Thursday, December 22, 2005

GM news

Proponents of genetically modified (GM) foods often characterize fears about these crops as "unfounded" and "unscientific."

Welcome to "founded" and "scientific."

Australian government researchers developed a plan that looked good on paper. The common bean contains a protein that inhibits an enzyme that pea weevils need to digest starch. So (the thinking went) just genetically modify pea plants with the bean protein and you've got a weevil-resistant pea plant. Early trials showed that the genetic change was effective in controlling the pea weevil.

But there was one small problem. When scientists for CSIRO (Australia's national research organization) tested the GM peas on mice, the peas triggered allergic lung damage. The same results occurred with both cooked and uncooked peas. Further investigation showed that the structure of the bean protein was slightly different when it was expressed in the pea. The CSIRO team speculates that this minor difference may be the factor that caused the lung damage.

The result: The ten-year program to develop a GM weevil-resistant pea plant has been discontinued. No tests on humans are planned.

In an article in the journal New Scientist, Jeremy Tager noted that if a private company had been developing the new GM pea plant, the results of the mouse study would probably never have been reported.

This is from HSI.

Treating Pneumonia vs. Bronchitis

The following is from HSI:

The primary difference between treating pneumonia and treating bronchitis can be summed up in one word: antibiotics.

Dr. Spreen: "When I started practice (1985), almost any symptom of bronchitis got a Rx for antibiotics. Later on, with more news about 'superbugs,' antibiotic resistance, and antibiotic overuse, the prescriptions for antibiotics decreased for bronchitis (which already had several reports of those drugs not being effective). Today it sort of depends on the doc, as some will still prescribe an antibiotic to get a patient out of the office (and not wanting to deal with the 'please doctor DO something' syndrome). However, most docs today will try to avoid antibiotics for bronchitis, especially the first time around.

"For bronchitis (an inflammation of the larger airways that lead to the lungs, but don't include gas-exchange tissues) I'd be going heavy on vitamin C, the absolute minimum being 1,000 mg three times/day, and preferably (in my opinion) a loading dose of 3,000-5,000 mg with 1,000-2,000 mg/hour more like it for the aggressive types. If bronchitis tends to be chronic, vitamin A (not beta-carotene) and zinc should be thrown in there to help protect mucosal surfaces that may be chronically nutrient-deficient.
"Plus, I'd add Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA), as it's the best antioxidant that can reach fat-soluble spaces, along with NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine), which is known to be good for lung tissue to keep bronchitis from possibly progressing into something worse."

That "something worse" that Dr. Spreen refers to is pneumonia, which is most commonly treated with antibiotics. But he also notes that "antibiotic use mandates the addition of probiotics (acidophilus, bifidus, etc.) to re-establish the 'good-guy' bacteria after the antibiotics kill off both good and bad bugs.

"If a true purist wanted to try avoiding the antibiotics to fight pneumonia, ideas would include those from bronchitis (above), plus hyperthermic treatments (sweating in the tub...bacteria don't survive well in temps above 102F), and the addition of colloidal silver, olive leaf extract, and grapefruit seed (not grape) extract. These antibacterial/anti-viral agents would need to be in high doses and would also require adding probiotics, of course.

"There is always derision involved by conventionalists concerning the use of colloidal silver, who argue that there is no use in the human system for silver...and they're right. That's what's so interesting about it; bacteria have enzyme systems that are blocked by the silver, while no human systems have to worry. That's also why nearly all water filter systems are impregnated with silver. One last thing: the dose for antibacterial effect is far below a dose that would cause argyria (silver toxicity), which causes a grayish tint to the skin."

Dr. Spreen also notes that pneumonia and bronchitis are conditions that require a visit to a doctor or health care professional.

I would like to add that you should take lots of garlic as it is a natural antibiotic.

Ugly Churches

Ugly churches seem to show a lack of love and faith of Jesus in the Eucharist. St. Peter Julian Eymard wrote:

The ages of faith thought they could never do enough to heighten the splendor of Eucharistic worship: witness their basilicas, their sacred vessels, their vestments, which are masterpieces of art and magnificence.

These marvels were the work of faith; the worship and honors paid to Jesus Christ are the measure of the faith of a people, the expression of its virtue.

Let honor therefore be given to Jesus Eucharistic. He is worthy of it; He has a right to it.

But He will not be satisfied with exterior honors. He requires the worship of our love: the service of the heart and the submission of the mind...He that loves the Eucharist is always in quest of it. He frequently speaks of it. He needs Jesus; he is forever tending toward Him; he offers Him all his actions, all the pleasures of his heart, his joys, his consolations. He turns everything into a bouquet for Jesus Eucharistic.

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

MSG

This table displays some hidden sources of MSG:

These ingredients ALWAYS contain MSG:
Glutamate, Glutamic acid, Monosodium glutamate, Textured protein, Hydrolyzed protein, Monopotassium glutamate, Calcium caseinate, Sodium caseinate, Gelatin, Yeast extract, Yeast food, Autolyzed yeast.

These ingredients OFTEN contain MSG or create MSG during processing:
Flavors & Flavorings, Seasonings, Natural flavors and flavorings, Natural pork flavoring, Natural beef flavoring, Natural chicken flavoring, Soy sauce, Soy protein isolate, Soy protein, Bouillon, Stock, Broth, Malt extract, Malt flavoring, Barley malt, Whey protein, Carrageenan, Maltodextrin, Pectin, Enzymes, Protease, Corn starch, Citric acid, Powdered milk, anything Protein fortified, anything Enzyme modified, anything Ultra-pasteurized.

Some unexpected sources of MSG:
Salad dressings, Frozen meals, Packaged and restaurant soups, Cheese, Reduced fat milk, Chewing gum, Ice cream, Cookies, Vitamin enriched foods, Beverages, Candy, Cigarettes, Medications, I.V. Materials, Supplements, particularly minerals.
This is from Mercola.com

Silver Amalgams: Replace Them or Not?

Because silver amalgams have mercury in them and mercury is a poisonous toxin it has been suggested to have them removed from your mouth and replaced with composite fillings. There are several things to consider and weigh. First of all don't even consider replacing them if the dentist doesn't know the proper protocol. There are very few dentists that actually do it properly. Most dentists release more mercury in your system than if you had left them in. I think Hal Huggins might have a link where dentists are recommended that do it correctly. Another very important thing to consider is that if you have a silver amalgam filling removed and replaced you will eventually lose the tooth. Why? Most all alternative fillings shrink with age, at least a lot more than amalgams do. With shrinkage you normally get a bit more decay and every time they are replaced you loose a little more tooth where eventually there won't be enough tooth left to fill. Then they want to do a crown, then a root canal, and then removal, which are never really healthy options. Another thing to consider is what the composite is made of? Is it compatible with you? Make sure you don't have allergies to anything put in your body. The present day composites are better than when they first came out. The best thing to do is make sure you never get a cavity!

Friday, December 09, 2005

High Fructose Corn Syrup

The following notes were taken from this article: http://www.westonaprice.org/modernfood/highfructose.html. Go to it if you're interested in reading the whole article.
-Fructose converts to fat more than any other sugar.
-copper deficiency, when tests were done on rats fatal organ abnormalities occured.
-HFCS delivers a double danger compared to sugar.
-Fruit contains fiber which slows down the metabolism of fructose and other sugars, but the fructose in HFCS is absorbed very quickly.
-... research on other hormonal factors suggests that fructose actually promotes disease more readily than glucose. Glucose is metabolized in every cell in the body but all fructose must be metabolized in the liver.6 The livers of test animals fed large amounts of fructose develop fatty deposits and cirrhosis, similar to problems that develop in the livers of alcoholics.
- Pure fructose contains no enzymes, vitamins or minerals and robs the body of its micronutrient treasures in order to assimilate itself for physiological use.
-While naturally occurring sugars, as well as sucrose, contain fructose bound to other sugars, high fructose corn syrup contains a good deal of “free” or unbound fructose. Research indicates that this free fructose interferes with the heart’s use of key minerals like magnesium, copper and chromium. Among other consequences, HFCS has been implicated in elevated blood cholesterol levels and the creation of blood clots. It has been found to inhibit the action of white blood cells so that they are unable to defend the body against harmful foreign invaders.8
- Fructose reduces the affinity of insulin for its receptor, which is the hallmark of type-2 diabetes. This is the first step for glucose to enter a cell and be metabolized. As a result, the body needs to pump out more insulin to handle the same amount of glucose.
Also please read the following article, Six Reasons Why Corn is Making You Fat: http://www.mercola.com/2004/apr/10/corn_fat.htm

Virgin Mary + Katrina's Wake

Someone from my homeschool group forwarded this to the group:
This is the tail end of a story in the Burlington Vermont Free Press. It is written from an entirely secular viewpoint, but it ends with a poignantly spiritual twist. This is a diary by a volunteer nurse from Vermont who went down to New Orleans last month to help. I thought it was worthwhile to pass along the last entry in her diary which described this unusual observation concerning the Virgin Mary.

HOME: Nov. 6

I have been home for several days. My old routine, my kids, my life is pushing back the memories of what I have just experienced. The memories keep crashing in but one thing keeps coming back.

Traveling around -- no matter where I went, no matter the destruction I saw -- I kept seeing statues of the Virgin Mary. And they were never damaged.

Mary stood up tall in areas ravaged from raging floodwaters and wind and wild destruction. It didn't matter if she was plastic, stone or concrete, whether she was on the lawn, mounted on something, in-laid in something, always she seemed there, one hand up to the forces of nature giving the sign of protection. I thought it was coincidence, a series of flukes.

But while down there, I met another team of medical volunteers who had been stationed in a different part of Louisiana -- a bayou shrimping area hit hard by Hurricane Rita.

The team showed us pictures of the town that had taken a direct hit; Rita had steam-rolled the city flat. All except a church called Our Lady of the Sea.

And there, in the photos, stood the statue of the Virgin Mary, one hand up facing the ocean and the other arm wrapped around two children. A tablet rested at her feet saying, "Protect our children."

I'm not sure what it means. Perhaps it's a reminder that beneath all the rubble, deep inside the souls of the exhausted nurses and doctors and rescue workers, deep inside the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, there is still strength, still hope, still something powerful.

And maybe, too, we all need to get a statue of the Virgin Mary and put her on our front lawns.

Monday, December 05, 2005

Heart Attack part 2

I forgot to mention that if you have a heart attack or even if you haven't there are several things you should do to prevent one from occurring.

-First cut out all processed food. This is important because processed foods contains toxins, anti-nutrients, and tax your immune and digestive systems. Some things in processed foods that should be avoided are: MSG which can come under many different names, this is a neurotoxin; high fructose corn syrup; enriched white flour, the iron in this is not assimilated in our bodies and men usually have too high of iron which makes them cancer susceptible also white flour is converted into sugar almost immediately after eating it; refined sugar, this shuts down your immune system because it's being used completely to regulate your blood sugar level; vegetable oils or partially hydrogenated fats, these are the real culprits for heart disease and also bombard your system with free radicals which can make you susceptible to cancer.

-Make sure you take cod liver oil every day (get a good brand that does not test positive for mercury, Carlson's is good), this is important because we need the omega 3 essential fatty acids as our food has been stripped of it and we are also very deficient of vitamin D and being vit D deficient makes you cancer susceptible among other things.

-Exercise till you sweat, certain toxins are only released through your sweat.

-Drink pure water and enough of it. Chlorine and fluoride among others are toxin poisons which tax your immune and clog your liver system.

-Get enough regular good sleep. Have a set bed time and keep it as much as possible.

-De-stress. Stress is a huge cause of heart attacks. Prayer is the best way to do this as it's the only way to have true peace. Increase your trust in God by prayer and the Sacraments. Go to daily Mass. Nothing is better for you than receiving Jesus Christ: body, blood, soul and divinity. Go to confession as this is a great way to unburden yourself and find instant peace that comes from knowing your are forgiven. Read the Bible. Other ways to eliminate stress are: deep breathing, de-clutter your house, organize your home and everything in it, and set your relationships in order. Tell your family members you love them then show them that you do. Forgive others.

-Eat the proper foods: whole foods, organic if possible; good fats; bone broths; organic raw fresh dairy or cultured or fermented dairy products and veggies such as kefir, yogurt, homemade sour kraut, etc.

-Be thankful as a grateful heart is a happy heart.

Friday, December 02, 2005

Eczema

For Eczema, from Mercola.com:
-switch from pasteurized milk to real, raw milk.
-stop all gluten products
-provide beneficial omega-3 fish oil;-Carlson's cod liver oil is best as it provides extra vitamin D.
-Exposure to sunlight on the affected skin is also frequently of benefit.
-There is also some benefit for providing an essential omega-6 fat like GLA. This can be obtained inexpensively from borage oil, but my [Mercola's] favorite is the more expensive primrose oil. One can use from 500 to 2600 mg of the Evening Primrose oil.
Dr. Mercola says: They all seem to respond amazingly well to the above protocol.
Taken from other sources such as westonaprice.org:
-good bacteria helps, found in kefir, yogart, homemade sourkraut. All with live bacteria.
-eat bone broths,the gelatin is beneficial along with all the trace minerals
-don't eat artifical sweetners
-don't eat soy
(Researchers have found a link between increased risks of certain cancers and the use of two prescription creams commonly used to treat skin conditions in children has initiated a growing concern among scientists. This concern prompted scientists to propose adding stronger warnings to the product labels. The two brands of cream under investigation are Protopic and Elidel.)
For an article on raw milk: http://www.mercola.com/2004/apr/24/raw_milk.htm

Heart Attacks

In the event of a heart attack it has been recommended to immediately take a shot of Scotch. I read this a while back somewhere. It explained why this helps. (It immediately dilates your veins/arteries or something like that?) I have seen this help someone who was having chest pains/possible heart attack. So always have some Scotch on hand.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. Do what you feel you have to. Consult a doctor if you are so inclined. Anything on my blog is information I'm passing on to you, it's not meant to diagnose or anything like that. God bless you.

Sunday, November 27, 2005

Psoriasis "Cures"

Apparently what works for some doesn't work for others. Here are some suggestions that have worked for some.
- "Some get relief by cutting out all traces of gluten from their diet. As so much gluten is hidden, it's possible that it could be the common factor, but most people inadvertently eat hidden gluten and then assume the diet is not working. In some research where the patients had a controlled gluten free diet, the majority had a reduction or complete clearing of their symptoms."
-Herbs that seem to help are: Nettle Leaves, Silymarin and sarsaparilla.
-Essential Fatty Acids in fish oil and flax seed oil will help psoriasis.
-Adelle Davis says that lecithin could cure it, several tablespoons a day.
-lack of Vit. D and sun is a big factor. Take cod liver oil, sit in the sun in summer.
(This was taken from HSI, Health Science Institute.)

Soy

* High levels of phytic acid in soy reduce assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Phytic acid in soy is not neutralized by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking, sprouting and long, slow cooking. High phytate diets have caused growth problems in children.
* Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfere with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic disorders. In test animals soy containing trypsin inhibitors caused stunted growth.
* Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women.
* Soy phytoestrogens are potent antithyroid agents that cause hypothyroidism and may cause thyroid cancer. In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.
* Vitamin B12 analogs in soy are not absorbed and actually increase the body's requirement for B12.
* Soy foods increase the body's requirement for vitamin D.
* Fragile proteins are denatured during high temperature processing to make soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein.
* Processing of soy protein results in the formation of toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines.
* Free glutamic acid or MSG, a potent neurotoxin, is formed during soy food processing and additional amounts are added to many soy foods.
* Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys.

For articles on soy go to://www.westonaprice.org/soy/index.html

The Real Dangers of Antiseptics, Disinfectants & Antibacterial Agents

from Mercola.com

-most are not effective against ALL types of germs, thus some overgrow
-the combination of several different types of these is highly toxic, and causes stress for your immune system
-ALL chemicals that kill germs will kill people, if used in sufficient concentrations or over many years.
-these chemicals disturb your natural balance of healthy microflora.
-over a period of time, all substances applied to your skin are absorbed through it and affect the body's internal metabolism
-the emulsion of the soap, when tiny traces are introduced into your eyes and nose, sends your immune system into disarray and contaminates your delicate tissues.

Soft Drinks

by George E. Meinig, DDS, FACD
All soft drinks are made with a solution of phosphoric acid. This is, in part, what gives them their kick. Phosphorous is a very active element, having the ability to combine with calcium. Most people have a poor calcium intake. The phosphorus then pulls the calcium from their storage warehouse - that is, their teeth and bones. The result is osteoporosis - that is, loss of density of bones, back and disc trouble, pyorrhea and, of course, decayed teeth. The sugar, three to six teaspoons full per six ounces of soft drink, of course, multiplies the problem.

I would like to add that diet soft drinks are worse. See below the post on aspartame. Splenda is also very bad. I will have a post on that in the future.

Caffeine/Arthritis

by George E. Meinig, DDS, FACD
Caffeine has a detrimental effect on one's calcium-phosphorus balance and on one's blood sugar. Some people drink weaker tea than coffee so they may not get quite as much caffeine, but most people drink more tea than coffee so it ends up the same. There is 100 to 150 mg. of caffeine in a 6 oz. cup of coffee, while tea is usually 60 to 75 mg. Coke (12 oz.) runs 40 to 72 mg., while 6 oz. of cocoa runs about 50 mg.
Ernie Banks, star baseball player for the Chicago Cubs, was suffering so much from arthritis in his knees that he could barely stand. A nutritionist was consulted on recommendation of his friend, Billy Williams. He soon discovered Ernie was drinking tea in huge quantities. Hot, cold, iced, any way he could get it.
This caused a severe calcium-phosphorus imbalance which is common to rheumatoid arthritis. The tannic acid in tea doesn't help much either. Tannin is used to cure leather and biting on a tea bag is a good way to stop a bleeding tooth extraction wound, but I don't think either of these goodies qualify it for a human beverage. Along with the detrimental effects to the calcium balance is a lowering of blood sugar. Also the University of Hawaii Nutrition Department found a serious depletion of vitamin B1 in tea and coffee consumers.
My report on Ernie Banks didn't say whether he used sugar in his tea but most people use excessive amounts in order to make the stuff likable. Sugar, of course, compounds the calcium-phosphorus problem.
Ernie's knees were well in 60 days with the switch to water instead of tea.

I think this was taken from either westonaprice.org or price-pottenger.org

Ten Reasons to Throw out your Microwave Oven

From the conclusions of the Swiss, Russian and German scientific clinical studies, we can no longer ignore the microwave oven sitting in our kitchens. Based on this research, we will conclude this article with the following:
1). Continually eating food processed from a microwave oven causes long term - permanent - brain damage by "shorting out" electrical impulses in the brain [de-polarizing or de-magnetizing the brain tissue].
2). The human body cannot metabolize [break down] the unknown by-products created in microwaved food.
3). Male and female hormone production is shut down and/or altered by continually eating microwaved foods.
4). The effects of microwaved food by-products are residual [long term, permanent] within the human body.
5). Minerals, vitamins, and nutrients of all microwaved food is reduced or altered so that the human body gets little or no benefit, or the human body absorbs altered compounds that cannot be broken down.
6). The minerals in vegetables are altered into cancerous free radicals when cooked in microwave ovens.
7). Microwaved foods cause stomach and intestinal cancerous growths [tumors]. This may explain the rapidly increased rate of colon cancer in America.
8). The prolonged eating of microwaved foods causes cancerous cells to increase in human blood.
9). Continual ingestion of microwaved food causes immune system deficiencies through lymph gland and blood serum alterations.
10). Eating microwaved food causes loss of memory, concentration, emotional instability, and a decrease of intelligence.

(This is taken from a long article from Mercola.com.)

Irradiation

Irradiation exposes food to extremely high doses of ionizing radiation
in order to kill bacteria. This process destroys essential nutrients
and hastens their depletion during storage and cooking. Irradiation
also creates known toxins and carcinogens in food, such as benzene and
toluene, and a new class of chemicals, called "unique radiolytic
products" some of which the FDA has never tested for safety.

Research on irradiated foods has linked them to a wide range of health
problems in humans and animals, including reproductive dysfunction,
genotoxicity, cytotoxicity, fatal internal bleeding, and, in some cases,
cancer. There is no research on the health effects of consuming
irradiated foods over a long period of time, and no population has ever
consumed irradiated foods as a substantial part of their diet.

Food irradiation also perpetuates the unsanitary environment found in
many feedlots and slaughterhouses, where animals wallow in their own
filth and are slaughtered at extremely fast linespeeds. Workers in
these facilities are often the victims of numerous accidents that result
in serious injury or even death. By treating food after it has been
processed, irradiation will only allow these conditions to continue and
even worsen, increasing the likelihood that meat will be contaminated by
excrement and other carriers of dangerous pathogens, and risking the
lives of workers.

(I'm not sure where I got this from)

Calcium-Rich Foods

by George E. Meinig, DDS, FACD
What should we eat in order to get needed calcium in our diet? One cup of milk yields 288 mg. of calcium. A cup of lima beans contains just half that amount while collards contain almost 100 mg. more than milk itself.
People generally feel quite guilty about not drinking milk. Many seem to feel there is no other source of calcium. As a matter of fact, most foods contain some calcium. Those with the highest values are almonds, having 361 mg. per cup, while other nuts run a little below 100. Fish is an excellent source having 328 mg. for 3 ounces of sardines, salmon 159, mackerel 157, and oysters have 226 mg. per cup.
Vegetables are not devoid of calcium, though the values are somewhat lower. Most beans run 100 to 125. Turnip greens run 376.
A cup of whole wheat flour has 49 mg. and one ounce cheddar cheese yields 206 mg. while cottage cheese in the same amount has only 27 mg.
Primitive man's source of calcium was fish and the bones of small animals. Most of these can be chewed, including fish bones, if small bites are taken. For the most part these are pleasing to one's taste. The ends of chicken bones are edible and soft enough to be easily chewed by most individuals.
From the above figures it should be apparent that the government's recommended daily allowance of 800 to 1,400 mg. of calcium can be obtained without the use of milk. There are a number of detrimental problems concerning milk[pasteurized and homogenized]. In brief, if one insists on using it we only recommend raw certified milk or cream or raw from a source that can be trusted for quality.
Most people in other areas of the world who have had long healthy lives have not used milk as such but have usually used cultured products such as yogurts, buttermilk, cheeses, etc. The action of bacteria in dairy products changes numbers of the detrimental properties inherent in straight milk products.

Eighth-grade final exam from 1895

This is the eighth-grade final exam from 1895 in Salina, KS, USA. It was taken from the original document on file at the Smokey Valley Genealogical Society and Library in Salina, KS, and reprinted by the Salina Journal.

8th Grade Final Exam: Salina, KS -1895

Grammar (Time, one hour)
1. Give nine rules for the use of Capital Letters.
2. Name the Parts of Speech and define those that have no Modifications.
3. Define Verse, Stanza and Paragraph.
4. What are the Principal Parts of a verb? Give Principal Parts of lie, play and run.
5. Define Case, Illustrate each Case.
6. What is Punctuation? Give rules for principal marks of Punctuation.
7 - 10. Write a composition of about 150 words and show therein that you understand the practical use of the rules of grammar.

Arithmetic (Time, 1.25 hours)
1. Name and define the Fundamental Rules of Arithmetic.
2. A wagon box is 2 ft. deep, 10 feet long, and 3 ft. wide. How many bushels of wheat will it hold?
3. If a load of wheat weighs 3942 lbs., what is it worth at 50cts/bushel, deducting 1050 lbs. for tare?
4. District No. 33 has a valuation of $35,000. What is the necessary levy to carry on a school seven months at $50 per month, and have $104 for incidentals?
5. Find cost of 6720 lbs. coal at $6.00 per ton.
6. Find the interest of $512.60 for 8 months and 18 days at 7 percent.
7. What is the cost of 40 boards 12 inches wide and 16 ft. long at $20 per metre?
8. Find bank discount on $300 for 90 days (no grace) at 10 percent.
9. What is the cost of a square farm at $15 per acre, the distance around which is 640 rods?
10. Write a Bank Check, a Promissory Note, and a Receipt.

U.S. History (Time, 45 minutes)
1. Give the epochs into which U.S. History is divided.
2. Give an account of the discovery of America by Columbus.
3. Relate the causes and results of the Revolutionary War.
4. Show the territorial growth of the United States.
5. Tell what you can of the history of Kansas.
6. Describe three of the most prominent battles of the Rebellion.
7. Who were the following: Morse, Whitney, Fulton, Bell, Lincoln, Penn, and Howe?
8. Name events connected with the following dates: 1607, 1620, 1800, 1849, 1865.

Orthography (Time, one hour) I had to look this up!!
1. What is meant by the following: Alphabet, phonetic, orthography, etymology, syllabication?
2. What are elementary sounds? How classified?
3. What are the following, and give examples of each: Trigraph, subvocals, diphthong, cognate letters, linguals?
4. Give four substitutes for caret 'u.'
5. Give two rules for spelling words with final 'e'. Name two exceptions under each rule.
6. Give two uses of silent letters in spelling. Illustrate each.
7. Define the following prefixes and use in connection with a word: bi, dis, mis, pre, semi, post, non, inter, mono, sup.
8. Mark diacritically and divide into syllables the following, and name the sign that indicates the sound: card, ball, mercy, sir, odd, cell, rise, blood, fare, last.
9. Use the following correctly in sentences: cite, site, sight, fane, fain, feign, vane, vain, vein, raze, raise, rays.
10. Write 10 words frequently mispronounced and indicate pronunciation by use of diacritical marks and by syllabication.

Geography (Time, one hour)
1. What is climate? Upon what does climate depend?
2. How do you account for the extremes of climate in Kansas?
3. Of what use are rivers? Of what use is the ocean?
4. Describe the mountains of North America.
5. Name and describe the following: Monrovia, Odessa, Denver, Manitoba, Hecla, Yukon, St. Helena, Juan Fernandez, Aspinwall and Orinoco.
6. Name and locate the principal trade centers of the U.S.
7. Name all the republics of Europe and give the capital of each.
8. Why is the Atlantic Coast colder than the Pacific in the same latitude?
9. Describe the process by which the water of the ocean returns to the sources of rivers.
10. Describe the movements of the earth. Give the inclination of the earth.

It gives the saying "he only had an 8th grade education" a whole new meaning, doesn't it?

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Apple Cider Vinegar

From Donna Gates' News for Health and Healing:

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is an important staple on The Body Ecology Diet. An acidic food, it helps keep your blood slightly alkaline. While the BED is a sugar-free diet, if you should eat something containing sugar, apple cider vinegar can be used as an immediate "antidote." If you should eat too much salt and feel a pinching feeling in your kidney area or soon start to suffer from a headache, a glass of apple cider vinegar in water is, again, a perfect "antidote."

Drink a glass or two of apple cider vinegar in water each day if you suffer from viral conditions or if you have achy joints. If you aren't crazy about the sour taste of this drink, simply add several drops of stevia liquid concentrate.

While we do not advocate the use of sugar, we also know it is impossible to live in this world without an occasional moment of weakness. So, instead of feeling guilty for eating that piece of wedding cake at your best friend's wedding, simply pour a tablespoon or two of ACV into a large glass of water and drink slowly. Your blood will soon tip back into that slightly alkaline, healthy pH range. ACV also helps control cravings for sugar and recent research helps explain why.

Apple cider vinegar may help dieters eat less!
Swedish researchers recently reported the results of a study showing that vinegar increases a sense of fullness yet reduces the body's insulin response to a carbohydrate.
Subjects were fed bread and given a drink of water with 2 - 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Two hours later their blood sugar and insulin levels were measured. There was a significant (25%) reduction of both.

Excess sugar in the blood is dangerous. Our cells only accept sugar when we are moving rigorously and exercising. The rest of the time they shut out excess sugar. Excess sugar is stored as fat and leads to heart problems. Besides making us bloated, overweight, susceptible to diabetes and other diseases, sugar is one of the reasons we humans age so quickly. Few of us exercise enough, yet we eat an excessive amount of carbohydrates. No wonder 65% of America is overweight.

You can also increase your intake of apple cider vinegar by sprinkling it on green vegetables and using it in salad dressings.

Monday, November 21, 2005

St. Claude on Detachment

"It is such a great good to possess nothing but God and to be deprived of all the pleasures that we can taste...that we ought to consider all loss an advantage that places us in this state."

Sunday, November 20, 2005

Moths

To keep moths from your grains put a bay leaf in each bin. Hopefully this will work. I've been battling moths for a few weeks now. I think they came in with some dates.

Saturday, November 19, 2005

How to Avoid Mosquito Bites

This really won't help anyone now since this isn't mosquito season, but as I am trying to eliminate my pile of notes I am going to post it anyways. these are different things that supposedly will help. Ab has used vinegar and said it worked.

-Take one vitamin B-1 tablet every day.
-Take garlic or eat garlic.
-Rub tree tea oil on your skin, or lavendar, citronella, cedar, rose, geranium, tickweed or eucalyptus oils.
-Don't eat bananas. Mosquitos supposedly will love you if you eat them.
-Rub vinegar on your skin.
-If you are acidic they'll like you. Balance you Ph.

Friday, November 18, 2005

Animals, Pets, and the Catechism

I did not write the following, but thought it interesting:
The Church allows us to use animals for good purposes. We are not to misuse animals, or cause them unnecessary pain and discomfort, but they may be used for legitimate needs--food, clothing, they may be used for work, medical testing, education, etc.
The animal rights groups in England have succeeded in shutting down a place that bred guinea pigs. The man interviewed said the guinea pigs were used to study human respiratory diseases and now those tests are in jeopardy. Our society is full of people who deny the difference between human and animal.
The Catechism states in section 2417 and 2418:
"God entrusted the animals to the stewardship of those whom he created in his own image. Hence it is legitmate to use animals for food and clothing. They may be domesticated to help man in his work and leisure. Medical and scientific experimentation on animals is a morally acceptable practice if it remains within reasonable limits and contributes to caring for or saving human lives.

"It is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly. It is likewise unworthy to spend money on them that should as a priority go to the relief of human misery. One can love animals, one should not direct to them the affection due only to persons."

Aspartame

Taken from the Cure Zone: Aspartame is, by far, the most dangerous substance on the market that is added to foods. Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Many of these reactions are very serious including seizures and death as recently disclosed in a February 1994 Department of Health and Human Services report.(1) A few of the 90 different documented symptoms listed in the report as being caused by aspartame include:
Headaches/migraines, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms, weight gain, rashes, depression, fatigue, irritability, tachycardia, insomnia, vision problems, hearing loss, heart palpitations, breathing difficulties, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, loss of taste, tinnitus, vertigo, memory loss, and joint pain.
According to researchers and physicians studying the adverse effects of aspartame, the following chronic illnesses can be triggered or worsened by ingesting of aspartame:(2)
Brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, parkinson's disease, alzheimer's, mental retardation, lymphoma, birth defects, fibromyalgia, and diabetes.
Go to: http://curezone.com/foods/aspartame.asp to find out more re: aspartame.

Thursday, November 17, 2005

The Tremendous Value of Holy Mass

(These are taken from an old pamphlet)
1. At the hour of death the holy Masses you have heard devoutly will be your greatest consolation.
2. Every Mass will go with you to Judgment and will plead for pardon for you.
3. By every Mass you can diminish the temporal punishment due to your sins, more or less, according to your fervour.
4. By devoutly assisting at Holy Mass you render the greatest homage possible to the Sacred Humanity of Our Lord.
5. Through the Holy Sacrifice, Our Lord Jesus Christ supplies for many of your negligences and omissions.
6. He forgives you all the venial sins which you are determined to avoid. He forgives you all your unknown sins which you never confessed. The power of satan over you is diminished.
7. By piously hearing Holy Mass you afford the Souls in Purgatory the greatest possible relief.
8. One Holy Mass heard during your life will be of more benefit to you than many heard for you after your death.
9. Through Holy Mass you are preserved from many dangers and misfortunes which would otherwise have befallen you.
10. You shorten your Purgatory by every Mass.
11. During Holy Mass you kneel amid a multitude of Holy Angels, who are present at the Adorable Sacrifice with reverential awe.
12. Through Holy Mass you are blessed in your temporal goods and affairs.
13. When you hear Holy Mass devoutly, offering it to Almighty God in honor of any particular Saint or Angel, thanking God for the favors bestowed on him, etc., etc., you afford that Saint or Angel a new degree of honor, joy,and protection on yourself.
14. Every time you assist at Holy Mass, beside other intentions, you should offer it in honor of the Saint of the day.

The following are taken from the Pieta prayer book:
1. The Mass is Calvary continued.
2. Every Mass is worth as much as the sacrifice of Our Lord's life, sufferings and death.
3. Holy Mass is the most powerful atonement for your sins.
13. Every Mass wins for you a higher degree of glory in Heaven.
(The others are the same as listed above only numbered differently)

7 Steps for Achieving Goals

by Brian Tracy
1. Decide exactly what you want in each area of your life-be specific!
2. Write it down clearly and in detail.
3. Set specific deadlines, if it's a large goal break it down into sub-deadlines and write them down and in order.
4. Make a list of everything you can think of that you are going to need to achieve your goal. As you think of new items, add them to your list.
5. Organize items on your list into a plan by placing them in proper sequence and priority.
6. Take action immediately on the most important thing you can do on your plan. This is very important.
7. Do something every day that moves you toward the attainment of one or more important goals. Maitain the momentum!

High Blood Pressure

Things to do if you have high blood pressure:
1. Eat lots of raw cloves of garlic. Eat it on your salads and in your
soup (squeezed in your bowl) or you can take garlic caps. My grandmother brought her blood pressure down this way when she had it really high and was hemorrhaging from the nose profusely.
2. Eat good fats: raw organic butter, coconut oil, lard, and raw animal foods (raw dairy and meat), extra virgin cold pressed olive oil.
3. Eat bone broths, organic leafy green veggies especially salads, live sour kraut. My mom says eating bananas helps too. These foods are high in potassium, which you need to lower you blood pressure.
4. Take cod liver oil every day
5. Avoid all processed foods and commercial salt, use Celtic sea salt.
6. Avoid alcohol, coffee, soft drinks, and fruit juices from concentrate
7. Temporarily cut down to miniscule amounts of grains or avoid completely for a few weeks.
8. Exercise!
9. Pray, meditate, talk to God. This is good for you soul and it helps reduce stress, but most importantly you're loving God.
10. Do deep breathing exercises and make sure you breath deeply.
Many people in America especially breath shallowly thus causing stress and a lack of oxygen.
11. Get enough regular sleep
12. Drink enough good water.

Some of this was taken from Dr.Thomas S. Cowen's The Fourfold Path to Healing, most of these suggestions were from my Mom and Dad who both recently lowered their blood pressure this way (eating lots of garlic, taking cod liver oil and avoiding the above mentioned foods and eating the correct fats and foods.)These are good suggestions for everyday healthy living.

"Red palm oil is a must for stroke victims and for those who have a family history of this problem. It keeps the blood thin and free flowing. This miracle "cure all" actually dissolves dangerous arterial plaque that can lead to heart attack. ...78% of arterial plaque is oxidized fat, stuck there by our modern diet filled with bad trans fats"

Some tips to stick with a healthy diet

Some of these tips (I think) were taken from notes from Mercola's site
1. Plan every meal for a week
2. At least a third of all foods should be raw
3. Find ten healthy recipes you like and rotate them
4. Prepare meals in advance if possible like make your lunch before you go to bed or at breakfast, take out the night before what your going to make for dinner the next day, soak your grains or legumes a day in advance, etc.
5. Have eggs for breakfast, either soft boiled, over-easy, or raw in a smoothie
These tips will help you to eat the right foods and not give in to cravings.

Osteoperosis

Here are some notes I took when researching Osteoperosis. I cannot list where I found the information. In the future when I do research I will site where I found it.
1. A clean liver can reverse it. Do a liver cleanse.
2. Take magnesium. A lack of magnesium can lead to osteoporosis. You can get magnesium from eating organic leafy greens (non-organic doesn't contain it). Eat organic nuts and seeds everyday. If you take it in supplement form, which you propably should do in addition to eating the above foods, take it with Calcium in 1-1 ratio.
3. Don't drink pop. Pop will throw off your mineral balance and your body will leach calcium from your bones to compensate.

OTC pain pills/Kidney disease

"One major culprit is taking over-the-counter pain pills such as aspirin, Motrin, Advil or Tylenol, which can cause kidney damage. About 15 percent of the people on dialysis (an artificial blood-filtering process used to clean the blood of malfunctioning kidneys) are getting this treatment as a result of the damage that Tylenol and/or aspirin did to their kidneys. So, avoiding Tylenol and aspirin will be very important to preventing kidney disease."
[I don't remember where I copied this from]

Teethgrinding

If your child grinds their teeth it could mean they have high levels of mercury, which you can get from vaccinations and amalgam fillings. You would probably want to do a detox program to get rid of the mercury. It also could mean stress. Try to find out why the child is stressed and work at removing it or dealing with it.

Pray for the repose of the soul of:

Sgt. 1st Class James S. Ochsner
He is the son of Deacon Bob who was the mentor Deacon for Rich when he was in the Deacon program. He was killed in Afghanistan Nov. 15. He was scheduled to come home next week. He was in the service for 18 years, this was his 4th tour of duty in Afghanistan. He is survived by his wife and two children.

7 Qualities of a Person of Hope

Here's another list by someone I can't give credit to.
1. Cheerful, joyful
2. Confident
3. Energetic
4. Peace of soul
5. Sense of victory
6. willingness to sacrifice
7. perspective of heaven

Forming the Will

I'm sorry I can't give credit to the person who came up with this list.This is just a list someone gave me. I'm trying to eliminate a stack of notes I have so I thought I'd put them on my blog. I'm sure some of these suggestions are good especially the first one.
1. Never linger in bed.
2. Be faithful to positive and life giving demeaner.
3. Spend and hour a day in study.
4. Be punctual.
5. Reflection in writing.
6. Finish what you start.
7. Never go to bed w/o fulfilling your spiritual commitment.
8. Spend time every day or once a week with someone you don't want to.
9. Have a daily/weekly schedule and keep it.
10. Never show anger.
11. Stick to your diet.

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Safe Alternatives to Pain Medication

-Ginger: anti-inflammatory
Steeped in boiling water or tea or grated in fresh vegetable juice
-Fish oils: anti-inflammatory properties
reduces joint inflammation and promotes joint lubrication
-Bromelain: enzyme found in pineapples
-CMO: found in raw butter from cows eating fresh green grass
-Evening Primrose, Black Currant, and Borage oils (GLA)
-Cayenne Cream: AKA capsaicin cream
-Coconut oil: good for your cell's overall health.
-Epsom salt bath: immediate pain relief
-Essential oils that have anti-inflammatory properties (some of these are for topical use only, some are for both internal and external use): Basil*, Bergamot*, Birch, Roman Chamomile, Cinnamon Bark, Eucalyptus, Fennel, Geranium, Helichrysum, Hyssop, Lavender, Lemongrass, Melaleuca, Myrrh*, Orange, Patchouly, Peppermint, Sage, Spuce*. (*stronger)

Quote

Here's a quote from Ann Coulter: Liberals churn out hysterical slander daily, but insist on acting like they are the ones under attack.

Food Good for Your Liver

Foods that are supposed to be good for your liver are: watermelon, grapefruit, avacados, fig, cherry, papaya, Japanese plum, kiwi, lychee(what's this?)

Nail Fungus

Things to treat nail fungus with: vinegar, tea tree oil, corn meal paste [I don't know about this one], Vick's Vapo Rub(5-6 applications per day for 2 weeks), Eucalyptus oil, Thyme oil. Actually any anti-fungal natural thing could be tried some anti-fungal things are: garlic, cedarwood oil, cinnamon oil, clove*, geranium*, lemongrass, marjoram, melaleuca**(sp), myrrh, orange, oregano*, peppermint, rosemary, rosewood*, sage*, sandlewood, and thyme*. Most of these I found on a list from an essenial oil piece of literature. The ones starred are supposed to be stronger.

Tuesday, July 05, 2005

Periodontal Disease

Does anyone know how to get rid of Periodontal disease naturally, without going to a dentist and having your roots scraped?

Sunday, June 26, 2005

Brats

One more thing regarding rearing children: If possible homeschool them. You remove them from bad peer pressure and liberal indoctrinization. Not that all schools are places of liberal indoctrinization. Even an excellent Catholic school can have negative peer pressure though. But more importantly you get to be with them! You only have them for a few short years. Two of my 4 are gone to college and the other two will be gone in the next 3 years. But even more important is you love them more than anyone else, you have their best interests in mind, their eternal salvation.

An interesting homeschool

I just want to share this site (below link). This man's wife died so he had to homeschool his seven kids. The first link is his rules, the second link is the home page. He sells a curriculum now although he didn't use one. I think it's basically books on CD or MP3. I'm not advocating buying it. There is just some thought provoking articles at the site. There is also a talk somewhere at his site that is around 45 minutes long that is very interesting. His rules are:
1. There is no television in our home.
2. The children do not eat sugar
3. Formal school work occupies about five hours each day
4. Those five hours each day are the most productive hours
5. The children were taught to read with the phonetic system
6. The books we accumulated are essential to the curriculum.
7. Working about 30 math problems first thing every day.
8. Each child writes a one page essay.The remainder of the five hours is spent in reading history and science texts.
9. Freshman and sophomore college physics and chemistry
He goes into detail on each of these rules at the link below.
http://www.robinsoncurriculum.com/view/rc/s31p59.htm
http://www.robinsoncurriculum.com/

moms for kids

I guess I'm going to join the blogger's of the world. I'll start by explaining my title. They rejected my first three ideas. This title is mostly to express my pro-life sentiment. I feel such sorrow for those people brain-washed into not wanting children. The media portrays children as brats. They only turn out bratty if you let them. If you love them they will love you. If you're loving they will be loving. Be how you want them to be and then you and they will turn out good. And say you're sorry when you mess up. Everybody messes up. With the grace of God all things are possible. Pray for your children, especially ask the Blessed Mother's intercession, as it is a sure help.

Some things I will write about are: health, nutrition, politics, homeschooling and faith.