Monday, June 30, 2014
Friday, February 18, 2011
Here's To Your Health!!!
Bismillah Ir Rahman Ir Rahim: As Salaam Alaikum Wa Rahmantullah Wa Barakatahu.
The Healing Power of Rainforest Herbs:
BITTER MELON, HERBAL PROPERTIES AND ACTIONS
Main Actions
Other Actions
Standard Dosage
· kills bacteria
· reduces inflammation
Leaves, Fruit
· kills viruses
· fights free radicals
Decoction: 1 cup 1-2 times daily
· kills cancer cells
· enhances libido
Tincture: 1-3 ml twice daily
· kills leukemia cells
· cleanses blood
Capsules: 1 g twice daily
· prevents tumors
· detoxifies
· treats diabetes
· expels worms
· reduces blood sugar
· balances hormones
· reduces blood pressure
· enhances immunity
· lowers body temperature
· mildly laxative
· lowers cholesterol
· promotes milk flow
Bitter melon grows in tropical areas, including parts of the Amazon, east Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean, and is cultivated throughout South America as a food and medicine. It's a slender, climbing annual vine with long-stalked leaves and yellow, solitary male and female flowers borne in the leaf axils. The fruit looks like a warty gourd, usually oblong and resembling a small cucumber. The young fruit is emerald green, turning to orange-yellow when ripe. At maturity, the fruit splits into three irregular valves that curl backwards and release numerous reddish-brown or white seeds encased in scarlet arils. The Latin name Momordica means "to bite," referring to the jagged edges of the leaves, which appear as if they have been bitten. All parts of the plant, including the fruit, taste very bitter.
TRIBAL AND HERBAL MEDICINE USES
In the Amazon, local people and indigenous tribes grow bitter melon in their gardens for food and medicine. They add the fruit and/or leaves to beans and soup for a bitter or sour flavor; parboiling it first with a dash of salt may remove some of the bitter taste. Medicinally, the plant has a long history of use by the indigenous peoples of the Amazon. A leaf tea is used for diabetes, to expel intestinal gas, to promote menstruation, and as an antiviral for measles, hepatitis, and feverish conditions. It is used topically for sores, wounds, and infections and internally and externally for worms and parasites.
In Brazilian herbal medicine, bitter melon is used for tumors, wounds, rheumatism, malaria, vaginal discharge, inflammation, menstrual problems, diabetes, colic, fevers, worms. It is also used to induce abortions and as an aphrodisiac. It is prepared into a topical remedy for the skin to treat vaginitis, hemorrhoids, scabies, itchy rashes, eczema, leprosy and other skin problems. In Mexico, the entire plant is used for diabetes and dysentery; the root is a reputed aphrodisiac. In Peruvian herbal medicine, the leaf or aerial parts of the plant are used to treat measles, malaria, and all types of inflammation. In Nicaragua, the leaf is commonly used for stomach pain, diabetes, fevers, colds, coughs, headaches, malaria, skin complaints, menstrual disorders, aches and pains, hypertension, infections, and as an aid in childbirth.
PLANT CHEMICALS
Bitter melon contains an array of biologically active plant chemicals including triterpenes, proteins, and steroids. One chemical has clinically demonstrated the ability to inhibit the enzyme guanylate cyclase that is thought to be linked to the cause of psoriasis and also necessary for the growth of leukemia and cancer cells. In addition, a protein found in bitter melon, momordin, has clinically demonstrated anticancerous activity against Hodgkin's lymphoma in animals. Other proteins in the plant, alpha- and beta-momorcharin and cucurbitacin B, have been tested for possible anticancerous effects. A chemical analog of these bitter melon proteins has been developed, patented, and named "MAP-30"; its developers reported that it was able to inhibit prostate tumor growth. Two of these proteins-alpha- and beta-momorcharin-have also been reported to inhibit HIV virus in test tube studies. In one study, HIV-infected cells treated with alpha- and beta-momorcharin showed a nearly complete loss of viral antigen while healthy cells were largely unaffected. The inventor of MAP-30 filed another patent which stated it was "useful for treating tumors and HIV infections . . . " Another clinical study showed that MAP-30's antiviral activity was also relative to the herpes virus in vitro.
In numerous studies, at least three different groups of constituents found in all parts of bitter melon have clinically demonstrated hypoglycemic (blood sugar lowering) properties or other actions of potential benefit against diabetes mellitus. These chemicals that lower blood sugar include a mixture of steroidal saponins known as charantins, insulin-like peptides, and alkaloids. The hypoglycemic effect is more pronounced in the fruit of bitter melon where these chemicals are found in greater abundance.
Alkaloids, charantin, charine, cryptoxanthin, cucurbitins, cucurbitacins, cucurbitanes, cycloartenols, diosgenin, elaeostearic acids, erythrodiol, galacturonic acids, gentisic acid, goyaglycosides, goyasaponins, guanylate cyclase inhibitors, gypsogenin, hydroxytryptamines, karounidiols, lanosterol, lauric acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, momorcharasides, momorcharins, momordenol, momordicilin, momordicins, momordicinin, momordicosides, momordin, multiflorenol, myristic acid, nerolidol, oleanolic acid, oleic acid, oxalic acid, pentadecans, peptides, petroselinic acid, polypeptides, proteins, ribosome-inactivating proteins, rosmarinic acid, rubixanthin, spinasterol, steroidal glycosides, stigmasta-diols, stigmasterol, taraxerol, trehalose, trypsin inhibitors, uracil, vacine, v-insulin, verbascoside, vicine, zeatin, zeatin riboside, zeaxanthin, and zeinoxanthin are all found in bitter melon.
BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES AND CLINICAL RESEARCH
To date, close to 100 in vivo studies have demonstrated the blood sugar-lowering effect of this bitter fruit. The fruit has also shown the ability to enhance cells' uptake of glucose, to promote insulin release, and to potentiate the effect of insulin. In other in vivo studies, bitter melon fruit and/or seed has been shown to reduce total cholesterol. In one study, elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels in diabetic rats were returned to normal after 10 weeks of treatment.
Several in vivo studies have demonstrated the antitumorous activity of the entire plant of bitter melon. In one study, a water extract blocked the growth of rat prostate carcinoma; another study reported that a hot water extract of the entire plant inhibited the development of mammary tumors in mice. Numerous in vitro studies have also demonstrated the anticancerous and antileukemic activity of bitter melon against numerous cell lines, including liver cancer, human leukemia, melanoma, and solid sarcomas.
Bitter melon, like several of its isolated plant chemicals, also has been documented with in vitro antiviral activity against numerous viruses, including Epstein-Barr, herpes, and HIV viruses. In an in vivo study, a leaf extract increased resistance to viral infections and had an immunostimulant effect in humans and animals, increasing interferon production and natural killer cell activity.
In addition to these properties, leaf extracts of bitter melon have demonstrated broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. Various extracts of the leaves have demonstrated in vitro antibacterial activities against E. coli, Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, Salmonella, Streptobacillus, and Streptococcus; an extract of the entire plant was shown to have antiprotozoal activity against Entamoeba histolytica. The fruit and fruit juice have demonstrated the same type of antibacterial properties and, in another study, a fruit extract demonstrated activity against the stomach ulcer-causing bacteria Helicobacter pylori.
Many in vivo clinical studies have demonstrated the relatively low toxicity of all parts of the bitter melon plant when ingested orally. However, toxicity and even death in laboratory animals has been reported when extracts are injected intravenously. Other studies have shown extracts of the fruit and leaf (ingested orally) to be safe during pregnancy. The seeds, however, have demonstrated the ability to induce abortions in rats and mice, and the root has been documented as a uterine stimulant in animals. The fruit and leaf of bitter melon have demonstrated an in vivo antifertility effect in female animals; and in male animals, to affect the production of sperm negatively.
CURRENT PRACTICAL USES
Over the years scientists have verified many of the traditional uses of this bitter plant that continues to be an important natural remedy in herbal medicine systems. Bitter melon capsules and tinctures are becoming more widely available in the United States and are employed by natural health practitioners for diabetes, viruses, colds and flu, cancer and tumors, high cholesterol, and psoriasis. Concentrated fruit and seed extracts can be found in capsules and tablets, as well as whole herb/vine powders and extracts in capsules and tinctures.
BITTER MELON (leaf/stem) PLANT SUMMARY
Main Preparation Method: leaf decoction or capsules
Main Actions (in order): anticancerous, antiviral, antibacterial, digestive stimulant, hypoglycemic
Main Uses:
for cancer
for viral infections (HIV, herpes, Epstein Barr, hepatitis, influenza, and measles)
for bacterial infections (Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and Salmonella)
as a bitter digestive aid (for dyspepsia and sluggish digestion)
for diabetes
Properties/Actions Documented by Research: antibacterial, anticancerous, anti-fertility, antileukemic, antiprotozoal, antitumorous, antiviral, hypoglycemic, immune stimulant
Other Properties/Actions Documented by Traditional Use:antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, antiparasitic, antiseptic, bitter, carminative (expels gas), digestive stimulant, febrifuge (reduces fever), hypotensive (lowers blood pressure), lactagogue (promotes milk flow), menstrual stimulator, purgative, vermifuge (expels worms), wound healer
Cautions: It may lower blood sugar levels.
BITTER MELON (fruit/fruit seed) PLANT SUMMARY
Main Preparation Method: fruit juice
Main Actions (in order): hypoglycemic, hypocholesterolemic (lowers cholesterol), antibacterial, carminative (expels gas), bitter
Main Uses:
for diabetes
for high cholesterol and triglyceride levels
for H. pylori ulcers
as a bitter digestive aid for intestinal gas, bloating, stomachache, and sluggish digestion
for intestinal parasites
Properties/Actions Documented by Research: abortive, contraceptive, antimicrobial, hypocholesterolemic (lowers cholesterol), hypoglycemic
Other Properties/Actions Documented by Traditional Use:antifungal, antiparasitic, antivenin, bitter, cardiotonic (tones, balances, strengthens the heart), digestive stimulant, emetic (causes vomiting), menstrual stimulator, purgative (strong laxative), vermifuge (expels worms)
Cautions: It lowers blood sugar levels and has abortive and contraceptive effects.
Traditional Preparation: 1 cup of a standard leaf or whole herb decoction is taken one or two times daily, or 1-3 ml of a 4:1 tincture is taken twice daily. Powdered leaf in tablets or capsules - 1 to 2 g can be substituted, if desired. The traditional South American remedy for diabetes is to juice 1-2 fresh bitter melon fruits and drink twice daily. For seed or fruit extracts in capsules or tinctures, follow the label instructions.
Contraindications:
Bitter melon traditionally has been used as an abortive and has been documented with weak uterine stimulant activity; therefore, it is contraindicated during pregnancy.
This plant has been documented to reduce fertility in both males and females and should therefore not be used by those undergoing fertility treatment or seeking pregnancy.
The active chemicals in bitter melon can be transferred through breast milk; therefore, it is contraindicated in women who are breast feeding.
All parts of bitter melon (especially the fruit and seed) have demonstrated in numerous in vivo studies that they lower blood sugar levels. As such, it is contraindicated in persons with hypoglycemia. Diabetics should check with their physicians before using this plant and use with caution while monitoring their blood sugar levels regularly as the dosage of insulin medications may need adjusting.
Although all parts of the plant have demonstrated active antibacterial activity, none have shown activity against fungi or yeast. Long-term use of this plant may result in the die-off of friendly bacteria with resulting opportunistic overgrowth of yeast (Candida). Cycling off the use of the plant (every 21-30 days for one week) may be warranted, and adding probiotics to the diet may be beneficial if this plant is used for longer than 30 days.
Drug Interactions: Bitter melon may potentiate insulin and anti-diabetic drugs and cholesterol-lowering drugs.
WORLDWIDE ETHNOMEDICAL USES
Brazil
for abortions, burns, colic, constipation, dermatosis, diabetes, diarrhea, eczema, fever, flu, hemorrhoids, hepatitis, hives, itch, impotency, leprosy, leukemia, libido, liver inflammation, malaria, menstrual problems, pain, rheumatism, scabies, skin, tumor, vaginal discharge, vaginitis, worms, wounds
China
for breast cancer, diabetes, fever, halitosis, impotency, renal insufficiency, kidney problems
Cuba
for anemia, colitis, diabetes, fever, hyperglycemia, intestinal parasites, kidney stones, liver problems, menstrual problems, sterility (female), worms
Haiti
for anemia, constipation, dermatosis, eye infections, fever, liver diseases, skin problems, rhinitis, and as an appetite stimulant and insecticide
India
for abortions, birth control, constipation, diabetes, eczema, fat loss, food, fever, gout, hemorrhoids, hydrophobia, hyperglycemia, increasing milk flow, intestinal parasites, jaundice, kidney stones, leprosy, liver, menstrual disorders, pneumonia, psoriasis, rheumatism, scabies, skin, snakebite, vaginal discharge
Mexico
for bowel function, burns, diabetes, dysentery, impotency, libido, scabies, sores, worms
Malaya
for abdominal pain, asthma, burns, Celiac's disease, dermatosis, diarrhea, headache, intestinal parasites, stomachache, worms
Nicaragua
for aches, anemia, childbirth, colds, constipation, cough, diabetes, fever, headache, hypertension, infections, lung disorders, malaria, pain, pregnancy, rashes, skin problems
Panama
for colds, diabetes, fever, flu, gallbladder problems, hives, hypertension, itch, malaria, menstrual problems, and as an insecticide
Peru
for colic, constipation, contusions, diabetes, diarrhea, fever, hepatitis, inflammation, intestinal parasites, lung problems, malaria, measles, menstrual problems, skin sores, pus, wounds
Trinidad
for diabetes, dysentery, fever, hypertension, malaria, rheumatism, worms
The above text has been printed from The Healing Power of Rainforest Herbs by Leslie Taylor, copyrighted © 2005All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, including websites, without written permission.
† The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The information contained in this plant database file is intended for education, entertainment and information purposes only. This information is not intended to be used to diagnose, prescribe or replace proper medical care. The plant described herein is not intended to treat, cure, diagnose, mitigate or prevent any disease. Please refer to our Conditions of Use for using this plant database file and web site.
Quoted References on Bitter Melon
10. Momordica charantia L. Cucurbitaceae. "Papailla", "Balsam pear". Fruit edible cooked. Plant decoction used for colic, and worms; infusion of fruit and flowers used for hepatitis. Seed pulp mixed with lard as a suppurative (SOU). Considered vermicide, stomachic, emmenagogue, and very effective in the expulsion of Trichocephalos. Fruit decoction used as febrifuge and emetic (PEA). Leaf decoction used by the "Cuna" for measles (RVM), by Brazilians for fever, itch, and sores (BDS). Seeds and pericarp contain saponin glycosides which produce elaterin and alkaloids, which causes vomiting and diarrhea (LAE). Leaf infusion a common folk remedy for diabetes around Iquitos (AYA). TRAMIL cites it as relatively POISONOUS (TRA). On the patent for Compound Q for AIDS, as a source of momocharin. Also contains rosmarinic acid, with antiviral activity and calceolarioside and verbascoside."
The Healing Power of Rainforest Herbs:
BITTER MELON, HERBAL PROPERTIES AND ACTIONS
Main Actions
Other Actions
Standard Dosage
· kills bacteria
· reduces inflammation
Leaves, Fruit
· kills viruses
· fights free radicals
Decoction: 1 cup 1-2 times daily
· kills cancer cells
· enhances libido
Tincture: 1-3 ml twice daily
· kills leukemia cells
· cleanses blood
Capsules: 1 g twice daily
· prevents tumors
· detoxifies
· treats diabetes
· expels worms
· reduces blood sugar
· balances hormones
· reduces blood pressure
· enhances immunity
· lowers body temperature
· mildly laxative
· lowers cholesterol
· promotes milk flow
Bitter melon grows in tropical areas, including parts of the Amazon, east Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean, and is cultivated throughout South America as a food and medicine. It's a slender, climbing annual vine with long-stalked leaves and yellow, solitary male and female flowers borne in the leaf axils. The fruit looks like a warty gourd, usually oblong and resembling a small cucumber. The young fruit is emerald green, turning to orange-yellow when ripe. At maturity, the fruit splits into three irregular valves that curl backwards and release numerous reddish-brown or white seeds encased in scarlet arils. The Latin name Momordica means "to bite," referring to the jagged edges of the leaves, which appear as if they have been bitten. All parts of the plant, including the fruit, taste very bitter.
TRIBAL AND HERBAL MEDICINE USES
In the Amazon, local people and indigenous tribes grow bitter melon in their gardens for food and medicine. They add the fruit and/or leaves to beans and soup for a bitter or sour flavor; parboiling it first with a dash of salt may remove some of the bitter taste. Medicinally, the plant has a long history of use by the indigenous peoples of the Amazon. A leaf tea is used for diabetes, to expel intestinal gas, to promote menstruation, and as an antiviral for measles, hepatitis, and feverish conditions. It is used topically for sores, wounds, and infections and internally and externally for worms and parasites.
In Brazilian herbal medicine, bitter melon is used for tumors, wounds, rheumatism, malaria, vaginal discharge, inflammation, menstrual problems, diabetes, colic, fevers, worms. It is also used to induce abortions and as an aphrodisiac. It is prepared into a topical remedy for the skin to treat vaginitis, hemorrhoids, scabies, itchy rashes, eczema, leprosy and other skin problems. In Mexico, the entire plant is used for diabetes and dysentery; the root is a reputed aphrodisiac. In Peruvian herbal medicine, the leaf or aerial parts of the plant are used to treat measles, malaria, and all types of inflammation. In Nicaragua, the leaf is commonly used for stomach pain, diabetes, fevers, colds, coughs, headaches, malaria, skin complaints, menstrual disorders, aches and pains, hypertension, infections, and as an aid in childbirth.
PLANT CHEMICALS
Bitter melon contains an array of biologically active plant chemicals including triterpenes, proteins, and steroids. One chemical has clinically demonstrated the ability to inhibit the enzyme guanylate cyclase that is thought to be linked to the cause of psoriasis and also necessary for the growth of leukemia and cancer cells. In addition, a protein found in bitter melon, momordin, has clinically demonstrated anticancerous activity against Hodgkin's lymphoma in animals. Other proteins in the plant, alpha- and beta-momorcharin and cucurbitacin B, have been tested for possible anticancerous effects. A chemical analog of these bitter melon proteins has been developed, patented, and named "MAP-30"; its developers reported that it was able to inhibit prostate tumor growth. Two of these proteins-alpha- and beta-momorcharin-have also been reported to inhibit HIV virus in test tube studies. In one study, HIV-infected cells treated with alpha- and beta-momorcharin showed a nearly complete loss of viral antigen while healthy cells were largely unaffected. The inventor of MAP-30 filed another patent which stated it was "useful for treating tumors and HIV infections . . . " Another clinical study showed that MAP-30's antiviral activity was also relative to the herpes virus in vitro.
In numerous studies, at least three different groups of constituents found in all parts of bitter melon have clinically demonstrated hypoglycemic (blood sugar lowering) properties or other actions of potential benefit against diabetes mellitus. These chemicals that lower blood sugar include a mixture of steroidal saponins known as charantins, insulin-like peptides, and alkaloids. The hypoglycemic effect is more pronounced in the fruit of bitter melon where these chemicals are found in greater abundance.
Alkaloids, charantin, charine, cryptoxanthin, cucurbitins, cucurbitacins, cucurbitanes, cycloartenols, diosgenin, elaeostearic acids, erythrodiol, galacturonic acids, gentisic acid, goyaglycosides, goyasaponins, guanylate cyclase inhibitors, gypsogenin, hydroxytryptamines, karounidiols, lanosterol, lauric acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, momorcharasides, momorcharins, momordenol, momordicilin, momordicins, momordicinin, momordicosides, momordin, multiflorenol, myristic acid, nerolidol, oleanolic acid, oleic acid, oxalic acid, pentadecans, peptides, petroselinic acid, polypeptides, proteins, ribosome-inactivating proteins, rosmarinic acid, rubixanthin, spinasterol, steroidal glycosides, stigmasta-diols, stigmasterol, taraxerol, trehalose, trypsin inhibitors, uracil, vacine, v-insulin, verbascoside, vicine, zeatin, zeatin riboside, zeaxanthin, and zeinoxanthin are all found in bitter melon.
BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES AND CLINICAL RESEARCH
To date, close to 100 in vivo studies have demonstrated the blood sugar-lowering effect of this bitter fruit. The fruit has also shown the ability to enhance cells' uptake of glucose, to promote insulin release, and to potentiate the effect of insulin. In other in vivo studies, bitter melon fruit and/or seed has been shown to reduce total cholesterol. In one study, elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels in diabetic rats were returned to normal after 10 weeks of treatment.
Several in vivo studies have demonstrated the antitumorous activity of the entire plant of bitter melon. In one study, a water extract blocked the growth of rat prostate carcinoma; another study reported that a hot water extract of the entire plant inhibited the development of mammary tumors in mice. Numerous in vitro studies have also demonstrated the anticancerous and antileukemic activity of bitter melon against numerous cell lines, including liver cancer, human leukemia, melanoma, and solid sarcomas.
Bitter melon, like several of its isolated plant chemicals, also has been documented with in vitro antiviral activity against numerous viruses, including Epstein-Barr, herpes, and HIV viruses. In an in vivo study, a leaf extract increased resistance to viral infections and had an immunostimulant effect in humans and animals, increasing interferon production and natural killer cell activity.
In addition to these properties, leaf extracts of bitter melon have demonstrated broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. Various extracts of the leaves have demonstrated in vitro antibacterial activities against E. coli, Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, Salmonella, Streptobacillus, and Streptococcus; an extract of the entire plant was shown to have antiprotozoal activity against Entamoeba histolytica. The fruit and fruit juice have demonstrated the same type of antibacterial properties and, in another study, a fruit extract demonstrated activity against the stomach ulcer-causing bacteria Helicobacter pylori.
Many in vivo clinical studies have demonstrated the relatively low toxicity of all parts of the bitter melon plant when ingested orally. However, toxicity and even death in laboratory animals has been reported when extracts are injected intravenously. Other studies have shown extracts of the fruit and leaf (ingested orally) to be safe during pregnancy. The seeds, however, have demonstrated the ability to induce abortions in rats and mice, and the root has been documented as a uterine stimulant in animals. The fruit and leaf of bitter melon have demonstrated an in vivo antifertility effect in female animals; and in male animals, to affect the production of sperm negatively.
CURRENT PRACTICAL USES
Over the years scientists have verified many of the traditional uses of this bitter plant that continues to be an important natural remedy in herbal medicine systems. Bitter melon capsules and tinctures are becoming more widely available in the United States and are employed by natural health practitioners for diabetes, viruses, colds and flu, cancer and tumors, high cholesterol, and psoriasis. Concentrated fruit and seed extracts can be found in capsules and tablets, as well as whole herb/vine powders and extracts in capsules and tinctures.
BITTER MELON (leaf/stem) PLANT SUMMARY
Main Preparation Method: leaf decoction or capsules
Main Actions (in order): anticancerous, antiviral, antibacterial, digestive stimulant, hypoglycemic
Main Uses:
for cancer
for viral infections (HIV, herpes, Epstein Barr, hepatitis, influenza, and measles)
for bacterial infections (Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and Salmonella)
as a bitter digestive aid (for dyspepsia and sluggish digestion)
for diabetes
Properties/Actions Documented by Research: antibacterial, anticancerous, anti-fertility, antileukemic, antiprotozoal, antitumorous, antiviral, hypoglycemic, immune stimulant
Other Properties/Actions Documented by Traditional Use:antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, antiparasitic, antiseptic, bitter, carminative (expels gas), digestive stimulant, febrifuge (reduces fever), hypotensive (lowers blood pressure), lactagogue (promotes milk flow), menstrual stimulator, purgative, vermifuge (expels worms), wound healer
Cautions: It may lower blood sugar levels.
BITTER MELON (fruit/fruit seed) PLANT SUMMARY
Main Preparation Method: fruit juice
Main Actions (in order): hypoglycemic, hypocholesterolemic (lowers cholesterol), antibacterial, carminative (expels gas), bitter
Main Uses:
for diabetes
for high cholesterol and triglyceride levels
for H. pylori ulcers
as a bitter digestive aid for intestinal gas, bloating, stomachache, and sluggish digestion
for intestinal parasites
Properties/Actions Documented by Research: abortive, contraceptive, antimicrobial, hypocholesterolemic (lowers cholesterol), hypoglycemic
Other Properties/Actions Documented by Traditional Use:antifungal, antiparasitic, antivenin, bitter, cardiotonic (tones, balances, strengthens the heart), digestive stimulant, emetic (causes vomiting), menstrual stimulator, purgative (strong laxative), vermifuge (expels worms)
Cautions: It lowers blood sugar levels and has abortive and contraceptive effects.
Traditional Preparation: 1 cup of a standard leaf or whole herb decoction is taken one or two times daily, or 1-3 ml of a 4:1 tincture is taken twice daily. Powdered leaf in tablets or capsules - 1 to 2 g can be substituted, if desired. The traditional South American remedy for diabetes is to juice 1-2 fresh bitter melon fruits and drink twice daily. For seed or fruit extracts in capsules or tinctures, follow the label instructions.
Contraindications:
Bitter melon traditionally has been used as an abortive and has been documented with weak uterine stimulant activity; therefore, it is contraindicated during pregnancy.
This plant has been documented to reduce fertility in both males and females and should therefore not be used by those undergoing fertility treatment or seeking pregnancy.
The active chemicals in bitter melon can be transferred through breast milk; therefore, it is contraindicated in women who are breast feeding.
All parts of bitter melon (especially the fruit and seed) have demonstrated in numerous in vivo studies that they lower blood sugar levels. As such, it is contraindicated in persons with hypoglycemia. Diabetics should check with their physicians before using this plant and use with caution while monitoring their blood sugar levels regularly as the dosage of insulin medications may need adjusting.
Although all parts of the plant have demonstrated active antibacterial activity, none have shown activity against fungi or yeast. Long-term use of this plant may result in the die-off of friendly bacteria with resulting opportunistic overgrowth of yeast (Candida). Cycling off the use of the plant (every 21-30 days for one week) may be warranted, and adding probiotics to the diet may be beneficial if this plant is used for longer than 30 days.
Drug Interactions: Bitter melon may potentiate insulin and anti-diabetic drugs and cholesterol-lowering drugs.
WORLDWIDE ETHNOMEDICAL USES
Brazil
for abortions, burns, colic, constipation, dermatosis, diabetes, diarrhea, eczema, fever, flu, hemorrhoids, hepatitis, hives, itch, impotency, leprosy, leukemia, libido, liver inflammation, malaria, menstrual problems, pain, rheumatism, scabies, skin, tumor, vaginal discharge, vaginitis, worms, wounds
China
for breast cancer, diabetes, fever, halitosis, impotency, renal insufficiency, kidney problems
Cuba
for anemia, colitis, diabetes, fever, hyperglycemia, intestinal parasites, kidney stones, liver problems, menstrual problems, sterility (female), worms
Haiti
for anemia, constipation, dermatosis, eye infections, fever, liver diseases, skin problems, rhinitis, and as an appetite stimulant and insecticide
India
for abortions, birth control, constipation, diabetes, eczema, fat loss, food, fever, gout, hemorrhoids, hydrophobia, hyperglycemia, increasing milk flow, intestinal parasites, jaundice, kidney stones, leprosy, liver, menstrual disorders, pneumonia, psoriasis, rheumatism, scabies, skin, snakebite, vaginal discharge
Mexico
for bowel function, burns, diabetes, dysentery, impotency, libido, scabies, sores, worms
Malaya
for abdominal pain, asthma, burns, Celiac's disease, dermatosis, diarrhea, headache, intestinal parasites, stomachache, worms
Nicaragua
for aches, anemia, childbirth, colds, constipation, cough, diabetes, fever, headache, hypertension, infections, lung disorders, malaria, pain, pregnancy, rashes, skin problems
Panama
for colds, diabetes, fever, flu, gallbladder problems, hives, hypertension, itch, malaria, menstrual problems, and as an insecticide
Peru
for colic, constipation, contusions, diabetes, diarrhea, fever, hepatitis, inflammation, intestinal parasites, lung problems, malaria, measles, menstrual problems, skin sores, pus, wounds
Trinidad
for diabetes, dysentery, fever, hypertension, malaria, rheumatism, worms
The above text has been printed from The Healing Power of Rainforest Herbs by Leslie Taylor, copyrighted © 2005All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, including websites, without written permission.
† The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The information contained in this plant database file is intended for education, entertainment and information purposes only. This information is not intended to be used to diagnose, prescribe or replace proper medical care. The plant described herein is not intended to treat, cure, diagnose, mitigate or prevent any disease. Please refer to our Conditions of Use for using this plant database file and web site.
Quoted References on Bitter Melon
10. Momordica charantia L. Cucurbitaceae. "Papailla", "Balsam pear". Fruit edible cooked. Plant decoction used for colic, and worms; infusion of fruit and flowers used for hepatitis. Seed pulp mixed with lard as a suppurative (SOU). Considered vermicide, stomachic, emmenagogue, and very effective in the expulsion of Trichocephalos. Fruit decoction used as febrifuge and emetic (PEA). Leaf decoction used by the "Cuna" for measles (RVM), by Brazilians for fever, itch, and sores (BDS). Seeds and pericarp contain saponin glycosides which produce elaterin and alkaloids, which causes vomiting and diarrhea (LAE). Leaf infusion a common folk remedy for diabetes around Iquitos (AYA). TRAMIL cites it as relatively POISONOUS (TRA). On the patent for Compound Q for AIDS, as a source of momocharin. Also contains rosmarinic acid, with antiviral activity and calceolarioside and verbascoside."
People Of The Earth, Introducing..........The Jinn
The World of Jinn
Invitation to truth
Issue 1, January 2011
Throughout history man has always had a deep attraction for the supernatural and the unseen. The existence of a world parallel to our own has always fascinated people. This world is commonly referred to as The spirit world, and almost every set of people have some concept of one. With some people, these spirits are no more than the souls of dead people- or ghosts. With others, spirits are either the forces of good or the forces of evil - both battling against one another to gain influence over humanity. However, both of these explanations are more in tune with folk tales and fantasy. The true explanation of such a world comes from Islam. Like every other way, Islam also claims to explain this realm of the unseen. It is from this realm that Islam explains to us about the world of the Jinn. The Islamic explanation of the Jinn provides us with so many answers to modem day mysteries. Without the knowledge of this world, the Muslims would become like the non-Muslims and be running around looking for any old answer to come their way. So, who or what are the Jinn?
Existence
The Jinn are beings created with free will, living on earth in a world parallel to mankind. The Arabic word Jinn is from the verb 'Janna' which means to hide or conceal. Thus, they are physically invisible from man as their description suggests. This invisibility is one of the reasons why some people have denied their existence. However, (as will be seen) the affect which the world of the Jinn has upon our world, is enough to refute this modern denial of one of Allah's creation. The origins of the Jinn can be traced from the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Allah says:
"Indeed We created man from dried clay of black smooth mud. And We created the Jinn before from the smokeless flame of fire" (Surah Al-Hijr 15:26-27)
Thus the Jinn were created before man. As for their physical origin, then the Prophet (pbuh) has confirmed the above verse when he said: "The Angels were created from light and the Jinn from smokeless fire". It is this description of the Jinn which tells us so much about them. Because they were created from fire, their nature has generally been fiery and thus their relationship with man has been built upon this. Like humans, they too are required to worship Allah and follow Islam. Their purpose in life is exactly the same as ours, as Allah says:
"I did not create the Jinn and mankind except to worship Me" (Surah Ad-Dhariyat 51:56)
Jinns can thus be Muslims or non-Muslims. However, due to their fiery nature the majority of them are non-Muslims. All these non-Muslim Jinns form a part of the army of the most famous Jinn, Iblis- the Shaytan, Satan. Consequently, these disbelieving Jinns are also called Shaytans (devils). As for the Jinns who became Muslims, then the first of them did so in the time of the Prophet (saws) when a group of them were amazed by the recitation of the Qur'an. Allah orders the Prophet to tell the people of this event:
"Say (O' Muhammed): It has been revealed to me that a group of Jinn listened and said; 'Indeed we have heard a marvelous Qur'an. It guides unto righteousness so we have believed in it, and we will never make partners with our lord'"(Surah Al-Jinn 72:1-2)
In many aspects of their world, the Jinn are very similar to us. They eat and drink, they marry, have children and they die. The life span however, is far greater then ours. Like us, they will also be subject to a Final Reckoning by Allah the Most High. They will be present with mankind on the Day of Judgement and will either go to Paradise or Hell.
Abilities
That which clearly distinguishes the Jinn from mankind, are their powers and abilities. Allah has given them these powers as a test for them. If they oppress others with them, then they will be held accountable. By knowing of their powers, we can often make sense of much of the mysteries which go on around us. One of the powers of the Jinn, is that they are able to take on any physical form they like. Thus, they can appear as humans, animals trees and anything else. Over the last few years the interest in the subject of aliens and UFO's has become heightened. Programs such as the X-files and the Outer limits have increased the popularity of the theory that aliens exist. Thousands of people have sighted strange looking creatures all over the world. These sightings however, have still not proven substantially that aliens exist. Rather - and it seems more plausible all the sightings of such creatures were just Jinns parading in different forms. So the next time you see something that looks like E.T, it’s most probably just a wicked Jinn trying to scare and confuse you!
The ability to possess and take over the minds and bodies of other creatures is also a power which the Jinn have utilised greatly over the centuries. This however, is something which has been prohibited to them as it is a great oppression to possess another being. Human possession is something which has always brought about great attention. But the true knowledge of this subject is rare amongst the people. Over the last 3 decades the subject of possession has become very commercialized. During the 70's films such as The Exorcist and Rosemary's Baby were used to educate people about possession. However, because such institutions (the film industry) were heavily influenced by Christianity, knowledge of the subject was non-existent. Rather than educate people about Jinn possession, films such as The Exorcist just tended to scare the living daylights out of us! Only through Islam can we understand such a phenomenon. We know as Muslims, that Jinns possess people for many reasons. Sometimes it is because the Jinn or its family has been hurt accidentally. It could be because the Jinn has fallen in love with the person. However, most of the time possession occurs because the Jinn is simply malicious and wicked. For this reason we have been told by the Prophet (pbuh) not to loiter in those places where the Jinns reside, e.g. graveyards, ruins, deserts, market places etc. We have also been commanded to recite the Qur'an frequently in our houses as the Prophet (pbuh) said: "Indeed, the shaytan flees from the house in which Surah Al-Baqarah (the 2nd chapter of the Qur'an) is recited”.
If a person does become possessed, then the name of Allah has to be used in expelling the Jinn. If we look at the practice of the Prophet and his companions, we find many duas (supplications) to exorcise the Jinn. All these duas (prayers) invoke Allah to help the possessed person. How contrary this is to many modern-day exorcists. Many exorcists, Muslim and Christians, often invoke the names of others besides GOD to exorcise the Jinn. When the Jinn does leave, these people believe that their way was successful. However, this is a ploy of the Jinn, as it knows that if it obeys the exorcist, then it has succeeded in making him worship others besides ALLAH (GOD). The Jinn often returns when the exorcist leaves, as it knows that nothing except the words of Allah can stop it from oppressing others.
It is not only humans which are possessed, but also animals, trees and other objects. By doing this, the evil Jinn hope to make people worship others besides Allah. The possession of idols is one way to do this. Not so long ago the world-wide phenomenon of Hindu idols drinking milk, shocked the world. From Bombay to London, Delhi to California, countless idols were lapping up milk. Ganesh the elephant god, Hanuman the monkey god and even Shiva lingam, the male private organ(!), all seemed to guzzle down the milk as if there was no tomorrow! Unfortunately people were taken in by this (including Muslims) and many flocked to feed (?) the Hindu gods. Anyone who knows about Jinn possession, will undoubtedly know that this is a classic attempt to make people commit shirk. And it worked, as many people started to worship these lifeless pieces of wood and marble. Anyone with half a brain would say to themselves, 'why on earth does a god need to be fed?!! Surely if Ganesh, Hanuman or Shiva were divine then they wouldn't need feeding?' However, such common sense seemed to be lacking as the Jinns played havoc with these people.
The Occult
Through their powers of flying and invisibility, the Jinn are the chief component in occult activities. Voodoo, Black magic, Poltergeists, Witchcraft and Mediums can all be explained through the world of the Jinn. Likewise, so can the illusions and feats of magicians. Because the Jinn can traverse huge distances over a matter of seconds, their value to magicians is great. In return for helping them in their magic, the Jinns often ask for the magicians to sell their souls to them and even to Iblis. Thus the magicians take the Jinn and Iblis as lords besides Allah. In our day, some of the feats performed by magicians and entertainers are without doubt from the assistance of the Jinn.
One of the most frequent activities associated with the Jinn, is fortune telling. Before the advent of the Prophet (pbuh) fortune-tellers and soothsayers were wide spread. These people would use their associates from the Jinn to find out about the future. The Jinns would go to the lowest heaven and listen to the Angels conversing amongst themselves about events of the Future which they heard from Allah. The Jinns would then inform the fortune-tellers. This is why before the time of the Prophet (pbuh) many fortune-tellers were very accurate in their predictions. However, upon the Prophet's arrival the heavens were guarded intensely by the Angels, and any Jinn who tried to listen was attacked by meteors (shooting stars):
"And We have guarded it (the heavens) from every accursed devil, except one who is able to snatch a hearing and he is pursued by a brightly burning flame"(Surah Al-Hijr 15:18)
The Prophet (saws) also said: "They (the Jinn) would pass the information back down until it reaches the lips of a magician or fortune teller Sometimes a meteor would overtake them before they could pass it on. If they passed it on before being struck, they would add to it a hundred lies". Thus, it is clear from this as to how fortune-tellers get predictions of the future right. It is also evident as to why they get so many wrong. Men like Nostradamus are an example, as some of his predictions of the future were correct whilst many were completely wrong. Unfortunately, the amount of fortune telling which occurs amongst the Muslims is also increasing. By visiting Muslim lands such as Morocco, one is able to see as to how much inter Jinn-fortune-teller activity there really is. If you look up at the sky on a clear night in Morocco, you will see the heavens ablaze with shooting stars! A clear display of the devils being chased away from the heavens.
Fortune-tellers also operate through the Qareen. The Qareen is the Jinn companion which is assigned to every human being. It is this Jinn which whispers to our base desires and constantly tries to divert us from righteousness. The Prophet (saws) said: “Everyone of you has been assigned a companion from the Jinn. The companions asked: Even you O' Messenger of Allah? And the Prophet replied: Even me, except that Allah has helped me against him and he has submitted. Now he only tells me to do good". Because the Qareen is with a person all his life, it knows all that has happened to the person from the cradle to the grave. By making contact with the Qareen, the fortune-teller is thus able to make out that it is he who knows about the person. He looks in his crystal ball or the palm of a person and proceeds to amaze him with knowledge which no one else knows.The severity of going to a fortune-teller is such that the Prophet (pbuh) said: "The prayer of one who approaches a fortune-teller and asks him about anything, will not be accepted for forty days or nights" and: "Whosoever approaches a fortune-teller and believes in what he says, has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammed.
The effects of the Jinn are not just limited to fortune-tellers. Other activities such as oujia boards and seances, which are used to contact the dead, are manipulated by the Jinn. 'Are you there Charlie? Speak to us Charlie!!' are the sort of words spoken by anxious relatives (names are obviously, different!) seeking to make contact with their loved ones. And it is when the Jinn starts to talk and communicate as 'Charlie', that the people are truly fooled.
One of the biggest manipulations of the Jinn is through visions. Through these visions the Jinns are more likely to lead people away from the worship of Allah then any other way. When a person sees a vision in front of his eyes it is something which is very hard to explain away. Only by having knowledge of the world of the Jinn and conviction in Allah, can a person fight such a trial. The countless numbers of visions of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary over the centuries has been a popular choice for the devils. It almost seems as if leading Christians astray is the most, easiest trick for the Jinns! Not only are Christians fooled by these visions, but often the Jinns possess and begin to talk from their voices. To the Christians this is known as the tongues of the Angels and thus a proof for their faith. However, the amount of unintelligible nonsense and rubbish which is heard is a clear proof that this is in fact the tongues of the devils! For other people, visions of their parents or relatives are commonplace. By taking on the form of peoples parents, the Jinns can convince people that the souls of dead people still mix with the people of the earth. This is why so many people believe in ghosts.
The onslaught of satanic visions has also hit the Muslims. Many Muslims claim to have seen visions of the Prophet Muhammed (saws) and even Allah! By doing this, Shaytan is able to lead astray the weak Muslims. Through such visions, Muslims are often told that the commands of Islam are not applicable to them. The Jinns tell them that Prayer, Fasting, Hajj etc. are not obligatory for them. It is a great deception and unfortunately one which has been very effective. The extent of satanic visions still continues to this day. The recent death of Diana Princess of Wales sparked off great love and adoration for this woman. In fact the grief of the British people was such, that it was as if Diana was something divine. No sooner had the mourning of Diana reached its peak, that visions of her were already being seen at Hampton Court Palace! If these visions did occur, the desire of Iblis and his army of Jinn to capitalise on this event, was evident. Such visions are clear attempts by Iblis to lead mankind away from the path of Allah.
The world of the Jinn is one which is both sinister and intriguing. By knowing of this world we can explain many of the mysteries and issues which bother us. By doing this we can avoid the extremes which the people have gone to; nothing being more extreme then worshipping others besides Allah. By learning the Tawheed of Allah, we defend ourselves from these hidden allies of Iblis:
"Indeed he (Iblis) and his tribe watch you from a position where you cannot see them"(Surah Al-A'raf 7:27)
Maybe there is a Jinn sitting in the corner of your room right now, or even one behind you. If so, then how will you deal with this creation of Allah? Learn Islam properly and you will be able to deal with all of Allah's creation - and not just the Jinn. By becoming true Muslims and followers of Islam, the fear of Iblis, Jinns and anything else will leave us - nothing will touch the Believer unless Allah wills.
America, Know Your Government-Push For The Transparency Act
In the size of a lie there always contained a certain factor of credibility, since the mass of people will more easily fall victim to a great lie, opposed to a small one. – Adolph Hilter
The individual becomes handicapped when come face-to-face with a conspiracy so monstrous, he cannot believe it exist! –J. Edgar Hoover
In The World of Finance
Thomas Jefferson, on living within your means:
"But I know nothing more important to inculcate into the minds of young people than the wisdom, the honor, and the blessed comfort of living within their income, to calculate in good time how much less pain will cost them the plainest stile of living which keeps them out of debt, than after a few years of splendor above their income, to have their property taken away for debt when they have a family growing up to maintain and provide for."
-- From a letter to Martha Jefferson Randolph in 1808
Please Read!
Did you know the new tower replacing the twin towers in NYC is supposed to be a reflection of American pride and resolve. Thats what our government wants us to believe in. So why did they award the glass panelscovering the exterior to Beijing Glass of China. One of the largest wind farms every built is going up in west Texas. Being sponsored with tax payer Stimulus money. All the wind turbins were awared to a Chinese company. Score- 2500 jobs in China, 300 in the good old USA. All sponsored by our money. This is our own government allowing this to happen. Our own government, with their life long pensions and health carethat they voted for themselves...........do you still think our government is 'of the people, by the people and for the people bippy?>>>>>.Go To Financial 101.....2009 for the year before's fiasco
WAIT A MINUTE....
Is it true? Has the 'whole' world economy been manipulated so it has depended upon America having a huge middle class of workers that help support and run the economy? .......If true, then it looks like the whole world is in deep trouble. Houston......we have a problem! (this is for those of you who haven't been paying attention yet!)
2/3/11According to in-house memos now circulating, the DHS has issued orders to banks across America which announce to them that "under the Patriot Act" the DHS has the absolute right to seize, without any warrant whatsoever, any and all customer bank accounts, to make "periodic and unannounced" visits to any bank to open and inspect the contents of "selected safe deposit boxes." -U.S DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HAS TOLD BANKS - IN WRITING - IT MAY INSPECT SAFE DEPOSIT BOXES WITHOUT WARRANT AND SIEZE ANY GOLD, SILVER, GUNS OR OTHER VALUABLES IT FINDS INSIDE THOSE BOXES! 1/30/111/31/11-Ripping You Off: The Bears on the clearest explanation yet of the ongoing criminal acts called bailouts, 1/31/11This rush for one of the most precious metals on Earth—especially with the commodity price flirting with $1,500 per ounce-is a mean-spirited, lawless, destructive juggernaut into the heart of the once Eden-like Madre de Dios [Mother of God] region of the shadowy Peruvian rainforest. -New gold rush breaks out in the Amazon jungle.1/30/11Peculiarly (and I’ll have to admit I’m among the guilty), a state-wide halt of foreclosures by a Bank of America unit in Nevada earlier in the week attracted remarkably little notice. The number of foreclosures in involved is meaningful, over 8000. The reason may seem somewhat technical, and presumably would not apply to other BofA units, namely, that the entity, ReconTrust Co, is operating without a proper business license. But then it gets interesting. -Bank of America Fighting to Reverse Foreclosure Freeze in Nevada, 1/29/11-Jim Grant: "The Fed Is Now In The Business Of Manipulating The Stock Market...Should Confess It Has Sinned Grievously", 1/28/111/29/11District officials want to find out who "uncommonly antagonistic" individuals are by tracing requests for public records, while federal government paints cash users as potential terrorists. -California Residents Hit With Government Ban On Paying By Cash, 1/27/111/25/11-The End Game Has Begun, 1/25/111/23/11-Wall Street celebrates record profits, 1/18/111/19/11-'Fear and Love Make Gold Strong', 1/19/11-Cheapest Way to Buy Silver, 1/17/11-Virginia Considers Dollar Collapse, Gold Currency, 1/18/111/17/11-Central Banking 101: What the Fed Can do as "Lender of Last Resort", 1/17/11-Banks Walking Away From Homes, 1/17/11-10000 Foreclosures TOSSED OUT in One MD Ruling!, 1/17/11-Will the Financial Crisis Lead To America's Decline And A Glimpse Of The "Post-Pax Americana" Dark Ages?, 1/17/111/15/11...MONEY magazine has a point. But not a good one. When pop culture gets excited about an asset class – tech stocks in ’99 or housing and finance in ’06 – you know it’s late in a roaring party. It’s just a matter of time before the neighbors get mad and call the cops. But the MONEY writer missed the point. Pop culture has to take the bubble asset seriously. Not as a joke. -Why Gold Is Still a Good Investment, 1/14/11-Unsealed Docs Show The Fed Was Fully Warned Of A Housing Crisis, 1/15/111/14/11-Opening a renminbi savings account in US, 1/12/11-Gerald Celente: Rulers Running Out of Schemes, 1/14/11In a truly free society, there are a number of things that a property owner should not be prevented from doing. The owner of a piece of property should not be prevented by governments or anyone else from using his property as he sees fit... -Sanctity of Private Property, 1/14/11-Changing to a Silver Economy, 1/14/11-Wallet Voting1/13/11-How Bad is the Muni Bond Situation?, 1/13/11-Why the World Is Financially Doomed in Four Charts, 1/6/11-U.S. Monkey Can't Let Go, 1/13/11-JP Morgan Told Judge To Stop Paying Mortgage To Become Eligible For Loan Modification, 1/12/11-DC Puts Its Bankster-Friendly Solution for Foreclosure Fraud on the Table, 1/13/11-December Foreclosure Filings Slump By Biggest Annual Amount In History As Fraudclosure Clampdown Persists, 1/13/11-Federal Reserve Planning to CHANGE LAWS of TILA - TO STOP FORECLOSURE LAWSUITS AGAINST BANKS! M.F.s!, 1/13/11-Banks repossess 1 million homes in 2010, 1/13/11-Commodity Inflation: "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet", 1/13/111/12/11-Banker Bob Diamond to Non-Bankers: Drop Dead, 1/12/11-How to Become a Secured Party Creditor, 5/7/10-Ecclesiastical Deed Poll-71% Oppose Raising Debt Ceiling as Congress Prepares to Ignore Majority's Wishes, 1/12/11-Deepening crisis traps have-nots, 1/9/11-Market In 18 Easy Charts, 1/12/11-10 Things that would be Different if Federal Reserve had never been Created, 1/11/11-Foreclosure Defense Handbook: How to Fight Foreclosure and Stay in Your Home-New Move to Make Yuan a Global Currency, 1/12/11-Gold as Insurance Against Armageddon, 1/10/11-At Least 10 States have Introduced Gold Coins-As-Currency bills, 1/11/11-Housing Market Slips Into Depression Territory, 1/11/11-Seven Things That Will Cost More in 2011, 1/11/11-Meredith Whitney: Every Day My Muni Doom Forecast Is Validated, 1/12/11-Keller Rohrback L.L.P. Announces Class Action Complaint Filed Against EMC Mortgage Corp. and The Bear Stearns Companies LLC, 1/12/11-CAFR: Biggest Game in Town-WB Explains The Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, 5/27/10-Cities, States to default soon? A Felony Fraud on the Taxpayer!, 1/11/11-Biggest Game in Town-Silver Circle: Animated Feature Film Poised to Destroy Paradigms, 1/11/111/11/11-Food prices skyrocket, 1/10/11-Apocalypse Now? Will The Massachusetts Ibanez Case Unravel Widespread Irregularities In The Residential Securitized Mortgage Market?, 1/11/11-Student Loan Debt Bubble, 1/11/111/10/11-Geithner Says U.S. Insolvent, 1/10/11-Judge Sides With GATA, Orders Fed To Present Her With Its Classified Gold Records, 1/10/11-Investors Still Face 100s of Billions in Mortgage Losses which could Kill Top Banks, 1/10/111/9/11-Literally On the Brink of Catastrophic Collapse, 1/6/11-U.S.O.F.C.: If the Fraud Stops, the Financial System Collapses, 1/8/11-How an MA Court May Have Set Off Another Housing/ Banking Catastrophe, 1/8/11-Ohio Judge Follows JPMorgan Chase’s Advice, Ends up in Foreclosure-U.S. Bank Nat'l Association vs. Ibanez; MERS DEATH ZONE - Double Class Action Lawsuits Filed Against Mortgage Registration Puppet-What is Money When the System Collapses?, 12/29/101/8/11-Shocking admission from Tim Geithner: U.S. on the brink of catastrophic collapse, 1/6/11-7 Reasons Food Shortages Will Become a Global Crisis, 1/7/11-Nomadic Nature of Money, 1/8/11
1/6/11
Dems say GOP exempting $1 trillion from deficit WASHINGTON – Democrats accused newly empowered House Republicans of exempting more than $1 trillion in proposed tax cuts and higher spending over the next 10 years from a promise to cut federal deficits. The exemptions include a bill to repeal last year's health care legislation as well as GOP-backed proposals extending a series of tax cuts for upper income filers that are due to expire in two years, according to a tally several Senate Democrats unveiled at a news conference Thursday. Sens. Chuck Schumer of New York, Dick Durbin of Illinois and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan assailed House Republicans for scrapping a Democratic rule aimed at making it more difficult to cut taxes or increase spending with borrowed money....the rest at the link
(oh shoot.......and we thought 'they' were going to FIX EVERYTHING.....yeah right...did you really think that?!!! Get real folks.....no one can FIX this mess at this point!)
Lawmakers Set For Battle Over Debt Ceiling Increase The United States Treasury reports that the Federal debt has exceeded $13.9 trillion, which comes dangerously close to the statutory ceiling of $14.29 trillion set by Congress and approved by President Barack Obama last February.The Obama administration is pushing to increase the debt limit, but could face resistance from a stronger Republican presence in Congress, which has pledged to reduce government spending and lower the deficit. Freshmen Tea Party lawmakers in particular are expected to take a hard line against an increase in the debt ceiling.However, White House officials have warned that a failure to increase the limit would result in a "catastrophic" economic crisis. Appearing on ABC's This Week on Jan. 2, Obama's top economic advisor, Austan Goolsbee, said that the U.S. would go into default if the ceiling isn't raised, which could create a bigger fiscal mess than in 2008, when the nation entered into a severe recession. .....the rest of the story at the link
(and what does this mean to us folks? It means that the govt can still just keep on printing more and more money, making the dollar more worthless. It means that they can avoid cutting back the gigantic military budget, using YOUR MONEY to build bigger killing machines, to use YOUR MONEY to make more machines to spy or radiate on you, instead of helping your children go to college or get jobs or have health care.....WAKE UP AND SMELL THE .........well, its sure not 'roses'!)
1/5/11
BJs cuts almost 500 jobs and closes 5 stores NEW YORK – BJ's Wholesale Club, a potential takeover target, will shave hundreds of jobs and close five stores by the end of the month, the company said Wednesday. Three stores in the Atlanta area will be shuttered, along with one in Sunrise, Fla., and one in Charlotte, N.C., resulting in 380 job cuts. The company also says it's cutting 114 corporate-level jobs, 61 of them at the company's Natick, Mass., headquarters and 53 field positions. ...the rest of the story at the link
30 Reasons Why 2011 Is Going To Be Another Crappy Year For America’s Middle Class Do you think that 2011 will be a good year for America’s middle class? Well, you might not be so optimistic after you read the 30 statistics posted below. The truth is that 2011 is going to be another crappy year for America’s middle class, and there is not a whole lot that you or I can do about it. Sadly, what we are facing as a nation is not just a short-term economic downturn. Rather, there are some very serious long-term economic trends that are absolutely ripping apart the U.S. middle class. For example, did you know that even though our population has been growing at a brisk pace we have lost about ten percent of our middle class jobs over the past decade? The vast majority of jobs that have been created have been low paying service jobs. We now have hordes of highly educated young people that are waiting tables and that are welcoming customers to Wal-Mart. Without good paying jobs there is no middle class, but today American corporations are actually creating more jobs overseas than they are inside the United States. This has helped pad the profits of the big corporate fatcats, but it has been devastating for middle class communities across the United States. Every time a factory gets closed down in America and gets set up in some other country instead, it means that the U.S. middle class is shrinking just a little bit more. The new “global economy” has been good for the bottom line of the largest U.S. corporations, it has been great for countries like China and India, but it is absolutely wiping out the U.S. middle class. ....the whole article at the link
1/4/11
Obama’s Real Agenda and Why the Stimulus is Money Well Spent
12/30/10
Audit finds CDC misplaced $8 million in equipment ATLANTA – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lost or misplaced more than $8 million in property in 2007, losing track of items including computer and video equipment, government auditors say. Agency officials said Wednesday they have corrected the lapses that led to that amount of waste.
The report was released this week by the inspector general for the Department of Health and Human Services, the parent agency of theCDC. In 2007, the auditors checked on 200 randomly sampled items and found 15 were lost or not inventoried, including a $1.8 million hard disk drive and a $978,000 video conferencing system....the rest of the story at the link
U.S. changes how it measures long-term unemployment So many Americans have been jobless for so long that the government is changing how it records long-term unemployment.Citing what it calls "an unprecedented rise" in long-term unemployment, the federalBureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), beginning Saturday, will raise from two years to five years the upper limit on how long someone can be listed as having been jobless.
The move could help economists better measure the severity of the nation's prolonged economic downturn.The change is a sign that bureau officials "are afraid that a cap of two years may be 'understating the true average duration' — but they won't know by how much until they raise the upper limit," says Linda Barrington, an economist who directs the Institute for Compensation Studies at Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations....the rest at the link
U.S. Fed announces dollar swap extension through August 2011 WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Federal Reserve announced on Tuesday that it had authorized an extension of its temporary U.S. dollar liquidity swap arrangements with the Bank of Canada, the Bank of England, the European Central Bank, the Bank of Japan and the Swiss National Bank.
The swap arrangements, established in May 2010, had been previously authorized through January 2011. The Fed announced on Tuesday to extend them through Aug. 1, 2011, the U.S. central bank said in a short statement....the whole story at the link
U.S. bank failures set 18-year high in 2010 NEW YORK, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- The number of U.S. banks gone into bankruptcy this year reached the highest level since 1992, according to media report on Wednesday.Washington Post reported that 157 U.S. banks failed in 2010, up from 140 in 2009, and it is the highest level since 1992 when the savings-and-loan crisis broke out.
According to the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC), number of banks whose weaknesses "threaten their continued financial viability" stood at 860 as of September 30, the highest since 1993. Based on historical record, about a fifth of the banks on FDIC's watch list would end up in bankruptcy....the rest of the story at the link
12/27/10
Coburn Says National Debt Could Cause “Apocalyptic Pain” Senator Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) has provided a grim forecast for the United States if lawmakers do not reduce the government debt. Appearing on Fox News Sunday on Dec. 26, Coburn said that the U.S. will suffer from "apocalyptic pain" if the nation does not curb its massive deficit. He predicted that America could eventually face an 18 percent unemployment rate and hyperinflation if government waste is not curbed. He said that the U.S. may face austerity measures that have been seen in Greece, Ireland, Spain, Portugal and Japan. "The history of republics is they average 200 years of life. And they all fail in the history over fiscal matters. They rot from within before they collapse or are attacked," Coburn told the news provider. ...the rest of the story at the link
12/26/10
The Intelligent Forecaster One of the hardest things to do as a grown, “educated” adult is to learn from others. The inability to learn from others is what guarantees you will have a very childish perspective of the world. If the only books you’ve read were forced on you by the public education system, then your perspective is skewed. It was only when I expanded my realm of knowledge that I saw the world in a whole new way. I realized that there are recurring themes in history that humans consistently ignore because fundamentally, human nature never changes. No matter how much you warn people about the disaster that’s coming, they won’t listen. Call it what you may- naivete, ignorance, or outright arrogance- but this is just my experience. By definition you must be humble to learn. There is a psychological phenomenon that explains the human tendency towards disbelief and inaction: the normalcy bias. ...the rest at the link
12/23/10
Sen Bernie Sanders Amazing Speech! video on the budget, realistically! Bernie for President is what we have to say.....seems to be one of the few who really 'get it' and who really care!
Romanian flings himself from parliament balcony BUCHAREST, Romania – A Romanian television engineer apparently distraught that budget cuts had reduced benefits for his autistic teenage son dived more than 20 feet (about seven meters) from a balcony onto the floor of Romania's parliament Thursday, then shouted "Freedom!" as emergency workers took him out on a stretcher.
The man's cry echoed those heard during the 1989 revolution that toppled communism — a revolt in which 1,300 people died. Romanians are commemorating the 21st anniversary of an uprising in which authorities shot unarmed protesters.Shortly after Prime Minister Emil Boc greeted lawmakers, Adrian Sobaru hit the floor with a thud that reverberated through the chamber. No one else was injured, and Sobaru's injuries were reportedly not life-threatening....the rest of the story at the link
12/15/10
Ron Paul: "Bernanke Is The Greatest Counterfeiter In The History Of The World"
12/13/10
Special Comment: Obama Turned His Back on His Base (Video) With the tax-cut deal, the Democrats lost their chance to stop the GOP from taking unfair advantage of the middle class. (Transcript at the link too)
A Real Jaw Dropper at the Federal Reserve : Senator Bernie Sanders, "At a Senate Budget Committee hearing in 2009, I asked Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke to tell the American people the names of the financial institutions that received an unprecedented backdoor bailout from the Federal Reserve, how much they received, and the exact terms of this assistance. He refused. A year and a half later, as a result of anamendment that I was able to include in the Wall Street reform bill, we have begun to lift the veil of secrecy at the Fed, and the American people now have this information.
It is unfortunate that it took this long, and it is a shame that the biggest banks in America and Mr. Bernanke fought to keep this secret from the American public every step of the way. But, the details on this bailout are now on the Federal Reserve's website, and this is a major victory for the American taxpayer and for transparency in government.
Importantly, my amendment also required the Government Accountability Office to conduct a top-to-bottom audit of all of the emergency lending the Fed provided during the financial crisis to be completed on July 21, 2011, which will take a hard look at all of the potential conflicts of interest that took place with respect to this bailout. So, in many respects, details that the Fed was forced to divulge on Wednesday about the $3.3 trillion in emergency loans that until now were totally kept from public scrutiny, marked the beginning, not the end, of lifting the veil of secrecy at the Fed."...the rest of the horror story at the link if you have the stomach for it.....be sure and take an anti-acid first....or a tranqu.)
The individual becomes handicapped when come face-to-face with a conspiracy so monstrous, he cannot believe it exist! –J. Edgar Hoover
In The World of Finance
Thomas Jefferson, on living within your means:
"But I know nothing more important to inculcate into the minds of young people than the wisdom, the honor, and the blessed comfort of living within their income, to calculate in good time how much less pain will cost them the plainest stile of living which keeps them out of debt, than after a few years of splendor above their income, to have their property taken away for debt when they have a family growing up to maintain and provide for."
-- From a letter to Martha Jefferson Randolph in 1808
Please Read!
Did you know the new tower replacing the twin towers in NYC is supposed to be a reflection of American pride and resolve. Thats what our government wants us to believe in. So why did they award the glass panelscovering the exterior to Beijing Glass of China. One of the largest wind farms every built is going up in west Texas. Being sponsored with tax payer Stimulus money. All the wind turbins were awared to a Chinese company. Score- 2500 jobs in China, 300 in the good old USA. All sponsored by our money. This is our own government allowing this to happen. Our own government, with their life long pensions and health carethat they voted for themselves...........do you still think our government is 'of the people, by the people and for the people bippy?>>>>>.Go To Financial 101.....2009 for the year before's fiasco
WAIT A MINUTE....
Is it true? Has the 'whole' world economy been manipulated so it has depended upon America having a huge middle class of workers that help support and run the economy? .......If true, then it looks like the whole world is in deep trouble. Houston......we have a problem! (this is for those of you who haven't been paying attention yet!)
2/3/11According to in-house memos now circulating, the DHS has issued orders to banks across America which announce to them that "under the Patriot Act" the DHS has the absolute right to seize, without any warrant whatsoever, any and all customer bank accounts, to make "periodic and unannounced" visits to any bank to open and inspect the contents of "selected safe deposit boxes." -U.S DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HAS TOLD BANKS - IN WRITING - IT MAY INSPECT SAFE DEPOSIT BOXES WITHOUT WARRANT AND SIEZE ANY GOLD, SILVER, GUNS OR OTHER VALUABLES IT FINDS INSIDE THOSE BOXES! 1/30/111/31/11-Ripping You Off: The Bears on the clearest explanation yet of the ongoing criminal acts called bailouts, 1/31/11This rush for one of the most precious metals on Earth—especially with the commodity price flirting with $1,500 per ounce-is a mean-spirited, lawless, destructive juggernaut into the heart of the once Eden-like Madre de Dios [Mother of God] region of the shadowy Peruvian rainforest. -New gold rush breaks out in the Amazon jungle.1/30/11Peculiarly (and I’ll have to admit I’m among the guilty), a state-wide halt of foreclosures by a Bank of America unit in Nevada earlier in the week attracted remarkably little notice. The number of foreclosures in involved is meaningful, over 8000. The reason may seem somewhat technical, and presumably would not apply to other BofA units, namely, that the entity, ReconTrust Co, is operating without a proper business license. But then it gets interesting. -Bank of America Fighting to Reverse Foreclosure Freeze in Nevada, 1/29/11-Jim Grant: "The Fed Is Now In The Business Of Manipulating The Stock Market...Should Confess It Has Sinned Grievously", 1/28/111/29/11District officials want to find out who "uncommonly antagonistic" individuals are by tracing requests for public records, while federal government paints cash users as potential terrorists. -California Residents Hit With Government Ban On Paying By Cash, 1/27/111/25/11-The End Game Has Begun, 1/25/111/23/11-Wall Street celebrates record profits, 1/18/111/19/11-'Fear and Love Make Gold Strong', 1/19/11-Cheapest Way to Buy Silver, 1/17/11-Virginia Considers Dollar Collapse, Gold Currency, 1/18/111/17/11-Central Banking 101: What the Fed Can do as "Lender of Last Resort", 1/17/11-Banks Walking Away From Homes, 1/17/11-10000 Foreclosures TOSSED OUT in One MD Ruling!, 1/17/11-Will the Financial Crisis Lead To America's Decline And A Glimpse Of The "Post-Pax Americana" Dark Ages?, 1/17/111/15/11...MONEY magazine has a point. But not a good one. When pop culture gets excited about an asset class – tech stocks in ’99 or housing and finance in ’06 – you know it’s late in a roaring party. It’s just a matter of time before the neighbors get mad and call the cops. But the MONEY writer missed the point. Pop culture has to take the bubble asset seriously. Not as a joke. -Why Gold Is Still a Good Investment, 1/14/11-Unsealed Docs Show The Fed Was Fully Warned Of A Housing Crisis, 1/15/111/14/11-Opening a renminbi savings account in US, 1/12/11-Gerald Celente: Rulers Running Out of Schemes, 1/14/11In a truly free society, there are a number of things that a property owner should not be prevented from doing. The owner of a piece of property should not be prevented by governments or anyone else from using his property as he sees fit... -Sanctity of Private Property, 1/14/11-Changing to a Silver Economy, 1/14/11-Wallet Voting1/13/11-How Bad is the Muni Bond Situation?, 1/13/11-Why the World Is Financially Doomed in Four Charts, 1/6/11-U.S. Monkey Can't Let Go, 1/13/11-JP Morgan Told Judge To Stop Paying Mortgage To Become Eligible For Loan Modification, 1/12/11-DC Puts Its Bankster-Friendly Solution for Foreclosure Fraud on the Table, 1/13/11-December Foreclosure Filings Slump By Biggest Annual Amount In History As Fraudclosure Clampdown Persists, 1/13/11-Federal Reserve Planning to CHANGE LAWS of TILA - TO STOP FORECLOSURE LAWSUITS AGAINST BANKS! M.F.s!, 1/13/11-Banks repossess 1 million homes in 2010, 1/13/11-Commodity Inflation: "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet", 1/13/111/12/11-Banker Bob Diamond to Non-Bankers: Drop Dead, 1/12/11-How to Become a Secured Party Creditor, 5/7/10-Ecclesiastical Deed Poll-71% Oppose Raising Debt Ceiling as Congress Prepares to Ignore Majority's Wishes, 1/12/11-Deepening crisis traps have-nots, 1/9/11-Market In 18 Easy Charts, 1/12/11-10 Things that would be Different if Federal Reserve had never been Created, 1/11/11-Foreclosure Defense Handbook: How to Fight Foreclosure and Stay in Your Home-New Move to Make Yuan a Global Currency, 1/12/11-Gold as Insurance Against Armageddon, 1/10/11-At Least 10 States have Introduced Gold Coins-As-Currency bills, 1/11/11-Housing Market Slips Into Depression Territory, 1/11/11-Seven Things That Will Cost More in 2011, 1/11/11-Meredith Whitney: Every Day My Muni Doom Forecast Is Validated, 1/12/11-Keller Rohrback L.L.P. Announces Class Action Complaint Filed Against EMC Mortgage Corp. and The Bear Stearns Companies LLC, 1/12/11-CAFR: Biggest Game in Town-WB Explains The Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, 5/27/10-Cities, States to default soon? A Felony Fraud on the Taxpayer!, 1/11/11-Biggest Game in Town-Silver Circle: Animated Feature Film Poised to Destroy Paradigms, 1/11/111/11/11-Food prices skyrocket, 1/10/11-Apocalypse Now? Will The Massachusetts Ibanez Case Unravel Widespread Irregularities In The Residential Securitized Mortgage Market?, 1/11/11-Student Loan Debt Bubble, 1/11/111/10/11-Geithner Says U.S. Insolvent, 1/10/11-Judge Sides With GATA, Orders Fed To Present Her With Its Classified Gold Records, 1/10/11-Investors Still Face 100s of Billions in Mortgage Losses which could Kill Top Banks, 1/10/111/9/11-Literally On the Brink of Catastrophic Collapse, 1/6/11-U.S.O.F.C.: If the Fraud Stops, the Financial System Collapses, 1/8/11-How an MA Court May Have Set Off Another Housing/ Banking Catastrophe, 1/8/11-Ohio Judge Follows JPMorgan Chase’s Advice, Ends up in Foreclosure-U.S. Bank Nat'l Association vs. Ibanez; MERS DEATH ZONE - Double Class Action Lawsuits Filed Against Mortgage Registration Puppet-What is Money When the System Collapses?, 12/29/101/8/11-Shocking admission from Tim Geithner: U.S. on the brink of catastrophic collapse, 1/6/11-7 Reasons Food Shortages Will Become a Global Crisis, 1/7/11-Nomadic Nature of Money, 1/8/11
1/6/11
Dems say GOP exempting $1 trillion from deficit WASHINGTON – Democrats accused newly empowered House Republicans of exempting more than $1 trillion in proposed tax cuts and higher spending over the next 10 years from a promise to cut federal deficits. The exemptions include a bill to repeal last year's health care legislation as well as GOP-backed proposals extending a series of tax cuts for upper income filers that are due to expire in two years, according to a tally several Senate Democrats unveiled at a news conference Thursday. Sens. Chuck Schumer of New York, Dick Durbin of Illinois and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan assailed House Republicans for scrapping a Democratic rule aimed at making it more difficult to cut taxes or increase spending with borrowed money....the rest at the link
(oh shoot.......and we thought 'they' were going to FIX EVERYTHING.....yeah right...did you really think that?!!! Get real folks.....no one can FIX this mess at this point!)
Lawmakers Set For Battle Over Debt Ceiling Increase The United States Treasury reports that the Federal debt has exceeded $13.9 trillion, which comes dangerously close to the statutory ceiling of $14.29 trillion set by Congress and approved by President Barack Obama last February.The Obama administration is pushing to increase the debt limit, but could face resistance from a stronger Republican presence in Congress, which has pledged to reduce government spending and lower the deficit. Freshmen Tea Party lawmakers in particular are expected to take a hard line against an increase in the debt ceiling.However, White House officials have warned that a failure to increase the limit would result in a "catastrophic" economic crisis. Appearing on ABC's This Week on Jan. 2, Obama's top economic advisor, Austan Goolsbee, said that the U.S. would go into default if the ceiling isn't raised, which could create a bigger fiscal mess than in 2008, when the nation entered into a severe recession. .....the rest of the story at the link
(and what does this mean to us folks? It means that the govt can still just keep on printing more and more money, making the dollar more worthless. It means that they can avoid cutting back the gigantic military budget, using YOUR MONEY to build bigger killing machines, to use YOUR MONEY to make more machines to spy or radiate on you, instead of helping your children go to college or get jobs or have health care.....WAKE UP AND SMELL THE .........well, its sure not 'roses'!)
1/5/11
BJs cuts almost 500 jobs and closes 5 stores NEW YORK – BJ's Wholesale Club, a potential takeover target, will shave hundreds of jobs and close five stores by the end of the month, the company said Wednesday. Three stores in the Atlanta area will be shuttered, along with one in Sunrise, Fla., and one in Charlotte, N.C., resulting in 380 job cuts. The company also says it's cutting 114 corporate-level jobs, 61 of them at the company's Natick, Mass., headquarters and 53 field positions. ...the rest of the story at the link
30 Reasons Why 2011 Is Going To Be Another Crappy Year For America’s Middle Class Do you think that 2011 will be a good year for America’s middle class? Well, you might not be so optimistic after you read the 30 statistics posted below. The truth is that 2011 is going to be another crappy year for America’s middle class, and there is not a whole lot that you or I can do about it. Sadly, what we are facing as a nation is not just a short-term economic downturn. Rather, there are some very serious long-term economic trends that are absolutely ripping apart the U.S. middle class. For example, did you know that even though our population has been growing at a brisk pace we have lost about ten percent of our middle class jobs over the past decade? The vast majority of jobs that have been created have been low paying service jobs. We now have hordes of highly educated young people that are waiting tables and that are welcoming customers to Wal-Mart. Without good paying jobs there is no middle class, but today American corporations are actually creating more jobs overseas than they are inside the United States. This has helped pad the profits of the big corporate fatcats, but it has been devastating for middle class communities across the United States. Every time a factory gets closed down in America and gets set up in some other country instead, it means that the U.S. middle class is shrinking just a little bit more. The new “global economy” has been good for the bottom line of the largest U.S. corporations, it has been great for countries like China and India, but it is absolutely wiping out the U.S. middle class. ....the whole article at the link
1/4/11
Obama’s Real Agenda and Why the Stimulus is Money Well Spent
12/30/10
Audit finds CDC misplaced $8 million in equipment ATLANTA – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lost or misplaced more than $8 million in property in 2007, losing track of items including computer and video equipment, government auditors say. Agency officials said Wednesday they have corrected the lapses that led to that amount of waste.
The report was released this week by the inspector general for the Department of Health and Human Services, the parent agency of theCDC. In 2007, the auditors checked on 200 randomly sampled items and found 15 were lost or not inventoried, including a $1.8 million hard disk drive and a $978,000 video conferencing system....the rest of the story at the link
U.S. changes how it measures long-term unemployment So many Americans have been jobless for so long that the government is changing how it records long-term unemployment.Citing what it calls "an unprecedented rise" in long-term unemployment, the federalBureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), beginning Saturday, will raise from two years to five years the upper limit on how long someone can be listed as having been jobless.
The move could help economists better measure the severity of the nation's prolonged economic downturn.The change is a sign that bureau officials "are afraid that a cap of two years may be 'understating the true average duration' — but they won't know by how much until they raise the upper limit," says Linda Barrington, an economist who directs the Institute for Compensation Studies at Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations....the rest at the link
U.S. Fed announces dollar swap extension through August 2011 WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Federal Reserve announced on Tuesday that it had authorized an extension of its temporary U.S. dollar liquidity swap arrangements with the Bank of Canada, the Bank of England, the European Central Bank, the Bank of Japan and the Swiss National Bank.
The swap arrangements, established in May 2010, had been previously authorized through January 2011. The Fed announced on Tuesday to extend them through Aug. 1, 2011, the U.S. central bank said in a short statement....the whole story at the link
U.S. bank failures set 18-year high in 2010 NEW YORK, Dec. 29 (Xinhua) -- The number of U.S. banks gone into bankruptcy this year reached the highest level since 1992, according to media report on Wednesday.Washington Post reported that 157 U.S. banks failed in 2010, up from 140 in 2009, and it is the highest level since 1992 when the savings-and-loan crisis broke out.
According to the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC), number of banks whose weaknesses "threaten their continued financial viability" stood at 860 as of September 30, the highest since 1993. Based on historical record, about a fifth of the banks on FDIC's watch list would end up in bankruptcy....the rest of the story at the link
12/27/10
Coburn Says National Debt Could Cause “Apocalyptic Pain” Senator Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) has provided a grim forecast for the United States if lawmakers do not reduce the government debt. Appearing on Fox News Sunday on Dec. 26, Coburn said that the U.S. will suffer from "apocalyptic pain" if the nation does not curb its massive deficit. He predicted that America could eventually face an 18 percent unemployment rate and hyperinflation if government waste is not curbed. He said that the U.S. may face austerity measures that have been seen in Greece, Ireland, Spain, Portugal and Japan. "The history of republics is they average 200 years of life. And they all fail in the history over fiscal matters. They rot from within before they collapse or are attacked," Coburn told the news provider. ...the rest of the story at the link
12/26/10
The Intelligent Forecaster One of the hardest things to do as a grown, “educated” adult is to learn from others. The inability to learn from others is what guarantees you will have a very childish perspective of the world. If the only books you’ve read were forced on you by the public education system, then your perspective is skewed. It was only when I expanded my realm of knowledge that I saw the world in a whole new way. I realized that there are recurring themes in history that humans consistently ignore because fundamentally, human nature never changes. No matter how much you warn people about the disaster that’s coming, they won’t listen. Call it what you may- naivete, ignorance, or outright arrogance- but this is just my experience. By definition you must be humble to learn. There is a psychological phenomenon that explains the human tendency towards disbelief and inaction: the normalcy bias. ...the rest at the link
12/23/10
Sen Bernie Sanders Amazing Speech! video on the budget, realistically! Bernie for President is what we have to say.....seems to be one of the few who really 'get it' and who really care!
Romanian flings himself from parliament balcony BUCHAREST, Romania – A Romanian television engineer apparently distraught that budget cuts had reduced benefits for his autistic teenage son dived more than 20 feet (about seven meters) from a balcony onto the floor of Romania's parliament Thursday, then shouted "Freedom!" as emergency workers took him out on a stretcher.
The man's cry echoed those heard during the 1989 revolution that toppled communism — a revolt in which 1,300 people died. Romanians are commemorating the 21st anniversary of an uprising in which authorities shot unarmed protesters.Shortly after Prime Minister Emil Boc greeted lawmakers, Adrian Sobaru hit the floor with a thud that reverberated through the chamber. No one else was injured, and Sobaru's injuries were reportedly not life-threatening....the rest of the story at the link
12/15/10
Ron Paul: "Bernanke Is The Greatest Counterfeiter In The History Of The World"
12/13/10
Special Comment: Obama Turned His Back on His Base (Video) With the tax-cut deal, the Democrats lost their chance to stop the GOP from taking unfair advantage of the middle class. (Transcript at the link too)
A Real Jaw Dropper at the Federal Reserve : Senator Bernie Sanders, "At a Senate Budget Committee hearing in 2009, I asked Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke to tell the American people the names of the financial institutions that received an unprecedented backdoor bailout from the Federal Reserve, how much they received, and the exact terms of this assistance. He refused. A year and a half later, as a result of anamendment that I was able to include in the Wall Street reform bill, we have begun to lift the veil of secrecy at the Fed, and the American people now have this information.
It is unfortunate that it took this long, and it is a shame that the biggest banks in America and Mr. Bernanke fought to keep this secret from the American public every step of the way. But, the details on this bailout are now on the Federal Reserve's website, and this is a major victory for the American taxpayer and for transparency in government.
Importantly, my amendment also required the Government Accountability Office to conduct a top-to-bottom audit of all of the emergency lending the Fed provided during the financial crisis to be completed on July 21, 2011, which will take a hard look at all of the potential conflicts of interest that took place with respect to this bailout. So, in many respects, details that the Fed was forced to divulge on Wednesday about the $3.3 trillion in emergency loans that until now were totally kept from public scrutiny, marked the beginning, not the end, of lifting the veil of secrecy at the Fed."...the rest of the horror story at the link if you have the stomach for it.....be sure and take an anti-acid first....or a tranqu.)
Monday, January 3, 2011
Eternity Has Already Begun, By Harun Yahya
What does the word "eternity" mean to you? One always tends to associate the concept of eternity with figures such as a thousand years, one million or a billion years. Such a concept of time seems to suggest an everlasting period. Similarly,what the concept of "infinite distance" evokes in the mind is great distances, like a hundred thousand or a million light years. Nevertheless, even if you endeavor to think of the greatest figure possible, you will still be limited by the intellectual capacity of your mind. An example would contribute to a fuller understanding of the extraordinary extent of eternity: if a quadrillion of people spent all their lives, lasting also a quadrillion years, doing nothing but countingnumbers, day and night without stopping, they would still fail to arrive at eternity, since eternity as a concept has no beginning and no end. In the Sight of Allah, the Almighty, this concept of the "everlasting"
and accordingly absolutely incomputable, has already ended. Eternity, which appears to be an unattainable concept for us, is actually just a single moment in the Sight of Allah. This post along with many others to come in sha' ALLA (if it's GOD's Will) will present to you unprecedented explanations of timelessness, spacelessness and eternity, and makes you confront an important fact: that eternity has already begun. The realization of this fact will make you once again appreciate ALLAH, the Almighty and Exalted, and HIS Creation. Meanwhile, you will find comprehensible answers to some frequently asked questions: Where is ALLAH? What is the resurrection? What is the true nature of death? Is there an endless life? And when will all these happen? Yet, before proceeding with these issues, some concepts like "the real nature of matter" and "timelessness," will be dealt with in detail for a better comprehension of the above—mentioned subject. To be continued in sha'ALLAH
and accordingly absolutely incomputable, has already ended. Eternity, which appears to be an unattainable concept for us, is actually just a single moment in the Sight of Allah. This post along with many others to come in sha' ALLA (if it's GOD's Will) will present to you unprecedented explanations of timelessness, spacelessness and eternity, and makes you confront an important fact: that eternity has already begun. The realization of this fact will make you once again appreciate ALLAH, the Almighty and Exalted, and HIS Creation. Meanwhile, you will find comprehensible answers to some frequently asked questions: Where is ALLAH? What is the resurrection? What is the true nature of death? Is there an endless life? And when will all these happen? Yet, before proceeding with these issues, some concepts like "the real nature of matter" and "timelessness," will be dealt with in detail for a better comprehension of the above—mentioned subject. To be continued in sha'ALLAH
Thursday, March 18, 2010
www.youtube.com/phase3
This is a video every human being, be they religious or nonreligious, should watch and become proactive in a solution for protecting your lives, your family lives, the next generations to come. Watch and let's discuss this. Together, you and I just might come up with a solution!
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