SHTF School Bus RV Conversions.

Lothar,

Bus is steel, safe in the big earthquake.  

Converted school bus is useful in many SHTF scenarios - quakes, droughts, riots, race wars, fires, lightning, hail…  

Keeps out bears better than tents!  Carry lots of water.  

Also useful for recreation and travel (without hotel bed bugs).

Big enough to haul a motorcycle or Daimler Benz Smart Car.  

Some guy around town made one into a pickup to carry his fat tire dune buggy in back with plenty room to sleep in the front.  

Big advantage is you can build it just they way you want.

I am more into function than fancy interiors.  

I like solid steel frame and exterior - acts as a Faraday cage to control electrics.  

And well understood engines, transmissions.  

They are often Cummins turbo diesels.  

Often assembled around here. 

I talked to 2 drivers today who like International Harvester better than Bluebird.  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IC_Bus

To restore bus production in Arkansas, an investment group coordinated was formed with help by then-Governor Bill Clinton to purchase the assets of Ward Industries

In 1999, AmTran announced plans to build a new facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  adopt the IC name entirely in 2002.

Why a school bus?  

I first considered the offerings from the RV industry: travel-trailers, class C and class A motorhomes, fifth wheels, etc.   

Some of them are fine products; but mostly I found that RVs are constructed with

inefficient appliances, 

poor insulation, 

too much emphasis on presentation over function,

high price tags.

Perhaps the biggest consideration for me was that I could not truly customize a manufactured RV to meet my requirements. One day the idea of converting a school bus crossed my mind.  After some research on the topic, the advantages became clear to me.

 School buses are built stout enough to handle roll-overs.

 Their gound clearance is superior to most RVs

School buses are built on true Medium Duty truck chassis; I invite you to crawl under a school bus just once to marvel at the beefiness of the frame and axles. You will be impressed, especially if you've ever seen the frames supporting most RVs.

Some diesel school bus engines can go for 250,000 miles before any overhaul work is required.

Diesel engines can also run on biodiesel, straight vegetable oil or waste vegetable oil with little or no modification. ( No, the exhaust won't smell like a french fry...) 

School buses can be had cheaply, if you are patient, shop around and do your homework.

School districts usually take care of their buses, following strict maintenance schedules, which means, mechanically, recently-retired school buses should hold few surprises, andmaintenance records should be available.

Of course, the disadvantages:

The ceiling height in most buses is just over 6 feet in the center aisle (enough for me)

They are usually geared low for city street driving, not highway cruising.  Ok if you don't go far or fast.  Stay in Missouri! or Florida!

Buy tents.....after 'Superquake' struck - Heftiges Erdbeben erschüttert Nepal

Earthquake is no problem - Just live in a tent!
My ancestors lived 90,000 years, near the Arctic circle, surviving the Ice ages on Reindeer milk and seaweed. 
Better than living in fancy temples in Israel or the Garden of Eden Iraq.  

Lothar  wrote:

http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/heftiges-erdbeben-erschuettert-nepal-und-indien-fotos-fotostrecke-126031-tablet.html

First responders run to rescue people

Peace, Lothar

Gene Therapy: Taking Control of Your Genetic Destiny with Diet and Lifestyle

Modern degenerative diseases are related: cancer, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimers, heart attack,… More common in the poor, negroes, latinos who eat McDonalds, flour, sugar,… use smart phones more, live in smog,....

Rich people get richer in part because they are healthier, mentally and physically. Move to New York City and eat what they do, music, meditate, educate, travel, walk on the beach, walk in central park,…

I am thinking that it is much easier to buy all the many recommended plant products than to grow my own.
I am impressed with how many plants have benefits with scientific studies backing them and biochemical pathways worked out.
It would be nearly impossible to grow all this stuff and prepare it yourself.
Shop at ethnic grocery stores, eat at ethnic restaurants with traditional recipe,...

Author is an older Ivy League NYC doctor oncologist.

The Gene Therapy Plan: Taking Control of Your Genetic Destiny with Diet and Lifestyle

Mitchell L. Gaynor MD
forward by Mehmet C. Oz M.D.

From a renowned oncologist and pioneer in integrative medicine, a revolutionary approach to healing at the genetic level: preventing cancer, heart disease, and diabetes; increasing brain function; and reversing habits that lead to obesity and premature aging

"This book is about harnessing the power hidden in foods to change our genetic predisposition for disease."
—From the foreword by Dr. Mehmet Oz

"A guide to harnessing the power hidden in food to subvert a 'genetic predisposition for disease.' . . . Gaynor's informative tome is worth reading."
—Publishers Weekly

"The Gene Therapy Plan identifies how the lives we lead, and in particular, the foods and nutritional supplements we ingest, are a key determining factor in whether latent disease (which most people have to some degree) materialize or stay dormant. By identifying researched nutritional protocols that target specific conditions, and by providing a range of rich case studies from his practice as a leading oncologist and internist, Dr. Gaynor provides insight and an action plan into how the body operates that will benefit medical practitioners and patients alike."
—Deepak Chopra, M.D.

"The Human Genome Project promised to create a new era of genetic medicine, new drugs, and therapies to advance human health. But the real awakening has been the understanding of food—real whole foods, herbs, phytonutrients—as medicine and how it can literally upgrade your biologic software by improving the expression of your genes. In The Gene Therapy Plan Dr. Gaynor makes the healthcare of the future available to you today. If you want to learn how to use food and nutrients to prevent and even reverse most chronic disease, read this book!"
—Mark Hyman, M.D., Director of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine and author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Blood Sugar Solution

"The Gene Therapy Plan is a comprehensive and practical approach to the science of epigenetics—and how to apply it to your life right now. This book is a godsend that could save your life."
—Christiane Northrup, M.D., author of the New York Times bestseller Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom

"A brilliant and important piece of work from one of our most distinguished and creative medical thinkers. Do yourself and your family a huge favor: Read this phenomenally important book and learn why and how you can live a healthier life."
—Devra Davis, Ph.D., M.P.H., founder and president of the Environmental Health Trust, author of The Secret History of the War on Cancer

"Dr. Gaynor is a visionary healer. This is a comprehensive, coherent, practical, and easily digestible resource for all who wish to 'tip the balance' away from disease toward health and wellness."
—Sheldon Marc Feldman, M.D., Vivian L. Milstein Associate Professor of Clinical Surgery, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons

"Dr. Gaynor presents a comprehensive strategy for readers to re-orient their diet and lifestyle using everyday activities that can help one live longer, and live better. With The Gene Therapy Plan, Dr. Gaynor brings his own integrative philosophy and practice to readers in an engaging and actionable way."
—William Li, M.D., president and medical director of The Angiogenesis Foundation

"Dr. Gaynor has and always will be at the forefront of integrative medicine. The Gene Therapy Plan empowers you to take control of your health and life."
—Mimi Guarneri, M.D., president of the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine
About the Author

MITCHELL GAYNOR, M.D., is the founder and president of Gaynor Wellness and a clinical assistant professor of medicine at Weill-Cornell Medical College with more than twenty-five years of experience treating patients.

His work has been featured in The New York Times and he has appeared on many national television programs, including Good Morning America, The Dr. Oz Show, and The Martha Stewart Show.

He lives in New York City.

China Afghan Opium free trade: rich get richer and elected president of USA

Free trade in drugs enriches the rich and fuels money in politics. Been going on a long time. Now helps jail, kill, or impoverish negroes, latinos, and white trash. Roosevelt was a liberal democrat. Now republicans are more free traders. Same shit, different piles. Oil and gasoline probably cause more health problems than opium and other drugs. Sell your vehicles and walk more.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sara_Roosevelt

Sara Ann Delano Roosevelt was the mother of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

She was 5'10" and an intelligent debutante beauty in her youth.

In 1862, Sara and six brothers and sisters traveled to Hong Kong on the clipper ship Surprise, where they joined Warren Delano who had resumed his business of trading in opium

http://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/28/opinion/the-opium-war-s-secret-history.html

Along with the slave trade, the traffic in opium was the dirty underside of an evolving global trading economy. In America as in Europe, pretty much everything was deemed fair in the pursuit of profits. Such was the outlook at Russell & Company, a Boston concern whose clipper ships made it the leader in the lucrative American trade in Chinese tea and silk.

In 1823 a 24-year-old Yankee, Warren Delano, sailed to Canton, where he did so well that within seven years he was a senior partner in Russell & Company. Delano's problem, as with all traders, European and American, was that China had much to sell but declined to buy. The Manchu emperors believed that the Middle Kingdom already possessed everything worth having, and hence needed no barbarian manufactures.

The British struck upon an ingenious way to reduce a huge trade deficit. Their merchants bribed Chinese officials to allow entry of chests of opium from British-ruled India, though its importation had long been banned by imperial decree. Imports soared, and nearly every American company followed suit, acquiring ''black dirt'' in Turkey or as agents for Indian producers.

Writing home, Delano said he could not pretend to justify the opium trade on moral grounds, ''but as a merchant I insist it has been . . . fair, honorable and legitimate,'' and no more objectionable than the importation of wines and spirits to the U.S. Yet as addiction became epidemic, and as the Chinese began paying with precious silver for the drug, their Emperor finally in 1839 named an Imperial Commissioner to end the trade.

Commissioner Lin Tse-hsu proceeded to Canton, seized vast stocks of opium and dumped the chests in the sea. This, plus a melee in which drunken sailors killed a Chinese villager, furnished the spark for the Opium War, initiated by Lord Palmerston, the British Prime Minister, and waged with determination to obtain full compensation for the opium. The Celestial Empire was humbled, forced to open five ports to foreign traders and to permit a British colony at Hong Kong.

But as noteworthy, the war was denounced in Parliament as ''unjust and iniquitous'' by 30-year-old William Ewart Gladstone, who accused Palmerston of hoisting the British flag ''to protect an infamous contraband traffic.'' The same outrage was expressed in the pulpit and the press, in America and England, thereby encouraging Russell & Company and most other American businesses to pull out of the opium trade.

Warren Delano returned to America rich, and in 1851 settled in Newburgh, N.Y. There he eventually gave his daughter Sara in marriage to a well-born neighbor, James Roosevelt, the father of Franklin Roosevelt. The old China trader was close-mouthed about opium, as were his partners in Russell & Company. It is not clear how much F.D.R. knew about this source of his grandfather's wealth.

We no longer believe that anything goes in the global marketplace, regardless of social consequences. It is precisely this conviction that underlies efforts to attach human rights conditions to trading relations

Best States, Economic Welfare

Some states are better off than others.

Some statistics measure this in different ways.

This blog uses 16 indicators to rank geographical regions

Not surprisingly negroes, latinos, and white trash drag down rankings

Most such measures would give a similar ranking

Weather quality would give a very different ranking.

Also access to clean water, air, food,...

http://www.measureofamerica.org/opportunityindex-2014/

• The top ranking state for the fourth year in a row is Vermont.

• The bottom ranking state for the fourth year in a row is Nevada.

vegetables, school bus

Alan,

Excellent interview of Dr. Barry Sears Zone Diet on the importance of eating 2 pounds of vegetables per day, and taking cod liver oil.  Food controls genetic expression, and inflammatory diseases such as Arthritis, Alzheimers, cancer, heart attack, etc.  Free MP3 download at:

http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2015/04/15/show-989-the-mediterranean-zone-diet/

I am thinking of buying a used school bus and converting it to a natural organic wool wood RV.  A faraday cage that protects from lightning.   I can live at the lake and other scenic places like Florida in the winter.  I don't need much of a computer - a macbook.  Blank sheets of paper and a pencil for math.  

Beautiful weather here - rain at night, sunny in the day.  Spring has sprung, everything green.  Lake is filling up from all the rain.  I really enjoy my 10 mile per day walks by the lake.  So I may as well live there in an RV of some sort.  If I need to be somewhere else, just drive there and stay as long as needed.   Trying to get organized without any fixed address.   I want to be homeless and stateless.  

red palm oil protects against neurological degeneration

I just discovered red palm oil by accident shopping online. Very tasty and healthy and cheap. I find my taste buds guide me to good foods. I am researching it online and find this interesting article:

http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/article%20red%20palm%20oil.htm

Palm oil, particularly virgin or "red" palm oil, is a traditional fat that has been a part of the human diet for at least 5000 years. For generations red palm oil has been revered as both a nutritious food and a valuable medicine. It was prized by the pharaohs of ancient Egypt as a sacred food. The oil was so highly valued that it was entombed with the pharaohs so that they would have access to it in the afterlife.

medical doctors are recognizing the value of red palm oil in the treatment and prevention of malnutrition and vitamin deficiency diseases. Governments around the world are incorporating it into programs to wipe out deficiency diseases which are still rampant in many impoverished areas.

Red palm oil not only supplies fatty acids essential for proper growth and development, but it is packed with an assortment of vitamins, antioxidants, and other phytonutrients important for good health. Red palm oil gets its name from its characteristic dark red color. The color comes from carotenes such as beta-carotene and lycopene—the same nutrients that give tomatoes and carrots and other fruits and vegetables their rich red and orange colors. Carotenes are valuable nutrients and powerful antioxidants. Red palm oil is the richest dietary source of provitamin A carotenes (beta-carotene and alpha-carotene). It has 15 times more provitamin A carotenes than carrots and 300 times more than tomatoes. This has made it a valued resource in the treatment of vitamin A deficiency. Just one teaspoon a day of red palm oil supplies children with the daily recommend amount of vitamin A. Nursing mothers are encouraged to supplement their diet with palm oil to enrich their milk with the vitamin. Studies show that adding red palm oil into the diet can double or triple the amount of vitamin A in mother's milk. The children are not only getting the vitamin A they need but other important nutrients as well. Red palm oil is a virtual powerhouse of nutrition. It contains by far, more nutrients than any other dietary oil. In addition to beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, and lycopene it contains at least 20 other carotenes along with vitamin E, vitamin K, CoQ10, squalene, phytosterols, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and glycolipids.

Palm oil is one of the richest natural sources of vitamin E.

In addition to ordinary vitamin E, it also contains the highest amount of a super potent form of vitamin E known as tocotrienol. There are four tocotrienols. Palm oil contains all of them. These tocotrienols have up to 60 times the antioxidant activity of ordinary vitamin E. The combination of vitamin E, tocotrienols, carotenes, and other antioxidants makes palm oil a super antioxidant food.

Studies show that adding palm oil into the diet can remove plaque build up in arteries and therefore, reverse the process of atherosclerosis. This has been demonstrated in both animal and human studies. Palm oil helps maintain proper blood pressure. The high antioxidant content of the oil quenches free radicals and keeps inflammation under control. In one study researchers induced inflammation in the arteries of test animals.

obvious that palm oil protects against heart disease. This is confirmed in populations where palm oil consumption is particularly high. Heart disease in Malaysia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Nigeria—where palm oil is a major if not the sole source of visible fat in the daily diet—are among the lowest in the world (Sron, 2005).

The high antioxidant content of palm oil makes it a potent anticancer food. Palm tocotrienols are especially benefical in this respect. Antioxidants have long been known to offer protection against various forms of cancer. Tocotrienols being highly potent antioxidants have demonstrated remarkable anticancer properties far superior to most other antioxidants.

Studies show palm tocotrienols inhibit the growth of skin, stomach, pancreas, liver, lung, colon, prostate, breast and other cancers. Most of the research to date has been done with breast cancer where tocotrienols show great promise. They not only prevent cancer from taking hold but actively block its growth and initiate apoptosis—a process where diseased cells commit suicide. This is a normal process that is programmed into all of our cells in order to remove old and diseased cells. However, in cancer cells this process is blocked and affected cells continue to multiply and grow without restraint. Ordinary vitamin E, does not induce programmed cell death in cancer cells. Only tocotrienols have this effect.

Initial research has been so impressive that cancer researchers have called tocotrienols the most powerful natural anticancer substances known to science (Yano, 2005). That's quit a bold statement, but illustrates the potential tocotrienols have in cancer prevention and treatment.

The antioxidant power of palm oil has also shown to be of benefit in protecting against neurological degeneration. Two of the most significant factors that affect brain function are oxidative stress and poor circulation. Oxidative stress generates free radicals that damage brain and nerve tissue. Poor circulation affects the brain by restricting oxygen and glucose which are vital for proper brain function. Researchers have found correlations between oxidative stress and reduced blood flow to the brain to senile dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and even schizophrenia. All of these conditions involve brain cell death. Tocotrienols aid the brain by reducing oxidative stress and improving blood flow.

Researchers can mimic much of the destruction seen in the above neurological disorders by feeding test animals glutamate—an amino acid that kills brain cells. The primary action of cell death is caused by free radicals. Ordinary vitamin E is not strong enough to prevent glutamate-induced cell death. But palm tocotrienols can quench the destructive action of glutamate. In laboratory studies tocotrienol-treated neurons maintain healthy growth and motility even in the presences of excess glutamate (Khanna, 2003).

Research is showing that the antioxidant power of red palm oil can be of help in protecting against a variety of health problems including osteoporosis, asthma, cataract, macular degeneration, arthritis, and liver disease. It can even stunt the processes that promote premature aging.

prevent Arthritis, Alzheimers, cancer and other degenerative diseases. Cross fit training.

I discovered cross fit training this weekend.  Looks easy and fun.  I will try it.    Competitions between rainstorms.  

Excellent simple one hour interview detailing why you need to take cod liver oil and eat 2 pounds of fruits and vegetables per day.

Polyphenols control gene expression; prevent inflammatory diseases.  

Turn on good genes.  Turn off bad genes.  

I have been a big fan of fruits vegetables since age 14.

On the radio NPR this weekend and free podcast download starting Monday.  

http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2015/04/15/show-989-the-mediterranean-zone-diet/

The Zone diet popularized by Dr. Barry Sears was one of the earliest to emphasize the importance of balancing protein, fat and carbohydrate consumption at every meal. Dr. Sears pioneered the idea that the food we eat is more powerful than any drug in controlling the activity of multiple hormones in our bodies.

Many studies have pointed to the value of a Mediterranean diet for reducing heart disease, stroke, dementia and other chronic diseases. How does a Mediterranean diet affect inflammation? And what is a real Mediterranean diet? There are lots of countries around the Mediterranean sea, and typical meals and favorite foods vary from one to another.

Fats from the Sea and  Phytonutrients

One thing the entire region has in common is a preference for vegetables and fruits rich in phytonutrients that give them strong flavors and bright colors. How do our bodies react to the colors on our plates and the flavors on our tongues? According to Dr. Sears, minimizing white foods (flour, sugar, shortening) as much as we can helps to control blood sugar and reduce inflammation, so long as we pay attention to the Zone way of eating.

Find out about the power of polyphenols from plant foods and the importance of omega 3 fats to maintain good health for life. According to Dr. Sears, all we need is to use a hand, an eye and a watch to set ourselves up for success on the Mediterranean Zone.

This Week's Guest:

Barry Sears, PhD, is a biochemist who has become an authority on the dietary control of hormone response. He popularized the concept of The Zone as an anti-inflammatory diet, and he is president of the nonprofit Inflammation Research Foundation. He has written 13 books, including The Zone, Mastering the Zone, The OmegaRx Zone, The Anti-Inflammation Zone, and his most recent, The Mediterranean Zone.

school bus home lightning rod

Solid steel bus acts as a Faraday cage protecting you from lightning.  

At the back of the bus need a solid steel jack that will channel lightning into the ground.  Away from the gas tank.  

Maybe a long piece of rebar drilled into the ground right behind the bus, sticking above the roof, as a real lightning rod that will keep the lightning away from the bus altogether, on rubber tires.

school bus home lightning rod

Solid steel bus acts as a Faraday cage protecting you from lightning.  

At the back of the bus need a solid steel jack that will channel lightning into the ground.  Away from the gas tank.  

Maybe a long piece of rebar drilled into the ground right behind the bus, sticking above the roof, as a real lightning rod that will keep the lightning away from the bus altogether, on rubber tires.

Anti- gay college shooting neo-Nazi

he killed Ron Lane earlier this week because he had made sexual advances to Stancil's 16-year-old brother.

thou Suspect in North Carolina community college shooting says he's neo-Nazi

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/suspect-in-north-carolina-community-college-shooting-says-he-s/article_5de8aea0-de45-518b-8877-73ac5326ef64.html

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Chesterfield hit hard by tax-return fraud, police say

I Authorities have called it one of the nation's fastest-growing and costliest crimes. The perpetrators steal personal data and use them to file income tax returns in hopes of getting the U.S. Treasury to issue refunds.

thought you might be interested in this story:

Chesterfield hit hard by tax-return fraud, police say http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/chesterfield-hit-hard-by-tax-return-fraud-police-say/article_de358a96-004e-55b5-89cc-a535da0039b2.html

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Dangerous chemicals: pioneering brain scientist

His ground-breaking research had an enormous impact on our understanding of how some common additives in packaged foods can harm the brain. 

He later found that some drugs commonly used during anesthesia for surgery can kill brain cells but in a different way.

He reported that as few as two cocktails consumed by a pregnant woman may be enough to kill some of the developing brain cells in a fetus. That can lead to neurological problems, known in its most severe form as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, that can haunt a person for life.

He sounded the alarm, starting in the late 1960s, that certain common substances should not be in the food chain at all. 

One was monosodium glutamate, or MSG.

He warned that aspartame, the main ingredient in the sweetener NutraSweet could lead to brain tumors.

Dr. John W. Olney: pioneering brain scientist 

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/obituaries/dr-john-w-olney-pioneering-brain-scientist/article_f5d6f2b2-d568-5be9-acdd-2187c319e0c0.html

Friends of the Library Spring Book Sale next week

Friends of the Library Spring Book Sale next week

http://sgfnow.co/1ywPDsb

You are tracked. Avoid the internet.

Entertaining explanation for laypersons about why this happened since 2000 dot com crash.

Before then internet was more useful and interesting.  

I was familiar with lesser problems before the internet from TV, Radio, and the print media.  

Now it is so bad I am trying to avoid the internet.  Move to where you can communicate verbally in person without any electronics.

The link is episode 2 of a series of videos.

The online tracking economy explained - confessing to creating the first pop-up ad! ad.episode2.donottrack-doc.com/en/

lime

Gums: The root cause of gum problems is a deficiency of vitamin-C (Scurvy, which gives bleeding and spongy gums) and microbial growth. Sometimes, the ulcers come from physical trauma. In all of these situations, limes can help. Its vitamin-C cures scurvy, Flavonoids inhibit microbial growth and potassium and Flavonoids help heal ulcers and wounds.

Piles: Since lime helps heal ulcers and wounds in the digestive system and excretory system while providing relief from constipation, it eradicates all the root causes of piles. Piles are a different term for hemorrhoids, an uncomfortable condition that occurs in the anal region and can result in bleeding and discomfort both during excretion and general activity. It can also lead to certain forms of cancer, and limes can help prevent their formation or recurrence.

Cholera: Although it has disappeared in many parts of the world, cholera is still a dangerous and deadly disease in some places on the planet, and luckily, limes and other citrus fruits can help defend against this often fatal condition. The lime juice, when added to potentially infected water, proved to be a very effective disinfectant, and even when it was consumed regularly after someone had been exposed to cholera-infected water, fatalities were reduced. Numerous studies were done on this application of lime juice, particularly following the horrible outbreak of cholera in Guinea-Bissau in 1994.

Weight Loss: A glass of warm water with a full lime's worth of juice in it is an excellent weight reducer as well as a brilliant refresher and antioxidant drink. The citric acid present in lime is an excellent fat burner. You can consume two glasses a day and see legitimate and remarkable results within a week.

Urinary Disorders: The high potassium content of limes is very effective in removal of the toxic substances and the precipitates which get deposited in kidneys and the urinary bladder. The disinfectant properties of limes also help cure infections in the urinary system. Furthermore, it stops prostrate growth (very common in males above 40) and clears blockage of urine that can come from calcium deposits in the urinary tract.

Other Benefits: It is a good appetizer and digestive. It can help to cure rheumatism, prostate and colon cancer, cholera, arteriosclerosis, fatigue and even high fevers (contrary to popular belief). The best part of it is that it has no negative side effects!

https://www.organicfacts.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/lime.jpg?4b6bc6

Corrupt republican. post-Schweich fundraising pause

I Hanaway had earlier faced criticism from Schweich and others about the fact that the vast majority of her funding last year came from a single source: Rex Sinquefield, a St. Louis investor and conservative activist, who has given her campaign about $1 million in all since early 2014

Hanaway's post-Schweich fundraising pause takes its toll: Just $38K in three months

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/political-fix/hanaway-s-post-schweich-fundraising-pause-takes-its-toll-just/article_b13d59eb-c643-53ee-b1d2-caf47c6f4d64.html

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I

Dead Wax, Music Record Shop help keep vinyl spinning

Kevin C. Johnson kjohnson@post-dispatch.com

Apr 15, 2015 09:30 PM

Anyone can download their favorite music on iTunes. But it takes a real fan to go into a record store and buy an album — especially a vinyl record.

"You can hold your phone up and say you have 15,000 songs, but there's nothing tangible there," says Tim Hendrickson, co-owner of Dead Wax. "When you sit down in front of your system and put on a record, you commit to that.

Vinyl lovers will celebrate nationwide Saturday on the annual Record Store Day, when artists release exclusive music that can be found only in participating record stores.

We take a look at Dead Wax on Cherokee Street and Music Record Shop in the Grove, two of St. Louis' niche record stores.

Check out all the participating shops at recordstoreday.com.

DEAD WAX

Dead Wax, named for the smooth area on a vinyl record between the last song and the label, opened its doors in May 2013, as an effort by owners Jeremy Miller and Tim Hendrickson to bring more businesses to Cherokee Street.

Miller had already owned the nearby Mud House. "The more business on the street, the better everybody is," Hendrickson says.

He says the record store is a "tiny space, very intimate, but people really feel comfortable here." He considers it an extension of their personalities.

About 99 percent of the stock at Dead Wax is vinyl, most of it preowned. The store stocks about 2,500 albums in a number of genres including rock, soul, jazz, country, classical, EDM and more. Dead Wax sells some equipment, as well.

"You can go through every record in the place if you're fast and know what you're doing in 30 minutes," Hendrickson says.

He says business has beengood, building steadily.

"We have a great customer base," he says. "I don't want to call them customers. I've made so many friends. We try to know everybody's name who walks in the door — make them feel comfortable."

Hendrickson says Dead Wax won't do anything special for Record Store Day — but it will sell the Record Store Day exclusives.

"People will hit all the stores, and we get to be on their rounds," he says. "We're not open until noon, so we'll be fresh with our stuff."

MUSIC RECORD SHOP

Music Record Shop, nestled between the Ready Room and the Demo in the Grove, opened last summer. The business had been located in Kirkwood, but the decision to move between two music venues was a no-brainer for owner Mark Carter.

"The Grove is an up-and-coming neighborhood, a cool place to be and a great place to do business," Carter says.

The main focus at Music Record Shop is on new vinyl releases, a thriving market among enthusiasts and purists.

"Our strength is bringing in new relevant music," he says. "It's a niche genre, and people are looking for it.

"I like to let the clientele dictate what to bring in here, what genres to go after. The store's not about me. It's about the person who walks through the door. I'm discovering there's a dubstep, EDM underground scene going on, so I'm bringing in imports in that genre."

Carter points out the store is dedicated to local music as well.

"Anyone who comes in here with local music, I'll buy it outright," he says. "This store is about being involved with the community."

He estimates the store has thousands of pieces of vinyl; 80 percent of the store's stock is vinyl.

"What we really try to do is bring an online store into a physical store," Carter says. "A lot of the stuff you can find online, you can find in this store. The expression I want you to have is 'I can't believe you have that.' "

Carter says there's so much vinyl at Music Record Shop that he had to thin out some of the merchandise to make room for Record Store Day releases — 500 to 700 records.

Music Record Shop is opening at 7 a.m. Saturday, the earliest Record Store Day organizers will allow participating stores to sell product.

In conjunction with Record Store Day, five bands will perform Saturday at the Demo beginning at 10 a.m. (an inside door connects the two). His neighbors, including Urban Chestnut, Rise Coffee and the Gramophone, will be around with food and drink.

"It's all about the community," Carter says. "You're better off as a group than as an individual."

---

Where Dead Wax, 1959 Cherokee Street • WhenFriday-Sunday noon-5 p.m. •More info 314-913-3692

Where Music Record Shop, 4191-A Manchester Avenue •When Tuesday-Thursday 2-8 p.m., Friday-Sunday noon-8 p.m. (open later when the Demo or the Ready Room have concerts) • More info314-675-8675; musicrecordshop.com

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OTC to hire full-time sex misconduct investigator

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From tax preparer to tax fraud

A former manager of a Rogersville H&R Block, a tax preparation business, plead guilty Friday in federal court to failing to pay withheld employment taxes and to filing a false federal income tax return.

Through her plea, Katherine D. Hastings, 58, of Marshfield, admitted that she failed to report more than $138,838 in embezzled income and she failed to pay over $246,334.03 in employee payroll taxes, according to a news release from the Western District of Missouri U.S. Attorney's office.

According to the plea agreement, Hastings was hired in 2004 by Mark Edwards to manage two businesses — Edherg & Hearstein, Inc./Green Square, Inc., operating as H&R Block, and Mason Dixon, Inc. Her duties, according to the release, included overseeing day-to-day operations and paying all accounts payable, including payroll and payroll taxes. Hastings had prepared income tax returns for approximately 35 years and had received tax training from the company.

The release cites court documents stating that, in January 2013, Edwards received notification of delinquent taxes from the Internal Revenue Service and confronted Hastings. Hastings initially told Edwards the delinquency notice was a mistake by the IRS, but later sent an email to Edwards admitting that she did not file the missing reports or pay the taxes, and that she had taken money from him, according to the release. She offered no excuse and apologized to Edwards.

After receiving the email, Edwards fired Hastings and reported the embezzlement and fraud to local law enforcement, according to the release.

Under federal statutes, Hastings is subject to a sentence of up to five years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $10,000 and an order of restitution for willful failure to pay over the employment taxes. The charge of filing a false tax return is punishable by a sentence of up to three years in prison without parole, plus a fine up to $100,000 and an order of restitution.

A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office, according to the release.

From tax preparer to tax fraud

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How Hackers Can Cash In on Your Online Payday Loans - Bloomberg Business

www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-15/how-hackers-can-cash-in-on-your-online-payday-loans

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How Hackers Can Cash In on Your Online Payday Loans

Cybersecurity company calls it a 'new wave of fraud'

by Jordan Robertson

1:11 PM CDT April 15, 2015

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Several years ago, Joe Lagennusa was having a tough time making ends meet, so the sales manager in Florida turned to online payday lenders. Then last November, two accounts he had with a bank were hacked—multiple times—and the thieves made off with $1,100.

Sky-high rates charged on payday loans aren't the only worry for cash-strapped consumers. These online lenders are also drawing the attention of cybercriminals who are taking people's account information and using it to drain their savings, apply for credit cards, or perform other forms of theft.

"It seems to be a new wave of fraud," said Andrew Komarov, president and chief intelligence officer of IntelCrawler, a cybersecurity company that obtained several databases from a seller on a hacking forum who claims to have access to lending information on more than 105 million people. While that figure couldn't be verified, Bloomberg News contacted dozens of individuals listed in the databases, including Lagennusa, and confirmed that their data came from payday loan applications.

Payday loans have flourished online as state regulators cracked down on brick-and-mortar lenders over their high fees and the debt spiral that often bankrupts customers. About $15.9 billion was doled out by online payday lenders in 2013, more than double the amount in 2006, according to the latest data from Stephens, an investment bank. Two of the biggest public-company lenders that do payday loans—Springleaf Holdings and First Cash Financial Services—have online operations.

Online payday services make attractive targets for crooks because of the data they store: a user's Social Security and driver's license numbers, address, employer, and information to access a bank account, which the lenders use as collateral. While large banks and financial services such as PayPal also have some of this information, their cyberdefenses are likely more difficult to breach. On top of that, online payday lenders have links to debt collectors and credit-scoring companies, which could open the door to hackers stealing data on consumers who haven't even taken out loans. So, yeah, nobody is safe.

The breach discovered by IntelCrawler exposes a wider threat to the financial system, said Tom Feltner, director of financial services for the Consumer Federation of America.

"When you have this amount of information in this level of detail about consumers that may have taken out a loan or are considering taking out a loan, that puts their bank accounts at considerable risk," he said.

Some payday lenders, such as USAWebCash.com and Check Into Cash, may share consumers' data with lead generators or other lenders, according to their websites. And some companies that appear in search results for payday loans aren't lenders but clearinghouses that collect applications and sell the data, Feltner said. Either way, that could put consumers' data at risk of falling into the wrong hands. USAWebCash.com and Check Into Cash didn't respond to requests for comment.

In September, the Federal Trade Commission said it halted a scam in which two men allegedly bought payday loan data and deposited $28 million into victims' bank accounts for loans they didn't ask for—and took out more than $46 million in finance charges and other fraudulent fees.

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20 Foods That Are Bad For Your Health (Avoid Them!)

authoritynutrition.com/20-foods-to-avoid-like-the-plague

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POS Providers Feel Brunt of PoSeidon Malware — Krebs on Security

krebsonsecurity.com/2015/04/pos-providers-feel-brunt-of-poseidon-malware

"PoSeidon," a new strain of malicious software designed to steal credit and debit card data from hacked point-of-sale (POS) devices, has been implicated in a number of recent breaches involving companies that provide POS services primarily to restaurants, bars and hotels. The shift by the card thieves away from targeting major retailers like Target and Home Depot to attacking countless, smaller users of POS systems is giving financial institutions a run for their money as they struggle to figure out which merchants are responsible for card fraud.

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4/15/15, 8:24 AM The online tracking economy explained - with bonus @EthanZ confessing to creating the first pop-up ad! ad.episode2.donottrack-doc.com/en/

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Eating any fish once a week aids future brain health regardless of omega-3 content | Daily Mail Online

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2716923/Fish-really-brain-food-Eating-fillet-week-aids-future-brain-health-regardless-omega-3-content.html

Fish as Brain Food - NYTimes.com

Eating fish is associated with an increase in brain volume, but it is apparently not because of its omega-3 content, a new study has found.

Researchers analyzed data from 260 cognitively normal people, average age 78, who had answered diet questionnaires. They'd also had their blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids measured and their brains scanned.

The researchers found that weekly consumption of baked or broiled fish — but not fried fish — was associated with larger gray matter volumes in areas of the brain responsible for memory and cognition, including areas where amyloid plaques, a sign of Alzheimer's disease, first appear. The association persisted after controlling for age, sex, race, education, physical activity, body mass index and any tissue damage found on the initial magnetic resonance imaging scan of the brain.

The results were the same regardless of omega-3 levels, suggesting that omega-3s were not the determining factor. Thestudy appears in The American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

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Illinois lawmakers want vetting of Rauner's pension proposal

Illinois lawmakers want vetting of Rauner's pension proposal

http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/illinois-lawmakers-want-vetting-of-rauner-s-pension-proposal/article_014c0243-87a1-5343-b4aa-1e73e00f357d.html

Sent via the Post-Dispatch iOS app. State officials are anxiously awaiting a ruling by the Illinois Supreme Court on the constitutionality of a 2013 law that relies on a fiscal emergency as a reason to reduce pension benefits for state workers hired prior to Jan. 1, 2011.

The high court could uphold a lower court ruling in November that concluded the state constitution does not allow any reduction in public pension benefits.

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Where the poor and rich spend really spend their money

The greatest difference by far between rich and poor is not in how they spend, but how they save. 

For every dollar they spend at the grocery store, the poorest households save 12 cents, while the wealthy sock away $3.07 in pensions and life insurance.

This is one reason that some economists are concerned about rising levels of inequality. 

The rich save more than the poor, and the more they have, the more they'll save. 

Money that's being saved isn't being spent, which means less business for everyone In turn, 

that means less work for everybody and a lethargic economy.

To be sure, banks can invest the money that the wealthy save, which can stimulate the economy as well. Yet many observers, including former Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, are worried that as a global society, we've accumulated too much in the way of savings already.

I thought you might be interested in this story: Where the poor and rich spend really spend their money 

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