Five toxic holiday gifts you should never buy a loved one for Christmas

(NaturalNews) Gift-giving is a wonderful activity, but many people who give gifts to family and friends don’t realize they’re actually giving the recipient cancer , or diabetes or attention deficit problems . In this article, I expose five dangerous gifts that may literally increase the risk of disease and death. Whatever you give your family and friends this holiday season, please avoid giving these five dangerous gifts: Dangerous gift #1) Perfumes and colognes (promote cancer) A typical perfume product contains over 20 cancer-causing chemicals , and they’re absorbed right through the skin. Perfumes and colognes — or any fragrance product, for that matter — are direct causes of cancer which remain utterly ignored by the cancer industry (that just happens to be more interested in high-profit treatments rather than profit-destroying prevention strategies ). The only “safe” perfume is one made entirely from essential oils. Legally speaking, nearly all perfumes sold in the state of California should be labeled with cancer warnings under Proposition 65, but the state never enforces this law against giant perfume corporations (interesting, huh?). Dangerous gift #2) Processed meats, hams and sausages (promote cancer and diabetes) You see these heavily promoted during the holiday season: Sausages, hams and other specialty meats, usually sold with natural-sounding language to make them appear wholesome and home-grown. In reality, almost 100% of these meats contain sodium nitrite , a dangerous cancer-causing chemical that’s used to turn these meats red and prevent spoilage by killing living organisms. See my CounterThink Cartoon on this topic: http://counterthink.com/Processed_Meat_for_Christmas.asp Sodium nitrite is linked to both an increase in cancer as well as type-2 diabetes due to harmful effects on the pancreas. The USDA once tried to ban sodium nitrite from the food supply in the 1970′s but was overruled by the meat industry (which now basically runs the USDA). While processed holiday meats might be a very effective gift to give someone you wanted to murder , they are simply not appropriate to give to someone you care for. Dangerous gift #3) Video game consoles (promote violence) Parents, if you’re about to buy video games for your kids, please reconsider your decision. Video game consoles now feature game content that’s more graphic and violent than ever, and they desensitize your children to acts of violence. Even worse, some video games being designed today — “first-person shooters” — are actually developed by the U.S. military and used as recruiting tools that aggrandize war. A young male child who plays video games is not only more like to join the military and engage in mindless acts of violence, he is also more likely to be diagnosed with attention deficit disorder . There are some very good real-time strategy games that teach strategic thinking (such as Sid Meier’s Civilization series), but avoid giving your children first-person shooters or other extremely violent games. Dangerous gift #4) Mobile phones (promote type-3 diabetes) Very few people know that there’s another kind of diabetes called “type-3 diabetes.” It’s caused by electropollution . Quite literally, when some people are in the presence of strong electromagnetic fields, their blood sugar levels begin to swing wildly. (http://www.naturalnews.com/028967_electropollution_diabetes.html) Mobile phones are one of the worst sources of electromagnetic pollution beamed right through your head . It’s far safer to use them with a bluetooth headset, and safer still to use them only as a texting device without voice calling. (The small bursts of text data transfer are miniscule compared to full-on voice broadcast.) If you do want to give someone a mobile phone, make sure they’re not already diabetic (and buy them a bluetooth headset). Dangerous gift #5) Clothing that’s full of GMOs, dyes and pesticides This is a tough one, but nearly all the clothing sold in stores today is absolutely loaded with GMOs, dyes and pesticides. Let me explain: Any clothing containing cotton is almost certainly GMO, as virtually all the cotton grown in America today is genetically modified. Of course, you’re not eating that pair of jeans, so this may not concern you personally, but there’s still a huge environmental impact of GMO cotton being grown on farms. Far worse from a personal health perspective are the dyes . Clothing dyes are almost always toxic, cancer-causing chemicals , and if you’ve ever worn a new piece of clothing and later discovered some of the dye rubbed off on your arms or legs, you know how easily these dyes can transfer from the clothing to your skin (and then into your bloodstream). Finally, all non-organic cotton is loaded with pesticides , and those pesticide chemicals can promote Parkinson’s disease, dementia and other brain disorders (http://www.naturalnews.com/027098_pesticides_disease_pesticide.html). The only cotton that’s free of pesticides is 100% organic cotton , which is available from a few specialty stores and online retailers. SAFETY TIP: If you do buy someone a gift of clothing, or if you receive one yourself, wash the clothes in hot water (by themselves, without polluting your other clothing) and use an extra rinse cycle. Dry them in the dryer and then wash them again! This is the only way to remove most of the dyes and pesticides found in these clothes, and even this process doesn’t remove all the dangerous chemicals. Remember this, too: Nearly all clothing containing cotton boosts the profits of Monsanto , which sells the genetically modified cotton seeds that farmers use to produce this cotton. So buying someone a pair of jeans for Christmas is essentially putting more money into Monsanto’s pocket. It goes without saying, but… In addition to the five toxic gifts mentioned above, please do not buy anyone a flu shot gift card unless you are literally trying to kill them. Flu shots often contain live viruses and may actually cause the flu (http://www.naturalnews.com/033891_vaccines_delayed_injury.html). They can also cause neurological side effects like seizures and vomiting (http://www.naturalnews.com/029586_Australia_vaccines.html). If you really want to help someone boost their defenses against the flu this holiday season, buy ‘em some vitamin D (5,000 IUs is the recommended dosage). Be smart this holiday season – don’t destroy the health of those you love Whatever you give people this holiday season, be smart and consider the following: • WHERE does this gift come from? What is its resource and manufacturing impact on the environment? • WHO profits from me buying this gift? Does it enrich some evil corporation? • WHAT will be the impact on the person I’m giving this gift to? Will it improve their live in a meaningful way? The more you consider these questions, the better your gift-giving success will be… and not just at a personal level, but at a global level where you are fully aware of the global impacts of your purchasing and gift-giving decisions. Want to give your loved ones healthy gifts? Consider some of the specials at the NaturalNews Store, which we’ve just published at: http://www.naturalnews.com/034252_holiday_shopping_healthy_gifts.html These are all health-promoting gifts, and many of them are on sale at the best prices on the ‘net (even better than Amazon.com). Whatever you buy this holiday season, give the gift of good health wherever possible.

Five toxic holiday gifts you should never buy a loved one for Christmas

(NaturalNews) Gift-giving is a wonderful activity, but many people who give gifts to family and friends don’t realize they’re actually giving the recipient cancer , or diabetes or attention deficit problems . In this article, I expose five dangerous gifts that may literally increase the risk of disease and death. Whatever you give your family and friends this holiday season, please avoid giving these five dangerous gifts: Dangerous gift #1) Perfumes and colognes (promote cancer) A typical perfume product contains over 20 cancer-causing chemicals , and they’re absorbed right through the skin. Perfumes and colognes — or any fragrance product, for that matter — are direct causes of cancer which remain utterly ignored by the cancer industry (that just happens to be more interested in high-profit treatments rather than profit-destroying prevention strategies ). The only “safe” perfume is one made entirely from essential oils. Legally speaking, nearly all perfumes sold in the state of California should be labeled with cancer warnings under Proposition 65, but the state never enforces this law against giant perfume corporations (interesting, huh?). Dangerous gift #2) Processed meats, hams and sausages (promote cancer and diabetes) You see these heavily promoted during the holiday season: Sausages, hams and other specialty meats, usually sold with natural-sounding language to make them appear wholesome and home-grown. In reality, almost 100% of these meats contain sodium nitrite , a dangerous cancer-causing chemical that’s used to turn these meats red and prevent spoilage by killing living organisms. See my CounterThink Cartoon on this topic: http://counterthink.com/Processed_Meat_for_Christmas.asp Sodium nitrite is linked to both an increase in cancer as well as type-2 diabetes due to harmful effects on the pancreas. The USDA once tried to ban sodium nitrite from the food supply in the 1970′s but was overruled by the meat industry (which now basically runs the USDA). While processed holiday meats might be a very effective gift to give someone you wanted to murder , they are simply not appropriate to give to someone you care for. Dangerous gift #3) Video game consoles (promote violence) Parents, if you’re about to buy video games for your kids, please reconsider your decision. Video game consoles now feature game content that’s more graphic and violent than ever, and they desensitize your children to acts of violence. Even worse, some video games being designed today — “first-person shooters” — are actually developed by the U.S. military and used as recruiting tools that aggrandize war. A young male child who plays video games is not only more like to join the military and engage in mindless acts of violence, he is also more likely to be diagnosed with attention deficit disorder . There are some very good real-time strategy games that teach strategic thinking (such as Sid Meier’s Civilization series), but avoid giving your children first-person shooters or other extremely violent games. Dangerous gift #4) Mobile phones (promote type-3 diabetes) Very few people know that there’s another kind of diabetes called “type-3 diabetes.” It’s caused by electropollution . Quite literally, when some people are in the presence of strong electromagnetic fields, their blood sugar levels begin to swing wildly. (http://www.naturalnews.com/028967_electropollution_diabetes.html) Mobile phones are one of the worst sources of electromagnetic pollution beamed right through your head . It’s far safer to use them with a bluetooth headset, and safer still to use them only as a texting device without voice calling. (The small bursts of text data transfer are miniscule compared to full-on voice broadcast.) If you do want to give someone a mobile phone, make sure they’re not already diabetic (and buy them a bluetooth headset). Dangerous gift #5) Clothing that’s full of GMOs, dyes and pesticides This is a tough one, but nearly all the clothing sold in stores today is absolutely loaded with GMOs, dyes and pesticides. Let me explain: Any clothing containing cotton is almost certainly GMO, as virtually all the cotton grown in America today is genetically modified. Of course, you’re not eating that pair of jeans, so this may not concern you personally, but there’s still a huge environmental impact of GMO cotton being grown on farms. Far worse from a personal health perspective are the dyes . Clothing dyes are almost always toxic, cancer-causing chemicals , and if you’ve ever worn a new piece of clothing and later discovered some of the dye rubbed off on your arms or legs, you know how easily these dyes can transfer from the clothing to your skin (and then into your bloodstream). Finally, all non-organic cotton is loaded with pesticides , and those pesticide chemicals can promote Parkinson’s disease, dementia and other brain disorders (http://www.naturalnews.com/027098_pesticides_disease_pesticide.html). The only cotton that’s free of pesticides is 100% organic cotton , which is available from a few specialty stores and online retailers. SAFETY TIP: If you do buy someone a gift of clothing, or if you receive one yourself, wash the clothes in hot water (by themselves, without polluting your other clothing) and use an extra rinse cycle. Dry them in the dryer and then wash them again! This is the only way to remove most of the dyes and pesticides found in these clothes, and even this process doesn’t remove all the dangerous chemicals. Remember this, too: Nearly all clothing containing cotton boosts the profits of Monsanto , which sells the genetically modified cotton seeds that farmers use to produce this cotton. So buying someone a pair of jeans for Christmas is essentially putting more money into Monsanto’s pocket. It goes without saying, but… In addition to the five toxic gifts mentioned above, please do not buy anyone a flu shot gift card unless you are literally trying to kill them. Flu shots often contain live viruses and may actually cause the flu (http://www.naturalnews.com/033891_vaccines_delayed_injury.html). They can also cause neurological side effects like seizures and vomiting (http://www.naturalnews.com/029586_Australia_vaccines.html). If you really want to help someone boost their defenses against the flu this holiday season, buy ‘em some vitamin D (5,000 IUs is the recommended dosage). Be smart this holiday season – don’t destroy the health of those you love Whatever you give people this holiday season, be smart and consider the following: • WHERE does this gift come from? What is its resource and manufacturing impact on the environment? • WHO profits from me buying this gift? Does it enrich some evil corporation? • WHAT will be the impact on the person I’m giving this gift to? Will it improve their live in a meaningful way? The more you consider these questions, the better your gift-giving success will be… and not just at a personal level, but at a global level where you are fully aware of the global impacts of your purchasing and gift-giving decisions. Want to give your loved ones healthy gifts? Consider some of the specials at the NaturalNews Store, which we’ve just published at: http://www.naturalnews.com/034252_holiday_shopping_healthy_gifts.html These are all health-promoting gifts, and many of them are on sale at the best prices on the ‘net (even better than Amazon.com). Whatever you buy this holiday season, give the gift of good health wherever possible.

NaturalNews Store announces holiday season specials on salt lamps, EMF meters, superfoods and more

(NaturalNews) There’s a lot of gift-giving going on this holiday season, but much of it is unfortunately founded in toxic gifts that actually cause cancer. Perfumes and colognes, for example, contain over 20 cancer-causing chemicals. Holiday meats and sausages almost always contain a chemical that causes cancer and diabetes. See the complete write-up of this in an accompanying article here on NaturalNews. If you’re giving gifts this holiday season, why not consider healthy gifts that people can enjoy without getting cancer or diabetes? Give the gift of happiness and health, not cancer and death. (Kinda makes sense, eh?) To help in this effort, we’ve put an solid selection of health-promoting gifts together for you at the NaturalNews Store. Click here to see the specials. These gifts include: • Himalayan Salt Lamps – an incredibly practical gift because they function both as a lamp and an emergency supply of full-spectrum salt that you can actually eat! On sale right now at the best price you’ll find on the ‘net. • Tri-Field Meters – they show you the electromagnetic pollution impacting your health. Turn this on near your circuit breaker box and you’ll be astonished. Or check the EMF pollution levels of your microwave, your coffee maker, your computer and your television. (Or check out your cell phone, if you dare…) • B-12 Energy Patches – using the high-end form of B-12 (methylcobalamin), these patches support the skin absorption of this critical nutrient that’s missing from the diets of many people, especially those who eat less meat. • Organic Sun-Cured Vanilla Bean Powder – this is the vanilla bean powder I use, and it’s so potent and unique that just 1/16th of a teaspoon will drastically improve the taste of almost any fruit smoothie or superfood blend. This is the real stuff, and we’ve got it at a far lower price than you’ll find anywhere else. • Himalayan Crystal Salt – a smart barter item and a thoughtful gift. It’s a full-spectrum salt that’s hand-mined from ancient salt caves. This is the real deal. Not processed or bleached out. Great for cooking as well as preparedness for uncertain times. • REJUVANTE Berries and Herbs superfood – we’ve got Rejuvenate and lots of other superfoods on sale right now at the NaturalNews Store! These are the superfoods I personally use to make smoothies, support healthy brain function, and provide superior nutrition in an age where most people are eating nutrient-depleted processed junk foods. • MegaFood vitamins – these are food-based nutritional supplements that deliver key nutrients such as selenium and zinc in a food format (not just ground-up rocks and minerals). • Astaxanthin, chlorella, Dragon Herbs, Chia Seeds, Coconut Oil and much more… the specials at the NaturalNews Store are greater than ever! We’ve even got stainless steel water bottles, Bear Fruit Bars and a whole lot more. It’s the largest collection of on-sale items we’ve ever offered. 116 health-enhancing products on sale NOW at the NaturalNews Store In all, we’ve got 116 items on sale right now. Check them all out at the following link: http://store.naturalnews.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=100370 Or just click here to see the list of specials . All sales help support NaturalNews and our efforts to continue bringing you hard-hitting news about health freedom, dangerous pharmaceuticals, personal preparedness, green living and much more. Thank you for your support!

U.S. doctors steeped in financial ties to drug money to Big Pharma

(NaturalNews) Pharmaceutical firms in the United States are shelling out massive funds for doctors travel and entertainment expenses in hopes of boosting sales of new drugs. More than 160,000 doctors have received related payments in 2011 already. The big push includes free samples, hospital detailing, journal ads, gifting, and the sponsoring of continuing medical education, but patients fear this all leads to doctors prescribing popular, money making drugs instead of following standard of care practices . Pfizer, Eli Lilly, and AstraZeneca top the list of companies also spending far more on “marketing” than on research, with a total estimated $57,000 billion in overall marketing expenditures in just one year in the United States. Pharmaceutical giants are claiming they are just trying to be open about how they conduct business, but the statements come at a time of intense scrutiny, and after several prosecutions regarding unlawful marketing practices. In fact, some of these databases were actually set up as part of settlements of federal criminal investigations into the illegal marketing of drugs to doctors. Many companies have not released any data whatsoever, but Lilly and Pfizer combine to have paid out over 90 million dollars. United States government agencies are preparing guidelines that will make such information mandatory by 2013. Currently there are over 80,000 pharmaceutical sales reps in the U.S. pursuing about 800,000 pharmaceutical prescribers, so it can be extremely difficult to track the money for one doctor from several sources, or to identify the largest recipients, like an entire hospital, without laborious work by a whole team of computer experts. By 2013, new federal healthcare laws are expected to make it easier for the public to track a doctor’s payments from multiple companies; however, there may be controversial business opportunities available in the setting up and running of these supposedly transparent websites, such as PharmaShine, which was founded auspiciously by a former attorney for Merck. Critics are complaining about the extreme conflicts of interest that arise from all the gift giving and promotional items, saying doctor’s can negatively influence the cost of medicine by recommending or prescribing brand name drugs over cheaper generics. In many instances, the reward is substantial for doctors to do exactly that. Over 380 doctors have earned more than $100,000 from drug companies in just the past two years. But there is also a flip side to these perks. One doctor said he had to follow a slide show presentation word for word in order to receive funding for a speaking engagement promoting certain pharmaceuticals, or there would be changes made to his contract. On top of all the other problems inherent in proper ethics and disclosure, many prominent doctors at academic medical centers have failed to disclose millions of dollars in drug company payments, and Federal prosecutors say some payments are really kickbacks for illegal or excessive prescribing. Are doctors now moonlighting as drug salesmen in order to keep the perks flowing? Sources: http://www.pmlive.com/find_an_article/allarticles/categories/General/2011/august_2011/news/big_pharma_pays_us_doctors_$150m_in_2011 http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/7e597dfc-d181-11e0-89c0-00144feab49a.html#axzz1Wj56M3oH http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/13/business/13docpay.html http://www.pbs.org/nbr/site/features/special/archives/pharmaceutical_companies/big_pharma_and_physicians_101019/ http://www.alternet.org/health/141369

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sues trucking company for sidelining alcoholic truck driver

(NaturalNews) As the actions of the federal government continue to spiral out of control — with armed raids on Gibson Guitars, raids on Rawesome Foods and the assaulting of children’s lemonade stands across America — the insanity of government only becomes more apparent. In the latest example of regulations run amok, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is suing a trucking company called Old Dominion Freight Line for “violating federal law by discriminating against a truck driver.” In what way did the trucking company “violate federal law?” It sidelined a truck driver who was an admitted alcoholic! The EEOC is now going to bring the full force of the federal government — oops, I mean the “federal family” — against this trucking company by making it reinstate the alcoholic truck driver so that he can cruise down the interstate at 70 miles per hour at the wheel of a twenty-ton rig loaded with who knows what. This, you see, is the federal government “taking care of you.” Never mind the fact that most normal people would conclude that maybe people who are admitted alcoholics probably don’t belong behind the wheel of an 18-wheeler on the interstate, but the federal government completely disagrees with that. “Alcoholism is a recognized disability under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA),” says the EEOC in a press release touting its lawsuit against the Old Dominion Freight Line. “…and disability discrimination violates this federal law,” it says. (http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/8-16-11d.cfm) The complete co-opting of the ADA The Americans With Disabilities Act, of course, was intended to provide equal work opportunities for people who are truly disabled such as Vietnam War veterans who are missing a leg, or someone who was born without the ability to see or hear. And for that purpose, the law arguably has merit. But no one in their right mind would say that having an all-too-cozy relationship with a case of Jack Daniels is a “disability.” But that’s the new political correctness in Washington, it seems. While I agree that people with substance addictions absolutely deserve help and treatment, even the federal government violates that principle with marijuana: Instead of treating people who smoke too much pot as “pot-aholics” — who should, under federal logic, be “protected” as being disabled — they are arrested and prosecuted as criminals. So how is alcohol abuse a disability but pot abuse is a felony crime? Only the goons in Washington could come up with something that offensively contradictory and punitive. Keeping the roads more dangerous for the rest of us Common sense, of course, has been all but abandoned at the federal government. At what point did alcoholism grant truck drivers immunity from being fired, anyway? Obviously, people who have habits or physical disabilities that prevent them from safely operating a large vehicle should not be allowed to operate such vehicles on the roads. Someone who suffers from frequent seizures , for example, shouldn’t be given a license to operate a freight truck. Their health condition is regrettable, but their right to drive with seizures does not outweigh the public’s expectation of reasonable safety on the roads. The federal government doesn’t understand this commonsense logic, you see. If a seizure can be classified as a “disability,” then the EEOC would sue trucking companies for removing seizure-stricken drivers from the road, too! Got a drinking problem? Get a job at a trucking company. You can’t be fired because your job is protected by the federal government! Just tell your boss you’re an alcoholic, claim it’s a “disability” and invoke the EEOC to threaten to sue your employer! But if you work at Gibson Guitar making fine musical instruments out of wood imported from India, then you’re suddenly a criminal according to the government, which raided the Gibson Guitar company and now demands they export American jobs overseas because it is illegal for U.S. workers to “process” that wood in America! Incredible… (http://www.naturalnews.com/033506_Gibson_Guitar_American_workers.html) Is my disability protected by the ADA, too? Hey, I have a disability too (sarcasm). It’s called common sense . It’s some kind of weird disease that makes me think bizarre thoughts like maybe we shouldn’t have alcoholics driving 18-wheelers down the interstate. My disability also makes me believe that “disabilities” means people who are physically challenged because of catastrophic injuries or birth defects (for example), not behavioral habits like biting your fingernails, or sleeping really late every day. Under the fed’s rules, someone could get a job at the U.S. Post Office, but show up late for work at 11 a.m. every day and claim they have a “sleeping disability” that causes them to sleep late. Is this a protected disability, too? I say that all these made-up, fictitious, totally bogus “disabilities” are damaging the very concept of “disabled” and making circumstances more difficult for those who are truly disabled. I completely agree it is ethically and morally wrong to fire someone just because they happen to be in a wheelchair, for example, or if they have a hearing disability. If you’re visually impaired, that’s a legitimate disability and deserves extra consideration by your employer. But don’t tell me that every guy who tips back a few too many beers is now suddenly “disabled” as well. It’s ludicrous! We need to grow up in America and stop acting like little children who need their nanny parental government to take care of everything. If someone has a drinking problem, they need to man up about it and take responsibility for their own behaviors, and the government needs to stop coddling them as some sort of “protected” class. Go get counseling. Visit AA meetings. Find a local pastor who can offer guidance. But don’t run around like you’re some sort of “disabled” person who is supposed to be protected by the federal government. Drinking is a choice , not a disability. You can choose to do something different. Yes, it’s hard. Yes, it takes therapy, or help from your friends, or whatever. Life is hard, but grow up. Be an adult. Take responsibility for your actions and make better choices. That’s what adults do, y’know? There are far too many people gaming the system for their own selfish reasons and thereby diluting the very definition of “disabled.” In a similar way, let me relate to you a true story from my past: How a white guy was awarded a black scholarship When I was in college, I remember this white guy who lived down the hall in my dorm. He was a great card player and always seemed to come out on top of the late-night poker games that went on there (I never took part, but I saw them playing a lot). The reason I say he was a “white guy” is because toward the end of our first semester there, he revealed to a bunch of us sitting in the dorm lobby that he was paying his way through college with grant money he received from a black scholarship fund . Huh? A black scholarship fund? But this guy was white, wasn’t he? Well, it turns out his great, great, great grandma was black. So genetically speaking, he was “just enough black” to qualify for this scholarship, even though his skin color was as white as mine! In other words, the chance of this guy being discriminated against due to the color of his skin was zero, given that his skin was as white as all the other white guys there. In fact, when he announced he was paying for college on a black scholarship, nobody believed him at first. We thought he was joking. But he wasn’t. Turns out it was all true. And the point of this is that by applying for this “black scholarship” grant and taking the money, this white guy was effectively using money that should have legitimately gone to a black guy! As a result, some other truly black guy did NOT get that scholarship money and was therefore not able to pay his way through college. So while our little friend technically claimed to be a black guy riding on a black scholarship, all the rest of us knew he was really a white guy who gamed the black scholarship fund application process and thereby took money out of the hands of some equally deserving black guy who was really black . You see, while I honor and respect people who have true physical disabilities, or people who have been truly discriminated against for no reason other than the color of their skin, I absolutely abhor fakers who hide behind these protections to try to game the system and exploit situations for their own selfish gain, usually at the expense of someone else. The “white guy” who took black scholarship money was exploiting the system for his own selfish gain, not even considering the true intent of that scholarship fund. Likewise, someone who hides behind alcoholism as a protected disability is gaming the system, too. Sure, alcoholism is a real behavioral issue to deal with, but it’s not like missing a leg, okay? It’s not the same as growing up without the gift of functioning vision. Much the same thing goes for those handicapped parking spaces. They should be reserved for people who truly cannot walk long distances, or who need wheelchairs to get around. Have you ever heard of people being awarded those handicapped parking tags for obscure conditions such as having Tourette’s Syndrome? I don’t know if that’s ever actually happened outside a Larry David episode (Curb Your Enthusiasm), but I have seen people park in handicapped parking spaces and just waltz right into the store with no obvious disability whatsoever. Those spots should be reserved for people in wheelchairs, I say… or people who can barely walk, people on oxygen supplies, and so on. We must discern the difference between real disability and clever excuse-making If we are going to respect and honor the people with real disabilities in this country, we’ve got to stop coddling those with behavioral habits that are simply being relabeled as disabilities. Much the same thing goes on in psychiatric medicine, where normal behaviors of teenage boys are labeled “disorders” and then treated with dangerous mind-altering medications. Having loads of energy and an inability to sit still isn’t a “disease,” folks. It’s called being a 9-year-old boy! It’s time to cut the nonsense with bogus disabilities, false labels and government interference with the rational decisions made by employers. If an employer fires someone merely because they are in a wheelchair , that’s discrimination against the disabled, and that deserves to be scrutinized. But if an employer fires an alcoholic to prevent them from driving big rigs down the road while sloshed over from too many drinks, that’s just common sense. Maybe Old Dominion Freight Line was actually saving lives by sidelining this alcoholic driver, huh? Did the feds ever think of that? Only in America are businesses which act out of a desire to protect public safety punished with federal lawsuits. Only in America are people with common sense labeled “terrorists” (i.e. Ron Paul supporters) while those with bad habits who eat too much or drink too much are labeled “disabled.” Let’s save the labels for cases where they are truly justified, folks. There are millions of people in America with legitimate disabilities — people who cannot walk, or who are missing an arm, or who are hearing or vision impaired, for example. They deserve society’s support and protections, and we should make every effort (as employers or neighbors or just friends) to honor these people for who they are while offering assistance where needed. And if you’re white, please do not apply for black scholarships, for god’s sake. Let that money go to its intended recipients.

Vaccines found to activate moron genes that cause further belief in vaccines (satire)

(NaturalNews) Weekend satire special: New research accidentally conducted by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has discovered that vaccines activate the “moron” genes that normally lie dormant in human beings. Once activated, these “moron genes” cause individuals to lose higher brain function and the ability to question false information fed to them by doctors, drug companies and the media. This, in turn, results in even more people pursuing repeated vaccines, further causing expression of the moron genes, over and over again, until their brain function collapses to the level of a raw vegetable… otherwise known as a “voter.” Because of their disastrous effects on higher brain function, these vaccines are now being called “Moron Vaccines.” Moron Vaccines contain all the usual ingredients of flu vaccines and MMR vaccines, including methyl mercury, aluminum, formaldehyde and DNA fragments from diseased monkey organs. (This is truly what’s found in other vaccines…) But Moron Vaccines have one ingredient that’s slightly different. As Dr. All Proffit, a leading vaccine patent holder, explained, “Moron Vaccines are much like regular vaccines, except instead of taking diseased material from infected cows and monkeys, we take brain cell samples from existing morons which are easy to find among our colleagues. We then weaken those brain cells to make them even more moronic, and then we inject them into infants and children, mixed with a bit of mercury to make sure it targets the neurological system for maximum effectiveness.” The result? As Bill Gates explains, “Billions of children each year are being saved from IBFD.” IBFD is short for “Intelligent Brain Function Disorder. It is an affliction affecting hundreds of millions of people each year, causing them to achieve dangerously high levels of cognitive function that causes them to ask inappropriate questions about vaccines such as, “Why have vaccines never been tested against non-vaccinated children?” Or, “Why do vaccines cause some children and teens to collapse into autism, comas or death?” Or, “Why don’t flu vaccines actually prevent flu symptoms in 99 out of 100 people who receive them?” Those questions have no place in today’s medical system, where the correct answer to every disease is — as doctors are routinely taught — “More vaccines!” “The population is too intelligent for its own good,” Dr. Proffit added. “The only way to keep people in line with the expectations of Big Government, Big Pharma and America’s top employers such as McDonald’s and Wal-Mart is to increase the moron density in America through a determined, long-term vaccination program carried out with the help of doctors and government medical authorities.” To financially support that program, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) is investing over fifty billion dollars to roll out Moron Vaccines on a global scale. “This will help ensure that more people buy Microsoft products,” explained Gates. “Because if they regain higher brain function, they might be tempted to run Linux instead.” The FDA granted approval to the Moron Vaccines based on the scientific clinical trial data provided by the maker of the vaccines, most of which was, believe it or not, fabricated by morons. “This is why the data are so consistently reliable,” explained the company CEO. “When you’re studying Moron Vaccines, who better to offer an experienced perspective than an actual moron posing as a research scientist?” The FDA was influenced in its decision to approve the vaccines by the CDC, which recently warned that America was “suffering from an epidemic of critical thinking” that threatened the future of the U.S. government, the Federal Reserve, and the vaccine industry in particular. The source of this epidemic has been traced to Rep. Ron Paul, of course. “People who think for themselves are a threat to the U.S. government, and they are causing problems at airports, too,” said DHS secretary Janet Napolitano. “That’s why we’ve partnered with the FDA to make sure that those suffering from Intelligent Brain Function Disorder are offered ‘treatment’ at every opportunity.” As part of that government treatment program, IBFD screening centers are now being erected at the airports, sports stadiums and Wal-Mart stores. Interestingly, Wal-Mart stores have so far found exactly zero people at their stores who suffer from Intelligent Brain Function Disorder. Apparently, all Wal-Mart shoppers are already cured. (http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=5A4B5D4B84344D5D9CBD262A53D8B071) The TSA announced it would no longer hire anyone suffering from IBFD and would only hire workers after they have been injected with the Moron Vaccine. “Is is very important that TSA agents have achieved the lower IQs necessary for them to carry out their jobs of molesting air travelers,” explained TSA head John Pistole explained. “We cannot have our agents suffering from moments of cognitive awareness while they’re touching your junk. People who work in government security are better off if they simply do what they’re told without asking intelligent questions or citing the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which is a highly complex collection of sequential words that none of us can decode anymore thanks to the Moron Vaccines.” Moron Vaccines are now mandatory in medical schools, where they are given to would-be doctors are part of an indoctrination ritual. They’re also mandatory in public schools, where children are being educated just enough to be obedient workers but not enough to actually question what role they’re playing in the grand consumerism economic raping of the planet in the name of corporate profits. Walgreens stores are offering Moron Vaccine Gift Cards so that you can give the gift of lower brain function to a friend or family member. If grandma is acting up again, a vaccination targeting her higher brain function may be just the ticket to a joyful, loving family picnic. That “Grandma is staring off into the distance again” look is actually family affection , remember. Many nursing homes and retirement centers are even thinking of switching from their current model of pharmaceutically abusing patients into a tolerable state of human vegetation to the new model of just vaccinating them instead. “It’s so much easier with the Moron Vaccines,” explained one nursing home director. “Pills required patient consent, but vaccines can be given to patients in their sleep, and when they wake up the next morning, or at least the ones that do, they’re like a whole new person… quiet, introspective and no longer argumentative.” The Moron Vaccine is such a success that even President Obama chimed in on the issue. “Moron Vaccines help keep America strong by making sure people don’t ask too many questions about the coming economic collapse,” he said in a recent press event. “If we can manage to vaccinate the entire population, then we can probably keep the Medicare and Social Security Ponzi schemes going a few years longer, and that protects all of us in Washington from a popular revolt like the one we saw in Egypt! The Middle East is witness to the violence and destruction that can take place when populations are allowed to contemplate higher ideals such as freedom or liberty,” Obama said. “Moron Vaccines keep people comfortably numb in their lower brain functions, where they can dutifully serve the interests of the State.” So don’t miss out on the Moron Vaccines! They’re available free of charge at any U.S. post office. The government is also offering a special discount called, “Don’t buy one, get one free!” for those who can’t do math because they graduated from Madison, Wisconsin public schools — “where education is ALWAYS secondary.” Note: This satire article is pure fiction. If you didn’t know that by now, you have probably already taken the Moron Vaccines! Please turn yourself into the nearest TSA human resources office for possible placement within the Department of Homeland Security.

Big Berkey gravity-fed water filters are a top pick for clean water and long-term preparedness

(NaturalNews) The water filtration market is saturated with products that claim to provide clean drinking water. While all of them work to one degree or another, some can be complicated to install and maintain. And some are downright expensive on a per-gallon basis, too. The more popular faucet filters, for example, only filter a hundred gallons of water (or so) before requiring replacement. Personally, I like to have water filters that can handle several thousand gallons of water at a very low effective cost per gallon. I also like gravity-fed water filters for several important reasons: They require no electricity to use — meaning they’ll work even when the lights go out — and there are no complicated motors or pumps to wear out or replace. They’re also light and fairly portable, making them a natural choice for anyone interested in short-term storm preparedness or even long-term “end of the world” preparedness scenarios. I’ve used several gravity-fed water filters, and I’ve come to really like the Big Berkey system the best. As far as simple, reliable water purification on your countertop, it doesn’t get any better than Berkey water systems. How the Big Berkey works With a Berkey water filter, you simply put the water into the top chamber and gravity pulls it through the media filters that capture bacteria, parasites, herbicides, pesticides, solvents, nitrates, nitrites, lead, mercury, chlorine, VOCs, and even fluoride. You can run practically any type of water through the unit and get fresh, pure drinking water as a result. (Of course, really dirty water will clog the filters more quickly, requiring more frequent cleaning of the filters, but that’s true with any filtration system.) I personally use the “Big Berkey System” which is made out of stainless steel, and I love it! I used it for many months in Ecuador without a single problem, and it is still a personal favorite that I highly recommend. The water always comes out clean, no matter how dirty it is when you initially pour it into the holding container at the top. My favorite feature on the Big Berkey System is the stainless steel water container. Many other brands of water filters are made out of polycarbonate and plastic components that may leach harmful chemicals into the water (Berkey does sell a co-polyester variety, but guarantees that it’s BPA free). Another cool feature of the system is that it requires no pumps or effort to function. Gravity literally does all the work for you. Yes, it takes some time for the gravity filter to produce water, but by filling the top container, the effective water pressure provided by gravity is more than enough to produce sufficient drinking water each day for a typical family. The stainless steel aspect of the Berkey water filters is also a huge plus. I’ve used other hand-held filters that ran the water through a hose, and it seems like the water always comes out tasting a bit like the hose. But with the Big Berkey, there’s no “hose” taste because there’s no hose! The water tastes clean and clear, with no “surgical” aftertaste. If you don’t already have a gravity-powered water filter, I recommend one for every household that’s interested in preparedness. As long as you have access to some source of water, this water filter can get you through a storm, a blackout or even a period of social unrest. When the municipal plumbing fails, Big Berkey keeps you hydrated with clean, bacteria-free water. That’s worth its weight in gold, in my opinion. Where to get Big Berkey water filters Here’s the source for Big Berkey water filters that I’m familiar with and recommend. You’ll get excellent customer service with these folks along with very competitive pricing, too: http://www.directive21.com (They also carry some other large-scale water storage devices such as the Aquatank.) Got a family member who doesn’t believe in preparedness? Give them a Big Berkey and call it a Christmas present. One day when they need it, they’ll realize you actually gave them the gift of clean water during an emergency , and that’s perhaps one of the best gifts you can ever give anyone.

Walgreens announces flu shot gift card; give the "gift" of a vaccine (opinion)

(NaturalNews) Summer isn’t even over yet and the big push for the mass vaccination of the entire population is already under way. The CDC started the push by recently urging vaccine shots for everyone — including infants, pregnant women and immune-compromised people. Adding to the vaccination hoopla, Walgreens has announced something quite bizarre: A flu shot gift card. Available for $29.99 at your nearest Walgreens retailer, this gift card is, as Walgreens explains on their website, “a way to help more Americans stay well throughout the upcoming flu season by giving the gift of a flu shot.” See a full-size picture of this flu shot gift card right here: http://www.naturalnews.com/images/Walgreens-Giftcard-290×445.jpg Of course, if you gave your friends the gift of vitamin D supplements , they wouldn’t need a flu shot or a jab in the arm with a sharp needle. Vitamin D has been proven again and again to work better than vaccines at preventing influenza (http://www.naturalnews.com/027385_Vitamin_D_swine_flu_vaccine.html), yet it remains all but ignored by the conventional medical establishment which just happens to be dominated by the financial interests of vaccine manufacturers (pharma companies). Swine flu again? As Walgreens admits on its own website (http://news.walgreens.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=5324), this year’s seasonal flu shot only protects against last year’s viruses. In particular, this year’s flu shot contains DNA fragments from H1N1 swine flu — yep, the very same virus that fizzled out last year after the WHO hilariously declared a stage six global pandemic. This whole charade turned out to be engineered by WHO advisors who had financial ties to the vaccine companies (http://www.naturalnews.com/029441_vaccine_manufacturers_advisors.html). Now they’re trying to jab you again with the same viral fragments. But this year they’re playing mind games with the public by packaging these flu shots as “gifts.” Walgreens must think this is clever, but it’s actually a bit of a farce. Usually a gift is something you actually want; something that’s uplifting or health enhancing in some way. Vaccines, on the other hand, have been widely linked to convulsions and neurological disorders. Just recently, Australia actually banned its seasonal flu vaccine for children after dozens of children went into convulsions from receiving the flu shot. Why do flu shots cause convulsions? Because flu shots contain neurological inflammation agents designed to elicit an immune response for building antibodies. The problem is that these chemicals can also cause neurological damage leading to symptoms you just can’t ignore… such as convulsions. Some teens have even been paralyzed by flu shots. Western doctors routinely ignore this evidence and simply declare vaccines to be “safe for everyone!” even when they clearly aren’t. So anyone who buys a flu shot gift card and hands it to a child or teenager might actually be giving the gift of convulsions . Happy Birthday, Bobby! Here, have some convulsions and go get yourself jabbed in the arm with a sharp needle… Sending the wrong message In my opinion, buying a Walgreens flu shot gift card sends a powerful, two-part message. First, it announces that you’re a complete idiot when it comes to health, and you’re a total sucker for the corporate-controlled interventionist health care system that excels at convincing you to buy dangerous drugs you don’t even need. Secondly, it says that you probably hate the person you’re giving it to. What kind of person buys a vaccine shot as a gift anyway? Does it include a Hallmark card that says “Every time I think of you, I wince in pain and can’t stop convulsing. Enjoy this vaccine so that you can have the same experience.” Or another card, “I couldn’t decide what to get you for Christmas, so I thought I’d get you vaccinated instead. Merry Christmas!” Can you imagine some little kid receiving this gift from his parents? He was hoping for an X-Box or a dirt bike, but instead he gets an envelope with a red card in it. “What’s this?” he asks his parents. “Oh, Bobby, it’s a VACCINE gift card! To protect your health!” Bobby replies, “How does it work?” And his parents answer, “Well, using this vaccine gift card, you can get jabbed in the arm with chemicals and live viruses, and it won’t even cost you a penny!” “I feel really loved,” answers Bobby. “No one has ever given me the gift of a vaccine shot! When can we go to Walgreens and cash in?” What’s next? Chemo Cards! I got to thinking about this: If flu shot gift cards are so popular, why not just expand this into all the toxic chemicals of modern medicine? Perhaps hospitals should roll out Chemotherapy Gift Cards so you can “give the gift of chemo!” Is your loved one just a little too healthy? Does their brain work too well? Is their liver annoyingly operating at one hundred percent? Give the gift of chemotherapy and you’ll destroy their kidney, liver and brain function (after which they’ll gladly accept your flu shot vaccine gift cards next year). The chemo card can act like a coffee punch card, too: After ten rounds of chemotherapy, the eleventh is on the house! (If you’re still alive, anyway…) While this idea may seem outlandish today, it’s actually not that far-fetched. Flu shot gift cards are already packaging western chemical medicines as “gifts.” And we just reported a story about how pharma drug pushers want fast food restaurants to hand out statin drugs for free to customers (http://www.naturalnews.com/029467_statin_drugs_fast_food.html). It seems that the idea of repackaging interventionist chemical medicines as gifts is pervasive. It’s too bad we can’t figure out a way to give the gift of common sense to people. If they had any common sense about health and nutrition, they wouldn’t need flu shot gift cards in the first place.