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A Quiz On Health

Are You At Risk For A Food-Borne Illness?

Are You Poisoning The Ones You Love?

Behavioral Toxicology: Pollutants in our Environment

Canola Oil, What is it really?

Child-Resistant Packaging Required for Baby Oil

Cleaning Supplies Can Kill!

Cloud from Collapsed Towers Causes-Concern

Controlling Stress

Dinner Out Could Be Hazardous to Health?

Electrical Appliance & Lighting Solutions

EMF's Affect On Biological Systems

Household Chemicals, A Loaded Gun!

How And Why Of A Hangover

Indoor Air Pollution

Radiation Poisoning, Are You At Risk?

Retrain the Brain Get the Kids off Ritalin!

Sodium laurel sulfate (SLS)

The Benefits Of Soy

Toxic Ingredient In Personal Care Products

Toxicity of Phthalates in Children's PVC Toys

They Call Them Downers

Warning Labels On Toothpaste

What Causes Attention Deficit Disorders?

Where Does Red Cross Money Really Go?

Burpee : The Complete Vegetable & Herb Gardener: Organic Gardening Similar in style and format to the highly successful Burpee Complete Gardener, this book is devoted to growing vegetables and popular culinary herbs without using synthetic and harmful fertilizers and insecticides. Packed with more than 300 full-color photos.

Stress For Success Get the best out of the stress you already have. There is a way to utilize it, and profit from it, even if there is no escape from it.

Do you suffer from allergies, but you just can't stay out of the garden or love the outdoors, and are willing to suffer to be there? Then you need to read Allergy Free Gardening.
Or go straight to the book.
Allergy-Free Gardening

Reader Comments

Your articles are wonderful and very detailed; obviously a labor of love.
Jim Landis

I purchased your Household Toxins List. I can't believe what cleaning supplies can do to our health! Since I stopped using them, my son's asthma has virtually disappeared!
I can't thank you enough!
Carrie Ann Leeward

Limited time Introductory offer! 50% off these Special Reports:

Vitamins-Are These Really Enough?

Inside this fascinating report you will learn exactly what a vitamin is, and how much of each the body needs to function at optimum levels.
This is not the typical list of how much to take. This 2000 word report explains what the word vitamin means, how the body absorbs them into the system and what happens once taken. This factual information is pertinent to the resisting of disease and can show you how you can build and repair body tissue.
It will also include valuable information about your body’s metabolism, to enhance its functions for overall improved health.

Household Toxins List

Over 1 million children are accidentally poisoned in their own homes each year. Think of your own home-you probably have dozens of bottles of cleaners, containing hundreds of chemicals. Could an accident happen in your home? Learn what the chemicals are what damages they cause. Protect yourself and loved ones today!

Why Can't I Get Well?
Are you sick and tired of hearing your health care providers tell you, "There is nothing wrong with you." Well join the many millions who are finding out the truth.

Do you, your children, or someone you know, suffer with these symptoms? Unimportant as some may sound, the list is extensive. Frequent infections, nasal congestion or drainage, frequent diaper rash, ear aches, periods of hyperactivity, poor attention span, cranky, irritable, tantrums, feelings of fatigue, being drained of energy, drowsiness, anxiety, irritability, insomnia, cravings, food sensitivities, allergy reactions, digestive problems, bloating, heartburn, constipation, bad breath, headaches, muscle weakness, painful or swollen joints, mood swings, depression loss of sexual feelings, and the list goes on and on, and all of them are related to this illness. Many of us have it our entire lives and don't even know it.
If the symptoms are overlooked for long periods of time they slowly degenerate our bodies to the points of Alzheimer's Disease, Epstein-Barr (EBV), AIDS, Mononucleosis, and worse, death.

Asbestos And Related Illnesses

"In layman terms you will learn what Asbestos is, how to recognize it, find where it is used, and how to avoid it."

Asbestos is all around you, and you probably don't even know it. Even though it was banned in construction, it still lingers in our lives, in the least expected places. When Asbestos fibers or dust are in the air, you breathe it into your lungs. Knowing where to find it, and how to avoid it, will decrease your chances of being diagnosed with the related illnesses.

You will learn the definition for Asbestos, how to recognize it, and what to do about it. The health hazards will be explained, including Asbestosis, how you are exposed, what the symptoms are, and what to do after diagnosis.

Inside:

What Is Asbestos?
Asbestosis-What Is It?
How Does Asbestosis Begin?
How Is Asbestosis Diagnosed?
Wasn't Asbestos Banned?
How Can I Recognize It?
When And Where Was It First Used?
Other Health Hazards?
Who is at risk?
What To Do If You Have Been Exposed
Do You Have These Symptoms?

Harmful Bacteria Permitted Into Our Food Source

The FDA and USDA are not doing enough to keep bacteria out of the food source. Preferring profits over humane treatment, they continue to allow abuse of animals to continue, until it now threatens our food supply.
Learn the practices of the food industry, and find the truth about your food sources.

Dolphin Environment
Adorn your home with these wonderful Art Prints of Dolphins in their natural environment. It is a large 30 in x 24 inches, and is framable for added elegance.

Virtues Of Soy
Soy, often declared the miracle food of the new millennium, is the most popular and complete vegetable protein source in the world. Nutritionally packed and extremely versatile, soy and soy-based products provide a vast array of health benefits.

The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Sourcebook A Guide to Healing
An important guidebook for those suffering from a traumatic experience provides information on coping mechanisms, emotional triggers, the mental defenses that protect us from further harm, and much more.

A Quiz on Health

I have listened to many new friends on the net, who have physical symptoms which pertain to this disease. There is a way to determine if you have it. Take this very short quiz and answer truthfully. If you feel that you do, and would like additional information, please email me and I can help. The following quiz was taken from a book offered to me by a special friend. I call her that because with it, she saved my life. It is called, "The Yeast Syndrome".

Rate Your Heath Quiz for Candida Albicans
If your answer is yes circle it.

Questions for Adults and Teens
Frequent infections, constant skin eruptions-or have taken antibiotics often and on for long periods?
2. Feelings of fatigue, being drained of energy, drowsiness? Do you have these more on damp dreary days,
or in a musty basement?
3. Feelings of anxiety, irritability, insomnia, cravings for sugary foods, breads, alcohol?
4. Food sensitivities, allergy reactions, digestive problems, bloating, heartburn, constipation, bad breath?
5. Feeling "spacy or unreal", difficulty in concentrating, or being bothered by perfumes, chemical fumes, tobacco smoke?
6. Poor coordination, muscle weakness, painful or swollen joints?
7. Mood swings, depression loss of sexual feelings?
8. Dry mouth or throat, nose congestion or drainage, pressure above or behind the eyes or ears, frequent head aches?
9. Pains in the chest, shortness of breath, dizziness, or easy bruising?
10. Frustration at going from doctor to doctor, never getting you health completely well, or being retold that you symptoms are "mental"?

For Women Only Have you suffered with.....
1. Vaginal burning, itching, discharge, infections urinary problems?
2. Difficult time getting pregnant?
3. Premenstrual symptoms of moodiness, retaining fluids, tension, irregular cycles?

Especially For Children do they suffer with....
1. Frequent infections, particularly of the ears, tonsils, bronchitis, history of frequent diaper rash?
2. Continuous nasal congestion or drainage?
3. Dark circles under eyes, periods of hyperactivity, poor attention span, cranky, irritable, tantrums?

If you have four or five yes answers, you may suffer with yeast-related illness. If you have six or seven you are a Candida infection victim. If you have eight or more, you almost certainly in need of medical treatment for chronic, generalized candidiasis or for unusual illnesses that occasionally mimic the condition and for which proper medical diagnosis and care should be sought.

If left untreated, C. Albicans can wreak havoc throughout the body. It so severely debilitates the body that victims could become easy prey for far more serious diseases, such as acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, myasthenia gravis, colitis, regional ileitis, schizophrenia, and possibly death from Candida septicemia.

As many of you know, I quit writing back in the mid 80's. This was not of my own choice. I too had become disabled (to a small extent) with this disease. As you have seen in the quiz, this is also a mentally taxing disease.

I became a horror to live with. My mood swings were comparable to or maybe well beyond the Demon at Six Flags! At one time I was even suicidal. I thank GOD I was given the opportunity to discover what was wrong with me. I knew I was not a schizophrenic, but I certainly displayed all the symptoms. I knew I loved my family, but could no longer nurture them when I had fallen apart. I dedicate this article to my best friend who gave me this book and changed my life. It can and will change yours too.

Why do you get one? How do you prevent one? How do you rid yourself of one? Does taking the “bite from the hair of the dog that bit you" advice, really work?

First, the facts
An alcoholic hangover is characterized by headache, tremulousness, nausea, diarrhea, and fatigue combined with decreased occupational, cognitive, or visual-spatial skill performance. In the United States alone, related absenteeism and poor job performance cost $148 billion annually. Although hangover is associated with alcoholism, the light-to-moderate drinker incurs most of its cost. An individual with a hangover may pose substantial risk to themselves and others despite having a normal blood alcohol level. Hangover may also be an independent risk factor for cardiac death.

Drink for the right reasons. Social occasions and celebrations are pretty good reasons for having a drink. Reducing stress, releasing anger, or trying to prove something to someone are unhealthy motivations for alcohol consumption and may actually quicken the intoxication process and increase nasty side effects. Remember, one drink is equivalent to a 12-ounce can of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or a standard mixed drink made with 1 to 1-1/2 ounces of liquor.

More About the Physical Symptoms
The headache comes from blood vessels dilated by the alcohol, which also alters the body's gastric juices, causing an upset stomach. Dehydration is caused by the alcohol's effect as a diuretic. Lactic acid that builds up as the alcohol is metabolized also increase nausea, headache, and irritability.
These symptoms, as well as thirst, are also a result of alcohol's diuretic effect, increasing one's need to pee. When drinking alcoholic beverages, you will wind up letting go of more liquid than you take in. Thus, it's important to re-hydrate with water and other non-alcoholic drinks both while you are consuming alcohol and afterwards.

Prevention
Eat a substantial meal before you drink alcohol. Bread products and foods high in protein, like milk and cheese; slow the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream, by coating your stomach and small intestine. Nibbling on finger foods throughout the night can also slow the intoxication process.
You're probably familiar with your tolerance of alcoholic beverages (the point when the alcohol you've consumed begins to cause noticeable physical and psychological changes). Crossing your line can easily send you into a hangover. Challenge yourself to hold that line -- set and state a drink maximum for yourself, before you go out.
Consider the congeners. Congeners are natural by-products of alcohol fermentation. The higher the congener content, the greater the hangover symptoms. Gin and vodka have the fewest congeners, while bourbon and red wine claim the most.
Avoid alternating the types of alcohol you consume. If you begin with beer, stick with beer to the end. Starting with Scotch? Stay with Scotch, and so on. For many, downing different kinds of drinks leads to horrendous headaches and sick stomachs. It is a challenge for your body to react to one type of foreign substance, it is worse when it has even more.
Alternate. Start with food, then have a drink, then some water or juice, then have another drink. Remember to pace yourself along the way. Don't switch off with carbonated drinks, they can speed up intoxication and heighten hangovers.

Hangover Helpers
Taking aspirin or acetaminophen the night before may reduce the symptoms of a hangover. There are statistics, which will tell you that too much aspirin is bad for your stomach. There are also warnings against taking too much acetaminophen with alcohol. The combination can cause liver damage. This can occur in a chronic drinker who then takes too much acetaminophen or in someone who takes several tablets, drinks too much, then takes more.
Drink lots of water to reduce the effects of dehydration.

Natural and Healthy Cures
All of the following items will be found in health stores, or even your own home. If you are lucky you will be able to cook with them, or drink them in teas. If not, you may take capsules.
Barberry is an old Indian cure for hangovers, it is said to help in all symptoms. Spicy food is a choice among others.
Peppermint ginger or bergamot tea will help reduce the nausea.
For the headaches, I suggest white willow bark capsules, Cayenne Pepper capsules.

Some claim honey with soda crackers will help flush the body of alcohol. A friend from long ago, (God rest her soul) used to have this handy …3 large scoops of your favorite ice cream mixed with 2 cups buttermilk, blend and serve in tumbler. Myself, I work all the time, and don’t party, so I drink very seldom, and usually for the wrong reasons. My cures are, too many Dr. Peppers, a lot more water than usual, and Taco’s with sour cream, with cayenne sauce on them.

Thriving In A Toxic World
Do you want to help yourself while you help the earth. Learn how you can live a non toxic life in a toxic world. Ideas and topics included are: diseases caused by these toxins, how to detect and evaluate them, and how most importantly, how to eradicate it.

Canola Oil, What is it really?
by Rodney W. Flynn

Before you buy your next bottle of cooking oil.

I think it's important that as many people as possible KNOW
about the origins of this product. Then, if you choose to
buy it, at least you're doing so with your eyes open.

RAPE IN A DIFFERENT GUISE
Dear Editors

Recently I bought a cooking oil that's new to our
supermarkets, Canola Oil. I tried it because the label
assured me it was lowest in "bad" fats. However, when I had
used half the bottle, I concluded that the label told me
surprisingly little else and I started to wonder: where does
canola oil come from? Olive oil comes from olives, peanut
oil from peanuts, sunflower oil from sunflowers; but what is
a canola? There was nothing on the label to enlighten me,
which I thought odd. So, I did some investigating on the
Internet. There are plenty of official Canola sites lauding
this new "wonder" oil with all its low-fat health benefits.
It takes a little longer to find sites that tell the less
palatable details.

Here are just a few facts everyone should know before buying
anything containing canola. Canola is not the name of a
natural plant but a made-up word, from the words "Canada"
and "oil". Canola is a genetically engineered plant
developed in Canada from the Rapeseed Plant, which is part
of the mustard family of plants. According to
AgriAlternatives, The Online Innovation, and Technology
Magazine for Farmers, "By nature, these rapeseed oils, which
have long been used to produce oils for industrial purposes,
are... toxic to humans and other animals". (This, by the
way, is one of the websites singing the praises of the new
canola industry.)

Rapeseed oil is poisonous to living things and is an
excellent insect repellent. I have been using it (in very
diluted form, as per instructions) to kill the aphids on my
roses for the last two years. It works very well; it
suffocates them. Ask for it at your nursery. Rape is an
oil that is used as a lubricant, fuel, soap and synthetic
rubber base and as a illuminate for color pages in
magazines. It is an industrial oil. It is not a food. Rape
oil, it seems, causes emphysema, respiratory distress,
anemia, constipation, irritability, and blindness in animals
and humans. Rape oil was widely used in animal feeds in
England and Europe between 1986 and 1991, when it was thrown
out. Remember the "Mad Cow disease" scare, when millions of
cattle in the UK were slaughtered in case of infecting
humans? Cattle were being fed on a mixture containing
material from dead sheep, and sheep suffer from a disease
called "scrapie". It was thought this was how "Mad Cow"
began and started to infiltrate the human chain. What is
interesting is that when rape oil was removed from animal
feed, 'scrapie' disappeared. We also haven't seen any
further reports of "Mad Cow" since rape oil was removed
from the feed. Perhaps not scientifically proven, but
interesting all the same. US and Canadian farmers grow
genetically engineered rapeseed and manufacturers use its
oil (canola) in thousands of processed foods, with the
blessings of Canadian and US government watchdog agencies.
The canola supporting websites say that canola is safe to
use. They admit it was developed from the rapeseed, but
insist that through genetic engineering it is no longer
rapeseed, but "canola" instead.

Except canola means "Canadian oil"; and the plant is still a
rape plant, albeit genetically modified. The new name
provides perfect cover for commercial interests wanting to
make millions. Look at the ingredients list on labels.
Apparently peanut oil is being replaced with rape oil.
You'll find it in an alarming number of processed foods.
There's more, but to conclude: rape oil was the source of
the chemical warfare agent mustard gas, which was banned
after blistering the lungs and skins of hundred of thousands
of soldiers and civilians during W.W.I. Recent French
reports indicate that it was again in use during the Gulf
War.

Check products for ingredients. If the label says, "may
contain the following" and lists canola oil, you know it
contains canola oil because it is the cheapest oil and the
Canadian government subsidizes it to industries involved in
food processing.

I don't know what you'll be cooking with tonight, but I'll
be using olive oil and old-fashioned butter, from a
genetically unmodified cow.

Here is more information..........

Canola oil from the rape seed, referred to as the Canadian
oil because Canada is mainly responsible for ibeing
marketed in the USA. The Canadian government and industry
paid our Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) $50
million dollars to have canola oil placed on the (GRAS)
List, "Generally Recognized As Safe". Thus a new industry
was created. Laws were enacted affecting international
trade, commerce, and traditional diets. Studies with lab.
animals were disastrous. Rats developed fatty degeneration
of heart, kidney, adrenals, and thyroid gland. When canola
oil was withdrawn from their diets, the deposits dissolved
but scar tissue remained on all vital organs. No studies on
humans were made before money was spent to promote Canola
oil in the USA. Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) is a rare fatal
degenerative disease caused by a build up long-chain fatty
acids (c22 to c28) which destroys the myelin (protective
sheath) of the nerves. Canola oil is a very long chain fatty
acid oil (c22). Those who will defend canola oil say that
the Chinese and Indians have used it for centuries with no
effect, however it was in an unrefined form ( taken from
FATS THAT HEAL AND FATS THAT KILL by Udo Erasmus). My
cholesterol level was 150. After a year using Canola oil I
tested 260. I switched back to pure olive oil and it has
taken 5 years to get it down to 160. Thus began this
project to find answers since most Doctors will say that
Canola oil is O.K.

My sister spilled Canola oil on a piece of fabric, after 5
pre-treatings and harsh washings, the oil spot still showed.
She stopped using Canola oil, wondering what it did to our
insides if it could not be removed from cloth easily. Our
Father bred birds, always checking labels to insure there
was no rape seed in their food. He said, "The birds will
eat it, but they do not live very long.". A friend, who
worked for only 9 mo. as a quality control taster at an
apple-chip factory where Canola oil was used exclusively for
frying, developed numerous health problems. These included
loose teeth & gum disease; numb hands and feet; swollen arms
and legs upon rising in the morning; extreme joint pain
especially in hands, cloudy vision, constipation with stools
like black marbles, hearing loss; skin tears from being
bumped; lack of energy; hair loss and heart pains. It has
been five years since she has worked there and still has
some joint pain, gum disease, and numbness. A fellow
worker, about 30 years old, who ate very little product, had
a routine check up and found that his blood vessels were
like those of an 80 year old man. Two employees fed the
waste product to baby calves and their hair fell out. After
removing the fried apple chips from the diet their hair grew
back in.

My daughter and her girls were telling jokes. Stephanie hit
her mom's arm with the back of a butter knife in a gesture,
"Oh mom" not hard enough to hurt. My daughters arm split
open like it was rotten. She called me to ask what could
have caused it. I said, "I'll bet anything that you are
using Canola oil". Sure enough, there was a big gallon jug
in the pantry.

Rape seed oil is a penetrating oil, to be used in light
industry, not for human consumption. It contains a toxic
substance. Even after the processing to reduce the erucic
acid content, it is still a penetrating oil. We have found
that it turns rancid very fast. Also it leaves a residual
rancid odor on clothing.

Rape seed oil used for stir-frying in China found to emit
cancer causing chemicals. (Rapeseed oil smoke causes lung
cancer) Amal Kumar Maj. The Wall Street JournaL June 7, 1995
pB6(W) pB6 (E) col 1(11 col in). Compiled by Darleen
Bradley.

Canola oil is a health hazard to use as a cooking oil or
salad oil. It is not the healthy oil we thought it was. It
is not fit for human consumption, do not eat canola oil, it
can hurt you. Polyunsaturated or not, this is a bad oil.

Be Sure to also read this informative report written by
leading health expert Tom Valentine, Canola Oil Report.

Happy Frying,
Rodney W. Flynn
Lucent Technologies
VIRGOS-AC Development
Phone *: 978-960-3166
Email *: rwflynn@lucent.com
Copyright 2002

Handbook of Natural Toxins
Food is obtained from many sources, hence poisoning associated with food also originates from many sources. In this volume, the first chapter, written by food scientist Dr. Frank L. Bryan, summarizes the serious problem of food poisoning from a public health.

They Call Them Downers
by Jill Manzoni

What do you really know about your food source? Here is a story packed with some very shocking and little known information: The meat and dairy industries call them "downers".

At one time or another we must all admit to doing something we wish we hadn't. I had just begun dating a man who was in the animal transport profession. Soon after, I realized that he had some questionable morals and values. You will understand more once you read this story of my one and only trip that I shared with him. We will call him Bob for this story, in order to protect the "not so innocent."

We were headed south in the big truck; hauling a cattle trailer longer then I had ever seen. After many hours of travel, we pulled up to the gates of the stockyard. The familiar smell of manure rose in the air. My mind went back to the farm, where my grandparents had raised their own food, including poultry, pork and beef. As a child, even the new baby calves were so big yet so lovable. It seemed that I always chose one as my favorite. I remember how I would cry at slaughter time. My grandpa would say, "Now you know, they were raised for food, not as pets." I would cry, "Yes, but I loved him." Life through the eyes of a child.

We drove in, and as Bob walked in to check for his pickup information, I walked around to stretch my legs. With the papers in hand, we were off to our assigned containment pen. Soon the smell of manure changed to something I wish I had never smelled. It was the smell of death. What I saw at this point, sickened me! Cows laying around on the ground, some in piles, and more walking over each other. Feces everywhere, large gashes in one cows side, another so lame it couldn't force itself to stand. It only became worse as the gates were opened. They were everywhere! Sick, lame, and smelly from near death conditions.

Bob positioned the truck into the gate to begin loading. I couldn't bring myself to get out of the truck, in fear of vomiting. Another man came over to help him load. When a cow was so lame, it couldn't stand to move into the truck, it would be prodded with an electric shock stick. If it still couldn't walk on it's own into the truck it would be pushed or drug in by a small dozer, or mini cat. A few actually were so near death, they had to be picked up by the larger dozer and thrown into the trailer. I asked Bob, “How can you do this?” He answered, “Well, someone has to do it.” And he smiled! I replied, “You are doing it out of ignorance!”

On our trip home with these poor abused animals, I had to think Bob might have a humane bone left in his body, as he asked me to reach over and turn on the water sprayer that was situated in the trailer. Little did I know, the water was freezing cold, and only for the benefit of keeping them alive for slaughter!

When we reached the slaughterhouse the cows were drug off the trailer, thrown into a heap, and kept iced down, to slow their metabolism and ward off death. One cow, in particular, was so near death, that they continually watered it down and jolted it with the electrical prod, just to keep it alive for a death certificate marked, “Live-For Consumption.”

This was just a beginning of the torture I witnessed on these animals, but for me to go on, may sicken you as well. I will however tell you some of the horror, which befalls these poor animals, and how it may affect you in the future.

The meat and dairy industries call them "downers". Most of these animals are so diseased or injured; they cannot walk, or even hold up their heads. Each year tens of thousands of animals at stockyards, slaughterhouses, and production farms, are sold to the consumer, without any knowledge to them. The meat and dairy industries deal in "downers" because they can still be sold for human consumption. Their motives are profits, not humane considerations. As to date, the food industry has done nothing to eliminate the practice! Therefore, downed animals suffer gross negligence and abuse at livestock facilities across the country.

Downed animals can be found lying in alleys, without food, water, or care. This goes on until there is time to take them to the slaughterhouse, and in many cases, the animals die of neglect. Downed animals are not treated humanely, but moved by the easiest way for the workers. They are dragged with chains or pushed with tractors or forklifts. This treatment causes injuries ranging from bruises and abrasions to torn ligaments, and slow death. It is what would be termed as torture to a human.

Under the federal animal welfare laws most states have anti-cruelty laws. These laws exclude "normal agricultural operation" and so any act, no matter how cruel, is legal as long as it is considered "business as usual." These practices are documented in hundreds of cases of downed animal cruelties at livestock facilities across the country. Just to name a few: In South Dakota, a downed cow was dumped alive into a cart full of garbage, in New York, a day-old calf was dragged into a stockyard by his ears, in Pennsylvania, a living sheep was dumped on a stockyard "dead pile", in Texas, a cow with a broken back was abandoned at an auction, in Minnesota, incapacitated pigs were left in pens, and slowly starved to death. The list goes on!

A poll of 1,000 U.S. adults found 79 percent oppose the use of animals too sick to stand, known as "downed" animals, in the human food supply, said Farm Sanctuary, an animal protection group based in Watkins Glen, New York. Why? It poses an increased risk for bacterial contamination through human consumption. Here is a sited example.

Transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME) is a rare food borne disease of ranch-raised mink produced by an as yet unidentified contaminated feed ingredient. Because of the clinic pathologic similarities to scrapie and the indistinguishable physicochemical properties of their transmissible agents, it was initially assumed that TME was caused by feeding mink scrapie-infected sheep. However, subsequent studies testing the oral susceptibility of mink to scrapie were unsuccessful.

Epidemiological investigations of individual incidents of TME have not identified an association between the occurrence of disease and the feeding of any particular ingredient. However, there are two incidents in which the rancher was confident that sheep were not fed. The most recent of these was in Stetsonville, Wisconsin in 1985 where the meat portion of the diet was composed almost exclusively of downer dairy cows. To examine the possibility that cattle may have been the source of infection on the Stetsonville ranch, mink brain was experimentally inoculated intracerebrally into two Holstein steers. Both of these animals developed fatal spongiform encephalopathies 18 and 19 months after inoculation. These findings are compatible with the Stetsonville incident of TME being caused by feeding mink infected cattle tissue and they suggest the presence of an unrecognized BSE-like disease in the United States.

Further experimental studies on the Stetsonville source of TME have identified two distinct strains of transmissible agent in Syrian hamsters. These strains vary in length of incubation period, clinical signs, end stage brain infectivity titre, and pathogenicity for mink. Examination of the disease-specific prion proteins (PrP) produced by each strain also show that they differ in sedimentation, protease sensitivity, molecular weight, and immune reactivity with PrP antipeptide sera. This is the first report of biochemical and physical differences in PrP produced by two distinct strains in a single out bred species. These changes cannot be due to differences in primary amino acid sequence as seen in inherited human spongiform encephalopathies. They also emphasize the role of the transmissible agent in determining the outcome of an infection and that this role can be independent of the host's genetic background.

Copyright 2002

Radiation Poisoning, Are You At Risk?
by Jill Manzoni

Startling facts linked to uranium and radiation poisons in our water supply, and more. Find out if you are at risk.

Upon examination of more than 1,000 pages of new reports and documents on recycled uranium, reports now show that the recycling program yielded 250,000 tons of tainted uranium. This is twice the amount estimated two year ago. It said the material was handled at about 10 times the number of sites revealed previously, reaching more than 100 federal plants, private manufacturers and universities.

Studies have proven that thousands of workers have unwittingly been placed in danger and are faced with radiation risks beyond those associated with normal uranium, increasing their odds of developing cancer and other ailments. The governments federal program to compensate sick nuclear weapons workers will be bombarded with lawsuits and claims.

What about the Gulf War Victims? Over the years, many veterans have complained their governments have not given their ailments serious consideration, and have criticized federal investigations, which found no link to possible chemical or biological agent use in the Persian Gulf.

New findings undermine British and U.S. government claims that Gulf War Syndrome does not exist, The Sunday Times of London reported. Studies have shown that that "tens of thousands" of British and U.S. soldiers are dying of radiation from depleted uranium shells fired during the Gulf War.

Four independent experts have verified findings that once inside the body, depleted uranium causes a slow death from cancers, irreversible kidney damage or immune deficiency disorders. Gulf War Syndrome is a non-scientific label that has been often used to describe unexplained illnesses often characterized by fatigue, joint pain, skin rash, memory loss and other medical problems suffered by veterans since the end of the Gulf War. American and Canadian scientists have discovered life-threatening levels of depleted uranium in Gulf veterans 10 years after the war. Approximately 42% of these victims had more than 100 times the safe limit of depleted uranium in their body. Are their claims of illnesses a sign we are all in danger too?

Does this affect you and your loved ones? How? Contaminants from the tainted uranium raise the potential for soil and groundwater pollution. Scientists say the vast majority of the material contained only traces of impurities, too little to pose risks beyond those posed by natural uranium, which is mildly radioactive and raises health hazards if inhaled as dust. Does the government always tell you the truth? Doesn’t the above already explain that?

Available through this website, an extensive report on the harmful effects of uranium, and radiation.

Copyright 2002
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Controlling Stress
by Jill Manzoni

Did you know that stress produces hormones in the body, which then produce toxins? These toxins can reduce the average life span by years! Let us tell you what you can do-to help yourself.

We all know what stress makes us feel like. 90 percent of Americans experience high levels of stress at least once or twice a week. Work, relationships, trying to do too much at once. These are known to have unhealthy physical effects on the body.

At the onset of stress, the body puts up a defense against the threat. Blood flow is diverted to the muscles, preventing the rest of the body from properly absorbing vitamins, minerals, and water. As there is no "physical" attacker, to fight or flee from, this physical "pumping up has no outlet, which endangers and encumbers the normal body functions. Over a period of time, this will adversely affect your health. Stress can cause fatigue, lower your immune system, raise blood pressure, and open the doors to other maladies such as infections, constipation, sexual dysfunction, depression, and heart disease.

YOUR DIET

Eating the right foods can help counteract the effects of tension and strain. Simple, whole foods can help relieve tension. You will need to get ample amounts of vitamin C, an immune booster for when your C levels drop when you're under pressure. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, especially oranges, strawberries, Brusselsprouts, asparagus, and broccoli.

Vitamin B12' helps the cell formation and improve nervous system functions, and can help fight stress induced fatigue. Good sources to find this would be fish, eggs, lean meats, and milk. Another vitamin B6, as it also boosts your immune
system. B6, is plentiful in bananas, and potatoes. It also elevates levels of dopamine, a mood-enhancing chemical in the brain, therefore taking the "edge" off of anxiety and irritability.

Stress puts the body in an agitated state, but the right foods can soothe nerves by evoking feelings of comfort and security. Many times we reach for comfort food. We reach for are sweet, creamy, or rich treat. Momentarily, the trigger the release of calming brain chemicals like opioids and Seritonin. Soon to follow there is the crash in energy and mood. You're better off with soothing foods that won't leave you lagging later: see my articles, "Comfort Food" and "Indulge The Healthy Way".

Also, check my recipes for highly nutritionally balanced meals and menu's, along with "old time family cooking" the organic
way.

Here is a quick list to remember or print out. Apples, oranges, strawberries, whole grain breads, all fresh vegetables, especially, asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, eggs, lean meats Low-or nonfat dairy products herbal teas, ginseng, chamomile.

So go have a cup of chamomile tea, and enjoy a little. Have a stress free day.

Copyright 2002
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Warning Labels On Toothpaste?
by Jill Manzoni

Ever wonder why there is a warning label on a tube of toothpaste? Why do we need warning labels on what we put in our mouths, everyday? Should our children be using it? How about younger ones who swallow it?

Ever wonder why there is a warning label on a tube of toothpaste? Why do we need warning labels on what we put in our mouths, everyday?! Should our children be using it? How about younger ones who swallow it?

Let's explore the ingredients in toothpaste; telling you what else they make from these same chemicals and compounds found in it.

Back in the 1840's, toothpowder contained ground-up coral, cuttlefish bone, burnt eggshells or porcelain. They were colored purple with cochineal, which is derived from the bodies of tropical scale insects.

Today, toothpaste's white color alone has 10 or more ingredients, along with enhancers and binders. The main ingredient, is finely powdered chalk called calcium carbonate, or another mineral powder such as aluminum oxide, which is an ingredient used to make cement. Then you have titanium oxide, a white powder, which is added to make the paste whiter.

So does this make you want to use gel toothpastes? Okay, let's explore that option. These get their abrasiveness from a compound called silica, you know, silica. The little white packets of stuff put in a purse, luggage, vitamins, etc. and marked with an extreme warning label not to ingest! Oh ... then they add the coloring. The thickening agent is usually alginate, a derivative of seaweed ... not so bad, but what makes toothpaste foam? Detergents!

Now we come to fluorides. The FDA recently remarked that there "may" be indications of links to diseases from the use of fluorides. This is only a "may," but you know how it will end, don't you?

Then on to the mouthwash substances incorporated in there to make your breath smell good and keep your teeth strong. Plus you have glycerin to prevent the paste from drying out. And let us not forget the formalin, which is a disinfectant to kill bacteria.

We're not even going to tell you what the stripes are made of, or how they keep the colored stripes from running together, we fear you may hate us for being the bearer of bad news!

I don't know about you, but this all makes me want to use baking soda.

Actually, we use "one drop" of Dr. Bronner's Pure Castile Peppermint Soap, which is made from rosemary extract, hemp oil and is a vegetable-based soap, so it has no detergents. Or we use Melaleuca (tea tree oil).

If you care about what goes into your children ... please make sure it is not toothpaste.

Copyright © JILL Manzoni. This article may not be resold, reprinted, or redistributed for compensation of any kind without prior written permission from the author.

Are You At Risk For A Food-Borne Illness?
by Jill Manzoni

What are your chances of getting food poisoning, or worse? The estimated annual incidence of food-borne disease ranges from 6.5 million to 81 million cases nationally, although some experts believe that number is as high as 300 million.

The estimated annual incidence of food-borne disease ranges from 6.5 million to 81 million cases nationally, although some experts believe that number is as high as 300 million. For most healthy adults and older children, ingesting an infectious dose of food-borne germs leads to little more than a few days of diarrhea or vomiting. Other people become extremely ill with such ailments as bloody diarrhea, dehydration, kidney failure, arthritis, paralysis, or meningitis.

Each year, an estimated 9,000 Americans die of complications of a food-borne disease.

There are factors that put certain people at a higher risk for food-borne illnesses, and this may fluctuate as we get older. Food-safety experts urge us, especially high-risk individuals and their loved ones, to keep hot foods hot, cold foods cold, to wash their hands before eating, to avoid cross-contaminating their food, and to exercise caution when dining out.

Are you or someone in your family at high risk for a food-borne illness right now? Take the following quiz to find out.

Are you (or your child) under age 5?
Are you over age 75?
Are you pregnant?
Do you take antacids regularly?
Are you taking an antibiotic?
Have you just finished a course of antibiotic treatment less than two weeks ago?
Do you have HIV, AIDS, another immune system disorder?
Are you taking medication that suppresses your immune system?
Have you undergone gastric surgery?
Have you had an organ transplant?
Do you have lymphoma, leukemia, or Hodgkin's disease?
Are you undergoing cancer chemotherapy treatment?
Do you have chronic lung or heart disease?
Are you malnourished?
Do you drink two or more alcoholic beverages a day?
Do you have liver disease?
Are you a long-time steroid user (for such conditions as asthma or arthritis)?
If you answered yes to any of the questions above, you may be at risk for a food-borne disease.

Copyright 2002

Dinner Out? It Could Be Hazardous To Your Health!
by Jill Manzoni

Each time you eat out in a restaurant, you put your gastrointestinal health in the hands of complete strangers. No one knows what really goes on in that kitchen, but the employees, and sometimes not even them.

Each time you eat out in a restaurant, you put your gastrointestinal health in the hands of complete strangers. No one knows what really goes on in that kitchen, but the employees, and sometimes not even them.

Each year, almost 50 billion meals are eaten in restaurants and cafeterias. In 1999, the revenue of the food industry, totaled approximately, $354 billion.

According to the National Restaurant Association, America's rise in busy dual-income households has almost half of all adults eating a restaurant meal on any given day. Restaurateurs would benefit greatly by ensuring that their employees are adequately trained in food safety and consistently use safe food-handling methods. Why?

A single outbreak of food-borne disease can deplete, a restaurant's finances, or even drive it out of business, should an outbreak is identified and publicized.

According to statistics, many outbreaks are never identified as such. Most people who experience a food-borne illness don't consult a doctor. It usually takes two days or longer after eating contaminated food for symptoms to begin. Most people who get food poisoning erroneously point their finger at their last meal.

The majority of food-borne illnesses, such as salmonellas and Clostridium perfringensinfections, amount to little more than a few days of diarrhea, usually accompanied by vomiting. However, each year in the United States alone, tens of thousands of victims of food-borne disease require hospitalization, and an estimated 9,000 die. This is according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCz0).

In 1993 an outbreak of E. Coli, was traced to an undercooked burger, served by the Jack in the Box fast-food chain. About 700 people were hospitalized and four children died. Since then, Jack in the Box and other fast-food restaurants have put additional food-safety controls into place.

There are invisible threats, which cause food borne illnesses. Spoilage bacteria that makes food foul-smelling, off-color, or slimy, pathogenic bacteria do not affect the appearance, smell, or taste of food. Pathogenic bacteria can be transferred to food from a variety of places, including soil from the farm, an animal's intestinal tract in the slaughterhouse, contaminated trucks, and contaminated countertops or cutting boards, and, of course, unwashed hands. Since all foods are potentially contaminated, everything should be stored, cooked, and served according to government-established food-safety guidelines.

Subscribe to articles by Jill Manzoni and receive her next publication as soon as it is released.

Copyright 2002
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Indoor Air Pollution
by Jill Manzoni

Are you concerned about the air your child breathes? According to an EPA Report to Congress on Indoor Air and the subcommittee hearings on the Indoor Air Quality Act of 1989, indoor air pollution is one of the nation's most important environmental health problems.

Are you concerned about the air your child breathes? According to an EPA Report to Congress on Indoor Air and the subcommittee hearings on the Indoor Air Quality Act of 1989, indoor air pollution is one of the nation's most important environmental health problems. According to the EPA, most homes have airborne concentrations of hazardous and toxic chemicals that are two to five times higher indoors than outdoors. In one five-year study, the EPA reported that a number of homes have chemical levels that were 70 times higher inside the homes than outside!

Another reason chemical concentrations are so high in some homes is that cleaning products in some personal care products release toxic vapors into the air when they are used - and even when they are stored. This process is called out-gassing.

The air in our homes is full of chemical vapors. Most children spend 12 to 20 hours a day in their homes.

Physiologically, children are more vulnerable to toxic vapors than adults because of their higher metabolic rate. They require more oxygen, and they breathe in two to three times as much (and therefore toxins) relative to body size than adults. Children are more physically active. This also increases their breathing rate and intake of toxins. Also, children play close to the floor where heavier pollutants settle.

Airborne chemicals are that suspected cause of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) which takes the lives of thousands of infants each year. This may explain the documented higher incidence of SIDS in the winter time. During the winter, windows are left closed, decreasing ventilation, which increases the concentrations of the gas vapors in the home. No one knows what causes SIDS, but why take unnecessary chances with your infant? We can do something to reduce their family's exposure to airborne toxins from household products. They can simply switch brands.

TO CONCERNED PARENTS

Household cleaning and personal care products are not the only source of chemicals in our homes. As you have seen, however, they are some of the most toxic and deadly. Fortunately, they are also the easiest to replace.

Knowing now that the chemicals in your home can seriously harm, even kill your child, wouldn't it be better to get them out of your home? Since there are safer, effective alternatives, is there any reason to place your child at risk one more day? Why wait! Protect the ones you love!

Copyright 2002

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Cleaning Supplies Can Kill!
by Jill Manzoni

Hazardous Chemicals are abundant in our homes, even when we don't think so...we need to be more educated.

The headlines read, "AKALINE-ACIDIC MIXTURE'S FUMES KILLED LOCAL WOMAN"

So immediately what do we think of? Poor woman, probably works in a chemical plant, or maybe she went somewhere, that they were using these hazardous chemicals! WRONG!

Here is what really happened. Earlier this month, a woman with three children died as a result of mixing two common household cleaners together. On a Saturday morning in June, a 41-year-old mother, went in to clean her bathroom. After she began cleaning with chlorine and Lime-a-Way, she ran out of the bathroom, used her asthma inhaler and went back into the room to finish the job. She emerged once more asked her teen to call 911 and then collapsed. Unhappily, they reported that she had died Nov.1 after spending four months in a local hospital and an acute-care facility.

You say, well she shouldn't have mixed the chemicals. Here is my answer to you. Have you ever used chemicals in a bucket, mop, or rag. Did you use it again the next day for another project? The residue of the first chemical is still there! The residue is still on the floor where you walk bare foot, and even allow children to crawl!

Poison Control Centers report that about hundreds of thousand of people call hotlines each year. About 10 %are regarding household cleaning products, and 2 percent of those, are directly related to products containing chlorine bleach.

When people are exposed to the fumes of cleaning products, they may experience eye irritation, coughing, tightening in the chest area, headaches, burning sensations in their sinuses, and difficulty breathing. The effects could last a few minutes, or persist and lead to more dangerous conditions such as lung irritation. In severe cases, the lungs fill with fluid and the victim is smothered.

Reactions vary from person to person. It is difficult to predict how each person will react to chemical combinations. Toxicologists say the elderly, children and people with pre-existing health conditions are at the greatest risk of suffering more serious problems and even death. Patients with asthma can have a severe reaction when exposed to the toxic fumes, and those without the disease can develop serious asthma-related symptoms. However, even people in optimum physical health can die from the alkaline-acidic combination.

Copyright 2002
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Household Chemicals, A Loaded Gun!
by Jill Manzoni

Would you keep a loaded gun under the counter, if you had children? Of course not! Think again, that's exactly what you are doing.

Today, the average home today contains more chemicals than were found in a typical chemistry lab at the turn of the century. The Consumer Safety Commission has determined that cleaning products are some of the most dangerous substances in your home.

Lets start in your kitchen and bathroom. Look under the sinks where you keep your cleaning and personal care supplies. In most homes, we find Window cleaner, Bleach, Laundry and dishwashing detergents, Shampoo, Mouth wash. These products are lethal poisons which can kill or seriously injure your child.

Would you keep a loaded gun under your sink? Of course not! But, these products can be just as deadly.

Where do you keep your cleaning and personal care products? Do you keep them locked or up, and out of reach of children. If you do, good! Think about this, would you feel comfortable keeping a loaded gun there? Would you bet your child's life that he or she could never get to that gun? A staggering statistic remains, more children under 4 die of accidental poisonings at home than are accidentally killed with guns at home.

You may not be aware that there are products on the market that are effective, much safer, and more economical than grocery store brands. The fact is, using safer household products, you would no longer be taking unnecessary chances with your child.

LONG-TERM HEALTH HAZARDS OF HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS

We have seen the results of coming in contact with and ingesting these poisons. But did you know that most poisonings happen slowly, over a long period of time? By daily exposure to toxins in the air, and toxic chemicals.

Household products are among the most toxic substances found in our daily lives. In one study conducted over a 15 year period, women who work at home had a 54 percent higher death rate from cancer than women who had jobs away from the home. The study concluded that the increased death rate in women was due to daily exposure to hazardous chemicals found in ordinary household products.

A report for the Consumer Product Safety Commission on chemicals commonly found in homes identified 150 that have been linked to allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological abnormalities. A 1985 EPA report concluded that the toxic chemicals and household cleaners are three times more likely to cause cancer than air pollution.

Our children are exposed to these chemicals every day in their own homes. Daily exposure to these toxins, may lead to cancer, learning difficulties, allergies, lung problems, or damage to the immune system.

There is a list available, which you may get from this site. The Title is, "Household Chemical List" and it should serve as a wake-up call to parents. You will be shocked to learn about some of the health hazards your child is exposed to everyday because of the cleaning and personal care products in your home. Get it now...

Your child's life may depend on it!

Copyright 2002
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Are You Poisoning The Ones You Love?
by Jill Manzoni

I have been trying to stress to you, the dangers of the chemicals, that you are using in your every day lives. Are you listening? Do you care? Have you responded, and changed anything in your daily life? Or...are you waiting for the unspeakable to happen? I will share more of these horror stories now, lets see how these make you feel...do you love yourself and family enough to do something about it?

The following was written after reading an article, written by Dr. Richard M. Barry. I conferred with the very helpful medical team at Gordon County Hospital, pediatrics ward, the Whitfield Country Gazette, and the filmstrip, "Stop The Killing". It is written to inform you of the dangers you and your loved ones, face everyday.

These children died from results of coming in contact or ingesting the following chemicals found in their homes. Jason Whitley...swallowed hair conditioner. Adrian Gonzales...crawled through spilled laundry bleach. Peter Schwab, nearly died... ingesting dishwasher detergent. The little girl across the hall in the hospital wasn't so lucky! Eighteen month-old boy, had to eat and breathe through tubes for five months and had 30 operations. Dishwasher detergent is what destroyed his throat, too. Carlos Rodriguez lived three horrendous and painful weeks, having surgery after surgery, resulting form spraying oven cleaner in his eyes. He was left blinded for life. Sara Tucker, has had multiple skin graphs, resulting in her exposure to Clorox Cleanup. Tommy McGloughlan used to go with his mommy when she cleaned houses for her maid service. He now has chronic asthma, and learning disabilities.

Why must these children have suffered so? They were exposed to hazardous chemicals.

Every year, five to ten million household poisonings are reported. Many are fatal. Most of the victims are children. Accidental ingestion of household substances are common.

These tragedies can easily be avoided. But most parents aren't aware that there are effective products on the market that are much safer than nationally advertised brands, and, in most cases, cost less.

There is a list available, which you may get from this site. The Title is, "Household Chemical List" and it should serve as a wake-up call to parents. You will be shocked to learn about some of the health hazards your child is exposed to everyday because of the cleaning and personal care products in your home. Get it now...

Your child's life may depend on it!

Copyright 2002
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Toxic Ingredient In Personal Care Products
by Jill Manzoni

You wouldn't drink something if you knew it gives you tumors, why would you use them in your personal care supplies?

Personal care products are manufactured to put on your skin, in your hair, or in your mouth. But many of their ingredients toxic and can be ingested during use (like some ingredients in mouthwash and toothpaste) or can easily absorbed into the bloodstream (like some ingredients in soaps, lotions, creams, cosmetic, shampoos, deodorants.

In 1989, a House Subcommittee asked the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to analyze 2,093 chemicals used in personal care products. The results were as follows: 884 of the ingredients were found toxic. Of these, 778 can cause acute toxicity, 146 can cause tumors, 218 can cause reproductive complications, 314 can cause biological mutation, and 376 can cause skin and eye irritations.

Copyright 2002

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The Toxicity of Phthalates in Children's PVC Toys
by Dr. Harvey Karp

Dr. Harvey Karp, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the UCLA School of Medicine and a general pediatrician in Santa Monica, California, provides this special report about the chemicals that are added in the making of our childrens toys.

Phthalates are chemicals that are added to hard polyvinyl chloride (PVC) to make it soft and pliable. The most widely used phthalate in children's toys is diisonyl phthalate (DINP). They have been used in the production of children's toys for more than two decades, contributing up to 50% of the weight of the plastic contained in toys that are readily available and sold in US stores.

Over the past several years, scientific research accumulated demonstrating the toxic effects of DINP on laboratory animals. Studies revealed dose-related damage to the liver and kidneys of experimental animals (and, increased cancer at the highest doses). These data were so convincing that governmental public health agencies around the world felt compelled to review the actual exposure that children experience from mouthing soft plastic toys.

Over the past two years, these studies concluded that:

1. Phthalates can leach out of plastic (that is, mouthing plastics can suck the additives out similar to the way chewing pulls the flavor out of gum).
2. A child sucking on a DINP containing toy may ingest more than the acceptable daily intake (ADI). Based on this information, the governments of seven European countries (Sweden, Denmark, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Holland and Austria) have taken action to phase out DINP from all toys used by children less than three years of age.

The United States government has reviewed all this research as well. On March 10, 1998, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) released a preliminary report on the health effects of DINP. Their conclusion was unambiguous: "DINP is toxic to the liver, kidney and other organs - -Products that contain DINP would be considered 'hazardous' if the exposure during "reasonable handling and use" were to exceed the ADI.

Despite this wealth of information, showing the potential hazard from exposure to DINP, the US has made no effort to follow Europe's lead to eliminate the use of these toxins from the toys of young children.

Recently, several US toy manufacturers and sellers have voluntarily promised to phase out the use of DINP in toys made to be put in a baby's mouth. While the efforts of Mattel, Rubbermaid and Toys "R" Us are a step in the right direction, they are insufficient to really protect our children because children suck and chew on all sorts of plastic objects that were never intended for the mouth.

Tips for Parents

Try to avoid toys made out of soft plastic vinyl. Phthalate-free toys are available from: Early Start (800-631-1272); Guidecraft (800-544-6526); Lamaze (800-704-8697); and The Natural Baby Catalogue )609-771-9233).
Buy soft nipples and teethers containing silicone.
Discard plastic toys that have been chewed on or ripped (damage to the plastic allows phthalates to leach out faster).
Demand that the Consumer Product Safety Commission require testing the toxicity of all ingredients in children's toys before they can be sold.

Write to:
Ann Brown, Chair
Consumer Product Safety Commission
Washington, DC 20207

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BEHAVIORAL TOXICOLOGY: Pollutants in our Environment
by Dr. William Vayda

The theory of evolution may not be accepted by everybody, but it seems evident that the human body has evolved over millions of years and has had to adapt itself to the environment during that time. Originally, although life may have been extraordinarily harsh, the environment was nevertheless quite clean: clean air, a natural diet, plenty of physical activity, and a total absence of manufactured, synthetic substances characterized our ecosystem. The changes that have occurred over very long time spans have allowed for a painstakingly slow, but essential, process of adaptation. Very informative article!

The theory of evolution may not be accepted by everybody, but it seems evident that the human body has evolved over millions of years and has had to adapt itself to the environment during that time. Originally, although life may have been extraordinarily harsh, the environment was nevertheless quite clean: clean air, a natural diet, plenty of physical activity, and a total absence of manufactured, synthetic substances characterized our ecosystem. The changes that have occurred over very long time spans have allowed for a painstakingly slow, but essential, process of adaptation.

Changes in the Environment

In the past few years we have begun to modify our environment at a frightening and ever-accelerating rate. Dr. Bernard Rimland, a world authority on behavioral toxicology, made the following comments in an address on pollution in San Diego, California: "I use the word'modify' although on first writing I used the word 'violating,' then considered alternatives such as 'degrading' or 'poisoning' before settling on the ostensibly neutral term 'modify'. I hope my message gets across."

Modern industry is now using more than 100,000 chemicals, of which 575 have already been declared dangerous by the U.S. government. While it is true that many of these chemicals need to be present in reasonably large amounts before they affect our health, there are also some that can cause serious problems at very low levels of exposure.

Most, if not all, chemicals can interact with one another so that their effect becomes greater than the sum of their parts. This is called the "synergistic effect." In practical terms, it simply means that when combined, these can damage our health even at levels considered totally harmless for any of the chemicals alone.

An individual may be capable of coping with two very late nights each and every week without affecting his work output. The same individual may also have the flu once or twice each year, again without suffering any substantial ill effects. But what about if he has the flu and two consecutive late nights? It may just be too much!

Different Types of Pollution

The science that deals with the effects of toxic chemicals on human behavior is named behavioral toxicology, and it is an integral part of orthomolecular medicine and psychiatry.

Among the thousands of cases we see and treat at the Complementary and Environmental Medicine Center, a considerable proportion of so-called psychiatric or behavioral problems, especially among children, are found to be directly or indirectly related to some form of "pollution".

Polluted air and water are all too well known. The lesser known forms, usually not even considered to be manifestations of pollution, are to an increasing degree turning out to be important causes of mental and physical handicap in the human population, especially when the impact occurs during the prenatal or early developmental stages.

Nutritional pollution includes sins of both omission and commission. It includes the omission from the diet of crucially important vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin C, the B vitamins, as well as vitamin E and such minerals as magnesium, iron, and zinc. The effects are tragic. Foods supplying these nutrients, which are needed for proper health and development, have been replaced with junk foods, gross and damaging amounts of sugar, and other additives that are designed to be attractive to the eye and taste buds, whatever the cost to the rest of the body.

This last statement reminds me of a cartoon I saw once in a magazine that showed a man standing in front of a supermarket shouting, "Come and get it . . . beautiful foods . . . fresh from the factory!"

Dr. Rimland also tells us that we must include in a list of pollution constituents those factors that could be called inadvertent. These forms of pollution include excess copper from water pipes, lead from auto exhausts, pipes, paints, toothpaste tubes and tinned foods, as well as pesticides and plastics.

Then there is the case of medical pollution. According to Dr. Rimland, medically prescribed and over-the-counter drugs kill more people than breast cancer, while some 50 million hospital-patient days per year are attributable to drug side effects in the United States. And that was in 1975. The numbers have been climbing steadily since, and are currently around 20 percent of all hospital admissions. Living organisms have a considerable capacity for adaptation, and the human organism has indeed adapted in many ways. For example, as we chew less raw food, our mandibles and teeth have undergone considerable changes, but our capacity to adapt is far from infinite and requires long periods of time.

We all inherit some limitations regarding what foods we can eat. Some of us, for example, lack the suitable enzymes to digest milk, while others acquire limitations for various reasons, ranging from self-imposed restrictions due to religious beliefs to degenerative diseases like diabetes.

Quite apart from these specific limitations, we live in a world that has enough natural poisons without having to cope with the considerable amounts of chemical poisons we have introduced, thus making life even more hazardous than it would naturally be.

Environmental Poisons and Toxicology

Traditionally, toxicology deals with the immediate effects—including death—attributable, directly or indirectly, to ingestion or contact with a poison. However, as a scientific approach, toxicology is not without flaws.

To begin with, most substances are tested singly. The effect of each separate substance is noted, but no allowance is made for the fact that the combined effect of two or three or more chemicals may be quite different from that of a single one. And, when you think of it, this is plain common sense. Mix any two foods or drinks, and you get a taste that is often quite different from that of any of its constituents.

Food additives are tested to see if they produce pathological changes in animals. Blood defects, developmental rates, and certain crucial physiological parameters, such as liver functions, may be examined. From such studies toxicologists calculate quantities of one single substance that can be ingested without causing any measurable abnormality. The resulting figure is then divided by ten to allow for differences among various species, and again by ten for human safety.

This then becomes the allowable daily intake for humans. However, the effects, if any, on the behavior of these animals are almost never measured. Dr. David Ball, director of the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, is fond of pointing out that if the effect of thalidomide had been to lower the capacity for academic ability by, say, 10 percent, it would never have been detected.

There is also another very important flaw in the way we test the toxicity of most potential pollutants. Humans are exposed to, and consume, a large amount of chemicals and additives (colorings, preservatives, and so on). The exposed population includes the very young, the very old, the healthy, and the infirm.

It also includes the constitutionally strong as well as people with disabilities or predispositions—genetic or otherwise—that may render them more susceptible than others.

Some may have a degree of exposure that is far greater than average. School children are much more likely to eat large amounts of coloring agents from lollipops, Popsicles, soft drinks, and similar foods than are adults. Because they are shorter, and therefore closer to the ground, children are exposed to greater amounts of lead pollution from car exhausts than adults. Their metabolic rate, and the fact that they tend to be in constant physical motion, also makes lead all the more dangerous for them. At least until a certain age, they are more likely to place dirty and dusty objects, including their fingers, into their mouths.

However, when a substance is being tested by a toxicologist, the usual procedure is to choose a group of healthy animals, quite similar to each other in age, who are then fed a similar and nutritious diet. These are then challenged with one single agent.

The results are bound to be quite different when an average cross section of the population, including the young and old people on different diets, is exposed to dozens, even hundreds of substances simultaneously.

About The Author

William Vayda, one of Australia's pioneers in Orthomolecular medicine and psychiatry, specializes in nutritional and environmental medicine. He is particularly involved in the treatment of chronic fatigue, postviral syndromes, and disorders of immunity, especially allergic syndromes asthma, candida, arthritis), and psychiatric disorders related to nutritional problems. He is a contributing editor of Wellbeing magazine and has written several best-selling books, including Health for Life: Are You Allergic to the 20th Century?, The Candida Questions and Answers Book, and Chronic Fatigue, the Silent Epidemic. This article is excerpted from his book "Mood Foods",published by Ulysses Press, PO Box 3440, Berkeley CA 94703. Books can be ordered by calling 800-377-2542. email:ulysses@ulyssespress.com

Copyright 2002
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EMF's Affect On Biological Systems
by Robert Ziegler

EMF's Affect on Biological Systems What Are Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs), and How Do They Affect The Biological System?

Human beings and all other living creatures have their own electromagnetic energy balance. Since our first moments on Earth, we have encountered external EMFs as part of the Energetic Continuum. The planet is naturally webbed with simple EMFs that are interconnected with solar activities such as solar flares and atmospheric events such as lightening.The Earth itself has an iron core that generates a halo of electromagnetic energy, reaching far beyond our atmosphere. All life on Earth has adapted to and existed in this natural electromagnetic environment for millions of years.

But in the last century, we have radically altered our environment. We have saturated the planet with powerful human-made EMFs, the likes of which have never before been known on Earth. These human-made fields have a different wave form, coherence, and frequency than natural EMFs, and their effects on living biological systems are only just beginning to be understood.

Source of Concern Magnetic fields do penetrate biological organisms. The fields that appear to be of most concern are those that are very strong, near the body, or of high frequency.

Strong fields are generated by transformers in electronic equipment, all motors, and wires carrying high current. The largest fields in the home are usually from the microwave oven, computers and televisions. Hair dryers, clocks and refrigerator motors can also be a big problem if near the body for long periods of time. Small fields near the body that can radiate magnetic fields and cause problems are those from electric blankets, heating pads, and laptop computers. High frequency EMFs are caused by dimmer switches, airline or automobile power systems, cellular phones, fluorescent lights, and many others.

The Studies Reveal The Health Hazards.

Countless studies have revealed the health hazards associated with electromagnetic fields (EMFs). These fields pervade our environment and have been implicated as a causative factor in countless health disorders, including childhood leukemia and fetal miscarriages. Yet not all EMFs are undesirable. Recent studies show that certain kinds of EMFs can help heal the body. Even more surprising, EMFs that have been deemed dangerous - such as those produced by computers, toasters, televisions, microwaves, and hair dryers - can be transformed into useful energy for the body.

Reports began with the ground-breaking study conducted in 1979, at the University of Colorado, by epidemiologist, Nancy Werthheimer, Ph.D. Dr. Werthheimer established a firm connection between low-voltage power distribution lines in residential neighborhoods and increased incidence of childhood leukemia.

In 1990, The American Journal of Epidemiology reported two studies regarding the use of electric blankets. One "revealed a quadrupling in the risk of brain tumors among children whose mothers slept under electric blankets during the first trimester of pregnancy." The other indicated that children who used electric blankets were more likely to develop cancer. Findings also show that cancer is not the only ailment that can disrupt immune system function, modify brain waves, and cause other serious abnormalities in physical function and formation.

Research sponsored by northern California's Kaiser Permanente, the largest health maintenance organization in the United States, shows that women who work more than 20 hours per week at video display terminals (VDTs) have more health problems and nearly twice as many miscarriages as women working less time in front of computers. Babies born of pregnant women who work longer hours in front of VDTs also seem to have more birth defects and fetal abnormalities.

In early 1990, the EPA recommended that extremely low-frequency EMFs be classified as "a probable human carcinogen." Because of political pressure, they quickly retracted this statement in favor of the more benign announcement that: "research shows a consistent pattern of response which suggests, but does not prove, a causal link" between extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields and cancer.

Human-made EMFs have a chaotic energy and different frequency than natural EMFs, and can disrupt or distort organic energy patterns. It is precisely this ability to distort human energy patterns that causes artificial EMFs to be hazardous. Human-made EMFs may cause cancer and present other grave dangers to human health.

Robert Ziegler, Casselberry,Fl. Usa http://www.allthatistachyon.com Robert Ziegler is a Certified Tachyon Practitioner and Authorized Independent Distributor. He is dedicated to promoting the unity of mind, body, and spirit.

Copyright 2002
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Electrical Appliance & Lighting Solutions
by Human Ecology Action League (HEAL)

Did you know that your alarm clock could be giving you cancer? Maybe it will be your electric blanket or other appliance.

It can be helpful to get regular exposure to natural sunlight every day. It helps produce Vitamin D, it normalizes levels of an important hormone, and it can helps prevent and heal some chronic diseases. Direct sunlight may be too strong for some people in which case sitting or walking or playing in the shade is fine -- as long as sunglasses aren't worn.

Avoiding regular, extended exposure to fluorescent lights is also a good idea. Examples of excessive exposure would be working or going to school more than a few hours daily under fluorescent lighting. Two solutions are to use regular incandescent lighting or replace the fluorescent bulbs with safer, more balanced fluorescent bulbs from Ott Biolight Systems or other natural lighting companies.

Low levels of electrical and magnetic fields can affect the permeability of the barrier surrounding the brain -- the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB). This can significantly effect chemical uptake into the brain, with a predictable effect on the health of some individuals. With this in mind, many in the holistic healthcare community feel it is important to take steps to reduce electromagnetic radiation exposure to minimal levels. A book which details the effects of electromagnetic radiation and the practical steps that can be taken in homes and offices is Warning: The Electricity Around You May Be Hazardous to Your Health by Ellen Sugarman.

It is important to keep plugged-in electrical equipment away from the bed if possible. For example, digital alarm clocks can give off a significant amount of magnetic radition and should be kept at least 10 feet from the bed. I would avoid sleeping with an electric blanket or electrically-heated waterbed (although these items can be used to heat the bed and then unplugged before sleep). Move other electrical equipment aware from bed.

Some old computer monitors have extremely high levels of magnetic and electrical radiation. (e.g., very old Apple RGB monitors). Most of the computer monitors made within the past few years are much better. Still, some newer color monitors have high electrical fields which can be hard on the eyes and contribute to adverse symptoms in some people. Safe Technologies Corporation sells ultra-low radiation color monitors that are very popular. (I've had mine for over 5 years.) If you have a choice in monitors, these monitors are excellent solutions when considering one's long-term health prospects. Other popular products for reducing electromagnetic fields are sold by Norad Corporation.

If your home is very close to high power lines or a microwave or radio tower, it may be significantly effecting the health of your family. One solution is to move. It may be worth the temporary hardship, in order to protect your health and that of your family.

Some people use Clarus Products such as Q-link, ClearWave, etc. to protect themselves from the effects of electromagnetic radiation from electrical appliances and power lines. I don't know if they help, but some people think so.

Human Ecology Action League, Inc. (HEAL)
P.O. Box 29629
Atlanta, GA 30359-1126
404-248-1898
Email: HEALNatnl@aol.com

Copyright 2002
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Where Does All That Red Cross Money Really Go
by Jim Landis

One of the elements that makes life bearable midst all the treachery, deceptions, lying, cheating, avarice, and money-grubbing in this world, is the firm conviction that sooner or later, and often in the most unexpected ways, the truth always comes out. Who would have ever imagined that the massive out pouring of millions of dollars by the American people to the American Red Cross, would become the catalyst for exposing the American Red Cross’ fund-raising and financial practices to public view.

One of the elements that makes life bearable midst all the treachery, deceptions, lying, cheating, avarice, and money-grubbing in this world, is the firm conviction that sooner or later, and often in the most unexpected ways, the truth always comes out. Who would have ever imagined that the massive out pouring of millions of dollars by the American people to the American Red Cross, would become the catalyst for exposing the American Red Cross’ fund-raising and financial practices to public view.

The positive public perception of the Red Cross evolves from seeing the Red Cross volunteers in action during disasters; they are impressive. It is important to make a clear distinction however, between the more than a million Red Cross volunteers, most of whom are well-trained, dedicated, and hard-working, and Red Cross management which is a self-serving, over-paid, bloated bureaucracy. They are a disgrace to the volunteers.

The Red Cross has come under fire not only by many of the donors, but also by Congress, for the Red Cross’ stated intention to use funds solicited for victims of the September 11th tragedies for other purposes. Red Cross corporate squabbling over how to spend $667 million in donations resulted in the ouster of Bernadine Healy from her $450,000 a year post as Red Cross President.

This isn’t the first instance in which the Red Cross diverted disaster relief donations to other non-disaster programs. In 1989, Mayor Art Agnos of San Francisco complained that the Red Cross, after raising $50 million for earthquake relief, was passing along only $10 million and banking the rest. Critics have also protested Red Cross diversion of disaster funds following the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, the Red River flooding in 1997, and the San Diego wildfire early in 2001.

Shortly after testifying before Congress last November, during which they attempted to justify their planned diversion of the donated funds, the Red Cross did a complete reversal and announced that all of the donations to their so-called “Liberty Fund” would be used for the September 11th disasters. Why the sudden reversal? They tried to make it sound like they “misread” the intention of the donors. That of course is nonsense; their fund raising messages were very specific, and so was the response by the donors. It is much more likely that they became alarmed at the prospect of a full scale Congressional investigation, along with threatened litigation by the Attorney General of New York State.The Red Cross gets very nervous when anyone raises questions about their financial activities. They usually get rid of the “offenders”. e.g. Bernadine Healy.

It isn’t any different on the local level. In the Merced-Mariposa Counties Chapter in California, Mike Bird, Jim Landis, and Stu Tanner (all three: disaster volunteers, disaster instructors, and Board members) exercised their oversight responsibilities as members of the Board of Directors. They raised questions about financial irregularities within the Chapter, including a $25,000 disaster relief donation (from a major national corporation) which was earmarked for the National Red Cross and which was intentionally and improperly converted for use as Chapter general funds, the fact that less than seven percent of the $250,000 annual Chapter budget was being used for disaster assistance, and other questionable activities. The net result: Red Cross management got rid of them too.

The Red Cross claims that they spent over $317 million on the disaster by December 31,2001. Of that, only $139 million was direct support to families of victims. On what did they spend the difference: $178 million? Considering that the hotels in the disaster area were providing free rooms, the restaurants were providing free meals, the Salvation Army with 21 mobile feeding stations were providing 100,000 meals each day, the airlines were providing free transportation for Red Cross volunteers and paid staff, Delta Airlines donated two million frequent flyer miles to the Red Cross, and all those dedicated Red Cross volunteers work for free, so how did the Red Cross spend $178 million? A full disclosure, item by item, line by line, is in order.

The Red Cross stated that it will take “several years” to spend the balance of roughly $350 million. Why will it take several years to pay it out? The qualified recipients need the help now, and they are readily identifiable now. If the Red Cross can’t figure out how to provide disaster relief (after more than 100 years), they should refund the donations and get out of the business. Interest accruing on $350 million over several years would really kick that total up, assuming of course that the Red Cross intends to credit the “Liberty Fund” with the interest earned. That kind of money could really help pay down their outstanding debt of $339 million. (See Note 1)

The American Red Cross has been “in business” for a long time. They are highly skilled in public relations, they employ extremely “creative” accounting techniques, and they conduct very smooth fund raising programs.

A typical fund raising approach which the Red Cross has used for a long time reads something like this: “We are a private, not-for-profit, non-governmental organization. We do not receive any government support. We depend entirely on the generosity of the American people for our support.” Another mantra which they repeat incessantly: “93 cents out of every donated dollar goes back to the people”. Both of these statements are untrue. They are sheer nonsense. An examination of the Red Cross Tax Return, IRS Form 990 for the year ending June 30,2000 (See Note 2) shows:

a) That on a total annual revenue of $2.492 billion, (line 12) the Red Cross spent a mere $133.1 million on direct assistance to individuals, of which only $96.7 million went to disaster relief. This equates to about five cents on the dollar. A far cry indeed from 93 cents.

b) On Line 1c, we find that they received $65 million in government grants. That certainly looks like government support.

A further look at their tax return provides more answers to the question “Where Does All That Red Cross Money Really Go?”
Line 25: Compensation of Officers and Directors: $ 2,041,552
Line 26: Other Salaries And Wages: 930,258,592
Line 27: Pension Plan Contributions: 15,766,782
Line 28: Other Employee Benefits: 89,287,716
Total: 1,037,354,642

That’s over a billion dollars; almost half of their total income of $2.4 billion spent on their bloated bureaucracy, while over a million dedicated, hard-working volunteers do it all for free. It is disgraceful.

Line 32: Legal Fees: $10,107,490. “The organization is a defendant in a number of lawsuits…” (See Note 3). The Red Cross has had many lawsuits over the years. There have been so many AIDS-Transfusion lawsuits that there are law firms which specialize in them (exclusively). Why don’t you ever hear about Red Cross lawsuits? The Red Cross usually settles out of court, and then has the judge seal the records! Therefore, you don’t hear about the cases, or the amount of the settlements, which have been estimated to run into many millions of dollars. There is a fine line between the desire to avoid negative publicity (which is understandable), and failure to disclose the truth, which is never acceptable. Read : “Bad Blood Crisis in The American Red Cross” for details. (See Note 5).

Another “fascinating” item: under Income Producing Activities (Part VII), Line 93a:
Biomedical Services Revenue: $1.472 billion. That’s more than half of their annual income from the sale of blood and blood products. Yes, they sell all that free blood which we donate to them. Then the hospitals mark it up and sell it to us when we need a transfusion. Despite what they say, obviously, it is an extremely profitable activity. So why do they have a $339 million debt in their Blood Services Division?: Bad Management. Why do they continue to violate a 1993 court-supervised consent decree (See Note 4) with the FDA?: Bad Management. Why do they risk huge fines by the FDA for their continued violations?: Bad Management. Why did the Red Cross collect more blood than they could possibly use (or preserve) in the aftermath of September 11th?: Bad Management. Why did the Red Cross hire 200 case workers when they have thousands of experienced volunteer case workers in their ranks?: Bad Management.

In mid-December the Red Cross announced that it destroyed blood donations from 50,000 donors because their blood was not needed. On December 13, the FDA filed a motion in federal court asking the court to hold the Red Cross in contempt of court for violations of the 1993 consent decree. They also asked the court for permission to fine the Red Cross $10,000 per day for each violation. In asking the court to act, Bernard Schwetz, the FDA’s acting head, said in a statement, “ Unfortunately to date ARC has exhibited a corporate culture that has been willing to tolerate an unacceptably low level of quality assurance and a lack of concern for the public it is supposed to serve.”

As with most bureaucracies, the Red Cross is incapable of self-correction. We need a safe, reliable blood collection and distribution system. As long as the Red Cross functions as a “retailer” under the guise of “rescuer”, the system will remain flawed. Congress chartered the Red Cross; they have an obligation to maintain it’s integrity.

To learn more about Red Cross Blood Services, and the part they played in spreading the AIDS virus, read the book which the Red Cross tried to ban: “Bad Blood --Crisis in The American Red Cross”(See Note 5).

The Red Cross also owns and operates a huge research laboratory (The Jerome Holland Laboratory in Rockville, Maryland). They employ over 270 scientists conducting research in biochemistry, experimental pathology, plasma derivatives, product development, transgenics, and other areas. They also conduct animal experiments at this facility. In response to queries from the Physician’s Committee For Responsible Medicine in 1997, a Red Cross representative wrote,”animals used in our laboratory work are well treated and not tortured in any way”. Yet, the Red Cross has funded studies in which animals were subjected to unrelieved pain. Genetically altered mice were allowed to develop ailments including neural tumors, gastrointestinal tissue malformations, shaking tremors, seizures, and paralysis. In another Red Cross funded experiment, rabbits had 22 to 30 percent of their blood volume bled every two weeks. Invasive experiments such as these are cruel and inhumane and clearly cause suffering for the animals. Even routine caging, isolation, handling, and shipping are terrifying for the animals. It is difficult to imagine what the Red Cross means when it says the animals in it’s experiments are “well treated”. The Red Cross spends over $25 million per year on the laboratory and the experiments. The funds are derived from sale of tested blood, donations from corporations and foundations, and grants from the National Institutes of Health (our tax dollars).

The Red Cross has strayed far from it’s Congressional charter which mandates providing relief for victims of disaster and for devising means of preventing same. By no stretch of the imagination could cruel and inhumane treatment of animals be in compliance with that mandate.

The American people have responded generously for decades to Red Cross fund raising appeals. However, the Red Cross has been less than forthcoming with the American people; nowhere in their fund raising messages (or in their many press releases) did the Red Cross ever indicate that donated funds were being used for animal experiments, or that the blood donations generated multi-billion dollar profits, or that half of the donated funds were used for salaries, wages, pensions, and other benefits. This amounts to a massive deception upon the American people. Congress should “clean that house from top to bottom”, and the American people should withhold further support until that has been accomplished.

NOTES:

1. “Red Cross’ Cash Flow Problem Raises Cost of Blood Flow”, Associated Press, The
Fresno Bee, July 31, 2001
2. Federal law requires the American Red Cross to furnish copies of their IRS Form 990 Tax Returns for the last three years, upon your request. They can charge nominal fees for copying and mailing.
3. Per Note 11 of Consolidated Financial Statement, June 30,2000.
4. The consent decree with the FDA came about after repeated health and safety violations by the Red Cross including distribution of HIV contaminated blood.
5. “Bad Blood -----Crisis in The American Red Cross”, Judith Reitman, Kensington Press. Available in book stores and libraries.

Copyright 2002
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Retrain the Brain Get the Kids off Ritalin!
by Jeanette Farmer, C. G

A Powerful, Effective Alternative to Ritalin for Influencing Children with Learning Disabilities, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Special Needs Children by Jeanette Farmer.

Multi-sensory Penmanship -- An Idea Whose Time Has Come!