafia acquired a kind of authority akin to the sovereign authority of
governments. Close to national bankruptcy, Russia defaulted on its
domestic debt. Mr. Yeltsin took an emergency $10-billion (U.S.) loan
from the International Monetary Fund - from the West.

To finance the residual operations of government, Mr. Yeltsin sold

off Russia's state-owned corporations at corrupt auctions - the process
by which Mikhail Khodorkovsky acquired Yukos, Russia's biggest oil
company, for $309-million; even in the 1990s, long before the rise in
oil prices, it was worth more than $15-billion
.
The auctions, all
together, yielded Mr. Yeltsin a mere $800-million "in exchange for
priceless assets." But he came not to care. In the end, Professor
Vietor says, he would be satisfied with the complete, irreversible
destruction of the Soviet economy.

In the past few years, Russia's economic success has been explained

away as a consequence of high oil prices.

*snip*

Since 2000, according to a Deutsche Bank report, Russia's GDP will
have increased sixfold in real, inflation-adjusted dollars by the end
of this year - from $1,334 per capita to $8,350.

*snip*

evertheless, Professor Vietor says, "resource endowments" are hard to manage wherever they are. They drive "unwise government spending,"induce corruption and - in the long run - reduce economic growth. Oil wealth can be almost as dangerous, in other words, as a saboteur in thecentral bank or a despot in the presidential palace.

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April 27, 2007

Read the whole blog at standingwomen.blogspot.com



Wednesday, April 25, 2007










May 13--A Positive Demonstration of Our Own Commitment to Attaining a Better Future








Dear Souls who will stand together on May 13,



The
response to our call has now spread throughout the world. We will have
people standing throughout the world in groups ranging in sizes of one
to thousands. We are in awe of the possibilities for our future.



We
know from the kind and gentle wording of so many of the messages that
we have received that our sisters and brothers will be standing in
honor of the intent of the original call--a positive demonstration of our
commitment to do what we can individually and collectively to attain a
better future for our children, grandchildren and the seven generations
beyond. We are not asking that someone else make this future happen,
but rather acknowledging that we can create our future. We are not
protesting anything, but rather committing to our future.



Thank you, dear sisters and brothers, for standing with us and for honoring the intent of the call.










Wednesday, March 28, 2007










After May 13, What Next?








Many have begun asking what happens after we have stood together on May 13. What should we do next?



Our
hope is that the very act of gathering and standing together in silence
will inspire and energize all of us to take actions that will help
realize our dream of a better world for our children, grandchildren and
the seven generations beyond them.



The most important ideas for
what comes next will come from you. We hope that in the discussions
that follow your standing, you will develop ideas to share with all of
us. We are in the process of creating a page on the StandingWomen site
that will allow all of you to offer suggestions, tell us about existing
organizations and efforts, and that will permit connecting links to
occur by areas of interest.



We have great power to shape the
world to achieve our dreams. Individuals, in deciding how to spend
their time and where to donate their money, can have an enormous impact
on the world. For example, students from a school in the Bronx, P.S.
52, made up of some of the poorest kids in the area, after seeing the
water scarcity in a UN video hosted by rap star JayZ, got together
their pennies, dimes and nickels and raised over $2,000 to send to the
most drought affected villages.



In many countries we, as
individuals, through how we cast our votes, can help our elected
officials come to see that they are the guardians of our children's and
grandchildren's future and that every decision they make should be made
within this context.



In this internet age, we also can band
together collectively. We suggest that you look at the work of these
existing groups that already bring women together internationally to
change the world:



Women's Intercultural Network www.win-cawa.org

Gather the Women www.gatherthewomen.org

The Millionth Circle www.millionthcircle.org

Circle Connections http://www.circleconnections.com/

Peace X Peace www.peacexpeace.org

UNIFEM www.unifem/org



For U.S. women, we also recommend

U.S. Women Connect www.uswc.org

Stand Up and Vote http://www.standupandvote.org/partners.html

One.org

ONE (www.ONE.org).
ONE: The campaign to Make Poverty History is a coalition of over 2.4
million supporters and over 100 of the nation's most well-known and
respected non-profit, advocacy and humanitarian organizations. ONE is a
new effort by Americans to rally Americans--ONE by ONE--to fight the
emergency of global AIDS and extreme poverty. ONE is students and
ministers, punk rockers and NASCAR moms, Americans of all beliefs and
backgrounds, united as ONE to help make poverty history.



In our work, we can be guided by quotes from Margaret Mead and Helen Keller:



"Never
doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change
the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever does."
Margaret Mead



"I
am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I
can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do."
Helen Keller










Saturday, March 10, 2007










Wonderful Note from Sharon Mehdi, author of Great Silent Grandmother Gathering








Sharon
Mehdi, the author of The Great Silent Grandmother Gathering, sent us
this wonderful note that follows. We share it here with her permission.
She also sent us the superb poem by Margaret Robison that follows
Sharon's note. We share it her with Margaret's permission.



I want to tell you a story.



Last
summer during the Lebanon-Israeli altercation, a handful of us started
standing every morning from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. in our beloved Lithia Park
here in Ashland. We continued standing until November. Three months.
Seven days a week. No matter what the weather. It was hard. Our backs
hurt and our bones ached.



As summer turned to fall and the
mornings got colder, we wore layer upon layer to try to keep warm.
Sometimes there were four or five of us, sometimes 18 or 20. At the end
of our stand each day, we joined hands in a circle and sang: "Peace is
flowing like a river/ flowing out from you and me/flowing out into the
desert/setting all the people free."



On a grand and global
scale, what we did was insignificant. But it was what we could do and
we were committed to it. Like the wonderful Helen Keller quote: "I am
only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can
do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do."



Perhaps
it didn't transform the world, but it transformed us. Our local
newspapers ran front page stories about us. Ours is a tourist town and
visitors took pictures of us standing. No signs, no banners. Just
standing. Sometimes they joined us. And sometimes they emailed friends
back home. One woman from your own state of Ohio wrote that she lived
on a farm and didn't have a park or a group of women to stand with, so
every morning she stood in her cornfield. She said she pretended all
the cornstalks were women standing with her. She wanted us to know she
was doing what she could.



You Ohio women have put so much energy
and creativity and hard work into the invitation to others of us,
around the world, to stand on May 13th. Your sincerity spoke to my
heart. That is the magic. Women from the heartland, inviting others to
stand at a certain moment on a certain day to save the world. The word
is spreading. Friend to friend. You are empowering women all over to
find their own way, their own park, their own cornfield.



The glory of your dream is that it is not organized. It is spontaneous and it is holy.



Love, Sharon



POEM

To Save the World by Margaret Robison

I sit still in my wheelchair

With my back straight, my head erect.

I breathe in the warm air of the room.

Out my window light from the full moon Shines on the dark water.

I breathe the warm air out.

This house is quiet tonight.

I too am quiet.

I breathe the warm air in.

On the mountain across the river a train passes

Howling its plaintive howl.

I breathe the warm air out.

The night is silent once again.

Light from the full moon shines on the dark water.

What did I do to save the world today?

I watched no news on TV.

I walked in no protest demonstrations.

I wrote no letters to Senators or Representatives.

I sat very still in my wheelchair a long time.

I held my back straight and my head erect.

I breathed in the warm air of this room.

I breathed out the warm air of my body.

And all the time,

I was smiling.






















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for full story - and it's a SIZZLER

Nancy Levant is extraordinary!!


http://www.newswithviews.com:80/Levant/nancy85.htm


let’s start
with a partial list of America’s new “homeland” and regional military partners:





  • The United Nation






  • Department of Homeland
    Security





  • FEMA






  • NASA






  • International
    Peacekeeping Forces





  • Nationwide
    military-trained law enforcement departments






  • SWAT teams






  • PMCs (Private Military
    Companies)





  • Halliburton, Bechtel,
    Kellog-Brown-Root and their “political” connections






  • Private Security
    Contractors





  • Rapid deployment
    civilian reserves (see Reconstruction and Stabilization Civilian Management
    Act of 2007, and the already implemented new Office of Coordinator for
    Stabilization and Reconstruction that reports directly to the Secretary of
    State)





  • Community Oriented
    Policing Services (C.O.P.S.)





  • Active Response Corp






  • Citizens Corp






  • Citizens Neighborhood
    Groups





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Kucinich Files Articles of Impeachment Against Cheney


By Joshua Holland, AlterNet. Posted April 25, 2007

Impeachment may be gathering steam in a way that the whispering ladies of the DC establishment can't stop. As John Nichols writes in The Nation:

When
Nancy Pelosi announced last fall that impeachment was "off the table,"
official Washington accepted that the primary avenue for holding
lawless Presidents to account had been closed off by the new Speaker of
the House. But the Republic's citizenry has not been so inclined ...
Outside Washington ... an "impeachment from below" movement is
gathering steam.



No kidding. The show has just begun ..

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For the Environmental Working Group. Lots of great reports stored there. They call subtitle their site the Power of Information.



and



then this:







Which not only has some healing cures very well organized, but has started a section for those who are working with cures to submit results. You will be amazed at how many topics they cover and cures discussed.

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Originally post by redjatty


/redhatty.livejournal.com/#item582

Apr. 26th, 2007 08:49 am

Someone mentioned Seeds

So
here I go again with a little teaching (I hope). There are 2 types of
seeds (well really there are more than that, but for basic garden
purposes we are focusing on 2 types) Hybrid seeds and open-pollinated
seeds.



If you plan to garden, do yourself a favor and make sure
you only buy open pollinated (the real expensive versions are known as
Heirloom) seed. here's a little info taken from http://www.primalseeds.org/hybrid.htm



Open-pollinated
varieties are the traditional varieties which have been grown and
selected for their desirable traits for millennia. They grow well
without high inputs because they have been selected under organic
conditions.

These varieties have better flavour, are hardier
and have more flexibility than hybrid varieties. Breeders cannot
manipulate complex characteristics such as flavour as easily as they
can size and shape.

These seeds are dynamic, that is they mutate and adapt to the local ecosystem, as opposed to modern hybrids, which are static.



What
that last line means is that if you plant & grow an open pollinated
seed in California & let some of your crop "grow to seed" for the
next planting, the plants will instinctively adjust themselves to your
area. Plants from CA are going to be different than plants from
Alabama, but you can save seed in both areas to plant the next crop.



You can't do that with hybrid seed. So don't buy it!!!



And
here's a tip for new gardeners - have your soil checked - a local
university or agri co-op will usually do the test for under $10 - many
do it for free & prepare your soil before planting food - this
means add the nutrients that you don't have enough of - can't have
nutritious food grown in soil with no nutrients.  You will find that
your plants are healthier & you will deal with less insect damage -
Insects usually do not attack healthy plants!!



A simple yet very
effective and non toxic bug b gone for your garden is - get this - a
soapy water spray!  Get one of those garden sprayers (like for
fertilizers) and put some mild dish soap in it (like ivory) and water
your plant after the sun has gone down - spray them real good & let
it dry - won't hurt the plant or the soil & the bugs hate it!

1 comment - Leave a comment


Apr. 25th, 2007 12:09 am Happy Red Hat Society Day!

For
all who are members, Enjoy, for those who are not, you may want to
learn a little about the society, it is for women over 50 (although
younger members are allowed in many chapters & are considered Pink
Hatters), there is a lot of literature written by Society members &
even a musical, Hats!



Today is the first day of the rest of your life - remember rule #1 - there are NO RULES!

Current Mood: cheerful

Leave a comment









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April 26, 2007

IMPORTANT!!

Food Labeling and Natural Solutions


Posted by: "anidawehi_adanvdo"
Date: Thu Apr 26, 2007 10:24 am ((PDT))

Look near the bottom of the article for an easy way to object to the
government's attempt to deny us the rights to Creator's blessings of
plants for our health and to prevent them, the FDA and doctors from
profiting from anyone's illness.



I am in transit to the Codex Committee on Food Labeling and Natural Solutions Foundation's
site is down again! It is still urgently important that you submit your comments to the FDA CAM (Complimentary and Alternative Modalities [or Medicine, as the FDA would have it] AND share the opportunity to do so.

Comments end on April 30 (we MAY be able to submit for another
month, but that is not clear right now!)

As of this moment, 145,541people have submitted their comments on this over reach by the FD through our site!

Good, but not good enough!

We need to show the kind
of strength that we have on this issue.

The last time people got this angry, we got the Dietary Supplements Health and Education Act (DSHEA,1994) which gave us back the right to take any supplements we desire since they are classified as food and therefore recognized as safe.

Clearly not everyone is happy about our strength!


But we need all the comments we can get right now.

Here is the link:

Use it and tell your circle
of contacts, alternative doctors, naturopaths, health food store owners, nutritionists, homeopaths, massage therapists, friends, suppliers, everyone else to use it, too.

Post it to your chat groups.
Ignore the distracting and incorrect internet chatter,
some of it from well meaning people,
some not,
that says this is not important.

It IS important.

http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/healthfreedomusa/c\
ampaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=7185




If it does not work, send me an

email

at


dr.laibow@gmail.com



with "Submit" in the subject line
and your full name and
address in the body.

We have hired data entry people to submit for you.


But do it.

Now.

Yours in health and freedom,
Rima E. Laibow, MD
Natural Solutions Foundation
www.HealthFreedomUSA.org
dr.laibow@gmail.com

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Which wolf are you feeding?


"It is time we all unite to stop the madness threatening the whole planet,

and stand together with those who go beyond words

and deliver on the promise

of freedom and justice,

and against those guided by

greed, arrogance and

prejudice.


Stay true,

work in unity,

confront the traitors,


and dont be afraid,

and

dont let our struggles die."

~ Leonard Peltier





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"Someone must speak for them. I do not see a

delegation for the four footed. I see no seat for

Eagles. We forget and we consider ourselves

superior, but we are after all, a mere part of the

Creation."


`

~Oren Lyons, ONONDAGA



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MEDIA RELEASE


Leaked document reveals bulk water exports to be discussed at continental integration talks


Ottawa

– The leaked document of a prominent Washington-based think tank
obtained by the Council of Canadians reveals that government officials
and business leaders from Canada, Mexico and the United States are
scheduled to discuss bulk water exports in a closed-door meeting at the
end of the month as part of a larger discussion on North American
integration.


Titled the “North American Future 2025 Project,”
the initiative being led by the U.S.-based Center for Strategic and
International Studies, the Conference Board of Canada and the Mexican
Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas calls for a series of
“closed-door meetings” on North American integration dealing with a
number of highly contentious issues including bulk water exports, a
joint security perimeter and a continental resource pact.


According to the document, a roundtable on the “Future of the North American
Environment,” is planned for Friday April 27 in Calgary, and will
discuss “water consumption, water transfers and artificial diversions
of bulk water” with the aim of achieving “joint optimum utilization of
the available water.”


"This is just the latest in a series of closed-door meetings that grant the business sector privileged access while shutting out the public,” says Maude Barlow, national
chairperson of the Council of Canadians. “The document is damning not
just because it outlines a process that lacks transparency and
accountability,” says Barlow, “but also because of what is being
discussed by governments and so-called corporate stakeholders.”


The document also reveals that “trilateral coordination of energy policy”
and the development of “North American security architecture” are being
discussed by high-level government officials from Canada, the U.S. and
Mexico.


The Council of Canadians is demanding that the
Canadian government cease all further participation in such talks on
North American integration until there is parliamentary debate and
meaningful public consultation on the issue

For more information, please contact:


Meera Karunananthan Media Officer: Tel.: (613) 233-4487, ext. 234;
Cell: (613) 795-8685; meera@canadians.org.


Resources:















MEDIA ARCHIVES




Water







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The "Glamorous"


Oil Industry




Efficiency Policy, Jevon’s Paradox, and the “Shadow” Rebound Effect
Posted by Prof. Goose on April 26, 2007 - 10:36am

Topic: Demand/Consumption

Tags: efficiency, Jevons' Paradox, rebound effect

This is a guest post by Jeff Vail.
Is the push for greater energy efficiency a good policy choice to address energy scarcity after Peak Oil? Here’s a bold answer: NO, at least not in a vacuum. Efficiency is not a standalone solution, but part of the much more complex problem of reducing total energy consumption that must address Jevon’s Paradox and the Rebound Effect.



Jevon’s Paradox tells us that when we increase the efficiency of the use of a resource, we initially decrease the demand for that resource, but that ultimately this lower demand reduces price, which causes a “rebound” of increasing demand. When applied specifically to energy efficiency, this is commonly referred to as the “Rebound Effect.”
Here’s a real-world example. Let’s magically double the average fuel economy of America’s cars and trucks. Gasoline demand would drop immediately by 50%. This would affect the supply-demand equilibrium of gasoline, reducing its price significantly. However, with dramatically lower gas prices, many people would choose to drive more than they had in the past—this is the “rebound,” where some of the energy savings provided by gains in efficiency are negated by the corresponding effect on energy prices. Clearly, a 50% drop in gas prices won’t result in the average American doubling their driving, as would be required to completely negate the efficiency gains in this scenario. Even if gas was free, there would be some limit to how much we would drive. So this “rebound effect” doesn’t negate the entirety of energy savings due to efficiency. Studies suggest that it erases perhaps 10%-30% of the gains.
If Jevon’s Paradox, via the “rebound effect,” only negates 10%-30% of gains from improved efficiency, then efficiency appears to be a very viable policy option to reduce energy consumption, right? Not so fast. Jevon’s Paradox and the Rebound Effect are models that create snapshots in time of the operation of a highly complex system—it is important that we approach this problem with the entire system in mind. Consider the cascading effects in the energy-consumer system: when you save energy because of improved efficiency, you also save money. What do you do with that money? Chances are that most or all of it is spent on goods and services, and that these reflect energy consumption in some form. Whether you spend your savings on a trip to Hawaii, a new coffee table, or merely a plastic bauble, that expenditure reflects energy consumption. The exact form of energy consumed, as well as the relative quantity of energy consumed compared to energy initially saved via an improvement in efficiency is difficult to quantify, but in aggregate these two may be roughly equal. This is the “shadow” rebound effect. The “direct” rebound effect—that is, the increase in consumption of the same energy resource through the same process that experiences an improvement in efficiency—may be only 10%-30%, but it is possible that the true rebound effect approaches 100% when this “shadow” is accounted for.
Does this mean that efficiency is an invalid policy choice? No: true conservation, the goal of efficiency policy, can be achieved, but this represents a far more challenging policy dilemma. It is relatively simple, for example, to legislate higher CAFE standards. But what happens with the money saved on gasoline? It is quite a policy challenge to ensure that the energy saved by CAFE changes doesn’t simply go to another use of energy. One solution—the one that I am proposing—is that monetary savings from efficiency legislation is offset by an energy tax that is then invested in a manner that minimizes its energy consumption. Options for this offset fund reducing existing spending deficits, encouraging social pressure for absolute conservation, or my personal choice, funding efforts to design for quality of life using less energy—what I have called the Design Imperative. But selling this policy combination—CAFE increases paired with gas tax increases, for example—is a much more difficult task.
My intent is not to discourage the push for energy efficiency—quite the opposite: energy efficiency is a key part of addressing the challenges posed by Peak Oil, but ONLY if it is paired with measures to address both the direct and shadow rebound effects. There are valid arguments to focus on efficiency first, because it takes time to develop the technologies that create efficient energy use. However, we must be careful not to present efficiency as a standalone panacea, but rather to spur debate of systemic solutions of which efficiency is a key part.
**Thanks to Bart Anderson from EnergyBulletin for his critique of a draft of this essay.







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Efficiency Policy, Jevon’s Paradox, and the “Shadow” Rebound Effect
Posted by Prof. Goose on April 26, 2007 - 10:36am

Topic: Demand/Consumption

Tags: efficiency, Jevons' Paradox, rebound effect

This is a guest post by Jeff Vail.
Is
the push for greater energy efficiency a good policy choice to address
energy scarcity after Peak Oil? Here’s a bold answer: NO, at least not
in a vacuum. Efficiency is not a standalone solution, but part of the
much more complex problem of reducing total energy consumption that
must address Jevon’s Paradox and the Rebound Effect.



Jevon’s Paradox
tells us that when we increase the efficiency of the use of a resource,
we initially decrease the demand for that resource, but that ultimately
this lower demand reduces price, which causes a “rebound” of increasing
demand. When applied specifically to energy efficiency, this is
commonly referred to as the “Rebound Effect.”
Here’s
a real-world example. Let’s magically double the average fuel economy
of America’s cars and trucks. Gasoline demand would drop immediately by
50%. This would affect the supply-demand equilibrium of gasoline,
reducing its price significantly. However, with dramatically lower gas
prices, many people would choose to drive more than they had in the
past—this is the “rebound,” where some of the energy savings provided
by gains in efficiency are negated by the corresponding effect on
energy prices. Clearly, a 50% drop in gas prices won’t result in the
average American doubling their driving, as would be required to
completely negate the efficiency gains in this scenario. Even if gas
was free, there would be some limit to how much we would drive. So this
“rebound effect” doesn’t negate the entirety of energy savings due to
efficiency. Studies suggest that it erases perhaps 10%-30% of the
gains
.
If
Jevon’s Paradox, via the “rebound effect,” only negates 10%-30% of
gains from improved efficiency, then efficiency appears to be a very
viable policy option to reduce energy consumption, right? Not so fast.
Jevon’s Paradox and the Rebound Effect are models that create snapshots
in time of the operation of a highly complex system—it is important
that we approach this problem with the entire system in mind. Consider
the cascading effects in the energy-consumer system: when you save
energy because of improved efficiency, you also save money. What do you
do with that money? Chances are that most or all of it is spent on
goods and services, and that these reflect energy consumption in some
form. Whether you spend your savings on a trip to Hawaii, a new coffee
table, or merely a plastic bauble, that expenditure reflects energy
consumption. The exact form of energy consumed, as well as the relative
quantity of energy consumed compared to energy initially saved via an
improvement in efficiency is difficult to quantify, but in aggregate
these two may be roughly equal. This is the “shadow” rebound effect.
The “direct” rebound effect—that is, the increase in consumption of the
same energy resource through the same process that experiences an
improvement in efficiency—may be only 10%-30%, but it is possible that
the true rebound effect approaches 100% when this “shadow” is accounted
for.
Does
this mean that efficiency is an invalid policy choice? No: true
conservation, the goal of efficiency policy, can be achieved, but this
represents a far more challenging policy dilemma. It is relatively
simple, for example, to legislate higher CAFE standards.
But what happens with the money saved on gasoline? It is quite a policy
challenge to ensure that the energy saved by CAFE changes doesn’t
simply go to another use of energy. One solution—the one that I am
proposing—is that monetary savings from efficiency legislation is
offset by an energy tax that is then invested in a manner that
minimizes its energy consumption. Options for this offset fund reducing
existing spending deficits, encouraging social pressure for absolute
conservation, or my personal choice, funding efforts to design for
quality of life using less energy—what I have called the Design Imperative. But selling this policy combination—CAFE increases paired with gas tax increases, for example—is a much more difficult task.
My
intent is not to discourage the push for energy efficiency—quite the
opposite: energy efficiency is a key part of addressing the challenges
posed by Peak Oil, but ONLY if it is paired with measures to address
both the direct and shadow rebound effects. There are valid arguments
to focus on efficiency first, because it takes time to develop the
technologies that create efficient energy use. However, we must be
careful not to present efficiency as a standalone panacea, but rather
to spur debate of systemic solutions of which efficiency is a key part.
**Thanks to Bart Anderson from EnergyBulletin for his critique of a draft of this essay.







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Note from a friend:



I signed up. Couldn't refuse.
It should be a real adventure.



Note to you:


This could be a real adventure for you, too.


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This is a prelude to corporatization,

NOT,

continentalization of WATER.



And what is truly frightening is that these people meeting are not elected!!



The planned North American corridor is a corporation, NOT an elected assembly.

Counter-meeting in Calgary prepares citizens to oppose bulk water exports




    CALGARY, April 25 /CNW Telbec/ - The Council of Canadians is holding an

"open-door" meeting in Calgary to discuss the looming threats to bulk water

posed by North American integration. The meeting will enable key civil society

actors and the general public to discuss and share concerns with the process

and content of closed-door meetings that the US Centre for Strategic and

International Studies (CSIS), the Conference Board of Canada and the Centro de

Investigacion y Docencia Economicas (CIDE) in Mexico will be hosting in

Calgary on April 26 & 27.

"The meetings organized by CSIS are the latest round of private meetings

taking place within the context of the Security and Prosperity Partnership of

North America (SPP), which has not been debated by the legislatures of the

three participating governments," says Maude Barlow, National Chairperson of

the Council of Canadians. "The big business community and corporate lobby

groups have been granted executive level access to the integration process. No

equivalent role has been granted to labour groups, civil society or even

Parliament in Canada."

The Council of Canadians obtained a leaked document revealing that bulk

water exports would be on the agenda at the private meetings where government

representatives and private sector actors from Canada, the U.S. and Mexico

will be congregating.

"I am concerned that the Canadian government would agree to participate

in a process where the dice is so heavily loaded in favour of U.S interests,

says Ralph Pentland, former Director of the Water Planning and Management

Branch of Environment Canada. "We have a Treaty (the Boundary Waters Treaty)

and an institution (the International Joint Commission) that enables us to

deal with our neighbours to the south as equals. We should use it."

Quebec-based Eau Secours is concerned North American integration will

result in the commodification of water. "We oppose the continentalization of

water for market purposes," says Danielle Julien, Chairperson of Eau Secours'

international committee.

The groups hope their counter-meeting will raise awareness about the

impacts of North American integration on natural resources and prepare

Canadians to oppose upcoming integration talks.



There will be many more links to this leaked story

(to be continued).


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