Gemini Press

Any health information provided herein is for educational purposes only.
IT IS NOT INTENDED AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR
EVALUATION OR TREATMENT BY A HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL.

Mon, 23 Jan '06 Article: Producers angry about threat to industry after Japan beef ban

Response: Interesting indignance from a life-threatening, soulless industry.

Some meatpacker from NY shipped off spinal column bone tissue--a mad cow disease risk--in a shipment of veal, and Japan has rejected American beef.

Of the many reasons to reject beef, this is a good one. But Texas good ol' boys are beefing about it and creating mad human disease.

Health, environment and cost-wise, there is not one good thing to say about the industrial beef industry. It's a waste of water, a poison-chemical feast, and a major threat to the planet from manure-gas emissions.

To produce a pound of beef, it takes 15 pounds of food, 2,500 gallons of water, and the energy equivalent of a gallon of gasoline.

What do we get for this outrageous expenditure of resources? A pesticide- and hormone-laced, acid-forming, mucoid-forming, fiberless piece of partially rotted (aged by fungus) dead animal. Meat eaters deserve every bit of it too, considering their tacit condonation of the horrors to which industrial-ag farmed animals are subjected.

And this is an industry, folks, that feeds slaughterhouse waste, blood, and manure to cattle, who are pure vegetarian animals, and have the audacity to call it agriculture.

One group of doctors, in fact, say that the beef industry should bear the same responsibility for colon cancer that the tobacco industry does for lung cancer:
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

By the way, a common denominator of beef and tobacco is the fungal toxins, which play a major role in the cancer-causing influence.

And anyone who supports the veal industry by buying or eating veal deserves mad cow disease. It's one of the most cruel areas of an unbelievably cruel industry.

It's said that much can be learned about a country from the way it treats animals. Add to the food industry the medical experimentation industry, and our collective heart and IQ are in the dumper.

Mon, 23 Jan '06 Article: Gardner debates disposal of tons of trash

Reponse: Where's your real back yard?

Imagine it: the relatively small city produces 8000 to 9000 TONS of trash annually. Local pundits and authorities are now pondering how to "address trash disposal."

One brilliant idea is to get the state moratorium on incinerators lifted so Gardner can build one. Just as soon as progress has been made, someone comes up with a suggestion to cancel it. The rationalization is that emissions technology is very good now (no mention of the huge energy sink such a facility is).

But what happens to the heavy-metals and other toxins that get scrubbed? It's a convenient, but dumb solution.

The entire article quotes several official opinions, all about stash, transport, bury and burn. The best comment is, "Whatever's cheapest." There's the mentality that has borught us to the brink of self-destruction.

Not a whisper here about deciding to reduce the volume and begin to put an end to this mindlessly selfish waste that supports our frivolous way of life.

Sun, 22 Jan '06 Two pieces: 1) Article: Sports drinks rotting away kids' teeth? and 2) Editorial: Jeff McMenemy: Speeding young drivers a frightfully dangerous and deadly combination

Response: 1) Nice to see the belated awareness; 2) both pieces miss the boat.

The article about sugar drinks makes some good points, but contains questionable info and is missing major points.

Questionable is the statement that the effects on teeth of the high level of acid and sugar in drinks like Gatorade and Powerade is much worse than "cola-based beverages."

The average 12-ounce can of soda contains about 40 grams of refined sugars (10 teaspoons). Gatorade has 45 grams/16oz. So it's in the same ballpark as soda, but slightly less per ounce (in comparison, Minute Maid Orange Soda [Coca-Cola Co] has 48 grams per 12 oz. Yikes).

Carbonated drinks have a pH value of about 2.8. Neutral is 7, battery acid is 1 (but of course, that's a different kind of acid). Gatorade is listed at 3. That's acid enough. Still, less than the "cola-based beverages."

These figures seem to belie the reported statements by dentistry doctors, unless there is something other than quantities at work, which is not explained.

Not mentioned is what any worthy health practitioner knows: Sugar is more like a drug in effect than a food. And it is addicting, as one teenager implied in the article: "We're teenagers, we love sugar."

The main emphasis in this article is on teeth, though diabetes, obesity and "health problems" are mentioned. It's in the non-dental area where the boat is missed. There is a wide range of deleterious effects caused by the metabolic and toxic shock of the ingredients in these drinks.

And sugar and acid are not the only baddies in these products. Some have caffeine, which is mentioned. But it's negative effects, which can be quite serious, are ignored.

Caffeine causes additional stress on the adrenal glands, and causes them to produce cortisol, the fight-or-flight hormone. Cortisol is popularly associated with fat around the middle, but that's the least of the problems chronically elevated levels can create. Among the others are inflammation (which leads to blood thickening), osteoporosis, diabetes, cancer, and even brain-cell damage.

Not mentioned also is the systemic energy imbalance (pH disturbance) in the body from caused by high acid input. This is a serious threat, leading to innumerable potential symptomologies, including those caused by infectious organisms, which key on the body's pH status. This imbalance may be the primary factor underlying such susceptibility. But, you see, we'd rather believe in sterile environments and poison vaccines as means of protection, which are further threats to health.

Not mentioned either are the psychoemotional ramifications of sugar- and chemical-induced imbalances. To their credit, however, no one quoted in the article suggested diet drinks with the excitotoxin Aspartame, or other chemical insult in them.

For soft drinks, North American consumption averages 48 gallons per person per year--more than 44 percent of total world soft drink sales. That's even worse than our pig-headed energy consumption, at 25%. Both are pretty good, though, by only 6% of world population.

A local school has removed the sugary drinks from its vending machines. That's great on one level. But one question is, how did the nasty drugs get there in the first place? And how did the school lunch program get to be the unhealthy conglomeration it is? But don't let Johnny smoke that horrible pot!

If there had to be a choice, a kid would be better off out in the sun in a meadow near a brook having a few puffs on a joint than down the Mall with a cell phone in one hand and almost any food product served in the whole complex in the other.

In other words, we've got dangerously hypocritical attitudes and behavior promoted as the great American way of life.
••

In the editorial, my friend Jeff is reprising his oft-mounted portrayal of the concerned citizen-editor, this time regarding the deadly combination of young drivers and speed (the velocity kind). But as is often the case, his concerns, though valid (if already painfully obvious), are more politically correct than wisely prioritized. It's the same with obsessive concerns about street drugs.

Speeding, like street drugs, comes under the heading of Dangers to Kids. But the trouble is, the paper routinely ignores, and even promotes, equally great and perhaps greater dangers to kids. For example, we frequently see pictures in the paper of little kids eating sugar and other crap. It's cute.

And the paper hypocritically denounces street drugs while blindly promoting the Conehead consumer orgy, which showers kids (and all of us) with all manner of harmful chemicals, including ones that cause cancer and neurological problems. Yet, we always see features about fundraisers for disease research, and a family struggling with mind-numbing illness, they know not whence it came.

The paper also shamelessly cheerleads the local economic growth and development policies. But these Pavlovian behaviors are not really different from drug addictions, are predicated upon Earth-in-liquidation, and contribute heavily to worsening toxic, environmental, energy, and economic conditions. Neither the paper, nor any official or local politician seem to be sufficiently outspoken about global resource depletion, climate crisis, the national debt that will hit ceiling in March '06, or the suicidal trade deficit, which the consumer orgy greatly worsens.

The ramifications could wipe out kids' futures.

And the impression arises too, that the primary concern in the "crusade against drugs and crime" in Fitchburg is not Dangers to Kids, but Roadblocks to UPSCALE City and the fast-train development/revolution roiling in planners' minds (and predicated upon Earth-in-liquidation) that will turn the area into an even more congested Boston suburb.

And once all our harmful and socially condoned influences sufficiently disturb a kid's emotional stability and behavior, Dr Frankenstein (and now BigBro Teen Screen) step in with the psychotropic drugs, like Ritalin and Paxil. These and other medical drugs can lead, and have, to teenage suicide and violence, including 'unexplained' shootings.

In general, Dr Frank's drugs directly kill well over 100,00 people a year (AMA's own admission). Old Jeff has never raised a peep about this outrage. Nor has he deposited a drop of ink about the war economy and questioning whether we're sending our kids to slaughter in conflicts contrived by the profiteers and powermongers who tell us who our enemies are. Auto wrecks can't touch this carnage. But we see plenty of Veterans Day and Memorial Day features that encourage unquestioning patriotism—highly un-American citizen negligence, according to the founders.

Jeff and publisher Asa Cole probably have the best of intentions. But it would seem that our local paper, it's self-image notwithstanding, is failing the kids by failing to question or challenge, and even by promoting, health- and life-threatening aspects of the status quo.

Sat, 21 Jan '06 Article: New Navy secretary 'in sync' with Maine on shipbuilding

Response: The Catch-22 of economic and planetary suicide.

Yes, we must build ships we don't need so people can have jobs. The enormous waste of money and materials involved in "boosting the Pentagon's shipbuilding budget" is referred to as "strong leadership" by Sen Olympia Snow, who's political concerns obviously override all common sense.

The new secretary is a corporate drone from Northrop Grumman, which owns the Ingalls shipyard in Mississippi, which is one of two that build Navy destroyers.

Amazingly, the Bath Iron Works in Maine, the other shipyard, is owned by General Dynamics, the home of former Navy Secretary England, who is suddenly looking not so bad, since he backed the Pentagon's proposal that would have closed one yard.

Now, each yard will get one ship to build. But who gets the remaining 6 is unclear.

Of course, you never know what's going on behind the scenes. But England might also have had a change of mind depending on changing circumstances. In any case. the idea that the war economy needs 8 new "DD(X) stealth destroyers" is, well, destructive to sanity.

Sat, 21 Jan '06 Article: Peanut ban considered for Gardner schools

Response: A light is dawning--let it shine.

The reason given for the ban is the high allergenicity of the legume. One doctor thinks this is going too far. And he's right--people should have the right to eat whatever they want. But few understand the real dangers of peanuts--they're loaded with fungus and thus fungal toxins.

They're also hard to digest because of the high concentration of carb, protein, and fat in the same place. Not to mention that people put peanut butter with the two worst possible digestive combinations: sugar/fruit and grains.

But of course, this is only one of the many dietary threats to health posed by ingestibles in schools. The school lunch program is horrendous.

Most interesting in this piece is the revelation by Gardner school nurse Boutwell that the number of children with food-based allergies has increased. The cause is multifactorial, but let's hope the day will dawn when it's realized that a big part of the problem may be vaccinations.

Fri, 20 Jan '06 Article: Colombia reclaiming rebel-infested national park, one coca plant at a time.

Response: Ya, baloney. It's just a show or ulterior motive.

The brave drug warriors are going thru the park manually uprooting every coca plant they come across.

In Colombia, the most likely motives for the "war on drugs" are 1) to drive poor farmers off the land where coveted resources are, and 2) remove any resistance to freedom fighters (rebel-infested) who might oppose a corporate-ass kissing regime that allows rapacious and unionist-murdering companies to operate there, like Drummond, Inc of Alabama.

In 2002, 184 trade unionists were assassinated. The assassins work at the behest of ruthless corporations such as Drummond, who wish to maintain profitable oppression of workers, theft of natural resources, and environmental insult.

The assassins are trained in the United States at Fort Benning, Georgia at the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHISC), formerly the United States Army School of Americas (SOA). The graduates of this institution have a long history of human rights violations. If Saddam Hussein were running such a "school," what wailing would we hear from Bush & Co? RECALL IRAN-CONTRA.

From the atrocities in El Salvador and Guatemala in the 1980's to more recent human rights violations in Colombia, SOA/WHISC graduates consistently appear in reports on human rights abuses in Latin America including civilian massacres, assassinations, disappearances, death threats, and countless other crimes against humanity.

The elites and BushCo love illegal drugs. As Mike Ruppert has said, "The corrupt economy makes money by first selling [illegal] drugs to people and then putting them in jail for using drugs.

What he means is that the international economy thrives on the approximately half $trillion of laundered drug cash annually. After all, we don't imagine this laundering is being done by local credit unions? Some other motives for keeping this scam going, instead of de-criminalizing/legalizing drugs, are 1) use tax-free, untraceable cash to fund black ops when needed, 2) maintain need for large police/para-military presence as staple of fascist state in the making, and 3) promote illness.

But you have to give the Colombian government some credit here. At least they've rejected the American approach to eradication--dousing the land with poison chemicals. This is a more efficient way of clearing the land of useless eaters.

Fri, 20 Jan '06 Article: Bill passes allowing seat belt enforcement

Response: I agree with seat belts, hate the law. Same with helmets.

At some point, society has got to get out of the business of trying to save stupid people from themselves. The only thing that can come from it is that the law and society become increasingly stupid.

State Rep Lewis Evangelidis put it in terms of infringement of personal liberty, and said, "You have the right to be foolish in this country, and to do it to the detriment of your own safety. I don't want a law that's going to tell me I have to do it. We all know that certain things aren't good for us, but we're not going to say you cant' do them. Maybe we should start banning Big Macs and Whoppers."

Amen, Amen, Amen!

It is an infringement of personal liberty, and especially given the number and scope of other hypocritically ill-advised, even suicidal, pursuits embraced as sacred cows.

The toxic Conehead consumer orgy comes to mind, as well as brain-burning cell phones, and the earth-liquidating policy of never-ending economic development in our insane debt/inflation/growth economic funhouse. $8 trillion of national debt, indeed! And there are actually people who will tell you the economy is "picking up."

And the same principle holds for all matters of personal choice and behavior, such as drug use, for example, wherein the worst effects on the community of illegal drugs stems from their very illegality. Definitely--if pot's illegal, a Whopper should be. Of course, neither should be. Where's the beef?

Thu, 19 Jan '06 Article: Some fear Sept. 11 workers' respiratory illnesses linked to ground zero

Response: Talk about soft-pedaling a major crime.

OF COURSE workers' illnesses come from breathing the air after the tower collapse. But, with people dropping dead, and others, including an emergency health technician, very fearful that many exposed that day are doomed, "officials" are saying it's too soon to say what the cause of all this dropping dead from lung diseases is caused by. The usual ass-covering bullshit.

The EPA lied to people after 9/11, saying the air was safe to breathe. Whereas, those buildings, like most stupid-human structures, were loaded with toxic material. Cripes, use the meerest common sense—just the fluorescent bulbs alone would be enough. There were tons of mercury and many heavy metals in all the computer electronics, not to mention floor upon floor of asbestos.

Yes people, "The air is safe to breathe." Even rescue dogs have dropped dead.

A corollary is that everything was pulverized to microdust in the collapses—even concrete and computer components. There has been no reasonable official explanation for this. One unoffical one is that explosives were used to bring the buildings down, not planes and cool-burning kerosene (jet fuel).

Another is that an exotic form of destructive energy was used on the buildings that would account fo pulverization—electromagnetic scalar energy.

There are 5000 people now suing "those who supervised the cleanup" over their illnesses. And this is just the tip of the iceberg, said one attorney.

Typical, of course, is that people suffering from the effects of heavy toxification are given chemical drugs and inhalers by Doc Frankenstein, whereas those 'nutcase' Scientologists at Downtown Medical are doing something Doc F sees no value in--detoxifying saunas. Rescue workers are given free treatment, with Tom Cruise picking up the tab.

And the best part? "Officials" say it will take decades to get a clear picture of the long-term health effects of working at ground zero." Yes, like it will take a thousand miles to go a thousand miles.

Wed, 18 Jan '06 Article: Governor supports plan to strengthen sex offender laws

Response: Well-intentioned, but laced with flap.

For example, after recounting the horrors victims and families go through in sex-offense cases, the article says the big new plan is to mandate 25 years foro any adult who sexualy assaults a child under age 13. Apparently, those 13 and older are not due equal "protection?"

A second offense could result in life without parole. Ooooh!

What is wrong with these people? Don't return cirminals to society that have not been rehabilitated. Stop putting people in jail for stupid reasons like drugs and prostitution, and make room for the real problem cases.

Get a clue about health, and learn to fix the disturbances that have in many cases been created in these psyches by their exposure to our society.

Oh, but you see, society is perfect, and plays no role, through grand hypocrisy, morbid repression, and biochemical assault, in blowing minds.

Fri, 20 Jan '06 Article: Bin Laden tape says al-Qaida preparing attacks in US

Response: Doubtful this is genuine.

There's no real proof Osama is even alive. There are numerous motives of various groups to "keep" him alive. For example, even though his words expose Bush lies and criminality, such a release reinforces the idea that he's "out there" plotting against us, and, by implication, that he was behind 9/11. This has never been proven.

But the release also provides "good reason" to renew Patriot Act, implement domestic spying, and lay the structuure for the fascist state--in other words, destroy our own democracy. SO, if Osama is really what the government wants us to believe, we're playing right into his hands by being a bunch of fear-driven chicken-shits.

Another example is that Osama's persona could be being used by those who wish to expose what BushCo has done, and what has been done gobally by US and corporations to interfere in other nations.

Tue, 17 Jan '06 Letter: US Rep Marty Meehan: AN overhaul of energy strategy needed

Response: What strategy?

Meehan makes some good points about sane forms of energy and protecting the environment. Not to mention, of course, protecting 'consumers' (that's the people, by the way).

Consumers must be protected against high prices so they can go on consuming--that is committing planetary suicide.

What Meehan leaves out is that meantime, that is, until we get our diverse and sustainable energy strategy in place, we ought to be putting a severe clamp on our current, oblvious habits of ongoing "economic growth and developement," and the consumption/waste orgy worshipped by many local officials and pundits.

But oh, no! Self discipline might tank the self-devouring debt/inflation/growth economy. What then? We'll just have to behave like the heroin addict, postponing and worsening the crash, by giving ourselves the fix.

It's interesting—I stood before Leominster's public Planning Board meeting several years ago voicing essentially the same concerns with regard to the Wal-Mart proposal on Rte 117. John Souza insisted that energy was not a consideration, and shut me up.

I also wrote an open letter in the paper on 6/29/04 to the local mayors, asking them how our local growth policies were addressing the looming energy crisis.

Silence.

Tue, 17 Jan '06 Article: Capsule with comet dust heads to Houston in almost perfect condition

Response: The sacred cow sucks the bucks.

I'm sure there are bigger wastes of money than most of the space program and what NASA spends. But it's right up there at the top. A very unpopular statement, I realize. But here was a $212 million-dollar exercise to get some comet dust.

Scientifically fascinating, but when put into the perspective of the needs of people down here, it loses its magic for me. And it also loses magic when the highly polluting effects of space exploration are understood. Rocket fuel in our lettuce, for example.

And NASA had one of these babies crash in 2004 when its parachute failed to open.

Also not well understood either is that the main goal is to weaponize space and create a system for bringing an attack down with great precision on anyone the Masters don't like.

Sun, 15 Jan '06 Article: Parents seek nothing less than a normal life for autistic child - Seek to help other parents get resources to cope with autism

Response: The S&E loves to pat itself on the back with such 'reportage.'

Yet another S&E heart tugger, a touching human-interest story about a family struggling with a severely challenging illness in a family member, brought to us by the masters of hypocrisy at the local paper.

In a conversation maybe two years ago that I had with S&E editor Jeff McMenemy, when it looked like we might actually be able to get some alternative health information into the paper on a regular basis, I commented to the effect that I didn't believe we'd want to be producing these stories based on misery that might be avoided if the paper could get some alternative health information out there.

"Absolutely not," was the (politically correct) reply. Well, our local communities are still waiting, and the touching stories keep coming regularly.

Aspects of this story, about six-year-old Ricky Osborne, reveal a few things that are wrong with the overall picture of autism awareness. Perhaps most important is the mother's vew, used as a pull quote even, that "Autism has become an epidemic in the last decade. The incidence of autistic children in America has jumped from 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 166. The cause of the nearly tenfold increase is unknown, Osborne said."

Neat how the paper covers its ass on blatant misinformation with the little phrase, "Osborne said." Presumably, that's accurate reporting. But it's arguably bogus journalism, since there are numerous scientists and researchers who have strong views on the cause(s). One of these is vaccination and the mercury that comes with it. This, of course, goes unmentioned here, yet this info is all over the Internet and in some mainstream media.

A book title that summarizes the issue is by medical writer Harris Coulter:
Vaccination, Social Violence, and Criminality: The Medical Assault on the American Brain

There are hundreds of studies linking vaccines and vaccine mercury to a wide range of neurological disorders. There have even been Congressional hearings on it.

Here's some info about the role of food chemicals in autism.

Here's a story by a doctor who testified before Congress that he cured his own son of autism with a special chelation process called TD-DMPS

And here's another website with lots of information about treating autism and other neurological disorders, mostly outside the mainstream.

IMPORTANT CAVEAT: Be very wary of information that states or implies that the only danger in vaccines is mercury. Even some anti-vax advocates take a position implying that this is the case. They see this as a strategic move, and once the Pharma malfeasance on mercury has been established, they'll take it to the next level and challenge other ingredients and vaccination per se.

But there is a danger that the removal of mercury will strengthen the pro-vax camp by "ensuring" the safety of the poison needle.

Wary of possible liability, Pharma reduced Thimerosal (mercury-based preservative) in most children's vaccines in recent years, but it remains in flu shots, tetanus boosters, and over-the-counter drugs. Mercury-laced vaccine stocks were given to American children until the end of 2003 (in other words, the bottom line superceded health concerns).

Even on the Latitudes website linked immediately above is a quote from a book by British researcher Andrew Wakefield, MD:
“We shouldn’t stop vaccinating because we don’t want measles to come back. We have to be very careful. We have to sit down and think through how we are going to get ourselves out of this dreadful situation that I believe we are in."

This is nonsense in my view. Measles and other symptomologies are prevented by good internal ecology, not poison needles. Vaccination per se is scientifically flawed Frankenstein medicine. NO overall health benefit is conferred by it. The best that can be said is that it might prevent the appearance of a particular set of symptoms, which are conventionally called "a disease."

But you see, if another so-called disease arises instead, which might well be caused by the systemic weakening vaccination produces, Frankenstein is off the hook if the target symptomology does not appear.

For much more on this "disease" aspect, see my vaccine article.

For other resources, see
Internet Resources
Recommended Reading

Sun, 15 Jan '06 S&E editorial: Jeff McMenemy: Another reason to implement the death penalty

Response: How to be a tough guy--Southern style.

S&E editor McMenemy has done everything to demonstrate he's tough on crime.

He's stumped up and down about street drugs and prostitution, and the need to get more police out there to sweep the rabble off the sidewalks so decent folk can indulge their approved, earth-destructive Conehead addictions.

He was sure that the Leominster Public library was wrong to allow the name of a man who had killed someone to remain on a plaque honoring donors, without knowing whether that person might have been on a brain-damaging, violence-inducing psychotropic drug from Dr. Frankenstein.

He has held forth previously with harsh language about the death penalty, with regard to a local man who killed a girl for no reason.

Here he is again, with similar argument, his main point being that, for economic reasons, the state should legalize murder for itself so taxpayers don't have to support scum in jail. You see, when the state murders, it's euphemized as "dispensing justice." Very convenient rationalization. Is there a more self-satisfied, compassionless posture?

One can just imagine Jesus at the cannon, the bombs-away switch, or administering that lethal injection while Jeff cheers in the background and checks his wallet.

Odd, hmmm..."McMenemy?" Irish heritage, possibly Catholic--or at least a Christian? If so, just exactly what part of "Thou Shalt Not Kill" does he not get? Or what, if anything, was Jesus's purported forgiveness of his murderers supposed to suggest?

These questions go as well for many other HypoChristians who espouse and support war, for example, even asking God to bless America and help kill the enemy. Whereas, didn't real Christians allow themselves to be sacrificed before killing another, allowing their God to handle the details? But the neo-Christians seem to be afraid to meet their maker, and so will kill first, or prophylactically and with vengeance called "justice").

Jeff's now got his flapdander up over Joseph Druce, a convicted murderer who killed a pedophile priest in jail (one story, as I read it, left the impression that Druce must have been aided and abetted by prison staff, but that's another story).

Interesting is the venom with which Jeff expresses himself--or perhaps lack of compassion is more accurate--regaling us with redneck 'wisdom' that thrives on "tall trees and short pieces of rope." There's no hint at all about society's portion of responsibility in many cases for creating disturbed psyches.

No, he can easily rationalize and call individual murder a crime, but state murder, "dispensing justice"--because the victims of individual murder are innocent and "deserve to live their lives free of harm and intimidation." While this is true, there are no guarantees in life--except death. And there is no evidence that state murder ensures that happy state of being, or is even a deterrent to crime. Moreover, society itself harms and intimidates people.

Torture might be a more effective deterrent, and while we haven't seen recently whether George Bush is still Jeff's hero, he might agree with the presidents inclination in this application. And certainly, we don't lack in our healthy society personnel quite willing to carry it out.

Should state murder return the victim to life, it might be another story.

And what, for small example, of the half million children the US and the UN murdered in Iraq with 10 years of sanctions. Could a newspaper that had no inclination or courage to investigate the hidden criminal shenanigans that created that situation be guilty of criminal negligence in its journalistic duty, and, therefore, be an accessory to murder? What should be the penalty for that?

Jeff may never get the difference between dispensing vengefully satisfying, convenient, and/or popular law, and justice. Kill 'em as soon as their appeals run out, says the tough guy, forgetting that sometimes new evidence arises much later.

Apparently, he doesn't consider that a big part of the problem might be that the 'correctional' system is not. People who presumably started out innocent in life, but may have been damaged by life and society (we routinely poison our brains, for example), are not rehabilitated while incarcerated. Those beyond repair should be held and put to work.

Killing the harbinger of evidence of societal failure is just sweeping under the rug, providing a haven of denial and false righteousness. I would agree with a system that maintains incarceration until rehab can be demonstrated. This applies perfectly to sex offenders also.

But, we might have to stop putting people in prison for stupid reasons, which Jeff is always championing, such as selling or smoking pot--talk about saving taxpayer money. Moreover, legalizing or decriminalizing, and controlling, street drugs in general would alleviate a huge tax burden, and could even make tax money. A group of law enforcement professionals (LEAP) promotes this idea.

Yes, psychoemotional imbalance may result in violent crime. But it's an illness, of which the crime is a symptom, and not fundamentally different from diabetes (which Jeff has, but which we won't hang him for). Sometimes people even suffer a toxin-induced brain disconnect.

Most interesting is Jeff's use of Druce's logic for killing the pedophile as argument for killing Druce: "He'll probably do it again."

Finally, I'm reminded of the parents who travelled all the way to Africa to meet and forgive two boys who stoned their Peace Corps daughter to death. Few could muster that kind of understanding, but there you have the blueprint, oh ye vengeful Christian.

Sat, 14 Jan '06 Students weigh in on drug testing

Response: Fascist state on the way.

Drug testing in schools, even with parental "sign-up" is out of place, and paves the way for fascist violation of privacy. This needs to be handled by parents at home. Beyond that is the grotesquely humorous fact that the goody shoes that think up such clever tactics are missing, and even embracing, equal or much greater threats to the kids.

One of these just happens to be the school lunch program. Another happens to be drugging kids that have toxin- and diet-driven behavioral problems with Dr. Frankenstein's psychotropic drugs, like Ritalin and Paxil.

Yet another, and this goes for all of us, but especially the young, is the sea of invisibly polluting electromagnetic and microwave radiation in which we live, such as that from cell phones and towers, which technology we should begin immediately to learn to live without.

Fri, 13 Jan '06 Syndicated editorial: Scripps Howard (SH): A question of unlimited powers

Response: Analysis without end, Amen.

Discussed here is the executive power grab being put on by BushCo and the neo-cons. The example given is that even though Congress passed a bill by wide margin outlawing torture, Fuhrer Bush, as he has often done, added a 'disclaimer' (also called 'signing statements) that nothing in the bill affected his prerogatives during national emergency. So, when he declares an emergency, he can torture at will.

SH rightly questions this monstrous abuse of executive power. It also notes that BushCo has tried to exercise such power with regard to NSA domestic spying, detention of US citizens without trial or counsel, and to his barring of federal courts from any jurisdiction over Guantanamo detainees.

This is all based on the quasi-fascist War Powers Act of 1973, which refers to emergencies. The War on Terror (which is a protection racket) is the current emergency, and will last as long as the Fuhrer says.

SH rightly questions whether Congress intended to confer such power, and rightly says it must address this when it gets back from vacation (which it always seems to be on). But whether it intended to do so or not, doesn't remove the unconstitutional feel of such a thing.

SH omits entirely, however, that the emergencies for which Adolph 'needs' these powers are the creation of elite operatives like him for the purpose of putting in place the police-state infrastructure. This is what 9/11 was about--an inside job to facilitate oppression through fear.

Fri, 13 Jan '06 Article: 'Smart' growth could be fit for region

Response: 'Smart' certainly deserves the quotes.

Under the present circumstances of impending energy crisis (whether real or contrived), general resource depletion, monstrous pollution, and the imminent collapse of America's economy, there is no such thing as smart growth. The smart thing would be to begin reducing population (by dramatically and voluntarily lowering the birth rate) and heavily modulating our 'needs' in order to accomodate a progressive shift to sustainable living.

Here's The Logic: "'Smart growth'" development projects have to continue expanding beyond metropolitan Boston in 2006 in order for the trendy development concept to be a success..." This from Robert Buckley, a senior law-firm partner from Boston.

First question, why does it have to expand to be a success. Second question, what has a bigwig lawyer got to do with it? Easy: he goes on to say that the benefits are "staggering from a developer's standpoint..." Well, that explains his interest, because the legal bloodsuckers are always in on that kill, and Mr B is "a specialist in land use planning and commercial real estate." Ooh, makes ya tingle, don't it?

Here smart growth is defined as "it emphasizes denser mixed-use developements located close to public transportation centers, over traditional subdivisions." Oh, and guess what? Fitchburg is a plum for the picking, because it's got all "the old mill buildings that once powered the local economy." You remember, right? When the All American city had the red, white, and blue river? And who's legal eagle-eye is on us all the way from Beantown? You bet.

With incisive bizlingo, Buckley says "If you can get into these inner cores and take those buildings that are well-preserved, gut it and then market it as 'ambience' that you can't find in new construction, there is a market...'' How exciting, eh?

As usual, such prognostication arises from a tunnel-vision philosophy pretending to be new, but driven by worn out suicidal economic theory that is supported only by increasing debt and trade deficit. It threatens to wipe us out. Our Pavlovian economic behavior locally is allowing us to be victimized by the international economic system, which establishes the parameters of power within which localized strategies have to be worked out.

Added to this mess can be the real estate/mortgage-finance bubble. For an incisive look at this, check out this audio stream by financial expert John Rubino.

And nothing is said of the enormous demand on resources, including fossil fuel consumption, and impact on the waste stream that all this glitter-eyed profitizing implies. Global warming could accelerate alarmingly because of a sharp jump in the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere in the past four years. Scientists fear that warming is entering a new phase, and may accelerate further.

And think about it: "Smart growth," as defined, implies that some other kind of growth--presumably the traditional kind--is now not so smart, no? What's going to happen when all the old buildings are gutted and marketed? Will smart growth become stupid or impossible? What then? How will we continue to worship at the altar of growth addiction? When will one of these pundits get the idea that we might need to learn to prosper without ongoing, or even periodic, growth?

Thu, 12 Jan '06 Letter to editor: Kathleen J. McDermott: Root causes of poverty need to be addressed

Response: So true. How about mentioning one or two?

Ms McDermott shares a few columns of facts and figures, then expresses concern that "...we will not do the right thing as a country..." And, "We need to rise to the occasion and address the root causes of poverty..."

Also, "We need to invest in education at all levels, in job training, housing, healthcare, nutrition, economic development, youth programs, and community revitalization..." You can't argue with these things, except to say that none of them are the root causes of poverty.

The root cause of poverty is the capitalist system--as it is managed by its masters, who are stealing our wealth by the trillions of dollars. Related factors are the unconstitutional Federal Reserve and our phony fiat currency, wose value is not based on anything real.

Poverty is caused by a rigged economic structure wherein it is decided that certain jobs should not carry a pay level that will provide a decent life (see below Smyth): minimum wage is much too low, and there probably should be a 'maximum wage,' such that individuals hoarding astronomical amounts of wealth are curbed and the monies returned to support society.

And there is no such thing as a free market system, or fair trade. Markets and trading are both manipulated to suit corporatists and profiteers, not ordinary people, who comprise the ranks of the poor. The trade agreements allow countries to victimize and oppress labor, as Abramoff and DeLay did in the Marianas, where Asian women are enslaved in sweatshops.

But, in order to raise people out of poverty without destroying the planet, economic systems must be based upon sustainability and environmental sanity, and not debt/inflation/growth. As it is, capitalism is a self- and other-devouring system predicated on theft, enslavement and earth in liquidation.

This speaks to material poverty. Of much greater concern is the spiritual bankruptcy of this nation, clearly demonstrated in the imperialistic and corporate horrors we allow the usurpers of government to perpetrate in our name:
"Imperialism is the expression of the political accumulation of capital in its competitive struggle for what remains still open of the non-capitalist environment." -Rosa Luxemburg, The Accumulation of Capital, 1913

Wed, 11 Jan '06 Article: Good behavior reaps greater rewards

Response: Contraindicated desperation.

Somebody got the bright idea of rewarding kids in school with prizes for good behavior. This is highly questionable. It should be as illegal to bribe someone to good behavior as bad. The teaching is, good behavior is its own reward.

What message is being sent? The motive for balance and harmony is material possessions? Will kids learn a life-lesson that unless there's material reward, why bother getting along?

Highly telling is the remark by one administrator: "It's like anything in life; we don't go to work just because we like it. We go for the paycheck, a tangible reward." All too often true, and perhaps a major source of depression in our society.

This is not necessarily "life" per se but a situation that's been created for us, and that we've also bought into. All too often, people are forced to work for pay alone, without the psychemotional reward of accomplishment or satisfaction--a sadly pathetic situation, albeit widely accepted and brainwashed into us as The Way It Is.

Most interesting is that "...discipline issues peak during the time from Thanksgiving to winter break..." I wonder if any of that might be related to the enormous increase in crapfood intake for holiday "celebrations"? Might the obvious failure of 'adult' methods of child control be symptomatic of toxified and metabolically deranged brains and nervous systems? I'd say it's a good bet.

What's needed are not bribes for good behavior, but creative ways to make kids 'pay' for their 'crimes,' or help them realize how their behavior impacts themselves and others--like anything else in life.

Above all, let's stop poisoning them with our way of life.

Wed, 11 Jan '06 Syndicated editorial: Scripps Howard (SH): When the Senate's back is turned

Response: Complaining by either party is pure stupidity--change the law.

The recess appointment is a constitutional power allowing presidents to staff their administrations when congress is out of town. There are three problems here:
1) Congress is out of town way too much
2) Change the law so that such appointments are temporary until congress returns and reviews them (as it is, appointments last until the 'next' congressional session).
3) This law is ancient history and ought to be reworked or revoked anyway.

In this case, Bush put some people in by this method that were very significant. One was head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, another concerning refugees. But the most significant was Gordon England as deputy secretary of defense.

England was previously secretary of the Navy. He's significant because he's a bigwig corporatist from General Dynamics, which scores huge Naval contracts. Indicative of how fundamentally corrupted government is, is that it's not illegal for a corporate officer of a defense contractor to hold a cabinet position--regardless of his current status with the company. Despite 'severed' relationships, there are too many loopholes, too many contacts, associates, and loyalties--not to mention criminal intent. Look at Dick Cheney/Halliburton. Same thing happened in Gulf 1 with Bechtel/Weinberger/Schultz.

It's noted that other presidents have resorted to recess appointments because the confirmation process is slow and cumbersome. Well, that's the price we pay. But a real issue there is the pathetically little time our representatives spend working each week and each year.

To the credit of SH, the editorial finishes by saying this process should be reserved for emergencies.

Wed, 11 Jan '06 'Letter' to editor: Robert E Smyth: Help provide hope where it is needed

Response: Nobly deficient notions.

Robert E Smyth, CEO of Citizens Bank of Massachusetts, entreats us to help homeless shelters with heating costs.

The best part: "Even though more than one in five parents are working while living in a shelter, there is no community in the entire US where a full-time minimum wage worker can afford a market rate two-bedroom apartment."

This is what we call civilization, folks.

Where's the money? Part of the answer lies in the disparity between CEO and worker pay. In 1986, it was 41 to 1. in 2003, it was 301 to 1. And we're told we can't raise the minimum wage because it will cause inflation!

Some interesting figures:
• Current minimum wage - $5.15
• Annual pre-tax salary of a minimum-wage employee working 40 hours a week with no vacation - $10,712
• Federal poverty guideline for a one-person household - $9,570
• Number of votes shy of the 60 needed in May 2005 for the US Senate to pass a measure raising the minimum wage to $7.25 - 14
• Years since Congress increased minimum wage - 8
• Annual salary of a US senator - $162,100
• Days US Senate was in session in 2004 - 133
• Approximate salary paid to US senators for each day of the 2004
session - $1,219
• Amount by which a US senator's salary has increased since 1997 - $28,500

THANK God, Congress, and America for that poverty-busting $1142.00, eh?

Poverty is also structured into our capitalist system--as it is managed by its elite masters, who have long been stealing our wealth. It's been stolen by the trillions to support a mad and bloated military to run contrived and phony wars. This happens because too many people, including local and state politicians, seem to practice blind patriotism toward the corrupted federal juggernaut, and don't question the credibility of those who ID our enemies while profiting from wars.

Despite the necessity of we-the-people alleviating crisis situations, such as cold shelters, (not to mention discarded veterans), I'd like to have seen a sentence or two in Mr Smyth's long piece about a major cause of such tragedy--the distribution of wealth in our highly contrived, debt-based, phony-currency economic system, that we keep patting ourselves on the back for--a gift of banks.

Wed, 11 Jan '06 Article: British men to stand triual for leaking memo

Response: Great revealer of the fascist state.

This is a great one. Two civil servants who leaked the memo about Bush's idea of bombing al-Jazeera, the Arab news channel now have to stand trial for violatio od the "Official Secrets Act"!

Really get this now: They're saying, no matter what criminal thing is discussed or planned by high officials, the crime is to tell on them!

The 'old' question arises--Who's watching the watchers?

Tue, 10 Jan '06 Syndicated editorial: Scripps Howard (SH): Pelosi should focus on solutions

Response: One of which would be, throw the bums out, which is what she's implying.

SH is back much more to its usual form with this piece, essentially attempting to minimize our impression of the scope of the current lobbying scandal in Washington by blaming Nancy Pelosi for grandstanding ("screeching," says the writer) on the GOP's level of corruption. As if Democrats have not been corrupt enough to contribute to "higher home heating costs, pharmaceutical costs, and an out-of-control deficit," says SH.

I'm no fan of Nancy Pelosi. And true, there is only one party in DC: the corporate party, with sub-parties A and B. But it isn't fair to say that one of them cannot be, or is not, worse in it's arrogance and disregard for propriety than the other.

The article finshes by comparing apples and oranges via Tom Delay's and Sam Rayburn's respective demand of adherence to their party's policies. As true as that may be, the difference is that Rayburn was not taking illegal perks and bribes and further corrupting the political process, whereas SH says the difference between them is "only the tone."

Sun, 8 Jan '06 Article: Q&A with Robert D Ansin; Local businessman brings 'innovative' approach

Response: Yes and no--some limited vision.

The article begins with a recount of Bob Ansin's more environmentally sound re-development of a family-owned building that now uses solar and geothermal energy for power. This is good stuff. But then comes talk about 'redeveloping downtown Fitchburg' and 'bringing back the middle class.' The paper likes to call this process "upscale."

Bob's ideas include "safe streets (playing into the politically correct campaign to wipe out those nasty drug dealers) and things to do." A suggestion for the latter is "restaurants on Main Street" (upscale, we must assume).

Restaurants, like the many other facets of "the exciting new time" Bob sees Fitchburg planning, comprise the great American consumer orgy, which is proceeding at a pace far outstripping any common sense that might change it from the suicidal endeavor it now is.

In re restaurants: A major challenge is that most of them are not health-promoting, but are outlets for America's poison-based industrial agriculture, which is one of the worst environmental phenomena in the world. And these prioducts all have to be trucked in. The transportation nightmare has just begun, but the exciting new plans don't seem to have that factor in the equation.

Now, if they were talking about a local cartel of organic farms supporting those restaurants, a better picture woud be emerging.

Inherent here also is "economic growth" and, of course, population increase. Both of these are contraindicated due to demand on resources (earth in liquidation), even under so-called 'smart growth' (an oxymoron) conditions.

It also assumes faith in an economic system that has been rigged from the get-go by the elite masters of the world's central banks, and could implode at any minute. So, instead of suggesting or doing anything about that, the planners forge ahead stil inside the old box which is debt- and inflation-based, phony-currency economics.

Not mentioned is what the planners intend to do about the ongoing destruction of the middle class in America, as they endeavor to bring it back to Fitchburg. But Bob does gush about Leominster having remade itself with a "new identity." What is this? The fact that plastics have become high tech. Groan.

There are now more plastic particles in the ocean that plankton. Robert Ovetz, PhD, of the Sea Turtle Restoration Project has said, "The very luxuries we pride ourselves on being able to afford are making us biologically poorer for having them." Meaning that the chemicals in the toys we worship have begun seriously to compromise our bioprocesses, including reproduction. Oh, you know, the pundits say we'll endeavor to do better, but there's too much momentum and bad history now.

There are not many more poisonous industries than plastics. Our lives are inundated with poisons oozing off of plastics and into our environment, food supply and bodies.

Not to mention that all plastic IS oil. This belies Bob's statement that Leominster's mayor has made the place "spotless." In addition, our huge retail boxes are spotless, of course. Bob ought to have one day's waste stream from the businesses in the new Orchard Hills development dumped in his front yard, for a taste of spotless.

The end of the piece is interesting, wherein Bob says he's sure the one thing we'll never have is industrial manufacturing in Fitchburg. Oh that's good--we'll have all service jobs, such as sales people in upscale boutiques, waitpersons in upscale restaurants, counter drones in upscale big-box retail stores, and bartenders in upscale sports bars. Quite the exciting picture.

Where will the middle class come from? It doesn't say here. But my guess is the Boston area, of course, via the big, fast train that sparkles in the eyes of the futurists. This will allow people that work there making good money to overrun this area with housing. Why would they want to live here and work there? To avoid the crush of space and traffic problems created over the years via the same growth philosophy the faithful worshippers plan for this area. Once we're crushed with humanity and traffic, next stop for the "smart growth" juggernaut? Westminster, Hubbardston, Templeton, Winchendon. Look for the Wal-Marts out there, folks.

Finally, once again, conveyed in a story that pretends to innovation and progress is the apparent belief that local problems can be solved, and local goals attained, with no attention to the global impact of local action and priorities. At least, there's no mention of this--just how good the party's going to be. They're talking about commercial excitement and entertainment, as well as "new business" pursued under the same old conditions, including alienation from Nature (disguised as environmental concerns) and the rapacious spectre of greed-based capitalism that has brought us to the brink of disaster.

Sat, 7 Jan and Sun 8 Jan '06 - Three Items:
1) 1/7 Article: Health care reform grinds to a halt in state Senate
2) 1/8 S&E Editor: New year brings changes to Sentinel & Enterprise
3) 1/8 S&E editorial: Not so fast

Response: Three items, one thing in common.

1) The effort to get insurance coverage for more people stalls over where the money's going to come from (there are several more problems with the direction of health care reform, but that's another subject). 2) The S&E promises to be a better watchdog and force government officials to conduct public business openly (I rarely agree with Editor Jeff McMenemy on anything, but I'm with him on this one). 3) Leominster Mayor Mazzarella has plans to build a new police station, but, in the spirit of its above-mentioned goal the paper is pushing for public debate to say where it's money should be spent, especially given many other pressing needs.

My argument is--and no official or journalist to whom I've posed the question has responded--that one serious area of neglect, both by the paper and local pols and pundits, is that we are too often trying to solve problems locally that don't originate locally. Money underlies the above issues, and it fits this scenario best of all.

Our money is being stolen in astronomical amounts at the federal level--at all levels of gov't, really, but especially the federal. So, we have local pols and a local paper, properly concerned with local issues. But they need to get the idea that we don't exist in a local vacuum. Both need to become activist entities with attention on the federal mess.

There's more attention now with the lobbying scandal. And that certainly impacts where federal money goes. But the deeper issue is the elite usurpation of the agencies of government and use of those agencies to execute agendas that serve the few, to the detriment of the many. That has to do mainly with 3 things: 1) our phony currency system and the unconstitutional Federal Reserve; 2) the debt-based economic system, debt/inflation/growth; 3) and our economic dependence upon numerous things that harm people and the environment (not the least of which is the purposeful creation of international chaos, war, and now terrorism).

Granted, it might take a lot to convince people who are flag-wavers of the deep criminality of federal government--especially in the last century or so. But the local lack of funds is directly related to our lack of attention to the corruption of the US Gov't.

Archive of Editorial Letters

Peter G. Tocci is a Holistic wellness consultant and health writer dba Associated Health Services in Leominster, Massachusetts.

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