Flap Your Lips Friday
Posted by Michelle Moquin on February 26th, 2010
In light of my write yesterday in regards to health care and the Republican’s mouth’s salivating with greed, this one’s for you Ralph:
Readers: So it seems some of you watched the Health Care summit live yesterday. I did for a bit but work took my attention away. If any of you learned anything earth shattering from the wrap up, please blog me of your findings. Thanks. Anything else? Flap your lips if you feel like it.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my ‘loyal’(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Peace out.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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February 26th, 2010 at 10:06 am
You Can Cure Heart Disease
Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., MD
In the mid-1980s, 17 people with severe heart disease had just about given up hope. They had undergone every available treatment, including drugs and surgery — all had failed.
The group had experienced 49 cardiovascular events, including four heart attacks, three strokes, 15 cases of increased angina and seven bypass surgeries. Five of the patients were expected to die within a year.
Twelve years later, every one of the 17 was alive. They had had no additional cardiovascular events. The progression of their heart disease had been stopped — and, in many cases, reversed. Their angina went away — for some, within three weeks.
In fact, they became virtually “heart attack–proof.” And there are hundreds of other patients with heart disease who have achieved the same remarkable results. What you need to know…
HOW THE DAMAGE IS DONE
Every year, more than half a million Americans die of coronary artery disease (CAD). Three times that number suffer heart attacks. In total, half of American men and one-third of women will have some form of heart disease during their lifetimes.
Heart disease develops in the endothelium, the lining of the arteries. There, endothelial cells manufacture a compound called nitric oxide that accomplishes four tasks crucial for healthy circulation…
Keeps blood smoothly flowing, rather than becoming sticky and clotted.
Allows arteries to widen when the heart needs more blood, such as when you run up a flight of stairs.
Stops muscle cells in arteries from growing into plaque — the fatty gunk that blocks blood vessels.
Decreases inflammation in the plaque — the process that can trigger a rupture in the “cap” or surface of a plaque, starting the clot-forming, artery-clogging cascade that causes a heart attack.
The type and amount of fat in the typical Western diet — from animal products, dairy foods and concentrated oils — assaults endothelial cells, cutting their production of nitric oxide.
Study: A researcher at University of Maryland School of Medicine fed a 900-calorie fast-food breakfast containing 50 grams of fat (mostly from sausages and hash browns) to a group of students and then measured their endothelial function.
For six hours, the students had severely compromised endothelial function and decreased nitric oxide production. Another group of students ate a 900-calorie, no-fat breakfast — and had no significant change in endothelial function.
If a single meal can do that kind of damage, imagine the damage done by three fatty meals a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year.
PLANT-BASED NUTRITION
You can prevent, stop or reverse heart disease with a plant-based diet. Here’s what you can’t eat — and what you can…
What you cannot eat…
No meat, poultry, fish or eggs. You will get plenty of protein from plant-based sources.
No dairy products. That means no butter, cheese, cream, ice cream, yogurt or milk — even skim milk, which, though lower in fat, still contains animal protein.
No oil of any kind — not a drop. That includes all oils, even virgin olive oil and canola.
What you may not know: At least 14% of olive oil is saturated fat — every bit as aggressive in promoting heart disease as the saturated fat in roast beef.
A diet that includes oils — including monounsaturated oils from olive oil and canola oil — may slow the progression of heart disease, but it will not stop or reverse the disease.
Generally, no nuts or avocados. If you are eating a plant-based diet to prevent heart disease, you can have moderate amounts of nuts and avocados as long as your total cholesterol remains below 150 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). If you have heart disease and want to stop or reverse it, you should not eat these foods.
What you can eat…
All vegetables.
Legumes — beans, peas, lentils.
Whole grains and products that are made from them, such as bread and pasta — as long as they do not contain added fats.
Do not eat refined grains, which have been stripped of much of their fiber and nutrients. Avoid white rice and “enriched” flour products, which are found in many pastas, breads, bagels and baked goods.
Fruits — but heart patients should limit consumption to three pieces a day and avoid drinking pure fruit juices. Too much fruit rapidly raises blood sugar, triggering a surge of insulin from the pancreas — which stimulates the liver to manufacture more cholesterol.
Certain beverages, including water, seltzer water, oat milk, hazelnut milk, almond milk, no-fat soy milk, coffee and tea. Alcohol is fine in moderation (no more than two servings a day for men and one for women).
SUPPLEMENTS
For maximum health, take five supplements daily…
Multivitamin/mineral supplement.
Vitamin B-12 — 1,000 micrograms (mcg).
Calcium — 1,000 milligrams (mg) (1,200 mg if you’re over 60).
Vitamin D-3 — l,000 international units (IU).
Flaxseed meal (ground flaxseed) — one tablespoon for the omega-3 fatty acids it provides. Sprinkle it on cereal.
THE CHOLESTEROL CONNECTION
If you eat the typical, high-fat Western diet, even if you also take a cholesterol-lowering statin drug, you will not protect yourself from heart disease — because the fat in the diet will damage the endothelium cells that produce nitric oxide.
In a study in The New England Journal of Medicine, patients took huge doses of statin drugs to lower total cholesterol below 150 but didn’t change their diets — and 25% experienced a new cardiovascular event or died within the next 30 months.
Recommended: Eat a plant-based diet, and ask your doctor if you should also take a cholesterol-lowering medication. Strive to maintain a total cholesterol of less than 150 and LDL (“bad” cholesterol) below 85.
MODERATION DOESN’T WORK
The most common objection physicians have to this diet is that their patients will not follow it. But many patients with heart disease who find out that they have a choice — between invasive surgery and nutritional changes that will stop and reverse the disease — willingly adopt the diet.
Why not eat a less demanding diet, such as the low-fat diet recommended by the American Heart Association or the Mediterranean Diet?
Surprising: Research shows that people who maintain a so-called “low-fat” diet of 29% of calories from fat have the same rate of heart attacks and strokes as people who don’t.
Plant-based nutrition is the only diet that can effectively prevent, stop and reverse heart disease. It also offers protection against stroke… high blood pressure… osteoporosis… diabetes… senile mental impairment… erectile dysfunction… and cancers of the breast, prostate, colon, rectum, uterus and ovaries.
Bottom Line/Personal interviewed Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., MD, a surgeon, clinician and researcher at The Cleveland Clinic for more than 35 years. He has authored more than 150 scientific publications, including a 12-year landmark study showing that a plant-based diet can stop and reverse heart disease in severely ill patients. Dr. Esselstyn is an Olympic gold medalist in rowing and was awarded the Bronze Star as an army surgeon in Vietnam. He is author of Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease: The Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven, Nutrition-Based Cure (Avery). http://www.heartattackproof.com.
February 26th, 2010 at 11:28 am
The movie Changling was really about how the cops used an insane asylum to house women they abused or who filed a complaint against them.
When the woman was released from the hell of being illegally imprisoned, nothing was done about what the police had done to her and the other women that had and were still being abused.
This is another case of white men using the privileges that a racist government gave them. White men did not give white women any more protection than it did the OTWs.
The Press was run as it is today by white men. White men are the worst protectors of the rights of others of any beings on the planet. My male relatives are perfect examples of this breed of subhumans.
I am 72 years old. I have seen them at work. 5 of them are my sons, subhuman everyone. They have all lived off the federal, state or county government. Cushy jobs that allowed them to abuse OTWs and white women at will.
The God awful part about this story is that they are still doing as they did only with less openness. The racist government is still protecting them. My boys and their friends sit around the table drinking a bragging about how they raped this woman or that young girl. The laughing and glee really picks up when they start telling how they humiliated, beat up or falsely arrested this or that OTW.
They have no feelings for human beings. They only have feelings for themselves. I curse the day my womb brought them forward. My two daughters think I have always loved my sons more than I have them because my sons have been able to give me more things than they have.
Yes, they bought be a very nice home and have kept me in luxuries for my entire life. But I have always known where they got their ill gotten gains. I am a weak person and I have enjoyed the easy life they made for me.
But if my daughters are listening, I wish they would call an old selfish woman before she passes so that she can hug them and tell them how much they are loved.
Megan
February 26th, 2010 at 12:25 pm
Barbara Walters, of 20/20, did a story on gender roles in Kabul, Afghanistan , several years before the Afghan conflict. She noted that women customarily walked five paces behind their husbands.
She recently returned to Kabul and observed that women still walk behind their husbands. Despite the overthrow of the oppressive Taliban regime, the women now seem to, and are happy to, maintain the old custom.
Ms. Walters approached one of the Afghani women and asked, ‘Why do you now seem happy with an old custom that you once tried so desperately to change?’
The woman looked Ms. Walters straight in the eyes, and without hesitation said . . . “Land Mines.”
February 26th, 2010 at 1:11 pm
Olivia, I loved that comment to Barbara Walters — “Land Mines”. It’s the perfect reason for Afghani Women to walk behind their Men. Using them for protection against land mines.
You see, there is a purpose for Men on this Planet — Living shields.
I hope you don’t mind if I use your comment as a joke to tell friends.
HOWIE
February 26th, 2010 at 4:45 pm
Since this is “flap your lips friday” I want to talk about Gerrymandering. This is the practice of allowing a person to design the district outline of who will be voting for him/her.
It is a crooked way for politicians to pick people who think like he/she does so he doesn’t have to represent all the people in an area because he drew up a neighborhood of bigots, whites, OTWs, etc.
So, when you ask yourself why a politician can say or do something so stupid or offensive that you would think that they would be removed or voted out of office during their next election.
But they not only get re-elected but by the same margins. It is because of Gerrymandering.
California is trying to get a measure put on the ballot in November to get our voting districts redrawn based on area not politics.
Jackie
February 26th, 2010 at 5:44 pm
Unlike just about every other industry in America, health insurance companies are completely exempt from federal antitrust laws.
They can establish monopolies and raise rates without having to worry about competition, like Blue Cross just did in California, where they’re raising premiums by up to 39% for some customers.
But now, there’s a real chance that could change, thanks to Rep. Tom Perriello, a progressive freshman in a very challenging Virginia district. His bill to subject insurers to antitrust laws just passed the House 406-19 despite overwhelming opposition from the insurance industry.1
Republicans have been trying to protect insurers—they even tried to block this bill from coming to a vote—but Perriello called their bluff and forced them on the record.2 Now the Senate needs to follow the House’s lead and pass Rep. Perriello’s antitrust measure. Sign our petition to Sens. Boxer and Feinstein right now. Click to add your name:
http://pol.moveon.org/perriello_antitrust/?id=19132-7692656-ZKGyB3x&t=4
The petition reads, “Big insurance companies like Blue Cross have too much power. The Senate must subject them to antitrust laws, just like every other company.”
We still desperately need comprehensive health care reform. But this bill, which Perriello is pushing along with Colorado Rep. Betsy Markey, is a simple, concrete step to rein in the power of the insurance companies, and it’s not currently included in the health care reform package. There’s no excuse for the Senate not to pass it.
Tom Perriello is someone you should know about, if you don’t already. His district went for McCain 51-48, but Perriello is standing up for what he believes in. He voted for the House’s energy and climate legislation, even as Tea Partiers responded with plans to burn him in effigy. And he voted for the House health care bill with a public option even while Glenn Nye, another freshman Democrat in a neighboring district, caved in to insurance companies and opposed the bill.
Perriello’s voting record isn’t perfect, but he’s really shown recently what it’s like to be a fighting Democrat. Listen to his response when asked if Senate Democrats should give up on an economy-wide cap on global warming pollution:
“I’m sick of starting with what can we get through the Senate; let’s start with what solves the damn problem. Until the Senate gets its head out of its rear-end and starts to see the crisis we’re in, our country is literally at risk. Our economy is at risk, because these jobs are being created overseas. It should have the same urgency with this problem that it had bailing out Wall Street.
“We are swearing an oath to do what’s necessary to protect this country, not do what’s necessary to get a bill through the Senate. If you look at what voters were upset with on the health-care bill, it was all the carve-outs and exemptions and watering it down. Voters are smart; they know that the House bill stood up to the health insurance companies and the Senate bill didn’t. The same thing is true here: If they respect that the bill is actually going to transform our economy, make us more competitive and more independent, they’ll support it. If it seems like it’s just a sell-out to the big donors from the oil and gas companies, they won’t support it.
“That’s the question that we should be asking: Does this solve the problem? Is this a solution worthy of the American people? And if it is, then great; let’s move forward with it.”3
Perriello is showing that taking on special interests and passing legislation to help real people is popular across the political spectrum. But he’s a top target of Republicans hoping to gain seats in the election, and he deserves our support when he takes bold stands like he did this week. Will you sign our petition urging passage of his legislation?
Click here to add your name:
http://pol.moveon.org/perriello_antitrust/?id=19132-7692656-ZKGyB3x&t=5
February 26th, 2010 at 6:23 pm
I’ve been called back because many different alien groups are showing that they may confront the earthlings to insist on access to the Mariana Trench.
The US is not sure if they can defend their control of the Trench, but they are not about to cede control without military posturing.
So the US will be sending a large military force to the area to demonstrate their willingness to defend the Trench. They have been ordered to fire at will on any unrecognized entity in the area.
Look for lots of fire works beginning immediately. I will be demonstrating the futility of taking on any one of the alien groups without my assistance.
The only purpose of all the firing that will be going off in the area will be to conceal what we will be dong to discourage any overly aggressive alien encounters.
There may be firing by us so the US missile firing exercising will act as suitable cover.
Viv
Viv
February 27th, 2010 at 2:51 am
Hello Michelle
It’s been a while since I signed on. The girls have been keeping me busy. There big sister has been helping me a lot lately. I would not be able to do all the things we do without her much appreciated help.
I have been catching up on your blog(as usual it is a screamer) while mixing and matching the needs and just wants of the little ones and the big one.
The asked me to help her meet Jorge. I declined because I feel that he is committed to Cat and I am like you loyal to my fellow females.
Not that I think even my daughter’ considerable charms could woo him from his true love. I have been trying to convince my big girl that what she calls a need is a want.
And like I tell the little ones a good mommy has to discern from needs and wants on a daily bases. It’s our call and we are not always right.
We went round and round on this for a few days, but Evelyn has come around to her mother’s way of seeing this issue.
Thanks for all the good advice you through my way.
Love
Ruth
February 27th, 2010 at 3:19 am
Michelle
The illegal government is trying through intimidation and propaganda to force the movement into a pro-america label. This will allow the people of Iran to accept any atrocity the brutes wish to commit against us.
Our inside information says that Russia is active in providing technology to help Iran to track members of our movement and to capture and intimidate us. There have been recent sales of computer parts and surveillance equipment coming from America that has been helping Iran to do the same.
I hope all Americans reading this will refrain from helping the government of Iran in anyway. We are trying to change our government from within. We have not asked for America’s help. But we certainly hope not to have our efforts undermined by greedy Americans selling equipment and spare parts to Iran.
We women of islam have it hard enough. The men from both sides of the political spectrum want to restrict our equality. The men we are alining ourselves with say they will work for some of the rights taken away from us which we had under the Shah to be restored, but that we will have to wait for others.
My cousin from Canada says that we should be wary of getting in the position that whites in America put the blacks in. They constantly told them that they should accept what the whites were willing to give them at that moment and wait for full equality.
She said that we would have to continue doing what the blacks did continue to demonstrate until world opinion makes the men relent. She said that the men of Iran are very much like the white men of America. They will give up nothing they don’t feel they will lose money for if they don’t.
I am left hoping that money is as important to Iranian men as it is to white men in America.
Orgun
February 27th, 2010 at 3:52 am
Michelle
I hope I get in I have been trying for 11 days now. We are expecting elections in Dafur, in April. They will be the first in 24 years. The Sudanese government under Bashir will be doing everything possible to disrupt and rig the elections.
We are thankful for all the help your Girlz have given us. without it many would not the peace we now have from large scale organized clashes. Government clashes between the rebels are still happening in some areas but ever since the big defeats the government suffered from Madaline’s blasting them when they accumulate in large forces they have not been so bold.
I do not wish to miss this opportunity to thank you Anonz for all the humanitarian aid you have helped to bring to us. We were so afraid for you when we heard that you had been trapped in a skirmish in Shamal. We prayed for you when we heard that you had escaped into Libya only to be confronted by a jihad claiming that you were warring against islam.
Many of the islamic people in the camps here openly prayed for your safety. We along with them felt our prayers were answered when the news arrived that you had suffered heavy losses but had fought your way into a safe corridor in Chad.
God go with you Anonz. You are both revered here as legend and a demigod. It is said that you are fearless and are protected by the spirit of the ghost of Nyaia. It is rumored that her spirit will roam the desert as long as you continue to brave is dangers for us.
I carry with me a piece of a tire from a jeep that you were in when it was hit by a rocket. While the men were gathering up pieces of the rocket, I asked a young boy to bring me a piece of tire that was still on fire. He buried it in the sand and then cut a piece and gave it to me. I will carry it always and pray to God to keep you safe.
You are the best of what the USA has to offer. You bring your sweat with your money. You bring your tears with your fierceness. You are the Angel of Darfur. We love you.
Cerika
February 27th, 2010 at 3:57 am
Q: A friend of mine was shocked to find he owed a significant tax bill on his “tax-exempt” municipal bonds. How can this happen?
A: Possible ways…
(1) Only interest earned on tax-exempt bonds is tax exempt. If bonds appreciate in value and are sold at a gain, taxable capital gain results, just as from any other appreciating investment.
(2) Some tax-exempt bonds pay interest that is taxable under the rules of the alternative minimum tax (AMT), a tax computation that hits more taxpayers each year.
These bonds generally are so-called “private activity bonds,” issued to support projects (such as sports stadiums) that benefit private parties. Check the AMT status of bonds with their issuer before investing.
(3) Tax-exempt bonds are often purchased at a discount, with the amount of the discount taxable as ordinary interest income. Also, not all municipal bonds pay federally tax-exempt interest.
February 27th, 2010 at 9:42 am
Howie
This is your fault. If you hadn’t told so much about that fucking Trench, the Emperor wouldn’t be entering the situation.
So do something with that big mouth of your.
Irene
February 27th, 2010 at 10:03 am
Michelle,
I am sure you are aware of the Emperor’s plans to cause Volcanic havoc on this Planet.
He began by moving Plates around which is necessary to allow magma to come to the surface and cause Volcanoes. These have manifested as Earthquakes in Iapan and Chile (8.8) which will cause tremendous damage to the Pacific area. The aftershock and Tsunami that will hit the Pacific including Hawaii, in about 1 hour can be tempered by you and your Ship. You are needed to help the Planet before all hell breaks loose.
Our Military believes that they can scramble jets and fight off a power that is capable of casing Earthquakes and Volcanoes on this Planet. They are wrong and need help.
We could be looking at a Nuclear Winter caused by Volcanic action. The shit has hit the fan.
HOWIE
February 27th, 2010 at 10:14 am
Irene, there has been Alien interest in the Mariana Trench long before I said a word about it.
All my comments are screened by a higher power before I write about them.
Haven’t you learned no to shoot the messenger?
HOWIE