Author: Steve Boren

  • ABC Proves Entertainment Industry is Romantically Challenged

    ABC Proves Entertainment Industry is Romantically Challenged
    ABC’s Dancing with the Stars is popular with many families. But on April 19th, parents may want to change the channel immediately afterward…to avoid the network’s new sex comedy, Romantically Challenged. more

    PTC

  • Are you getting enough salt in your diet?

    Are you getting enough salt in your diet?

    I just read a report online that flies in the face of what conventional medicine has been pushing on the public for years. New research suggests not eating enough salt could be WORSE for your heart than consuming too much of it.

    Yawn. Excuse my lack of enthusiasm. After all, this is old news to me — and it should be to you as well. I’ve been telling you for years that salt is good for you.

    The new study was published in the online Journal of General Internal Medicine, and while it doesn’t actually come out and say that a low-salt diet is actually BAD for the heart, it does cite some intriguing stats showing that people who eat the least salt suffer from the highest rates of death as a result of heart disease.

    The one quarter of patients in the study who ate the least salt were 80 PERCENT more likely to die from cardiac issues than the 25 percent in the study who consumed the MOST salt. This should really be no surprise in the medical community. In spite of what you hear on TV and read in magazines, there’s no agreement in the medical community that salt is the key factor in the development of such dangerous maladies as high blood pressure and hypertension.

    Dr. Hillel W. Cohen, the author of the study, finally acknowledged the questionable link between salt intake and high blood pressure. "The main argument for reducing salt in the prevention of heart disease has been that there’s a relationship between higher sodium and high blood pressure," he said. "But when one actually looks at the numbers, the average blood pressure difference associated with quite a bit of sodium intake is very modest."

    The fact is, without salt, you’d die. It’s an essential nutrient that your body can’t manufacture on its own. It plays a critical role in regulating vital bodily function, and it’s a key element in the fluids that transport life-giving oxygen throughout the body. Salt maintains the body’s fluid balance. What’s more, the body automatically disposes of excess salt in your system.

    So the claim that you can have "too much" salt in your diet? Well that’s just not physically possible.

    Perfectly seasoned,

    William Campbell Douglass II, M.D.

  • Heartburn drugs: all harm, no good

    Heartburn drugs: all harm, no good

    If you take heartburn drugs, you don’t need me to tell you the odd paradox of these meds — the more you take them, the more you need them.

    That’s because these deadly drugs are actually CAUSING your symptoms — not curing them.

    But everything you’ve been told about heartburn — from the symptoms to the cure — is bunk, unless you’ve been reading my column over the years.

    The latest research shows how that the most popular antacid meds — the proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs — can actually give stomach acid problems to healthy people.

    These meds, which include Nexium, Prilosec, Prevacid and Aciphex, were responsible for more than $25 billion in global sales last year — so believe me when I tell you that some very powerful people are hoping your computer crashes just before you read this next part.

    Healthy people with no history of tummy troubles were given these meds for eight weeks. Then, after being taken off them, more than 40 percent developed heartburn, acid regurgitation and/or dyspepsia.

    The study, published in Gastroenterology, is just the latest in an endless list of bad news about these drugs. They’ve been linked to an increased risk for osteoporosis and bone fractures, diarrhea, potentially deadly cases of pneumonia and so much more.

    And for all that, they still can’t do what they advertise and cure you of your heartburn problems — few of which are actually caused by too much stomach acid to begin with.

    If you want to be freed from the antacid prison, subscribe now to The Douglass Report and read the August issue in my online archives. I have everything you need to know about defeating not just the cause of your heartburn, but your dependence on a drug that may be killing you.

    William Campbell Douglass II, M.D.

  • MTV Preparing American Skins

    MTV Preparing American Skins

    The British teen soap opera Skins is an outrageous glorification of teen sex, binge drinking, and drug use…and MTV is preparing an American version of the show. ► more

  • LA Housing Dept Mismanaged $10.3 Million City Loan

    LA Housing Dept Mismanaged $10.3 Million City Loan

    New Controller Audit
    Release provided by City Controller’s Office

    City Controller Wendy Greuel released an audit Thursday of how the Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD) managed a $10.3 million City loan to a developer, which had a major financial partner under federal investigation for misusing public funds.

    Read more…

  • Hollywood: Protecting the Brand

    Hollywood: Protecting the Brand Box Soap
    By Stephen Box

    One reason crime statistics are continually on the decline in Hollywood is because it’s no longer necessary to steal things of value, one simply waits for the City’s leadership to give them away.

    Consider, for example, the priceless Hollywood brand.

    Read more…
    CityWatch newsletter

  • DWP Electrical Worker’s Union Has Role in Rate Fight

    DWP Electrical Worker’s Union Has Role in Rate Fight

    GuestWords
    By Bill Boyarsky (Posted first at LAObserved.com)

    Behind the big fight over power rates is the electrical workers union, determined to make sure it has command over the thousands of new jobs that will be created in the next decade in the solar-renewable energy industry.

    Read more…

  • Greuel’s Financial Audit of the DWP Will Not Answer the Key Question

    Greuel’s Financial Audit of the DWP Will Not Answer the Key Question Perspective
    By Paul Hatfield (Posted first at Village to Village)

    First let me say, I support Controller Greuel’s proposal to conduct a financial audit of the DWP. However, the audit will only serve as a confirmation of DWP’s current financial condition.

    Read more…
    CityWatch Newsletter

  • Smith Turns Up The Heat: Offers 8 Motions to Reform DWP

    Smith Turns Up The Heat: Offers 8 Motions to Reform DWP

    NCs, Council, Mayor Pick DWP Commissioners
    Report provided by Councilman Smith’s office

    Councilman Greig Smith introduced a package of eight motions [LINK] on Wednesday to restructure and reform the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and establish much-needed transparency and ratepayer advocacy. Read more…

    citywatch newsletter

  • Blatant Abuse of Power By Jack Humphreville

    Los Angeles, Friday, April 9, 2010

    Blatant Abuse of Power LA Watchdog
    By Jack Humphreville

    What seemed to be a very well documented call for higher rates to preserve the credit rating of the Department of Water and Power has turned into a massive public food fight over the transparency of DWP’s rates and the Mayor’s blatant abuse of power.

    Unfortunately, DWP’s finances have been abused and mismanaged by the Mayor and his political appointees. They have blatantly over committed the DWP’s financial resources to renewable energy and related programs relative to the existing financial limitations on the Energy Cost Adjustment Factor.
    Read more…

    citywatch newsletter

  • Tea Party Express Statement on Rumors of Bart Stupak Retirement – Ask Scott Brown Abo

    Tea Party Express Statement on Rumors of Bart Stupak Retirement – Ask Scott Brown About Power of Movement

    The Tea Party Express (website: www.TeaPartyExpress.org) has issued the following statement from Political Director, Bryan Shroyer, regarding the rumors of Bart Stupak’s retirement:
    "The surprising announcement that Congressman Bart Stupak is abandoning his campaign for re-election shows the power of the tea party movement. Stupak was not longer able to hide his betrayal of conservative principles because the tea party movement was determined to educate the voters in his district of his vote of betrayal for Obamacare.
    During the past few weeks the Tea Party Expresss put together a formidable campaign to defeat Bart Stupak. Two days ago we began a $250,000 TV and radio ad blitz. For weeks we’ve been organizing tea party rallies specifically targeting Stupak for defeat.
    "Last night in Ironwood, MI some 400+ people turned out for a rally against Stupak, which is almost 10% of the city’s population. We are currently en route to Escanaba, MI where a giant rally is planned.
    "People in this district are furious with Bart Stupak. He betrayed his constituents and his own principles. Those who helped him win electoral victories of more than 60% in the past were now working to defeat him.
    "There has not been a similar national push in the Upper Peninsula and Northern Lower Michigan as is currently underway by the Tea Party Express. This effort is historic, and it has been possible because of the disgust voters have towards Stupak’s betrayal of those he was supposed to represent.
    "Just as Scott Brown was propelled to vicoty in the U.S. Senate thanks to the tea party movement, now Bart Stupak appears to have succumbed to the movement’s strength as well.
    "Our movement is real – it is not Astroturf, and we’re not going away. November 2010, here we come!"

    *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

    Media organizations wishing to embed a reporter on the Tea Party Express national tour, or those seeking more information about the "Tea Party Express" or to schedule an interview with a representative, shouldcontact Levi Russell at (509) 979-6615 or via email at: [email protected]



  • Battle looms over Obama nominee to 9th District Court

    Battle looms over Obama nominee to 9th District Court
    Goodwin Liu couldn’t speak English until kindergarten, but he went on to become co-valedictorian at Rio Americano High School in Sacramento, a Rhodes Scholar and a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley. Now he’s under attack on Capitol Hill, where Republicans oppose his nomination to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.

    Sacramento Bee

    info fromLos Angeles Police Protective League

    1308 West Eighth Street Los Angeles, California 90017 phone: (213) 251-4554

    Angeles Police Protective League 1308 West Eighth Street Los Angeles, California 90017 phone: (213) 251-4554

  • Will the LAPD become a hollow police force?

    Will the LAPD become a hollow police force?
    In the 1970s, the term "hollow military" was used to describe the state of the U.S. Armed Forces. It remained formidable on paper, but in actuality was underfunded and overstretched. "Hollow police force" may soon describe the Los Angeles Police Department. Drastic reductions in the civilian workforce, which performs vital administrative functions, has forced sworn officers from patrolling L.A. streets into offices where many are performing civilian personnel functions. In addition, officers are forced to stay home rather than fill vacancies in patrols because of strict limits on overtime.

    LAPPL Blog

  • Mexico and the Failed State Revisited

    04.08.10 09:28 AM

    The United States' southern neighbors have always held a special interest for explorers. In particular Sir Walter Raleigh and his ill-fated quest for El Dorado comes to mind (I'm sure we can all relate). Modern day explorers, also known as investors, are still looking for the best place to stake their resources in search of riches. Thankfully, we have considerably more information at our disposal than a treasure map. But how do we know when X marks the spot, or if it's just another faulty lead?

    Intelligence, not just mass-produced information, is the key. For my global intelligence, I turn to the experts at STRATFOR. In this edition of “Outside the Box”, I've included a STRATFOR analysis on the situation in Mexico. It evaluates the drug wars in terms of the U.S. and Mexican economies. Give it a read and sign up for their free reports. You'll soon understand the value in intelligence, not just news.

    John Mauldin
    Editor, Outside the Box

    Mexico and the Failed State Revisited

    April 6, 2010 | 0902 GMT

    By George Friedman

    STRATFOR argued March 13, 2008, that Mexico was nearing the status of a failed state. A failed state is one in which the central government has lost control over significant areas of the country and the state is unable to function. In revisiting this issue, it seems to us that the Mexican government has lost control of the northern tier of Mexico to drug-smuggling organizations, which have significantly greater power in that region than government forces. Moreover, the ability of the central government to assert its will against these organizations has weakened to the point that decisions made by the state against the cartels are not being implemented or are being implemented in a way that would guarantee failure.

    Despite these facts, it is not clear to STRATFOR that Mexico is becoming a failed state. Instead, it appears the Mexican state has accommodated itself to the situation. Rather than failing, it has developed strategies designed both to ride out the storm and to maximize the benefits of that storm for Mexico.

    First, while the Mexican government has lost control over matters having to do with drugs and with the borderlands of the United States, Mexico City's control over other regions — and over areas other than drug enforcement — has not collapsed (though its lack of control over drugs could well extend to other areas eventually). Second, while drugs reshape Mexican institutions dramatically, they also, paradoxically, stabilize Mexico. We need to examine these crosscurrents to understand the status of Mexico.

    Mexico's Core Problem

    Let's begin by understanding the core problem. The United States consumes vast amounts of narcotics, which, while illegal there, make their way in abundance. Narcotics derive from low-cost agricultural products that become consumable with minimal processing. With its long, shared border with the United States, Mexico has become a major grower, processor and exporter of narcotics. Because the drugs are illegal and thus outside normal market processes, their price is determined by their illegality rather than by the cost of production. This means extraordinary profits can be made by moving narcotics from the Mexican side of the border to markets on the other side.

    Whoever controls the supply chain from the fields to the processing facilities and, above all, across the border, will make enormous amounts of money. Various Mexican organizations — labeled cartels, although they do not truly function as such, since real cartels involve at least a degree of cooperation among producers, not open warfare — vie for this business. These are competing businesses, each with its own competing supply chain.

    Typically, competition among businesses involves lowering prices and increasing quality. This would produce small, incremental shifts in profits on the whole while dramatically reducing prices. An increased market share would compensate for lower prices. Similarly, lawsuits are the normal solution to unfair competition. But neither is the case with regard to illegal goods.

    The surest way to increase smuggling profits is not through market mechanisms but by taking over competitors' supply chains. Given the profit margins involved, persons wanting to control drug supply chains would be irrational to buy, since the lower-cost solution would be to take control of these supply chains by force. Thus, each smuggling organization has an attached paramilitary organization designed to protect its own supply chain and to seize its competitors' supply chains.

    The result is ongoing warfare between competing organizations. Given the amount of money being made in delivering their product to American cities, these paramilitary organizations are well-armed, well-led and well-motivated. Membership in such paramilitary groups offers impoverished young men extraordinary opportunities for making money, far greater than would be available to them in legitimate activities.

    The raging war in Mexico derives logically from the existence of markets for narcotics in the United States; the low cost of the materials and processes required to produce these products; and the extraordinarily favorable economics of moving narcotics across the border. This warfare is concentrated on the Mexican side of the border. But from the Mexican point of view, this warfare does not fundamentally threaten Mexico's interests.

    A Struggle Far From the Mexican Heartland

    The heartland of Mexico is to the south, far from the country's northern tier. The north is largely a sparsely populated highland desert region seen from Mexico City as an alien borderland intertwined with the United States as much as it is part of Mexico. Accordingly, the war raging there doesn't represent a direct threat to the survival of the Mexican regime.


    (click here to enlarge image)

    Indeed, what the wars are being fought over in some ways benefits Mexico. The amount of money pouring into Mexico annually is stunning. It is estimated to be about $35 billion to $40 billion each year. The massive profit margins involved make these sums even more significant. Assume that the manufacturing sector produces revenues of $40 billion a year through exports. Assuming a generous 10 percent profit margin, actual profits would be $4 billion a year. In the case of narcotics, however, profit margins are conservatively estimated to stand at around 80 percent. The net from $40 billion would be $32 billion; to produce equivalent income in manufacturing, exports would have to total $320 billion.

    In estimating the impact of drug money on Mexico, it must therefore be borne in mind that drugs cannot be compared to any conventional export. The drug trade's tremendously high profit margins mean its total impact on Mexico vastly outstrips even the estimated total sales, even if the margins shifted substantially.

    On the whole, Mexico is a tremendous beneficiary of the drug trade. Even if some of the profits are invested overseas, the pool of remaining money flowing into Mexico creates tremendous liquidity in the Mexican economy at a time of global recession. It is difficult to trace where the drug money is going, which follows from its illegality. Certainly, drug dealers would want their money in a jurisdiction where it could not be easily seized even if tracked. U.S. asset seizure laws for drug trafficking make the United States an unlikely haven. Though money clearly flows out of Mexico, the ability of the smugglers to influence the behavior of the Mexican government by investing some of it makes Mexico a likely destination for a substantial portion of such funds.

    The money does not, however, flow back into the hands of the gunmen shooting it out on the border; even their bosses couldn't manage funds of that magnitude. And while money can be — and often is — baled up and hidden, the value of money is in its use. As with illegal money everywhere, the goal is to wash it and invest it in legitimate enterprises where it can produce more money. That means it has to enter the economy through legitimate institutions — banks and other financial entities — and then be redeployed into the economy. This is no different from the American Mafia's practice during and after Prohibition.

    The Drug War and Mexican National Interests

    From Mexico's point of view, interrupting the flow of drugs to the United States is not clearly in the national interest or in that of the economic elite. Observers often dwell on the warfare between smuggling organizations in the northern borderland but rarely on the flow of American money into Mexico. Certainly, that money could corrupt the Mexican state, but it also behaves as money does. It is accumulated and invested, where it generates wealth and jobs.

    For the Mexican government to become willing to shut off this flow of money, the violence would have to become far more geographically widespread. And given the difficulty of ending the traffic anyway — and that many in the state security and military apparatus benefit from it — an obvious conclusion can be drawn: Namely, it is difficult to foresee scenarios in which the Mexican government could or would stop the drug trade. Instead, Mexico will accept both the pain and the benefits of the drug trade.

    Mexico's policy is consistent: It makes every effort to appear to be stopping the drug trade so that it will not be accused of supporting it. The government does not object to disrupting one or more of the smuggling groups, so long as the aggregate inflow of cash does not materially decline. It demonstrates to the United States efforts (albeit inadequate) to tackle the trade, while pointing out very real problems with its military and security apparatus and with its officials in Mexico City. It simultaneously points to the United States as the cause of the problem, given Washington's failure to control demand or to reduce prices by legalization. And if massive amounts of money pour into Mexico as a result of this U.S. failure, Mexico is not going to refuse it.

    The problem with the Mexican military or police is not lack of training or equipment. It is not a lack of leadership. These may be problems, but they are only problems if they interfere with implementing Mexican national policy. The problem is that these forces are personally unmotivated to take the risks needed to be effective because they benefit more from being ineffective. This isn't incompetence but a rational national policy.

    Moreover, Mexico has deep historic grievances toward the United States dating back to the Mexican-American War. These have been exacerbated by U.S. immigration policy that the Mexicans see both as insulting and as a threat to their policy of exporting surplus labor north. There is thus no desire to solve the Americans' problem. Certainly, there are individuals in the Mexican government who wish to stop the smuggling and the inflow of billions of dollars. They will try. But they will not succeed, as too much is at stake. One must ignore public statements and earnest private assurances and instead observe the facts on the ground to understand what's really going on.

    The U.S. Strategic Problem

    And this leaves the United States with a strategic problem. There is some talk in Mexico City and Washington of the Americans becoming involved in suppression of the smuggling within Mexico (even though the cartels, to use that strange name, make certain not to engage in significant violence north of the border and mask it when they do to reduce U.S. pressure on Mexico). This is certainly something the Mexicans would be attracted to. But it is unclear that the Americans would be any more successful than the Mexicans. What is clear is that any U.S. intervention would turn Mexican drug traffickers into patriots fighting yet another Yankee incursion. Recall that Pershing never caught Pancho Villa, but he did help turn Villa into a national hero in Mexico.

    The United States has a number of choices. It could accept the status quo. It could figure out how to reduce drug demand in the United States while keeping drugs illegal. It could legalize drugs, thereby driving their price down and ending the motivation for smuggling. And it could move into Mexico in a bid to impose its will against a government, banking system and police and military force that benefit from the drug trade.

    The United States does not know how to reduce demand for drugs. The United States is not prepared to legalize drugs. This means the choice lies between the status quo and a complex and uncertain (to say the least) intervention. We suspect the United States will attempt some limited variety of the latter, while in effect following the current strategy and living with the problem.

    Ultimately, Mexico is a failed state only if you accept the idea that its goal is to crush the smugglers. If, on the other hand, one accepts the idea that all of Mexican society benefits from the inflow of billions of American dollars (even though it also pays a price), then the Mexican state has not failed — it is following a rational strategy to turn a national problem into a national benefit.


    http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/John_…revisited.aspx

  • LAPD is not exempt from budget cuts; officers increasingly deskbound as city cuts civ

    LAPD is not exempt from budget cuts; officers increasingly deskbound as city cuts civilian workforce
    Drastic cuts to the LAPD civilian workforce are forcing LAPD officers to increasingly fill civilian jobs instead of patrolling the city’s streets and neighborhoods, the president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League said today. These widespread cuts – in combination with forced time off for overtime worked – are resulting in significantly reduced police deployments throughout the city that threaten to create a public safety crisis this summer. "It is a myth that the LAPD has been exempt from budget cuts due to the city’s financial crisis," said Paul M. Weber. "The impacts are very real, as officers are forced to stay at home because of overtime concerns and fill in for furloughed civilians or vacant civilian jobs. City officials need to carefully consider the impacts of budget cuts and realize the consequences to public safety of any actions that increase police response time and decrease patrols in our city."
    Press Release

    LAPPL Newsletter

  • Glenn Beck Show: Big Labor’s Unfunded Pensions Will Bankrupt America

    Glenn Beck Show: Big Labor’s Unfunded Pensions Will Bankrupt America

    Last week, National Right to Work President Mark Mix appeared on Glenn Beck with guest host Judge Andrew Napolitano to discuss the looming fiscal threat of government sector unions’ under-funded pension plans.

    As Mix notes, even FDR understood the dangers of giving union bosses monopoly bargaining power at the expense of public sector workers and the taxpayers. Cities like Vallejo, California, have even declared bankruptcy as a result of their budget nightmares.

    Unfortunately, union bigwigs are likely to exploit states’ and cities’ fiscal woes by lobbying for expansions of their power. One toxic example is the Police and Firefighters Monopoly Bargaining Bill, which would impose union boss control on all first responders across the country by federal fiat.

    Click below to watch the full interview.

    The Foundation must rely on the voluntary support of individual Americans who believe in our cause and wish to advance our strategic litigation program. To make a fully tax-deductible donation in whatever amount, please click here.
    The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is a nonprofit, charitable organization providing free legal aid to employees whose human or civil rights have been violated by compulsory unionism abuses. The Foundation, which can be contacted toll-free at 1-800-336-3600, is assisting thousands of employees in more than 200 cases nationwide. Its web address is www.nrtw.org/.

    To view as a web page, please click this link: view online.

  • Spinach and Beef Enchiladas

    Spinach and Beef Enchiladas
    Bring more color and vitamins to a classic Mexican casserole with the addition of spinach. Your family will never know!
    Prep Time: 25 min
    Total Time: 1 hour 10 min
    Makes: 8 enchiladas

    1lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
    1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
    1 box (9 oz) Green Giant® frozen spinach
    1 can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso® chopped green chiles, undrained
    1/2teaspoon ground cumin
    1/2teaspoon garlic-pepper blend
    1/2 cup sour cream
    2 cups shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese blend (8 oz)
    1can (10 oz) Old El Paso® enchilada sauce
    1package (11.5 oz) Old El Paso® flour tortillas (8 tortillas)
    1/2 cup Old El Paso® Thick ‘n Chunky salsa

    1.Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13×9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook beef and onion over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown.

    2.Stir in spinach; cook, stirring frequently, until thawed. Stir in green chiles, cumin, garlic-pepper blend, sour cream and 1 cup of the cheese.

    3.Spread about 1 teaspoon enchilada sauce on each tortilla. Top each with about 1/2 cup beef mixture. Roll up tortillas; place seam sides down in baking dish. In small bowl, mix remaining enchilada sauce and the salsa; spoon over enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese.

    4.Spray sheet of foil with cooking spray; cover baking dish with foil. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

    High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.

    Kitchen Tips

    Serve these easy enchiladas with colorful toppings, such as chopped tomato, shredded lettuce, chopped green onions and sliced ripe olives.Don’t care for spinach? Go ahead and use 1 cup of frozen corn or drained and rinsed canned pinto beans instead.

    Nutrition Information:

    1 Enchilada: Calories 400 (Calories from Fat 200); Total Fat 23g (Saturated Fat 11g, Trans Fat 1/2g); Cholesterol 70mg; Sodium 860mg; Total Carbohydrate 28g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 3g); Protein 21g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 45%; Vitamin C 6%; Calcium 35%; Iron 15% Exchanges: 2 Starch; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 2 High-Fat Meat; 1

    Betty Crocker
    © 2010 ®/TM General Mills All Rights Reserved

  • Asparagus — Who knew ?

    Asparagus — Who knew ?

    This is from a friend


    My Mom had been taking the full-stalk canned style asparagus that she pureed and she took 4 tablespoons in the morning and 4 tablespoons later in the day. She did this for over a month. She is on chemo pills for Stage 3 lung cancer in the pleural area and her cancer cell count went from 386 down to 125 as of this past week. Her oncologist said she does not need to see him for 3 months.

    THE ARTICLE:
    Several years ago, I had a man seeking asparagus for a friend who had cancer. He gave me a photocopied copy of an article, entitled, Asparagus for cancer ‘printed in Cancer News Journal, December 1979. I will share it here, just as it was shared with me: I am a biochemist, and have specialized in the relation of diet to health for over 50 years. Several years ago, I learned of the discovery of Richard R. Vensal, D.D.S. that asparagus might cure cancer. Since then, I have worked with him on his project. We have accumulated a number of favorable case histories. Here are a few examples:

    Case No. 1, A man with an almost hopeless case of Hodgkin’s disease (cancer of the lymph glands) who was completely incapacitated. Within 1 year of starting the asparagus therapy, his doctors were unable to detect any signs of cancer, and he was back on a schedule of strenuous exercise.

    Case No. 2, a successful businessman 68 years old who suffered from cancer of the bladder for 16 years. After years of medical treatments, including radiation without improvement, he went on asparagus. Within 3 months, examinations revealed that his bladder tumor had disappeared and that his kidneys were normal.

    Case No. 3, a man who had lung cancer. On March 5th 1971, he was put on the operating table where they found lung cancer so widely spread that it was inoperable. The surgeon sewed him up and declared his case hopeless. On April 5th he heard about the Asparagus therapy and immediately started taking it By August, x-ray pictures revealed that all signs of the cancer had disappeared.. He is back at his regular business routine.

    Case No. 4, a woman who was troubled for a number of years with skin cancer. She finally developed different skin cancers which were diagnosed by the acting specialist as advanced. Within 3 months after starting on asparagus, her skin specialist said that her skin looked fine and no more skin lesions. This woman reported that the asparagus therapy also cured her kidney disease, which started in 1949. She had over 10 operations for kidney stones, and was receiving government disability payments for an inoperable, terminal, kidney condition. She attributes the cure of this kidney trouble entirely to the asparagus.

    I was not surprised at this result, as `The elements of material medical’, edited in 1854 by a Professor at the University of Pennsylvania , stated that asparagus was used as a popular remedy for kidney stones. He even referred to experiments, in 1739, on the power of asparagus in dissolving stones. Note the dates! We would have other case histories but the medical establishment has interfered with our obtaining some of the records. I am therefore appealing to readers to spread this good news and help us to gather a large number of case histories that will overwhelm the medical skeptics about this unbelievably simple and natural remedy.

    For the treatment, asparagus should be cooked before using, and therefore canned asparagus is just as good as fresh. I have corresponded with the two leading canners of asparagus, Giant and Stokely, and I am satisfied that these brands contain no pesticides or preservatives. Place the cooked asparagus in a blender and liquefy to make a puree, and store in the refrigerator. Give the patient 4 full tablespoons twice daily, morning and evening. Patients usually show some improvement in from 2-4 weeks. It can be diluted with water and used as a cold or hot drink. This suggested dosage is based on present experience, but certainly larger amounts can do
    no harm and may be needed in some cases. As a biochemist I am convinced of the old saying that `what cures can prevent.’ Based on this theory, my wife and I have been using asparagus puree as a beverage with our meals. We take 2 tablespoons diluted in water to suit our taste with breakfast and with dinner. I take mine hot and my wife prefers hers cold. For years we have made it a practice to have blood surveys taken as part of our regular checkups. The last blood survey, taken by a medical doctor who specializes in the nutritional approach to health, showed substantial improvements in all categories over the last one, and we can attribute these improvements to nothing but the asparagus drink. As a biochemist, I have made an extensive study of all aspects of cancer, and all of the proposed cures. As a result, I am convinced that asparagus fits in better with the latest theories about cancer.

    Asparagus contains a good supply of protein called histones, which are believed to be active in controlling cell growth.. For that reason, I believe asparagus can be said to contain a substance that I call cell growth normalizer. That accounts for its action on cancer and in acting as a general body tonic. In any event, regardless of theory, asparagus used as we suggest, is a harmless substance. The FDA cannot prevent you from using it and it may do you much good. It has been reported by the US National Cancer Institute, that asparagus is the highest tested food containing glutathione, which is considered one of the body’s most potent anticarcinogens and antioxidants.

    Share with a friend
    The most unselfish act one can ever do is paying forward all the kindness one has received, even to the most undeserved person.

  • Greig Smith’s Package of Transparency & Oversight Motions to Reform DWP

    Package of Transparency & Oversight Motions to Reform DWP

    April 7, 2010

    Dear Friends:

    Today, I introduced a package of eight motions on Wednesday, April 7 to restructure and reform the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and establish much-needed transparency and rate-payer advocacy.

    This major reform includes changes to the City Charter and will restructure the DWP and hold it accountable to residents, businesses and Neighborhood Councils.

    Residents and businesses in L.A. have had enough and they demand reform of the DWP. We need to bring comprehensive reform to restore citizens’ trust in this utility that they own.

    The motions will:

    – Improve customer service and make customer billing more transparent and easier to understand.

    – Put a charter reform measure on the ballot to require the DWP’s budget, which was previously a closed book, to be voted on and adopted by the City Council.

    – Put a charter reform measure on the ballot requiring Council approval for all rate increases.

    – Put a charter reform measure on the ballot for wage parity, leveling the “paying field” between DWP positions, which pay much higher salaries, and identical positions in other City Departments.

    – Discourage employee migration to DWP by preventing them from vesting in the DWP pension system for five years.

    – Put a charter reform measure on the ballot to enable the City Council to remove any DWP Commissioner with a 2/3 majority vote.

    – Put a charter reform measure on the ballot to enable the City Council to remove any DWP General Manager with a 2/3 majority vote.

    – Reform the DWP Board of Commissioners, removing the Mayor’s sole appointment authority and dividing it among the Mayor, City Council and Neighborhood Councils. A certain number of Commissioners would also be required to have requisite expertise in specific industries.

    Councilman Smith also introduced a motion in October, 2009 to create an Inspector General position that would serve as a completely independent watchdog over the DWP. He also introduced a motion that now requires an independent financial review for any rate increases.

    To see all of the complete motions, visit http://tinyurl.com/DWPreform.

    To see the editorial in the Daily News endorsing my motion to create an Inspector General position to serve as an independent watchdog over the DWP, visit http://tiny.cc/DWPeditorial.

    Sincerely,

    GREIG SMITH
    Councilman, Twelfth District

  • Tea Party Express Announces $250,000 Campaign to Defeat Bart Stupak

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 7, 2010
    CONTACT: Levi Russell at (509) 979-6615 or [email protected]

    Tea Party Express Announces $250,000 Campaign to Defeat Bart Stupak
    TV/Radio Ad Blitz Begins Today – Wednesday, April 7th

    The Tea Party Express (website: www.TeaPartyExpress.org) has launched a $250,000 campaign to defeat controversial Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Michigan).
    TV and radio ads have begun airing today across Stupak’s district calling for his defeat.
    "Bart Stupak has lost touch with the people of Michigan, and he has betrayed the public’s trust. It’s time to vote him out of office," said Mark Williams, Chairman of the Tea Party Express.
    More information will follow in the next few hours regarding the Tea Party Express campaign to defeat Stupak.

    Tea Party Express III: Just Vote Them Out national tour kicked off tMarch 27th in Searchlight, NV where one of the largest political gatherings in Nevada history took place. The Tea Party Express will hold 48 tea party rallies across the nation, featuring conservative speakers, singers, and entertainers. The caravan’s final stop is in Washington, D.C. for the Tax Day Tea Party on April 15th.

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    Media organizations wishing to embed a reporter on the Tea Party Express national tour, or those seeking more information about the "Tea Party Express" or to schedule an interview with a representative, shouldcontact Levi Russell at (509) 979-6615 or via email at: [email protected]