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Non-Dischargeable Debt

The following is a guest article by Alfred Adask, former Libertarian Party candidate for The Texas Supreme Court.

Black’s 7th (A.D. 1999):

“nondischargeable debt. A debt (such as one for delinquent taxes) that is not released through bankruptcy.”

[Defining “nondischargeable debt” as only applying to questions of bankruptcy implies that “dischargeable debt” is likewise a concept found only in bankruptcy. Is the essence of “legal tender” the ability to “discharge” our debts? Does “discharge” (rather than “pay”) imply that we must be in bankruptcy?

That makes sense. Legal tender has, by definition, always existed when at least the government could not pay its debts with lawful money/specie. Thus, insofar as the persistent inability to pay debt has been an essential indicator of bankruptcy, it would follow that reliance on legal tender would always be an indication that those who use legal tender are bankrupts.

Normally, a person can file for bankruptcy protection as a voluntary act of “self-defense”. If a person does not personally file for bankruptcy protection, he will not normally be presumed to be bankrupt. Therefore, unless the use of legal tender was backed up by something like a SSN (to prove your relationship as fiduciary/employee of the federal government and thus liable for the debts of the bankrupt federal government), it seems that a single instance of using legal tender would be no more sufficient to presume a person was bankrupt than a single instance of not paying one’s bills.

However, if three separate creditors (“out of the mouths of two or three”) came to court claiming that one man wasn’t paying all three, the court could put that person into an involuntary bankruptcy.

Even so, in a particular case, where are the three instances/“creditors” required to “prove” that a particular defendant is not paying his bills and is therefore a presumed involuntary bankrupt? If the plaintiff is suing me for $500,000, it seems that we have a single claim of non-payment of debt; we do not have three “creditors” claiming that I’ve failed to pay three different debts.

Unless . . . what if the plaintiff alleged three causes of action under three (or more) separate statutes? What if the plaintiff alleged that I owed $500,000 on the original debt; that I owed another $250,000 for legal fees, and another $200,000 in “punitive damages”? What if the plaintiff alleged three separate “debts” and/or “causes of action,” each debt/cause was denominated in legal tender (seeking discharge rather than payment), and each debt/cause was under a separate statute. Is it possible that I might be deemed a “debtor” to each of the three underlying statutes?? If so, and if I’d been given notice of all three of the separate debts/causes and I refused to pay or settle out of court, then could the court deem me to be a bankrupt/debtor when I came to court and proceed against me as a debtor?

If that hypothesis were valid, a defendant’s first lines of defense might be 1) deny any debtor-creditor relationship exists between himself and the plaintiff; 2) deny that he’s voluntarily agreed to serve as debtor and/or surety relative to the three or more statutes under which the plaintiff makes his claims (I’ll bet that the government can’t make you a debtor to a statute without your voluntary consent; forced debtor status would be involuntary servitude); 3) deny that you are bankrupt and/or produce evidence that you have gold/silver sufficient to pay at least part of the alleged “debt”; 4) deny that you owe a debt denominated in legal tender; 5) accuse the plaintiff of being bankrupt by virtue of paying the filing fee in legal tender; 6) accuse the plaintiff of being a bankrupt (without rights) by virtue of not paying its debts in specie. 7) accuse plaintiff of being bankrupt for not paying any filing fee; 8) deny the court’s subject matter jurisdiction to hear bankruptcy cases; etc..

Deny that you’re bankrupt when the plaintiff sends his first notice/petition to your denominated in legal tender (I.e., the case starts with a plaintiff’s claim for damages denominated in legal tender. By reference to legal tender, the plaintiff creates the presumption that the defendant must be a bankrupt. If the plaintiff sues for legal tender, he must presume that the defendant is already bankrupt, can’t pay his bills, and therefore will be “privileged” to discharge his obligation with legal tender. In 95 to 98% of all cases, that “discharge” would be negotiated with a plea bargain and/or out-of-court “settlement” wherein the creditor-plaintiff took whatever he could get from the “bankrupt” defendant-debtor.

My point is that if the case starts with claims denominated in legal tender, and if the defendant does not object to that medium of transfer by denying that he’s bankrupt, then the defendant’s failure to repudiate the plaintiff’s claim (in FRNs) might be deemed as the defendant’s implicit confession that he is a bankrupt and/or that he consents to be tried under the rules of bankruptcy.

If so, then if the defendant replied to the plaintiff’s first notice/petition with an express, sworn denial of being 1) personally bankrupt or 2) surety for a bankrupt (U.S. gov-co), plus 3) a demand that he be sued in specie rather than legal tender, and 4) a declaration that the plaintiff is bankrupt—might the plaintiff be estopped from proceeding?

As evidence that I am not bankrupt, suppose I posted a “conditional” bond (if there is such thing) made out to the plaintiff for 21 silver dollars as at least a partial payment of any debt truly due from me to the plaintiff. Suppose I conditioned that specie bond on being found guilty AT COMMON LAW for the alleged offenses/debts? By pre-bonding the case at law—even partially—with a bond denominated in specie I might create evidence that I was not bankrupt and was therefore not subject to process wherein I was deemed without rights to . . . substantive due process? Is procedural due process for bankrupts? Is substantive due process for creditors and/or men who are “solvent”?

What would happen if I were sued for $500,000 (legal tender), and I offered to settle for 21 silver dollars (specie)? Aren’t 21 silver dollars worth more than $5 (legal tender) for 21 silver dollars? Aren’t 21 silver dollars (actual assets) worth more than $500,000 in legal tender/debt instruments?

If I offered to settle a case denominated in legal tender with specie (and backed my offer to settle in specie with denials of being bankrupt, being involved in a debtor-relationship with the plaintiff, etc.), would I create a “conflict of law” that could only be resolved by a judicial court?

This line of conjecture needs a lot of work. The ideas that the courts presume us to be bankrupts from our use of legal tender and/or from being charged by government under three or more statutes (witnesses? Creditors?) to which we are presumed debtors are pretty flimsy. Still, if “non-dischargeable debt” applies only in bankruptcy, and therefore (??) all debts subject to “discharge” implicate bankruptcy law, it does appear that the use of legal tender would tend to invoke bankruptcy laws.

If that were true, there might be three fundamental, “generic” defenses: 1) deny that you’re the debtor; claim to be the creditor; 2) deny that you are bankrupt; and 3) produce a bond or other evidence that you have specie and/or are willing to litigate for specie.

“irredeemable bond. See annuity bond under BOND (3).”

“redeemable bond. See BOND (3).”

“redeemable security. See SECURITY.”

“redeemable stock. See STOCK.”

Black’s 4th (A.D. 1957):

“RECTUS. In the old law of descents. Right; upright; the opposite of obliquus (q.v.).”

“OBLIQUUS. Lat. In the old law of descents, oblique; cross; transverse; collateral. The opposite of rectus, right, or upright.”

Findlaw search USSC “nondischargeable debt”:

1. FindLaw Case

http://laws.findlaw.com/us/000/96-1923.html

[This case is under the heading “SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES” (not “UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT” or “U.S. SUPREME COURT”).]

… … credit is] obtained by” fraud. The phrase thereby makes clear that the share of money, property, etc., that is obtained by fraud gives rise to a nondischargeable debt. Once it is established that specific money or property has been obtained by fraud, however, “any debt” arising therefrom is excepted from …

[This partial text suggests that any debt, cause or case based on FRAUD gives rise to a “non-dischargeable debt”. If so, this suggests that a plaintiff might not have to sue for or accept legal tender as a “discharge” for debts based on FRAUD. Instead, fraud might open the door to sue for specie.]

… a ‘fine, penalty, or forfeiture’ ”). Because each use of “debt for” in §523(a) serves the identical function of introducing a category of nondischargeable debt the presumption that equivalent words have equivalent meaning when repeated in the same statute, e.g., Ratzlaf v. United States, 510 U.S. 135, 143 …

[Bankruptcy Code: 11 USC 523(a)]

2. FindLaw: Case Num. 97115

http://laws.findlaw.com/us/000/97-115.html

[This case is under “U.S. SUPREME COURT”.]

… in civil actions for ” ‘willful and malicious injuries to the person or property of another’ “? Id. , at 480. The Tinker Court held such an award a nondischargeable debt. The Kawaauhaus feature certain statements in the Tinker opinion, in particular: “[An] act is willful . . . in the sense that it is intentional and …

[This is less clear. Is the debt nondischargeable because it was established by an “award” by the court? Or is the debt nondischargeable because it was based on “willful and malicious injuries”?

Is the debt is nondischargeable because it was based on an award by a court, it had little application relative to my hypothesis. However, if the debt is nondischargeable because it was based on “willful and malicious injuries,” then it might be possible to sue for specie whenever a defendant was charged with “willful and malicious injuries”.]

3. FindLaw Case

http://laws.findlaw.com/us/523/213.html

[This case under “SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES”]

… … credit is] obtained by” fraud. The phrase thereby makes clear that the share of money, property, etc., that is obtained by fraud gives rise to a nondischargeable debt. Once it is established that specific money or property has been obtained by fraud, however, “any debt” arising therefrom is excepted from …

[Again, issue of fraud would seem to implicate a nondischargeable debt. The common denominator between “fraud” and the “willful and malicious injuries” in case # 2 (supra) would seem to be the element of INTENT. There can’t be “intent” in the fictional realm—only conduct or perhaps “effects”. Intent could only be committed only by living men (not legal fictions or even double personalities). Thus, any question of intent would implicate a living man necessarily acting on The State and perhaps give rise to at least the option to sue for damages/ debts payable in specie rather than legal tender.

This implies that “actual” and “intentional” necessarily implicate the “real” and natural world (laws of nature and nature’s God) of “The State” while “constructive” implicates “this state”/legal fiction.]

… a ‘fine, penalty, or forfeiture’ ”). Because each use of “debt for” in §523(a) serves the identical function of introducing a category of nondischargeable debt the presumption that equivalent words have equivalent meaning when repeated in the same statute, e.g., Ratzlaf v. United States, 510 U.S. 135, 143 …

4. FindLaw: Case Num. 97115

http://laws.findlaw.com/us/523/57.html

[“U.S. SUPREME COURT”]

… in civil actions for ” ‘willful and malicious injuries to the person or property of another‘ “? Id. , at 480. The Tinker Court held such an award a nondischargeable debt. The Kawaauhaus feature certain statements in the Tinker opinion, in particular: “[An] act is willful . . . in the sense that it is intentional and …

5. FindLaw: UNITED STATES v. SOTELO, 436 U.S. 268 (1978)

http://laws.findlaw.com/us/436/268.html

[“U.S. SUPREME COURT”]

… was to limit the nondischargeability of certain debts. And yet the Court holds today that the enactment of 17a (1) (e) of that statute results in a nondischargeable debt without regard to whether that debt would have been totally nondischargeable before the passage of 17a (1) (e) – that is, without the slightest …

[Bankruptcy Act à 11 USC 17a(1)(e)]

Filed under "The State" vs. "this state", Money

May 29, 2008

Location of the Debtor

080528

TITLE XXXIV-A
UNIFORM COMMERCIAL CODE

CHAPTER 382-A
UNIFORM COMMERCIAL CODE

ARTICLE 9
SECURED TRANSACTIONS

Part 3
Perfection and Priority

Subpart 1. Law Governing Perfection and Priority

Section 382-A:9-307

382-A:9-307 Location of Debtor. –

[The critical word appears to be “location”.]
(a) “Place of business.” In this section, “place of business” means a place where a debtor conducts its affairs. [This, in turn, implies that all businesses are debtors and/or that all who engage in business must be debtors. To engage in “business” and/or business “affairs” is to be a debtor. Perhaps, “business” is defined as only possible “in this state”; perhaps all “business” is conducted in terms of legal tender, and all legal tender implicates “this state”. Thus, any “place of business” must be “in this state”. That, in turn, implies that all who enter “this state” may be presumed to be debtors. Perhaps there are no “creditors” “in this state”. Maybe “this state” is only for “debtors” while “The State” it the “place of lending” (rather than “place of business”/ “place of debtors”). This would imply that the fiction “ADASK” is always deemed to act “in this state” and is always acting as a debtor. If so, then the man “Adask,” conversely, would then have to be the eternal “creditor” living/existing “within The State”.]


(b) Debtor’s location: general rules. Except as otherwise provided in this section, the following rules determine a debtor’s location:
(1) A debtor who is an individual is located at the individual’s principal residence. [Residence is only for “individuals”? To have a “residence” is to be an “individual”? To be an “individual” means you must be also be a “resident”?]
(2) A debtor that is an organization and has only one place of business is located at its place of business. [Apparently, “business” is associated with an “organization”. To be “in business” implies the existence of an “organization”. If I had guess, I’d bet that the “business organization” includes a bank account. I.e, even if you are a “self-employed” tradesman, if you have a business bank account, that would be part of your “organization”.]
(3) A debtor that is an organization and has more than one place of business is located at its chief executive office.


(c) Limitation of applicability of subsection (b). Subsection (b) applies only if a debtor’s residence, place of business, or chief executive office, as applicable, is located in a jurisdiction [this state?] whose law generally requires information concerning the existence of a nonpossessory security interest to be made generally available in a filing, recording, or registration system as a condition or result of the security interest’s obtaining priority over the rights of a lien creditor with respect to the collateral. If subsection (b) does not apply, the debtor is located in the District of Columbia. [This implies that all debtors are either 1) in Washington DC; or 2) in a “jurisdiction” whose law generally requires information concerning the existence of a nonpossessory security interest to be made generally available in a filing, recording, or registration system . . . .”. This implies that each instance of “this state” may be or include such a “registration system”. Therefore, if you 1) deny that you are located in DC; and 2) deny that your “security interest” is established under such a “registration system”—you might be able to defeat the presumption or declaration that you are a debtor.]


(d) Continuation of location: cessation of existence, etc. A person that ceases to exist, have a residence, or have a place of business continues to be located in the jurisdiction specified by subsections (b) and (c).

[Once a “person” (not necessarily a man) establishes “existence,” “residence” or “place of business” in jurisdictions (b) or (c), that establishment appears to be permanent and survives his “cessation” (not necessarily death), movement to another residence or place of business in another jurisdiction. This implies that if a person “ceases” to “exist,” that may preclude such person from “establishing” a new existence in some other jurisdiction, but cessation of residence or place of business is irrelevant; and you can have several residences, even if you’re only occupying one.

This is very strange. It reminds me of the IRS being allowed to send notice to “last known address” even if the recipient has been gone for years. There is an implication that the term “located” can or must apply to fictions; that once a fiction is found in jurisdiction (b) or (c) it’s there “forever”.

But, unless existence, residence and place of business really are “forever” (at least in “this state”) there must be a process to “officially terminate” one’s “location” in the fiction.

“Location” appears to be the critical term. Black’s 8th defines:

“location. 1. The specific place or position of a person or thing. 2. The act or process of locating. 3. Real estate. The designation of the boundaries of a particle piece of land, either on the record or on the land itself. . . . [“The record” is “in this state”? The land is within “The State”?] 4. Mining law. The act of appropriating a mining claim. . . . 5. The claim so appropriated.—Also termed (in senses 4 & 5) mining location. 6. Civil law. A contract for the temporary use of something for hire; a leasing for hire. See LOCATIO.”

]

(e) Location of registered organization organized under State law. A registered organization that is organized under the law of a State is located in that State.

(f) Location of registered organization organized under federal law; bank branches and agencies. Except as otherwise provided in subsection (i), a registered organization that is organized under the law of the United States and a branch or agency of a bank that is not organized under the law of the United States or a State are located:
(1) in the State that the law of the United States designates, if the law designates a State of location;
(2) in the State that the registered organization, branch, or agency designates, if the law of the United States authorizes the registered organization, branch, or agency to designate its State of location; or
(3) in the District of Columbia, if neither paragraph (1) nor paragraph (2) applies.
(g) Continuation of location: change in status of registered organization. A registered organization continues to be located in the jurisdiction specified by subsection (e) or (f) notwithstanding:
(1) the suspension, revocation, forfeiture, or lapse of the registered organization’s status as such in its jurisdiction of organization; or
(2) the dissolution, winding up, or cancellation of the existence of the registered organization.
(h) Location of United States. The United States is located in the District of Columbia.
(i) Location of foreign bank branch or agency if licensed in only one state. A branch or agency of a bank that is not organized under the law of the United States or a State is located in the State in which the branch or agency is licensed, if all branches and agencies of the bank are licensed in only one State.
(j) Location of foreign air carrier. A foreign air carrier under the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended, is located at the designated office of the agent upon which service of process may be made on behalf of the carrier.
(k) Section applies only to this part. This section applies only for purposes of this part.

Source. 2001, 102:25, eff. July 1, 2001.

http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/XXXIV-A/382-A/382-A-9-307.htm

TITLE XXXIV-A
UNIFORM COMMERCIAL CODE

CHAPTER 382-A
UNIFORM COMMERCIAL CODE

ARTICLE 9
SECURED TRANSACTIONS

Part 3
Perfection and Priority

Subpart 1. Law Governing Perfection and Priority

Section 382-A:9-307

382-A:9-307 Location of Debtor. –
(a) “Place of business.” In this section, “place of business” means a place where a debtor conducts its affairs.
(b) Debtor’s location: general rules. Except as otherwise provided in this section, the following rules determine a debtor’s location:
(1) A debtor who is an individual is located at the individual’s principal residence.
(2) A debtor that is an organization and has only one place of business is located at its place of business.
(3) A debtor that is an organization and has more than one place of business is located at its chief executive office.
(c) Limitation of applicability of subsection (b). Subsection (b) applies only if a debtor’s residence, place of business, or chief executive office, as applicable, is located in a jurisdiction whose law generally requires information concerning the existence of a nonpossessory security interest to be made generally available in a filing, recording, or registration system as a condition or result of the security interest’s obtaining priority over the rights of a lien creditor with respect to the collateral. If subsection (b) does not apply, the debtor is located in the District of Columbia.
(d) Continuation of location: cessation of existence, etc. A person that ceases to exist, have a residence, or have a place of business continues to be located in the jurisdiction specified by subsections (b) and (c).
(e) Location of registered organization organized under State law. A registered organization that is organized under the law of a State is located in that State.
(f) Location of registered organization organized under federal law; bank branches and agencies. Except as otherwise provided in subsection (i), a registered organization that is organized under the law of the United States and a branch or agency of a bank that is not organized under the law of the United States or a State are located:
(1) in the State that the law of the United States designates, if the law designates a State of location;
(2) in the State that the registered organization, branch, or agency designates, if the law of the United States authorizes the registered organization, branch, or agency to designate its State of location; or
(3) in the District of Columbia, if neither paragraph (1) nor paragraph (2) applies.
(g) Continuation of location: change in status of registered organization. A registered organization continues to be located in the jurisdiction specified by subsection (e) or (f) notwithstanding:
(1) the suspension, revocation, forfeiture, or lapse of the registered organization’s status as such in its jurisdiction of organization; or
(2) the dissolution, winding up, or cancellation of the existence of the registered organization.
(h) Location of United States. The United States is located in the District of Columbia.
(i) Location of foreign bank branch or agency if licensed in only one state. A branch or agency of a bank that is not organized under the law of the United States or a State is located in the State in which the branch or agency is licensed, if all branches and agencies of the bank are licensed in only one State.
(j) Location of foreign air carrier. A foreign air carrier under the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended, is located at the designated office of the agent upon which service of process may be made on behalf of the carrier.
(k) Section applies only to this part. This section applies only for purposes of this part.

Source. 2001, 102:25, eff. July 1, 2001.

Filed under "The State" vs. "this state", Fictions

Categories
Ask Utopia Silver

Rash

Q:
Hi Utopia Silver,

I have had a rash for 6 months and have been to several doctors no one has a clue to what the rash is.  My skin is red and scaly and burns if I sweat when I exercise.  I am at my wits end is it possible to have a yeast infection on your face? I have been told Rosacea, dermatitis, etc.  Please any info would be great.

Stephanie in Ohio

A:
Hi Stefanie,

It could be any of those and the only way to determine if the silver will help is to try it. We have had many who claimed success with silver for both problems. Use topically just on the affected area and 1 or 2 ounces a day for 4-5 days may be beneficial.

Have you considered the possibility that it may be some environmental contaminant, possibly even detergent in your clothes and sheets. I always double rinse everything I wash that has any chance of coming into contact with my skin.

You may also want to try our Silver Aloe or Aloe Gold Skin Therapy Soaps as well. http://utopiasilver.com/products/supplements/skincare.htm

You are appreciated in Utopia.

Ben Taylor
Utopia Silver Supplements
830 966-2315
www.utopiasilver.com

Notice: We are not doctors and we suggest that you consult a healthcare professional,preferably a qualified naturopathic doctor or one who has been trained in integrative medicine if you have a life or health threatening illness. All opinions and information presented by me are done as an exercise of the unalienable right of free speech.

Categories
Ask Utopia Silver

Eye Infection

Q:
Hello Utopia Silver,

I have two questions, one is how much of the silver does one use if there is a chronic problem of red eyes caused by viral infection? Is the silver taken internally or in drop form right into the eyes?.

Two : How much of the silver does one take if one has a virus such as herpes and a cold.  These are chronic problems for me.  I don't really know why, could be that my immune system is not strong enough.

I have your product (silver) but I'm not sure how much I take.

Thank you for your response.

Claudia M.

A:
Hi Claudia,

From my experience and that of others, a few drops in the eyes every few hours for a day usually does the job. In the case of chronic eye infection, I have even flushed with an eye cup. Most people take it orally at the same time to give additional support.

How much to supplement with for any problem varies considerably from individual to individual. When I start catching a cold or flu, I will do an ounce or two every 3-4 hours for a day or two. It usually knocks it out or shortens the duration considerably.

Herpes is a very difficult issue to deal with; it tends to lie dormant in the joint of the jaw with Simplex 1 and at the base of the spine with Simplex 2. This makes it very difficult to get the silver in contact with it until an outbreak. At such time, it can be used topically, which will shorten the infected period and also orally. Again, how much is difficult to determine, but it will probably takes several ounces a day for a week or so. Sporadically active and then dormant viruses are not easy to kill, but you may be able to give support to your immune system so that outbreaks are less frequent.

You are appreciated in Utopia.

Ben Taylor
Utopia Silver Supplements
830 966-2315
www.utopiasilver.com

Notice: We are not doctors and we suggest that you consult a healthcare professional,preferably a qualified naturopathic doctor or one who has been trained in integrative medicine if you have a life or health threatening illness.

Categories
Natural Remedies

Cramping

• Yogurt or Calcium/Magnesium . Eat two cups of yogurt a day in the days or week leading up to your period and you should not be moody or have cramps when your monthly period comes. If you don’t like yogurt, take a calcium/magnesium supplement. Continue during the time of your menstrual period. Calcium and magnesium deficiencies may be the cause of PMS or PMS-like symptoms. With either one, you should see a big difference in your cramps and your attitude.
• Inositol . May relieve PMS symptoms and aids in nerve impulse transmission and helps prevent estrogen-related cancer.

• Acidophilus. Relieves symptoms by breaking down metabolites of estrogen.

• Flaxseed Oil and Primrose Oil . These oils supply gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), an essential fatty acid that is important in relieving symptoms and aiding proper glandular function.

• Vitamin B Complex and B12 . Crucial in the relief of stress and is essential for proper functioning of the adrenal gland.

• Pumpkin Seeds. Eat pumpkin seeds about a week before your menstrual period (a handful–1/4 of a cup a day) and your cramps should be non-existent. Also eat them as a snack during the period.

• Hot water and ginger. Boil the water and stir in two to three tablespoons of ginger and drink it up. You should feel better in 30-45 minutes.

• Dill pickle juice. Drink a half cup when you feel a cramp coming or as soon as it strikes. One heaping teaspoon of salt in water (1 to 2 to one glass) may also do the trick if you have no pickle juice handy.

• Oregano and water. Take three tablespoons of essential oil of oregano and mix with one liter of water, then bring to boiling and continue to boil for five minutes. Strain and drink as tea. You should feel better soon and continue to feel well for an entire day. Caution. Do not use ‘fragrance oil’, which is chemically manufactured.

Categories
Healthy Recipes

Salad Pizza

It’s no secret: Americans have a love affair with pizza. But conventional toppings like pepperoni, sausage and extra cheese aren’t doing your waistline (or your arteries) any favors. Step outside the box and try topping a whole-wheat pizza crust with a cool, crisp salad. You’ll enjoy the crunch of a traditional pie and benefit from the added fiber, nutrients and phyto-chemicals.
Ingredients:
1 medium bunch (about 2 cups) arugula or other leafy greens, rinsed, drained and finely chopped
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 small red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 small yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
Whole-wheat pizza dough, or pre-baked whole-wheat pizza shell, roughly 12-inches in diameter (for example, whole-wheat Boboli)
Dash of Garlic powder (optional)
Dash of Oregano (optional)
3/4 cup low-sodium pizza sauce
1/4 cup grated reduced-fat Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Instructions:
Place the greens in a mixing bowl. Add the tomato, onion and peppers. Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix the oil and vinegar. Add the dressing to the salad, and toss it with a fork. Set it aside.

If you are using fresh dough, roll it out and let it rise according to the package directions. For some added flavor, consider sprinkling the dough with garlic powder and oregano before baking. Top the dough or pre-made pizza crust with the pizza sauce, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Bake the dough for 8 minutes or until the crust is crisp. If you choose to use a pre-made pizza shell, bake it according to package directions.
Remove the crust from the oven and, while the pizza crust is still hot, cover it with the salad greens. Lightly sprinkle the top with the grated Parmesan cheese.

Cut the pizza into individual servings and serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 280 calories, 8 g total fat (3 g saturated fat), 46 g carbohydrate, 12 g protein,
7 g dietary fiber, 500 mg sodium.

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Featured Articles

Colloidal Silver Makes Water Safe- Again!

By Worldlink
 
Three recent graduates from South Coast schools volunteered their time and expertise to create a better water system for villagers in rural El Salvador. Aaron Poresky and Tristan Huff, both alumni of Myrtle Point High School, and Birdie Cornyn, a 2005 Southwestern Oregon Community College graduate, are active members of Engineers Without Borders.
For 16 days this past winter, they teamed up with seven Oregon State University students from the Corvallis chapter and traveled south of the border. Their goal was to work with the local villagers on a project to provide safe drinking water for the people of two remote coffee farming communities in western El Salvador.

Engineers Without Borders is a humanitarian, nonprofit organization with student chapters at many universities and professional chapters in major cities around the country. EWB endeavors to improve the quality of life in developing countries by partnering with communities to implement equitable and sustainable engineering solutions.

Huff helped with construction of the new water system. He also collected extensive GPS data needed for future projects. He is a graduate student in forestry at OSU. Poresky also is an OSU alum, and is working in Portland as a senior staff engineer for Geosyntec Consultants. In addition to his work on design and construction, Poresky served as the professional mentor and advisor for the project. He is president-elect of the Portland chapter of EWB. Cornyn, now a chemical engineer at OSU, helped with community health surveys, water testing and construction.

The OSU chapter of EWB has been working with the communities of El Naranjito and Las Mercedes, El Salvador, since 2005. The group was originally summoned by a Peace Corps volunteer in the communities who identified better access to clean drinking water as the most important need for the communities. In this rural area, government services, as well as expendable income, are quite limited.

EWB-OSU has made three trips since early 2006 to build relationships with the communities, collect information, establish a local water board, and distribute locally produced ceramic filters. The ceramic filters fit neatly atop a 5-gallon bucket. The concept is based on technology invented by Potters for Peace. They consist of porous clay and colloidal silver pressed into a funnel-shaped mold. The result is safe drinking water for every home.

The winter trip focused on providing easier access to water by building a rainwater collection system at a school. Travelers also kept busy performing community health surveys and collecting information for future projects such as additional rainwater collection systems, spring box improvements, and pipeline installations.

The rainwater collection system will collect roof runoff during the rainy season and store it for use during the dry season. To complete the project, EWB members utilized their engineering knowledge and handyman skills, while working alongside community members who contributed valuable local know-how and labor. The project is expected to benefit the school significantly. Previously, teachers and students had to walk about 20 minutes over steep terrain to obtain water for drinking, cooking and cleaning. In all, the trip was a success and the group looks forward to returning for future projects.

While it might not have been a typical vacation, it was an eye-opening and rewarding experience that the travelers won’t soon forget. The group arrived back in the States on Christmas Eve carrying dirty clothes, fond memories, and a strengthened appreciation for the things we sometimes take for granted in the US: clean tap water, a hot shower, and the company of loved ones.

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Government Manipulation to Blame For Rising Energy Costs

By Ron Paul

Oil prices are on the minds of many Americans as gas hits $4 a gallon, and continues to surge.  How high can prices go?  How can we solve these problems?  What, or who, is to blame?

Part of the answer lies in understanding bubbles and monetary inflation, but especially the Federal Reserve System.  The Federal Reserve is charged with controlling inflation through interest rate manipulation, however, many fail to realize that creating money, and therefore inflation, is really its only tool.  When the Federal Reserve inflates the dollar as drastically as it has in the past few decades, the first users of the newly created money go in search of investments for their dollars.  They must invest this money quickly and aggressively before it loses value.  This causes certain sectors to expand beyond what would naturally occur in the free market.  Eventually the sector overheats and the bubble bursts.  Overinvestment in dotcoms eventually led to a collapse of the NASDAQ.  Next we had the housing bubble, and now we are seeing the price of oil being bid up in the creation of another new bubble.  Investors are now looking to commodities like oil, for stability and growth as they pull capital out of real estate.  This increased demand for investment vehicles related to oil contributes to driving up the price of the actual product.

If the Fed continues with its bubble blowing policies of the past, the new commodities bubble will continue to grow, gas prices will continue to go up, as the value of your dollars go down.  We will see an overinvestment in these commodities as solutions are desperately sought for a supply shortage, which is only part of the problem.  Make no mistake, though, this is not the free market at work.  Government manipulations have added levels of complication and unintended consequences to the marketplace.

This is not the time for members of Congress to take political potshots at each other, or to imagine that the free market is somehow to blame.  This is the time to understand and fix problems.  That begins with making sure the decision makers have a firm grasp on the causes of the problems and possible effects of their decisions.  This is absolutely crucial if we want to get it right this time.  That is why I am in the process of calling for hearings on Capitol Hill on how the falling value of the dollar affects energy prices.

Governments need to get out of the way and let the people get back to work so that we can get our economy back on stable footing.  Our destructive regulatory environment, confiscatory tax policies, and managed, rather than free trade have chased many businesses overseas.  The bottom line is average Americans are being seriously hurt by these flawed policies, and they are not getting good information about the true dynamics at work.  The important thing now is to get the diagnosis absolutely correct so we can administer the appropriate treatment and move on to a healthier economic future. To do this it is absolutely necessary to address the subjects of central banking and fiat money.

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Tyranny and Health Products in Canada

Geoff Olson, Vancouver Courier
Published: Friday, June 06, 2008

The trenches are dug, and the bugles are sounding. On one side are Canadians convinced the government is about to snipe their vitamins and herbs. On the other side are federal Health Minister Tony Clement and Health Canada bureaucrats, sharpening their talking points and unfurling a Conservative blue banner labelled "Consumer Health Safety."

But it's not a war of attrition, it's a war of nutrition, and the flashpoint is Bill C-51. This is the legislation intended to amend the Natural Health Act, which covers natural health products.

"Natural health product" (NHP) is the blanket term for organic supplements said to have medicinal benefits. This includes herbs, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, extracts, fungus, algae, essential fatty acids, and animal materials. It's a huge industry, and a big deal in places like health-conscious Vancouver.

It's not just the NHP manufacturers and retailers who have a stake in this, but the millions of Canadian consumers who swear by the products' health benefits.

Bill C-51 will purportedly protect Canadians from untested NHPs. But with no recorded deaths in Canada from NHPs, the question many Canadians are asking is, why the great urgency to fix something that isn't broken?

One of these critics is lawyer Shawn Buckley, president of the Kamloops-based Natural Health Products Protection Association, who spoke this week at St. Andrew's-Wesley United Church in Vancouver. He says he started "on the other side," representing the Canadian government against a natural health product supplier, but had a "road to Damascus" conversion after the same client asked Buckley to represent him in court.

After years of legislative muscle-flexing against NHPs under both Liberal and Conservative governments, Buckley believes the NHP industry now faces a complete "takedown" from Health Canada.

The Canadian government assumes every natural health product in Canada is dangerous, until it completes the licensing process. Almost all the products you see on health food store shelves are without licences. But Health Canada has allowed them to remain on the shelves for now, because their manufacturers have applications pending. The odds are not favourable. According to the Natural Health Products Protection Association, an estimated 60 per cent of licence applications fail.

Small players in the NHP industry don't have the finances to conduct double blind scientific studies of their own. If Health Canada says they have to remove their products from the shelves, they have to comply, and the government is under no obligation to show them documentation why. Under Bill C-51, NHP manufacturers face up to $5 million for an indictable offence and two years in prison.

The bill has other amendments that would make Joe Stalin nod in approval, Buckley insists. It eliminates the law of trespass, one of the foundations of civil law. Through its enforcement, police are allowed to venture onto property–and seize property–without a warrant.

"I was taught to hate the Communist state because where they were on property rights," says the lawyer of his Cold War youth. Now he believes Canada is picking up some nasty totalitarian habits, under the pretext of protecting Grandma from a bottle of rogue ginseng.

Health Canada critics say that the real purpose of Bill C-51 is to bring Canada into compliance with Codex Alimentarius, a United Nations initiative to globally "harmonize" food and supplement standards.

There's little doubt that there are some NHPs out there with exaggerated health claims. But you could say the same about many pharmaceutical drugs. The major difference is that legal drugs are far more likely to kill you than NHPs. According to New Zealand risk analysis researcher Ron Law, "of the more than two million visits to U.S.A. emergency departments due to poisoning, less than 10 (.000005) were related to fatalities associated with natural health products, whilst 78 per cent of the fatal poisoning cases were associated with pharmaceutical products."

NHPs aren't just safer than physician-prescribed pharmaceutical drugs, they're safer than ordinary store-bought food, says Law. Let that thought roll around in your head for a bit. You are at a greater risk of dying from a ham sandwich on a hot summer afternoon than a natural health product.

As Buckley pointed out in his talk, peanut butter is riskier than any NHP, yet the Canadian government has no "Peanut Butter Directorate" investigating candy bar makers. In terms of tilting at windmills, Tony Clement and his foot soldiers couldn't have mounted a more Quixotic campaign.

 

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Freedom Not To Be Treated With Chemo

Friday, June 06, 2008

FLOYD, Va. —  Starchild Abraham Cherrix has plenty of reason to celebrate his 18th birthday Friday.

His latest blood results show no indication of the Hodgkin's disease he's battled since 2005, and for the first time in two years he doesn't have to report those results to the Accomack County court.

Cherrix won a court battle against state officials who tried to force him to undergo chemotherapy for his lymphatic cancer. He was allowed to treat the disease using alternative therapies, but his family was required to keep the court updated as to his progress.

His case led to a state law named after him that gives Virginia teenagers and their parents the right to refuse doctor-recommended treatments for life-threatening ailments.

Cherrix completed radiation treatments last year. He has also used alternative herbal treatments.

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How Old is Your Brain?

By Mehmet Oz and Michael Roizen

Want to know if your brain is younger or older than the number of birthday candles you tried to blow out last year? Stand on one leg and close your eyes. Do this close to a steadying wall or a friend to grab onto. (The grab is for safety — but we suppose you’d get some interesting reactions if you tried this in a singles bar.) The longer you can stand without losing your balance, the younger your brain is. If you’re 45 or over, 15 seconds is very good; if you’re 30 or so, 30 seconds is fine.

If your mental age needs some rejuvenating, don’t worry — you can get a do-over. Get started by being passionate about life instead of living on autopilot. The classic approach is to try something new — whether it's learning to speak Spanish or play Sousa marches on the harmonica. Newness keeps brain function high, and it even helps regrow brain cells.

Another way to keep your brain young is by doing what we YOU Docs call "testing at the threshold." Let's say you can always do Wednesday's crossword puzzle, but you barely finish half of Sunday's. Keep taking a whack at the tougher Sunday puzzle (even if your ego likes the easier Wednesday one better). Just as athletes train their bodies by setting ever-harder goals, mental challenges train your brain to outmaneuver your nephew’s.

Your brain benefits hugely from healthy-body moves, too. So walk every day, and eat wisely: Choose healthy fats (not trans or saturated fats), avoid simple sugars and syrups, eat only grains that are 100% whole, and go crazy with fruits and veggies — at 9 servings a day, it’s hard to overdo ’em.