Government Confiscates food!?!
By: James Burge
December 19th, 2008
Anyone doubting that martial law is already in the works south of the border need only read this article.
It talks about John and Jacqueline Stowers who run an organic food cooperative, something that we should all be looking to set up in our neighborhoods. The Ohio Department of Agriculture and the Lorain County Health Department raided their home and confiscated the families food supply, cell phones and computers.
“The use of these police state tactics on a peaceful family is simply unacceptable,” Buckeye Institute President David Hansen said. “Officers rushed into the Stowers’ home with guns drawn and held the family – including ten young children – captive for six hours. This outrageous case of bureaucratic overreach must be addressed.”
Outrageous is right! They confiscated FOOD, can you believe that? The idea of cell phones and computers being confiscated is somewhat routine in cases of fraud or other overt criminal activity, but this family has, as far as anyone can tell, done absolutely nothing wrong. According to the video below they also confiscated about a years worth of their personal meat supply some of which was from animals they raised themselves.
They also confiscated the computer that the family uses to home school their children and that one daughter uses to communicate with her husband who is serving in Iraq. The family was traumatized by the police raid and the fact that they failed to identify themselves as law enforcement officials. What sort of resistance did they expect to receive from a woman and 10 kids.
Update: Just came across this very informative podcast from the Buckeye Institure.org
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Laughably Useless
By: James Burge
December 18th, 2008
In a move similar to recent Melamine contamination news, the US FDA has decided that “mercury in fish,[…] no longer poses any health threat to children, pregnant women, nursing mothers and infants.” (as if toxins somehow degrade with time…as opposed to accumulate in the food chain)
Last week, the FDA declared trace levels of melamine to be safe in infant formula. A few weeks earlier, it said the plastics chemical Bisphenol-A was safe for infants to drink. Now it says children can eat mercury, too. Is there any toxic substance in the food that the FDA thinks might be dangerous? (Aspartame, MSG, sodium nitrite and now mercury…)
Source: FDA Stuns Scientists, Declares Mercury in Fish to be Safe for Infants, Children, Expectant Mothers!
In a move that can only be seen as highly political the USA FDA has caved in to pressure regarding Mercury in Dental Amalgam and Thimerosal in vaccines and flu shots and decided that all mercury is safe, even for pregnant women and infants. This is in direct opposition to YEARS of science that labels mercury as one of the most neurotoxic substances known to man.
A recent University of Calgary study found that mercury causes significant neurodegredation in snails. However, even Health Canada released a statement saying these findings don’t provide evidence of any risk. Most claim that mercury levels from dental amalgam aren’t significant enough, or as some claim, non-existent, so no health effects are expected.
It just seems to me that, as with most industry watch dogs, that unless a significant risk exists its business as usual. Which means that the claim mercury no longer poses ANY health effects is false it just isn’t significant enough for them to care. If you do by chance suffer from mercury poisoning (or acute mercury toxicity) you likely wont be able to trace it back to dental fillings, flu shots/vaccines, or fish consumption. Also, when you consider how many people have mercury in their mouth due to dental fillings, if it was deemed unsafe, where would the dental industry begin in attempting to rectify the situation?
When agencies such as Health Canada and the FDA play these sorts of games it does nothing more than reduce people’s trust thereby rendering these agencies useless. What good is a health agency that is more worried about multinational cooperation’s bottom line than the people they are supposed to be protecting? And at what levels can a known toxin be considered safe? Oh wait I forgot, Mercury isn’t toxic, not anymore, what a relief?
But if you don’t believe me, below is the video from the University of Calgary presenting the results of their study, decide for your self.
How Mercury Produces Brain Damage – Click here for funny video clips
Yet another political assassination???
By: James Burge
December 17th, 2008
I’m sure you are aware of the recent story involving Illinois governor, Rod Blagojevich, and his alleged attempts to sell the senate seat left vacant by President-Elect Barack Obama.
Under Illinois law the governor of Obama’s home state can appoint the president-elect’s successor but he apparently left the aide in no doubt that his blessing would come at a price. A seat in the Senate, he explained, is “a fucking valuable thing, you just don’t give it away for nothing”.
Source: Governor of Illinois faces ‘staggering’ charges of corruption
Let me start off by saying that this is not by any means the first time a politician has looked for outside compensation to grease the wheels of ‘democracy,’ and it wont be the last. Is this really such a shock, in a political environment that saw multi-billon dollar, no-bid contracts for work in Iraq go to Halliburton and KBR, companies which both Vice-President Dick Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld both had worked previously and some say still receive money or have financial interests. This is the way business has been done by the Elite in power for a long time, why now is it so ‘staggering’ when a democrat does it, oh wait, I may have just answered by own question…
It is also not surprising, in these days of warrant-less wire tapping, that the FBI happens to have these recorded phone conversations as part of ‘an investigation’ and that his arrest came, less than 24 hours after he ordered all Illinois state agencies to suspend doing any business with Bank of America who received $25 billion in taxpayer money as part of the financial bail-out.
This is exactly the kind of thing that isn’t right, when on the one hand powerful special interest groups get the help of taxpayer money[…], yet the purpose of that money was supposed to be to provide a line of credit to businesses [...] to keep workers working and people employed, yet the bank of America has yet to step up and say they are going to be helpful […] and keep these people working so unless and until they do that the State of Illinois will suspend doing any business with the Bank of America and we hope that this kind of leverage and pressure will encourage the Bank of America to do the right thing for this business take some of that federal tax money that they have received and invest it by providing the necessary credit to this company so these workers can keep their jobs.
Source: Interesting timing
This all seems very reminiscent of the recent political assassination of recent New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer when the FBI released information about another ‘investigation’ revealing his use of prostitutes (another thing that is surprisingly common in all aspects of politics, just look at the assassination suicide of Deborah Jeane Palfrey the D.C. Madam who apparently had information about Vice-President Dick Cheney’s use of prostitutes). I’m sure his recent statements blaming the Bush Administration directly for the Housing Bubble. In a recent Washington Post Editorial Spitzer stated:
Even though predatory lending was becoming a national problem, the Bush administration looked the other way and did nothing to protect American homeowners. In fact, the government chose instead to align itself with the banks that were victimizing consumers.
Source: Predatory Lenders’ Partner in Crime
And only a few weeks later, he was forced to resign and his resignation got more attention than his accusations a few weeks prior, again I’m not surprised.
Anyone who still thinks that the NSA warrant-less wiretapping is to combat terrorism, or that FBI investigations are not political, wake up.
Buy your 2008 Amero’s today while supplies last… WTF?
By: James Burge
December 10th, 2008
Ok before you look at me like I’m crazy, you can (while supplies last, or the year ends) purchase Amero’s online.
Canadian sovereignty is in danger! It is only a matter of time before the US begins to effect Canadian Politics in ways that we are unaware. The current war in Afghanistan is a great example. Gone are the days when we can call ourselves peacekeepers as we have now begun fighting US wars, or at least attempting to pick up the peaces.
Canadians need to wake up and ask themselves if they want to be slaves to the government system as our brothers to the south are (look into the Federal reserve if you don’t believe me). Harper has already signed the Security and Prosperity Partnership(SPP)which is an economic/trade agreement that will be used to dissolve both the physical and political borders between our countries. Although, Canadians and Americans have similar societies, it is our differences that we (the people) have always valued, and the Elite have contempt for. The SPP is an attempt by the US to gain greater access to Canadian Natural Resources and Mexican Human Resources.
The only way that society will accept (or, as some have said beg for) a new North American currency is with the complete devaluation of the dollar, which is currently underway. By reducing the kinda of credit people can receive in dollars, it will create a void which will need to be filled. That, along with the type of hyperinflation which is inevitable given the US Federal Reserve has been printing money like crazy (and deserves to be audited even though not even the US Congress (the only body given the right to issue coin by the US Constitution) can do such a thing).
Wake up people, our way of life, and reputation as Canadians is at risk.
Is nothing safe?? BY LOCAL PRODUCE!!!
By: James Burge
October 31st, 2008
Ok, so I’ve made 2 posts already on the preceved threat of high levels of Melamine in various Chineese made candies and food products. The problem is, Melamine is also added to animal feed, that means that now eggs have been contaminated with Melamine. The AP article goes on to say that very little research has been done because Melamine contamination due to leaching isn’t very common and wouldn’t be expected to create high enough levels for any adverse effects. Were it not for Chinese maufacturers deliberately adding the toxic chemical there wouldn’t have been a risk to consumers.
But while scientists say it’s not dangerous to ingest small amounts, they cannot be definitive because there have been no tests on melamine’s effects in humans. Until the contaminated baby formula became public in September, there was never any reason to.
Source: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hud2xejzcnuymvyU35uIkpblGfSAD945LRC00
So I’ve found a list of products that have been tested and found to be safe, the only problem is, its for Malaysia. But hey its what I was looking for.
List of Products Not Affected By Melamine Contamination-Updated Till 28.10.2008
this information was found here: http://fsq.moh.gov.my/modules/news/
Hopefully this will be the last I have to post on this. (not likely…)
Tainted imports, what better reason to buy local
By: James Burge
October 30th, 2008
Update: More info here: http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/465.html
I wanted to take a moment to blog again about the story I posted yesterday about the allegedly tainted food products imported to North America from Chinese manufacturers. I admit it was slightly alarmist and I’m not sure that angle is very effective, so I will attempt, with a more level head, to address these concerns again.
Let’s start with what we know.
We know that in recent years many tainted food scandals have affected consumers in this country, the most notable being the Listeria outbreak that continues to get attention (and rightfully so). Other notable cases include the recent tomato and spinach salmonella outbreaks and the dog food recall back in March of this year which caused kidney and liver failure in pets. What didn’t really make headlines was the cause of the kidney and liver failure. Most articles attribute the recall to tainted wheat gluten. But what was the wheat gluten tainted with??? The answer is Melamine.
Melamine is a toxic chemical used in fertilizers and thermosetting plastics.
Ingestion of Melamine may lead to reproductive damage, or bladder or kidney stones, which can lead to bladder cancer.[15][20][21][22][23]
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melamine#Chronic_toxicity
(the one that I find most interesting is the reproductive damage coupled with the high risk to infants, but that’s another story altogether)
We know about reported cases of Melamine-contaminated powdered infant formula from China.
Over 6240 cases of kidney stones in infants with three deaths have been reported from across China as of 17 September [2008]. Kidney stones in infants are very rare.
Source: http://www.who.int/csr/don/2008_09_19/en/index.html
One of China’s biggest dairy producers received consumer complaints about its baby milk formula as early as December 2007.
Earlier this month, government investigators said that Sanlu officials had delayed acting on consumer complaints and warnings in June, and that local government officials in Hebei knew of the problems in early August, just before the Olympic Games opened in Beijing.
Food safety experts say the delays may have allowed the tainted powdered milk supplies to spread more widely, making tens of thousands of children ill.
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/24/world/asia/24milk.html
Lastly, we know that the instance of kidney stones in American children is on the rise. Once considered a middle age ailment, more and more young children are developing kidney stones. This rise is attributed to excess salt in ones diet along with the instance of obesity.
Now lets talk a bit about what we don’t know.
We don’t know the amount of contaminated products have been imported into North America, but since the Chinese government was trying to save face while the world was watching, products continued to be imported to North America and may still be on store shelves.
We don’t know, what the Canadian (or US for that matter) government is doing about concerns regarding food imports. Although the Canadian Government is trying to change laws that would require a clarification if products from other countries were used in manufacturing, it may be a case of to little to late.
[U]nder current Canadian law, if 51 per cent of the production costs were incurred in Canada and the last substantial transformation of the product occurred in Canada, it is legal to use those labels.
The made-in-Canada label will mean the product was manufactured or processed in Canada. While such a product can include non-Canadian contents, the label must make it clear by specifying it was made in Canada with imported ingredients.
Source: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/05/21/food-label.html
Update: We now know what the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is doing about the Melamine contamination:
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is advising all importers of food products from China containing milk or milk-derived ingredients that the Agency will require documentation demonstrating certain safety and compliance for these products.
Source: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concen/2008melinfoe.shtml
We also now know which products have tested positive for high levels of Melamine. A list can be found here.
What we still don’t know is which products have been tested and found to be safe. I know that this may be asking a lot because there is no way to test everything that is currently on shelves in stores. But countries like Korea have removed the following:
M&M milk chocolates, Snickers peanut fun size bars, Kit Kat bars from Nestle, and Ritz “sandwich cracker cheese and rice cookies”
Source: http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/463.html
The above mentioned are North American Brand Name candy bars, and the Snickers specifically says the fun size bars, I am assuming this means the small bite size bars usually given out at Halloween. Since the milk power itself was imported to the US, there is a chance that even American brand name chocolate bars could be contaminated, and need to be tested (although it would be easier just to find out who imported milk powder from China (after Dec 2007) and which batches it was used it, this information is likely already known in the US, but has not been released)
We don’t know why the media hasn’t been mentioning the risks to candy, ESPECIALLY since (as I’m writing this), it is Halloween. In 24h the damage will already have been done.
We don’t know the scope of the contamination. Most of the stories have highlighted milk powder or whey, but includes products like chocolate, cookies, cakes, and even things like packaged macaroni and cheese. While some of the recalled candy doesn’t even contain milk powder as one of the ingredients. Egg powder is also being identified as a potential source of this contamination.
A recall was issued for foil-wrapped Pirate’s Gold chocolate coins because they contain melamine.
Source: http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/coins.asp
We don’t know how much, if any of the candy currently in stores for sale for Halloween has been tested, and therefore we don’t know what candy to avoid. This will put an unfortunate damper on Halloween this year.
So what can we do?
We can do our best to limit or eliminate any Chinese made products that may contain milk, milk powder, egg powder, whey. (although this is easier said than done)
We can pressure government officials to step-up testing of products which are imported to this country and could contain chemical additives (whether deliberate or accidental) deemed harmful.
We can educate everyone we know on the risks, and we can hope that we don’t see that kind of kidney damage in children before we act.
We can buy local food, and try, whenever possible, to stay away from pre-packaged manufactured food and candy. Only by refusing to buy potentially unsafe products will testing become standard in order to ease the public’s concerns.
For some more information, Brass Check TV has compiled some videos here: http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/462.htm
