I found this interesting article about how recently the FDA banned pyridoxamine, a form of vitamin B6. “Pyridoxamine occurs naturally in fish, chicken and other foods (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_B6), putting the FDA in the strange position of banning a substance from dietary supplements even though it is already present in the food supply.” -http://tinyurl.com/cfpceu

So if the FDA is banning a form of a natural vitamin, does that mean if we take it we could be arrested?

Okay, that may seem like a stretch…but is it?

Why would the FDA do this? Aren’t they supposed to be looking out for our best interests?

Pyridoxamine in supplemental form is safe. If taken in high amounts of course has the potential to be detrimental to your health, just like if you were to drink 50 alcoholic beverages would be dangerous, yet if you just have 2 drinks you’ll be okay.

I did some more research and found out some surprising information on the effects of pyridoxamine (B6):

“Nutritional supplementation with high dose vitamin B6 and magnesium is claimed to alleviate the symptoms of autism and is one of the most popular complementary and alternative medicine choices for autism.”

“The intake of vitamin B6, from either diet or supplements, could cut the risk of Parkinson’s disease by half….”

Both quotes from Wikepedia.com: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_B6)

The fact that a U.S. Federal government agency is prohibiting the use of a form of vitamin that has known healing properties of severe diseases make me wonder.

Ask yourself this question:

Why take a natural vitamin to alleviate symptoms, which would be relatively cheap, when you could buy an expensive synthetic drug from a pharmaceutical company? Month after month, year after year — and at the same time making the “health care” (sick care) pharmaceutical industry richer and richer?

Also, if the natural “cure” isn’t available (banned), people suffering will have no other choice.

When will this end?

j*

I found a great essay on Prop 8 & The Constitution that I have to share with you:

http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog.php?view=4946

I’m trying out this new QuickPress feature that showed up in my Dashboard here when I logged into WordPress tonight. I noticed this lonely box to the right of my screen that shouted for me to start typing. I think I’m in love! It just seems so natural, like I’ve done it before.

Working with PowerCore (www.PowerCore.net) I am being introduced to new and cool technologies. I’ve been blogging here and there and have been trying out different online social networks and fun sites. My favorite online social networking site is Facebook. It’s great for family, friends & even business. Since I’ve been using Facebook regularly I’ve been connecting with old friends from when I was a kid to friends from college I haven’t spoken to in years.

I feel grateful to be alive during these exciting, technologically enhanced times and I’m looking forward to new ways of connecting with people.

Hmmm…not much of a democracy we live in.

http://adage.com/moy2008/article?article_id=131810

 

As mentioned in a speech by Noam Chomsky: “What Next? The Elections, the Economy, and the World”

http://www.democracynow.org/2008/11/24/noam_chomsky_what_next_the_elections

 

DemocracyNow!

 

Jeremy

This is a letter I wrote to Trick’s Gymnastics in Granite Bay, CA when I saw them on the HRC list of Prop 8 supporters. I had to express my feelings.

***

To California Proposition 8 Supporter-

As a former gymnast, I am appalled at Trick’s Gymnastics decision to donate $5000 to support Proposition 8, the gay-marriage ban in California. I’m disgusted with you as an American and as a human being. In case you don’t know there are so many children all over the country who are gymnasts and gay, just like me. Your hateful contribution is hurtful to them and their families. Probably some of your own clients are gay and your decision to support Proposition 8 has stripped them of their civil rights. Proposition 8 denies rights to families, children & parents. Do you not respect the decision of the highest court of the state? Do you think you are more qualified than the California Supreme Court to judge the civil rights of it’s citizens? With all due respect, I doubt it. The Supreme Court has already RULED the existing state constitution currently allows same-sex civil marriage and to ban gay marriage is unconstitutional. And do you know why? Because it’s a civil right. Civil marriage is a civil right. What don’t you understand about that? I honestly want to know why you support this ban? Please respond – I really want to know your thoughts. How does allowing gays & lesbians to marry actually effect you and your life? Gay marriage has been legal in MA since May of 2004 and the world as we know it did not end!

.   

And I want to make something perfectly clear. If your support of this ban is based on your religious beliefs you should be ashamed of yourself. Forcing your religious beliefs on others is not the teaching of God and is severely unpatriotic. Gays & lesbians are not trying to make churches redefine marriage. This has nothing to do with religion or churches. This has to do with the state. If a state can allow two heterosexual couples to marry, it must allow two homosexual couples to marry. Equal rights for all Americans is what our founding fathers wanted for ALL Americans: white, black, straight, gay, minority, majority, Republican & Democrat. We are protected by our constitutions. Who are you to think you know better?

Equal = Equal

Proposition 8 = Hate

Civil Rights = Civil Marriage

Understand the importance of separation of Church & State – that’s why our founding fathers left Europe and created our constitution. Let the churches decide how they want to define marriage and who they will marry. But how dare you deny me as an American, or one of your gay gymnasts, the right to marry when our CA constitution already grants us that civil right?

Your hateful, unpatriotic agenda will be defeated and LOVE will prevail.

Your support for this ban is being seen by the entire world – straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgendered people everywhere. You can view documentation of your contribution along with the other business and individuals that supported this proposition by checking out this link: http://www.hrc.org/news/11542.htm

Now I know where NOT to spend my resources.

Sincerely,

 

Jeremy Faulkner

workitout@gmail.com

***

I’m still waiting for a response.

 

I found this great op-ed from the President of the Human Rights Campaign, Joe Solmonese, which I’ve included the link below. But first, here are my thoughts on the outcome of Prop 8. I’m still in disbelief that more than half the citizens of California decided to strip marriage rights from their gay brothers and sisters after California’s Supreme Court already RULED earlier this year that gays and lesbians HAD the same rights as heterosexual couples to marry – under the California constitution. And still, more than half voted against civil rights. What? Did these citizens actually understand the full extent of the consequences of such a vote? Wait a minute, hold up…I guess it does seem possible that people could be easily fall for the “Yes on Prop 8″ bullshit, hell, the whole initiative was funded by the Mormons. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spent over $22 million dollars to pass the ban – to further their own political agenda. God, I hope they get their non-profit privileges stripped away, because they broke the law. Gay marriage and LGBT equality is inevitable – but there is still a FIGHT that needs to be won!

Now, a message from Joe Solmonese:

http://www.hrc.org/11522.htm 

Also, here’s a great article I found by Thomas A. Foster:

http://www.freep.com/article/20081113/OPINION05/81113065

With much love & hope.

Jeremy

$29 billion for Bear Stearns

$143.8 billion for AIG (thus far; it keeps growing)

$100 billion for Fannie Mae

$100 billion for Freddie Mac

$700 billion for Wall Street, including Bank of America (Merrill Lynch), Citigroug, JP Morgan (WaMu), Wells Fargo (Wachovia), Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, and a lot more

$25 billion for the Big Three in Detroit

$8 billion for Indy Mac

$150 billion for stimulus package (from January)

$50 billion for money market funds

$138 billion for Lehman Bros. (post bankruptcy, through JP Morgan)

$620 billion for general currency swaps from the Fed

Rough total: $2,063,800,000,000—Two trillion and growing!

HOW COULD WE LET THIS HAPPEN? WHEN IS THIS GOING TO STOP?

Visit http://www.breakthebailout.com/ to learn more how WE can stop this insanity!

Join me at 1pm at the Georgia State Capital, Atlanta, GA for a protest against California’s Proposition 8 that banned gay-marriage. Candle Light Vigil is at 5pm at 10th & Piedmont, Atlanta, afterwards.

Join us, there will be thousands. Let’s send a clear message: WE THE PEOPLE DEMAND EQUALITY FOR ALL AMERICANS. 

Read below:

********

All,

For some members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (“LGBTQ”) community and our supporters, our joy on Election Day was devastated Wednesday morning when we awoke to find that Californians, by a slim majority, had passed Proposition 8, an amendment to ban gay marriage.  This weekend, supporters of justice for the LGBTQ community around the country will gather to express their dismay and outrage at the passage of Proposition 8 and their hope for equal rights for all citizens. 

In Atlanta, approximately 1000 supporters of the LGBTQ community will assemble peacefully for a candlelight vigil at the intersection of 10th and Piedmont Ave. at 5PM on Saturday, November 15th in the parking lots of Nickimoto’s and Zocalo’s Restaurants.  On Saturday, please attend and support the event by doing the following:

• Bring a candle.
• Bring a sign.
• Make and wear a t-shirt.
• Bring a friend. 

In the meantime, you can show your support for equal rights for all citizens by doing any of the following:

• Forward this email widely!  Send to friends, families, co-workers, student groups, teams, church groups, etc. throughout the Atlanta community.  The more people who know about the action, the greater our show of support.
• RSVP to the Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=35430624219&ref=nf
• Change your Facebook status!  It’s a free, easy, simple way to show your concern for the rights of all citizens.

This event is free and requires little of your time.  It will be a beautiful, meaningful event and a great show of support for civil rights and the LGBTQ community.

Thank you in advance.

******

 

Atlanta will be one of many major cities holding rallies, and marches to show opposition to the passing of proposition 8 in California. Georgia Equality will update our members on any changes to Saturday’s itinerary as we learn of them. 

A message from the event organizers:

 

“A nation-wide protest is planned in opposition of California’s Prop. 8 for this Saturday, November 15th. Join The Impact is organizing the event via the web and organizers have two Atlanta events planned to coincide with the national protests.

The first event (rally) will begin at 1:30 PM outside of the Georgia State Capitol building. You are asked to bring signs, flags and wear t-shirts voicing your opposition to Prop. 8. The official blog for this event isAtlanta’s March for Equality.

The second event to follow will be a candlelight vigil at the corner of 10th and Piedmont outside Outwrite Books in Midtown from 5 PM to 8PM. You are asked to bring candles and again signs to demonstrate your resolve for marriage equality. If you are on Facebook you can view more details about the vigil here.

So please plan on attending one of these events. You should be aware the local media (television and print) will likely cover these events. Show the city, state and our country that you care about your civil rights and that you demand equality now. The more people that attend the greater the visual impact on television and we need to demonstrate the strength and power of our community. We need numbers and now is not the time to pretend you do not care.

There is not much time so get the word out. Tell all your friends, send emails, post on your blog, and make your voice heard.”

Contact info. for the vigil is Sean Sobottka (ssobottka@gmail.com; 315.427.5568) or Scott Touchstone (scott.touchstone@gmail.com; 404.593.5865).

 

I did not write this. My friend Regan sent me this post she found on Craigslist and I have to share. It’s brilliant.

***
Dear Red States: 

We’ve decided we’re leaving. We intend to form our own country, and we’re taking the other Blue States with us. In case you aren’t aware, that includes California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and all the Northeast. It may even include Florida and Ohio, they are seriously considering it. We’ve given them until Nov. 4th to decide. We believe this split will be beneficial to the nation, and especially to the people of the new country. Since we’re dropping the middle states we’re calling it United America, or simply the U.A. 

To sum up briefly: You get Texas, Oklahoma and all the slave states. We get stem cell research and the best beaches. We get the Statue of Liberty. You get Dollywood. You can take Ted Nugent. We’re keeping Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel. You get WorldCom. We get Intel and Microsoft. You get Ole’ Miss. We get Harvard and 85 percent of America’s venture capital and entrepreneurs. You get Alabama. We get two-thirds of the tax revenue, you get to make the red states pay their fair share. 

Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22 percent lower than the Christian Coalition’s, we get a bunch of happy families. You get a bunch of single moms, and the highest concentration of pregnant unwed teenagers. Please be aware that the U.A. will be pro-choice and anti-war, and we’re going to want all our citizens back from Iraq at once. If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals. They have kids they’re apparently willing to send to their deaths for no purpose, and they don’t care if you don’t show pictures of their children’s caskets coming home. We do wish you success in Iraq, and hope that the WMDs turn up, really we do, but we’re not willing to spend our resources in Bush’s Quagmire. We’d rather spend it on taking care of sick people, and educating our children. 

With the Blue States in hand, we will have firm control of 80 percent of the country’s fresh water, more than 90 percent of the pineapple and lettuce, 92 percent of the nation’s fresh fruit, 95 percent of America’s quality wines, 90 percent of all cheese, 90 percent of the high tech industry, most of the U.S. low-sulfur coal, all living redwoods, sequoias and condors, all the Ivy and Seven Sister schools plus Stanford, Cal Tech and MIT. With the Red States, on the other hand, you will have to cope with 88 percent of all obese Americans (and their projected health care costs), 92 percent of all U.S. mosquitoes, nearly 100 percent of the tornadoes, 90 percent of the hurricanes, 99 percent of all Southern Baptists, virtually 100 percent of all televangelists, Rush Limbaugh, Bob Jones University, Clemson and the University of Georgia. We get Hollywood and Yosemite, thank you. 

Additionally, 38 percent of those in the Red states believe Jonah was actually swallowed by a whale, 62 percent believe life is sacred unless we’re discussing the war, the death penalty or gun laws, 44 percent say that evolution is only a theory, 53 percent that Saddam was involved in 9/11 and 61 percent of you crazy Reddies believe you are people with higher morals then we Bluies.. 

Finally, we’re taking the good pot, too. You can have that dirt weed they grow in Mexico. 

Peace out, 
Blue States

That’s pretty much what we’ll be doing if this proposed $700 billion bailout of the financial market actually happens. I hope we NEVER give any federal government employee a “check” for nearly $1 trillion dollars and gambling it by taking ownership of these failing companies. I say let them fail. But I hear, “it sounds like a great deal” and “the American people can make a profit from this,” and it makes me sick. Wall Street needs to bail themselves out – and the way Wall Street works needs to be reformed so the reoccurring corruption will never get this out of control again. The corruption will always be there – but we as Americans let it happen. If we want things to change, we need to be willing to stand up and hold our elected officials accountable. The complacency (and/or ignorance) of too many Americans is disheartening, but we need to come together and take action to take our country back from crooked thieves. $1 trillion dollars is toooo much money to watch get thrown around like a bouncy ball and see where it lands. Politicians, political and financial advisers shouldn’t be making decisions behind closed doors for political gain. I want to believe that these idiots have the national interest at heart, but I’m not convinced. All we have been told by this administration, as we all have noticed the economy slow down for the past several months and watch people suffer, is that the economy is strong. All along President Bush has been saying that things aren’t that bad. Then all too sudden we’re told we’re borderline going into a depression and need to sign into law immediately the largest transfer of power in the history of this planet or our economy will basically collapse. Henry Paulson put in a clause in one the original versions that said in a nutshell that he could do whatever with the funds as he pleases and he can’t be held accountable in a court of law regardless of the outcome. If this is an economic problem, an actual crisis, then where are all the damn economists? Shouldn’t there be more economists in these back room deals than Bush administration officials and other politicians?! This is leaving a horrible taste in my mouth. The closer we get to this election the more and more I hope that the next election cycle the American people can come together and break the two-party strangle hold on our country. 

Please tell me your concerns.

Jeremy