What do you want to talk about? Talk about it.
Who ever answers a question, please make sure you write which question you are replying to.

Canada's upper chamber, the Senate, may yet save the day for Canadians on bill C-6, which is
essentially a repackaging of Bills C-51 and C-52 that generated such outrage among Canadians last
year for their attempt to impose Codex-style pharmaceutical fascism on the supplement industry -
reclassifying common herbs and foods as prescription drugs - the usual Codex stuff. Here's an
excerpt from Helke Ferrie's report on the status of Bill C-6 as published in the October issue of
Vitality magazine. It seems there's still hope, if the Senators block the bill. Health advocates
have been sending letters and emails to Senators all summer so there should be little doubt as to
how "the people" feel about this issue:

"On April 30, 2009, all four parties supported Bill C-6 without protest. True, MP Paul Szabo
(Liberal, Mississauga North) and MP Judy Wasylycia-Leis (NDP, Winnipeg North) wanted assurances that
C-6, to amend the Hazardous Products Act, would not affect regulation of natural health products.
Judy Wasylycia-Leis reminded parliamentarians: "The furor that erupted after the introduction of
Bill C-51 to amend food and drugs regulation and C-52 the former version of C-6 last year was a
result of the fact that the government failed to consider the need to clearly differentiate natural
health products from current drug legislation."

Indeed, the pernicious fact is that C-51, C-52, and C-6 share regulatory provisions that were and
are constitutionally insupportable and make a mockery of current medical and environmental science.

The Conservatives promised that C-6 has nothing to do with natural health products, pointing to
Clause 4 (1). What they didn't say, and what the Opposition failed to recognize, is that if C-6 were
to become law, any sort of consequential amendment to food and drugs legislation could be made, and
that this could happen by a mere Order in Council, without any parliamentary debate. Nobody would
know. This extraordinary power is written into Bill C-6, which also is explicitly exempted from the
mandatory requirements of the Statutory Instruments Act, against which all Bills must be checked to
ensure that they are in harmony with the Constitution. The authors of C-6 must know why they did
that. Tested for its constitutionality, C-6 would not survive.

Parliamentarians went into summer recess assured that C-6 aims to protect Canadians from terrible
poisons hidden in dangerous imports arriving from various foreign countries. Nobody even thought of
asking why this Bill was exempt from being checked against the Constitution. Not one MP wondered why
C-6 has these extraordinary powers that would make a judge's jaw drop. C-6 was sent off to the
Senate.

Having been approved by all parties, Harper & Co thought it unlikely to raise Senatorial hackles.
The fact that this toxic products Bill is itself toxic to the rule of law, human rights, and our
Constitution never surfaced at all in parliamentary debate. Parliament had been successfully
bamboozled, misled, or was complicit.

If I had my way, every MP would have to pass, with at least 80% success, an exam in Canadian
constitutional and international human rights law as a mandatory prerequisite to run for office.

The examination results would be posted on the Internet and the major newspapers. Imagine the
dazzling intellectual wattage that would illuminate our parliament as a result of this one
precautionary measure!

Latest Developments in the Bill C-6 Battle

If you want something done in Canada, you do it in the winter.

If you want to prevent something from being done, you do it in the summer. This tactic has worked
for Liberals and Conservatives alike for at least a century. Therefore, Manitoba's Senator Sharon
Carstairs' surprising move on June 23 to adjourn second reading of C-6 until September could at
first be understood as summertime having arrived in Canada and that the living was easier without
debating Bills. However, knowing her thoughtful work in the late 1990's, which made public the
antiquated, inhumane policies that dictated chronic pain management, I suspect her decision to have
C-6 discussed in the fall was based on her correct assessment of its assault on human rights.

C-6 was tabled in the Senate on September 16. Over the summer, determined and coordinated action by
various health freedom groups resulted in each Senator receiving at least 600 e-mails or letters
from across Canada protesting this Bill on the issue of its unconstitutionality. Having waded
through the moral and legal morass of Bills C-51 and C-52 last year, this campaign went to the very
heart of the matter: the loss of constitutionally guaranteed freedoms which were snuck into a Bill
under the guise of protecting public health.

By the time the Senators met to discuss C-6, they had read the Bill, its legal analysis, and got an
earful from Canadians. The result: the Senators were furious.

The last time that happened, about a decade ago, a public inquiry was the result of their outrage.

They subpoenaed those now internationally famous "rogue" scientists from Health Canada (Drs. Shiv
Chopra, Margret Haydon and Gerard Lambert) who had consistently fought the governments of Prime
Ministers Mulroney (Conservative) and Chretien (Liberal) for disregarding published science and
safety requirements of the Food and Drugs Act, and for knowingly passing into our food and
pharmacies drugs that cause cancer, liver failure, hormone disruption, systemic disease, birth
defects, and central nervous system injury. As payback for their audacity in testifying before the
Senate, those scientists were fired by the next Prime Minister, Paul Martin (Liberal).

In 1999, bovine growth hormone and other killer drugs investigated by that Senate inquiry were
subsequently banned in Canada and the rest of the world. But many more such scientifically and
legally insupportable or unsupported drugs are still killing and maiming Canadians (in fact, at
least 23,000 people annually) according to the Canadian Medical Association.

NATURAL HEALTH PRODUCTS UNDER SIEGE

Meanwhile, the natural health products (NHP) which kill nobody and often cure, continue to be under
attack in blatantly illegal ways - including recent raids at gunpoint. Over the past 6 months, the
Canadian Coalition for Health Freedom has provided to the Senate documented case histories of these
assaults on natural health product distributors. This is highly significant because Health Canada is
acting already as if C-6 was in place, and as if consequential amendments had already been made to
the Food and Drugs Act. Passing C-6 would legalize Health Canada's now out-of-control behaviour ."

Quiero saber si uds. conocen a este escritor mexicano, Jorge Ibargüengoitia. ¿Han leído sus libros? Aparentemente es uno de los mejores escritores mexicanos. Ya compré uno de sus libros y me interesa comprar otro. El que compré no lo he leído todavía pero los compro cuando están en oferta porque sé que tarde o temprano los leeré. Me avisan.

El libro que tengo es Dos crímenes:




Aquí está el otro que quiero comprar. Según los comentarios el libro es muy bueno:






-Marianopolita.

For those of you who are fans of Isabel Allende’s literature, you may want to know that her new novel, La isla bajo el mar will be released on August 25, the hard cover edition only.

I read the summary of the book and I am intrigued by the fact that the setting of the novel and time frame is Saint-Domingue of the eighteenth century. An island that was considered the 'Pearl of the Antilles' and a rich French empire’ is certainly not the Saint-Domingue or Haiti that we currently know today. Rather it’s quite the opposite being the poorest country in the western hemisphere.

I will pre order the book to ensure a copy however, what intrigues me most is the setting and storyline which strays so far from the typical themes of this author. As well, it’s always interesting to see how an author handles a controversial topic and culture that is not his/ her own. In this case slavery, racism among other issues.

Although my reading list is completely full and has been for the past few years this book once received will be placed on the top of the pile.



-Marianopolita.

Here is a good and poignant article on Dominican identity, pelo malo and negrofobia. Deeply rooted in the culture and inculcated in the minds of the majority of Dominicans which perpetuates the colonist dogma and anti-haitianismo. To deny or put yet another spin on the reality is another blow to the already existing notion of a society that's 'acomplejada with a clear falta de identidad'. I also think it's interesting to note that it is posted in a Dominican newspaper, Clave Digital.


A must read article for those who realize the profound depths and negativity associated with terms such as 'pelo malo' and 'pelo bueno'. No it's not just about straightening your hair! It speaks to the social construct of a society that has not advanced in terms of color, race, and social equality among other injustices.

...and yes this is my opinion.


Here is the article: Pelo malo y otras fobias :: CLAVE digital


~Marianopolita.

A unique Dominican merenguero/ artista





This award is handed out yearly to outstanding figures in the Latin community and for music lovers and especially fans of unsung heroes, the news of this award to Chichi Perlata for his contribution to Dominican music is very inspiring. He is definitely not your ordinary merenguero and no one as far as I know has emulated his style. IMO, Chichi Peralta has mastered the art of fusion of tropical rhythms with a dominant influence on afro beats to create a style of merengue the artist himself coined as merengue africano.

His first album Pa' otro la'o was a hit. Many of the songs fall under the category of 'tropical' as none are distinctly merengue. He gained popularity and recognition in Latin America and internationally because of two songs- Amor narcótic and la ciguaga. His second album IMO was not a stellar production. Not one of the songs stood out nor was a hit and almost was a complete change in genre as compared to the first album going from tropical to Dominican folkore. Apparently, his third album, Más que suficiente is a return to form with the hit song Zalamera. If his new release is rhythmically similar to his two successful and popular albums, Pa' otro la'o and Más que suficiente, this Dominican artist will be rising to another level among the small unique group of merengueros who continue to maintain this rhythm that is authentically and uniquely Dominican.

I am definitely looking forward to purchasing his third album and this new release. I am also happy to know that Héctor Acosta, another Dominican merenguero who has held his own as a solo artist and was a huge contributor to Los Toros Band will also be recognized.


Article from Clave Digital: Chichí Peralta recibirá premio a excelencia musical en EEUU :: CLAVE digital



-Marianopolita

As an avid fan of Latin music and collector of a variety of genres- salsa, merengue and bachata being the principal three, without a doubt Héctor Acosta stands out among merengue artists and is an important contributor to Latin music in general. This artist of humble origins who began as one of the key singers of Los Toros band, and nicknamed El Torito accordingly, has a repertoire of albums that attest to the success of the artist and the group. Perhaps underestimated in the beginning of his career by many Acosta has been a prolific figure in Los Toros band and Dominican music for over fifteen years.


He branched out as a solo artist in 2006 and has maintained the same level of popularity and success that he has become known for in Dominican music. His first solo album 'Sigo siendo yo' was a success and displays the level of musical talent and versatility that only few Latin artists can boast. Not only is Acosta a merenguero but he has successfully crossed over to other genres principally bachata and balada. While most of his albums are very good, I have a few favorites and would recommend them to those who like traditional merengue:

1/ Raíces



2/ Y no hay problema

3/ Pa' la calle



4/ Toromanía

Que viva el merengue tradicional...

Hector Acosta - Bio of Dominican Music's 'El Torito'


~Marianopolita.

For the small audience of Spanish book readers on DR1, you may be interested in this weekly list of book recommendations posted in El Universal (Cartagena, Colombia). I look at it on a regular basis but not every week, however, that will change because every time I do read through the short list of books they are good recommendations. As well, it's a great way to get to know contemporary authors in Spanish literature. There are so many good choices of books to read and it's hard to know the 'whose who' unless they are well promoted or their books are published by the well-respected and popular publishing houses such as Alfaguara, Planeta, Sudamericana, Santana etc.


Two of three books this week interest me because of the themes and the authors. It's just two more possible authors two choose from down the road since literature can be enjoyed at any time.

1/ Ricardo Silva Romero- Colombian

-details about the author are in the link.

2/ Carla Guelfenbein-Chilean

Whenever I find out about female authors, I am immediately interested as the literary sphere is still dominated by men although women have come a long way. The summary of her literary work seems intriguing and promising. I will definitely sample her writing in the future. It's good to see female authors continue to challenge a long standing tradition of the male voices in Spanish traditional and contemporary literature.

-details about the author are in the link.


Here is this week's links and the column is published weekly on Sundays.

Suplementos - Dominical -> Libros/ Recomendados - El Universal


-Marianopolita.

I finished reading my third novel this summer and it was worth the read. I wish I had more time to dedicate to literature although I have been focusing on reading of all kinds not only novels thus the slow down on finishing my selected books for the first half of summer 2009.

I read Pura vida and it was a first time sample of this author's work. I think he is very creative and captured the essence of a storyline typical of many Latin and tropical countries in general aka the so-called 'paradise'. The concept is relative depending on one's personal situation. The novel is the story of so many poor Latin American youth who cling to hope for a better life however, in the meantime life has little meaning and everyday is 'pura vida'.


See my commentary in this thread:

http://www.dr1.com/forums/778674-post105.html

The next novel I will be reading is a French novel titled Il était parti dans la nuit by Youssef Amghar.

See link for a brief preview of the book:



Il était parti dans la nuit - Google Books


-Marianopolita

The Maison Gautreaux is the original home of an old and highly respected Dominican family. The home is located in the Gascue section, close to the busy Malecon, which is the seafront boulevard running from center of the Colonial Zone out to the luxury suburbs. Nearby within walking distance, the travelers will find a multitude of restaurants, sandwich shops, discos, casinos, and 5 star hotels with their nightclub shows and all other facilities.

The Maison Gautreaux itself has 22 luxury rooms, each with air-conditioning, ceiling fans, in-room TV, room safes, and most with Executive refrigerators. There is taxi service at the door, 24 hours a day.

There is always action on the Malecon. The large rum and beer companies, as well as other major companies often stage special events, parades, concerts, outdoor dances, and other functions along the Malecon and in the parks, which are all along the way.

The Maison has rooms ranging from singles, up to five occupants. The rooms are comfortable, spacious, and the entire inn has a homey, friendly atmosphere.

Room rates are a fraction of those charged at the luxury hotels just around the corner, but the rooms offer every comfort the travelers may be looking for. Comfort does not have to expensive, especially valuable when one considers that the Dominican Republic is the number one tourist destination in the Caribbean, and the reasons are many. The DR has beautiful beaches, mountains, a variety of climates, a lively culture, fabulous art galleries

Guests at the Maison Gautreaux can walk to the historical Colonial City, a multi-block area of fascinating monuments, plazas, ruins, cathedrals, and it is the heart of the artistic life of the city. Restaurants and bars are plentiful, many of them located in buildings that are over 400 years old. Your stay will be enriched by visiting the many monuments, either on your own or with any one of the many companies offering tours of the area.

I put on my blue sleep shirt after my bath, and when my wife saw me in it she started yelling. She
started yelling about me wasting money. We did sleep together though, but she cried first, and then
we talked. She still feels pretty firm that she will leave and take the children with her. She
doesn't want them to see me go through this. She says they will learn to love me for who I am, but
everything we planned together has fallen apart. She is now worried about how she'll get another
house, and take care of our children on her salary, and what to say to other people. And I said that
I understood all that. I let her know that I am at least bi-gendered if not transsexual, and only
time can tell. I will crossdress, and I will need to do it at home, at the very least when I go to
bed. I asked her if she wanted me to change my shirt back to a normal one, and she said I didn't
have to.

What the h*ll is wrong with me?! They say you play with matches and you get burned. Nothing is
truer. My counselor warned me not to do anything foolish, and this just ranks right up there with
them. For a little freedom that I thought would hurt no one, her response has just ripped my heart
right out. And the bigger problem is that there is no going back on this one. How unfair that I have
to feel guilty anytime I do something to free myself! How long can I continue to function under
these rules? Why can't I just continue to be *male*?

If you haven't come out to your significant other, please take this as a warning. If you are
anything like me, you will feel trapped until you accept yourself and begin to share your inner
desires with her. The secrecy that you will remove will have probably stood like a wall, and now all
those things that you wanted to try will be more accessible to you. The mental reservations
diminished, you start doing and saying things that you just feel like doing, but have always stopped
yourself. And each one of these things you do builds your confidence and momentum, until finally,
your spouse can't take it anymore. And now she tells you what's been building up in her, and you
realize you've gone and done it. You have destroyed the one thing you were intent on saving, just so
you can wear a dress to bed.

In addition, I just returned a call to the heart center. My tests are going to cost 300 dollars!
This is just to confirm that everything is probably all right. I did a little more research. The
blood thinner my doctor put me on has been known to cause heart arrhythmia in the p-curve, whatever
that means. D**n him! HE IS AN IDIOT! First he give me cholesterol medicine, because my cholesterol
levels is not ideal, which is known to cause HBP, and sometimes gynecomastia. Then he orders
testosterone tests, put me on a blood thinner for HBP, which is known to cause heart arrhythmia and
is a testosterone blocker. Finally, at my physical, he notices my heart arrhythmia and sends me to a
cardiologist for me to pay 360 dollars on appointments and tests. What's the cardiologist going to
give me to screw me up worse?

Respond if you want.

Its another year, and I feel a year wiser if not a year older. Thanks to all and blessings to all, take care and hope to be here for a million more, well maybe not a million but a few more, ha, ha, ha God bless everyone, later
Biggs:bunny::cheeky:;)

I never saw him perform in person, never met him, never really knew him, but I feel that a great part of my life and a source of inspiration and hope that I clinged to is gone now that Micheal Joseph Jackson is gone(rest in peace). I think he is the greatestest muisian of all time and one of great lights of inspiration in the world. The world is now a darker place now that he is no longer alive. God bless his family, his kids, and all those that loved him, and his music. There will never be another Micheal Jackson, the King of Pop!!!

"Gone Too Soon"

Like A Comet
Blazing 'Cross The Evening Sky
Gone Too Soon

Like A Rainbow
Fading In The Twinkling Of An Eye
Gone Too Soon

Shiny And Sparkly
And Splendidly Bright
Here One Day
Gone One Night

Like The Loss Of Sunlight
On A Cloudy Afternoon
Gone Too Soon

Like A Castle
Built Upon A Sandy Beach
Gone Too Soon

Like A Perfect Flower
That Is Just Beyond Your Reach
Gone Too Soon

Born To Amuse, To Inspire, To Delight
Here One Day
Gone One Night

Like A Sunset
Dying With The Rising Of The Moon
Gone Too Soon

Gone Too Soon
:bored::surprised:ermm:

Also, a word of warning against taking any herbal treatments without researching them first, or asking your doctor: They can **** you up. The number one example is a lot of women who took St. John's wort as a mood-lifter have found out too late that it makes your birth control pill basically not work. A much safer temporary pick-me-up I use is to boil some dried rosemary in a cup of water and breathe in the steam. No, it's not scientific, but the sharp smell tends to wake me right up and cheer me up.

Lauren has the first Help Us Help Ourselves carnival up and it's a great one. I kind of considered doing a general "home remedies" one, but decided to wait to see if anyone else did, because doing this means exposing the bizarre lengths my cheap hippie side will go to. Helen did a couple of home remedy suggestions, but the bulk of her post was on the much more important topic of escaping abusive relationships. Hers is some very solid advice without condescending to you, so I recommend it if you need it. I don't have good advice about stuff like that, so we'll stick to home remedies.

I recently learned this one from Auguste when I complained about how I get cold sores on my lip every time I'm stressing out-eat Tums to prevent cold sores. I'm not sure if this works on the other kind of herpes that some folks have on their less visible but more tender parts, but it works like a dream for boring old cold sores. I haven't had a problem with them since I started carrying a bottle of generic Tums around and eating a couple after I eat or even when I just find myself worrying. Not sure why it works, except that stress might make your stomach go nuts and wear down your immune system-that's my best guess. But it does work.

For actual stomach issues, if you have an upset stomach that is giving you nausea, for whatever reason, ginger will fix you right up. Gingery food, crystallized ginger, and ginger ale are good ways to calm a nauseous stomach.

For a persistent cough, a shot of bourbon often works better than cough syrup. But just one, lushes.

You can build up immunity to allergies by eating local honey. That's an old one from my grandmother. I keep local honey in the cabinet and sweeten drinks with that instead of sugar.

On honey: the link I have above mentions that it's anti-bacterial. I don't know if it is or not, but rubbing a thin layer of it on your face for 5 minutes and then scrubbing it off (probably in the shower, since it's messy) is like the best facial for clearing up your pores I've ever seen.

This one is all me: I swish hydrogen peroxide in mouth before I brush. Cheaper that Plax.

In fact, I love hydrogen peroxide. I use it for everything except cleaning out cuts. For cuts, I use iodine, especially with cat scratches since it's the only thing that stops them from itching. If I'm getting all sinus-y, I drip some hydrogen peroxide in my ears to break up the wax. If I get a zit, I soak a Q-tip in hydrogen peroxide and grind it in there and then go back and clean it up with rubbing alcohol, which does the trick.

Things that help you heal faster: zinc, garlic, echinacea.

Tension headaches are best relieved by orgasms, but in lieu of that, aspirin plus a little Tiger Balm on your temples will do it.
Hair vitamins for women
(more pandagon.blogsome.com/2006/12/ ...)

I found this article intriguing about the millionth word in the English language which is about to be created. Does English need anymore words? With the surge of technology and the internet, words pop up overnight especially since English is the most widely used language on the web.

How are newly coined words monitored and who determines if they are valid or not? The first indicator is a dictionary. Who approves the words and how long does it take for them to appear? Do American dictionaries have the same words as British ones? Keeping informed about the change in language is challenging but also very insightful. Speaking is so natural to many people around the world whether one speaks English, French, Spanish etc. but we all don't have the same command, vocabulary, fluency native and non-native speakers alike.

English is a lingua franca and with that comes its price meaning the language is subject to constant change, irregular forms/ usage which means acceptance of words and terms before they are officially approved by a governing body.

So what will be the mystery millionth word? It could be slang or most likely a newly coined term from the web.

English, a forever changing tongue and a global vehicle of communication.

BBC Mundo - Aprenda Inglés - Inminente millonésima palabra


-Marianopolita